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Bryce Young, Panthers prevail in OT as Falcons miss playoffs

NFL: Carolina Panthers at Atlanta FalconsJan 5, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) runs for a touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons in the second quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

ATLANTA — Miles Sanders rushed for the game-winning 1-yard touchdown in overtime and the visiting Carolina Panthers beat the Falcons 44-38 in the season finale on Sunday, eliminating Atlanta from playoff contention.

Bryce Young completed 25 of 34 passes for 251 yards and three touchdowns, adding two more scores on the ground, as Carolina (5-12) scored a season-high 44 points.

Michael Penix Jr. threw for 312 yards, two touchdowns and an interception for the Falcons (8-9), who needed a win paired with a Tampa Bay loss to New Orleans in order to win the division. Bijan Robinson ran for 170 yards and two touchdowns, while Drake London caught 10 passes for 187 yards and two scores.

The Panthers won the first possession of overtime and never let it go, driving 70 yards to end the game with a touchdown and keep the ball out of Atlanta’s hands.

Trailing 24-17 at halftime, Carolina tied the game after Mike Jackson intercepted Penix’s pass, leading to Young’s 12-yard touchdown pass to Tommy Tremble with 10:43 left in the third quarter.

After Riley Patterson missed a 52-yard field goal, Carolina regained the lead with Young’s 9-yard touchdown pass to David Moore with 1:02 remaining in the third.

The Falcons matched the score with Penix’s 21-yard touchdown strike to London at the 9:50 mark of the final quarter, tying the game at 31.

Carolina then scored on its third straight drive, as Young’s 10-yard rushing touchdown stamped a nine-play, 70-yard drive with 4:01 left in the game.

Robinson’s second rushing score, this time a 4-yarder, tied the game at 38 with 46 seconds remaining.

The teams traded field goals on their opening drives. After the Falcons turned the ball over on downs at the Panthers’ 42-yard line, Carolina scored the game’s first touchdown on Young’s 2-yard scramble with 10:47 left in the second quarter.

Atlanta answered with a 70-yard drive that included London’s 24-yard reception and Robinson’s 15-yard rush, before Penix ran it from 5 yards out to knot the score at 10 with 5:27 left in the half.

Carolina then took a 17-10 lead on Young’s 33-yard touchdown pass to Sanders, but Robinson tied the game again with a 3-yard rushing score.

Following a Carolina punt, Penix led Atlanta on an 81-yard drive in 37 seconds, culminating in a 20-yard touchdown pass to London with three seconds left for a 24-17 halftime lead.

–Jack Batten, Field Level Media

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Kyle Harrison helps Brewers prolong Nationals' home misery

MLB: Milwaukee Brewers at Washington NationalsMay 2, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Kyle Harrison (52) throw to the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images

Kyle Harrison pitched six solid innings and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Nationals 4-1 on Saturday in Washington.

Brandon Lockridge had two hits including a two-run single and William Contreras, who had four hits in each of his past two games, went 1-for-4 with an intentional walk.

Harrison (3-1) gave up a run on seven hits. He struck out five and walked one while lowering his ERA to 2.12. Abner Uribe pitched the ninth for his third save, closing it out after the first two batters reached base.

James Wood had two hits and Curtis Mead doubled and scored a run for the Nationals.

Washington’s Foster Griffin (3-1) pitched six innings, allowing three unearned runs on three hits. He struck out three and walked four.

The Nationals are 3-12 at home.

Griffin retired the first two Brewers in the first, but Contreras singled and Gary Sanchez and Jake Bauers walked to load the bases. Third baseman Brady House’s fielding error on Luis Rengifo’s grounder let in the first run and Lockridge followed with a two-run single to make it 3-0.

Mead doubled off the wall in right leading off the fourth and scored on a one-out single by CJ Abrams.

Griffin walked the first two batters in the fifth but struck out Contreras and Sanchez, and Bauers grounded out.

Jose Tena led off the seventh with a pinch-hit double, but Milwaukee pitchers retired the next three batters without Tena advancing.

The Brewers loaded the bases on three consecutive singles off Brad Lord with one out in the eighth, and a run scored when Joey Ortiz grounded out on a slow bouncer. Grant Mitchell walked to reload the bases, but Brice Turang struck out.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy said Saturday the team remains optimistic about the status of pitcher Jacob Misiorowski, who worked 5 1/3 innings hitless innings before leaving Friday’s win with a right hamstring cramp.

“I think he’s going to be fine,” Murphy said.

–Field Level Media

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Real Salt Lake dominates Portland to snap losing streak

MLS: Portland Timbers at Real Salt LakeMay 2, 2026; Sandy, Utah, USA; Real Salt Lake midfielder Zavier Gozo (72) celebrates after scoring a goal against the Portland Timbers during the first half at America First Field. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Zavier Gozo and Diego Luna scored in the first half as Real Salt Lake snapped a two-game losing streak with a stress-free 2-0 victory over the Portland Timbers Saturday in Sandy, Utah.

Juan Manuel Sanabria assisted on both goals for RSL (6-3-1, 19 points) who are off to their best start since 2014 when they opened without a loss in their first 12 MLS matches.

Rafael Cabral had two saves for Salt Lake, which avenged a 3-1 season-ending defeat last October at Portland in the wild-card round of the MLS playoffs.

James Pantemis had 13 saves for the Timbers (3-6-1, 10 points) as he kept RSL from turning the match into a rout.

Real Salt Lake dominated from the start as they uncorked seven shots before the Timbers took their first attempt in the 26th minute.

After scoring one goal in the previous 225 minutes entering the game, Salt Lake repeatedly found transition opportunities with through passes against Portland’s careless back line.

Sanabria set up the first goal with a long feed through the Portland defense that found Sergi Solans in stride down the middle of the pitch.

Streaking down the right wing, Gozo ran onto a laid-off pass and fired a right-footed shot from inside the box. Pantemis got a hand on the ball inside the near post but couldn’t stop it as Gozo tallied his third goal of the season.

Real Salt Lake continued their assault as Morgan Guilavogui took three promising shots in a span of seven high-paced minutes.

Pantemis made a save on a Guilavogui breakaway attempt and the RSL forward banged a shot off the crossbar and was wide right on another right-footed blast in the sequence.

Salt Lake broke through in the 28th minute on a one-two on the left side of the box, as Luna took a return pass from Sanabria and scored with a left-footed shot inside the far post for his third goal of the season and a 2-0 lead.

Luna’s goal came immediately after Portland’s lone shots on goal, one minute apart. Cabral stopped a header by Kevin Kelsy, then denied a low-percentage try by Antony Alves Santos.

In the second half, Real Salt Lake slowed the pace, happy to play in a defensive shell, which prevented the Timbers from taking a shot on goal.

–Field Level Media

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Brice Matthews' 3-run blast, leaping catch help Astros handle Red Sox

MLB: Houston Astros at Boston Red SoxMay 2, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Houston Astros center fielder Brice Matthews (0) hits a three run home run against the Boston Red Sox during the fourth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Brice Matthews and Christian Walker homered in back-to-back innings and combined for five RBI to lead the visiting Houston Astros to a 6-3 win over the Boston Red Sox on Saturday.

Matthews’ three-run shot in the fourth helped the Astros build a 5-0 lead they would not relinquish. Spencer Arrighetti (4-0) nabbed the victory, striking out four while working around five walks across five innings of one-run ball.

Walker had a 3-for-4 day with two RBI and two runs while Carlos Correa and Dustin Harris also had multiple hits for Houston, which pounded out 12 in the series-evening victory. However, Walker left the game in the ninth after being hit in the head by a Tyler Samaniego fastball.

Wilyer Abreu went 2-for-3 with an RBI for the Red Sox, who left 10 on base.

Houston took a 1-0 lead while Connelly Early (2-2) labored through a 28-pitch first. The Boston southpaw allowed two walks before Walker lined a one-out RBI single to left, but Jose Altuve’s 6-4-3 double play limited the damage.

Arrighetti pitched a 1-2-3 first before twin killings helped him through the next two frames. In the third, the Red Sox squandered their first of two bases-loaded opportunities as Willson Contreras’ 6-4-3 double-play grounder erased Ceddanne Rafaela’s leadoff single and two walks.

In the next half-inning, the visitors sent eight men to the plate and scored four runs to break the game open.

After Walker singled and Altuve doubled over Rafaela in center, Matthews crushed a three-run homer into the Green Monster seats to make it 4-0. Cam Smith crushed a wall-ball double to deep center and scored on Correa’s bloop single into right two batters later.

Arrighetti squashed a two-on Boston threat in the fourth, then Walker lined a solo shot to left off reliever Ryan Watson in the fifth.

The Red Sox cut into their deficit in the fifth on a Contreras sacrifice fly that scored Connor Wong. The deep drive would have led to more damage if not for Matthews’ leaping catch against the wall.

After Smith and Correa made highlight-reel plays to blank Boston in the sixth, the hosts climbed within 6-3 when Abreu and Trevor Story knocked back-to-back RBI singles in the seventh.

The Red Sox put five straight batters on base with two outs in the seventh, but they left the bases loaded as Kai-Wei Teng struck out Rafaela looking to begin his 1 1/3 scoreless frames.

–Field Level Media

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