MILWAUKEE (AP) — Pete Alonso was having a rather disappointing evening in what could have been his final game for the New York Mets. Then everything changed with one swing of the bat. The slugger broke out of a prolonged slump by smashing a three-run homer off closer Devin Williams in the ninth inning to put the Mets up for good in a 4-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday in the decisive third game of their NL Wild Card Series. That made Alonso the first major leaguer to hit a go-ahead homer when his team was trailing in the ninth inning or later of a winner-take-all postseason game, according to OptaSTATS. “It’s just something you practice in the backyard as a kid,” Alonso said. “You go through those scenarios as a little kid: All right, you’re in the playoffs down by a few runs. Words can’t explain. This is just unreal.”
ATLANTA (AP) — Kirk Cousins sure earned all that money Thursday night. The $180 million quarterback threw for a career-high 509 yards and four touchdowns, the last of them a 45-yard scoring pass to KhaDarel Hodge in overtime that gave the Atlanta Falcons an improbable 36-30 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. “What a night,” Cousins said. “I’m exhausted.” After a wild fourth quarter that featured a blocked field goal, a fumble and an interception, Cousins and the Falcons (3-2) got the ball back at their own 20 with 1:14 remaining in regulation and no timeouts, trailing 30-27. Cousins completed five passes to push Atlanta to the Buccaneers 29, then hustled to the line to spike the ball with a single second left. In all the confusion, the Falcons were called for delay of game as they lined up for a tying field goal, but it didn’t cost them. Even with the five-yard penalty, Younghoe Koo knocked it through from 52 yards to force overtime, one week after he made a 58-yarder with 2 seconds left to beat the New Orleans Saints.
NEW YORK (AP) — Caitlin Clark has been named the WNBA Rookie of the Year in a near-unanimous vote, giving the Indiana Fever back-to-back winners after Aliyah Boston won the honor last season. A national panel of sportswriters and sportscasters gave Clark 66 of 67 votes in balloting released Thursday. Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese received the other. Clark, the No. 1 overall pick from Iowa, averaged 19.2 points and a league-best 8.4 assists per game while helping the WNBA set attendance records and garner mainstream attention. She struggled a bit early in the season, but found her groove and was an All-Star starter. The unanimous AP Rookie of the Year led the Fever to the playoffs for the first time since 2016 and a 20-20 record after a 1-8 start.
Terry Francona needed some time away from baseball. A year was long enough. One of baseball’s most beloved managers, Francona has been hired by the Cincinnati Reds, returning to a team he played for after stepping down in Cleveland following last season because of health reasons. A person familiar with the situation confirmed the move to The Associated Press on Thursday night on condition of anonymity because the Reds had not announced the decision. An announcement could come later this week. Francona, who won two World Series titles with the Boston Red Sox, is replacing David Bell, fired by the Reds last month in the final days of his sixth season. Bell went 409-456 during his tenure. Francona, who turns 66 in April, played as an outfielder for Cincinnati in 1987. He hit .227 with three homers and 12 RBIs in 102 games.
THURSDAY'S SCORES
Major League Baseball
NY Mets 4, Milwaukee 2 (Mets win Wild Card series 2-1)
National Football League
Atlanta 36, Tampa Bay 30 OT