TCU and Kansas will be playing to stay atop the Big 12 when they meet Saturday at Memorial Stadium. The Jayhawks are 5-0 for the first time since 2009, when they went on to lose their last seven games. The Horned Frogs are coming off a blowout of Oklahoma. The last time Kansas won its first six was 2007, when it went 12-1 and won the Orange Bowl. The Horned Frogs have not won their first five since 2017, when they started 7-0 before finishing 11-3 with a win in the Alamo Bowl.

NO. 17 TCU (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) at No. 19 Kansas (5-0, 2-0), Saturday, 1 p.m. ET (FS1)

Line: TCU by 7, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

TCU and Kansas will be playing to stay atop the Big 12 when they meet Saturday at Memorial Stadium. Who would have thought that would be the case before the season? The Jayhawks are 5-0 for the first time since 2009, when they went on to lose their last seven games, while the Horned Frogs are coming off a blowout of Oklahoma. The last time Kansas won its first six was 2007, when it went 12-1 and won the Orange Bowl. The Horned Frogs have not won their first five since 2017, when they started 7-0 before finishing 11-3 with a win in the Alamo Bowl.

TCU quarterback Max Duggan against Kansas counterpart Jalon Daniels. Sure, the two won't match up in the literal sense, but the team that wins will probably be the one that gets better quarterback play. Duggan leads the nation in pass efficiency and is third in completion percentage at 74.5, and he's thrown 11 touchdown passes without an interception. Daniels has thrown for 983 yards with 11 touchdowns and one pick while rushing for a team-best 335 yards and five more scores.

TCU: RB Kendre Miller leads active Power 5 players at 7.43 yards per carry for his career, and he did nothing to hurt those numbers against Oklahoma. Miller carried 13 times for 136 yards with TD runs of 15 and 69 yards in the 55-24 romp. Kansas limited Iowa State to 26 yards on the ground last week.

Kansas: RB Devin Neal will take on additional work after the Jayhawks lost running mate Daniel Hishaw to an injury against the Cyclones. Neal carried 12 times for 72 yards against the Cyclones while surpassing 1,000 yards for his career.

TCU has won nine of 10 games against Kansas as members of the Big 12. The Horned Frogs won 31-28 on a 25-yard field goal in the closing seconds last season. ... The last time the Horned Frogs were 4-0, current coach Sonny Dykes was on staff as an offensive analyst. Dykes is the first TCU coach to win his opening four games since Francis Schmidt in 1929. ... TCU has not trailed since the first 24 seconds of the second quarter of its opener against Colorado. ... The Horned Frogs are second nationally in scoring (48.5 points per game) and total offense (549.5 yards per game). ... TCU had four TDs of at least 62 yards in its win over Oklahoma. ... Kansas has not beaten a ranked team since No. 15 Georgia Tech in 2010. It has not beaten a ranked conference opponent since No. 12 Missouri in 2008. ... The Jayhawks have not beaten a ranked opponent at home while also ranked since Nov. 24, 1973 (No. 19 Missouri 14-13). ... The Jayhawks have allowed two sacks this season. ... Kansas tops the Big 12 in red zone defense.

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By The Associated Press undefinedTCU and Kansas will be playing to stay atop the Big 12 when they meet Saturday at Memorial Stadium. The Jayhawks are 5-0 for the first time since 2009, when they went on to lose their last seven games. The Horned Frogs are coming off a blowout of Oklahoma. The last time Kansas won its first six was 2007, when it went 12-1 and won the Orange Bowl. The Horned Frogs have not won their first five since 2017, when they started 7-0 before finishing 11-3 with a win in the Alamo Bowl.NO. 17 TCU (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) at No. 19 Kansas (5-0, 2-0), Saturday, 1 p.m. ET (FS1)Line: TCU by 7, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.Series record: TCU leads 25-9-4.WHAT'S AT STAKE?TCU and Kansas will be playing to stay atop the Big 12 when they meet Saturday at Memorial Stadium. Who would have thought that would be the case before the season? The Jayhawks are 5-0 for the first time since 2009, when they went on to lose their last seven games, while the Horned Frogs are coming off a blowout of Oklahoma. The last time Kansas won its first six was 2007, when it went 12-1 and won the Orange Bowl. The Horned Frogs have not won their first five since 2017, when they started 7-0 before finishing 11-3 with a win in the Alamo Bowl.KEY MATCHUPTCU quarterback Max Duggan against Kansas counterpart Jalon Daniels. Sure, the two won't match up in the literal sense, but the team that wins will probably be the one that gets better quarterback play. Duggan leads the nation in pass efficiency and is third in completion percentage at 74.5, and he's thrown 11 touchdown passes without an interception. Daniels has thrown for 983 yards with 11 touchdowns and one pick while rushing for a team-best 335 yards and five more scores.PLAYERS TO WATCHTCU: RB Kendre Miller leads active Power 5 players at 7.43 yards per carry for his career, and he did nothing to hurt those numbers against Oklahoma. Miller carried 13 times for 136 yards with TD runs of 15 and 69 yards in the 55-24 romp. Kansas limited Iowa State to 26 yards on the ground last week.Kansas: RB Devin Neal will take on additional work after the Jayhawks lost running mate Daniel Hishaw to an injury against the Cyclones. Neal carried 12 times for 72 yards against the Cyclones while surpassing 1,000 yards for his career.FACTS &amp; FIGURESTCU has won nine of 10 games against Kansas as members of the Big 12. The Horned Frogs won 31-28 on a 25-yard field goal in the closing seconds last season. ... The last time the Horned Frogs were 4-0, current coach Sonny Dykes was on staff as an offensive analyst. Dykes is the first TCU coach to win his opening four games since Francis Schmidt in 1929. ... TCU has not trailed since the first 24 seconds of the second quarter of its opener against Colorado. ... The Horned Frogs are second nationally in scoring (48.5 points per game) and total offense (549.5 yards per game). ... TCU had four TDs of at least 62 yards in its win over Oklahoma. ... Kansas has not beaten a ranked team since No. 15 Georgia Tech in 2010. It has not beaten a ranked conference opponent since No. 12 Missouri in 2008. ... The Jayhawks have not beaten a ranked opponent at home while also ranked since Nov. 24, 1973 (No. 19 Missouri 14-13). ... The Jayhawks have allowed two sacks this season. ... Kansas tops the Big 12 in red zone defense.___More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25 Sign up for the AP's college football newsletter: https://apnews.com/cfbtop25

🏈 No. 17 TCU heads to No. 19 Kansas for showdown of unbeatens

The same template has been used to build Iowa State and Kansas State, and both have earned reputations for rising up and challenging the Big 12 No. 20 Kansas State heads to Ames to play Iowa State for the 106th time since 1917. Two years after the Cyclones reached the Big 12 championship game for the first time, K-State is looking to make a run of its own after beginning conference play 2-0. Iowa State and K-State are fixtures in the bottom half of the Big 12 recruiting rankings. Both are in the top half in conference wins since 2018.

The same template has been used to build Iowa State and Kansas State, and both have earned reputations for rising up and challenging the Big 12 football hierarchy.

Two years after the Cyclones (3-2, 0-2) reached the conference championship game for the first time, 20th-ranked K-State (4-1, 2-0) is looking to make a run of its own.

The Wildcats' next step is a visit to Ames, Iowa, on Saturday night for the 106th renewal of "Farmageddon," an appropriate nickname for a series between a couple of hard-working programs from agricultural states.

"It's not the easiest place to win in Manhattan. It's not the easiest place sometimes to win in Ames," K-State coach Chris Klieman said. "And you have to have the right kind of guys, and you have to have guys that believe in what you're doing and believe in each other and believe in the culture."

Over the last five years, according to 247Sports, Kansas State has signed one four-star recruit and Iowa State has signed six. Texas and Oklahoma, meanwhile, have combined for 13 five-stars and 146 four-stars.

While Iowa State and K-State are fixtures in the bottom half of the annual Big 12 recruiting rankings, both are in the top half for number of conference wins since 2019.

The current Wildcats' offense is built around Adrian Martinez and Deuce Vaughn, who have combined for more than 1,100 yards rushing. Martinez was a four-star recruit who signed with Nebraska in 2018 and the Cornhuskers' starter for four losing seasons before he transferred. Vaughn, the 11th-ranked three-star in the Wildcats' 2020 recruiting class, is the Big's leading rusher.

"It's not always the five-star kids," said Klieman, who has won three of four games against Oklahoma since he took over in 2019. "It's the kids that want to play their tail off for their school and for their brother."

Iowa State has a four-star recruit in quarterback Hunter Dekkers. His favorite target, Xavier Hutchinson, was a three-star who has been a top-three Big 12 receiver for three years since transferring from a junior college. Defensive end Will McDonald, who could have declared for the NFL draft after last season, was a three-star who is only the fourth Big 12 player to record at least 30 sacks.

"Investment in kids, attitude and effort, belief and process, I think those are all things that we worked really hard to build," Cyclones coach Matt Campbell said. "When you watch their team, those are the things that jump out to you. So yeah, I think a lot of parallels in terms of how the infrastructure of the programs were built."

The Cyclones are dinged up at running back. Starter Jirehl Brock was hurt on the fourth play from scrimmage at Kansas last week, and Cartevious Norton has been out since the opener.

Deon Silas or Eli Sanders would be in line for his first start if Brock can't play. Silas carried 12 times for 29 yards and caught four passes for short gains in the 14-11 loss.

"Deon Silas played the best game of his career," Campbell said. "Really proud of what he did and certainly what he can continue to do for us."

K-State's 1.8-to-1 turnover margin is second-best in the nation, with eight of its 11 takeaways coming against Missouri and Texas Tech.

"That's a big recipe for success when the wins and losses happen, us finding ways even though we're giving up too many explosive plays," Klieman said.

K-State has allowed seven runs of 20 yards or longer, most in the Big 12, and three passes of at least 50 yards, tied for most in the conference.

Martinez, with a combined 319 rushing yards against Oklahoma and Texas Tech the last two weeks, joined Louisville's Lamar Jackson and Auburn's Cam Newton as the only Power Five quarterbacks the last 15 years with 300 yards and seven touchdowns over consecutive games.

K-State has recorded 10 or more tackles for loss in three of its first five games for the first time since 2012. The Wildcats have 37 and are on pace to surpass the 90 TFLs they had last season. Star defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah leads the team with seven.

Iowa State and K-State have played every year since 1917, with the Cyclones leading the series 52-49-4. ISU will try to beat the Wildcats a third straight time.

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By ERIC OLSON AP College Football WriterThe same template has been used to build Iowa State and Kansas State, and both have earned reputations for rising up and challenging the Big 12 No. 20 Kansas State heads to Ames to play Iowa State for the 106th time since 1917. Two years after the Cyclones reached the Big 12 championship game for the first time, K-State is looking to make a run of its own after beginning conference play 2-0. Iowa State and K-State are fixtures in the bottom half of the Big 12 recruiting rankings. Both are in the top half in conference wins since 2018.The same template has been used to build Iowa State and Kansas State, and both have earned reputations for rising up and challenging the Big 12 football hierarchy.Two years after the Cyclones (3-2, 0-2) reached the conference championship game for the first time, 20th-ranked K-State (4-1, 2-0) is looking to make a run of its own.The Wildcats' next step is a visit to Ames, Iowa, on Saturday night for the 106th renewal of "Farmageddon," an appropriate nickname for a series between a couple of hard-working programs from agricultural states."It's not the easiest place to win in Manhattan. It's not the easiest place sometimes to win in Ames," K-State coach Chris Klieman said. "And you have to have the right kind of guys, and you have to have guys that believe in what you're doing and believe in each other and believe in the culture."Over the last five years, according to 247Sports, Kansas State has signed one four-star recruit and Iowa State has signed six. Texas and Oklahoma, meanwhile, have combined for 13 five-stars and 146 four-stars.While Iowa State and K-State are fixtures in the bottom half of the annual Big 12 recruiting rankings, both are in the top half for number of conference wins since 2019.The current Wildcats' offense is built around Adrian Martinez and Deuce Vaughn, who have combined for more than 1,100 yards rushing. Martinez was a four-star recruit who signed with Nebraska in 2018 and the Cornhuskers' starter for four losing seasons before he transferred. Vaughn, the 11th-ranked three-star in the Wildcats' 2020 recruiting class, is the Big's leading rusher."It's not always the five-star kids," said Klieman, who has won three of four games against Oklahoma since he took over in 2019. "It's the kids that want to play their tail off for their school and for their brother."Iowa State has a four-star recruit in quarterback Hunter Dekkers. His favorite target, Xavier Hutchinson, was a three-star who has been a top-three Big 12 receiver for three years since transferring from a junior college. Defensive end Will McDonald, who could have declared for the NFL draft after last season, was a three-star who is only the fourth Big 12 player to record at least 30 sacks."Investment in kids, attitude and effort, belief and process, I think those are all things that we worked really hard to build," Cyclones coach Matt Campbell said. "When you watch their team, those are the things that jump out to you. So yeah, I think a lot of parallels in terms of how the infrastructure of the programs were built."RUNNING BACK SHORTAGEThe Cyclones are dinged up at running back. Starter Jirehl Brock was hurt on the fourth play from scrimmage at Kansas last week, and Cartevious Norton has been out since the opener.Deon Silas or Eli Sanders would be in line for his first start if Brock can't play. Silas carried 12 times for 29 yards and caught four passes for short gains in the 14-11 loss."Deon Silas played the best game of his career," Campbell said. "Really proud of what he did and certainly what he can continue to do for us."TURNOVERS, BIG PLAYSK-State's 1.8-to-1 turnover margin is second-best in the nation, with eight of its 11 takeaways coming against Missouri and Texas Tech."That's a big recipe for success when the wins and losses happen, us finding ways even though we're giving up too many explosive plays," Klieman said.K-State has allowed seven runs of 20 yards or longer, most in the Big 12, and three passes of at least 50 yards, tied for most in the conference.MAGNIFICENT MARTINEZMartinez, with a combined 319 rushing yards against Oklahoma and Texas Tech the last two weeks, joined Louisville's Lamar Jackson and Auburn's Cam Newton as the only Power Five quarterbacks the last 15 years with 300 yards and seven touchdowns over consecutive games.BEHIND THE LINEK-State has recorded 10 or more tackles for loss in three of its first five games for the first time since 2012. The Wildcats have 37 and are on pace to surpass the 90 TFLs they had last season. Star defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah leads the team with seven.FAMILIAR FOESIowa State and K-State have played every year since 1917, with the Cyclones leading the series 52-49-4. ISU will try to beat the Wildcats a third straight time.___More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/ap_top25. Sign up for the AP's college football newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/mrxhe6f2

🏈 No. 20 K-State, Iowa St see lot of each other in themselves

Arraez, McNeil win batting titles, Judge misses Triple Crown

NEW YORK (AP) — Minnesota's Luis Arraez finished with the lowest average for an American League batting champion since 1968, and the Mets' Jeff McNeil won the National League title. The New York Yankees' Aaron Judge missed out on a Triple Crown, edged by Arraez .316 to .311 for the AL title after sitting out the final day of the regular season. McNeil sat out until the eighth inning and made it first-time batting champions in both leagues, his .326 average one point ahead of the Dodgers' Freddie Freeman. Arraez's average was the lowest for an AL batting champion since Boston's Carl Yastrzemski at .301 in 1968.

Fan who caught Aaron Judge's 62nd HR offered $2M for ball

The owner of a sports memorabilia auction house says he has offered $2 million to the fan who caught Aaron Judge's American League-record 62nd home run. JP Cohen, president of Memory Lane Inc. in Tustin, California, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he has texted and emailed Cory Youmans, who caught Judge's milestone shot Tuesday night at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. Cohen says Youmans has not yet replied. Youmans grabbed the historic souvenir on the fly as it sailed into the front row of section 31 in left field.

LeBron in Vegas? He makes an expansion pitch to Adam Silver

LAS VEGAS (AP) — LeBron James came to Las Vegas for a preseason game. And a pitch. James, who has spoken in the past about how he wants to eventually own an NBA franchise -- with Las Vegas on his mind -- sent a crystal-clear message to Commissioner Adam Silver on Wednesday night, reminding him of his future plans to bring a team to the desert. Though Silver has said he expects expansion at some point, it is believed that wouldn't happen until the next Collective Bargaining Agreement and television deals are complete.

Royals fire manager Mike Matheny after 65-97 end to season

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals fired manager Mike Matheny and pitching coach Cal Eldred on Wednesday night, shortly after the struggling franchise finished the season 65-97 with a listless 9-2 loss to the Cleveland Guardians. The Royals had exercised their option on Matheny's contract for 2023 during spring training, when the club hoped it was turning the corner from also-ran to contender again. But plagued by poor pitching, struggles from young position players and failed experiments with veterans, the Royals were largely out of playoff contention by the middle of summer. Matheny is the fifth big league manager to be fired this year.

Drop the puck: What to know about the 2022-23 NHL season

The NHL season opens Friday in Europe when San Jose and Nashville face off in the first of two games in the Czech Republic. Play gets underway in North America on Tuesday when Tampa Bay visits the New York Rangers and Los Angeles hosts Vegas. The Colorado Avalanche begin their title defense and raise the franchise's third Stanley Cup banner Wednesday before opening against Chicago. There are two outdoor games: the Winter Classic at Fenway Park on Jan. 2 between Boston and Pittsburgh and the Stadium Series in Raleigh between Carolina and Washington. The regular season runs through April 13.

Ukraine links World Cup host bid to beating horrors of war

NYON, Switzerland (AP) — Ukrainian soccer federation president Andriy Pavelko says hosting World Cup matches in 2030 would be "the dream of people who survived the horrors of war" after his country launched a joint bid with Spain and Portugal. The leaders of the three soccer federations joined together at UEFA headquarters to present a campaign they hope will connect people beyond the world of sports. Pavelko says the project is backed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. FIFA will pick the host in 2024. Other likely candidates are a four-nation South American bid and a Saudi Arabia-led project involving Egypt.

Judge out of Yankees starting lineup for finale after No. 62

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Yankees slugger Aaron Judge isn't in the starting lineup for New York's regular-season finale a day after his 62nd home run that broke Roger Maris' 61-year-old American League single-season record. The Yankees wrapped up a four-game series in Texas. The AL East champion Yankees open the AL Division Series next Tuesday. Judge went into the final day of the regular season batting .311, trailing AL batting average leader Minnesota's Luis Arraez. Judge is a wide leader in the other Triple Crown categories, with his 62 homers and 131 RBIs.

Commanders' Robinson practices for 1st time since shooting

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Brian Robinson Jr. practiced with the Washington Commanders for the first time since being shot twice in an attempted robbery. The rookie running back returned to the practice field just over five weeks since the shooting. He could play as soon as Sunday against Tennessee. But neither Robinson nor Rivera is prepared to commit to the Alabama product facing the Titans and making his NFL debut. The game marks six weeks to the day since he was shot in the right leg. Washington has three weeks to activate Robinson off the non-football injury list.

Close calls happening at record-setting pace in NFL

Games are going down to the wire in the NFL at an unprecedented rate this season. With a record 15 of 16 games last week being within one score in the fourth quarter, the league is having the most competitive start to a season in its history. Of the 64 games played so far, 50 of them have been within one score in the fourth quarter for the most ever through four weeks. There have been a record 23 games decided by three points or fewer and 38 decided by eight points or fewer, tied with the 2018 season for the most through four weeks.

Pro Picks leans toward Broncos to kick off Week 5

A month into the season, it's clear Russell Wilson and Matt Ryan are still adjusting to their new teams. The star quarterbacks go head-to-head this week on Thursday night when Wilson and the Denver Broncos (2-2) host Ryan and the Indianapolis Colts (1-2-1). Wilson still hasn't found a rhythm in rookie coach Nathaniel Hackett's offense. Ryan has a veteran coach in Frank Reich, but ball security has been his biggest problem. He has nine fumbles and five interceptions in four games. Both teams have injury concerns at running back. The Broncos lost Javonte Williams to a season-ending knee injury. The Colts are being cautious with All-Pro Jonathan Taylor because of an ankle injury.

Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PRESEASON 

AP Sports SummaryBrief at 2:56 a.m. EDTArraez, McNeil win batting titles, Judge misses Triple CrownNEW YORK (AP) — Minnesota's Luis Arraez finished with the lowest average for an American League batting champion since 1968, and the Mets' Jeff McNeil won the National League title. The New York Yankees' Aaron Judge missed out on a Triple Crown, edged by Arraez .316 to .311 for the AL title after sitting out the final day of the regular season. McNeil sat out until the eighth inning and made it first-time batting champions in both leagues, his .326 average one point ahead of the Dodgers' Freddie Freeman. Arraez's average was the lowest for an AL batting champion since Boston's Carl Yastrzemski at .301 in 1968.Fan who caught Aaron Judge's 62nd HR offered $2M for ballThe owner of a sports memorabilia auction house says he has offered $2 million to the fan who caught Aaron Judge's American League-record 62nd home run. JP Cohen, president of Memory Lane Inc. in Tustin, California, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he has texted and emailed Cory Youmans, who caught Judge's milestone shot Tuesday night at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. Cohen says Youmans has not yet replied. Youmans grabbed the historic souvenir on the fly as it sailed into the front row of section 31 in left field.LeBron in Vegas? He makes an expansion pitch to Adam SilverLAS VEGAS (AP) — LeBron James came to Las Vegas for a preseason game. And a pitch. James, who has spoken in the past about how he wants to eventually own an NBA franchise -- with Las Vegas on his mind -- sent a crystal-clear message to Commissioner Adam Silver on Wednesday night, reminding him of his future plans to bring a team to the desert. Though Silver has said he expects expansion at some point, it is believed that wouldn't happen until the next Collective Bargaining Agreement and television deals are complete.Royals fire manager Mike Matheny after 65-97 end to seasonKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals fired manager Mike Matheny and pitching coach Cal Eldred on Wednesday night, shortly after the struggling franchise finished the season 65-97 with a listless 9-2 loss to the Cleveland Guardians. The Royals had exercised their option on Matheny's contract for 2023 during spring training, when the club hoped it was turning the corner from also-ran to contender again. But plagued by poor pitching, struggles from young position players and failed experiments with veterans, the Royals were largely out of playoff contention by the middle of summer. Matheny is the fifth big league manager to be fired this year.Drop the puck: What to know about the 2022-23 NHL seasonThe NHL season opens Friday in Europe when San Jose and Nashville face off in the first of two games in the Czech Republic. Play gets underway in North America on Tuesday when Tampa Bay visits the New York Rangers and Los Angeles hosts Vegas. The Colorado Avalanche begin their title defense and raise the franchise's third Stanley Cup banner Wednesday before opening against Chicago. There are two outdoor games: the Winter Classic at Fenway Park on Jan. 2 between Boston and Pittsburgh and the Stadium Series in Raleigh between Carolina and Washington. The regular season runs through April 13.Ukraine links World Cup host bid to beating horrors of warNYON, Switzerland (AP) — Ukrainian soccer federation president Andriy Pavelko says hosting World Cup matches in 2030 would be "the dream of people who survived the horrors of war" after his country launched a joint bid with Spain and Portugal. The leaders of the three soccer federations joined together at UEFA headquarters to present a campaign they hope will connect people beyond the world of sports. Pavelko says the project is backed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. FIFA will pick the host in 2024. Other likely candidates are a four-nation South American bid and a Saudi Arabia-led project involving Egypt.Judge out of Yankees starting lineup for finale after No. 62ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Yankees slugger Aaron Judge isn't in the starting lineup for New York's regular-season finale a day after his 62nd home run that broke Roger Maris' 61-year-old American League single-season record. The Yankees wrapped up a four-game series in Texas. The AL East champion Yankees open the AL Division Series next Tuesday. Judge went into the final day of the regular season batting .311, trailing AL batting average leader Minnesota's Luis Arraez. Judge is a wide leader in the other Triple Crown categories, with his 62 homers and 131 RBIs.Commanders' Robinson practices for 1st time since shootingASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Brian Robinson Jr. practiced with the Washington Commanders for the first time since being shot twice in an attempted robbery. The rookie running back returned to the practice field just over five weeks since the shooting. He could play as soon as Sunday against Tennessee. But neither Robinson nor Rivera is prepared to commit to the Alabama product facing the Titans and making his NFL debut. The game marks six weeks to the day since he was shot in the right leg. Washington has three weeks to activate Robinson off the non-football injury list.Close calls happening at record-setting pace in NFLGames are going down to the wire in the NFL at an unprecedented rate this season. With a record 15 of 16 games last week being within one score in the fourth quarter, the league is having the most competitive start to a season in its history. Of the 64 games played so far, 50 of them have been within one score in the fourth quarter for the most ever through four weeks. There have been a record 23 games decided by three points or fewer and 38 decided by eight points or fewer, tied with the 2018 season for the most through four weeks.Pro Picks leans toward Broncos to kick off Week 5A month into the season, it's clear Russell Wilson and Matt Ryan are still adjusting to their new teams. The star quarterbacks go head-to-head this week on Thursday night when Wilson and the Denver Broncos (2-2) host Ryan and the Indianapolis Colts (1-2-1). Wilson still hasn't found a rhythm in rookie coach Nathaniel Hackett's offense. Ryan has a veteran coach in Frank Reich, but ball security has been his biggest problem. He has nine fumbles and five interceptions in four games. Both teams have injury concerns at running back. The Broncos lost Javonte Williams to a season-ending knee injury. The Colts are being cautious with All-Pro Jonathan Taylor because of an ankle injury.AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___INTERLEAGUE Final	Houston	3	Philadelphia	2	___AMERICAN LEAGUE Final	Baltimore	5	Toronto	4	Final	Oakland	3	L.A. Angels	2	Final	Cleveland	9	Kansas City	2	Final	Texas	4	N.Y. Yankees	2	Final	Minnesota	10	Chicago White Sox	1	Final	Seattle	5	Detroit	4	Final	Toronto	5	Baltimore	1	Final	Boston	6	Tampa Bay	3	___NATIONAL LEAGUE Final	Pittsburgh	5	St. Louis	3	Final	Arizona	4	Milwaukee	2	Final	N.Y. Mets	9	Washington	2	Final	L.A. Dodgers	6	Colorado	1	Final	San Francisco	8	San Diego	1	Final	Chicago Cubs	15	Cincinnati	2	Final	Miami	12	Atlanta	9	___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PRESEASON Final	Philadelphia	113	Cleveland	112	Final	Indiana	122	Charlotte	97	Final OT	Toronto	125	Boston	119	Final	Dallas	98	Oklahoma City	96	Final	Phoenix	119	L.A. Lakers	115	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE Final	Boston	5	N-Y Rangers	4	Final	Washington	4	Detroit	2	Final	Vancouver	5	Edmonton	4	Final	Winnipeg	5	Calgary	0	Final	Colorado	2	Dallas	1	___MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER Final	Miami	4	Orlando City	1	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PRESEASON Milwaukee	at	Atlanta	12 p.m.	Miami	at	Brooklyn	7:30 p.m.	Adelaide	at	Oklahoma City	8 p.m.	Orlando	at	San Antonio	8 p.m.	Maccabi Ra'anana	at	Portland	10 p.m.	Minnesota	at	L.A. Lakers	10 p.m.	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE Ottawa	at	Montreal	5:30 p.m.	New Jersey	at	N-Y Islanders	7 p.m.	St. Louis	at	Columbus	7 p.m.	Tampa Bay	at	Florida	7 p.m.	Chicago	at	Minnesota	8 p.m.	Vegas	at	Los Angeles	9 p.m.	___NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE Indianapolis	at	Denver	8:15 p.m.	___

Sports Headline for Thursday

The entire Major League Baseball playoff picture is now set.&nbsp;

The four matchups in the wild-card round were locked in Tuesday night, right before the last day of the regular season. Every series starts Friday and is a best two of three. Plus, the higher seed will host every game. In the National League, the San Diego Padres visit the New York Mets while the Philadelphia Phillies play at the St. Louis Cardinals. In the American League, the Seattle Mariners visit the Toronto Blue Jays while the Tampa Bay Rays play at the Cleveland Guardians. The postseason was expanded from 10 teams last year to 12 this season.

Albert Pujols taking his final swings in October, Julio Rodríguez stepping in for the first time. Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom facing Manny Machado and Juan Soto.

Bryce Harper, back at last. José Ramírez and his Cleveland teammates trying to break a long drought — with a new name.

And Aaron Judge, Mookie Betts and other top stars looming next week.

The entire Major League Baseball playoff picture came into focus Tuesday night. The matchups were finally set, right before the last day of the regular season.

The postseason, expanded from 10 teams last year to 12 this season, begins Friday with a newly created wild-card round. All four series are best two of three — three days in a row, no breaks, with the higher seed hosting every game.

In the National League, it's Padres-Mets and Phillies-Cardinals. In the American League, it's Mariners-Blue Jays and Rays-Guardians.

At Citi Field, New York figures to throw aces Scherzer and deGrom at San Diego, featuring big-hitting Machado and Soto. The Mets' bid to win the NL East ended when they were beaten out by the defending World Series champion Atlanta Braves, so New York wound up as the top NL wild-card team.

"We have to go on the road and play against a tough team and beat some of the best pitchers in the game," Machado said. "It is about going out there and enjoying the moment."

At Busch Stadium, soon-to-be retired St. Louis stars Yadier Molina and Pujols host Harper and Philadelphia. The Cardinals won the NL Central, but as the No. 3 seed don't get the benefit of an early bye.

A two-time champion with the Cardinals, the 42-year-old Pujols has looked like a 24-year-old version of himself down the stretch, topping 700 career home runs and passing Babe Ruth for second place on the all-time RBIs list.

A two-time MVP, Harper makes his first playoff appearance since 2017 with Washington. He missed two months in the middle of the season because of a broken thumb but is ready to swing away for the Phillies.

In Cleveland, Ramírez leads a young team that includes rookie sparkplug Steven Kwan and hard-throwing closer Emmanuel Clase as the AL Central champs host Tampa Bay.

This will be Cleveland's first postseason appearance as the Guardians. The team hasn't won the World Series since 1948. Randy Arozarena, already established as a playoff star, will try to boost the Rays to the first championship in franchise history.

The Guardians went 4-2 against the Rays this year, winning two of three last week at Progressive Field. All three games in the series were decided by one run, with two going to extra innings.

"It will be a good environment," Tampa Bay second baseman Taylor Walls. "It's a good thing that we just went there. ... I know the guys are amped up. We're ready to be there."

In Toronto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the top AL wild-card Blue Jays take on Seattle and its rookie sensation, Rodríguez. The series also matches Robbie Ray, who won the Cy Young Award with Toronto last year, against his former team.

All four matchups are scheduled to end Sunday. The best-of-five Division Series in both leagues begin Oct. 11.

Judge, fresh off hitting his 62nd home run to set the AL record, and the Yankees will host the Tampa Bay-Cleveland winner in Game 1. Justin Verlander and the Houston Astros start at home against the Seattle-Toronto winner.

In the NL, Freddie Freeman, Betts and the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have set a franchise record for wins, host the Mets-San Diego winner in the opener. Ronald Acuña Jr., injured last fall when the Braves won the World Series, will start at home against the St. Louis-Philadelphia winner.

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSThe entire Major League Baseball playoff picture is now set.&nbsp;The four matchups in the wild-card round were locked in Tuesday night, right before the last day of the regular season. Every series starts Friday and is a best two of three. Plus, the higher seed will host every game. In the National League, the San Diego Padres visit the New York Mets while the Philadelphia Phillies play at the St. Louis Cardinals. In the American League, the Seattle Mariners visit the Toronto Blue Jays while the Tampa Bay Rays play at the Cleveland Guardians. The postseason was expanded from 10 teams last year to 12 this season.Albert Pujols taking his final swings in October, Julio Rodríguez stepping in for the first time. Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom facing Manny Machado and Juan Soto.Bryce Harper, back at last. José Ramírez and his Cleveland teammates trying to break a long drought — with a new name.And Aaron Judge, Mookie Betts and other top stars looming next week.The entire Major League Baseball playoff picture came into focus Tuesday night. The matchups were finally set, right before the last day of the regular season.The postseason, expanded from 10 teams last year to 12 this season, begins Friday with a newly created wild-card round. All four series are best two of three — three days in a row, no breaks, with the higher seed hosting every game.In the National League, it's Padres-Mets and Phillies-Cardinals. In the American League, it's Mariners-Blue Jays and Rays-Guardians.At Citi Field, New York figures to throw aces Scherzer and deGrom at San Diego, featuring big-hitting Machado and Soto. The Mets' bid to win the NL East ended when they were beaten out by the defending World Series champion Atlanta Braves, so New York wound up as the top NL wild-card team."We have to go on the road and play against a tough team and beat some of the best pitchers in the game," Machado said. "It is about going out there and enjoying the moment."At Busch Stadium, soon-to-be retired St. Louis stars Yadier Molina and Pujols host Harper and Philadelphia. The Cardinals won the NL Central, but as the No. 3 seed don't get the benefit of an early bye.A two-time champion with the Cardinals, the 42-year-old Pujols has looked like a 24-year-old version of himself down the stretch, topping 700 career home runs and passing Babe Ruth for second place on the all-time RBIs list.A two-time MVP, Harper makes his first playoff appearance since 2017 with Washington. He missed two months in the middle of the season because of a broken thumb but is ready to swing away for the Phillies.In Cleveland, Ramírez leads a young team that includes rookie sparkplug Steven Kwan and hard-throwing closer Emmanuel Clase as the AL Central champs host Tampa Bay.This will be Cleveland's first postseason appearance as the Guardians. The team hasn't won the World Series since 1948. Randy Arozarena, already established as a playoff star, will try to boost the Rays to the first championship in franchise history.The Guardians went 4-2 against the Rays this year, winning two of three last week at Progressive Field. All three games in the series were decided by one run, with two going to extra innings."It will be a good environment," Tampa Bay second baseman Taylor Walls. "It's a good thing that we just went there. ... I know the guys are amped up. We're ready to be there."In Toronto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the top AL wild-card Blue Jays take on Seattle and its rookie sensation, Rodríguez. The series also matches Robbie Ray, who won the Cy Young Award with Toronto last year, against his former team.All four matchups are scheduled to end Sunday. The best-of-five Division Series in both leagues begin Oct. 11.Judge, fresh off hitting his 62nd home run to set the AL record, and the Yankees will host the Tampa Bay-Cleveland winner in Game 1. Justin Verlander and the Houston Astros start at home against the Seattle-Toronto winner.In the NL, Freddie Freeman, Betts and the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have set a franchise record for wins, host the Mets-San Diego winner in the opener. Ronald Acuña Jr., injured last fall when the Braves won the World Series, will start at home against the St. Louis-Philadelphia winner.

⚾ MLB playoff picture all set, best-of-3 matchups start Friday

CLEVELAND (AP) — José Ramirez drove in two runs and had four hits, Aaron Civale pitched six solid innings and the Cleveland Guardians defeated the Kansas City Royals 9-2 on Wednesday in their final tune-up for the postseason.

Cleveland opens the wild-card round against Tampa Bay on Friday at Progressive Field.

The AL Central champions are 24-6 since Sept. 5 and finished the regular season 92-70. The youngest team in baseball had 17 players make their major league debuts this season. Cleveland finished 80-82 last season.

Ramirez had run-scoring singles in the second and sixth, and ends the regular season with 126 RBIs. Ramirez doubled in the eighth and received a loud ovation from the 12,983 fans when he was removed for a pinch-runner.

The fact Ramirez hustled into second for a double in his final at-bat of the regular season with his team ahead by six runs came as no surprise.

“He’s the heart and soul of the team and everyone would tell you that same thing,” Civale said. “There’s a lot of pieces involved, but he is that supreme piece. It’s extremely fun to watch. It’s great that we get to do it from the same dugout and not across the way.”

Rookie Steven Kwan ended the regular season batting .298. His chance to hit .300 ended when he was hit by a pitch in the seventh.

“I thought it was fitting that Josey finished on a hustle double and Kwan, who’s trying to hit .300, alerts the umpire that he gets hit because he’s playing the game,” manager Terry Francona said “That, to me, means we’re going in a good direction. ”

Civale (5-6) struck out nine and is 3-0 since returning from his third stint on the injured list. The right-hander gave up solo homers to Vinnie Pasquantino and Kyle Isbel. Civale will be Cleveland’s starter in Game 1 of the AL Division Series, if the wild-card round goes three games.

Kansas City starter Jonathan Heasley (4-10) allowed six runs and nine hits in five innings.

Kansas City (65-97) finished last in the AL Central. The Royals were 74-88 last season. Kansas City hasn’t reached the postseason since winning the World Series in 2015.

Five players drove in runs for the Guardians. Josh Naylor had three RBIs, including a two-run single when the Guardians scored four times in the first. Myles Straw had a sacrifice fly in the second and an RBI single in the seventh.

Rookie Will Brennan and Luke Maile also had RBIs in the first.

“I gave up the run in the first inning and Naylor, of course, says, ‘Don’t worry, we got you’ and we put up four in the first and then one in the next, one in the next,” Civale said. “It never stops. We’ve said all year we’re never out of a game.”

Pasquantino finished his rookie season with 10 home runs, while Isbel batted .308 over his final 11 games after snapping an 0-for-21 slump.

“Good for both of them, getting a little reward in a long year, do a little damage,” said Matheny, who became the fifth big league manager to be fired this year.

Cleveland drew 1,295,870 in 76 dates fans this season. Cleveland had an attendance of 1,738,642 fans in 2019, the last season before COVID-19 restrictions.

The last thing a postseason team needs is an injury in the final game of the regular season, but Andrés Giménez and Oscar Gonzalez caused the Guardians brief concern Wednesday.

Giménez was hit by a pitch for an AL-leading 25th time this season in the fourth when he took one on the right knee. He limped out of the box, but stayed in the game after talking to manager Terry Francona and a team trainer.

Gonzalez's slide into third base got the attention of Cleveland’s dugout in the first. After drawing a walk, he slid headfirst into the bag on Brennan’s single to right, but appeared to land on his nose as he slid in safely.

Gonzalez stayed on the ground for a couple of moments as third base coach Mike Sarbaugh retrieved his helmet. Gonzalez slowly got to his feet and stayed in the game.

Royals: C Salvador Perez (left thumb soreness) missed the final four games of the six-game series. He had surgery on his thumb earlier this season and felt soreness during Saturday’s game when he went 4 for 4. Perez homered in his final at-bat Saturday for his 1,274th career hit, passing Billy Butler for eighth place on the Royals’ all-time list.

Royals: Kansas City plays Texas on Feb. 24 in the spring training opener.

Guardians: RHP Shane Bieber (13-8, 2.88 ERA) will start Friday’s series opener. He reached the 200-inning mark in his final regular-season start against Kansas City on Sunday. Bieber hasn’t lost since Sept. 1 and is 5-0 over his last six starts. His only postseason start came in 2020, when he won the AL Cy Young Award, but was the losing pitcher in Game 1 of the Division Series against the New York Yankees. Bieber allowed seven runs and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings.

CLEVELAND (AP) — José Ramirez drove in two runs and had four hits, Aaron Civale pitched six solid innings and the Cleveland Guardians defeated the Kansas City Royals 9-2 on Wednesday in their final tune-up for the postseason.Cleveland opens the wild-card round against Tampa Bay on Friday at Progressive Field.The AL Central champions are 24-6 since Sept. 5 and finished the regular season 92-70. The youngest team in baseball had 17 players make their major league debuts this season. Cleveland finished 80-82 last season.Ramirez had run-scoring singles in the second and sixth, and ends the regular season with 126 RBIs. Ramirez doubled in the eighth and received a loud ovation from the 12,983 fans when he was removed for a pinch-runner.The fact Ramirez hustled into second for a double in his final at-bat of the regular season with his team ahead by six runs came as no surprise.“He’s the heart and soul of the team and everyone would tell you that same thing,” Civale said. “There’s a lot of pieces involved, but he is that supreme piece. It’s extremely fun to watch. It’s great that we get to do it from the same dugout and not across the way.”Rookie Steven Kwan ended the regular season batting .298. His chance to hit .300 ended when he was hit by a pitch in the seventh.“I thought it was fitting that Josey finished on a hustle double and Kwan, who’s trying to hit .300, alerts the umpire that he gets hit because he’s playing the game,” manager Terry Francona said “That, to me, means we’re going in a good direction. ”Civale (5-6) struck out nine and is 3-0 since returning from his third stint on the injured list. The right-hander gave up solo homers to Vinnie Pasquantino and Kyle Isbel. Civale will be Cleveland’s starter in Game 1 of the AL Division Series, if the wild-card round goes three games.Kansas City starter Jonathan Heasley (4-10) allowed six runs and nine hits in five innings.Kansas City (65-97) finished last in the AL Central. The Royals were 74-88 last season. Kansas City hasn’t reached the postseason since winning the World Series in 2015.Five players drove in runs for the Guardians. Josh Naylor had three RBIs, including a two-run single when the Guardians scored four times in the first. Myles Straw had a sacrifice fly in the second and an RBI single in the seventh.Rookie Will Brennan and Luke Maile also had RBIs in the first.“I gave up the run in the first inning and Naylor, of course, says, ‘Don’t worry, we got you’ and we put up four in the first and then one in the next, one in the next,” Civale said. “It never stops. We’ve said all year we’re never out of a game.”Pasquantino finished his rookie season with 10 home runs, while Isbel batted .308 over his final 11 games after snapping an 0-for-21 slump.“Good for both of them, getting a little reward in a long year, do a little damage,” said Matheny, who became the fifth big league manager to be fired this year.Cleveland drew 1,295,870 in 76 dates fans this season. Cleveland had an attendance of 1,738,642 fans in 2019, the last season before COVID-19 restrictions.TIME FOR THE PLAYOFFSThe last thing a postseason team needs is an injury in the final game of the regular season, but Andrés Giménez and Oscar Gonzalez caused the Guardians brief concern Wednesday.Giménez was hit by a pitch for an AL-leading 25th time this season in the fourth when he took one on the right knee. He limped out of the box, but stayed in the game after talking to manager Terry Francona and a team trainer.Gonzalez's slide into third base got the attention of Cleveland’s dugout in the first. After drawing a walk, he slid headfirst into the bag on Brennan’s single to right, but appeared to land on his nose as he slid in safely.Gonzalez stayed on the ground for a couple of moments as third base coach Mike Sarbaugh retrieved his helmet. Gonzalez slowly got to his feet and stayed in the game.TRAINER’S ROOMRoyals: C Salvador Perez (left thumb soreness) missed the final four games of the six-game series. He had surgery on his thumb earlier this season and felt soreness during Saturday’s game when he went 4 for 4. Perez homered in his final at-bat Saturday for his 1,274th career hit, passing Billy Butler for eighth place on the Royals’ all-time list.UP NEXTRoyals: Kansas City plays Texas on Feb. 24 in the spring training opener.Guardians: RHP Shane Bieber (13-8, 2.88 ERA) will start Friday’s series opener. He reached the 200-inning mark in his final regular-season start against Kansas City on Sunday. Bieber hasn’t lost since Sept. 1 and is 5-0 over his last six starts. His only postseason start came in 2020, when he won the AL Cy Young Award, but was the losing pitcher in Game 1 of the Division Series against the New York Yankees. Bieber allowed seven runs and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings.

⚾ Surging Guardians beat Royals

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Manager Mike Matheny and pitching coach Cal Eldred were fired by the Kansas Cty Royals on Wednesday night, shortly after the struggling franchise finished the season 65-97 with a listless 9-2 loss to the Cleveland Guardians.

The Royals had exercised their option on Matheny's contract for 2023 during spring training, when the club hoped it was turning the corner from also-ran to contender. But plagued by poor pitching, struggles from young position players and a lackluster group of veterans, the Royals were largely out of playoff contention by the middle of summer.

The disappointing on-field product led owner John Sherman last month to fire longtime front office executive Dayton Moore, the architect of back-to-back American League champions and the 2015 World Series title team. He was replaced by one of his longtime understudies, J.J. Picollo, who made the decision to fire Matheny hours after the season ended.

"Managing the Royals has been a true privilege,” Matheny said in a statement. “I’m thankful to so many, primarily Dayton Moore, and the coaches and players I’ve worked with. I would like to thank Mr. John Sherman and the ownership group for the opportunity to manage their team, and everyone involved in this great organization.

"I came to the Royals knowing it was an organization of excellence and care, and was shown that care every single day. Royals fans should be excited about this group of players, and I look forward to watching them continue to grow.”

Matheny spent parts of seven seasons managing the St. Louis Cardinals, finishing each with a winning record and winning the National League pennant in 2013. But after his firing midway through 2018, he was hired by the Royals in an advisory role, and then tapped to succeed longtime manager Ned Yost when he retired before the 2020 season.

Put in charge of a rebuild in the works, Matheny went 26-34 during a COVID-19-shortened first season, then appeared to show progress last season, when the Royals ushered forward a slew of young prospects and finished 74-88.

The expectation was another step forward this season, but the Royals instead spent September fighting off 100 losses.

Matheny finished 165-219 during his time with the Royals, though the number that perhaps is more important to the future of the club is 29 — the number of players that made their Major League debut during his tenure.

"We are grateful to Mike for leading us through some unusual times these last three seasons,” Picollo said in a statement. “He met those challenges head on and helped us move forward in a positive manner. We thank him for his leadership and know his influence will have a positive impact moving forward.”

Matheny became the fifth big league manager to be fired this year.

Philadelphia's Joe Girardi was replaced on June 3 by Rob Thomson, who engineered a miraculous turnaround to get the Phillies into the playoffs. The Angels replaced Joe Maddon with Phil Nevin four days later, Toronto's Charlie Montoyo was succeeded by John Schneider on July 13 and the Rangers' Chris Woodward by Tony Beasley on Aug. 15.

Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa left the team on Aug. 30 for medical tests and said Monday he will not return for 2023.

In addition, Miami's Don Mattingly said late last month that he will not return next season.

While he was well-liked in the Kansas City clubhouse, it seemed unlikely Matheny would be granted another season when Moore was fired last month. Sherman indicated at the time the change in the leadership of the baseball operations department was only the start of what was expected to be widespread shifts throughout the organization.

The Royals have struggled for years to develop pitching — they had the fourth-worst ERA and the worst WHIP by far of any staff in the majors this season. And the continued struggles by their latest wave of young arms was a big reason for letting go of Eldred, the pitching coach since 2018.

“The bottom line here is it's time for change,” Sherman said last month. “There is a gap right now between where we are and where we expected to be. ... I felt like in 2021 we did make progress, and in 2022, that's not how I feel. There have been some bright spots — I love seeing the young players — but in 2022, we are not where we expected to be.”

DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports WriterKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Manager Mike Matheny and pitching coach Cal Eldred were fired by the Kansas Cty Royals on Wednesday night, shortly after the struggling franchise finished the season 65-97 with a listless 9-2 loss to the Cleveland Guardians.The Royals had exercised their option on Matheny's contract for 2023 during spring training, when the club hoped it was turning the corner from also-ran to contender. But plagued by poor pitching, struggles from young position players and a lackluster group of veterans, the Royals were largely out of playoff contention by the middle of summer.The disappointing on-field product led owner John Sherman last month to fire longtime front office executive Dayton Moore, the architect of back-to-back American League champions and the 2015 World Series title team. He was replaced by one of his longtime understudies, J.J. Picollo, who made the decision to fire Matheny hours after the season ended."Managing the Royals has been a true privilege,” Matheny said in a statement. “I’m thankful to so many, primarily Dayton Moore, and the coaches and players I’ve worked with. I would like to thank Mr. John Sherman and the ownership group for the opportunity to manage their team, and everyone involved in this great organization."I came to the Royals knowing it was an organization of excellence and care, and was shown that care every single day. Royals fans should be excited about this group of players, and I look forward to watching them continue to grow.”Matheny spent parts of seven seasons managing the St. Louis Cardinals, finishing each with a winning record and winning the National League pennant in 2013. But after his firing midway through 2018, he was hired by the Royals in an advisory role, and then tapped to succeed longtime manager Ned Yost when he retired before the 2020 season.Put in charge of a rebuild in the works, Matheny went 26-34 during a COVID-19-shortened first season, then appeared to show progress last season, when the Royals ushered forward a slew of young prospects and finished 74-88.The expectation was another step forward this season, but the Royals instead spent September fighting off 100 losses.Matheny finished 165-219 during his time with the Royals, though the number that perhaps is more important to the future of the club is 29 — the number of players that made their Major League debut during his tenure."We are grateful to Mike for leading us through some unusual times these last three seasons,” Picollo said in a statement. “He met those challenges head on and helped us move forward in a positive manner. We thank him for his leadership and know his influence will have a positive impact moving forward.”Matheny became the fifth big league manager to be fired this year.Philadelphia's Joe Girardi was replaced on June 3 by Rob Thomson, who engineered a miraculous turnaround to get the Phillies into the playoffs. The Angels replaced Joe Maddon with Phil Nevin four days later, Toronto's Charlie Montoyo was succeeded by John Schneider on July 13 and the Rangers' Chris Woodward by Tony Beasley on Aug. 15.Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa left the team on Aug. 30 for medical tests and said Monday he will not return for 2023.In addition, Miami's Don Mattingly said late last month that he will not return next season.While he was well-liked in the Kansas City clubhouse, it seemed unlikely Matheny would be granted another season when Moore was fired last month. Sherman indicated at the time the change in the leadership of the baseball operations department was only the start of what was expected to be widespread shifts throughout the organization.The Royals have struggled for years to develop pitching — they had the fourth-worst ERA and the worst WHIP by far of any staff in the majors this season. And the continued struggles by their latest wave of young arms was a big reason for letting go of Eldred, the pitching coach since 2018.“The bottom line here is it's time for change,” Sherman said last month. “There is a gap right now between where we are and where we expected to be. ... I felt like in 2021 we did make progress, and in 2022, that's not how I feel. There have been some bright spots — I love seeing the young players — but in 2022, we are not where we expected to be.”

⚾ Royals fire manager Mike Matheny after 65-97 end to season

CONCORDIA – The No. 20-ranked Hutchinson Community College volleyball team won its fourth-straight match and maintained its place at the top of the Jayhawk West with a sweep of the Cloud County Thunderbirds on Wednesday.

The Blue Dragons hit better than .300 as a team for the 11th time this season with a 25-20 25-18, 25-21 victory over the Thunderbirds at Arley Bryant Gym.

Hutchinson improves to 22-8 overall and 9-1 in the Jayhawk West. The Blue Dragons complete a season sweep of the Thunderbirds. Cloud County falls to 6-14 overall and 3-8 in the league. The Blue Dragons will not play in the MSU-West Plains Grizzly Invitational this weekend. The Dragons will play host to Butler next Wednesday at the Sports Arena.

The Blue Dragons hit .351 on 45 total kills against Cloud County. The Thunderbirds hit .255.

Sophomore Sophie Connor led the Blue Dragons with a match-high 13 kills on .458 hitting. Connor added three service aces, two digs and a block.

Sophomore Baylee Miller had 10 kills on .333 hitting. Miller had eight digs.

Freshman Taniya Golden had 10 kills and hit .364.

Sophomore Blondie Penaflor finished seven with seven kills on .333 hitting.

Sophomore setter Andrea Serrano had 36 assists with six digs. Freshman Perrine Blanc had 13 digs and sophomore Morgan Harvey had nine digs.

Doga Eski had 10 kills to lead Cloud County.

SET 1 – A Connor ace capped an early 6-1 run and gave the Dragons a 9-4 lead. Miller’s kill upped the Dragon lead to 18-12. The T-Birds won 4 of the next 5 points and pulled with 19-16. A pair of Cloud errors pushed the Dragon lead back to five. The Dragons closed the set with a Penaflor/Miller double block and a Connor kill. The Dragons out-hit Cloud County .255-.194 in the opening set.

SET 2 – The Blue Dragons hit .389 in the set. A Penaflor kill gave the Dragons an 11-5 lead and the margin grew to 14-7 on a Miller kill. Leading 14-9, kills from Chloe Conway, Golden and Connor were part of a 4-0 run to up the lead to 18-9. A Miller kill upped the lead to 24-17 on a Miller kill. The teams traded errors and the Dragons won the set 25-19.

SET 3 – The teams traded the first eight points of the set and took a 6-4 lead on back-to-back Cloud attack errors. The Dragons led 13-10, but Cloud scored three straight to tie the set at 13. A Golden kill upped the Dragon lead to 19-16. The T-Birds pulled within 22-21, but the Dragons scored the final three points on two kills from Connor and a Miller kill on match point The Dragons hit .394 in the final set.

HutchCC Sports InformationCONCORDIA – The No. 20-ranked Hutchinson Community College volleyball team won its fourth-straight match and maintained its place at the top of the Jayhawk West with a sweep of the Cloud County Thunderbirds on Wednesday.The Blue Dragons hit better than .300 as a team for the 11th time this season with a 25-20 25-18, 25-21 victory over the Thunderbirds at Arley Bryant Gym.Hutchinson improves to 22-8 overall and 9-1 in the Jayhawk West. The Blue Dragons complete a season sweep of the Thunderbirds. Cloud County falls to 6-14 overall and 3-8 in the league. The Blue Dragons will not play in the MSU-West Plains Grizzly Invitational this weekend. The Dragons will play host to Butler next Wednesday at the Sports Arena.The Blue Dragons hit .351 on 45 total kills against Cloud County. The Thunderbirds hit .255.Sophomore Sophie Connor led the Blue Dragons with a match-high 13 kills on .458 hitting. Connor added three service aces, two digs and a block.Sophomore Baylee Miller had 10 kills on .333 hitting. Miller had eight digs.Freshman Taniya Golden had 10 kills and hit .364.Sophomore Blondie Penaflor finished seven with seven kills on .333 hitting.Sophomore setter Andrea Serrano had 36 assists with six digs. Freshman Perrine Blanc had 13 digs and sophomore Morgan Harvey had nine digs.Doga Eski had 10 kills to lead Cloud County.SET 1 – A Connor ace capped an early 6-1 run and gave the Dragons a 9-4 lead. Miller’s kill upped the Dragon lead to 18-12. The T-Birds won 4 of the next 5 points and pulled with 19-16. A pair of Cloud errors pushed the Dragon lead back to five. The Dragons closed the set with a Penaflor/Miller double block and a Connor kill. The Dragons out-hit Cloud County .255-.194 in the opening set.SET 2 – The Blue Dragons hit .389 in the set. A Penaflor kill gave the Dragons an 11-5 lead and the margin grew to 14-7 on a Miller kill. Leading 14-9, kills from Chloe Conway, Golden and Connor were part of a 4-0 run to up the lead to 18-9. A Miller kill upped the lead to 24-17 on a Miller kill. The teams traded errors and the Dragons won the set 25-19.SET 3 – The teams traded the first eight points of the set and took a 6-4 lead on back-to-back Cloud attack errors. The Dragons led 13-10, but Cloud scored three straight to tie the set at 13. A Golden kill upped the Dragon lead to 19-16. The T-Birds pulled within 22-21, but the Dragons scored the final three points on two kills from Connor and a Miller kill on match point The Dragons hit .394 in the final set.

🏐 HutchCC VB: Dragons sweep Cloud County

The Hutchinson Community College women’s soccer team snagged perhaps one of the its biggest wins of the season Wednesday night at the Salthawk Sports Complex.

Striking quick in each half and letting the defense and goalkeeping to the rest, the 19th-ranked Blue Dragons upset the No. 12 Barton Cougars 2-0 in the first of two regular-season meetings.

Hutchinson earned its 10th win of the season, now at 10-2 overall, 7-2 in the Jayhawk West (21 points). The Dragons snap Barton’s eight-game winning streak and moved into a tie for first place in the Jayhawk West with the Cougars.

The Blue Dragons’ win over the No. 12 Cougars ends a four-game stretch for the Hutchinson against ranked opponents. The Blue Dragons won 3 of those 4 games with victories over 17 Cowley, No. 15 Barton and No. 12 Coffeyville.

The Blue Dragons took an early lead in the sixth minute when sophomore Aimee Maher turned at midfield and delivered a pass to freshman Adriana Delgado for a one-on-one opportunity with Barton goalkeeper Nia Baker. Delgado slid a pass to a streaking Hadlie Lowe for the opening goal.

Lowe’s second goal of the game came just 20 seconds in to the second half as freshman Jayda Wyatt zipped a pass to Lowe who beat Baker to the ball and put the ball into a wide-open net for a 2-0 lead with 44:40 to play in the second half.

Hutchinson’s defense did the rest to complete the victory.

The Blue Dragons were out-shot 28-3, including 19-1 in the second half.

The back line of sophomores Zara Lawless, Lexi Jack Ella-Mae Miller and freshman Kendra Brungardt limited the quality scoring chances of the nation’s leading scorer Nina Norshee, who had only four total shots and one shot on goal.

With Lawless and Jack marked up on Norshee, Miller and Brungardt got help from midfielders Maher, Julia DeSouza, Cambri Moore and Emma Scholl keeping the ball out of prime scoring areas.

Sophomore goalkeeper Madison Quarles recorded her third shutout of the season and improved to 5-0 as the starter in net. Quarles had a career-high nine saves, including a kick-save late in the second half on a scramble in front.

As a team, the Blue Dragons have shut out five opponents this season.

With two goals on Wednesday, Lowe tied Pearl Slattery for 10th place on the Blue Dragon career goals list with 29 goals. Lowe has 11 goals for the season. She also garnered her fourth game-winning goal of the season and 12th career game winner, which is second most in Blue Dragon history.

The Blue Dragons are now 19-5-4 all-time against Barton, including 9-2-2 at the Salthawk Sports Complex.

HutchCC Sports InformationThe Hutchinson Community College women’s soccer team snagged perhaps one of the its biggest wins of the season Wednesday night at the Salthawk Sports Complex.Striking quick in each half and letting the defense and goalkeeping to the rest, the 19th-ranked Blue Dragons upset the No. 12 Barton Cougars 2-0 in the first of two regular-season meetings.Hutchinson earned its 10th win of the season, now at 10-2 overall, 7-2 in the Jayhawk West (21 points). The Dragons snap Barton’s eight-game winning streak and moved into a tie for first place in the Jayhawk West with the Cougars.The Blue Dragons’ win over the No. 12 Cougars ends a four-game stretch for the Hutchinson against ranked opponents. The Blue Dragons won 3 of those 4 games with victories over 17 Cowley, No. 15 Barton and No. 12 Coffeyville.The Blue Dragons took an early lead in the sixth minute when sophomore Aimee Maher turned at midfield and delivered a pass to freshman Adriana Delgado for a one-on-one opportunity with Barton goalkeeper Nia Baker. Delgado slid a pass to a streaking Hadlie Lowe for the opening goal.Lowe’s second goal of the game came just 20 seconds in to the second half as freshman Jayda Wyatt zipped a pass to Lowe who beat Baker to the ball and put the ball into a wide-open net for a 2-0 lead with 44:40 to play in the second half.Hutchinson’s defense did the rest to complete the victory.The Blue Dragons were out-shot 28-3, including 19-1 in the second half.The back line of sophomores Zara Lawless, Lexi Jack Ella-Mae Miller and freshman Kendra Brungardt limited the quality scoring chances of the nation’s leading scorer Nina Norshee, who had only four total shots and one shot on goal.With Lawless and Jack marked up on Norshee, Miller and Brungardt got help from midfielders Maher, Julia DeSouza, Cambri Moore and Emma Scholl keeping the ball out of prime scoring areas.Sophomore goalkeeper Madison Quarles recorded her third shutout of the season and improved to 5-0 as the starter in net. Quarles had a career-high nine saves, including a kick-save late in the second half on a scramble in front.As a team, the Blue Dragons have shut out five opponents this season.With two goals on Wednesday, Lowe tied Pearl Slattery for 10th place on the Blue Dragon career goals list with 29 goals. Lowe has 11 goals for the season. She also garnered her fourth game-winning goal of the season and 12th career game winner, which is second most in Blue Dragon history.The Blue Dragons are now 19-5-4 all-time against Barton, including 9-2-2 at the Salthawk Sports Complex.

⚽️ HutchCC Soccer: Dragons get huge KJCCC win over No. 12 Barton

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;Ranked in the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2009, the No. 19 Kansas Jayhawks will host the No. 17 TCU Horned Frogs on Saturday, October 8 at 11 a.m. CT at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. The game will be broadcast by FS1 with Jason Benetti (Play-by-Play) Brock Huard (Analyst) and Allison Williams (sideline) on the call.

The matchup will be a battle of the unbeatens, as the Kansas Jayhawks (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) enter Saturday coming off a dramatic 14-11 win against Iowa State on Oct. 1. TCU (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) comes into Lawrence after a decisive 55-24 victory against No. 18 Oklahoma.

Saturday’s Big 12 Conference matchup will be the first game in Lawrence to feature two Top 20 teams since Oct. 25, 2008, when No. 19 Kansas hosted No. 8 Texas Tech. With two top-25 teams in Lawrence, ESPN’s College GameDay will be on hand to broadcast its show from the Kansas campus for the first time in the show’s history.

Kansas enters Saturday’s game boasting the No. 12 scoring offense in America, averaging 41.6 points per game. Kansas also ranks No. 3 in the country in third down conversion percentage (60%), No. 8 in team passing efficiency (177.88), No. 2 in sacks allowed (2) and No. 16 in rushing offense (220.4 yards per game).

Meanwhile, the Kansas defense is coming off its best performance of the season in the 14-11 win against Iowa State. The 11 points allowed were the fewest against a conference opponent since topping Iowa State 45-7 in 2007. The Jayhawks held Iowa State to just 26 rushing yards, which was also the lowest output by a Jayhawk opponent since UTEP rushed for four yards in 2009.

TCU comes to Lawrence after defeating Oklahoma, 55-24 in Fort Worth on Oct. 1. The Horned Frogs have now scored 50+ points in two games this season, while averaging 549.5 yards per game, the second most in the country this season. The Horned Frogs are led by quarterback Max Duggan (70/94, 997 yards, 11 TD) and running back Kendre Miller (51 rushes, 388 yards, 5 TD).

Kansas has sold out its last two games at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, marking the first time since 2009 that Kansas has held two consecutive sellouts. Fans looking to attend Saturday’s game against TCU can purchase tickets&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetGroupList?groupCode=FB&amp;linkID=kansas&amp;shopperContext=&amp;caller=&amp;appCode=">here</a>.

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;Ranked in the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2009, the No. 19 Kansas Jayhawks will host the No. 17 TCU Horned Frogs on Saturday, October 8 at 11 a.m. CT at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. The game will be broadcast by FS1 with Jason Benetti (Play-by-Play) Brock Huard (Analyst) and Allison Williams (sideline) on the call.The matchup will be a battle of the unbeatens, as the Kansas Jayhawks (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) enter Saturday coming off a dramatic 14-11 win against Iowa State on Oct. 1. TCU (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) comes into Lawrence after a decisive 55-24 victory against No. 18 Oklahoma.Saturday’s Big 12 Conference matchup will be the first game in Lawrence to feature two Top 20 teams since Oct. 25, 2008, when No. 19 Kansas hosted No. 8 Texas Tech. With two top-25 teams in Lawrence, ESPN’s College GameDay will be on hand to broadcast its show from the Kansas campus for the first time in the show’s history.Kansas enters Saturday’s game boasting the No. 12 scoring offense in America, averaging 41.6 points per game. Kansas also ranks No. 3 in the country in third down conversion percentage (60%), No. 8 in team passing efficiency (177.88), No. 2 in sacks allowed (2) and No. 16 in rushing offense (220.4 yards per game).Meanwhile, the Kansas defense is coming off its best performance of the season in the 14-11 win against Iowa State. The 11 points allowed were the fewest against a conference opponent since topping Iowa State 45-7 in 2007. The Jayhawks held Iowa State to just 26 rushing yards, which was also the lowest output by a Jayhawk opponent since UTEP rushed for four yards in 2009.<figure>
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 <img src="https://kuathletics.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/EGP_7267-1024x683.jpg" alt="" />
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 </figure>TCU comes to Lawrence after defeating Oklahoma, 55-24 in Fort Worth on Oct. 1. The Horned Frogs have now scored 50+ points in two games this season, while averaging 549.5 yards per game, the second most in the country this season. The Horned Frogs are led by quarterback Max Duggan (70/94, 997 yards, 11 TD) and running back Kendre Miller (51 rushes, 388 yards, 5 TD).Kansas has sold out its last two games at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, marking the first time since 2009 that Kansas has held two consecutive sellouts. Fans looking to attend Saturday’s game against TCU can purchase tickets&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetGroupList?groupCode=FB&amp;linkID=kansas&amp;shopperContext=&amp;caller=&amp;appCode=">here</a>.

🏈 No. 19 Kansas to Host No. 17 TCU with National Spotlight on Lawrence

HERE to download the Hutch Post mobile app. CLICK HERE to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1651156028140.jpeg" alt="&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Eagle MEDIA Sports 2022" />
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🎙 Eagle Radio Sports for Wednesday

Yankees star Judge hits 62nd homer to break Maris' AL record

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Aaron Judge has hit his 62nd home run of the season to break Roger Maris' American League record. Judge hit a 1-1 slider from Texas right-hander Jesús Tinoco into the first row of seats in left field when leading off the second game of New York's day-night doubleheader on Tuesday. The 30-year-old Judge had homered only once in his past 13 games. That was when he hit No. 61 in Toronto last Wednesday to match Maris. While Maris' 61 for the Yankees in 1961 had been exceeded six times previously, all were tainted by the stench of steroids. That includes Barry Bonds' 73 for the the San Francisco Giants in 2001, though he has denied knowingly using performing-enhancing drugs.

Home run hands! Dallas fan catches Judge's 62nd homer on fly

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Dallas baseball fan Cory Youmans made the catch of a lifetime, snagging the ball that New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge hit for his American League-record 62nd home run. Youmans caught the prized souvenir on the fly Tuesday night at Globe Life Field, home of the Texas Rangers. Youmans, who works in the financial world, said he hasn't decided what he'll do with ball. Youmans was at the second game of a doubleheader between the Yankees and Rangers when Judge led off with a home run. Soon after a local TV station posted a brief interview with the lucky fan, Bri Amaranthus tweeted: "THIS IS MY HUSBAND." Amaranthus works in local media and identifies herself in her Twitter bio as an alum of ABC's "The Bachelor."

MLB playoff picture all set, best-of-3 matchups start Friday

The entire Major League Baseball playoff picture is now set. The four matchups in the wild-card round were locked in Tuesday night, right before the last day of the regular season. Every series starts Friday and is a best two of three. Plus, the higher seed will host every game. In the National League, the San Diego Padres visit the New York Mets while the Philadelphia Phillies play at the St. Louis Cardinals. In the American League, the Seattle Mariners visit the Toronto Blue Jays while the Tampa Bay Rays play at the Cleveland Guardians. The postseason was expanded from 10 teams last year to 12 this season.

Braves beat Marlins 2-1, clinch 5th straight NL East title

MIAMI (AP) — William Contreras drove in the go-ahead run in the fifth, and the Atlanta Braves clinched their fifth consecutive NL East title by defeating the Miami Marlins 2-1. Atlanta earned a first-round bye as the No. 2 seed in the NL playoffs, behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Braves were 10 1/2 games behind the New York Mets at the start of June and lost four of five to New York in early August. Kenley Jansen recorded his 41st save, working a perfect ninth to seal the win. Starter Jake Odorizzi pitched five innings, allowing one run.

NFL players working to ease stigma around mental health help

Marcus Smith II is among several former and active NFL players who are hoping to break the stigma around mental health. In 2018, Smith says he considered driving his car off of a hill because the pressures of the game were getting to him. Since then, he is dedicated to making sure other players don't reach the breaking point he was at. The league and the NFL Players Association are offering resources for teams, too.

Analysis: Wembanyama showed the repertoire, as NBA watched

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Victor Wembanyama didn't wait long to make an impression. The 7-foot-4 French phenomenon from the club Metropolitans 92 blocked shots at the rim and on the perimeter, got rebounds, ran the floor, set screens, scored on a nifty spin move, showed off his ability to dribble, dove for a loose ball and even played point guard on one possession. Oh, and all that was in the first two minutes. He scored 37 points, but his team lost to the G League Ignite 122-115. Ignite guard Scoot Henderson had 28 points.

Olympic pentathlon eyes 'Ninja Warrior' courses for survival

The sport of modern pentathlon hopes to stave off Olympic removal by possibly adding "American Ninja Warrior" style obstacle courses. The show-jumping component of the five-event competition has become an issue after a German coach was filmed hitting an uncooperative horse during the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. As it stands now, modern pentathlon in its current form will be off the program after the 2024 Paris Games. To get back on, the organization is testing out obstacle-course racing to replace show jumping. Which means ring swings and rope mazes could take center stage for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. It could be the scene that saves a sport facing a major crossroads.

Source: Ukraine to join Spain-Portugal 2030 World Cup bid

GENEVA (AP) — Ukraine is set to join Spain and Portugal in a combined bid to host the 2030 World Cup. A person familiar with the project tells The Associated Press that Ukraine is being added to the Spain-Portugal bid. The bid is scheduled to be announced on Wednesday at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement has not yet been made public. Ukrainian soccer federation president Andriy Pavelko confirmed to the AP he will go to Switzerland for the announcement but he declined to confirm details of the project.

US players 'horrified' by report of abuse in women's soccer

Players on the U.S. women's national soccer team are trying to process an investigation that found emotional abuse and sexual misconduct are systemic in women's soccer. U.S. defender Becky Sauerbrunn says she is horrified by the report. Former acting U.S. Attorney General Sally Q. Yates and the law firm of King &amp; Spaulding released the report after being retained by U.S. Soccer to investigate allegations of abuse in the National Women's Soccer League following a series of scandals last year. Several of the national team players also play in the league.

Kenny Pickett will be Steelers' starting QB vs. Bills

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Kenny Pickett era is officially underway in Pittsburgh. The rookie quarterback will make his first career start when the Steelers visit Buffalo. Pickett was the 20th overall pick in the draft. He made his regular-season debut in the second half of a 24-20 loss to the New York Jets on Sunday. Pickett ran for two touchdowns but also threw three interceptions, including a pick late in the fourth quarter that set up New York's game-winning drive. Pickett replaces Mitch Trubisky, who was signed in the offseason but benched against the Jets as coach Mike Tomlin looked for a spark.

St. Louis (TBD) at Pittsburgh (Oviedo 4-3), 4:05 p.m.

Arizona (Kelly 13-8) at Milwaukee (Burnes 12-8), 4:10 p.m.

Atlanta (TBD) at Miami (Hernandez 3-6), 4:10 p.m.

Chicago Cubs (Sampson 4-5) at Cincinnati (Ashcraft 5-5), 4:10 p.m.

Philadelphia (Falter 6-4) at Houston (Valdez 16-6), 4:10 p.m.

San Francisco (TBD) at San Diego (Clevinger 7-7), 4:10 p.m.

Washington (Fedde 6-12) at N.Y. Mets (TBD), 4:10 p.m.

Colorado (TBD) at L.A. Dodgers (Kershaw 11-3), 4:20 p.m.

Seattle 7, Detroit 6, 10 innings, 1st game

Toronto (TBD) at Baltimore (Baumann 1-3), 12:35 p.m., 1st game

L.A. Angels (Ohtani 15-8) at Oakland (Waldichuk 1-2), 4 p.m.

N.Y. Yankees (Germán 2-4) at Texas (Otto 6-10), 4:05 p.m.

AP Sports SummaryBrief at 6:08 a.m. EDTYankees star Judge hits 62nd homer to break Maris' AL recordARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Aaron Judge has hit his 62nd home run of the season to break Roger Maris' American League record. Judge hit a 1-1 slider from Texas right-hander Jesús Tinoco into the first row of seats in left field when leading off the second game of New York's day-night doubleheader on Tuesday. The 30-year-old Judge had homered only once in his past 13 games. That was when he hit No. 61 in Toronto last Wednesday to match Maris. While Maris' 61 for the Yankees in 1961 had been exceeded six times previously, all were tainted by the stench of steroids. That includes Barry Bonds' 73 for the the San Francisco Giants in 2001, though he has denied knowingly using performing-enhancing drugs.Home run hands! Dallas fan catches Judge's 62nd homer on flyARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Dallas baseball fan Cory Youmans made the catch of a lifetime, snagging the ball that New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge hit for his American League-record 62nd home run. Youmans caught the prized souvenir on the fly Tuesday night at Globe Life Field, home of the Texas Rangers. Youmans, who works in the financial world, said he hasn't decided what he'll do with ball. Youmans was at the second game of a doubleheader between the Yankees and Rangers when Judge led off with a home run. Soon after a local TV station posted a brief interview with the lucky fan, Bri Amaranthus tweeted: "THIS IS MY HUSBAND." Amaranthus works in local media and identifies herself in her Twitter bio as an alum of ABC's "The Bachelor."MLB playoff picture all set, best-of-3 matchups start FridayThe entire Major League Baseball playoff picture is now set. The four matchups in the wild-card round were locked in Tuesday night, right before the last day of the regular season. Every series starts Friday and is a best two of three. Plus, the higher seed will host every game. In the National League, the San Diego Padres visit the New York Mets while the Philadelphia Phillies play at the St. Louis Cardinals. In the American League, the Seattle Mariners visit the Toronto Blue Jays while the Tampa Bay Rays play at the Cleveland Guardians. The postseason was expanded from 10 teams last year to 12 this season.Braves beat Marlins 2-1, clinch 5th straight NL East titleMIAMI (AP) — William Contreras drove in the go-ahead run in the fifth, and the Atlanta Braves clinched their fifth consecutive NL East title by defeating the Miami Marlins 2-1. Atlanta earned a first-round bye as the No. 2 seed in the NL playoffs, behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Braves were 10 1/2 games behind the New York Mets at the start of June and lost four of five to New York in early August. Kenley Jansen recorded his 41st save, working a perfect ninth to seal the win. Starter Jake Odorizzi pitched five innings, allowing one run.NFL players working to ease stigma around mental health helpMarcus Smith II is among several former and active NFL players who are hoping to break the stigma around mental health. In 2018, Smith says he considered driving his car off of a hill because the pressures of the game were getting to him. Since then, he is dedicated to making sure other players don't reach the breaking point he was at. The league and the NFL Players Association are offering resources for teams, too.Analysis: Wembanyama showed the repertoire, as NBA watchedHENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Victor Wembanyama didn't wait long to make an impression. The 7-foot-4 French phenomenon from the club Metropolitans 92 blocked shots at the rim and on the perimeter, got rebounds, ran the floor, set screens, scored on a nifty spin move, showed off his ability to dribble, dove for a loose ball and even played point guard on one possession. Oh, and all that was in the first two minutes. He scored 37 points, but his team lost to the G League Ignite 122-115. Ignite guard Scoot Henderson had 28 points.Olympic pentathlon eyes 'Ninja Warrior' courses for survivalThe sport of modern pentathlon hopes to stave off Olympic removal by possibly adding "American Ninja Warrior" style obstacle courses. The show-jumping component of the five-event competition has become an issue after a German coach was filmed hitting an uncooperative horse during the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. As it stands now, modern pentathlon in its current form will be off the program after the 2024 Paris Games. To get back on, the organization is testing out obstacle-course racing to replace show jumping. Which means ring swings and rope mazes could take center stage for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. It could be the scene that saves a sport facing a major crossroads.Source: Ukraine to join Spain-Portugal 2030 World Cup bidGENEVA (AP) — Ukraine is set to join Spain and Portugal in a combined bid to host the 2030 World Cup. A person familiar with the project tells The Associated Press that Ukraine is being added to the Spain-Portugal bid. The bid is scheduled to be announced on Wednesday at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement has not yet been made public. Ukrainian soccer federation president Andriy Pavelko confirmed to the AP he will go to Switzerland for the announcement but he declined to confirm details of the project.US players 'horrified' by report of abuse in women's soccerPlayers on the U.S. women's national soccer team are trying to process an investigation that found emotional abuse and sexual misconduct are systemic in women's soccer. U.S. defender Becky Sauerbrunn says she is horrified by the report. Former acting U.S. Attorney General Sally Q. Yates and the law firm of King &amp; Spaulding released the report after being retained by U.S. Soccer to investigate allegations of abuse in the National Women's Soccer League following a series of scandals last year. Several of the national team players also play in the league.Kenny Pickett will be Steelers' starting QB vs. BillsPITTSBURGH (AP) — The Kenny Pickett era is officially underway in Pittsburgh. The rookie quarterback will make his first career start when the Steelers visit Buffalo. Pickett was the 20th overall pick in the draft. He made his regular-season debut in the second half of a 24-20 loss to the New York Jets on Sunday. Pickett ran for two touchdowns but also threw three interceptions, including a pick late in the fourth quarter that set up New York's game-winning drive. Pickett replaces Mitch Trubisky, who was signed in the offseason but benched against the Jets as coach Mike Tomlin looked for a spark.___NATIONAL LEAGUEMonday's Games Miami 4, Atlanta 0Cincinnati 3, Chicago Cubs 1Pittsburgh 3, St. Louis 2Milwaukee 6, Arizona 5, 10 inningsPhiladelphia 3, Houston 0San Diego 7, San Francisco 4Colorado 2, L.A. Dodgers 1Washington at N.Y. Mets, ppd.Tuesday's Games N.Y. Mets 4, Washington 2, 1st gameCincinnati 3, Chicago Cubs 2Atlanta 2, Miami 1St. Louis 8, Pittsburgh 7, 10 inningsMilwaukee 3, Arizona 0Houston 10, Philadelphia 0N.Y. Mets 8, Washington 0, 2nd gameSan Diego 6, San Francisco 2Colorado 5, L.A. Dodgers 2Wednesday's Games St. Louis (TBD) at Pittsburgh (Oviedo 4-3), 4:05 p.m.Arizona (Kelly 13-8) at Milwaukee (Burnes 12-8), 4:10 p.m.Atlanta (TBD) at Miami (Hernandez 3-6), 4:10 p.m.Chicago Cubs (Sampson 4-5) at Cincinnati (Ashcraft 5-5), 4:10 p.m.Philadelphia (Falter 6-4) at Houston (Valdez 16-6), 4:10 p.m.San Francisco (TBD) at San Diego (Clevinger 7-7), 4:10 p.m.Washington (Fedde 6-12) at N.Y. Mets (TBD), 4:10 p.m.Colorado (TBD) at L.A. Dodgers (Kershaw 11-3), 4:20 p.m.Thursday's Games No games scheduled___AMERICAN LEAGUE Monday's Games Kansas City 5, Cleveland 2, 10 inningsToronto 5, Baltimore 1, 8 inningsN.Y. Yankees 3, Texas 1Boston 4, Tampa Bay 3Chicago White Sox 3, Minnesota 2Philadelphia 3, Houston 0Detroit 4, Seattle 3Oakland 5, L.A. Angels 4, 10 inningsTuesday's Games N.Y. Yankees 5, Texas 4, 1st gameCleveland 5, Kansas City 3Boston 6, Tampa Bay 0, 5 inningsSeattle 7, Detroit 6, 10 innings, 1st gameTexas 3, N.Y. Yankees 2, 2nd gameChicago White Sox 8, Minnesota 3Houston 10, Philadelphia 0Oakland 2, L.A. Angels 1, 10 inningsSeattle 9, Detroit 6, 2nd gameToronto at Baltimore, ppd.Wednesday's Games Toronto (TBD) at Baltimore (Baumann 1-3), 12:35 p.m., 1st gameL.A. Angels (Ohtani 15-8) at Oakland (Waldichuk 1-2), 4 p.m.N.Y. Yankees (Germán 2-4) at Texas (Otto 6-10), 4:05 p.m.Toronto (TBD) at Baltimore (Watkins 5-6), 4:05 p.m., 2nd gameDetroit (Alexander 4-11) at Seattle (Gonzales 10-15), 4:10 p.m.Kansas City (Heasley 4-9) at Cleveland (Civale 4-6), 4:10 p.m.Minnesota (Varland 0-2) at Chicago White Sox (Martin 3-5), 4:10 p.m.Philadelphia (Falter 6-4) at Houston (Valdez 16-6), 4:10 p.m.Tampa Bay (Fleming 2-4) at Boston (Pivetta 10-12), 4:10 p.m.Thursday's Games No games scheduled