World Series 2025 Game 1: Los Angeles Dodgers 4-11 Toronto Blue Jays – as it happened

Well, the strategy coming in was get the starter out as soon as possible and bash the bullpen. Well, Snell lasted into the sixth before the runs rolled in for Toronto as 12 men came to the plate and they hit both the starter and the relievers. The Jays looked every bit as formidable as they did v the Yankees and Mariners. The key? Limiting the big inning. The Dodgers had chances to put up cooked numbers early, but left with a pair of single runs – not nearly enough against a Jays team that can break out at any time

Tommy Freeman grabs four tries as Saints overwhelm Saracens in high-scoring thriller

A classic had seemed to be on the cards and the players emphatically delivered. A pulsating encounter at the top of the Prem table ended with Northampton ultimately pulling Saracens apart after blowing an early 17-0 lead.Noah Caluori had dominated the buildup after his five tries against Sale, but Tommy Freeman of England restated his class with a phenomenal four tries, while Fin Smith orchestrated a vintage attacking performance. Phil Dowson’s Northampton look well equipped for another title.“Tommy does so many things so well,” Dowson said of Freeman, who may soon feature at outside-centre for England

NBA gambling scandal shines harsh light on US sports’ embrace of betting

The NBA gambling scandal is the biggest story of the year in US sports, a culmination of the years-long embrace between professional leagues and the multibillion-dollar gambling industry that has now crossed the line from synergy into scandal.In two sweeping federal indictments unsealed in Brooklyn on Thursday, prosecutors charged more than 30 people – including the Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and former NBA player and assistant Damon Jones – with schemes that turned inside information and rigged card games into engines of profit for organized crime.Federal officials dubbed the twin takedowns Operation Nothing But Bet and Operation Royal Flush, likening the sprawl of defendants and their aliases to something out of a Scorsese film.It’s the most significant corruption crisis to hit a major American league since betting was legalized in most US states, and the most revealing picture yet of how deeply gambling has fused itself into the bloodstream of professional sports.The filings describe a network of insiders, bookies and mafia affiliates who allegedly used private player data to wager on prop bets – wagers on specific occurrences within a game, such as how many assists a player records or whether they’ll make their first three-point attempt – and ran high-stakes poker games wired with cheating technology

NFL hands down $315k in fines over Giants’ concussion protocol violations

The New York Giants, head coach Brian Daboll and running back Cam Skattebo have been fined for violating the NFL’s concussion protocol during an evaluation of rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart in the team’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles, the league and NFL Players Association announced Friday.The Giants were hit with a $200,000 fine for breaching the protocol, while Daboll was fined $100,000 and Skattebo $15,000 for conduct detrimental to the league.The incident occurred during the 9 October matchup at MetLife Stadium after Dart was sacked midway through the third quarter and remained on the turf, clutching his helmet. Following standard procedure, he was escorted to the blue sideline medical tent for a concussion evaluation by team physicians and an independent neurotrauma consultant.According to the league’s review, Daboll approached the tent during the evaluation and briefly stuck his head inside

Parker and Wardley ready for ‘all or nothing’ rumble with shot at Usyk on the line

Boxing is in a real slump this year, with few major fights and far less compelling bouts than usual, and so the prospect of a serious and intriguing heavyweight contest between Joseph Parker and Fabio Wardley at the O2 Arena brings a measure of relief to the beleaguered business. The winner will almost certainly face Oleksandr Usyk, the world champion, next year. In contrast, the loser is likely to lament the inevitable erosion of the hard-won plaudits he had gained.Danger and risk surround this clash. Parker is on a hot streak since his last defeat, to Joe Joyce, three years ago

Hamilton issues warning to McLaren as Verstappen roars into F1 title fight

Cut-throat Red Bull driver will relish McLaren duo chase in Mexico City where he has won five of the last seven racesEnjoying a late surge out of the final bend, Max Verstappen is looming large in the mirrors of his championship rivals. The Dutchman is a threat beyond his formidable pace. An ominous, unsettling presence whose singular determination carries a weight of its own and at this weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix he will be hoping to put the hammer down once more.Having all but written off his chances by mid-season, Verstappen and Red Bull have orchestrated a striking comeback. In closing down a 104-point gap to the championship leader, Oscar Piastri, to just 40 in the space of four races, the defending champion has left Piastri and his McLaren teammate, Lando Norris, as prey in his paws