MLB-ALCS

Astros take opener

HOUSTON (AP) — Jose Altuve (al-TOO’-vay) did a nice job atoning for a run-scoring error as the Houston Astros took Game 1 of the AL Championship Game against the Boston Red Sox.

Altuve crushed a game-tying, two-run homer in the sixth inning before Carlos Correa’s blast put the Astros ahead to stay in a 5-4 win over the Red Sox. Altuve also lifted a sacrifice fly that gave Houston a 5-3 edge heading into the ninth. The insurance run came in handing after Kike (KEE’-kay) Hernandez smacked his second home run of the night and fourth hit.

Altuve’s miscue contributed to a three-run third that put the Red Sox ahead. He also became the fourth player in major league history with 20 career postseason home runs.

Neither starting pitcher got out of the third inning. Boston’s Chris Sale was lifted with two out in the third. Framber Valdez was chased in the third.

Ryne Stanek retired one batter in the seventh to pick up the win. Ryan Pressly notched the save and Hansel Robles took the loss.

Game 2 is Saturday in Houston.

Astros ace Lance McCullers Jr. has been left off the team’s ALCS roster. The right-hander left Game 4 of Houston’s win at Chicago this week after four innings because of forearm tightness.

NLCS-GAME 1 STARTING PITCHERS

Scherzer vs. Fried on Saturday

ATLANTA (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers ace right-hander Max Scherzer is expected to start Game 1 of the NL Championship Series against the Braves in Atlanta.

Scherzer would be starting two days after earning his first career save in the Dodgers’ 2-1, series-clinching win over the Giants.

Scherzer is expected to face Braves left-hander Max Fried on Saturday.

Los Angeles beat Atlanta in seven games in last year’s NLCS before winning the World Series.

MLB-CUBS GM-HAWKINS

Cubs hire Carter Hawkins as general manager

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs have hired Carter Hawkins as general manager, dipping into Cleveland’s front office in an effort to bolster their own player development system.

The 37-year-old Hawkins spent 14 seasons with Cleveland, including the last five as an assistant general manager. He also supervised the team’s player development department.

NFL-NEWS

Kingsbury out after positive COVID-19 test; Chubb to miss game

UNDATED (AP) — The Cleveland Browns will be without their top running back on Sunday against Arizona, while the Cardinals will play without their head coach.

Kliff Kingsbury, quarterbacks coach Cam Turner and defensive tackle Zach Allen are sidelined after testing positive for COVID-19.

Kingsbury has said earlier this week that the team has been 100% vaccinated for quite a while, but that hasn’t stopped the virus from upending their plans to win a sixth straight game.

Browns running back Nick Chubb will miss the game, but wide receiver Jarvis Landry could return to action. Chubb is second in the NFL with 523 yards rushing. He didn’t practice all week because of a calf injury. Landry was on the practice field Friday for the first time since suffering a sprained knee against Houston on Sept. 19.

In other NFL news:

— The Seahawks have placed quarterback Russell Wilson and running back Chris Carson on injured reserve, keeping both players out until at least mid-November. Wilson is recovering from surgery on his right middle finger. Carson is dealing with a neck issue.

— Giants quarterback Daniel Jones has been cleared to play against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. Jones was a full participant in practice on Friday, the next-to-last step in the NFL concussion protocol. He was cleared after being examined by an independent neurological consultant after Friday’s workout.

— Arizona has acquired tight end Zach Ertz from the Eagles. The undefeated Cardinals sent cornerback Tay Gowan and a 2022 fifth-round pick to the Eagles for the 30-year-old Ertz, a three-time Pro Bowler. Arizona lost starting tight end Maxx Williams to a season-ending knee injury Sunday against San Francisco.

— Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey will miss his third straight game Sunday against Minnesota because of a hamstring injury. McCaffrey was held out of practice for a second consecutive day and is listed as out for the game.

— The Titans will have Pro Bowl receivers Julio Jones and A.J. Brown Monday night against the Bills. The duo started the first three games before Brown hurt a hamstring early in a win over Indianapolis. Jones had a hamstring tighten up later in the same game and has missed two games.

— Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (TOO’-ah tuhng-ah-vy-LOH’-ah) is set to start Sunday against the Jaguars in London. Tagovailoa missed most of the last four games with fractured ribs.

— The Broncos are celebrating Mike Shanahan’s coaching contributions during their alumni weekend by inducting him into the team’s Ring of Fame at halftime of Sunday’s game against the Raiders. Shanahan won back-to-back Super Bowls in the late 1990s and is the franchise leader with 146 coaching victories, including eight playoff wins. The Broncos are also saluting Hall of Famer Steve Atwater in a pregame ceremony.

T25 FOOTBALL-SCHEDULE

Ducks escape against Bears

UNDATED (AP) — Ninth-ranked Oregon went the distance before avoiding a major upset.

Anthony Brown scored on an 11-yard keeper with 4:50 left to give the Ducks a 24-17 win over a surprisingly tenacious California. The Golden Bears took a 17-10 lead early in the final quarter, but Brown answered with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Jaylon Redd to tie it.

The Golden Bears got to the Oregon 3 until Chase Garbers fourth-and-2 pass attempt with just two seconds left fell incomplete. Travis Dye ran for 145 yards and a score for Oregon.

In the other top-25 game of the night:

— Backup quarterback Lucas Johnson threw a 14-yard TD pass to Jesse Matthews for the first touchdown of the game on the opening possession of overtime and No. 24 San Diego State held off San Jose State 13-6

NBA-NEWS

Bucks sign general manager Jon Horst to contract extension

UNDATED (AP) — Bucks general manager Jon Horst has signed a multi-year contract extension after helping Milwaukee win its first NBA title in a half-century.

The move comes less than two months after the Bucks signed coach Mike Budenholzer to an extension.

Milwaukee won the NBA Finals over the Phoenix Suns in six games to win its first league championship since 1971. Horst has worked as Milwaukee’s general manager since 2017. His notable moves have included the hiring of Budenholzer in 2018 and the acquisition of guard Jrue Holiday last year.

In other NBA news:

— Players can now test themselves for the coronavirus and get results in no more than 20 minutes. The NBA has partnered with a company that is providing the league with technology that allows anyone to essentially test themselves for COVID-19. A person applies the swab to the inside of their nose, places it in a reader connected wirelessly to their smartphone and gets the results back much faster than most other alternatives can deliver.

NHL-SCHEDULE

Devils win on Hughes tally in OT

UNDATED (AP) — Jack Hughes bailed out the New Jersey Devils after they blew a late two-goal lead.

Hughes capped his two-goal performance by scoring less than a minute into overtime, completing the Devils’ 4-3 win over the Blackhawks. Dougie Hamilton scored on his first shot as a Devil and Andreas Johnsson gave his team a 3-1 lead early in the third period. But the Hawks gained a point when Dominik Kubalik (koo-BAH’-leek) and Kirby Dach (dahk) tallied in the final 3:53 of regulation.

The Canucks also squandered a two-goal lead in the third period before beating the Flyers, 5-4. Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller scored in a shootout after Vancouver put together a four-goal second period to take a 4-2 lead. Travis Konecny (kah-NEHK’-nee) and Claude Giroux juh-ROO’) scored over the final 2:17 of regulation in the Flyers’ season opener.

In the NHL’s other game on Friday, Marcus Foligno scored with 7.2 seconds remaining in regulation to give the Wild a 2-1 win over the Ducks. Kevin Fiala (fee-AH’-lah) had a power-play goal and Cam Talbot made 28 saves for Minnesota. Jakob Silfverberg (SIHL’-vur-burg) scored on the power play for the Ducks, and Anthony Stolarz made 41 saves.

NHL-NEWS

McAvoy gets extension

UNDATED (AP) — The Boston Bruins have signed Charlie McAvoy to an eight-year, $76 million contract extension.

The 23-year-old McAvoy was fifth in Norris Trophy voting last year after recording five goals, 30 points and a plus-22 in 51 games.

The 2016 first-round draft pick is plus-80 in his career — second among all NHL defenseman since he entered the league in 2017.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

— The league has suspended Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin for a game for roughing Tampa Bay forward Mathieu Joseph. The NHL says Larkin was suspended for retaliating to Joseph’s hit from behind with a punch in the face when the opponent was not suspecting it. Larkin will miss Saturday’s game against the Canucks.

PGA-CJ CUP

Mitchell in charge at Vegas

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Keith Mitchell is the runaway leader through two rounds of the CJ Cup in Las Vegas.

One day after matching his career low with a 62, Mitchell followed that with an 8-under 64 to build a five-shot lead going into the weekend at The Summit Club. Mitchell was at 18-under 126, breaking by five shots his best 36-hole score on tour.

Jordan Spieth (speeth) had eight birdies and an eagle to counter a few soft bogeys for a 65. He’s part of a second-place tie with Adam Scott, Harry Higgs and Seonghyeon Kim.

GOLF-PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS

Scott Parel shoots 65, takes 1 shot lead in SAS Championship

CARY, N.C. (AP) — Scott Parel shot a bogey-free 7-under 65 to take the first-round lead in the PGA Tour Champions’ SAS Championship. The 56-year-old Parel birdied Nos. 5-7 and added four more on the back nine at Prestonwood Country Club.

Monday qualifier Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand and Robert Karlsson of Sweden are one stroke back and one ahead of Lee Janzen and Miguel Angel Jimenez. Jaidee birdied his final four holes.

GOLF-ANDALUCIA MASTERS

Rahm misses cut in Spain: ‘I don’t want to see a golf club’

SOTOGRANDE, Spain (AP) — Jon Rahm’s woes back home in Spain continue after failing to make the cut at the Andalucía Masters. The top-ranked Rahm shot 3-over 74 in the second round, one day after a 7-over 78 matched his worst round as a professional.

Romain Langasque leads the tournament.

NASCAR-TEXAS FEUD

Elliott eases into Texas following NASCAR-ordered cease-fire

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — NASCAR has ordered a cease-fire in the feud between Chase Elliott and Kevin Harvick, warning of severe consequences if the two drivers continue to tangle on the track.

The demand to stop the shenanigans comes as Elliott moves on to the third round of the playoffs, still eligible to win a second consecutive Cup title.

Harvick crashed himself out of title contention last week as he evaded Elliott on his rear bumper at Charlotte. Elliott took glee in Harvick’s gaffe and wished him “a merry offseason and Happy Christmas,” and Elliott is now selling merchandise branded with that zinger.