TORONTO (AP) — George Springer put Toronto ahead with a three-run homer in the seventh inning and the Blue Jays advanced to the World Series for the first time since 1993 by beating the Seattle Mariners 4-3 in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Blue Jays will host Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 on Friday night when the World Series comes to Canada for the third time. The defending champion Dodgers swept Milwaukee in the NLCS. Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodríguez each hit a solo home run for Seattle in the team’s first postseason Game 7, but the Mariners squandered a 3-1 lead in the seventh and remain the only major league team without a pennant.
NEW YORK (AP) — The Toronto Blue Jays are back in the World Series for the first time since 1993. They host the Los Angeles Dodgers in Friday night's opener. The Dodgers are aiming to become the first repeat winners since the Yankees from 1998 to 2000. Shohei Ohtani leads the Dodgers with standout performances both at bat and on the mound. Toronto manager John Schneider feels the pressure of representing an entire country. Toronto hopes to secure its first title since back-to-back championships in 1992 and '93.
Once Shohei Ohtani homered for the third time — shortly after wrapping up his six scoreless innings on the mound — the superlatives began in earnest. Best baseball performance of all time? Best sports performance, period? Those two questions are worth exploring. In Game 4 of the NL Championship Series on Friday night, Ohtani became the third player ever to hit three homers in a game in which he was a starting pitcher. He also become the only person since at least 1906 to reach double digits in both total bases at the plate and strikeouts on the mound.
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Maccabi Tel Aviv has announced it will decline tickets for a Europa League game against Aston Villa next month regardless of growing calls for the English city of Birmingham to reverse a ban it imposed on the Israeli club's fans. The ban has faced criticism, including from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Maccabi Tel Aviv emphasized the safety of its fans in a statement on Tuesday. The British government has been working to resolve the Europa League issue amid heightened concerns about antisemitism. Maccabi Tel Aviv says it hopes for a future where it can play in Birmingham without controversy.
DETROIT (AP) — Jahmyr Gibbs scored on a 78-yard sprint in the second quarter, a 5-yard spinning plunge in the third and accounted for a career-high 218 yards from scrimmage to lead the Detroit Lions in a 24-9 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night. The Lions bounced back from a loss as they have done flawlessly for nearly three years. Tampa Bay was outgained by more than 200 yards in the first half, but trailed 14-3 because Detroit had an interception, fumble, turned it over on downs and missed a field goal.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers are aiming for a second consecutive World Series championship. It hasn't been done since the New York Yankees 25 years ago. Shortstop Mookie Betts says the team is ready to make history. The Dodgers practiced on Monday while waiting for the World Series to begin on Friday. Reliever Tanner Scott, who had an abscess removed and missed the NL Championship Series, is eligible for the World Series roster and said he feels ready to play.
SEATTLE (AP) — Jaxon Smith-Njigba had his NFL-leading fifth 100-yard receiving game of the season as the Seattle Seahawks beat the Houston Texans 27-19. Smith-Njigba, who entered the game leading the league in yards receiving, gave Seattle a 14-0 lead late in the first quarter when he caught an 11-yard TD pass from Sam Darnold. Smith-Njigba celebrated his fourth touchdown catch of the season by dunking on the crossbar of the goalposts, drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the process. In total, Smith-Njigba caught eight passes for 123 receiving yards. He became the second player in franchise history to record three straight 100-yard games, and his five 100-yard games this season are tied for the second-most in a year by any Seahawks player.
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Police officers were among dozens of people injured during rioting between rival fans at a soccer game in Tel Aviv, Israeli authorities said. The game was eventually abandoned as police were forced to evacuate tens of thousands of people. In a statement early Monday, a police spokesman said a handful of fans had attended the game on Sunday and fired dozens of flares and smoke grenades onto the field. The derby match at the Bloomfield Stadium between Hapoel and Maccabi was canceled out of concern for public safety, police said.
TORONTO (AP) — The Seattle Mariners fell just short of reaching the World Series for the first time, losing to the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series. Eduard Bazardo gave up a go-ahead, three-run homer to George Springer in the seventh inning. Seattle had been only eight outs from its first World Series appearance. Mariners star Cal Raleigh called the season a failure as the team had high hopes after winning its first AL West title since 2001. Manager Dan Wilson expressed disappointment but praised the team's hard work.
Purdue guard Braden Smith has been named a unanimous preseason All-American by The Associated Press. He earned all 57 votes from a media panel. This recognition comes after Smith decided to return to Purdue for another shot at a national championship. Last season, he became the first player in NCAA history to achieve at least 550 points, 300 assists, 150 rebounds and 75 steals in a season. Smith is joined on the All-America team by Texas Tech's JT Toppin, Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg, BYU freshman AJ Dybantsa and Florida forward Alex Condon.
Finals
AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIOSNHIP SERIES
Final Toronto 4 Seattle 3
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Final Detroit 24 Tampa Bay 9
Final Seattle 27 Houston 19