Sports Express | October 16, 2026 — Brewers Sweep Dodgers to Reach World Series for First Time Since 1982

1. Brewers Sweep Dodgers to Reach First World Series Since 1982

Source: TSN

Garrett Mitchell hit a go-ahead homer in the sixth inning and Milwaukee's bullpen shut the door as the Brewers beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-4 on Thursday night in Game 4 of the NLCS, completing a four-game sweep and reaching the World Series for the first time since 1982.

Shohei Ohtani's first homer of this postseason had put the Dodgers ahead 4-0 in the second inning. Milwaukee tied it in the fifth, and Mitchell's 409-foot leadoff drive — his first career homer on an 0-2 count — gave the Brewers their first lead. In the ninth, No. 9 hitter David Hamilton hit a two-out solo shot off Edwin Díaz for a two-run cushion.

Milwaukee became the first major league club to complete a postseason sweep after being swept by the same opponent the previous postseason. The Brewers' only other World Series appearance came in 1982, when they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games.

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2. Broncos Edge Seahawks 17-14 in Overtime on Lutz's 53-Yard Field Goal

Source: NBC Sports

The Denver Broncos beat the Seattle Seahawks 17-14 in overtime on Thursday Night Football. Seattle rallied from 11 points down in the fourth quarter to force the extra period, but Sam Darnold threw an interception on the first possession of overtime. Ja'Quan McMillian's pick at the Seattle 43 set up Wil Lutz's 53-yard field goal to win it.

The Seahawks outgained Denver 353 yards to 168 but could not turn chances into points: they managed just three points in the first half, Rashid Shaheed lost a fumble, Jason Myers missed a 47-yard field goal off the right upright in the third quarter, and Darnold threw two picks in crunch time. Myers' 34-yard field goal with three seconds left in regulation tied the game.

Darnold finished 27-of-51 for 278 yards with two interceptions and was sacked five times; Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught 12 passes for 134 yards. Denver's Bo Nix went 17-of-27 for 107 yards, and RJ Harvey and J.K. Dobbins scored the Broncos' touchdowns on short runs. Denver moved to 4-2, while Seattle fell to 3-3.

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3. Eagles QB Jalen Hurts Out vs. Panthers With Superficial Blood Clot

Source: theScore

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts will not play Sunday against the Carolina Panthers because of a superficial blood clot, the team announced Thursday. Hurts sought treatment for a calf injury last Thursday after being cleated in an Oct. 4 game against the Los Angeles Rams, and was diagnosed with a blood clot in his calf in London on Saturday after an ultrasound. He was cleared to play against the Jacksonville Jaguars; imaging on Wednesday revealed movement in the small blood clot.

The team is still determining the appropriate course of treatment and did not provide a return timeline. Tanner McKee is currently listed as the Eagles' backup quarterback, with fifth-round rookie Cole Payton the other signal-caller after the team released Andy Dalton last week. McKee has started two games in his four-year career, posting a 1-1 record with 597 passing yards, five touchdowns and one interception.

Hurts is 2-3 in five starts this season, throwing for 933 yards with eight touchdowns and three interceptions, in the midst of a five-year, $255-million extension that runs through 2028. His absence adds to a long list of Eagles injuries — he is one of 24 Philadelphia players listed on Wednesday's injury report.

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4. College Football Playoff Nears Deal to Expand to 24 Teams in 2027

Source: Yahoo Sports

According to ESPN, the network holding the broadcast rights to the current 12-team playoff, the College Football Playoff is nearing a deal to double the field to 24 teams, with an agreement expected in the near future. A proposal was presented to conference commissioners on Thursday afternoon, but no vote was taken after they saw the details.

The CFP later released a statement confirming its discussions with ESPN and promising further negotiations, saying it would provide updates on future format and media rights when appropriate. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said this week that a decision on expansion would likely come sooner rather than later. The official deadline to change next season's format is Dec. 1, and meeting it could now be a formality.

The 2026 season is the third year of the 12-team playoff. The playoff was implemented ahead of the 2014 season and had a four-team field for its first 10 seasons. ESPN's current contract runs through the 2031 season, and the network will reportedly buy the additional games from a 24-team playoff.

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5. Jon Rahm Reaches Separation Agreement With LIV Golf

Source: TSN

Former world No. 1 Jon Rahm and LIV Golf reached a separation agreement Wednesday under which Rahm agreed to release all of his monetary and economic claims against the circuit in exchange for the return of his exclusive name, image and likeness rights, according to court records. The agreement must be approved by U.S. Bankruptcy Court of New Jersey Judge Michael B. Kaplan on Nov. 5.

Rahm, 31, is LIV Golf's largest unsecured creditor. He was owed $7.5 million when the league voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 protection on Sept. 8, though it is believed he was owed more than $100 million over the remainder of his contract. The Spanish golfer reportedly received a multiyear deal worth more than $300 million when he left the PGA Tour for LIV Golf in December 2023. He was LIV's seasonlong individual champion in each of the three years he played from 2024 to 2026, with nearly $107 million in on-course earnings.

His attorney, John Beck, told Kaplan on Oct. 7 that the two-time major champion would not be part of LIV 2.0. Rahm is scheduled to play in the Abu Dhabi Championship on Nov. 5-8.

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6. Infantino Apologises Over World Cup Plan but Told He Must Do More

Source: BBC

Fifa president Gianni Infantino has apologised to the Fifa Council for his World Cup sell-off plan, but has been told he is not fit to lead unless he releases all the documents and answers key questions. The Council met in Zurich on Thursday for the first time since his secret Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal emerged; it would have given a portion of Fifa's commercial rights to a private investment firm, and Infantino scrapped it within days.

In a three-and-a-half-hour meeting, Infantino also faced questions about US striker Folarin Balogun's suspended red-card ban, the Fifa Peace Prize and funding for national associations. Hours later, Fifa released a video statement from Infantino, who declined to take media questions, including from the BBC, and said he apologised for mistakes in the communication and consultation process around the FFE project.

Fifa vice-president and Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt said many questions remained unanswered despite the most robust, frank and open Council meeting she had experienced. She said the man has to answer those questions, adding that if he does not, he is not fit to be Fifa president — a view she said was shared in the meeting.

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7. Power Scores in OT as Sabres Rally Past Maple Leafs 5-4

Source: NHL.com

Owen Power scored at 3:14 of overtime as the Buffalo Sabres rallied from a two-goal, third-period deficit to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-4 at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday. Power took a saucer pass from Jack Quinn and buried a wrist shot from the top of the left face-off circle after slipping past Kirill Marchenko.

Quinn scored twice with two assists and Mattias Samuelsson had a goal and an assist for the Sabres (4-3-1), who are 2-2-1 in their past five. Noah Ostlund and Zach Benson each added two assists, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 26 saves. Samuelsson said his team does not want to be down like that, but there is no quit.

Marchenko scored a hat trick in his 300th NHL game and Auston Matthews scored for the Maple Leafs (3-3-2), who are 2-1-2 in their past five. John Tavares had two assists and Sergei Bobrovsky made 29 saves. Marchenko said he would remember the night but that a win mattered more, calling his overtime mistake frustrating.

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8. Mammoth Hand Oilers First Regulation Loss, 4-2

Source: Sportsnet

Clayton Keller scored twice as the Utah Mammoth beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-2 on Thursday. Barrett Hayton and Logan Cooley also scored for the Mammoth (6-2-0), who have won three straight, with Karel Vejmelka stopping 21 shots. Leon Draisaitl and Shakir Mukhamadullin replied for the Oilers (5-1-1), whose five-game winning streak ended.

Edmonton was missing five starting forwards and a defenceman, and Devon Levi made 20 saves. Connor McDavid picked up an assist to extend his season-starting points streak to seven games; he now has four goals and 14 assists for a league-leading 18 points, his best-ever start.

Just 23 seconds after Draisaitl finally put Edmonton on the board at 13:54 of the second period, Vincent Trocheck sent the puck in front to a hard-charging Cooley, who redirected in his first of the season to restore Utah's two-goal lead. The teams meet again Saturday night in Utah.

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9. Raptors Fall to Knicks 122-120 in Preseason

Source: TSN

Scottie Barnes led the way with 23 points and Canadian RJ Barrett had 21, but the Toronto Raptors narrowly lost 122-120 to the New York Knicks on Thursday in NBA preseason action. Kawhi Leonard, the Raptors' star off-season acquisition, had just six points on 2-of-5 shooting in 22 minutes; he exited with 4:42 left in the third quarter and did not return.

Reigning NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson led New York with 20 points, with Karl-Anthony Towns adding 13 points along with a game-high 15 rebounds and nine assists. It was the second game of a home-and-home series: the Raptors beat New York 148-98 in Toronto on Tuesday, with the Knicks sitting all their starters.

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10. Savannah Bananas Coming to Canada and Mexico in 2027

Source: Sportsnet

The Savannah Bananas and five other teams in their barnstorming style of baseball entertainment are scheduled to make stops in Canada and Mexico next year, taking Banana Ball international for the first time in 2027. Owner Jessie Cole announced Thursday that Banana Ball will also be played in 23 Major League Baseball stadiums and 10 football stadiums in 2027. The 2027 schedule, announced Thursday night on ESPN2, includes stops in Monterrey, Mexico, on Feb. 5-6 and Tijuana on Feb. 12-13.

The schedule also features Aug. 14-15 dates at Rogers Centre in Toronto and two visits to Winnipeg on Aug. 26 and Aug. 28. Cole called the international dates 10 years in the making. When he launched the Savannah Bananas in 2016, he said the team was just starting to sell tickets and sleeping on an air bed.

In 2023, the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown opened an exhibit for the Savannah Bananas, recognising Cole's success in attracting younger fans. Including minor league stadiums, the 2027 Banana Ball Championship League tour will visit 79 stadiums across 74 cities, and Cole expects it to draw an estimated 4.3 million fans.

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