preview Page 224 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Lynx, Sun to battle for upper hand in pivotal Game 3
Connecticut Sun coach Stephanie White realizes star forward Alyssa Thomas can take her team only so far., ,White is hoping for a more well-rounded effort from Connecticut on Friday night when it collides with the Minnesota Lynx in Uncasville, Conn., for Game 3 of a WNBA semifinal series., ,Minnesota...

Playoff-bound Blue Bombers out to dent Tiger-Cats' postseason hopes
It's not how you start but how you finish.,Coaches say that all the time, and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers are embodying that cliche this year.,After starting out 2-6 and looking like a team whose run atop the CFL was ending, the Blue Bombers head to Hamilton on Friday night with a seven-game winning s...

Rookie Caleb Williams leads Bears vs. veteran Andy Dalton, Panthers
The Chicago Bears have found good footing with a rookie quarterback drafted first overall.,That could be another harsh reminder for the Carolina Panthers, who weren't able to benefit from an overall No. 1 draft pick a year ago, when the teams meet Sunday afternoon in Chicago.,Caleb Williams is runni...

Austin FC must beat Timbers to keep playoff dream alive
Austin FC need a victory to keep their slim MLS Cup playoff hopes alive on Wednesday night when they visit the ninth-place Portland Timbers.,Even a draw would make it impossible for Austin (9-13-9, 36 points) to catch Portland (12-10-9, 45 points), though it would leave FC Dallas (10-14-7, 37 points...

Resilient Rapids welcome Galaxy to town
The Colorado Rapids have been stellar at home and have had a knack for bouncing back from losses. They'll need both trends to continue on Wednesday night when they face the Western Conference-leading Los Angeles Galaxy in Commerce City, Colo.,The Rapids (15-11-5, 50 points) are 10-2-3 on their own p...

Minnesota United out to defeat RSL, lock up playoff bid
Minnesota United can clinch an MLS Cup playoff berth with a victory when it faces Real Salt Lake on Wednesday night in Sandy, Utah.,The Loons (13-12-6, 45 points) enter the contest in eighth place in the Western Conference, eight points ahead of 10th-place FC Dallas with three matches remaining. Min...

Dynamo 'turn the page' to focus on desperate Revolution
There will still be plenty on the line when the Houston Dynamo host the New England Revolution on Wednesday in a late-season interconference match.,The most likely scenarios are that Houston will be on the road for the first round of the playoffs and the Revolution will be eliminated even if they fi...

Inter Miami can clinch Supporters' Shield by beating Crew
Inter Miami have inched their way toward clinching the MLS Supporters' Shield when they'd rather have sprinted, but they will have the opportunity again to stake their claim as the best team in the regular season when they play at the Columbus Crew on Wednesday.,A win over the Crew (16-5-9, 57 point...

Eyeing East wild-card spot, Toronto FC face slumping Red Bulls
Toronto FC will try to halt a three-match league winless run and take a major step closer to an Eastern Conference wild-card spot when they host a New York Red Bulls side in its own slump on Wednesday night.,The Reds (11-17-4, 37 points) have only one point from their last three league matches, and ...

Union, Orlando City face off in crucial match for both clubs
The Philadelphia Union have yet to clinch a spot in the MLS Cup playoffs with three matches remaining, but they hope to take another step closer when they visit Orlando City on Wednesday night.,The Union (9-12-10, 37 points) may feel that they deserved more than a 1-1 draw against Atlanta United on ...

Charlotte FC hope to uplift fans by clinching playoffs vs. Fire
Charlotte FC are in position to clinch a playoff spot and hoping to make giant strides when they take on the visiting Chicago Fire on Wednesday night.,"We are hungry, hungry for more," Charlotte defender Adilson Malanda said. "We know we can achieve a good thing before playoffs.",Charlotte (11-11-9,...

Atlanta United aim to end draw streak vs. CF Montreal
Atlanta United's push toward a playoff spot has been slowed by the club recording draws in its last three matches.,Residing in 11th place in the congested Eastern Conference, the Five Stripes (8-13-10, 34 points) will look for a much-needed win on Wednesday night when they host 10th-place CF Montrea...

No. 1 Alabama aims to continue dominance of Vanderbilt
Top-ranked Alabama looks to take another step towards a league title and the College Football Playoff when it travels to Nashville, Tenn., to face Vanderbilt in Southeastern Conference play on Saturday.,It'll be the conference home opener for the Commodores (2-2, 0-1 SEC), and the first conference r...

No. 3 Ohio State, dominant in second half this season, meets Iowa
If Iowa hopes to upset No. 3 Ohio State on Saturday afternoon in Columbus, it would be wise for the Hawkeyes to get off to a good start.,While the Buckeyes (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) have outscored opponents by an average of 42 points (48.8 to 6.8), they have been more vulnerable in the first half before ma...

No. 25 UNLV begins tough stretch by hosting Syracuse
Every team faces challenges over the course of a long season, but No. 25 UNLV absorbed a major dose of adversity last week.,The Rebels passed their first test following the departure of starting quarterback Matthew Sluka and will look to ace another challenge Friday when Syracuse visits Las Vegas fo...

Red-hot but inexperienced Tigers prepare for veteran Astros
HOUSTON -- The Astros had to rebound from a miserable start to the season to win their fourth straight American League West title. Now they carry an overwhelming advantage in postseason experience into their matchup vs. the Detroit Tigers in the American League wild-card series, which begins Tuesday...

Sun, X-factor Marina Mabrey aim for 2-0 lead on host Lynx
The Connecticut Sun will aim to take a 2-0 series lead while the Minnesota Lynx hope to even up the score when the two sides face off again Tuesday night in the semifinals of the WNBA playoffs in Minneapolis.,Connecticut took a 1-0 advantage in the five-game series on Sunday night, topping Minnesota...

Aaron Nola, Phils tune up for NLDS in finale vs. Nats
The rebuilding Washington Nationals have been locked into a fourth-place finish in the National League East heading into Sunday's regular-season finale with the visiting Philadelphia Phillies. But manager Dave Martinez's squad still can finish on a high note., ,A win would give Washington (71-90) a ...

Anthony Rizzo's playoff status unclear as Yanks, Pirates close regular season
The New York Yankees received an unwanted reminder Saturday afternoon of how seemingly meaningless late-season games can suddenly become important for all the wrong reasons.,The Yankees will be without first baseman Anthony Rizzo on Sunday afternoon, when they finish tuning up for the playoffs by ho...

Whitecaps, Timbers battle for potential playoff-clinching win
With a national title in tow, the Vancouver Whitecaps return to MLS regular-season action when they host the Portland Timbers on Saturday.,Vancouver (13-9-7, 46 points) is in seventh place in the Western Conference, just ahead of eighth-place Portland (12-10-8, 44 points). Both teams can clinch a pl...