NFL:
Dustin Hopkins made the most of a second chance as the Washington Football Team pulled out a 30-29 win over the Giants.
Dustin Hopkins made a 43-yard field goal on an untimed down, the result of a penalty on Giants defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence. Hopkins missed his first attempt from 48 yards out before the penalty gave Washington new life.
Taylor Heinicke threw for 336 yards and two touchdowns. He cost Washington dearly with a late interception, but after Graham Gano’s fifth field goal of the game gave the Giants a 29-27 lead with 2:00 remaining, Heinicke guided Washington back into field goal range.
Daniel Jones threw for 249 yards and a touchdown for the 0-2 Giants and also ran for 95 yards and a TD.
The “Hard Knocks” franchise will have regular-season episodes for the first time.
NFL Films has announced that “Hard Knocks In Season: The Indianapolis Colts” will debut on Nov. 17 on HBO.
It will be the Colts’ first appearance on “Hard Knocks,” which debuted in 2001 by following the Baltimore Ravens through training camp as they began defense of their Super Bowl title.
The Colts series will have at least nine episodes on Wednesday nights at 10 p.m. ET.
MLB:
The San Francisco Giants’ lead in the National League West is down to one game over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Fernando Tatis Jr. hit his NL-leading 39th home run and the San Diego Padres improved their playoff position with a 7-4 win over the Giants. Tommy Pham and Manny Machado each drove in two runs, and Adam Frazier and Austin Nola had three hits apiece.
Giants starter Kevin Gausman lost for the first time since July 30, allowing four earned runs on eight hits in five innings.
The outcome puts the Padres a half-game behind the Cardinals for the second NL wild card.
In Thursday’s other major league action:
The Reds avoided a three-game sweep and gave their wild-card hopes a boost with a 1-0 win over the Pirates in Pittsburgh. Tyler Mahle improved to 12-5 by holding the Pirates to five hits, all singles, over six innings. Asdrubel Cabrera lifted a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning to help the Reds get within one game of St. Louis for the second NL wild card.
Bryce Harper had a productive night in the Phillies’ 17-8 win over the Cubs. Harper doubled to start a seven-run, game-tying rally in the fourth inning, drove in the go-ahead run in the sixth and sealed the win with a three-run home run in the seventh. Odubel Herrera and Jean Segura drove in three runs apiece as the Phils pulled within three games of the NL East-leading Braves.
Carlos Correa triggered a seven-run fourth inning with a three-run homer as the Astros clobbered the Rangers, 12-1. Alex Bregman had the first of his pair of two-run singles during Houston’s big fourth. Replacement starter Luis Garcia took a shutout into the sixth to help Houston keep its seven-game lead over Oakland in the AL West.
The Yankees lost their hold on the two AL wild-card berths by losing to the Orioles, 3-2 on Austin Hays’ RBI single in the bottom of the 10th. New York led 2-1 until Yankees reliever Clay Holmes threw a wild pitch with two out in the ninth, allowing Kelvin Gutierrez to score. Joey Gallo hit his 35th homer of the season, but the Yanks fell a half-game behind Toronto and Boston in the wild-card battle.
Yandy Díaz hit a leadoff home run and Mike Zunino later connected for the Rays in a 5-2 downing of the Tigers. Dietrich Enns pitched four solid innings, allowing one run and three hits as Tampa Bay combined on a six-hitter. The AL East leaders top Boston and Toronto by 8 1/2 games.
Chad Pinder furnished a two-run single while the Athletics scored four in the third inning of a 7-2 win at Kansas City. Josh Harrison was 4-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored as the A’s pulled within three games of an AL wild-card berth. Royals catcher Salvador Perez slammed his 45th home run of the year, tying Johnny Bench for the most by anyone playing at least 75 percent of his games behind the plate.
The Angels continued their recent mastery of the White Sox with a 9-3 win at Chicago. Alex Cobb allowed two hits over five shutout innings, his first start since July 23. Luis Rengifo and Jose Rojas homered and Jack Mayfield delivered a three-run double as the Angels beat the AL Central leaders for the 15th time in their last 19 meetings.
The Rockies and Braves were rained out in Atlanta. The bad weather could force the two teams to make up the game after the regular season ends if the contest has any bearing on the NL East race. The two clubs don’t have any matching days off.
Two-way star Shohei Ohtani won’t pitch Friday for the Los Angeles Angels because of a sore right arm that could sideline him as a pitcher for the rest of the season.
Ohtani felt soreness while playing catch Wednesday. Manager Joe Maddon raised the possibility of the likely AL MVP being shut down on the mound for the rest of the season. Maddon said there are currently no plans for Ohtani to be examined by a doctor, nor has it been determined when he would try to resume playing catch.
Ohtani hasn’t pitched since Sept. 10, when he was tagged for six runs on nine hits in 3 1/3 innings in a loss at Houston.
NHL:
The NHL says it expects 98% of its players to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by the start of the season. The league says that would mean only 10 to 15 players will not be vaccinated by the time the season begins Oct. 12.
The league and the Players’ Association did not impose a vaccine mandate on players, but coaches and staff must be vaccinated as a condition of employment. Columbus recently replaced assistant coach Sylvain Lefebvre because he declined to be vaccinated.
Teams will be able to suspend unvaccinated players without pay if they cannot participate in hockey activities as part of the protocols, which could include games in Canada.
Fully vaccinated players will have any COVID-19 positives treated as hockey injuries and still be paid. Unvaccinated players also will have their movements restricted when on the road. And there will still be regular coronavirus testing for vaccinated players.
The Buffalo Sabres’ cross-border rivalry with the Toronto Maple Leafs is heading outdoors. The NHL says the two teams will meet in the Heritage Classic on March 13 in Hamilton, Ontario, with the Sabres listed as the home team. Buffalo becomes the first U.S.-based team to compete in what will be the sixth Heritage Classic, which is part of the NHL’s outdoor series of games. It’s traditionally set in Canada, featuring matchups of Canadian teams. Hamilton is about midway between Toronto and Buffalo.
The Springfield Thunderbirds will be staying in the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield for at least four more years. The AHL franchise and the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority announced a new lease extension Thursday. Terms were not disclosed. The AHL season was canceled last year because of the pandemic. The Thunderbirds are entering their first season next month as an affiliate of the NHL’s St. Louis Blues.
PGA-FONTINET CHAMPIONSHIP:
Chaz Reavie is the first-round leader in the Fontinet Championship.
Reavie opened with a 7-under 65 that included a 30 on the front nine. He’s one shot ahead of Cameron Tringale and Adam Hadwin at Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa, California.
Max Homa and Jason Dufner are at 5 under, as are Nate Lashley, Scott Stallings and Troy Merritt.
LPGA-CAMBIA PORTLAND CLASSIC:
Carlota Ciganda overcame an early double bogey in chilly morning conditions for a 4-under 68 and a share of the first-round lead in the Cambia Portland Classic.
Gemma Dryburgh of Scotland also shot a 68 in the morning, and Pajaree Anannarukarn of Thailand grabbed a share of the lead in the afternoon. Anannarukarn won last month in Northern Ireland for her first LPGA Tour title.
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