MLB-NCLS

Dodgers say Knebel, not Scherzer, will start Game 1 of NLCS

ATLANTA (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers are going with Corey Knebel (kuh-NEH’-bul) for Game 1 of the NL Championship Series instead of Max Scherzer.

Manager Dave Roberts said Friday that he planned to start Scherzer only two days after the right-hander earned his first career save in the team’s NL Division Series-clinching win at San Francisco. But that was contingent upon a final go-ahead from Scherzer. The team tweeted Saturday that Knebel would start instead. Though Knebel normally pitches in relief, the starting assignment is not a new role. Knebel was 4-0 with a 2.45 ERA in 27 games, including four starts, this season.

Max Fried (freed) is set to start for Atlanta. He moved up after Charlie Morton pitched on short rest in the Braves’ 5-4 clinching win over Milwaukee in the NL Division Series.

Meanwhile, the Braves have added right-hander Chris Martin and infielder Johan Camargo to their 26-man roster for the NLCS, replacing left-hander Dylan Lee and outfielder Terrance Gore.

The Dodgers have also made tweaks to their pitching staff. They added left-hander Justin Bruihl and right-hander Evan Phillips, replacing left-hander David Price and first baseman Billy McKinney.

The moves leave the Dodgers with 13 pitchers and 13 position players. The Braves are carrying 12 pitchers and 14 position players.

MLB-ALCS

Game 2 in Houston is homecoming for Boston’s starting pitcher

HOUSTON (AP) — Boston right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (eh-VAHL’-dee) will have a homecoming of sorts when he starts Game 2 of the AL Championship Series Saturday night against the host Astros. Eovaldi grew up in the Houston suburb of Alvin, also home to Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, and visited the Astrodome and Minute Maid Park often growing up.

Rookie Luis Garcia starts for the Astros.

Houston ace Lance McCullers isn’t on the roster for the ALCS due to an arm injury, but he isn’t ruling out a return if the Astros advance to the World Series. In the meantime, he’s working with other pitchers on scouting reports and by watching film. McCullers pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings in the Astros’ 6-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox in Game 1 of their AL Division Series. He started again in Game 4 but departed after four innings.

Houston beat Boston 5-4 in the opener Friday night.

T25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL-SCHEDULE

No 12 Oklahoma State rallies late to beat No. 25 Texas 32-24

UNDATED (AP) — No. 12 Oklahoma State remains undefeated after rallying to beat No. 25 Texas 32-24. Tanner Brown’s fourth field goal of the game gave the Cowboys their first lead and quarterback Spencer Sanders’ scrambling 10-yard touchdown run sealed the victory. Texas built leads of 17-3 and 24-13 behind three touchdowns from Bijan Robinson before Oklahoma State’s defense and punishing run game behind Jaylen Warren took over the game.

It’s the second straight week Texas surrendered big leads in tough losses. The Longhorns led Oklahoma 28-7 before losing 55-48 last week.

In other Top 25 games Saturday:

— Jerome Ford rushed for a career-high 189 yards and four touchdowns to help No. 3 Cincinnati roll past UCF 56-21. Desmond Ridder passed for 140 yards and a touchdown as the Bearcats extended the nation’s second-longest home winning streak to 24 games. Ford matched a career-long with a 79-yard touchdown run late in the second quarter. Freshman QB Mikey Keene passed for 141 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions for UCF. Coby Bryant had a 74-yard interception return TD for the Bearcats.

— Matt Coghlin’s 51-yard field goal gave No. 10 Michigan State the lead and Payton Thorne’s third-quarter touchdown throw gave the Spartans the breathing room they needed to beat Indiana 20-15. The Spartans improved to 7-0 overall and will stay atop the Big Ten East at least two more weeks. Indiana had a chance to tie the score at 17 after scored its first TD in league play early in the fourth. But the Spartans defense stopped the 2-point conversion attempt.

— Bo Nix threw for 292 yards and a pair of touchdowns and ran for score to lead Auburn to a 38-23 win over No. 17 Arkansas, the Tigers’ sixth straight in the series. Marcus Harris recovered a fumble in the end zone for Auburn in the third quarter to give the Tigers a lead after a strip sack by Derick Hall of Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson. Then Harris stuffed Jefferson on a fourth down and one play later Nix hooked up with Demetris Robertson for a 71-yard touchdown as Auburn turned a three-point deficit into an 11-point lead in three minutes.

— Texas A&M’s running back duo of Isaiah Spiller and Devon Achane combined for 292 rushing yards and three touchdowns to power the 21st-ranked Aggies to a 35-14 victory over Missouri. Spiller rushed 20 times for 168 yards and one touchdown and Achane added 16 carries for 124 yards and two scores for Texas A&M. The Aggies improved to 5-2 and avoided a letdown after last week’s upset of Alabama. Missouri fell to 3-4.

NHL-COYOTES-SABRES

Sabres score twice in shootout, beat Coyotes 2-1

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Tage Thompson and Artuu Ruotsalainen scored in a shootout, helping the Buffalo Sabres top the Arizona Coyotes 2-1.

Cody Eakin scored in the second period for the Sabres, and Dustin Tokarski made 20 saves before stopping two of three shots in the tiebreaker. Karel Vejmelka made 32 saves for the Coyotes, who are 0-2 under first-year coach André Tourigny after losing 8-2 in Columbus on Thursday. Andrew Ladd scored in the first.

Buffalo improved to 2-0 following a 5-1 win against Montreal on Thursday night.

NFL-NEWS

Panthers put McCaffrey in IR

UNDATED (AP) — The Carolina Panthers have placed running back Christian McCaffrey on injured reserve, meaning he will miss at least the next three games with a hamstring injury.

McCaffrey already has missed two games, both Carolina losses. The earliest he will be able to return to game action is Nov. 7 against the New England Patriots.

McCaffrey will have missed 18 of 24 games with injuries since becoming the league’s highest-paid running back following the 2019 season. The 3-2 Panthers host the 2-3 Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

In other NFL news:

— The Indianapolis Colts have activated four-time Pro Bowl receiver T.Y. Hilton for Sunday’s game against Houston. They also put kicker Rodrigo Blankenship on injured reserve. The recently signed Michael Badgley will replace Blankenship, who has an injured hip. Hilton had been on injured reserve since early September.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL-LOUISVILLE-JACKSON NUMBER RETIRED

Louisville to retire Lamar Jackson’s No. 8 jersey

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Louisville plans to retire the No. 8 jersey of former Cardinals quarterback Lamar Jackson, the school’s first Heisman Trophy winner.

Jackson’s number will be retired during a ceremony at Louisville’s Nov. 13 home game against Syracuse.

Athletic director Vince Tyra cited Jackson’s Heisman and his 2019 NFL MVP award with the Baltimore Ravens as examples of the dynamic QB’s talent and success. He also praised the player’s humility that endeared him to Louisville teammates, coaches and staff.

Jackson joins Johnny Unitas (yoo-NY’-tihs) as the school’s only football players to have their numbers retired. Unitas’s No. 16 was retired in 2003.

GOLF-CASEY MARTIN

Report: Casey Martin has right leg amputated

NEW YORK (AP) — Golf Digest reports that Casey Martin, the Oregon golf coach who successfully sued the PGA Tour for the right to use a cart, has had his right leg amputated.

The magazine reported on its website that Martin had surgery Friday and was recovering at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. His brother said doctors feel it went well enough that Martin has a good shot at an effective prosthesis.

Martin suffered from a rare circulatory disease in his right leg that made it virtually impossible to walk 18 holes in a tournament. He still managed to practice and play well enough to earn a PGA Tour card for the 2000 season. He successfully sued the PGA Tour for the right to use a cart in a case the Supreme Court decided in 2001.

Martin, a teammate of Tiger Woods on Stanford’s national championship team, has been the head golf coach at Oregon since 2006. He qualified for the U.S. Open in 2012.

Golf Digest says Martin broke his right leg two years ago, which eventually led to the decision to amputate after it failed to heal.