MLB – Major League Baseball
Last Night
Seattle Mariners 5, Detroit Tigers 4
Minnesota Twins 10, Chicago White Sox 1
Chicago Cubs 15, Cincinnati Reds 2
End MLB Regular Season
Mariners 5, Tigers 4 – Mariners roll into playoffs after 5-4 win over Tigers
Julio Rodríguez put a final exclamation point on his rookie of the year candidacy with his 28th home run of the season, Ty France hit a game-ending RBI single in the ninth inning, and the Seattle Mariners capped the regular season with a 5-4 win over the Detroit Tigers. Rodríguez set a franchise record with his sixth lead off homer of the season and finished off his rookie campaign hitting .284 with 25 doubles, 75 RBIs and 25 stolen bases. Seattle finished with at least 90 wins in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2000-03 when the Mariners won 91, 116, 93 and 93 games during that span. Detroit finished the season 66-96.
Twins 10, White Sox 1 – Arraez wins AL batting title, Twins beat White Sox 10-1
Luis Arraez won the AL batting title, hitting a third-inning double after walking twice to finish the season at .316, and the Minnesota Twins rolled to a 10-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox. Arraez was all but assured of topping the Yankees’ Aaron Judge for the batting crown when the day began. He removed any doubt by walking in his first two plate appearances and then hitting a drive that barely cleared the glove of right fielder Gavin Sheets before he was lifted for a pinch-runner. Gary Sanchez and Jermaine Palacios homered during a six-run first inning for Minnesota, which snapped a four-game skid. The Twins finished at 78-84. The White Sox finished at 81-81.
Cubs 15, Reds 2 – Reds lose 100 for 1st time since ’82, Bote 5 RBIs lead Cubs
The Cincinnati Reds lost 100 games for the first time in four decades, falling to the Cubs 15-2 in their season finale as David Bote drove in a season-high five runs. Cincinnati finished 62-100, one shy of the franchise record for losses set by the 1982 team that went 61-101. The Reds became the record-tying fourth team to lose 100 games this season, tying for last in the NL Central with Pittsburgh after just missing post-season play with an 83-79 record last season. Similarly, the rebuilding Cubs finished 74-88 and third in the NL Central, up from 71-91 and fourth last season.
Friday
Wild Card Playoffs – Best of Three
Tampa Bay Rays at Cleveland Guardians, 12:07 p.m.
Philadelphia Phillies at St. Louis Cardinals, 2:07 p.m.
Seattle Mariners at Toronto Blue Jays, 4:07 p.m.
San Diego Padres at New York Mets, 8:07 p.m.
Astros, Yankees, Braves, Dodgers – First round bye
MLB – Royals fire manager Mike Matheny after 65-97 end to season
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.
MLB – 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.
NFL – National Football League – Week 5
Tonight
Indianapolis Colts at Denver Broncos, 8:15 p.m.
NFL – Protester subdued by Rams’ Wagner files police report
A protester who ran onto the field during the San Francisco 49ers’ home game against the Rams has filed a police report after being subdued by Los Angeles linebacker Bobby Wagner. Wagner reacted with bemusement when asked about the protester’s complaint. Santa Clara Police Department Lt. Cuong Phan confirmed to The Associated Press that the department has an active investigation of the incident, but could provide few other details. Wagner flattened the protester who ran on the field waving a device emitting pink smoke.
NFL – Bears put Whitehair on IR, open window for Harry to return
The Chicago Bears have placed left guard Cody Whitehair on injured reserve because of a right knee injury. The 30-year-old Whitehair was injured in Sunday’s loss to the New York Giants. He has been a fixture on the Bears’ line at center and guard since they drafted him in the second round in 2016, starting 99 games. Coach Matt Eberflus says he expects Whitehair to play again this season. Also Wednesday, the Bears designated receiver N’Keal Harry to return from IR. That begins a three-week evaluation window for the fourth-year player. Eberflus says it’s possible Harry could make his Bears debut as early as Sunday.
NFL – Jerry Vainisi, GM of Bears’ 1985 championship team, dies
The Chicago Bears say Jerry Vainisi, their general manager when they won their lone Super Bowl championship, has died. He was 80. The team said he died Tuesday in suburban Oak Park, Ill. A Chicago native who attended Georgetown University and Chicago–Kent College of Law, Vainisi joined the Bears in 1972 as controller and worked as the team’s treasurer and lawyer. He became the team’s general manager in 1983 after Jim Finks resigned. Vainisi remained in that role for four years. He oversaw contract negotiations and worked with coach Mike Ditka and player personnel director Bill Tobin to run the team. The Bears went 47-17 during during Vainisi’s tenure and fielded arguably the greatest team the league has seen in 1985. The Bears went 15-1 and won the Super Bowl over the New England Patriots 46-10.
NHL – National Hockey League – Preseason
Last Night
Washington Capitals 4, Detroit Red Wings 2
Tonight
Chicago Blackhawks at Minnesota Wild, 8:00 p.m.
NBA – National Basketball Association – Preseason
Last Night
Indiana Pacers 122, Charlotte Hornets 97
NBA – LeBron in Vegas? He makes an expansion pitch to Adam Silver
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.
NCAAFB – Pyne fueling resurgent Irish offense as No. 16 BYU looms
Quarterback Drew Pyne has given Notre Dame’s offense exactly what it needed. Hope amid change. He’s 2-0 since replacing the injured Tyler Buchner, has the Fighting Irish back at .500, is leading a major midseason turnaround and seems to be winning over coach Marcus Freeman. On Saturday, he’ll face his biggest test yet against No. 16 BYU in Las Vegas. Pyne seems to be growing more comfortable by the week since taking over from his friend, the injured Tyler Buchner. And now, he’s ready to show everyone what he and the Irish offense can do.
MCCAA – Junior College Athletics
Last Night
Women’s Soccer
St. Clair Community College 3, Lake Michigan College 3 – TIE
Men’s Soccer
Lake Michigan College 10, Fairhaven Baptist College 4
Today
Volleyball
Lake Michigan College at Kalamazoo Valley Community College, 6:30 p.m.
Southwestern Michigan College at Kellogg Community College, 6:30 p.m.
MHSAA – High School Sports
Last Night
Volleyball
Kalamazoo Central 3, St. Joseph 0
Portage Northern 3, Lakeshore 1
River Valley 3, Our Lady of the Lake 2
Mishawaka (IN) 3, Brandywine 0
Portage Central 3, Mattawan 2
Boys Soccer
Dowagiac 4, Buchanan 0
Constantine 4, Bridgman 1
Coloma 2, Lawton 0
Paw Paw 4, Niles 1
South Haven 12, Parchment 0
Kalamazoo Hackett 0, Watervliet 0 – TIE
Bloomingdale 5, Comstock 0
Hartford 11, Cassopolis 1
Otsego 4, Three Rivers 1
Sturgis 2, Edwardsburg 1
Vicksburg 5, Plainwell 3
Holland Black River 2, Allegan 1
Tonight
Boys Soccer
SMAC Tournament
Mattawan at Portage Central, 6:30 p.m. SMAC Championship Game
St. Joseph at Gull Lake, 6:30 p.m. SMAC 3rd place game
Kalamazoo Central at B.C. Lakeview, 6:30 p.m. SMAC 5th place game
Lakeshore at Portage Northern, 7:00 p.m. SMAC 7th place game
Other games
Michigan Lutheran at Bangor, 6:30 p.m.
Comstock at Berrien Springs, 6:30 p.m.
Coloma at Bridgman, 4:00 p.m.
GR West Michigan Aviation at Hartford, 5:00 p.m.
Cassopolis at Schoolcraft, 5:00 p.m.
Parchment at Kalamazoo Christian, 5:00 p.m.
Lawton at Kalamazoo Hackett, 5:00 p.m.
Volleyball
Benton Harbor at Brandywine, 7:00 p.m.
Dowagiac at Berrien Springs, 6:00 p.m.
Holland at South Haven, 6:30 p.m.
Eau Claire at Watervliet Grace, 6:00 p.m.
Paw Paw at Niles, 6:00 p.m.
Otsego at Edwardsburg, 6:00 p.m.
Plainwell at Vicksburg, 6:00 p.m.
Three Rivers at Sturgis, 6:00 p.m.
Hartford at Bloomingdale, 7:30 p.m.
Centreville at Comstock, 7:30 p.m.
Cassopolis at Decatur, 7:30 p.m.
White Pigeon at Marcellus, 7:30 p.m.
Bangor at Mendon, 7:30 p.m.
Gobles, Kalamazoo Hackett, Lawton at Martin, 5:00 p.m.
Constantine, Schoolcraft, Holland Black River at Saugatuck, 5:00 p.m.
