Happy Monday and Happy November, newsletter readers. It's Shanna McCarriston here hoping you had a wonderful Halloween weekend. I'll be eating leftover candy all week.
We had a full slate of NFL games yesterday, and to say there were a ton of upsets would be an understatement. Then to cap it all of, the Braves had a shot to win World Series in Atlanta. Needless to say, there's lots to discuss in today's email.
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Let's get to it all.
???? What you need to know 1. Astros win Game 5 to stay alive in World Series ⚾
The Braves could've ended the World Series and won their first title since 1995 last night. They even jumped out to an early 4-0 lead. But with their backs against the wall, the Astros offense clawed their way back and won Game 5, 9-5, to send the series back to Texas for Game 6 (and Game 7, if it is needed).
The Astros fell behind early after Braves center fielder Adam Duvall hit a grand slam in the first inning. But the Astros did not let the game get too far away from them and came back in the third inning to tie it up at 4-4. From there, Houston's bats stayed alive, highlighted by Martin Maldonado's three RBIs (and a historic pinch-hit single by pitcher Zack Greinke).
Let's take a look at who scored for the winning team in the high-scoring matchup:
The series now stands at 3-2 Atlanta, who are still just one win away from winning it all but now have to do it on the road. Game 6 will take place on Tuesday at Minute Maid Park, where Houston once again will be facing elimination.
Looking at this series by the numbers, MLB teams who lead a series by a 3-2 margin have gone on to win the series 69 percent of the time. That means things look good for Atlanta, a city that knows all too well about blowing a leads in championship games.
2. NFL Week 8 recap: Upsets, upsets and more upsets ????Week 8 of the NFL season is nearly complete. Last Thursday, the action got started when the only remaining undefeated team, the Cardinals, fell to the Packers. That Thursday night game set the table for yesterday, which was full of shocking underdog wins, overtime finishes and backup quarterbacks excelling.
Before we dive deep, here are some highlights from Sunday's action:
This weekend I was most impressed by the Jets. Didn't think that would be a sentence I'd write this season, did you? But, hey, the Jets actually did it, they put on a solid performance and earned a great win.
Tonight, the Giants take on the Chiefs in Kansas City and I'm not totally counting New York out. Being in KC will have an impact, but with the way the Chiefs have been playing and the often randomness of Giants wins each season lately, I'm expecting a competitive game.
Pete Prisco predicts this will be the one that gets the Chiefs to turn things around -- he has KC winning, 33-16.
3. College football Top 25: Michigan State jumps up to No. 5 ????The college football AP Top 25 poll is out and, as expected, Georgia took the top spot with 63-first place votes. Georgia defeated Florida over the weekend, which was impressive enough to keep them as the unanimous No. 1 team in the nation.
Cincinnati came in at No. 2 after beating Tulane and Alabama is at No. 3 following their convincing win over Tennessee. Oklahoma's victory over Texas Tech secured them in the No. 4 spot.
The biggest move came as voters rewarded Michigan State for their 37-33 win over Michigan. The Spartans, previously No. 8, moved to the No. 5 spot. Meanwhile, Michigan dropped three spots and now are at No. 9.
Here's a look at the top 10 teams from the most recent poll:
No. 1: Georgia No. 2: Cincinnati No. 3: Alabama No. 4: Oklahoma No. 5: Michigan State No. 6: Ohio State No. 7: Oregon No. 8: Notre Dame No. 9: Michigan No. 10: Wake ForestDon't worry. If you can't get enough of college football, we have you covered with winners and losers from the weekend that was, bowl projections, grades, and more.
4. Rest in peace, Jerry Remy ⚾Red Sox legend Jerry Remy died after a long battle with cancer on Saturday night. He was 68. Remy was a longtime Red Sox player, an All-Star and a broadcaster for the team.
Following the announcement of Remy's death, the Red Sox and prominent people attached to the franchise released statements about his impact on the city of Boston and the game of baseball.
Red Sox owner John Henry: "We are saddened by the loss of a beloved player, broadcaster, and 13-year cancer warrior. Jerry's love and connection to baseball didn't allow anything to stand between the game and him, including for many years cancer ... During his lifetime, he witnessed great triumphs and terrible tragedies handling all of it with grace, dignity, and a huge heart. He left an indelible mark on this club and on an entire nation of Red Sox fans." Red Sox legend David Ortiz: "A fun person to be around and incredible human being just left us. We are going to miss you, brother. Thank you for calling me Big Papi on air -- l will never forget that. Miss you already, Rem Dawg." Hall of famer Carl Yastrzemski: "In baseball, he was a very, very hard worker. He made himself an outstanding player. He carried those same work habits over to the broadcast booth."Red Sox manager Alex Cora: "... Jerry was so passionate about the Red Sox and even though he had to step away for treatment late in the season, he was with us every step of the way—especially in October. We kept in touch just about every day and encouraged each other to keep fighting. It was great seeing him at Fenway when we started our run; he was a source of inspiration for so many of our players."
The Massachusetts native was diagnosed with cancer in 2008 and the cancer returned several times, most recently in 2018. To focus on his health, Remy took a break from broadcasting this June and in August announced he would be undergoing cancer treatment and took a leave of absence.
Despite stepping away from the team, he was still able to make an appearance at Fenway Park during his treatment. Remy threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Fenway Park ahead of the AL Wild Card game in early October.
???? Odds & Ends
???? What to watch tonight
???? Capitals vs. Lightning, 7 p.m. | TB -145
???? Wizards vs. Hawks, 7:30 p.m. | ATL -5.5 | TV: NBA League Pass
???? Giants vs. Chiefs, 8:15 p.m. | KC -10 | TV: ESPN
???? Best thing I saw on the internet
I love when athletes go all out for Halloween and this year there were many in the sports world who showed their
