NLCS-DODGERS/BRAVES

Bellinger, Betts rally Dodgers past Braves

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Five outs from a three-games-to-none deficit in the NL Championship Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied to beat the Atlanta Braves.

Mookie Betts provided the tiebreaking single while the Dodgers erupted for four runs in the eighth inning to pull out a 6-5 victory over the Braves. Cody Bellinger tied it with a three-run blast off losing pitcher Luke Jackson.

Corey Seager opened the scoring with a two-run homer for LA.

Atlanta trailed 2-0 in the fourth inning until Joc Pederson, Adam Duvall and Dansby Swanson delivered RBI singles ahead of Eddie Rosario’s bases-loaded walk. Duvall also singled home a fifth-inning run.

Tony Gonsolin was credited with the win after getting out of an eighth-inning jam. Kenley Jansen struck out the side in the ninth to get the save.

ALCS-ASTROS/RED SOX

Astros explode in 9th, beat Red Sox

BOSTON (AP) — The Houston Astros have knotted the AL Championship Series at two games apiece by finally regaining their hitting stroke.

The Astros erupted for seven runs in the ninth inning to come away with a 9-2 thumping of the Red Sox. It was a 2-2 game until Jason Castro’s RBI single opened the floodgates. Michael Brantley broke it open with a three-run double before Yordan (yohr-DAHN’) Alvarez, Carlos Correa and Kyle Tucker followed with RBI singles to empty Fenway Park.

The Red Sox managed just five hits and failed to score after Xander Bogaerts (BOH’-gahrts) belted a two-run homer in the first inning.

Alex Bregman homered for the Astros, who are guaranteed a Game 6 at home.

Game 5 is Wednesday in Boston.

MLB-NEWS

Boone gets new deal

UNDATED (AP) — The future of New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone has been resolved. He’s received a three-year contract extension that includes an option for 2025.

Boone owns a 328-218 record with the Yankees, reaching the postseason four times but winning just one AL East title. He joined Hall of Famer Miller Huggins as the only Yankees managers to return for a fifth season without winning a World Series. Huggins actually went five seasons without a title before capturing three World Series between 1923-28.

In other MLB news:

— The price of a qualifying offer to Major League Baseball free agents dropped by $500,000 to $18.4 million. The figure is determined by the average of the top 125 major league contracts this year and marks only the second fall.

NBA-SCHEDULE

Bucks-Nets open season

UNDATED (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks raised their NBA championship banner on Tuesday before blowing out the team predicted to win it all this season.

Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH’-nihs an-teh-toh-KOON’-poh) poured in 32 points and the Bucks opened the defense of their first title in half a century by beating the Nets, 127-104. Antetokounmpo also had 14 rebounds and seven assists in a rematch of the Bucks’ Eastern Conference quarterfinal series win.

Khris Middleton and Pat Connaughton each added 20 points to help the Bucks withstand the loss of Jrue Holiday, who sat out the second half with a bruised right heel after scoring 12 points.

Kevin Durant led the Nets with 32 points and 11 rebounds.

In Los Angeles, Stephen Curry had a triple-double and the Warriors rallied from 10 points down to beat the Lakers, 121-114. Curry had 21 points, 10 boards and 10 assists for Golden State, which trailed 84-74 late in the third quarter.

LeBron James had 34 points and 11 rebounds for Los Angeles, while Anthony Davis chipped in 30 points and 11 boards.

NBA-NEWS

Simmons suspended by 76ers

UNDATED (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers have run out of patience with Ben Simmons.

The team has suspended the disgruntled guard for the season opener after he declined to fully participate in practice since returning to the team. Simmons refused to play as a full participant at Tuesday’s practice, a day after he lingered outside a team huddle and mostly stayed alone in a corner without talking to teammates.

Team captain and reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid (joh-EHL ehm-BEED’) says he’s tired of babysitting Simmons unless he wants to listen. Embiid says Simmons can do what he wants, adding that the team will be fine without him.

Simmons has not talked publicly since his offseason trade request.

Also around the NBA:

— Pistons guard Cade Cunningham has been ruled out of the team’s season-opening game against the Bulls due to a sprained right ankle. Cunningham hurt his ankle early in training camp and did not play in the preseason.

— The Wizards have signed center Daniel Gafford to a three-year, $40.2 million contract extension that runs through the 2025-26 season. Washington acquired Gafford in a trade in March. He played 23 regular-season games for the Wizards, averaging 10.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.8 blocks while shooting 68% from the field.

NFL-NEWS

Mayfield ready to tough it out

UNDATED — Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield says he expects to play Thursday night against the Denver Broncos despite a painful left shoulder.

The injury has worsened since he hurt it a month ago while trying to make a tackle. He says the decision to play will be made by the team.

Mayfield re-injured his non-throwing shoulder Sunday and was late joining his teammates on the practice field Tuesday. He did throw a couple of passes at the very end of the portion open to reporters.

Checking other NFL news:

— The Bears have placed linebacker Robert Quinn on the reserve/COVID-19 list. That could leave them without one of their top pass rushers when they visit Tom Brady and the defending champion Buccaneers on Sunday.

— The Ravens have put tackle Ronnie Stanley on injured reserve. Stanley spent the latter half of last season on IR because of an ankle injury, and he’s played only in the season opener this year due to ankle pain.

— The Jaguars cut veteran kicker Josh Lambo, two days after unheralded Matt Wright hit two field goals from beyond 50 yards in the final minutes of Sunday’s win against the Dolphins. Lambo was the most accurate kicker in the league from 2017-20, but he was inactive the last three games while dealing with confidence issues.

— Police say Cowboys safety Damontae Kazee was arrested early Tuesday on suspicion of driving while intoxicated in a Dallas suburb. Kazee was pulled over in the suburb next to Frisco, the location of team headquarters about 30 miles north of Dallas.

— The NFL is set to propose changes to the $1 billion concussion settlement after an outcry over test score adjustments that make it harder for retired Black players to win dementia awards that average $500,000 or more. About 70% of active players and more than 60% of living retirees are Black.

NHL-SCHEDULE

Cats beat Bolts

UNDATED (AP) — The Florida Panthers are 3-0 for the second straight season after knocking off the two-time defending Stanley Cup champs.

Aleksander Barkov scored the go-ahead goal 3:40 into the third period of the Panthers’ 4-1 decision over the Lightning. Barkov’s tally came 64 seconds after the Lightning tied it 1-all on Brayden Point’s goal.

Florida also got goals from defenseman Brandon Montour, Anton Lundell and Anthony Duclair.

Rookie netminder Spencer Knight made 30 saves in his first start this season for the Panthers.

Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy va-sih-LEHV’-skee) made 28 saves in his fourth consecutive start.

Elsewhere on NHL ice:

— Evgeny Kuznetsov (kooz-NEHT’-sahv) scored his first two goals of the season and Alex Ovechkin put his 734th career goal into an empty net as the Capitals doubled up the Avalanche, 6-3. Nick Jensen, Anthony Mantha and Nic Dowd also scored for Washington, and Ilya Samsonov (EEL-yah sam-SOH’-nahv) made 24 saves in his season debut.

— The Oilers are 3-0 after Leon Draisaitl (DRY’-sy-tul) furnished two goals and two assists in a 6-5 decision over the Ducks. Zack Kassian also scored twice to help Edmonton overcome two-goal performances by Kevin Shattenkirk and Sam Steel.

— Ilya Sorokin (EEL’-yah sah-ROH’-kihn) turned back 39 shots and Oliver Wahlstrom scored twice in the third period of the Islanders’ first win of the season, 4-1 at Chicago. Anthony Beauvillier (boh-VIH’-lee-ay) and Cal Clutterbuck also scored as New York improved to 1-2-0 on its opening 13-game road trip.

— Joel Eriksson Ek completed a hat trick by providing the tying and winning goals in the Wild’s 6-5 verdict over the Jets. Ek tied the game with 59 seconds remaining in regulation and winning it on a power play in overtime.

— The Stars pulled out a 2-1 win over the Penguins on shootout goals by Joe Pavelski (pah-VEHL’-skee) and Alexander Radulov (RAD’-yoo-lahv). The Penguins have picked up at least one point in each of their first four games despite playing without injured stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

— Rookie Jonathan Dahlen scored his first two goals in his second career game as the Sharks rolled to a 5-0 win. Erik Karlsson and Timo Meir each had a goal and two assists in San Jose’s 10th straight victory over Montreal.

— Matt Duchene (doo-SHAYN’) and Tanner Jeannot (zhah-NOH’) scored in the third period to give the Predators a 2-1 win versus the Kings. Nashville goalie Juuse Saros (YOO’-see SAH’-rohs) made 25 saves.

— Rookie Dawson Mercer and Damon Severson (SEE’-vur-suhn) scored first-period goals in the Devils’ 4-2 downing of Seattle. The expansion Kraken went 1-3-1 ahead of its first-ever home game against Vancouver.

— Lucas Raymond made his first NHL goal a big one for the Red Wings, breaking a scoreless tie in the third period of their 4-1 victory against the Blue Jackets. Raymond also assisted on Tyler Bertuzzi’s fifth goal of the season just over two minutes after he beat goalie Joonas Korpisalo (YOH’-nuhs kohr-pih-SAH’-loh).

— The Sabres earned a 5-2 win over the Canucks behind Jeff Skinner and Tage (tayhj) Thompson, who scored 23 seconds apart in the third period. Kyle Okposo and Zemgus Girgensons each added a goal and an assist to help Buffalo improve to 3-0 for the first time since 2008.

NHL-NEWS

MacKinnon back, Wheeler out

UNDATED (AP) — Colorado Avalanche star forward Nathan MacKinnon made his season debut Tuesday against the Capitals in Washington.

MacKinnon tested positive for the coronavirus last week and had been in the league’s COVID-19 protocols since Oct. 12, causing him to miss two games. The three-time MVP finalist needed to test negative twice to be cleared to rejoin the team.

Meanwhile, Jets forward Blake Wheeler will miss at least four games while sidelined for COVID-19. The Jets said that Wheeler was symptomatic after testing positive for the virus.

In other NHL tidbits:

— Blues forward Pavel Buchnevich (booch-NAY’-vihch) has received a two-game suspension for head-butting Arizona forward Lawson Crouse during Monday’s game. Buchnevich was assessed a match penalty for head-butting and is considered a repeat offender by the league.

— Former Islanders right wing Mike Bossy has disclosed that he’s been diagnosed with lung cancer and will take leave from his job while undergoing treatment. The 64-year-old Bossy had 573 goals and 1,126 points over 10 seasons with the Islanders, hoisting the Stanley Cup every year from 1980-83.