The unaffiliated neurologist who cleared Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa of concussion during last week's game against the Buffalo Bills has been fired.
ESPN is reporting that the dismissal came about due to "several mistakes" being discovered in his evaluation of the Dolphins' QB, who underwent tests at half-time of the game before playing out a 21-19 win.
Tagovailoa, however, suffered a scary concussion in Miami's next game, Thursday's 27-15 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, having been stretchered off and taken to hospital in the second quarter.
The NFL Players' Association (NFLPA) launched an investigation into a potential protocol violation after the Dolphins-Bills game, which remains ongoing.
The NFL and NFLPA put out a joint statement on Saturday stating a desire to improve the concussion protocol process.
"The NFL and the NFLPA agree that modifications to the concussion protocol are needed to enhance player safety," the statement said.
"The NFL and the NFLPA agree that The NFLPA's Mackey-White Health & Safety Committee and the NFL's Head Neck and Spine Committee have already begun conversations around the use of the term 'Gross Motor Instability' and we anticipate changes to the protocol being made in the coming days based on what has been learned thus far in the review process.
"The NFL and NFLPA share a strong appreciation for the unaffiliated neurotrauma consultants who contribute their time and expertise to our game solely to advance player safety. This program has made our game safer for the athletes who play it for the past 12 seasons."
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel had defended his and his side's decision to allow Tagovailoa to play on against the Bills, insisting he had been passed protocols and been cleared by the independent neurologist.
Mark Hubbard has been consistent throughout at the Country Club of Jackson but he pulled out his best round yet to claim a one-stroke lead from Mackenzie Hughes at the Sanderson Farms Championship on Saturday.
Hubbard holed six birdies on the back nine, including five in a row, as he carded a seven-under 65, the second-best round of the day, to move into the lead at 15 under.
The 33-year-old American joined Hughes and Scott Stallings in the co-lead after a classy chip and putt on the par-four 15th hole for birdie, before an excellent 203-yard approach set him up for birdie on the 18th.
Hubbard, who carded rounds of 67 and 69 on the opening two days respectively, holds a one-shot lead from joint day two leader Hughes who shot at four-under 68 on Saturday.
Hughes also enjoyed the back nine with four birdies, including holing a 29-foot putt on the 18th after a bogey on the 17th to stay in touch with Hubbard.
The pair are well placed to contend for the title, with the next best being three players at 12 under after three rounds, in Garrick Higgo, Stallings and Sep Straka.
Stallings was firmly in contention before two bogeys on his final three holes blemished his day, having been bogey-free with six birdies to that point.
Keegan Bradley, who shot the best round of the day with an eight-under 64, and Nick Hardy are tied at 11 under, with Emiliano Grillo, Dean Burmester and Kim Seong-hyeon one further stroke behind.
Belgian Thomas Detry, who had shared the lead with Hughes after 36 holes, endured a tough day that included three bogeys to slip seven strokes behind the leader.
Davis Riley is looming at nine-under overall, while pre-tournament favourites Andrew Putnam and Christiaan Bezuidenhout are eight under after both carded rounds of 69, with reigning champion Sam Burns battling to make a charge, back at six under.
Shohei Ohtani has agreed to a $30million contract with the Los Angeles Angels for the 2023 season, avoiding the need for arbitration.
Reigning AL MVP Ohtani will now become a free agent after next year, having been handed the largest ever MLB deal for an arbitration-eligible player.
It is rich reward for the two-way superstar, who is being paid a relatively meagre $5.5m this year.
The agreement puts Ohtani in a strong position to make a decision on his future in 12 months' time.
Los Angeles will hope the Japanese recommits, though they have had a losing record in each of his four seasons in LA.
Indeed, the Angels have had seven straight years with a losing record and eight straight without reaching the playoffs.
Ohtani is in direct competition with Aaron Judge for this year's MVP award, but he will be watching from home as the New York Yankees' record-setter enters the postseason.
Despite his dual role, only seven pitchers have more wins this season than Ohtani (15), while his 15-game hitting streak is the longest active run in the major leagues.
Novak Djokovic is yet to drop a set at the Tel Aviv Open as he reached the final with a 6-1 7-6 (7-3) success over Roman Safiullin.
The Serb broke his Russian opponent twice as he cruised to the opening set, and though Safiullin took the 21-time grand slam champion to a tie-break in the second, Djokovic's class showed as he won the tie-break 7-3 to ensure his place in Sunday's decider.
It was far from plain sailing for Djokovic, who conceded the tension in the second set was hard to handle.
Djokovic said: "I think it was a very competitive match, especially in the second set.
"I must say I was quite emotional on the court today in the second set, there was a lot of tension, and that was also due to his aggressive style of tennis. Big serves, and when he has time, he's so solid from the forehand and backhand corner.
"I knew that I had to stay very strong, and that he was definitely going to raise his level in the second set, which happened. I was serving for the match and played a couple of loose points, but credit to him for fighting back. It was an enjoyable evening on the court for sure."
Marin Cilic secured his spot as Djokovic's final opponent with a comfortable straight sets triumph over Constant Lestienne.
The Croatian second seed served 14 aces as he eased to victory in under two hours, winning 11 out of his 12 first-serve points en route to a 7-5 6-3 win.
Holger Rune is into the Sofia Open final after Jannik Sinner was forced to retire through injury with the Dane leading 5-7 6-4 5-2.
Sinner won the opening set but lost the second, and with Rune just one game away from winning the match, the top seed chose to retire with ankle pain, putting an end to his hopes of winning three straight titles in Sofia.
Rune will face Marc-Andrea Huesler in the final, after the world number 95 upset fourth seed Lorenzo Musetti.
The first set went to a tie-break as neither could find a break of serve, though Musetti found two in the tie-break to help him to a 5-1 lead.
However, the Italian surrendered the next six points as Huesler pulled off an incredible comeback to take the first set.
The second set was another tight affair as both held serve after serve, but Huesler finally found a crucial break to prevail 7-6 (7-5) 7-5.
Aleix Espargaro is ready to adopt an "all or nothing" approach in Sunday's Thailand Grand Prix, with his MotoGP title hopes hanging by a thread.
A poor qualifying session saw the Aprilia rider miss out on Q2 and he will begin the race from 13th, while he stands 25 points behind championship leader Fabio Quartararo.
With just four races remaining on the schedule, time is running out for Espargaro to launch an assault on the title, and he is hoping for rain to turn the tide in his favour on Sunday.
"The difference is not an abyss, but I have to drive perfectly all the time. It will be a very difficult race for me, but I think it is not as negative as it seems," Espargaro said after qualifying.
"Anything can happen in the race. It can rain, it can be flag to flag, so I don't lose hope, and we have to cut distances as it is.
"The only thing that is clear to me is that tomorrow if it rains it is all or nothing. There have been races where you had to finish and get points, but tomorrow, if God gives us an opportunity with a flag to flag, or with rain, we have to go to the top because it is one of the few options we have."
The New Orleans Saints have downgraded quarterback Jameis Winston from doubtful to out for Sunday's game against the Minnesota Vikings in London.
Winston did not practice all week due to back and ankle injuries, leaving veteran Andy Dalton as the Saints' starter when they kick off at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
New Orleans are dealing with several key injuries on offense, also ruling out starting left guard Andrus Peat due to a concussion and wide receiver Michael Thomas due to a foot injury.
Running back Alvin Kamara is listed as questionable with ailing ribs but is expected to play.
Winston rallied New Orleans to a 27-26 win over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1 but has thrown five interceptions to just two touchdowns in the Saints' two losses since.
Tight end and gadget quarterback Taysom Hill could see a larger share in the Saints' offense with Winston sitting.
The Saints' opponents received good injury news on Friday when Vikings running back Dalvin Cook was cleared to play despite a shoulder injury.
Sunday's contest will be the first of three NFL games in London this year. The New York Giants and Green Bay Packers play at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 9, and the Denver Broncos and Jacksonville Jaguars will play at Wembley on October 30.
Lewis Hamilton hopes he can belatedly celebrate his first win of 2022 at the Singapore Grand Prix, believing such a result would pay back Mercedes and his fans for their support in a difficult year.
Hamilton is facing the first winless season of his Formula One career after falling out of title contention.
The seven-time world champion has made six podiums this year but is still waiting to return to the top step with only six races remaining in the season.
Hamilton at least appears to have the pace in Singapore, where he qualified third-fastest on Saturday and revealed only "an oversteer moment" at Turn 16 denied him the chance to take pole ahead of Charles Leclerc.
It was still the Briton's best qualifying performance of the season – which came as a surprise to him – and he is looking to improve further on race day.
"It feels incredibly rewarding, I think, for everyone in the team [to get this performance]," Hamilton said in a press conference.
"We've really started with a real handful, a difficult deck of cards that we've created for ourselves, and [it has meant] reshuffling and lots and lots of work.
"Everyone [has been] staying really positive, or as positive as possible, and everyone is just being incredibly diligent and never giving up.
"So, it's been an inspiring year for me, witnessing what my team do and being a part of that, and yeah, I so badly want to [win].
"Naturally the will and desire to get a good result for them, to pay them back for all their great work is part of it.
"Also, my fans have been the most incredible this year, on and off track. And we couldn't have survived the year without them. So, I also want it for them.
"But I think we've got a great turnout here this weekend. And I hope that tomorrow we can give them a good show."
This weekend, in which Max Verstappen can clinch a second straight title, albeit the Dutchman's chances have been reduced by a frustrating qualifying session, has been overshadowed by speculation of a major salary cap breach.
Red Bull, Verstappen's team, have been forced to deny claims they are the guilty party, and Hamilton was not interested in engaging in gossip.
"I'm not really giving it much attention, to be honest," he said. "It's all whispers at the moment.
"I don't know enough about it to be able to make a sensible comment. I'm not thinking particularly anything.
"I'm proud of my team for the diligence that they've done to run to the rules.
"And honestly, I have full confidence in Mohammed [bin Sulayem, FIA president] in the way that he's conducted himself to this point and in terms of being strict and being clear with the rules.
"The rules are rules, and for those sort of things, which can lead to real alterations in terms of car performance, those sorts of things, we definitely have to take it seriously.
"But as I said, I don't know if it's true or not, so we'll see."
Mayar Sherif became the first Egyptian to win a title on the WTA Tour as she toppled Maria Sakkari in Saturday's Parma Ladies Open final.
The 26-year-old from Cairo scored a 7-5 6-3 victory over Greece's world number seven after both won their semi-finals earlier in the day.
Sakkari began the day by beating Danka Kovinic 7-5 6-2, while Sherif earned her place in the title match by battling to a 6-4 3-6 6-4 victory against Ana Bogdan.
The final surprisingly went the way of Sherif, who first entered the WTA top 100 in August of last year and has reached a high of 44th in the rankings.
She began this week at number 74 but will climb again after the biggest success of her career.
"It means a lot for my country," Sherif said. "I'm just thrilled and happy. This was never expected."
Sherif, who studied sports medicine at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, was understandably weary after her two wins on Saturday. Friday's play had been cancelled due to rain, forcing the players to take to the courts twice on finals day.
"I'm exhausted," Sherif said, quoted on the WTA website. "Today was a very tough day for me, many hours on court. I'm very happy that I pulled it off. I had to dig very deep."
At the Tallinn Open, Sunday's final will be a tantalising tussle between Anett Kontaveit and Barbora Krejcikova.
World number four Kontaveit was a 6-4 6-4 winner against fellow Estonian Kaia Kanepi in their semi-final.
Czech Krejcikova, who won last year's French Open, saw off Swiss second seed Belinda Bencic 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (7-2) 6-2.
The Cleveland Browns ruled defensive end Myles Garrett out for their Week 4 visit to the Atlanta Falcons after the star pass rusher sustained multiple injuries in a car accident on Monday.
Earlier in the week, the Browns had listed Garrett as questionable, but they announced on Saturday he would sit.
Garrett suffered a sprained shoulder and strained biceps in the one-vehicle crash and was hospitalised for several hours after his car went off the road and flipped over.
Speaking to reporters for the first time since the crash, Garrett called it "a hell of an event" on Saturday.
"I feel grateful to be here with what I saw right after and [in] the pictures," Garrett said.
"I'm just grateful not only that I'm alive but that I was able to have so much of my family and the support system that was around me to keep me locked in and keep me focused on taking things day by day."
Police issued Garrett a citation for driving 65 miles per hour in a 45mph zone.
Garrett said he swerved to avoid hitting an animal and lost control of his Porsche when he "overcorrected" his steering on a wet road.
All week, Garrett's team-mates have expressed more concern about his wellbeing than his ability to take the field on Sunday.
"In the grand scheme of life, the best thing is that he's OK," Cleveland quarterback Jacoby Brissett said earlier this week. "When I texted him, I was like, 'man, I'm just glad you're alright'."
Garrett had a career season in 2021 with 16 sacks, 33 quarterback hits and 17 tackles for loss. He has made a solid start this year as he leads the Browns (2-1) with three sacks and five quarterback hits while being tied for the team lead with four tackles for loss and one forced fumble.
"I know he probably wants to [play]," Browns safety John Johnson III said. "But if you asked me, I think he just personally should just sit it out. I think he should just take it easy, man."
Richard Mansell heads into the final round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship armed with a four-shot lead and a glorious chance to earn a first DP World Tour win.
Englishman Mansell was one of just three players to go under 70 when wild weather made for troublesome golfing conditions on Friday, and the 27-year-old followed that impressive 68 with 67 on Saturday to reach 15 under par.
At a tournament where the first three rounds have been split daily between St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns, it is Mansell who will start on Sunday as the frontrunner when all competitors head to the Old Course for the closing 18 holes.
Three players sit four shots off the pace, with Sweden's Alex Noren losing ground to Mansell after going round in 69 at St Andrews. He was joined on 11 under by two players who competed at Kingsbarns on Saturday: England's Daniel Gavins (67) and New Zealand's Ryan Fox (65).
Mansell, who played Carnoustie on Saturday, has yet to win on the tour and entered this week on the back of two missed cuts, but he has had top-four finishes this season at the European Open, World Invitational and European Masters.
The world number 218 is having the best year of his career, earning almost €550,000 (£480,000) already, and he can more than double that on Sunday, with $816,000 (£730,000) on offer to the champion.
The low round of Saturday came from Belgium's Thomas Pieters, whose bogey-free 64 repaired some of Friday's damage, when he followed his opening 65 with a ruinous 84.
Rory McIlroy had a 75 on Friday but rebounded with 66 at St Andrews on Saturday to reach seven under, likely too far back to mount a challenge on the final day.
Max Verstappen was forced to abandon his final lap in qualifying after his Red Bull ran out of fuel in Singapore, he confirmed after the session.
The reigning Formula One world champion was pushing to leapfrog Ferrari's Charles Leclerc for pole position in a wet session under the lights but was called into the pits as he approached the line.
Verstappen immediately expressed his fury over team radio and subsequently confirmed in the media pen that he was called in because there was not enough fuel left in the car.
"They told me to abort so I thought okay I'll do that but then on the final lap, they told me to box and then I realised what was going to happen and we ran out of fuel," he told Sky Sports.
"That's just incredibly frustrating and shouldn't happen. And even when you under-fuel it, you track that throughout the session, you're not going to make it and we should've seen that clearly.
"Not happy at the moment. It's a team effort. I can make mistakes and the team can make mistakes but it's never acceptable. Of course, you learn from it but this is really bad and shouldn't happen."
F1 regulations state that each team must have enough fuel remaining after qualifying for scrutineering, with punishments issued if the required amount cannot be met.
Verstappen will start eighth on the grid for Sunday's race in south east Asia, where he can mathematically win the title but would require a massive shake-up across the grid.
Charles Leclerc clinched a ninth pole position of the season in Singapore, with Max Verstappen struggling in the wet conditions.
Intermediate tyres were used across the grid in the first two rounds of qualifying, with the deck only being shuffled in Q3 as eight of the 10 runners made the jump to slicks – though there were initial difficulties to find pace.
Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso were the first to hit their stride while others tiptoed around the wet sections of the track, with each claiming provisional pole twice before a resurgence from others on the grid.
Leclerc, who held pole the last time F1 visited Singapore in 2019, punched home a blistering lap to initially open a lead of a second and a half before others responded, Sergio Perez joining him on the front row as Hamilton lines up third – just five hundredths of a second away from his first pole of the 2022 season.
It was an entirely different story for a furious Verstappen, who will start eighth on the grid after being forced to abandon his final lap, unleashing his anger over the team radio.
Verstappen could seal the championship under the lights in Singapore if results go his way, though it now seems even more unlikely given his lowly start.
Leclerc admitted the conditions made for a tricky challenge for the drivers, with his call to move away from the intermediate compound coming just before the start of the final session
"It's been a very tricky qualifying, Q1 and Q2 with the intermediates, then in Q3 we didn't really know what to do," he said. "We went for the soft at the very last minute, and it paid off.
"It was really tricky, I made a mistake in my last lap, so I thought we wouldn't get through, but it was just enough, so I'm really happy."
Perez, starting second, will have a big role to play in Verstappen's charge up the grid and intends to immediately put Leclerc under pressure.
"It's an opportunity tomorrow to attack Charles from the start and go for the win," he said.
"It's disappointing to miss out on pole by two hundredths, but at the end of the day, it's a great result."
Hamilton was also disappointed to narrowly miss out on pole, saying: "I was pushing so hard, it was so close. These guys are always so quick, but I just thought that maybe with a perfect lap we could be pushing for first place.
"We just didn't have the grip in the last lap, but I'm grateful to be on the second row. I'm grateful for the team to keep pushing, and we'll keep our head down. Hopefully tomorrow is a better day."
PROVISIONAL CLASSIFICATION
1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 1:49:412
2. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) +0.022
3. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) +0.054
4. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) +0.171
5. Fernando Alonso (Alpine) +0.554
6. Lando Norris (McLaren) +1.172
7. Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri) +1.799
8. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +1.983
9. Kevin Magnussen (Haas) +2.161
10. Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri) +2.571
Week 4 of the NFL season could well have a substantial bearing on how the playoff race shakes out.
Through three weeks, the 2022 campaign has delivered excitement at almost every turn, and there are plenty of high-stakes matchups to whet the appetite this weekend.
There are conference championship and Super Bowl rematches on the docket, as well as extremely intriguing matchups between some of the season's early pacesetters.
But which of the games on the schedule are likely to deliver the best contests? Stats Perform can provide some insight in that regard, using its SmartRatings as a guide.
SmartRatings is an AI-based platform that provides excitement ratings for sporting events, teams and players. The excitement scale, ranging from 0-100, is powered by complex algorithms that are predicated upon six primary variables: pace, parity, novelty, momentum, context and social buzz.
The weight of each variable is dynamic and adapts as a season progresses. The excitement scale translates to the following general sub-ranges: 0-39 (Dull Game), 40-64 (OK Game), 65-84 (Good Game), 85-100 (Great Game).
So, let's take a look at the three games rated among the most exciting on the Week 4 slate and break down the key matchups that could decide them.
Buffalo Bills @ Baltimore Ravens
SmartRating: 67
Win probability: Buffalo Bills (55.3%)
Key Matchup: Lamar Jackson vs. Bills linebackers
The Bills only need to look to their AFC East rivals the New England Patriots for a reminder of what can happen when a defense fails to defend 2019 MVP Lamar Jackson effectively.
Last week, Jackson threw for 218 yards and four touchdowns with one interception while rushing for 107 yards and a touchdown on just 11 carries. He became the first player in Ravens history to throw at least three touchdown passes in each of the team's first three games of a season.
Limiting his efficiency on the ground will be critical for the Bills' hopes of outscoring a potent Ravens offense. On designed runs, Jackson is averaging a remarkable 13.47 yards per carry, with his threat as a runner naturally helping fuel the Ravens' play-action game. Baltimore's average of 10.85 yards per play on play-action is well above the league average of 9.15.
In Matt Milano and Tremaine Edmunds, the Bills possess two athletic and intelligent linebackers. They will need to display their physical gifts and their awareness to help limit Jackson's impact with ball in hand and ensure they do not bite too hard against play-action and open large throwing windows for him to attack. An evenly matched clash between two AFC heavyweights promises to be a classic, and Milano and Edmunds may have a crucial say in it tilting in the favour of Buffalo.
Kansas City Chiefs @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
SmartRating: 75
Win Probability: Kansas City Chiefs (54.7%)
Key Matchup: Travis Kelce vs. Antoine Winfield Jr.
The Chiefs are unlikely to find much joy targeting the Buccaneers outside corners, Jamel Dean and Carlton Davis, who have each enjoyed excellent starts to the season as they look to gain a measure of revenge for their blowout loss to Tampa Bay in Super Bowl LV.
Instead, Patrick Mahomes will probably look to his most trusted weapon, All-Pro tight end Kelce, to help him get the Chiefs back on track following their shock loss to the Indianapolis Colts last weekend.
Kelce has run 24 routes from the slot this season compared to nine from his in-line tight end spot. Having consistently thrived in the 'power slot' role throughout his career, Kelce will hope to do significant damage from that position while going against one the premier young safeties in the league.
Winfield has spent 63 percent of his snaps this season in the slot but has conceded a burn, which is when a receiver wins his matchup on a play where he is targeted, on seven of his 11 targets. He has given up a big play on four of those targets.
With Kelce registering a burn on 18 of his 24 targets, the matchup looks to be in his favour. Winfield must find a way to ensure it isn't if the Bucs' defense is to provide yet more critical support to an offense that continues to struggle.
Los Angeles Rams @ San Francisco 49ers
SmartRating: 85
Win Probability: Los Angeles Rams 53.0%
Key Matchup: Aaron Donald vs. 49ers' Offensive Line
Even after losing their starting quarterback and All-Pro left tackle to injury, the 49ers are still only seen as slight underdogs in Monday's rematch of last year's NFC Championship Game.
But it is how the 49ers perform up front in the absence of Trent Williams that will likely determine if the Niners can continue their regular-season hoodoo over the Rams.
The Niners have won the last six regular-season meetings with Los Angeles, but the Rams – who finally knocked off their rivals in the game that mattered most – will be confident of ending that streak if Donald and Co. can take advantage of San Francisco sliding Colton McKivitz in at left tackle as Williams' replacement.
Much of that confidence will be based on how Jimmy Garoppolo performs when he is pressured. Among quarterbacks with at least 10 throws under pressure, Garoppolo's well-thrown percentage of 54.5 is the second worst in the NFL.
Donald has already racked up 13 pressures on 40 pass rush snaps and is known for his ability to create pressure from anywhere on the defensive line. McKivitz, right tackle Mike McGlinchey and an extremely inexperienced interior offensive line must deliver their best for San Francisco to avoid falling to 1-3.
Yoshihito Nishioka followed up a claiming a series of scalps by avoiding a shock of his own as he defeated ATP Tour main-draw debutant Aleksandar Kovacevic to reach the Korea Open final.
Nishioka, who will return to the ATP's top 50, eliminated fifth seed Dan Evans in the first round and later top seed Casper Ruud in the quarter-finals.
Meanwhile, Kovacevic made his main-draw bow on Monday, beating seventh seed Miomir Kecmanovic, and continued a sensational run all the way to the last four.
The American threatened another upset on Saturday, but Nishioka held his nerve to advance 6-3 4-6 6-3 in Seoul.
And now the Japanese will revert to the role of underdog on Sunday, with fourth seed Denis Shapovalov his opponent in the championship match.
Nishioka has only one ATP Tour title to his name, and he will have his work cut out if he is to add to that against Shapovalov, who is yet to drop a set this week.
The Canadian continued that sequence with a 7-5 6-4 success against Jenson Brooksby in the first semi-final.
Cal Raleigh made MLB history to end the Seattle Mariners' 21-year playoff drought in fitting fashion – circumstances scarcely believable to manager Scott Servais.
The Mariners entered Friday knowing either defeat for the Baltimore Orioles or a victory of their own at home to the Oakland Athletics would clinch a Wild Card place.
Seattle were enduring the longest active postseason absence in any of the four major American sports.
And a surprise win for the Orioles at the New York Yankees kept Mariners fans waiting just a little longer, with their team very rarely doing things the easy way even in this hugely successful season.
But Raleigh, pinch-hitting for Luis Torrens, homered on a 3-2 pitch from Domingo Acevedo at the bottom of the ninth to clinch a sensational 2-1 walk-off win and a playoff series next weekend.
Raleigh became the first player in MLB history to secure a postseason berth with a pinch-hit, walk-off home run.
After only two as a rookie in 2021, this was also Raleigh's 26th homer of the year – a new single-season record for Mariners catchers.
That it happened at T-Mobile Park put the icing on the cake for Servais, who had already been talking up his team's World Series chances after beating the Texas Rangers the previous night.
"The fact that we're in our ballpark and there's 40,000 people here tonight, it's better than maybe what you can even dream it could be," Servais said.
"We have a lot of baseball yet ahead of us. We did end the drought tonight, which is a very special feeling.
"There's so many kids that grew up in the Pacific Northwest that don't know anything about the Mariners being in the playoffs, and now we get to show them."
Servais is not alone in outlining title ambitions in Seattle, where the Mariners remain the only MLB team never to have been to a World Series, let alone won one.
But president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto believes the adversity has only made the franchise stronger.
"It wasn’t fluid. It wasn't a linear road for us," he said. "We stumbled, and we fell, and I think that made us stronger.
"And along the way, we found stars, we found leaders, and we found we found a team that came together.
"I think what you see out there right now is a group of guys who believe that they can beat anybody."
The wait is finally over: the Seattle Mariners are returning to the MLB playoffs after 21 years in the wilderness.
The Mariners had been enduring the worst active postseason drought not just in baseball, but in any of the four major sports in the United States.
So desperate had this sequence of failure been, all but one of Seattle's MLB rivals – the Cincinnati Reds – had also won a playoff series since the Mariners' 2001 run.
It would have been difficult to imagine at the end of that 2001 season the Mariners would not be back in the postseason until 2022; Seattle finished with a 116-46 record, setting a new American League benchmark for wins in a single season and matching the all-time MLB high.
But now, after a late-season wobble prompted fears of a repeat of last year's agony when the M's finished two games back in the Wild Card race, the drought is over.
Seattle had lost eight of their previous 11 games before beating the Texas Rangers on both Wednesday and Thursday – results that, combined with back-to-back defeats for the Baltimore Orioles, left the Mariners only one game away heading into Friday.
Either defeat for the Orioles at the New York Yankees or victory for the Mariners over the Oakland Athletics would do, and after the Orioles briefly kept their season alive, the Mariners got the job done in the most storybook fashion imaginable.
With two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, Cal Raleigh hit a walk-off home run to win 2-1 and send the Seattle fans into raptures as a 21-year weight was lifted off their shoulders.
Seattle happily fell well short of the all-time record for most consecutive seasons missing the playoffs, held by the St Louis Browns between 1903 and 1943 – but there are still several miserable streaks for the Mariners to snap.
They remain the only team in the major leagues never to have been to a World Series, with this their 45th season, while the Houston Astros' dominance in the AL West means Seattle's wait for a first division title since 2001 will go on.
That is the worst run in the AL, but three NL teams – the Colorado Rockies, Miami Marlins and Pittsburgh Pirates – will this year see their division droughts reach 29 years.
Jacob deGrom's 11 strikeouts were not enough to deliver a result for the New York Mets, going down 5-2 on the road to the Atlanta Braves on Friday.
DeGrom, arguably the best pitcher in all of baseball, made it through six full innings while allowing five hits and no walks. Unfortunately for him, three of those hits travelled at least 422 feet each for a trio of monster home runs.
After Luis Guillorme gave the Mets a 1-0 lead in the second inning, the Braves' top power bat responded instantly, with Austin Riley sending a solo home run 422 feet to center-field later in the frame. The Braves then took the lead before the second inning ended with a 430-foot bomb from Matt Olson to center-field.
Atlanta's pitching dominated the middle portion of the game, holding the Mets scoreless between the second and eighth innings, and Dansby Swanson took the opportunity to give his side a couple of runs of breathing room when he smoked a ball 441 feet to make it 3-1 in the sixth frame.
An eighth-inning Tomas Nido home run proved to be just a consolation as the Braves closed things out with Kenley Jansen's 38th save of the season.
After this result, the Braves and the Mets are now tied for the second-best record in the National League at 98-59, and they have two games remaining in the series.
Pujols hits number 701
The baseball world stopped and applauded Albert Pujols for his 700th home run earlier this week, and he added one more to his tally in the St Louis Cardinals' 2-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Pujols' big swing came in the fourth inning with his side trailing 1-0, hooking a ball 398 feet over the left-field wall to tie the game. Nolan Arenado then delivered what ended up being the winning run with an RBI single in the fifth.
The 42-year-old future Hall-of-Famer trails only Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755) and Babe Ruth (714) for the most home runs in history.
Guerrero, Springer homer in Blue Jays win
Vladimir Guerrero Jr and George Springer treated the Toronto Blue Jays fans to some big hitting in their 9-0 home win against the Boston Red Sox.
With the Red Sox eliminated from the playoff hunt and the Blue Jays marching towards a big October, the two sides played to their records as Alek Manoah and Yusei Kikuchi combined to pitch a shutout.
Guerrero hit one of the longest home runs of the week with his 447-foot nuke to left-field, and Springer was not much shorter, launching his shot 431 feet.
Inter Miami are now occupying the seventh and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference after their 1-0 victory against Toronto FC on Friday.
In front of their home fans, it was almost Toronto who took the lead in the 38th minute when Federico Bernadeschi's shot from outside the box took a heavy deflection, but Miami goalkeeper Drake Callender was able to adjust and make the save.
Toronto created more chances in the first half, but only had 38 per cent of the possession, and Miami's control of the ball began to pay dividends after the break.
Miami held Toronto without a shot on target in the second 45, and with time running down, they were able to find the decisive breakthrough.
A move from the right wing found its way to Robert Taylor on the edge of the box, and his slick little flick found its way through a maze of legs and into the path of Higuain, who made no mistake from right on the penalty spot.
The win means Miami will spend the night in the playoff positions, although the eighth-placed Columbus Crew have a superior goal difference and a game in-hand.
The Atlanta Braves are bringing back Charlie Morton for 2023, reaching a one-year, $20million contract extension with the veteran right-hander.
The deal was announced Friday and includes a $20million club option for 2024 and does not include a buyout.
One of the most reliable starters in the Braves’ rotation this season, the 38-year-old Morton has made a team-high 30 starts while going 9-6 with a 4.29 ERA and 200 strikeouts – fifth most in the NL.
A two-time All-Star, Morton helped the Braves to last year’s World Series championship, going 14-6 with a 3.34 ERA and 216 strikeouts. In four starts in the playoffs, he posted a 3.24 ERA with 22 strikeouts over 16 2/3 innings.
Drafted by Atlanta in 2002, Morton made his major league debut for the Braves in 2008 before being traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates prior to the 2009 season.
After seven seasons with the Pirates, he was with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2016 before spending the next two with Houston, where he was a member of the 2017 World Series champion Astros.
The next two seasons were spent with the Tampa Bay Rays, before he re-joined the Braves prior to last season.
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