WASHINGTON (AP) — After no-hit bids into the late innings helped the Nationals take a 2-0 lead over the Cardinals in the NL Championship Series, postseason star Stephen Strasburg takes the mound for Washington in Game 3 and 23-year-old ace Jack Flaherty for St. Louis. The Cardinals have just four hits and one run through the first two games. St. Louis is sending 23-year-old ace Jack Flaherty to the mound in Game 3.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Deshaun Watson threw for 280 yards and a touchdown while running for two more, outdueling Chiefs counterpart Patrick Mahomes and leading the Texans to a 31-24 victory Sunday. Carlos Hyde added 116 yards rushing and a touchdown against the team that traded him to Houston before the start of the season. Mahomes finished with 273 yards passing and three touchdowns, two of them to returning star Tyreek Hill.

UNDATED (AP) — A review of college football statistics at midseason shows a lot of familiar names at or near the top of the charts and a few surprises, too. Oklahoma is on track to lead the nation in offense for a third straight year. LSU, which has ranked in the top 50 in offense only three other seasons since 2009, is producing points and yards at unprecedented rates. Wisconsin has posted four shutouts in six games, and Penn State, Ohio State and Iowa give the Big Ten four of the top five defenses.

WACO, Texas (AP) — No. 18 Baylor will be without leading tackler Clay Johnston for the rest of the season after he injured his knee on a play where he had an interception. Johnston got hurt in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s 33-30 double-overtime win over Texas Tech. The senior middle linebacker limped off the field and never returned after his interception deep in Baylor territory. Baylor officials confirmed he will miss the rest of the season.

National Headlines

NEW YORK (AP) — LSU moved up to No. 2 in The Associated Press college football poll, giving the Southeastern Conference the top two teams in the country for the 29th time. The Tigers jumped from No. 5, past No. 3 Clemson and No. 4 Ohio State, after beating Florida in a matchup of unbeaten teams. Georgia dropped from No. 3 to No. 10 after losing at home to South Carolina in double overtime. The Bulldogs were among a season-high eight ranked teams to lose this weekend, including four to unranked teams.

HOUSTON (AP) _ The American League Championship Series is tied at a game apiece after Carlos Correa (koh-RAY’-uh) belted a walk-off, solo homer off J.A. Happ in the 11th inning to give the Houston Astros a 3-2 victory over the New York Yankees. Aaron Judge belted a two-run blast in the fourth inning to put the Yankees ahead 2-1, but Houston forced extra innings on George Springer’s fifth-inning blast. The series resumes tomorrow in New York when Luis Severino will take the mound for the Yanks against Gerrit Cole.

TALLADEGA, Ala. (AP) _ Yesterday’s NASCAR playoff race at Talladega Superspeedway was red-flagged and halted for the day because of rain. NASCAR called the red flag at the end of the first stage of Sunday’s race. They are scheduled to pick up the race this afternoon. Hendrick driver William Byron won the first stage, with teammates Alex Bowman and Jimmie Johnson right behind him.

HUMBLE, Texas (AP) _ Lanto Griffin has qualified for the Masters by capturing the Houston Open. Griffin took the lead with a 35-foot birdie putt on the 16th hole and sank a 6-foot par on the final hole for a 3-under 69 and a one-shot victory over Mark Hubbard and Scott Harrington. None of the three had won on the PGA Tour. Harrington missed a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th and shot 67.

STUTTGART, Germany (AP) _ Simone Biles has broken the all-time record for most medals by any gymnast at the world championships by winning the balance beam competition yesterday in Stuttgart. It’s the 24th world championship medal for Biles, breaking a tie on 23 with the Belarusian men’s gymnast Vitaly Scherbo. Biles scored 15.066 on the beam after a near-flawless routine.

Sunday Scores

AMERICAN LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Final Houston 3 N-Y Yankees 2 (11 Innings)

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Final Carolina 37 Tampa Bay 26
Final Houston 31 Kansas City 24
Final Seattle 32 Cleveland 28
Final Baltimore 23 Cincinnati 17
Final New Orleans 13 Jacksonville 6
Final Minnesota 38 Philadelphia 20
Final Washington 17 Miami 16
Final San Francisco 20 L.A. Rams 7
Final Arizona 34 Atlanta 33
Final N-Y Jets 24 Dallas 22
Final Denver 16 Tennessee 0
Final Pittsburgh 24 L.A. Chargers 17
Mon Detroit at Green Bay 7:15 p.m. (CT)