10/1/24 Hometown Broadcasting Sports Tuesday
1 October 2024 Sports
Overcoming deficits of 3-0 in the eighth inning and 7-6 in the ninth, the New York Mets clinched a playoff berth when Francisco Lindor’s two-run homer capped a thrilling 8-7 win over the Atlanta Braves in the opener of a makeup doubleheader Monday. New York will play the Milwaukee Brewers in a best of three Wild Card series this afternoon at American Family Field.
That was only fitting for a team that started 0-5 and hardly looked like postseason material when it slipped 11 games under .500 in late May.
The Mets started 0-5 and hardly looked like postseason material when it slipped 11 games under .500 in late May.
The Mets advanced to a best-of-three NL Wild Card Series starting Tuesday at Milwaukee.
New York lost the nightcap 3-0, but it hardly mattered. Pete Alonso and the Mets had already locked up the 11th postseason berth in team history.
Lindor, who returned Friday from a back injury that had sidelined him since Sept. 15, came through with the big hit, launching a drive into the Braves bullpen off Pierce Johnson.
New York had lost 77 straight games when trailing by three runs in eighth inning or later since May 17, 2023.
It was a throwback to 1973, when the Mets also clinched a playoff spot on the day after the season was supposed to finish. Back then, they beat the Chicago Cubs 6-4 to secure the NL East title.
This year, a 10-3 loss to the Dodgers on May 29 completed a three-game Los Angeles sweep at Citi Field by a combined 18-5. New York dropped to 22-33 in its first season under Mendoza and was six games out of the last wild-card slot, needing to overcome seven teams.
This afternoon the Mets will start right-hander Luis Severino (11-7, 3.91 ERA) against Brewers righty Freddy Peralta (11-9, 3.68 ERA). First pitch is at 4:32 CDT.
Finding a reliable kicker was one of the Green Bay Packers’ main objectives throughout training camp. Four weeks into the season, that remains an issue.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur says he continues to believe in rookie Brayden Narveson, who already has missed four field-goal attempts. That doesn’t include a missed 48-yarder against Tennessee that got nullified by a penalty.
Narveson missed both his field-goal tries Sunday in a 31-29 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. He bounced a 37-yard attempt off the right upright and sent a 49-yarder wide right as Green Bay fell behind 28-0 in the first half.
“It hurts,” Narveson said. “But I’ve just got to look (at) myself in the mirror, go back to the drawing board and be better.”
The Packers (2-2) had one of the most stable kicking situations for a generation with Mason Crosby, a 2007 sixth-round draft pick who held the job until 2022 and set the franchise scoring record.
Green Bay moved on from the aging Crosby a year ago by drafting Anders Carlson out of Auburn in the sixth round. After Carlson capped an inconsistent rookie season by missing a 41-yard field goal in a playoff loss at San Francisco, the Packers opened up the kicking competition.
Carlson competed with veteran Greg Joseph throughout training camp. The Packers decided against keeping either and instead claimed Narveson off waivers from Tennessee after he went 6 of 7 on field-goal attempts with a long of 59 in the preseason for the Titans.
Narveson has made 69.2% of his field-goal attempts without having a single try from 50 yards or beyond. He is only 3 of 6 from at least 40 yards away.
In the meantime, Joseph has gone 5 of 6 in two games with the New York Giants, including a 5-of-5 performance last week in a 20-15 loss to Dallas.
LaFleur maintained his confidence in Narveson after Sunday’s game by saying he “won’t blink if we have to put him out there in another situation.” LaFleur said Monday that Narveson’s practice performance provides reason for that optimism.
“I get it, though,” LaFleur added. “You’ve got to perform, and we expect him to make those kicks as well. We’ve got to make sure that we get that production and make sure that his routine is right, and he’s got to be able to self-correct as well. If you miss one, you’ve got to make sure that you don’t make the same mistake twice.”
On the injury front, wide receiver Christian Walker and defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt left with ankle injuries. LaFleur said Monday that “I would assume (Watson) would be probably be out most likely at least a week or so.”
Meanwhile, the Packers continue to force turnovers at a remarkable rate.
They had three more takeaways on Sunday to increase their season total to an NFL-leading 12.
The Packers clearly have a productive downfield passing attack when Jordan Love is healthy. Love has thrown for 649 yards and six touchdowns in his two starts and had a career-high 389 yards Sunday.
Green Bay’s 465 total yards represented a season high.
The Packers committed four turnovers Sunday after totaling just two in their first three games. Love has thrown four interceptions in his two games.
Green Bay’s defense allowed the Vikings to score touchdowns on each of their first three possessions.
The Packers committed eight penalties Sunday and are averaging 8 1/2 per game. Only Houston, Baltimore and Miami are getting penalized more often.
There were two games in Monday Night Football. The Titans (1-3) won their first game of the season, beating the Dolphins (1-3) 31-12 in Miami. Tennessee quarterback Mason Rudolph completed 9 of 17 passes for 85 yards. Tony Pollard rushed 22 times for 88 yards and a touchdown and Tyler Spears also scored on the ground.
The Dolphins Tyler Huntley was 14 of 22 for 96 yards and also led the team in rushing with 40 yards on 8 carries and scored Miami’s only touchdown.
In the other game the Detroit Lions (31) beat the previously unbeaten Seattle Seahawks, 42-29, at Ford Field. Lions quarterback Jared Goff had a perfect night, completing 18 of 18 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught a 7-yard touchdown pass. Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for times for 78 yards and scored twice. David Montgomery also scored a rushing touchdown. Jameson Williams caught two passes for 80 yards and a touchdown.
Seattle’s Gino Smith completed 38 of 56 passes for 395 yards, one touchdown and had one interception. Kenneth Walker III rushed 12 times for 80 yards and three touchdowns.
Pete Rose, baseball’s career hits leader and fallen idol who undermined his historic achievements and Hall of Fame dreams by gambling on the game he loved and once embodied, has died. He was 83.
Stephanie Wheatley, a spokesperson for Clark County in Nevada, confirmed on behalf of the medical examiner that Rose died Monday. Rose was found by a family member. The coroner will investigate to determine the cause and manner of death, but there are no signs of foul play, according to ABC News. Over the weekend, Rose had appeared at an autograph show in Nashville with former teammates Tony Perez, George Foster and Dave Concepcion.
Major League Baseball, which banished him in 1989, issued a brief statement expressing condolences and noting his “greatness, grit and determination on the field of play.” Reds principal owner and managing partner Bob Castellini said in a statement that Rose was “one of the fiercest competitors the game has ever seen” and added: “We must never forget what he accomplished.”
A 17-time All-Star, the switch-hitting Rose played on three World Series winners. He was the National League MVP in 1973 and World Series MVP two years later. He holds the major league record for games played (3,562) and plate appearances (15,890) and the NL record for the longest hitting streak (44). He was the leadoff man for one of baseball’s most formidable lineups with the Reds’ championship teams of 1975 and 1976, with teammates that included Hall of Famers Johnny Bench, Tony Perez and Joe Morgan.
Dikembe Mutombo, the Hall of Fame, finger-wagging center who spent much of his post-basketball career as an ambassador for the sport, died of brain cancer at the age of 58, the NBA announced Monday.
Mutombo’s family revealed two years ago he was undergoing treatment in Atlanta for a brain tumor. The NBA said he died surrounded by his family.
Mutombo played 18 NBA seasons for the Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, and Houston Rockets fore retiring after the 2008-09 season.
The 7-foot-2 former Georgetown center was the league’s top defensive player four times, earned three All-NBA selections and played in eight All-Star Games. He ranks 20th in rebounds (12,359) and finished with 3,289 blocks, second to Hakeem Olajuwon (3,830).
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