MLB
Wednesday
Rangers (89-69) 5 – Angels (71-88) 0
Astros (87-72) 8 – Mariners (85-73) 3
With Dane Dunning’s Texas Rangers close to securing their playoff return, Dunning, a little nervous, took the mound Wednesday night. He yielded three hits over seven dominant innings, Adolis García had a homer and an RBI double, and Texas moved to the brink of its first playoff berth since 2016 with a 5-0 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday night. They’ve also set the stage to wrap up a postseason spot and their first AL West title in seven years when the Rangers finish the regular season with four consecutive games in Seattle. Houston is 2 1/2 games behind Texas in the division standings, and the Mariners are four games back.
The Houston Astros boosted their lead over the Seattle Mariners for the last AL wild card with a contentious 8-3 win on Wednesday night.
Ronald Acuña Jr. slid into second base ahead of the throw in Atlanta, adding another slice of history to an already unprecedented season. He grabbed the bag and hoisted it above his head, soaking up the cheers from the home crowd after becoming the 40-70 club charter member.* His steal gave the Atlanta Braves another comeback victory. The Braves dealt the faltering Chicago Cubs another devastating setback by rallying repeatedly for a 6-5-win Wednesday night.
NFL
Thursday
Lions (2-1) at Green Bay Packers (2-1) at 7:15 pm PRIME VIDEO
NBA
Wilt Chamberlain’s 1972 NBA Finals jersey, worn in Game 2 and the clinching Game 5, exceeded expectations at auction at Sotheby’s, selling for $4.9 million on Wednesday night, a record for any item of Chamberlain memorabilia. Chamberlain was named Finals MVP, his first and only Finals MVP Award, which they didn’t give out until 1969, a decade after Chamberlain started his NBA career.
*What is a 40-70 season in baseball?
Ozzie Albies’ walk-off single
It seemed fitting for Albies to deliver the game-ending single one pitch after Acuña became the first player to ever hit 40-plus homers and notch 70-plus stolen bases in the same season.