NLCS-DODGERS/BRAVES

Braves win first pennant in 22 years

ATLANTA (AP) — The World Series matchup is set after the Atlanta Braves captured their first National League pennant since 1999.

Eddie Rosario unloaded a tiebreaking, three-run homer in the fourth inning before the Braves’ bullpen made the lead stand up in a 4-2 win over the Dodgers in Game 6. Rosario set an Atlanta franchise record and became only the fifth player in baseball history to record 14 hits in a postseason series.

Rosario’s blast chased Walker Buehler, who surrendered seven hits and three walks over four innings. Buehler started in place of Max Scherzer, who was scratched from the start late Friday night.

The Braves will head to Houston for Game 1 of the World Series Tuesday night against the Houston Astros.

This World Series matchup has been six decades in the making. These longtime National League rivals began playing in 1962 and met more than 700 times before the Astros moved to the American League in 2013.

Houston’s 72-year-old manager Dusty Baker is trying to win his first championship as a manager. The Braves are guided by 66-year-old manager Brian Snitker. His son, Troy, is a hitting coach for the Astros.

NFL-SCHEDULE

AFC North lead in play as Bengals visit Ravens

UNDATED (AP) — The AFC North lead is in play with Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals visiting Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens in one of the Week 7 headliners. The Bengals are a game back of the Ravens at 4-2. Baltimore is among three NFL teams with five consecutive victories since losing the opener.

Tom Brady is trying to lead Tampa Bay to the first 6-1 start in franchise history. The defending Super Bowl champion Buccaneers are at home against Chicago.

Jared Goff returns to Los Angeles to face the Rams after the offseason trade that sent the 2016 No. 1 overall pick to Detroit for Matthew Stafford. The Lions are the only winless team at 0-6, while Stafford has led LA to a 5-1 start

VIRUS OUTBREAK-NFL-CARDINALS

Kingsbury cleared to coach undefeated Cardinals

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Arizona coach Kliff Kingsbury has cleared COVID-19 protocols and will be on the sideline Sunday when the undefeated Cardinals play Houston.

Kingsbury’s positive COVID-19 test was announced two days before Arizona played at Cleveland last week. Murray threw four touchdown passes in the Cardinals’ 37-14 win.

Arizona quarterbacks coach Cam Turner and defensive tackle Zach Allen also were sidelined last week because of coronavirus protocols.

Kyler Murray is trying to lead the Cardinals to their first 7-0 start since 1974, 14 years before the franchise moved to Phoenix from St. Louis. Arizona defensive end J.J. Watt is facing the Texans for the first time after spending his first 10 seasons playing with them.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-NHL-BLACKHAWKS

Kane likely out as Blackhawks try for 1st win of season

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane likely will miss Sunday night’s game against Detroit because of the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol.

The Blackhawks announced Sunday morning that forward Ryan Carpenter and defenseman Erik Gustafsson had been removed from COVID-19 protocol. But there was no word on Kane. All three players missed practice Saturday after entering the protocol.

Assistant coach Tomas Mitell also remains in the protocol. Former NHL forward Chris Kunitz replaced Mitell behind the bench for Thursday’s 4-1 loss to Vancouver.

The COVID-19 protocols for the Blackhawks don’t necessarily mean that Mitell or any of the players tested positive. They could have been deemed a close contact of someone who did.

PGA-ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP

Masters champion Matsuyama wins by 5 shots in Japan

CHIBA, Japan (AP) — Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama (hih-DEH’-kee maht-soo-YAH’-mah) had three birdies in five holes on the back nine and eagled the 18th for good measure for a five-stroke victory at the PGA Tour’s Zozo Championship.

Matsuyama finished with a 65 and a 15-under total of 265. It was his seventh PGA Tour victory and first in his native Japan.

Americans were tied for second at 10-under: Brendan Steele shot 66 and Cameron Tringale 69. Tringale trailed Matsuyama by two strokes going to the 18th hole but the Japanese player’s eagle and the American’s bogey made it a five-shot cushion.

The PGA Tour’s only stop on the Asia swing has attracted only three of the top 20 players in the world rankings.

In 2019, Tiger Woods won the inaugural Zozo Championship, the first-ever PGA Tour event in Japan. Last year the tournament was moved to California due to COVID-19 restrictions.

LPGA-SOUTH KOREA

Jin Young Ko wins LPGA South Korea, set to move to No 1

BUSAN, South Korea (AP) — Jin Young Ko birdied her first playoff hole with fellow South Korean player Hee Jeong Lim to win the BMW Ladies Championship.

The LPGA Tour said Ko is projected to become world No. 1 with the win, overtaking American Nelly Korda. Ko was No. 1-ranked from July 20, 2019, to June 27, 2021, a streak of 100 consecutive weeks, and was also world No. 1 for 12 weeks in early 2019.

It was Ko’s 11th career LPGA win. Lim led by four strokes going into the final round but Ko’s 8-under 64 moved her to 22-under 266, level with Lim after Lim’s final-round 68.

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