Rivers rallies Chargers to thrilling win
Philip Rivers led the Chargers to a pair of touchdowns in the final minutes, then hit Mike Williams for the go-ahead 2-point conversion with 4 seconds remaining to give Los Angeles a 2928 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night in Kansas City, Missouri.
The Chargers (11-3) trailed 2814 before Justin Jackson scored with 3:49 to go, then forced Patrick Mahomes and Co. into a quick punt. Rivers went right back to work, throwing a fourthdown dart to Travis Benjamin and getting some help from a pass-interference penalty on their final drive.
The flag on Kendall Fuller gave the Chargers first-and-goal at the 1 with 8 seconds to go, and Williams hauled in a juggling catch along the sideline. And faced with an extra-point for overtime, coach Anthony Lynn went for the win and Williams was all alone in the end zone.
Not only did the Chargers clinch a playoff berth, but they also forged a first-place tie with the Chiefs (11-3) in the AFC West while ending a nine-game losing streak to their rivals. WENTZ SIDELINED WITH BACK INJURY » Carson Wentz has a back injury. The severity is still not known. Two people familiar with the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback’s injury confirmed reports that Wentz has a fractured vertebra, but no definitive determination has been made regarding his status, pending further evaluation. According to a report in The Philadelphja Inquirer, the fracture will fully heal if given sufficient time. Wentz sat out practice for the second straight day, increasing the possibility Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles will play at the Rams on Sunday night.
Volleyball
STANFORD BLANKS BYU, REACHES NATIONAL TITLE MATCH » Tami Alade had 14 blocks, Kathryn Plummer had 12 kills, and Stanford beat BYU 25-15, 25-15 and 2518 to advance to the NCAA volleyball championship in Minneapolis and avenge its only loss of the season.
Seeking its eighth title, Stanford (33-1) will face defending national champion Nebraska in the championship match. Plummer, the reigning national player of the year, hit .300 and Audriana Fitzmorris .375 as the Cardinal had 34 kills with just seven errors and 33 blocks.
NBA
SUNS THREATEN MOVE IF IMPROVEMENTS TO ARENA NOT MADE » The Suns have been Phoenix’s longest tenured major professional sports team, but they may not be there much longer. Team owner Robert Sarver, according to a report in the The Arizona Republic, reportedly is threatening to relocate the Suns to Seattle or Las Vegas, ahead of a municipal council vote on $230 million in upgrades to the their arena.
Baseball
INDIANS GET SANTANA BACK » The Cleveland Indians reacquired fan favorite Carlos Santana and sent slugger Edwin Encarnacion to Seattle in a three-team trade that also involved Tampa Bay. The Rays got infielder Yandy Diaz and minor league right-hander Cole Sulser from Cleveland. The Indians also acquired first baseman Jake Bauers from Tampa Bay, while the Mariners wound up with cash and a draft pick.
Encarnacion, who turns 36 next month, had 107 RBIs while hitting 32 homers and .246. He leads the majors in homers and RBIs since 2012. LYNN TO RANGERS » Free agent right-hander Lance Lynn and the Texas Rangers reached agreement on a $30 million, three-year contract, a person with direct knowledge of the agreement said. Lynn, 31, has double-digit wins in all six seasons he has been a regular starter since after his rookie year of 2011. He went 10-10 with a 4.77 ERA in 31 appearances with 29 starts in 2018 pitching for the Minnesota Twins and New York Yankees. FAMILIA BACK WITH METS » The revamped New York Mets bullpen is set to include a very familiar face after the team reached agreement with longtime reliever Jeurys Familia on a $30 million, three-year deal. The Mets had traded away Familia, 29, last summer to the A’s where he finished out the season as a setup man to closer Blake Treinen.
Horse racing
TEAR DOWN PIMLICO? » The Maryland Stadium Authority, in the second phase of a comprehensive study of Pimlico Race Course, recommends demolishing all existing structures at the nearly 150-year- old track that hosts the Preakness Stakes and rebuilding it at a cost of $424 million. The rundown condition of the track presents challenges threatening the “continued existence and the success of the Preakness Stakes,” according to a summary of the conclusions.
The Stronach Group, a Canadabased development company that owns and operates Pimlico, has looked at a fresher track it owns in Laurel Park located about 30 miles south of the Baltimore track as a viable option for the Preakness. Under state law, the race can be moved to another track in Maryland “only as a result of a disaster or emergency.”
In a Thursday statement, Belinda Stronach, chairman and president of The Stronach Group, agreed with the study’s findings and called for collaborative action by state and city authorities during Maryland’s upcoming legislative session in Annapolis.
College football
EDDIE ROBINSON AWARD » UAB’s Bill Clark has won the Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year Award. Clark has led the Blazers to their first Conference USA championship with a program-record 10 wins. The award was announced by the Football Writers Association of America and the Sugar Bowl. UAB’s program resumed play last season after being shut down for two years. Clark has gone 24-14 in three seasons with the Blazers. The Blazers play Northern Illinois on Tuesday in the Boca Raton Bowl. FORMER MARYLAND COACH REPORTEDLY WORKING AT ALABAMA » Former Maryland coach DJ Durkin could become the latest former Football Bowl Subdivision coach to rebuild his career at Alabama. According to a report published on AL.com, Durkin has been working with Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban in a “consultant-like capacity” for the past week. Durkin lost his job in the aftermath of offensive lineman Jordan McNair’s death in mid-June and allegations of a “toxic” culture in the way he ran the football program during his tenure at Maryland.
World Cup
48 TEAMS FOR 2022? » Political tensions won’t prevent FIFA from deciding whether to place some World Cup games outside Qatar, the head of world soccer’s governing body said. FIFA president Gianni Infantino used a summit of soccer nations in Qatar to gather support for his mission to add 16 teams to the 2022 tournament a move that would require the tiny, energy-rich nation sharing games in the region. That would be complicated by Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt cutting ties with Qatar in 2017 in an ongoing political dispute that prevents flights between Doha and the boycotting countries. Qatar won a vote in 2010 to host the World Cup with 32 teams and is only building eight stadiums. A 48-team tournament is already planned for 2026 in the United States.