rutlandherald
San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk has won his appeal against fines levied by the NFL for a celebration in which he mimicked drinking a beverage, an action the league interpreted as chugging a beer. The initial penalty totaled $29,852 for two violations of the league's sportsmanship rules, stemming from celebrations after two catches in the third quarter of a Week 2 win over the Miami Dolphins. Juszczyk performed the gesture, which he has used for years, as fans at Levi's Stadium chanted 'Juice!' in reference to his nickname. An appeals officer ultimately ruled in his favor, according to the league.
In playoff action, the San Diego Padres staved off elimination with a 4-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 3 of their NL Division Series. Jake Cronenworth delivered a tiebreaking home run, and Michael King, who started Game 2, pitched the final two innings on just one day of rest. Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado each drove in runs as the Padres narrowed Milwaukee's series lead to 2-1 with a tense, back-and-forth win over the MLB-best Brewers. San Diego's bullpen operated without star closer Mason Miller, who was placed on the paternity list roughly 45 minutes before first pitch, prompting King to step up and calmly shut down Milwaukee to secure the save.
In Atlanta, Yoshinobu Yamamoto struck out 10 over seven dominant innings, Kiké Hernández launched a two-run homer, and the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Atlanta Braves 3-1 to take a 2-1 lead in their NL Division Series. Yamamoto outdueled Braves ace Chris Sale, who allowed three runs on seven hits in five innings. The 2025 World Series MVP yielded only four hits and one walk, improving to 8-1 with a 2.14 ERA in 11 postseason appearances, including 10 starts. Freddie Freeman also homered against his former team, and the Dodgers can clinch the best-of-five series Wednesday night in Atlanta.
Lionel Messi turned his official Argentina farewell into a gala performance, scoring a penalty and providing two assists in a 3-0 win over Benin in an international friendly at Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires. The match marked the end of his 21-year international career. Before 85,000 fans, the 39-year-old orchestrated the victory with a corner kick that led to the first goal and an assist on the second, then converted from the penalty spot to add to his record as Argentina's all-time leading scorer. Despite still playing at a high level, Messi announced in August his plans to end his international career with Argentina.
The NFL has a record-tying five teams with 0-4 records through four games, including two surprisingly winless squads. This marks just the seventh time in NFL history that five teams have started 0-4 and the first since 2019. Some of the winless teams are not surprising: Miami is in a rebuild, and Tennessee is winless after back-to-back three-win seasons. The other winless teams are more unexpected, with Tampa Bay, Houston, and the Los Angeles Chargers all entering the season as contenders.
South Korea is reconsidering military service exemptions for champion athletes following backlash over comments made by some gold medalists at the Asian Games. Three soccer players faced criticism for remarks about their exemption after victory over Japan in the men's final. They apologized, but the incident sparked debate over whether athletes should receive special treatment. On Wednesday, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism said the exemption system for artists and athletes might be scaled back. Most South Korean men must serve 18 to 21 months in the military, but Olympic medalists and Asian Games champions have been able to replace this with a shorter service.
Missouri freshman offensive tackle Johnnie 'DJ' Jones needs a heart transplant and is hospitalized at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. Coach Eli Drinkwitz revealed the news during an emotional news conference on Tuesday. He said Missouri staff initially detected an issue with Jones' heart over the summer during freshman intake testing. Jones later got a second opinion from the Mayo Clinic, where doctors detected a much more serious heart problem. Drinkwitz urged Mizzou fans to pray for Jones, saying the team wasn't prepared for that kind of news.
Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand sustained a left leg injury in the second period of their 2-1 win against the Los Angeles Kings. Marchand was hurt after taking a stick to the face from Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke with 52.6 seconds remaining, which caused him to twist around and collide with the right post before his left leg bent back awkwardly. Marchand was down on the ice for several minutes being examined by an athletic trainer before teammates Brady Tkachuk and Niko Mikkola helped him to the bench, with Marchand unable to put any weight on his leg.
Top draft pick Gavin McKenna scored his first NHL goal with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night. McKenna scored on Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros in the second period of his fourth professional game. The 18-year-old took a pass from Auston Matthews, beat Saros with a high shot, and then dropped to one knee in celebration at Scotiabank Arena. McKenna also had an assist on Toronto's first goal by William Nylander for his first NHL point.
The San Diego Padres stepped up with a resourceful bullpen performance to win Game 3 of their NL Division Series over the Milwaukee Brewers in the absence of top relievers Mason Miller and Adrian Morejon. Miller, the team's All-Star closer, went on the paternity list about 45 minutes before the first pitch. Morejon, an elite setup man, has shoulder discomfort. But after starter Nick Pivetta faltered in the fifth, three relievers fought to get eight outs against the Brewers' relentless lineup before Game 2 starter Michael King took care of the final two innings on one day of rest for his first save since 2023.
Originally reported by rutlandherald.