Sports Express | October 24, 2026: Brewers Edge Rays 3-2 in World Series Opener

1. Brewers edge Rays 3-2 in World Series opener

Source: Sportsnet.ca

Milwaukee hosted its first World Series game since 1982 on Friday. A sellout crowd of 43,250 filled American Family Field after a day of tailgating outside the ballpark, with city buses carrying good-luck messages and the faces of four leverage relievers hung above the downtown public market. The Brewers did not let the moment slip, beating the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Their offence came from their biggest names. Jackson Chourio singled to open the first and scored on Christian Yelich's triple; William Contreras then drove in Yelich for a 2-0 lead the Brewers never gave up. Chourio added an insurance run with a seventh-inning hit that scored Cooper Pratt, and Contreras threw out two runners from behind the plate.

Starter Jacob Misiorowski allowed one run over five innings with three strikeouts, and Abner Uribe, Aaron Ashby and Trevor Megill closed it out. The ninth brought a scare: Liam Hicks's grounder was first ruled a game-ending double play, but replay showed only one out, and after the field was cleared Megill returned to strike out Jonny DeLuca. The Brewers are 8-1 this postseason and unbeaten in two and a half weeks.

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2. Jets trade three-time Vezina winner Hellebuyck to Devils

Source: NHL.com

The Winnipeg Jets traded star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck to the New Jersey Devils on Friday, ending his 11-season stay in Manitoba. The deal came on the day his suspension - imposed after he requested a trade and failed to report for training camp - was scheduled to end, when he had been expected back with the team.

Winnipeg received forward Dawson Mercer, goalie Nico Daws, forward Nick Bjugstad, the rights to unsigned draft choice Alexander Command, New Jersey's own second-round pick in 2029 and seventh-round pick in 2027. The 33-year-old Hellebuyck won the Vezina Trophy three times (2019-20, 2023-24, 2024-25) and also took the Hart Trophy in 2024-25.

That season he went 47-12-3 with a 2.00 goals-against average, .925 save percentage and eight shutouts in 63 games as Winnipeg won the Presidents' Trophy, then went 5-0 with a 1.18 GAA and .956 save percentage to help Team USA win Olympic gold in February. But last season he was 23-23-11 with a .895 save percentage, the lowest of his 11 NHL seasons and his first without a shutout, and the Jets finished seventh in the Central Division, eight points out of a wild card. In an Aug. 27 statement released by his agent, Hellebuyck said he had tried to handle the situation quietly and respectfully and believed moving on was best for him and his family. Winnipeg is 4-3-3 without him.

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3. Bayern: Kompany out for 'weeks, not days'

Source: The Guardian

Bayern Munich held a press conference on Saturday at which sporting director Max Eberl confirmed that head coach Vincent Kompany, 40, remains in hospital in a stable condition receiving treatment for a virus. Kompany collapsed on the training pitch on Friday, and the club's second-team game that day was postponed. Eberl said examinations were continuing to determine the nature of his condition, with no recovery timeframe yet set.

"Vinnie will be given all the time he needs. We're not starting to put together any timeframes. We need to firstly figure out what it is and then we'll discuss calmly what recovery time is to be. We won't be talking about days, but weeks," Eberl said. English assistant coach Aaron Danks will take charge for Sunday's Bundesliga match at Freiburg. Germany captain Joshua Kimmich, on bereavement leave since Tuesday, will also miss the game.

Kompany was in the dugout for Wednesday's 2-2 Champions League draw with Arsenal despite missing the pre-match press conference because of the virus. Afterwards he said he had caught a nasty virus the previous week and did not listen to his body. "At some point my body just said: 'Enough is enough!'" Bayern top the Bundesliga on 14 points, level with Borussia Dortmund and one ahead of Freiburg and Leverkusen. Their next Champions League game is at Atletico Madrid on Nov. 3.

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4. Blue Bombers beat Lions 34-10 to clinch playoff spot

Source: TSN

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers beat the B.C. Lions 34-10 in Vancouver on Friday to improve to 9-9 and clinch a CFL playoff berth for a 10th straight season. The Calgary Stampeders, also 9-9, were officially eliminated from the postseason race.

Starter Zach Collaros was 9-of-20 for 105 yards with an interception before leaving late in the third quarter after being hit by Lions defensive lineman Nathan Cherry. Bombers head coach Mike O'Shea had no update on the 38-year-old after the game. Backup Dru Brown came in and went 11-for-11 for 185 yards and two touchdowns.

The Lions (10-8) had already clinched a playoff spot and the right to host the West Division semifinal on Oct. 31, and drew 30,833 despite playing without many regulars, including No. 1 quarterback Nathan Rourke and receivers Keon Hatcher Sr. and Justin McInnis. First-round matchups will be decided Saturday when the Edmonton Elks (13-4) visit the Saskatchewan Roughriders (9-8).

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5. McDavid's 31 points in 10 games put Gretzky records in play

Source: CBC

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid has eight goals and 23 assists in 10 games this season, leading the NHL with 31 points - 10 more than linemate Leon Draisaitl. The next closest player not receiving passes from McDavid is Vegas Golden Knights forward Jack Eichel with 19 points, in two more games.

The 29-year-old is only the fourth player in league history to reach 30 points in 10 games, joining Mike Bossy, Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky. Of his 23 assists, only five are secondary assists according to Moneypuck; his 18 primary assists are double the next closest player, New York Rangers defenceman Adam Fox.

It is his 12th season. Thursday's 6-5 win over defending champion Carolina was his third five-point game of the young season. "You just really run out of words," Draisaitl said. CBC noted that even if he played only 80 games, his current pace would still challenge Gretzky's records, and that he needs at least 165 points to break into the top 10 single seasons of all time - eight of which belong to Gretzky and two to Lemieux.

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6. Lamar Jackson practices again, status for Sunday still pending

Source: NBC Sports

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was spotted at practice on Friday, his third straight practice of the week. He was listed as a limited participant in each of the first two sessions, and the team has not yet announced his official status for Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The two-time MVP has been working through an ankle injury. NBC Sports reported that he continues to trend in the right direction and should have a good chance of suiting up even if he is listed as a limited participant, with an update expected when the team announces his official status.

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7. Fernandez rallies past Alexandrova into Ningbo semifinals

Source: Sportsnet.ca

Canada's Leylah Fernandez beat Russia's Ekaterina Alexandrova 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 in the Ningbo Open quarterfinals on Friday, evening their career head-to-head record at 3-3 with her second win over the Russian in as many weeks.

The 24-year-old from Laval, Que., took control after dropping the first set, converting four breaks and surrendering none over the next two sets. "It's the attitude, the fight, the enjoyment of the battle here," Fernandez said in an on-court interview. "The first set, she started off strong, but I knew I was close. I just continued with that self-belief and it definitely helped in the second and third set."

She has won 12 of her last 15 matches and claimed her sixth career WTA title last month in Singapore. Ranked 30th, she also earned her tour-leading 16th WTA 500 victory of the season, ahead of Mirra Andreeva and Jessica Pegula with 14 apiece. Next up is 26th-ranked Marie Bouzkova of Czechia, who won their only previous meeting in the first round of the 2019 Rogers Cup in Toronto.

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8. Alouettes close regular season with 33-16 win over Argonauts

Source: Sportsnet.ca

The Montreal Alouettes beat the Toronto Argonauts 33-16 at BMO Field on Friday night in the regular-season finale for both teams. Montreal finished 14-4 and Toronto 9-9; with the top two East Division spots already secured, both clubs rested a number of starters before 13,198 spectators.

Dustin Crum, starting in place of Davis Alexander, ran for two touchdowns in his first win over Toronto in five tries. He completed 17 of 20 passes for 153 yards and ran four times for 12 yards. "It feels good to break that streak," Crum said. "I've been watching Davis do it all year." Caleb Evans took over to begin the second half and finished 11-of-14 for 82 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, hitting Charleston Rambo from five yards and Kaseem Ferdinand from 23.

Toronto's No. 3 quarterback Tucker Horn was 20-of-26 for 215 yards with a touchdown and an interception before giving way to Luis Perez in the fourth quarter. Kevin Mital caught three passes for 27 yards to crack 1,000 yards for the first time, becoming the fourth Argonauts receiver to reach the mark this season - a franchise first. Toronto hosts the fourth-place West team in the East semifinal on Oct. 31, with the winner visiting Montreal on Nov. 7.

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9. Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders unionize after years of pay fight

Source: The Guardian

The Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders have unionized. The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Association (DCCA) was voluntarily recognized by the Cowboys as the collective bargaining representative for the squad, according to a Friday news release, following "meaningful discussion" between the two sides. The parties are set to begin collective bargaining.

Established in 1961, a year after the football team played its inaugural NFL season, the Cowboys cheerleaders are among the most recognizable dance groups in the world, with their profile boosted by the Netflix series America's Sweethearts, whose third season was released in June. For decades the franchise has faced scrutiny over low pay: in 2018, cheerleader Erica Wilkins filed a federal fair wage lawsuit, saying she averaged $15,000 during her seasons with Dallas and earned less than the team's male mascot. The Cowboys are the NFL's most valuable franchise at $17bn, per Forbes.

The second season of America's Sweethearts followed tense contract negotiations involving the 36-member team, including threats of a walkout, with several members saying they held full-time jobs to pay their bills. By the end of that season the dancers received a 400% pay raise, lifting the hourly rate for some from $15 in 2024 to $75, though one squad member told the New York Times the new contract did not provide health insurance. In 1995, the National Labor Relations Board ruled that Buffalo Bills cheerleaders could unionize; that union was short-lived and the Jills disbanded in 2014.

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10. Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk reveals Parkinson's diagnosis

Source: NBC News

Hall of Fame running back and Southern University football coach Marshall Faulk, 53, revealed that he has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, saying he hopes early detection gives him a chance at "living a better quality of life." He made the announcement on "The Caring Neurologist" podcast on Wednesday, telling host Dr. Sandeep Thakkar that he has lived with the condition for about 18 months and has experienced some hand rigidity and tremors.

"I think I caught it early and I'm in a good place," Faulk said. "I didn't look at it like I got a diagnosis, it was something bad... Now, if you don't take care of it, there's an opportunity for that to be, but you have to take care of it." He said the earlier the condition is caught, the better the chance of maintaining quality of life with medication.

Faulk played 12 NFL seasons, seven with the then-St. Louis Rams and five with the Indianapolis Colts, rushing for 12,279 yards (13th all-time) and 19,514 yards from scrimmage (fifth). He won the 2000 Super Bowl with the Rams' "Greatest Show on Turf", catching five passes for 90 yards in that game. He also recalled sitting next to Muhammad Ali in the boxer's later years, when Ali leaned over and whispered: "You a bad boy."

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