Comment on Molina, Fowler out of Cardinals' lineup; Kelly to start behind the plate

In the end, it was him, his secret. Skewered for his outdated offense, ripped for not customizing plays for a rookie quarterback, criticized for game management decisions, Sean Payton decided if the Broncos won the coin toss they were taking the ball. Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton talks to Wil Lutz (3) during the first quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on Sunday, Sept.

TAMPA — The biggest play of Bo Nix’s first NFL win won’t go on his career highlight reel. The critical juncture of the Broncos’ first win of the season didn’t even really feel like it in the moment. On a day in which head coach Sean Payton preached aggressiveness, even he approached this particular moment with caution. Third-and-9 from Denver’s own 7-yard line.

By DOUG PADILLA LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani hit a tying home run in the ninth inning and Mookie Betts followed with a game-ending drive as the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied for a 6-5 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday to maintain their three-game lead in the National League West. Ohtani had four hits and added two stolen bases, giving him 53 home runs and 55 steals on the season. Leading off the ninth after the Dodgers rallied to within a run, Ohtani lifted Seth Halvorsen’s fourth offering, an 89-mph split-finger pitch, over the wall in right-center. “To start that ninth inning with Shohei continuing to do what he does, he just doesn’t seem human right now,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.

By BERNIE WILSON SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Chicago White Sox tied the post-1900 MLB record of 120 losses by the 1962 expansion New York Mets on Sunday when the San Diego Padres won 4-2 by rallying for three runs in the eighth inning, capped by Fernando Tatis Jr.’s towering home run. The White Sox (36-120) had taken a 2-1 lead on home runs by Korey Lee and Miguel Vargas off Yu Darvish, but that lead quickly disappeared in the eighth. This defeat came a day after the White Sox tied the American League record of 119 losses set by the 2003 Detroit Tigers. The 1899 Cleveland Spiders hold the major league record for losses at 20-134. The Padres (90-66) clinched their first 90-win season since 2010, when they finished 90-72 but missed the postseason thanks to a brutal September collapse. The Padres reduced their magic number to one for clinching their third postseason berth since 2020. The Padres tied it at 2 when Donovan Solano and pinch-hitter Luis Arraez hit consecutive doubles opening the eighth against Fraser Ellard (2-3).

The spotlight will remain on the Colorado Buffaloes in Week 5. On Sunday, the Big 12 announced that Saturday’s game between CU and Central Florida will kick off at 1:30 p.m. MT and be broadcast nationally on Fox. The game will be played at UCF’s FBC Mortgage Stadium in Orlando. Fox also announced that its Big Noon Kickoff show will be in Orlando for the matchup.

By KEVIN FREKING WASHINGTON — Congressional leaders announced an agreement Sunday on a short-term spending bill that will fund federal agencies for about three months, averting a possible partial government shutdown when the new budget year begins Oct. 1 and pushing final decisions until after the November election. Temporary spending bills generally fund agencies at current levels, but an additional $231 million was included to bolster the Secret Service after the two assassination attempts against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, and additional money was added to aid with the presidential transition, among other things. Lawmakers have struggled to get to this point as the current budget year winds to a close at month’s end.