(Photo Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports)

Recapping all the top games you may have missed over the weekend

The Houston Astros can clinch their second World Series title in three years on Tuesday night in their home ballpark.

The Astros defeated the Washington Nationals 7-1 on Sunday night to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven matchup, hitting three two-run home runs and riding on a strong performance from pitcher Gerrit Cole. The Nationals expected to pitch Max Scherzer but had to scratch him with back and neck spasms.

The Nats won the first two games of the series in Houston; the Astros then won three in a row on the road. Game 6 (8:07 p.m. ET., Fox) will match Houston’s Justin Verlander against Stephen Strasburg.

NFL:
The league’s two undefeated teams remained that way. The New England Patriots improved to 8-0 with a 27-13 victory over the struggling Cleveland Browns. The San Francisco 49ers are 7-0 after trashing the Carolina Panthers 51-13.

The Kansas City Chiefs, without quarterback Patrick Mahomes, lost a third straight home game this season, 31-24 to the Green Bay Packers.

With Drew Brees (thumb) back at QB, the New Orleans Saints rolled to a 31-9 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Brees passed for 373 yards and three touchdowns.

College Football:
Voters in the Associated Press poll moved LSU past Alabama by two points for the top spot in this week’s poll, even though both teams won (Alabama with a backup QB). The SEC rivals meet on Nov. 9; both will be coming off a bye. Ohio State is third and Clemson fourth.

Oklahoma, previously sixth, fell to No. 10 after losing to Kansas State. The upset brought KSU back into the Top 25 on 22nd.

NASCAR:
Martin Truex Jr. won for the third time in the NASCAR playoffs, taking Sunday’s race at Martinsville Speedway. Drivers Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin, whose rivalry flares from time to time, nearly got into a fight afterward as they talked on pit road. Hamlin finished fourth, Logano eighth.

Elsewhere:
Tiger Woods tied Sam Snead with 82 career victories on the PGA Tour, winning the inaugural ZOZO Championship in Japan. The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Golden State Warriors 120-92 on Sunday, dropping the Warriors to 0-2.

Patrice Bergeron’s hat trick powered the Boston Bruins to a 7-4 win over the New York Rangers. The New York Islanders won their seventh straight, downing the Philadelphia Flyers 5-3.

 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman