Papua New Guinea 90 for 0 (Vala 53*, Ura 33*) beat Bermuda 89 (Rawlins 25, Vanua 3-14) by 10 wickets

When Bermuda last played Papua New Guinea at ICC Academy Oval 1 in 2012, Janeiro Tucker produced a hat-trick of sixes in the final over off PNG captain Rarua Dikana to deliver a stunning five-wicket win. At the same venue on Saturday morning, it was PNG who stunned Bermuda with a hat-trick of their own as Norman Vanua's third-over blitz set up a 10-wicket mauling.

Bermuda were already struggling at 11 for 2 in two overs after the left-arm new-ball pace-spin duo of Nosaina Pokana and Jason Kila removed Okera Bascome and the 44-year-old Tucker, back for one last hurrah after first retiring in May 2018. Vanua was brought on in the third over in place of Pokana as captain Assad Vala rotated his bowlers rapidly all innings to keep Bermuda off balance, and it worked to maximum effect in this particular sequence.

Vanua struck the first blow in his hat-trick maiden off the fourth ball, bowling captain Dion Stovell who was late driving a full length ball. Kamau Leverock then fished at a good length ball outside off to edge behind for the second before Deunte Darrell was pinned on the toe with a yorker, making it 11 for 5. Sussex star Delray Rawlins could only watch helplessly from the non-striker's end.

Rawlins did his best to counter-attack, driving and pulling his way to a series of boundaries off Vanua in the fifth over to hit him back out of the attack. But his stay was ended by Vala, who pierced through to bowl him for 25 and at 43 for 6 in the eighth over, Bermuda faced an uphill battle to last the full 20 overs. Charles Amini, Damien Ravu and Pokana methodically worked their way through the rest of the order to wrap up the innings in just 17.2 overs.

PNG attacked in the Powerplay, in pursuit of an early net-run-rate boost. Vala and Tony Ura swept and drove their way to 47 for 0 after the first six. Vala eventually brought up a 32-ball half-century in the 10th with a four flicked over wide long-on, his seventh to go with one six, before he ended the match pinching a two to long-on with 58 balls to spare.

Four fights into his UFC career, former NFL star Greg Hardy continues to find himself at the center of controversy.

A heavyweight bout between Hardy (5-1) and Ben Sosoli (7-2) ended in a no-contest Friday at UFC Fight Night in Boston because of Hardy's unapproved use of an inhaler between the second and third rounds of the three-round bout. The fight was initially ruled a unanimous decision win for Hardy but was quickly overturned to a no-contest by the Massachusetts State Athletic Commission.

Hardy's coach provided him the inhaler prior to the third round. Hardy asked an MSAC inspector whether he was allowed to use it and then did so after the inspector asked, "Is it medically approved?" MSAC later ruled against Hardy's use of the inhaler, even though the UFC's anti-doping partner, the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), allows the use of certain inhalers in sport.

"I was in the ring, me and my coach asked the commission if it would be OK to use my inhaler, and they said yes, so I took it," Hardy said. "I'm still a new guy in this sport. I did what I do in every situation. I asked permission. I got permission, and I did what I was told."

Hardy said the inhaler is for exercise-induced asthma, which he has had his whole life, and that he uses the inhaler every day, although he had never used it during a fight. His inhaler use was noted on his USADA and MSAC paperwork, he said.

"It doesn't help me breathe better. It helps me breathe just like you, pretty much evens the playing field," Hardy said.

UFC president Dana White said he could understand how it happened but that Hardy's corner should have known better.

"It shouldn't even be a question," White said.

Asked whether he would attempt to get the MSAC ruling overturned, Hardy said, "I'm really just worried about what my boss thinks. The worst part for me is here I am letting people down again."

This is the second time in only four UFC fights that Hardy's inexperience has shown. He suffered the first loss of his career in January in New York, when he knocked out Allen Crowder with an illegal knee. Hardy, 31, has been fighting professionally since only 2018 and came into the UFC with just three fights of experience.

Prior to the inhaler issue, Hardy showed a much more measured pace than his previous fights. Going into Friday, all but one of his pro fights had ended inside the first round. Friday marked the first time Hardy went the distance in a bout. His endurance did look compromised in the final round.

"I said before the fight that I wanted to go out and put on a showcase and show the leaps and bounds that I've improved by," Hardy said. "It was all about going the 15 minutes, showing some different weapons and not making so many rookie mistakes and just getting jabbed in the face. It was a [coach] Din Thomas showcase. I have a lot of weapons and a gas tank to use those consistently over all three rounds. Right now we're going back to the gym, put it together and let my team make the next decision."

Hardy, who trains out of South Florida, outlanded Sosoli, who is from Australia, 54-26 in total strikes. Sosoli turned up his aggression late, but it wasn't enough to come back from a two-round hole. Hardy also threw several head kicks in the contest, which was a new wrinkle to his game.

Hardy's emergence as a mixed martial arts prospect and UFC fighter has been well documented this year, as he has stepped back into the spotlight after being exiled from the NFL. Hardy was convicted of domestic violence in 2014, before charges were expunged from his record.

No. 12 Oregon isn't out of the College Football Playoff race -- but it will be if it can't beat Washington on Saturday in what is arguably the most impactful game of Week 8. Since a season-opening loss to Auburn, a 27-21 nail-biter, the Ducks have fallen out of the national spotlight, along with the entire Pac-12, but Oregon has quietly gotten better each week. The Ducks are off to their first 3-0 start in league play since 2013. They have the No. 3 scoring defense in the nation. They lead the nation in points off turnovers. Quarterback Justin Herbert has thrown one interception in his past 239 pass attempts.

The preseason expectations were soaring -- and then Auburn converted a fourth-and-3, by the nose of the ball -- and the entire narrative changed.

"Since that game, as a team, we've just learned to close out games the way you're supposed to close them out," Oregon coach Mario Cristobal said. "They scored on us with nine seconds left in the ballgame. Certainly a tough one to swallow, but guys have understood and appreciated the importance of every single play and the detail, the attention to detail required to be successful each and every play. Some better results."

If Oregon can keep it up, it has the potential to make things difficult for the 13-member selection committee, but the Ducks aren't the only ones. Penn State or Michigan can still win the Big Ten. Baylor is still undefeated in the Big 12. The SEC is always capable of adding to the chaos.

As we enter the second half of the season, there are plenty of scenarios -- some wilder than others -- swirling around the College Football Playoff picture.

What if ...

1. Clemson loses to South Carolina. Don't believe it can happen? Ask Georgia. Nobody thought the Bulldogs would go down at home as 20.5-point favorites last week, either. Clemson ends the regular season on the road against its in-state rival, the most difficult game remaining on the schedule -- and ESPN's FPI still gives Clemson an 80.7% chance to win. If Clemson loses and finishes as a one-loss ACC champ, there's no guarantee the Tigers finish in the top four. It would all depend on what happens in the other Power 5 conference races. The Tigers' schedule strength -- which now ranks No. 71 from an average top 25 team's perspective -- would have to be better than a possible second SEC team, Notre Dame, the Pac-12 champ and/or the Big Ten runner-up. As of now, Clemson's only win against a ranked opponent is Texas A&M, and none of the Tigers' opponents are above .500. They have a combined record of 15-21. The CFP selection committee is not supposed to consider last season, which means Clemson's title as defending national champ is deemed irrelevant in the room.

2. Ohio State beats Wisconsin during the regular season but loses to the Badgers in the Big Ten title game. This scenario also could be flipped, with Wisconsin pulling the upset Oct. 26 in Columbus but losing to the Buckeyes in the Big Ten title game. The biggest question facing Wisconsin's place in the playoff race is Ohio State, and it has been that way since the 2014 Big Ten title game. If the Badgers are going to take the next step, they have to beat the Buckeyes at least once. What if it's for the conference title? Don't dismiss the possibility of two Big Ten teams, but only if one wins the Big Ten and the other's only loss is to the champion. Wisconsin's strength of schedule already includes a win against Michigan (the Badgers should be pulling for the Wolverines against Penn State on Saturday), and will only get better with a total of four currently ranked opponents. If Wisconsin loses to Ohio State during the regular season but avenges the loss in the Big Ten title game, it could be exactly what the Badgers need -- much like what happened to Big 12 champion Oklahoma last year after losing to Texas during the regular season. The question is if Ohio State could still get in as runner-up. It would depend on what the SEC runner-up looks like, as well as how Ohio State looked in the loss. We've already seen what 59-0 can do to a team in the Big Ten.

3. Florida wins the SEC -- but LSU's only loss is to Alabama. Is there any chance the selection committee rewards the head-to-head in this case, or would the SEC title outweigh it? Or would the committee take both? This would be a difficult debate, because Florida would have beaten Auburn, Georgia and most likely Alabama en route to the conference title. LSU would have beaten Texas, Florida and Auburn. The question is if Florida's statement victories would outweigh FCS wins against UT Martin and Towson, and how wins against Miami and Florida State would be valued.

4. Georgia and Notre Dame both win out. This is tricky because Georgia owns the head-to-head edge over Notre Dame, and if Georgia wins out and earns the SEC title, that means a very good team from the SEC West is on the CFP bubble. There wouldn't be a better loss in the country, though, than Notre Dame's to the eventual SEC champ. If the committee puts Notre Dame and Georgia in the top four, that means two Power 5 conference champions are left out -- again. It wouldn't be so far-fetched to consider Texas beating Oklahoma for the Big 12 title, and the Pac-12 having a two-loss conference champion. The top four could be Georgia, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Clemson.

5. The selection committee has three SEC teams to consider. Georgia wins the SEC, Alabama's only loss is to Georgia in the SEC title game, and LSU's only loss is to Alabama during the regular season. Wut. This one's scary for every other Power 5 conference -- especially if they produce one-loss conference champions. If Georgia runs the table and wins the SEC, which isn't impossible considering it still has the best chance to win the East, according to ESPN's FPI, the Bulldogs are in. They would have defeated Notre Dame, Auburn, Florida, Alabama -- more than compensating for the bad loss to South Carolina. LSU would have defeated Texas, Florida and Auburn. Would that be enough without a division title? Alabama's best wins would be against LSU and Auburn. Of the three of them, Alabama has the most questionable schedule. The committee would also factor in how close the SEC title game was. Improbable scenario? Yes. Impossible? No.

6. Baylor beats Oklahoma and Texas but loses to the Sooners in the Big 12 title game. Undefeated Baylor will have home-field advantage for both games in back-to-back weeks. The Nov. 16 trip is the most difficult game remaining on the Sooners' regular-season schedule, and the Bears are the only other ranked opponent left. According to the Allstate Playoff Predictor, OU's chances of finishing in the top four would drop to 33.7% with a loss Nov. 16 -- but if the Sooners go on to win the Big 12 title, they still stand a 41.4% chance to make the playoff. According to ESPN's FPI, Texas has a 52.2% chance to beat the Bears. It's unlikely either Oklahoma or Baylor would get in without winning the Big 12. One loss, though, wouldn't doom the Sooners if they finish as Big 12 champs.

7. Oregon finishes as a one-loss Pac-12 champ and other Power 5 conferences have one-loss champs, too. The Ducks are the Pac-12's strongest contender and heading into their most difficult game of the regular season.

If the Ducks win, their chance to reach the playoff will climb to 15%, according to the Allstate Playoff Predictor; a loss would drop that number to 1%. Here's the thing, though: If Oregon runs the table and wins the league, that percentage skyrockets to 43.8%. Oregon would have road wins against Washington, USC and Arizona State, along with a win against a ranked opponent in the Pac-12 title game. Oregon's current schedule strength rank of No. 47 registers ahead of Ohio State (No. 66), Clemson (No. 71) and Oklahoma (No. 84).

The Pac-12 remains in the most precarious position of the Power 5 conferences, but as long as it has a chance at a one-loss conference champion, it will be considered by the selection committee.

"We don't get ahead of ourselves," Cristobal said. "We know the dangers and pitfalls of looking past the things that are important. What's important is right now. ... We're where our feet are all the time, we're very grounded."

8. SMU, Boise State and Appalachian State finish undefeated. The highest-ranked Group of 5 conference champion is guaranteed a spot in a New Year's Six bowl, but who would get the nod if both Boise State and SMU run the table? Statistically, they're nearly identical in ESPN's strength of schedule and strength of record metrics. Boise State won at Florida State. SMU won at TCU. The main difference? According to FPI, Boise State has a 24% chance to win out, and SMU has only a 3% chance. SMU is the FPI favorite to win the AAC West (42%), but the Mustangs' top challenge likely will come from Memphis or Tulane. And what about Appalachian State? The Mountaineers still have to travel to South Carolina on Nov. 9 -- ESPN's FPI gives them a 19% chance to win -- but if they pull off a victory en route to a Sun Belt title, it's the kind of road win that could separate them from the other New Year's Six contenders. Where they all begin is one storyline worth watching when the first ranking is released on Nov. 5.

MIAMI -- The Houston Rockets' final preseason game Friday night didn't go as smoothly as hoped.

Russell Westbrook -- who has been dealing with some dislocated fingers on his right hand -- left the team's game against the Miami Heat in the fourth quarter in obvious discomfort.

The star point guard lost the ball, immediately grabbed at his right hand, then ran off the court and directly into the tunnel leading to the Rockets' locker room without stopping. He finished with 16 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists on 6-of-13 shooting in 26 minutes.

Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni said Westbrook aggravated the finger issue, and will be fine.

Houston's Austin Rivers could play only seven minutes before being downgraded to out with neck soreness, but D'Antoni said the veteran guard is fine, too.

"Both of them told me they were OK, so we'll take that," the coach said.

Westbrook will have a few extra days to get through the issue with his fingers. He and the Rockets don't open the regular season until hosting Milwaukee on Thursday.

The news was better for James Harden.

The reigning NBA scoring champion poured in 44 points in 35 minutes -- 18 of those points coming in the third quarter -- in Houston's 144-133 victory over the Heat.

"James was ridiculous," D'Antoni said.

Harden was 12-of-26 from the field, 8-of-16 from 3-point range and 12-of-13 from the foul line. He also had seven assists and five rebounds, and finished the preseason averaging 31.5 points.

"That's the way he's wired," D'Antoni said. "He loves to play. I couldn't take him out in the fourth quarter if I wanted to. He'd play 48 if he could. He's wired that way. He gets better every time. I don't know what his ceiling is. But he's, to me, the most improved player every year. He's just ridiculous."

Houston finished 4-2 in the preseason.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

NEW YORK -- Following a Brooklyn Nets preseason game Friday that saw two groups of protesters wearing T-shirts that read "Stand with Hong Kong," guard Kyrie Irving met with reporters and talked for the first time about his thoughts on last week's tense trip to China.

Irving specifically addressed what transpired in a closed-door meeting between players and NBA commissioner Adam Silver on Oct. 9 in Shanghai, saying he intended to keep private what he said in the meeting.

"I don't know whose notes, or who is in there that you can't really depend on to keep a conversation like that in house -- especially when it is about the NBA brand and the NBA players being impacted by it," he said. "I stand for four things, man. Inner peace, freedom, equality and world peace. So, if that is being conflicted inside of me, I am definitely going to have something to say, and I left it in that room."

Irving went on to say that he had further conversations with his teammates, which he did not elaborate on, and as a group, they decided to "move forward and play the game."

ESPN's Dave McMenamin previously reported that Irving had asked aloud whether the Nets and Los Angeles Lakers should consider not playing because of the political tension.

Since their return to the United States, the Nets have been silent on the issues that have swirled around the league after Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey sent out a tweet in support of anti-government protesters in Hong Kong. Morey's seven-word tweet caused upheaval around the league. In China, banners promoting the games between the Nets and Lakers were stripped from the sides of buildings, community events were canceled and players were instructed not to speak with media.

Back in Brooklyn, the message from the Nets had been that the tension was in the past and they were determined to move forward as a group. At Friday's game, though, two groups of protesters showed up wearing T-shirts that read "Stand with Hong Kong" and holding signs that read "Morey or Money?" and began to chant, "Shame on Joe Tsai!"

Tsai, who gained full ownership of the Nets in August, was born in Taiwan and is based in Hong Kong. After Morey sent out his initial tweet, Tsai made a statement of his own on his personal Facebook page. In his post, Tsai wrote that Morey's tweet was "damaging" to Chinese fans.

"I don't know Daryl personally," Tsai wrote, in part. "I am sure he's a fine NBA general manager, and I will take at face value his subsequent apology that he was not as well informed as he should have been. But the hurt this incident has caused will take a long time to repair."

On Friday night, Barclays Center security removed some of the signs, one protester told ESPN, but the protesters were not asked to leave the arena. A 23-year-old woman from Toronto told ESPN that she traveled from Canada specifically to attend the protest.

Both Nets center Jarrett Allen, who was wearing an NBA China sweatshirt, and coach Kenny Atkinson declined to comment on the protesters in attendance. Atkinson said he did notice them but was more focused on Brooklyn's double-digit deficit in a 123-107 loss to the defending champion Toronto Raptors.

Irving said he understood why the protesters came to Barclays.

"I understand that Hong Kong and China is dealing with their issues, respectively," Irving said. "But there is enough oppression and stuff going on in America for me not to be involved in the community issues here as well."

NEW YORK -- Houston Astros manager AJ Hinch had not formulated his full pitching plan for Game 6 of the American League Championship Series when he sat at the podium for his postgame news conference Friday night. But he did shed light on the pitcher everyone was wondering about: ace Gerrit Cole will not start Saturday, meaning Game 6 will be a bullpen game.

The New York Yankees are turning to their bullpen as well, with manager Aaron Boone saying ace Luis Severino will start a potential Game 7 instead of pitching on short rest Saturday.

New York dinged Houston's Justin Verlander for four runs in the first inning Friday and made them stand up in a 4-1 victory in Game 5 at Yankee Stadium, keeping its season alive. The Astros lead the ALCS, 3-2.

The win sent both teams back to Houston for a quick-turnaround game made necessary by a rainout Wednesday. Neither manager discussed a possible Game 6 pitching plan until after the contest, and even then, both said their full strategies were unsettled. However, Hinch said Cole, his Cy Young candidate who has not lost a start since May 22, will not get the call in what would have been his first career start on three days' rest.

Asked whether he knew who would start in Game 6, Hinch said, "No, we'll talk about it on the plane ride home." When asked for more detail, Hinch clarified that it would be a bullpen game and that Cole would not start.

"I said it would be a bullpen game tomorrow, and I'm unlikely to use Cole, correct," Hinch said, in uncharacteristically brief comments.

Meanwhile, Boone also didn't know the identity of his Game 6 starter, but he does know Severino will go in Game 7 if the Yankees win Saturday.

"Sevey will start in Game 7," Boone said.

Both managers will in effect be choosing an extra day of rest for their next starter over an aggressive decision to tab one to pitch on short rest Saturday.

While the public doesn't know either team's definitive plan for Saturday, both managers had announced plans to use a bullpen day in Game 4, originally scheduled for Wednesday. The game was postponed until Thursday, pushing Game 5 to Friday, which was originally slotted to be a travel day. Hinch alluded to the possibility of using rookie Jose Urquidy in Game 4, and even the possibility that the bullpen outing for the hard-throwing right-hander could become something more like a start.

"I may say I'm doing a bullpen game, and Urquidy goes out there at some point during the game and I give him five or six innings," Hinch said earlier in the week. "I'm not sure that [bullpen game label] would really apply. At the same time, [my] hope is I wouldn't have to use nine pitchers. That's not often ideal, because what if the game goes 10, 11, 12, 13 innings. Unexpected things happen in regular games let alone bullpen games."

In addition to Urquidy, Hinch has Brad Peacock in his ALCS bullpen. Peacock was used as both a starter and a reliever during the regular season. He appeared in Friday's game, throwing one inning and eight pitches in relief of Verlander. Peacock was the only reliever Hinch used, so the manager will enter Saturday's game with a fully rested bullpen.

While Boone's relievers didn't carry as heavy a load as usual Friday, a number of his relievers have appeared in multiple games during the series. However, Boone did not use key relievers Adam Ottavino or Chad Green in Game 5, while lefty Zack Britton was the only New York reliever to reach double digits with his pitch count (18).

"We'll just do our best to piece it together," Boone said.

Cole shut out the Yankees over seven innings in the Astros' Game 3 win on Tuesday, a game in which he outpitched Severino. Hinch's decision on whether to start Cole on short rest was not clear-cut, but it's likely that Houston's lead in the series made the possibility of a bullpen game more palatable.

The Astros, with the strong starting trio of Verlander, Cole and Zack Greinke, have used a traditional pitching approach during the postseason so far. The Yankees, on the other hand, have relied heavily on the bullpen all season and through the playoffs.

New York entered the game with 51% of its innings this postseason coming from the bullpen. Only one team (the 1984 Padres) has made the World Series with its relievers handling at least half the workload. Ironically, on the eve of a rare full-fledged bullpen day between two teams in a high-stakes series, Yankees relievers threw just 35 pitches Friday, their lowest total this October.

NEW YORK -- The New York Yankees will live to play another day in the American League Championship Series after a bit of first-inning magic secured a 4-1 victory over the Houston Astros in Game 5 on Friday night to send the MLB playoffs series back to Texas.

The Bronx Bombers' bats woke up after a three-game slump, with DJ LeMahieu and Aaron Hicks hitting first-inning home runs against Astros ace Justin Verlander to build a three-run lead they would never relinquish. It was the first time that Verlander, 4-0 in seven previous October starts against the Yanks, gave up two home runs in the first inning in his postseason career.

"It was just a really good string of at-bats together against Justin, probably the best time to hopefully get to him is early," manager Aaron Boone said. "With DJ going out there and getting into one and then [Aaron] Judge and Gleyber [Torres] finding the chalk down there. And then Hicks, the same thing, and he was able to clip him. It was huge to get off to that start, especially after they scored a run in the first inning."

LeMahieu hit a leadoff home run on Verlander's second pitch of the game to tie the score after the Astros had taken an early 1-0 lead on a wild pitch by starter James Paxton with runners on the corners. It was just the second time in 28 career postseason starts that Verlander gave up a leadoff home run, his first since Game 1 of the 2012 American League Division Series to Coco Crisp.

Hicks followed with a three-run shot off the 36-year-old 2019 Cy Young contender, the most runs he has given up in a single inning in the postseason. Verlander surrendered four runs in a single game for only the eighth time in 29 postseason outings. Even more incredibly, it was the first time the Yankees have hit two first-inning home runs in a postseason game, no small feat considering it came in their 405th playoff game.

It was imperative for the Yankees to set the tone early against Verlander, who then went on to pitch one-hit, shutout ball over the next six innings, striking out nine.

"It was a good feeling. We needed a good start," said LeMahieu, whose home run was the first leadoff homer by a Yankee in the postseason since Derek Jeter's in Game 3 of the 2009 ALCS. "I was just trying to get on base, hit something hard and get things going and put a pretty good swing on it. We had a tough top of the first inning. Like always, just trying to get things going. But we really needed to get it going today."

Said Hicks: "That was the game plan, to strike early. Get some good pitches to hit early in the count and try to be aggressive towards him early in the game, and we were able to score four off of him."

Hicks certainly didn't look like a hitter who hadn't taken regular at-bats since early August. The outfielder went from missing more than two months because of a strained flexor in his right elbow, pondering whether he'd need to undergo Tommy John surgery, to being the Yankees' hero in a do-or-die game against the team with the best record in the majors.

"It has a lot to do with the people that helped me get here; the staff down there at the minor league complex really got me going, giving me whatever I needed; all the stuff to get me prepared for the postseason," Hicks said, giving credit to the Yankees coaches in Tampa, Florida, where he spent a good part of his injury rehab. "And then when I got here, obviously playing in the games is the adrenaline, it's being able to compete and wanting to compete ... is kind of what's got me here."

A single by Judge and a double by Torres gave Hicks a pair of baserunners to work with when he struck his blow off the right-field foul pole. The Yankees had been hitless in their previous 15 at-bats with runners in scoring position -- their longest such streak all season -- before Hicks' home run.

"Hicks' home run was huge; DJ's too, from the leadoff spot. To start with a home run is a huge opportunity for us, and against a really good pitcher like Verlander," Torres said. "It was really important to get to Verlander in that first inning because you saw what he can do when he settled down. We never thought about this as an elimination game and we tried to attack early and made good contact. The way we did things was very important, we stayed patient and did what we needed to."

The Yankees would have never reduced the Astros' lead in the best-of-seven series to 3-2 without a stellar performance by Paxton, who gave them six strong innings to combine with the bullpen to hold the Astros' potent offense to only one run after Houston outscored New York 12-4 in the previous two games in the Bronx.

"That's why we got him. That's why we made the trade for him, to get a guy like that," Judge said of Paxton, who was acquired from the Seattle Mariners in November last year. "He's the best left-handed pitcher in the game. In any big game we've had all year long, he's always stepped up for us. That's what he did. He wanted to rebound from his last start of the postseason and he did that tonight. He commanded the zone, kept them off balance all night."

Catcher Gary Sanchez, who continued to struggle offensively, now hitting only .100 (2-for-20) with 11 strikeouts in the ALCS, agreed that Paxton's effort was key.

"Paxton was great, he did exactly what we expected of him today," Sanchez said. "I think that was one of his best games of the year, at one of the biggest moments of the season for us."

Paxton admittedly felt the intensity of the moment in the first inning, which led to the game's first run. But he was able to settle down to give up only four hits over his six innings while striking out nine. Reliever Zack Britton came to teammate Tommy Kahnle's rescue in the seventh, getting the final two outs with two runners on base before working a perfect eighth inning. Closer Aroldis Chapman pitched the ninth to record his second save of the postseason.

"Nerves were huge, but that's all part of it. My goal was to go out there and give it everything I had for my team," Paxton said. "I wasn't ready to go home yet, so I wanted to go out and give my team everything I had and just battle away. And that's what I did out there, and it worked out. I was taking it one pitch at a time, and just grinding and giving everything I had out there."

One loss away from elimination, slowing things down and using every moment is where the Yankees are. It has taken them to a Game 6. Now they just have to grind their way to a Game 7.

NEW YORK -- It's just like any other day, and it's nothing like any other day. As the New York Yankees and Houston Astros packed their gear and headed to the airport for a 3½-hour overnight flight, they said all the right things -- that they'd done this before, that this was old hat, that it was just like any other getaway day. And in a sense, they weren't lying. Packing and flying and playing the next night are all familiar undertakings.

Of course, taking that tack ignores the context of this particular undertaking, and the context happens to make Saturday's outing unique in the annals of baseball history. Never before has a team facing elimination this deep in the MLB playoffs started a game with a relief pitcher. The Yankees will do that after their season-saving 4-1 victory Friday night. They won't be the only ones, either. In Game 6 of an American League Championship Series that the Astros still lead 3-2, they too will lean on an opener, a concept that is less than two years old and already finds itself so widely accepted that a pair of 100-plus-win teams will rely on it in a seminal postseason game.

The rapid evolution of baseball landed the game here, where bullpen games -- long the domain of lazy spring-training afternoons in which managers simply wanted to get guys an inning -- are now seen as far superior to using a traditional starting pitcher. Both teams have multiple options to start. Both are sticking with reliever-heavy game plans anyway, even amid a stretch in which they'll play four games in four days, a rarity in October.

"We're gonna get in. We're gonna try to get some sleep. Get up. And pretend it's a regular situation," said Yankees starter -- er, long reliever -- J.A. Happ. "We're gonna do our best. Because that's the only way to do it."

The 2019 ALCS: Fake it till you make it!

Happ was just being sincere. All season the Yankees and Astros have flown into the wee hours of the morning, slept off their fatigue and made it to the yard the next day for a game. This is how players live. They just don't do it in the midst of a series that is verging on epic, particularly if the Yankees can parlay one of their strengths all season -- their power relief corps -- into a winner-takes-all Game 7 with Luis Severino primed to take on Houston's Gerrit Cole, behind whom the Astros haven't lost since mid-July.

So, no, it's kind of not a regular situation. It's true the Oakland Athletics tried to bullpen the 2018 wild-card game against the Yankees, so it has been done. But not a bullpen vs. bullpen battle, and certainly not one with the season at stake for one team and elimination-game potential for another.

The entire spectacle is chaotic and larded with deliciously strategic bonbons ripe for consumption. Take the choice of opener. Do the Yankees go with their likely candidate, Chad Green, who opened 15 of the 17 times New York utilized one this season? Or does Aaron Boone, their manager, save Green for a higher-leverage spot later in the game, knowing that one of his late-inning options, Tommy Kahnle, already has pitched in back-to-back games?

Houston's options are even more interesting. "My guess was Brad Peacock," Astros reliever Will Harris said, "until the eighth inning." That's because Peacock pitched the eighth during Game 5 and was the only Houston reliever to appear. Consider, though: Peacock is a former starter, so he is familiar with and comfortable pitching the first inning. His fastball-slider-changeup mix looked righteous in retiring Brett Gardner and the top two hitters in the Yankees' lineup, DJ LeMahieu and Aaron Judge. And the Astros adore his competitiveness, having seen Peacock finish the final 3⅔ innings of Game 3 in the 2017 World Series.

Asked if he would be ready to go in Game 6 after finishing Game 5, Peacock said: "Absolutely. If they ask me, I'll do whatever it takes. They know if they ask me, that's what I'll do."

And if he does it, Peacock will join an illustrious list of men nicknamed Firpo, Three-Finger and Doc to finish one postseason game and start the next on zero days of rest.

In 1924, Firpo Marberry struck out one batter to save Game 2 of the World Series for the Washington Senators and the next day tossed three shaky innings in a loss. His predecessors were Three-Finger Brown for the Chicago Cubs in the 1910 World Series and Doc White for the Chicago White Sox in the 1906 World Series.

Other options exist for Astros manager AJ Hinch if he fears Peacock gave LeMahieu and Judge too good a read of his pitches in their at-bats. Because Justin Verlander plowed through six more innings after a miserable first that wound up costing Houston Game 5, Hinch rested all of his non-Peacock relievers. Closer Roberto Osuna, setup men Harris and Ryan Pressly, the fast-slow combination of Josh James and Joe Smith -- all of them together, plus Jose Urquidy, the rookie starter who can provide the so-called bulk innings if need be, constitute a force. Even better for the Astros is that if Game 6 is trending toward failure, they can give their best relievers an extra day off in preparation for Game 7, when they would feature arguably the best starting pitcher on the planet at the moment -- provided Cole doesn't pitch in Game 6, which Hinch deemed "unlikely."

Boone doesn't have quite that luxury, though he finds himself in a tenable position for now. His three best relievers, closer Aroldis Chapman, setup man Zack Britton and Kahnle, all pitched in Game 5. Beyond that Cerberus is a group that is lacking Boone's confidence (Adam Ottavino), potentially wild (Jonathan Loaisiga), more of a specialist (Tyler Lyons), a mop-up type (Luis Cessa), Happ and Ben Heller.

"I was pitching in intrasquad games in Tampa a couple of days ago," Heller said, "and now I'm pitching in the ALCS."

Heller, who threw 7⅓ innings this year in his return from Tommy John surgery, replaced the injured CC Sabathia on the Yankees' active roster. And in a bullpen game, for which a single out against a right-handed hitter might be needed, Boone could summon Heller, against whom right-handers are hitting .163 in his career.

The beauty of the bullpen game is the Ben Hellers of the world can find themselves in the highest-leverage situation. As much as it is about the players -- it's always about the players -- managerial chess is a fascinating game to play in October, and Boone vs. Hinch will be scrutinized with great fervor.

One wrong move could cost the Yankees their season.

One slip-up could leave the Astros an anomalous Cole start away from an all-time meltdown.

"It's both teams trying to get outs and trying to do it the best way we can," Boone said. "We've had some -- obviously a lot of guys go down this year and different people not available. We'll just do our best to piece it together."

Until then, both teams planned to go about their nights as usual. Urquidy would fall asleep on the plane. Peacock would play hearts with teammates until they landed. Happ would stay up, trying to get comfortable in the seat that never seemed big enough for him. And about 15 hours later, come 8:07 p.m. ET, someone would throw Game 6's first pitch without any intention of throwing the last.

The bullpen game is here. Chaos awaits.

Britain's Andy Murray reached his first ATP semi-final since 2017 with a hard-fought victory over Marius Copil at the European Open.

Three-time Grand Slam champion Murray came through 6-3 6-7 (7-9) 6-4 in two hours 35 minutes in Antwerp.

The Scot served for the match at 5-4 in the second set and held match point in the tie-break before Copil fought back.

However, the 32-year-old produced the decisive break in the final set to reach the last four.

Murray will face Ugo Humbert on Saturday after the Frenchman beat Argentina's Guido Pella 5-7 6-4 6-4.

It is the former world number one's first semi-final since the 2017 French Open, when he lost to Stan Wawrinka.

"It was a tough one to get through. Thankfully I managed to get the break right at the end," Murray said.

"I feel OK now. It's more about how you pull up the following day."

Murray broke down in tears after beating Romania's Copil in a gruelling match at the Washington Open in 2018.

Murray, continuing his return from hip surgery, moved well, particularly when coming up to the net, but his forehand faltered when he first attempted to serve out the match.

He led the resulting tie-break 5-3 and had a match point at 7-6, but Copil forced a decider with some strong serving.

In a tight final set, Murray converted his second break point to take a 5-4 lead, before wrapping up victory with his ninth ace of the match.

Antwerp is likely to be his last tournament of the year, with the possible exception of the Davis Cup, for which Great Britain will announce their squad on Monday.

He could still leave early if his wife, Kim, goes into early labour with their third child.

Earlier, 18-year-old Jannik Sinner of Italy reached his first ATP semi-final with a 6-4 3-6 6-3 win over American Frances Tiafoe.

Sinner, who is likely to break into the world's top 100 following the tournament, will face Switzerland's Wawrinka in the other semi-final.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Tanner Gray was the final car to take time in General Tire Pole Qualifying for Friday’s ARCA Kansas 150.

It turns out he saved the best for last as the reigning NHRA Pro Stock champion claimed the General Tire Pole Award for the ARCA Menards Series finale at Kansas Speedway.

Gray bumped championship contender Michael Self from the pole, costing him five bonus points in his battle for the ARCA title with Venturini Motorsports teammate Christian Eckes.

Gray turned a lap at 29.941 seconds at 180.355 mph. He was the only driver to exceed 180 mph in qualifying. Self’s lap was less than a tenth of a second slower, 30.014 seconds at 179.916 mph.

“The car was great and the track is in really good condition,” Gray said. “I tried to hold it wide open in practice and it didn’t work. I tried it in qualifying and it worked.”

Gray will start from the pole and would like to be well out in front of the field, with minimal impact on the battle for the championship. Self, who will start second, is fifteen points behind his Venturini Motorsports teammate Christian Eckes. Eckes qualified eleventh.

“We definitely don’t want to be involved in the championship battle at all,” Gray said. “We aren’t here racing for points. We’re here to win. I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable with this type of racing over the course of the season. I think we’ll have a great shot at the win.”

Three-time winner Ty Majeski will start third, followed by Riley Herbst and Drew Dollar.

Bret Holmes, who is third in the championship standings, qualified sixth. Daytona winner Harrison Burton was seventh, defending series champion and defending race winner Sheldon Creed was eighth, Gus Dean was ninth, and Travis Braden rounded out the top-10.