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Guardians
beat Rays
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Petey Halpin hit a go-ahead, two-run homer, Gavin Williams struck out nine over five innings and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 in Game 3 to take a 2-1 lead in the AL Championship Series. Game 4 in the best-of-seven matchup is scheduled for Friday, though rain is forecast.
José Ramírez had two hits and Nathaniel Lowe added an RBI for the Guardians, who have won five of their last six playoff games since trailing the Chicago White Sox 2-0 in their AL Division Series. Williams allowed two runs in five innings with one walk.
Hurts is
ruled out
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- The Philadelphia Eagles have ruled out quarterback Jalen Hurts for Sunday’s game against Carolina because of a superficial blood clot. Hurts was injured two weeks ago against the Los Angeles Rams when he took a cleat to his calf.
He traveled with the team to London for their game against Jacksonville and was cleared to play against the Jaguars. Hurts received treatment Monday and Tuesday this week when he returned to Philadelphia and was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice.
An ultrasound on Wednesday revealed movement in the clot. The Eagles said they would determine the appropriate course of treatment.
New coaches
in NBA
(AP) -- Dusty May is set to start as head coach of the Dallas Mavericks. He has already experienced big games in NBA arenas, thanks to his success at the college level with Florida Atlantic and Michigan.
May believes he’s ready for the NBA challenge, focusing entirely on the game once it starts. He’s one of three first-time NBA coaches this season, alongside Orlando’s Sean Sweeney and Portland’s Micah Nori. Other teams also have new coaches, like Taylor Jenkins in Milwaukee, Tiago Splitter in Chicago and Jamahl Mosley in New Orleans.
Infantino
apologizes
ZURICH (AP) -- Gianni Infantino has given an apology to his toughest critics at a showdown meeting in Zurich but no new details or documents on FIFA issues that most concern them. No documents about the $4.2 billion World Cup sell-off plan he launched and dropped in July.
No details about the Folarin Balogun red-card case at the World Cup or how U.S. President Donald Trump intervened. FIFA vice president from England Debbie Hewitt says Infantino must answer questions or “he is not fit to be the FIFA president.” FIFA will review the future of the peace prize it created to give to Trump last December.
Wembanyama
MVP favorite
(AP) -- NBA general managers are expecting big things from Victor Wembanyama this season. They predict the San Antonio star will win his first MVP award, repeat as Defensive Player of the Year, and lead the Spurs to their sixth NBA championship.
The annual poll conducted for NBA.com shows Wembanyama received 23 of 29 votes for MVP and all 29 votes for best defender. The Spurs narrowly beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in the balloting for the NBA title. Philadelphia was recognized for making the best offseason moves, while Miami’s Erik Spoelstra was named best coach.
Golden State’s Stephen Curry was nearly unanimously picked as the best shooter.
Smesko’s move
pays off
(AP) -- Karl Smesko has transformed the Atlanta Dream into a WNBA powerhouse. After building a successful program at Florida Gulf Coast, he joined the Dream two years ago. Smesko led FGCU to multiple NCAA tournaments but saw limited chances for a national title.
Now, he’s taken the Dream to the WNBA Finals, just four wins away from a championship. The Dream face the Golden State Valkyries, who swept them in the regular season.
Smesko’s unique coaching style, focusing on layups, 3-pointers, and free throws, has been key. His move to the WNBA has proven to be the right decision.