NEW YORK (AP) — Gerrit Cole walked into a conference room after one of his first spring training workouts with the Houston Astros in February 2018 and was met by about 10 people.

WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 100 pitches in, Stephen Strasburg was adamant he wasn’t quite ready to leave the latest superb start by a Nationals pitcher against the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Championship Series — a win that put Washington on the verge of the city’s first World Series in 86 years.

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels say they don’t know whether a longtime public relations official had been providing drugs to late pitcher Tyler Skaggs, as detailed in a report on ESPN’s “Outside the Lines.”

DETROIT (AP) — Detroit Red Wings senior vice president Jim Devellano has had surgery to remove a non-cancerous brain tumor.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin declined to discuss whom he gave the game ball to after watching his undermanned club potentially resurrect its season with a 24-17 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan linebacker Josh Uche recalls being excited when he saw the second half of this season’s schedule.

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — It took Mason Crosby 13 seasons to perform his first Lambeau Leap.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — On the road against one of the best defenses in America, 10th-ranked Penn State won the turnover battle and converted on third downs to survive yet another tough trip to Iowa.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Thanks to some superb pitching, the countdown is on to the Washington Nationals’ first World Series appearance in franchise history.

HOUSTON (AP) — In a battle of the bullpens, Carlos Correa felt the greatest relief.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Deshaun Watson threw for 280 yards and a touchdown while running for two more, outdueling Chiefs counterpart Patrick Mahomes in a matchup of former first-round picks and leading the Houston Texans to a 31-24 victory over Kansas City on Sunday.

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Injuries to some key players has forced the Pittsburgh Penguins to play a simpler game, and it’s working out quite well for them.

CHICAGO (AP) — Boxer Patrick Day suffered a traumatic brain injury and is in extremely critical condition in a coma caused by the injury sustained in a bout, his manager said Sunday.

TALLADEGA, Ala. (AP) — When rain stopped NASCAR’s playoff race at Talladega Superspeedway, a gaggle of Chevrolet drivers headed into a private room for a meeting about alliances.

CARSON, Calif. (AP) — Pittsburgh’s Devlin Hodges walked into the stadium properly attired for his first NFL start. He was wearing a T-shirt with a duck on it that read “I’m The Boss,” befitting his nickname and quiet confidence.

COLUMBUS, Miss. (AP) — A Mississippi community college says football team videos that cost thousands of dollars violated copyright law and college policy, but the process has been reformed to make the videos legal and filter out profanity.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes will be able to thank personal sponsors, appear in advertisements for those sponsors and receive congratulatory messages from them during next year’s Tokyo Games under guidance released Tuesday by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee.

CARSON, Calif. (AP) — Philip Rivers will be making his 214th straight start when the Los Angeles Chargers host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Iowa State’s smothering defense from a year ago is still hauntingly fresh in the memories of West Virginia players. So, too, is Cyclones quarterback Brock Purdy bouncing through the Mountaineers with relative ease.

Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts is one of the few people who won’t make a big deal about Saturday’s showdown with Texas.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Sean Clifford knows he and the rest of Penn State’s offense have a comfortable margin of error given the way the Nittany Lions’ defense has been playing.

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Hall of Fame basketball coach Jim Calhoun has been accused of sexual discrimination by a former associate athletic director at the University of Saint Joseph, the Division III school where Calhoun now works.

The NBA will complete its trip to China in silence.