NEW YORK — Little hits turn into big wins for the Cleveland Guardians.

Halfway through the season, it might be time for some College Football Playoff elimination games.

MIAMI — At the start of the summer, as he waded into an offseason workout program that he hoped would build his body back into dynamic shape, Zion Williamson began setting his alarm for 4:30 a.m.

PHILADELPHIA — Rhys Hoskins burst out of his postseason malaise with a three-run homer and spiked his bat in triumph and Bryce Harper hit a two-run shot that sent Philadelphia Phillies fever soaring and helped carry them to a 9-1 win over the Atlanta Braves in Game 3 of the NL Division Series on Friday night.

NEW YORK — The price of a qualifying offer to Major League Baseball free agents rose to $19.65 million, an increase of $1.25 million.

MELBOURNE, Australia — Novak Djokovic won’t get official support with lobbying from Tennis Australia should he seek to enter the country for the first major of 2023, a year after he was deported because he was not vaccinated for COVID-19.

Defensive players around the NFL are frustrated about roughing-the-passer penalties, questioning what constitutes a legal hit and wondering how far referees will go to protect quarterbacks.

ATLANTA — This was a game the Atlanta Braves absolutely had to win.

LOS ANGELES — Not many tabbed the San Diego Padres to beat the Mets in New York in the wild-card round. Even fewer picked them against the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have dominated the Padres in recent years and were baseball’s best team during the regular season.

LOS ANGELES — Darvin Ham was still a fringe NBA player during the first two seasons of LeBron James’ career. While James went on to forge the glittery path that’s likely to make him the top scorer in league history this winter, Ham carved out a coaching career that has brought them together with the Los Angeles Lakers just in time for James’ 20th season.

Obinna Eze discovered football just seven years ago, not long after the goodbye to his parents in Nigeria that is still the last time he saw them in person.

HOUSTON — Yordan Alvarez wrecked all of Seattle’s carefully crafted strategy with one colossal swing.

LOS ANGELES — Trea Turner homered and doubled as the Los Angeles Dodgers started fast and held off the San Diego Padres 5-3 on Tuesday night in their NL Division Series opener.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte Hornets All-Star point guard LaMelo Ball sprained his left ankle in the third quarter of a preseason 116-107 loss to the Washington Wizards on Monday night when his foot was stepped on while he was driving to the basket.

Joe Sakic adopted a very practical approach to the task of molding the Colorado Avalanche roster that will attempt to repeat as Stanley Cup champions.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper said he ran out of patience with Matt Rhule’s inability to get the franchise “over the hump.”

LOS ANGELES — The San Diego Padres knocked off the 101-win New York Mets in the National League wild-card series.