SPORTS HEADLINES

Top Sports Headlines***

>>Buccaneers Stun Cowboys To Begin Week Five

(Undated) — The Buccaneers stunned the Cowboys 24-16 on Thursday Night Football from Arlington to kick off Week Five. Meanwhile, the traditional Sunday slate features another international matchup when the Eagles and Jaguars duel from London. An NFC West showdown takes place in Seattle between the 49ers and Seahawks later in the day while the nightcap showcases the Ravens and Falcons squaring off from Atlanta. The Rams host the Bills on Monday Night Football to close out the week.

>>Guardians Force Game Five Against White Sox

(Undated) — Only two teams in the division series will go the distance. The Guardians managed to stave off elimination once again after topping the White Sox 9-5 in Game Four of the ALDS from Rate Field. The best of five series will shift back to Cleveland for a winner take all Game Five on Saturday. The winner will face the Tampa Bay Rays in Game One of the ALCS on Monday. Meanwhile, the NLCS is already set. The Milwaukee Brewers are hosting the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers for Game One on Sunday.

>>MLB Proposes Shorter Regular Season, Expanded Playoffs

(New York, NY) — Major League Baseball is proposing major changes to its regular season and playoff format beginning in 2029. Several proposals were presented Thursday during collective bargaining negotiations with the MLB Players Association, including reducing the regular season from 162 to 154 games. Another proposal would expand the Division Series from a best-of-five to a best-of-seven format. MLB also wants higher-seeded teams to choose their opponents in the Wild Card and Division Series rounds. The league says the changes would improve player health and create more national television opportunities. The players’ union remains opposed to MLB’s proposed salary cap, which the league has tied to the changes.

>>Sharks Edge Blues In OT

(St. Louis, MO) — The Sharks edged the Blues 3-2 in overtime from St. Louis. Darnell Nurse netted the game-winner about a minute into the extra period. Tyler Toffoli and Collin Graf lit the lamp in regulation as San Jose is now 3-and-1 on the young season. Connor McMichael and Dillon Dube scored goals for St. Louis, which slipped to 1-2-and-1.

>>Islanders Silence Blackhawks

(Elmont, NY) — The Islanders put together a complete performance to silence the Blackhawks 4-1 from Elmont. Bo Horvat netted a pair of goals, including an empty-netter to seal the win. Ilya Sorokin made 22-of-23 saves between the pipes as New York improved to 2-and-2 on the young season. Frank Nazar scored the lone goal for Chicago, which slipped to 1-and-4.

>>Bruins Blow Out Mammoth

(Boston, MA) — The Bruins blew out the Mammoth 6-1 at TD Garden. David Pastrnak led the way for the Black and Gold with two goals and two assists. Morgan Geekie added a goal and two assists, and Jeremy Swayman stopped 36 of the 37 shots he faced between the pipes. Boston is up to six points after snapping a two-game skid. Jack McBain scored the only goal of the game for Utah, which has dropped two of its last three games.

>>Lightning Strike Down Wild

(Tampa, FL) — The Lightning struck three times on their way to a 3-2 win over the Wild from Tampa. Anthony Cirelli opened the scoring with his first goal of the season for the Bolts. Johnson Carlson also potted a pair of goals. Tampa Bay now has six points after winning three in a row. Quinn Hughes and Blake Coleman were the goal scorers for Minnesota, which has now dropped back to back games.

>>Baycurrent Classic Round One Recap

(Yokohama, Japan) — Jacob Bridgeman is sitting atop the leaderboard after the first round of the Baycurrent Classic at Yokohama Country Club in Japan. Bridgeman is leading the field by one stroke after shooting an eight under 63. Jordan Smith is second at seven under par. Pierceson Coody, Mac Meissner, Ricky Castillo and Max Homa are tied for third at six under. Defending champion Xander Schauffele is tied for 36th at one under par.

>>NASCAR Cup Series Hits Charlotte In Postseason Showdown

(Concord, NC) — The NASCAR Cup Series postseason makes a stop in North Carolina this weekend. The drivers battle in the Bank of America 400 from Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday. Chase Briscoe hopes to build on his South Point 400 win at Vegas last weekend. He sits sixth in The Chase standings while Kyle Larson leads the pack. Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney round out the top five.