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From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: Jim Harbaugh paced the sideline with his hands on his hips. He kicked impatiently at the grass at State Farm Field as the Arizona Cardinals ran the clock down. The Chargers head coach had no other answers.
The Chargers’ top-ranked defense folded in the most critical moment and the offense never arrived, losing 17-15 to the Arizona Cardinals on Monday on a last-second field goal.
“It was a game of a lot of near misses,” Harbaugh said, “or close calls.”
The Chargers (3-3) were plagued by both. While quarterback Justin Herbert threw for a season-best 349 yards on 27-of-39 passing, the offense sputtered with dropped passes and an anemic running game. Kicker Cameron Dicker was the most reliable weapon, hitting all five of his attempts, including a 40-yarder with 1:55 remaining that put the Chargers up by one.
They just needed their defense that was allowing the fewest points per game to make a final stop.
Instead, an unnecessary roughness penalty on rookie cornerback Cam Hart moved the Cardinals to their 45-yard line.
After catching a short pass, Cardinals running back James Conner ran through two tackles on the next play, stretching what should have been a modest gain into a 33-yard back-breaker.
Chad Ryland kicked the game-winning field goal five plays later.
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DODGERS
From Bill Shaikin: The World Series is set: the Dodgers against the New York Yankees, featuring two of baseball’s three biggest spenders.
Also some of baseball’s biggest spenders: fans buying tickets for the World Series.
Resale prices soared Monday, on the day after the Dodgers clinched their spot in the World Series. The Fall Classic matchup is the most storied in baseball history, in the two most populated cities in the United States.
The World Series opens Friday. The bottom line at Dodger Stadium: Tickets for two probably will cost you at least $2,500.
On Monday afternoon, the minimum price for a Game 1 ticket on StubHub was $1,326, up 23% from Sunday night. The minimum price for any of the four potential games at Dodger Stadium: $1,268.
Dodgers equaled a record held by 1965 World Series champs. But that’s where similarities end
Athletics to play on grass, not artificial turf, at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento
WORLD SERIES SCHEDULE
All times Pacific
All games on Fox
All games at 5:08 p.m.
Dodgers vs. NY Yankees
Friday at Dodgers
Saturday at Dodgers
Monday at New York
Tuesday, Oct. 29 at New York
*Wed., Oct 30 at New York
*Friday, Nov. 1 at Dodgers
*Saturday, Nov. 2 at Dodgers
*-if necessary
LAKERS
From Dan Woike: The Lakers open their season Tuesday against Minnesota, the first of a schedule full of games against the best teams in the Western Conference where the margins in the standings are almost assuredly going to be really tight.
Add in a new, high-profile coach in JJ Redick and the game would already be full of enough built-in drama to justify its spot on the opening night schedule.
But the stakes against the Timberwolves for the new coach on the sideline are going to give way to a bigger story — if it happens.
Redick said Monday there have been no final decisions whether to play LeBron and Bronny James together against the Timberwolves. When it does happen, the two will be the first father-son duo ever on the court together in an NBA game.
Fittingly, the only father-son pair to play together in Major League Baseball, Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr., are expected to attend the game Tuesday in case history is made.
“Yeah it’s gonna be insane,” Bronny James said of having the Griffeys at the game. “Only two families to do it, so it’s going to be a crazy experience, especially with what they’ve done.”
JJ Redick’s earnest approach leads the Lakers into new era
CLIPPERS
From Andrew Greif: The Clippers spent their first 40 years in Los Angeles as a roommate. After 15 years sharing the Sports Arena with USC basketball, the NBA franchise spent the last 25 as the third tenant at Crypto.com Arena, behind the Lakers and Kings in the pecking order for preferential dates.
Now, that is no longer the case. On Wednesday, the Clippers will host their first regular-season NBA game at Intuit Dome, in Inglewood, whose $2-billion-plus construction bill was footed by Steve Ballmer, the tech billionaire. Upon buying the team in 2014, Ballmer didn’t initially believe it needed new digs. Within a year, however, Ballmer began asking himself something that everyone involved in groundshare ponders, at some point.
What’s the value of having a home to call one’s own?
THIS DATE IN SPORTS
1961 — Eddie Arcaro wins the Jockey Club Gold Cup for a record 10th time. His mount, Kelso, wins his second straight Gold Cup.
1967 — The expansion Seattle SuperSonics win their first NBA game, a 117-110 overtime victory over San Diego.
1973 — Fred Dryer of the Rams becomes the first NFL player to record two safeties in a game in a 24-7 victory over the Green Bay Packers.
1975 — Carlton Fisk breaks up a thrilling contest with a homer in the 12th inning to give the Boston Red Sox a 7-6 victory over the Cincinnati Reds and force a seventh game in the World Series.
1979 — Chicago Bulls guard Sam Smith scores the first four-point play in NBA history during a 113-111 loss to the Bucks at Milwaukee.
1980 — The Philadelphia Phillies win the World Series for the first time in their 98-year history, defeating the Kansas City Royals 4-1 in six games.
1998 — The New York Yankees win 3-0 at San Diego, sweeping the Padres for their record 24th World Series championship.
2006 — Two rookie pitchers start the World Series for the first time. Anthony Reyes pitches into the ninth inning to help St. Louis cruise past Detroit and Justin Verlander 7-2 in Game 1.
2006 — Michigan State rallies from a 35-point, third-quarter deficit to beat Northwestern 41-38 in the biggest comeback in NCAA Division I-A history. Brett Swenson kicks the winning 28-yard field goal with 13 seconds left following an interception by Travis Key.
2007 — Rob Bironas kicks an NFL-record eight field goals, the last a 29-yarder with no time left to give Tennessee a 38-36 win over Houston. Bironas adds two extra points to set the NFL record for most points by a kicker, with 26. The Texans, trailing 32-7, survive backup quarterback Sage Rosenfels’ four touchdown passes in the fourth quarter. Rosenfels’ fourth touchdown pass, a 53-yarder to Andre’ Davis to put Houston up 36-35 with 57 seconds to play, ties an NFL record.
2007 — New England’s Tom Brady passes for 354 yards and a team-record six touchdowns in a 49-28 victory over Miami.
2012 — Tamika Catchings scores 25 points to help the Indiana Fever win their first WNBA title with an 87-78 victory over the Minnesota Lynx.
2015 — Daniel Murphy and the New York Mets finish a playoff sweep of the Chicago Cubs with an 8-3 victory to reach the World Series. Murphy homers for a record sixth consecutive postseason game.
2017 — Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov extend their season-opening points streaks to nine games, sending the Tampa Bay Lightning past the Pittsburgh Penguins 7-1.
Compiled by the Associated Press
Until next time…
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