Weekend Sports in Brief

MLB

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Clayton Kershaw beat the Tampa Bay Rays for the second time in six days, escaping a fourth-inning jam with a quick reaction throw to cut down a runner trying for a rare steal of home plate, and the Los Angeles Dodgers held on for a 4-2 win Sunday night and a 3-2 World Series lead.

With one more victory, the Dodgers would claim their first title since 1988.

Mookie Betts and Corey Seager sparked a two-run first inning, and Joc Pederson and Max Muncy homered off long-ball prone Tyler Glasnow, whose 100 mph heat was no match.

Tampa Bay won Game 4 on Saturday with a wild ninth-inning comeback. In a game full of late drama, the final turn came out of nowhere.

The Dodgers, on the verge of a 3-1 lead in a push for their first title since 1988, took a 7-6 lead into the ninth.

Kevin Kiermaier blooped a single with one out off Kenley Jansen and Randy Arozarena walked with two outs.

Phillips, who batted a combined .196 for Kansas City and Tampa Bay this year, hit a soft single that Chris Taylor bobbled as the tying run scored. Arozarena appeared to be a sure out when he stumbled halfway home, but catcher Will Smith lost control of the ball as he spun around for a tag, allowing the winning run to score.

NFL

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The NFL has fined the Tennessee Titans $350,000 for violating protocols leading to the league’s first COVID-19 outbreak during the season, a person familiar with the discipline told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the league did not announce the fine.

The Titans had 24 people, including 13 players, test positive for COVID-19 between Sept. 24 and Oct. 11. The outbreak led the NFL to postpone two Tennessee games and the rescheduling of a game against Pittsburgh from Oct. 4 to Sunday and the second against Buffalo from Oct. 11 to Oct. 13.

-By Pro Football Writer Teresa M. Walker.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Arizona was accused of nine counts of misconduct, including five Level I violations, in a Notice of Allegations sent by the NCAA last week, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the violations have not been publicly released.

The Athletic first reported the violations Sunday, citing a letter sent to the NCAA by Arizona’s outside counsel, Paul Kelly. Kelly also requested the school’s case be referred to the new Independent Accountability Resolution Process.

The violations include a lack of institutional control and failure to monitor by the university, and lack of head coach control by basketball coach Sean Miller.

Women’s swimming and diving coach Augie Busch also was accused of lack of head coach control.

-By College Basketball Writer John Marshall.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -Wisconsin says nobody who played in the season opener Friday night tested positive for COVID-19 or reported having any symptoms beforehand, amid weekend reports that quarterback Graham Mertz has tested positive.

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and Wisconsin State Journal reported Mertz would be taking a second test to determine whether his first test was a false positive. The Journal-Sentinel reported Mertz’s positive test came Saturday, one day after the Badgers’ 45-7 home victory over Illinois.

School officials say they won’t release any testing information regarding individual athletes due to privacy concerns.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) - Michael Penix forced overtime with a 2-point conversion run with 22 seconds left, then scored on a diving 2-point conversion to give Indiana a season-opening 36-35 upset victory over No. 8 Penn State - ending the Big Ten’s longest streak of consecutive losses to Top 10 teams at 42.

The winning play went to a replay review before the officials announced the initial call stood.

Indiana beat the Nittany Lions for the second time in 24 matchups, and beat a Top 10 foe for the first time since a 31-10 victory at Ohio State on Oct. 10, 1987.

AUTO RACING

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - Josef Newgarden used a spectacular two-car pass for the lead to win at St. Pete, but it wasn’t enough as Scott Dixon stealthily finished third to collect yet another ring in his storied career.

The 40-year-old New Zelander won his sixth title for Chip Ganassi Racing. He was a tactician and followed Newgarden all day; a finish of ninth or better gave him the title no matter where Newgarden finished.

Newgarden tied Dixon with his series-best fourth win of the season but Newgarden was in too large of a hole to catch his rival. Although Dixon at one time led the standings by 117 points, the final margin was a mere 16 points over Newgarden.

PORTIMAO, Portugal (AP) - British driver Lewis Hamilton made Formula One history on Sunday, winning the Portuguese Grand Prix for a 92nd career victory to move one ahead of German great Michael Schumacher.

Hamilton finished nearly 25.6 seconds ahead of Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas and 34.5 clear of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen for his eighth win of another dominant season. He also took an extra point for the fastest lap to extend his huge championship lead to 77 points over Bottas with just five races left.

Hamilton won his first F1 race in 2007 and first title the following year.

BAYTOWN, Texas (AP) - Top Fuel victory leader Tony Schumacher won for the first time in more than two years Sunday in the Mopar Express Lane NHRA SpringNationals at Houston Raceway Park.

The eight-time season champion pushed his victory record to 85, beating points leader and defending series champion Steve Torrence with a 3.669-second run at 330.63 mph, Torrence had a 3.687 at 330.07.

GOLF

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) - Patrick Cantlay rallied from four shots behind and got far enough ahead that Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas couldn’t quite catch him Sunday in the Zozo Championship at Sherwood.

Cantlay closed with a 7-under 65 for a one-shot victory, the third of his career, and first in his home state of California. All three required making up a deficit of three shots or more.

GREENSBORO, Ga. (AP) - Ally McDonald gave herself a big birthday present, winning the LPGA Drive On Championship-Lake Reynolds Oconee for her first tour title.

The 28-year-old from Mississippi held off Danielle Kang by a stroke on the Great Waters Course, closing with a 3-under 69 for a 16-under 272 total. Kang birdied the par-5 18th for a 68.

BRESCIA, Italy (AP) - Ross McGowan won the Italian Open for his first European Tour title in 11 years, closing with a 1-under 71 for a one-stroke victory over fellow Englishman Laurie Canter and Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts.

McGowan holed a bunker shot for birdie on 16 and birdied the 18th to finish at 20-under 268 at at The Chervo Golf Club. His only other tour win came in the 2009 Madrid Masters.

MMA

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - Unbeaten lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov retired from mixed martial arts after stopping Justin Gaethje with a triangle choke early in the second round at UFC 254 on Saturday night.

Nurmagomedov (29-0) made the announcement immediately after he impressively finished his first fight since the death of his father and lifelong coach in July. Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov had a heart problem exacerbated by COVID-19, and his son was overcome by tears in the cage moments after choking Gaethje unconscious 1:34 into the second round of his third UFC title defense.

FIGURE SKATING

LAS VEGAS (AP) - Nathan Chen landed five quadruple jumps over two programs in his first competition in nine months, easily out-distancing Vincent Zhou and the rest of the field to win his record-tying fourth straight Skate America.

It also kept intact a streak of victories for Chen that dates to his fifth-place finish at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics.

In the women’s event, Mariah Bell edged 2018 national champion Bradie Tennell to win arguably the biggest title of her career.

Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier, in their first competition together, won pairs. Knierim skated with husband Chris in the 2018 Olympics, but he has retired. So she teamed with Frazier, who has won a U.S. title with former partner Haven Denney.

Two-time national champions Madison Hubbell and Zach Donohue won the ice dance competition with an exquisite performance to “Hallelujah.” Their 211.39 points were nearly nine better than Kaitlyn Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker.

CYCLING

MILAN (AP) - British rider Tao Geoghegan Hart has won the Giro d’Italia, beating Australian cyclist Jai Hindley by just 39 seconds.

For the first time in Grand Tour history, the first- and second-place riders had the same overall time on the eve of the last stage.

Geoghegan Hart was quicker than Hindley in a tense individual time trial in Milan on Sunday. Neither of them had ever finished higher than 20th in a Grand Tour. Wilco Kelderman was third overall.

OBITUARY

LOS ANGELES (AP) - William Blinn, a screenwriter for the landmark TV projects “Brian’s Song” and “Roots” and the Prince film “Purple Rain,” has died. He was 83.

Blinn died Thursday of natural causes at an assisted living community in Burbank, California, his daughter, Anneliese Johnson, said Saturday.

He won Emmy and Peabody honors for the 1971 TV movie “Brian’s Song,” which dramatized the friendship of Chicago Bears players Brian Piccolo and Gale Sayers. It was a hit when it aired and is a enduring favorite with sports fans and critics.

Last month, Hall of Fame running back Sayers died at age 77.

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