Lots Going On

The Toronto Blue Jays advanced to the American League Championship Series by virtue of a 7-6 victory in 10 innings Sunday night over the Texas Rangers.

Josh Donaldson scored from second base on a wild throw and the Blue Jays took the best-of-five series in three games.

The Cleveland Indians can match that feat if they beat the Boston Red Sox on Monday in a 6 p.m. ET game. They lead the series 2-0. The Chicago Cubs lead the San Francisco Giants 2-0 in their National League Divisional Series, with Game 3 on Monday at 9: 30 p.m. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Nationals were rained out on Sunday in their NLDS contest and will also play Monday at 4 p.m. They are tied at a game apiece.

NFL

When you’re hot, you’re hot. The Minnesota Vikings won their fifth straight and remained undefeated, topping the Houston Texans 31-13. The Dallas Cowboys won their fourth straight and the Washington Redskins won their third straight. The Buffalo Bills and Oakland Raiders are also on three-game winning streak. Running cold: The Cleveland Browns, 0-5. They were the unwilling hosts for Tom Brady’s return from his DeflateGate suspension. Brady passed for 406 yards and three touchdowns, all to Martellus Bennett, in a 33-13 win for the New England Patriots. … The Atlanta Falcons handed the Denver Broncos their first loss and afterwards Broncos coach Gary Kubiak was hospitalized with flu-like symptoms.

College Football

The Associated Press poll won’t be released until Monday because the Georgia-South Carolina game was postponed from Saturday to Sunday. Expect no changes at the top. Alabama and Ohio State will remain 1-2 but Washington is a rising power after it smashed Oregon 70-21. And the Huskies, ranked No. 5 last week, will have a hard time getting past No. 4 Michigan, which beat Rutgers 78-0. Houston, previously No. 6, will take a tumble after its upset by Navy.

NASCAR

Jimmie Johnson’s win at Charlotte Motor Speedway earned him a spot in the round of eight in the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship. It was his third victory of the season. Matt Kenseth was second and Kasey Kahne third.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman