Sports Express | September 11, 2026 49ers Rout Rams in Melbourne

1. 49ers Rout Rams in NFL's First Australia Game

Source: Sportsnet

The San Francisco 49ers routed the Los Angeles Rams 27-7 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday night (North American time), in the NFL's first regular-season game ever played in Australia. A crowd of 100,021 attended, the seventh-largest in NFL regular-season history.

Quarterback Brock Purdy threw three touchdown passes — to Mike Evans, Demarcus Robinson and Deebo Samuel — finishing with 205 passing yards. The Rams arrived in Melbourne just 28 hours before kickoff, while the 49ers travelled a week early to adjust, and head coach Kyle Shanahan said the venue "felt gladiator-ish."

Kyren Williams scored the NFL's first Australian touchdown on a five-yard run in the second quarter, but the 49ers answered with the final 24 points. Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford completed 15 of 25 passes for 155 yards, while reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett recorded zero tackles and called it "the worst version of myself."

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2. Dodgers Place Shohei Ohtani on IL, Call Up Prospect Josue De Paula

Source: USA Today

The Los Angeles Dodgers placed four-time MVP Shohei Ohtani on the 15-day injured list on Wednesday, the first time since he joined the club. Manager Dave Roberts called it "the right thing to do," and Ohtani is eligible to return Sept. 23 with five regular-season games remaining.

Ohtani has been bothered by left knee soreness and a right biceps strain, and has not pitched since July 3. Since Aug. 8 he is batting just .198 (19-for-96) with 34 strikeouts. Replacing him on the roster is 21-year-old top prospect Josue De Paula, who will primarily serve as designated hitter.

De Paula hit .303 with 27 home runs, 104 RBI and 31 stolen bases, and is ranked the No. 6 prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline, jumping straight from Double-A. The Dodgers are 89-57, the second-best record in the National League.

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3. Rybakina Rallies Past Gauff, Will Face Sabalenka in US Open Final

Source: Yahoo Sports

Elena Rybakina rallied past No. 4 seed Coco Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Thursday to reach her first US Open final. She will face defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, who demolished No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula earlier in the day.

With the win, Rybakina is guaranteed to become the new WTA No. 1 on Monday. Sabalenka leads their career head-to-head 10-7, but Rybakina beat her in last year's WTA Finals championship and this year's Australian Open final.

Saturday's final will be a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup. Sabalenka is chasing a US Open three-peat, while Rybakina, who had never advanced past the fourth round in New York before this year, reaches her first final there.

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4. Clippers Face Federal Criminal Investigation Over Kawhi Leonard Contracts

Source: Sportsnet

The U.S. attorney's office in Brooklyn, N.Y., has opened a criminal investigation into allegations that the Los Angeles Clippers helped organize contracts for Kawhi Leonard that violated salary-cap rules, the New York Times reported Thursday. A spokesman for the office declined comment, and the Clippers and NBA did not respond to requests for comment.

Earlier this month, the NBA stripped the Clippers of five first-round picks from 2029 through 2033 and fined the team $30 million after an independent investigation found a pattern of misconduct. Federal prosecutors began investigating before the NBA announcement and have issued at least one subpoena.

Because Leonard's contract was not voided and he was not suspended, the ruling was believed to have cleared the way for the Clippers to complete a trade with the Toronto Raptors agreed to earlier this summer. The deal has not been officially announced, and training camp opens later this month.

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5. Blue Jays Fall to Athletics, Remain One Game Back in Wild Card Race

Source: TSN

The Toronto Blue Jays were shut out 2-0 by the Oakland Athletics in West Sacramento on Wednesday, dropping the series. Henry Bolte hit a solo home run in the third inning and Tyler White scored on a wild pitch in the fourth.

Toronto used a bullpen game with six pitchers, and starter Michael Lorenzen (3-12) took the loss. Rookie Kazuma Okamoto went hitless in three at-bats with three strikeouts; his 30 home runs leave him one behind Sal Stewart in the MLB rookie home run race.

The Athletics won for the sixth time in eight games and took their first series from the Blue Jays since July 2025. Toronto remains one game behind Cleveland, which lost 9-5 to Baltimore, for the final AL wild card spot.

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6. Seahawks QB Sam Darnold to Miss at Least One Game with Hip Injury

Source: TSN

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold will miss the Week 2 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals, though the 29-year-old might not be sidelined as long as originally feared. ESPN's Ian Rapoport reports Darnold is expected back sooner than later.

Darnold was injured in the team's 13-10 season-opening win over the New England Patriots, leaving on just the second drive when he was sacked from behind by Dre'mont Jones on his fifth snap. Backup Drew Lock helped the Seahawks overcome a 10-0 deficit.

A two-time Pro Bowler out of USC, Darnold is in his ninth NFL season and second with the Seahawks. In February he helped Seattle beat the Patriots 29-13 in the Super Bowl.

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7. Falcons QB Tua Tagovailoa Exits Practice with Oblique Injury

Source: The Falcoholic

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa left practice with an oblique injury, and was listed as a limited participant on the injury report. The severity of the injury is not yet known.

If Tua is healthy, he will start Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. If not, Cooper Rush would take the start with Jack Strand as his backup; it would be Rush's 17th career start, with 3,766 career passing yards, 20 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

The team is awaiting further updates. 11Alive's Reggie Chatman Jr. captured footage of the injury and its aftermath.

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8. Leafs Fans Fume as Sportsnet's Monday Night Hockey Costs $13 a Month

Source: Toronto Star

When Sportsnet announced the lifting of regional broadcast blackouts on Wednesday, it revealed that Monday night NHL games will stream exclusively on Sportsnet+ for $12.99 per month, sparking immediate anger among Canadian fans.

Rogers cable customers will get Sportsnet+ for free, but those who pay for Sportsnet through rival providers must pay extra. Maple Leafs fans, already facing a ticket price hike, vented on social media, with one writing they would not "pay $13 a month all season to watch 13 Leaf games."

Sports business consultant Paul Beirne said hockey demand in Canada is "famously inelastic" and Rogers is betting the outrage fades faster than the viewing habit. Rogers acquired 100 per cent control of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment months ago, and also owns the Blue Jays, Sportsnet and exclusive national NHL rights.

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9. 16 Ex-Michigan Hockey Players Sue, Alleging 'Sexualized Abuse' Hazing

Source: Daily Faceoff

Sixteen former members of the University of Michigan men's hockey program filed a federal lawsuit in the Eastern District of Michigan on Wednesday, alleging they were subjected to hazing rituals in the form of "sexualized abuse."

The suit states that players on the roster from 1984-2001 were forced into events that would be "immediately recognized as torture under any other circumstance." It alleges the rituals were "known to, directed and facilitated" by former coach Red Berenson, a Hockey Hall of Famer.

Berenson ran the program for 33 years, guiding Michigan to 11 Frozen Four appearances and NCAA titles in 1996 and 1998. A Michigan spokesman denied the allegations, saying many elements of the complaint are "misleading," and noted the university adopted an anti-hazing policy in 1982.

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10. Oilers' Signing of Alex Formenton Upsets Many Fans

Source: Edmonton Journal

Some Edmonton Oilers fans are cutting ties with the organization after it signed former Ottawa Senators forward Alex Formenton on Wednesday. Formenton was one of five members of the 2018 Canadian world junior team found not guilty of sexual assault in a London, Ont., trial that ended in July 2025.

Superfan Mary Loewen, known as Mama Stanley, said on Instagram she is "deeply disappointed" and, as a sexual assault survivor, "cannot and will not" support the team as long as Formenton remains an Oiler.

Lena Betker, co-CEO of the Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton, said the Oilers "missed the mark" and that the signing feels "deeply personal" to survivors. Oilers executive Tim Shipton said the team understands not all fans will be on board with the signing.

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