ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Joe Maddon is back under the halo.

Maddon agreed to a three-year deal to become the Los Angeles Angels’ manager on Wednesday, reuniting the World Series-winning former bench boss of the Chicago Cubs with the organization where he spent the first three decades of his baseball career.

“We are thrilled that Joe is coming back home and bringing an exciting brand of baseball to our fans,” general manager Billy Eppler said. “Every stop he has made throughout his managerial career, he has built a culture that is focused on winning while also allowing his players to thrive. We believe Joe will be a great asset for our club and look forward to him leading the team to another World Series championship.”

The Angels will formally introduce the 65-year-old Maddon at a news conference next week, but he already knows his way around Angel Stadium.

Maddon signed with the Angels as an undrafted catcher in 1975, and he spent the next 31 seasons working at almost every level of the organization as a player, coach and manager. He served as a big league assistant coach under five managers, and he had two stints as the Angels’ interim manager.

He was the Angels’ bench coach alongside manager Mike Scioscia during their championship season in 2002.

“I could not be more excited to come back home and manage this great organization,” Maddon said. “I’d like to thank (owner) Arte Moreno, Billy Eppler and (president) John Carpino for giving me the opportunity to add another chapter to my Angels career. I was lucky enough to be a part of the first Angels team to win a World Series title, and I look forward to the opportunity to bring Angel fans their second championship.”

Maddon left to manage Tampa Bay in 2006 for nine mostly successful seasons, followed by a big-money move to Chicago to make history.

The three-time Manager of the Year left the Cubs by mutual consent last month after they missed the playoffs for the first time in his five-year tenure. He’ll still likely never have to buy a drink in Chicago again because of 2016, when he led the Cubs to their first World Series title in 108 years.

Maddon replaces Brad Ausmus, who was fired after one season when the Angels finished 72-90, their worst record since 1999. Ausmus was abruptly dismissed shortly after Maddon became available, and most observers assumed Moreno had his eye on a reunion with Maddon, the Angels’ bench coach when Moreno bought the club in 2003.

The Angels also interviewed veteran managers John Farrell and Buck Showalter and Padres hitting coach Johnny Washington for the job, but Maddon was the choice. Maddon was expected to be a valued candidate for other managerial openings around the majors, but he was clearly eager for a reunion.

Maddon kept a home in Long Beach during his 14 seasons away from Anaheim, and he has fond feelings for the organization that gave him his start.

That organization is experiencing hard times: The Angels have endured four straight losing seasons for the first time since the 1970s, and they still haven’t won a playoff game with Mike Trout and Albert Pujols on their roster, making just one three-game postseason appearance after winning the AL West in 2014.

The Angels also were rocked this month by revelations about the role of a team employee in procuring opioids for pitcher Tyler Skaggs, who was found dead in his hotel room July 1.

Maddon’s personal charisma and mild eccentricities have made him a popular figure in baseball, but his consistent success made him the highest-profile candidate on the managerial market. The Angels managed to bring him home in a much-needed boost for a beleaguered franchise.

The Angels’ problems didn’t deter Maddon from taking over a roster with Trout as its centerpiece. The probable three-time AL MVP is signed to a 12-year, $426.5 million contract that should keep him in Anaheim for the bulk of his career.

The Angels’ starting pitching was easily their biggest weakness in 2019, but the rotation will benefit next season from the return of Shohei Ohtani, the two-way star who spent this year solely as a designated hitter while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Eppler also will attempt to be active in the free agent market to supplement a roster finally starting to bear fruit from Eppler’s years of rehabilitating a barren farm system.

Maddon’s managerial career away from Anaheim began with two losing seasons in Tampa Bay, but has been impressive ever since. The Rays made a 31-game improvement and won the AL pennant in 2008, leading to the first of Maddon’s three Manager of the Year awards.

He had five 90-win teams in Tampa Bay and four more in Chicago, including the 103-win Cubs who went on to that historic World Series victory. Maddon has received praise for his personable combination of old-school baseball passion and an eagerness to adapt to the new world of analytics and statistical decision-making.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington is heading to the World Series for the first time in 86 years after the wild-card Nationals used a seven-run first inning and Patrick Corbin’s 12-strikeout performance to hold on and beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-4 for a sweep of the NL Championship Series. The Nationals were just 19-31 in May but now they will face the Houston Astros or New York Yankees in the Fall Classic.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs’ use of the run-pass option is a big reason why their offense has been so successful the past season-plus. It has largely kept defenses uncertain where the ball is going, opening up the field for the Kansas City fleet of fast, athletic wide receivers. Only the past two weeks, the RPO has been more like R-P-Oh no!

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State’s success over the past two seasons helped it land freshman running back Breece Hall. Iowa State saw last weekend what it is like to have one of its own players take over a game. Hall ran for 132 yards and three touchdowns in a 38-14 victory at West Virginia. The Cyclones visit Texas Tech this weekend.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia coach Neal Brown is leaning on freshmen to help shore up a depleted secondary. Cornerbacks Nicktroy Fortune and Tae Mayo and safety Tykee Smith will be leaned on again when the Mountaineers play at fifth-ranked Oklahoma on Saturday.

National Headlines

NEW YORK (AP) _ Gerrit Cole worked seven shutout innings and the Houston Astros grabbed a two-games-to-one lead in the American League Championship Series by downing the New York Yankees, 4-1 in the Bronx. Cole struck out seven and worked around five walks by allowing just four hits while lowering his postseason ERA to 0.40 in three starts. Jose Altuve and Josh Reddick hit solo homers off losing pitcher Luis Severino, who gave up five hits over 4 1/3 innings.

UNDATED (AP) _ Jalen Ramsey has been traded by the Jacksonville Jaguars to the Rams in a series of moves by Los Angeles. The Rams acquired the disgruntled cornerback for first-round picks in 2020 and 2021, along with a fourth-round pick in 2021. The Rams dealt two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Marcus Peters to the Ravens for linebacker Kenny Young and an undisclosed pick in the 2020 draft. Los Angeles also picked up center Austin Corbett from the Browns for a draft pick.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) _ New Orleans Saints defensive back P.J. Williams has been suspended two games for a violation of the NFL’s substance abuse policy. The league statement does not specify which banned substance Williams was determined to have used. However, Williams was arrested in January for allegedly driving while intoxicated just days after the Saints’ loss in the NFC Championship game.

UNDATED (AP) _ One NFL executive says the Detroit Lions were unfairly punished by an erroneous penalty during Monday’s 23-22 loss to the Packers in Green Bay. Executive vice president Troy Vincent says the second hands to the face call on Lions defensive end Trey Flowers in the second half was incorrect. The second penalty allowed the Packers to continue a game-winning drive that put them near the Detroit goal line before Mason Crosby hit a game-winning field goal as time expired.

Tuesday Scores

AMERICAN LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Final Houston 4 N-Y Yankees 1

NATIONAL LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Final Washington 7 St. Louis 4

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PRESEASON
Final Boston 118 Cleveland 95
Final Minnesota 119 Indiana 111
Final Philadelphia 106 Detroit 86

(BY STEVE CARPENTER)
(HUTCHINSON CC SPORTS INFORMATION)

HUTCHINSON, Kan. – Hutchinson Community College sophomore linebacker Lavar Gardner had double-figure tackles for the fifth time in seventh games and led the Blue Dragon defense to their best effort of the season on Saturday in a 49-7 win over Coffeyville at Gowans Stadium.

The transfer linebacker from Atlanta was named the Jayhawk Conference Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Red Ravens.

Gardner is the second Blue Dragon this season to earn conference Defensive Player of the Week honors, joining Latrell Bankston, who won the award in Week 5. This is the sixth time in 2019 that a Blue Dragon player has been honored as either an offensive, defensive or special teams’ player of the week.

Gardner had 10 total tackles, including five solo stops against the Red Ravens. Gardner had four tackles for loss, including one quarterback sack. He also recovered a fumble with Coffeyville threatening in the first quarter.

Gardner is now eligible for NJCAA national honors. Those awards will be announced on Wednesday.

NEW YORK, New. – The XFL New York Guardians draft former Salthawk, KU Jayhawk and NFL Draft choice Ben Heeney.  

Via Twitter:  With the No. 7 overall pick in the Defensive Front 7 XFL Draft, the XFL Guardians select LB Ben Heeney.

Former Kansas linebacker Ben Heeney, a Hutchinson, Kansas native who was drafted to the NFL by the Raiders and later saw stints with the Saints and Texans, was selected by the XFL’s Guardians.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington is heading to the World Series for the first time in 86 years after the wild-card Nationals used a seven-run first inning and Patrick Corbin’s 12-strikeout performance to hold on and beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-4 Tuesday night for a sweep of the NL Championship Series.

Quite a stunning turnaround for the Nationals, who went from 19-31 in May — when there was talk of firing manager Dave Martinez and trading away players — to the Fall Classic in October. They have won 16 of their last 18 games.

Corbin, a $140 million lefty, became the first pitcher to strike out 10 in the first four innings of a postseason game and earned the win. Washington put up seven runs in the first, all charged to rookie Dakota Hudson, who lasted all of 15 pitches.

Washington gets plenty of time to rest and set up its rotation before beginning the World Series in a week against the Houston Astros or New York Yankees. Houston leads the best-of-seven AL Championship Series 2-1 after winning Game 3 at New York 4-1 Tuesday.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Rams acquired Jalen Ramsey from the Jaguars on Tuesday night, ending the star cornerback’s tumultuous tenure in Jacksonville with a trade to the defending NFC champions.

Jacksonville got first-round picks from the Rams in 2020 and 2021, along with a fourth-round pick in 2021.

Ramsey is one of the NFL’s elite defensive backs, earning two Pro Bowl selections and one first-team All-Pro nod in three seasons with Jaguars. The fifth overall pick in the 2016 draft has nine career interceptions along with innumerable conflicts with his coaches, the front office and the Jags’ opponents.

One month after he requested a trade, Ramsey is off to the West Coast to join Aaron Donald on the Rams’ defense.

Ramsey has missed the Jaguars’ last three games with an apparent back injury, but he returned to practice last week. He’ll probably need to play immediately with the Rams (3-3), who are without both of their usual starting cornerbacks as they head to Atlanta this weekend.

The defending NFC champions traded cornerback Marcus Peters to Baltimore earlier in the day, getting depth linebacker Kenny Young for a two-time Pro Bowl selection who will be a free agent next year. Los Angeles also put cornerback Aqib Talib on injured reserve Monday after he missed last weekend’s loss to San Francisco with a rib injury.

Ramsey had never missed a start in his professional career before his current injury, but that was about the only certainty around the Tennessee native who once committed to USC, only to end up at Florida State.

Ramsey’s relationship with the Jaguars frayed in recent months. He had a public spat on the sideline with coach Doug Marrone in Week 2 at Houston, and he clashed with personnel chief Tom Coughlin after the game.

The Jags made their move five days after owner Shad Khan said he had a “heart to heart” with Ramsey and expected him to play against New Orleans last weekend. Ramsey didn’t, prompting Khan’s decision to move on from the disgruntled defender.

Ramsey is under contract through the 2020 season after the Jaguars exercised his fifth-year, $13.7 million option in April — at the same time Ramsey apparently was upsetting Coughlin by skipping the Jags’ voluntary offseason workouts.

Coach Sean McVay’s Rams have had few problems molding together plenty of strong personalities in recent years, and Ramsey’s upside is tremendous — even at the heavy cost of two first-round picks.

Ramsey will join two prominent ex-Jaguars in Los Angeles, all three of whom were top-5 draft picks by Jacksonville.

Pass rusher Dante Fowler re-signed with the Rams after he was traded from Jacksonville at last season’s deadline, while quarterback Blake Bortles is Jared Goff’s backup after five years with the Jags.

The Rams are on their first three-game losing streak of McVay’s tenure, although their sputtering offense likely deserves more blame than the defense.

Los Angeles hasn’t made a first-round pick since 2016, when Jared Goff was the first overall selection.

The Rams began their busy day by acquiring offensive lineman Austin Corbett from the Cleveland Browns. Los Angeles needs a new left guard after Joe Noteboom’s season-ending knee injury.

NEW YORK (AP) — Far from his best, Gerrit Cole was still unbeatable. Heck, he didn’t even give up a run.

A gritty Cole held the New York Yankees scoreless without his sharpest stuff, Jose Altuve sparked Houston at the plate and the Astros locked down a 4-1 victory Tuesday to take a 2-1 lead in the AL Championship Series.

Altuve and Josh Reddick homered early off Luis Severino, who labored into the fifth while keeping the Yankees close. But they never broke through against Cole, who grinded through seven innings to win his 19th straight decision despite walking five batters for the second time in his career.

“Just boiled down to making some good pitches under pressure,” he said.

Cole pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the first and stranded nine runners through five, improving to 3-0 with a 0.40 ERA in three outings this postseason. Poised to become a prized free agent this fall who could command more than $200 million, he’s putting together a dominant run that’s beginning to rival some of baseball’s greatest October pitching performances.

The 29-year-old right-hander, unbeaten in 25 starts since his last loss on May 22, allowed four hits and struck out seven. That ended a streak of 11 consecutive games with double-digit strikeouts — the previous big league record was eight. Cole led the majors with 326 Ks this season.

Game 4 in the best-of-seven playoff is scheduled for Wednesday night — but that could change. The gloomy weather forecast calls for a substantial storm with steady-to-heavy rain and wind all night in New York, potentially forcing a postponement that would likely alter pitching plans for both teams.

Gleyber Torres homered in the eighth off Houston reliever Joe Smith, one batter after replay umpires reversed a call and ruled Edwin Encarnación out at first base. That led to a little trash and a ball being thrown onto the field before public address announcer Paul Olden reminded fans not to toss any objects out of the stands.

Roberto Osuna got three quick outs in the ninth for a save.

Cole got away with several pitches in key situations and, other times, flashed the nasty breakings balls and 98-100 mph heat that have made him so unhittable in these playoffs — and unbeatable since May.

After rolling to a 7-0 victory in the series opener, the Yankees — the highest-scoring team in the majors this season — have totaled three runs in the last 20 innings.

“It’s obviously a little frustrating we weren’t able to break through with him,” New York manager Aaron Boone said. “But I think up and down we gave ourselves a chance. And anytime you’re facing a guy like that, you want that kind of traffic. And we had that in several innings. He made big pitches when he had to.”

With two on in the fifth and the Yankees trailing 2-0, Didi Gregorius flied out to Reddick at the right field fence. Cole finally found his rhythm after that, retiring his last seven batters with three strikeouts.

He called his early fastball command “spotty.”

“I mean, we just had to work it,” Cole said.

Houston got a rally going in the seventh against scuffling reliever Adam Ottavino. George Springer walked and went to third when Altuve, who homered on Severino’s third pitch, executed a perfect run-and-hit single through the right side.

After some savvy baserunning by Springer to stay in a rundown long enough to get runners to second and third, one run scored on a wild pitch by Zack Britton. Yuli Gurriel then made it 4-0 with a sacrifice fly.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees LF Giancarlo Stanton sat out for the second consecutive game because of a strained right quadriceps. He was replaced in the lineup by CF Aaron Hicks, who batted ninth in his first start since Aug. 3. Brett Gardner shifted from center to left. Hicks fought back from an 0-2 count and drew a 10-pitch walk from Cole his first time up. The switch-hitter, who pinch-hit late in Game 2 and stayed in to play center, had been sidelined by a strained flexor near his right elbow. Stanton, limited by injuries to 18 games during the regular season, was an option to pinch-hit but would probably be on the injured list if this were the regular season, manager Aaron Boone said.

OUT AT HOME

Plate umpire Jeff Nelson exited with a concussion after taking two foul balls off his mask, causing a 16-minute delay before the fifth inning began. Kerwin Danley, who was at second base, went inside and changed into gear to work the plate. Mark Carlson switched from third to second and Marvin Hudson from left field to third. Severino was given additional time to warm up again, and the game proceeded with a five-man crew and no left field ump.

UP NEXT

Both teams were planning bullpen games Wednesday night, but a rainout would allow them to bring back the Game 1 starters on full rest in Game 4 if it gets pushed to Thursday. Yankees right-hander Masahiro Tanaka beat Zack Greinke 7-0 in the series opener last Saturday at Houston, improving to 5-2 with a 1.32 ERA in seven career postseason outings. Tanaka has permitted only one run and four hits over 11 innings in winning both his playoff games this year, while Greinke is 0-2 with an 8.38 ERA in two starts.

BUHLER, Kan. – Senior Night at Buhler Soccer was a success with Buhler shutting out Circle 10-0 with Cade Taylor scoring 6 goals.

Volleyball swept Winfield 25-14, 23-25, 25-17 and Augusta 25-22, 25-15.

NICKERSON, Kan. – Nickerson Panther Volleyball celebrated Senior Night with wins over Hoisington 25-12, 2510 and Hillsboro 25-15, 25-19.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. – The Salthawk Volleyball team split a pair on Senior Night at the SAC.  Hutchinson defeated Salina Central in the first match 25-12, 25-16 but dropped the 2nd match to Newton in 3 sets 25-14, 18-25, 22-25.

Over the weekend, Central Christian Volleyball placed 3rd in HOPL tournament, beating Pretty Prairie 25-14,25-20. End the day 4-2, overall record is now 21-11.

 

(BY STEVE CARPENTER)
(HUTCHINSON CC SPORTS INFORMATION)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Stephen Strasburg took his turn silencing the Cardinals’ struggling bats, Nationals postseason star Howie Kendrick doubled three times and drove in three more runs, and Washington moved one win from the city’s first World Series appearance in 86 years by beating St. Louis 8-1 to take a 3-0 lead in the NL Championship Series. Strasburg struck out 12 in 7 innings.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have struggled for Andy Reid’s entire tenure to stop the run. Now, with a team pegged as Super Bowl contenders, they may be worse than ever. Injuries have mounted on the defensive line, middle linebacker Anthony Hitchens also is hobbled and coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s switch from a 3-4 system to a 4-3 has failed to produce any noticeable improvement. It’s no wonder the Chiefs’ run defense is making opposing backs look like stars.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The defensive numbers for No. 15 Texas are bad and getting worse. The Longhorns rank last in the Big 12 in pass defense and their current pace of 453.3 total yards allowed per game would break some dubious records. What shocked coach Tom Herman the most about the 34-27 loss to Oklahoma was how easily the Sooners pushed around and ran through his team.

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma State’s starting quarterback and redshirt freshman Spencer Sanders has experienced ups and downs during his last three games. The Cowboys face No. 18 Baylor (6-0, 3-0 Big 12) at home on Saturday following its bye week. Oklahoma State (4-2, 1-2) will need a strong showing from Sanders after the Cowboys’ 45-35 loss to Texas Tech on Oct. 5.

National Headlines

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) _ Mason Crosby capped the Green Bay Packers’ comeback from a nine-point, fourth-quarter deficit by drilling a 23-yard field goal as time expired to give his team a 23-22 win over the Detroit Lions. The Lions led 22-13 until Aaron Rodgers hit Allen Lazard for a 35-yard scoring pass with 8:03 remaining. Rodgers was 24 of 39 for 283 yards and two touchdowns as the 5-1 Packers dropped the Lions to 2-2-1.

TALLADEGA, Ala. (AP) _ Ryan Blaney earned his first win of the season and a berth in the third round of NASCAR’s Cup playoffs by beating Newman in a door-to-door race to the finish line at Talladega Superspeedway. Blaney was the leader on a restart with two laps remaining, but he fell behind Newman before receiving a push from fellow Ford driver Aric Almirola. Blaney joins Kyle Larson in the round of eight, with six spots sill available.

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs say they plan to interview former Philadelphia manager Gabe Kapler and Houston bench coach Joe Espada this week about their managerial opening. The Astros have an off day today ahead of Game 3 in the ALCS in New York on Tuesday. Kapler was fired last week after going 161-163 in two years with the Phillies.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — All-Pro linebacker Darius Leonard of the Indianapolis Colts has completed his first full practice in nearly three weeks and is expected to play Sunday against Houston. Leonard missed Indy’s previous two games with a concussion and used social media to announce last Wednesday he had been cleared through the concussion protocol. The Colts, who are 3-and-2, had a bye last weekend.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — The Chicago Bears have placed guard Kyle Long on injured reserve because of a hip injury and promoted defensive end Abdullah Anderson from the practice squad. Long has been plagued by the hip injury since early in the season. It’s the fourth straight year Long has gone on injured reserve. Last year he returned after eight weeks.

Monday Scores

NATIONAL LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Final Washington 8 St. Louis 1

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Final Green Bay 23 Detroit 22

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PRESEASON
Final Miami 120 Atlanta 87
Final Charlotte 120 Memphis 99
Final Dallas 107 Oklahoma City 70
Final Sacramento 128 Utah 115
Final Denver 107 Phoenix 102
Final L.A. Lakers 104 Golden State 98