ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Yandy Díaz's bat backed up his boast, and the Tampa Bay Rays are headed to the World Series again. Díaz and Junior Caminero each hit a two-run homer, Freddy Peralta pitched 5 1/3 gritty innings, and the Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians 7-3 in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series on Monday night to win their third pennant in 29 seasons as a major league franchise.

ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta Falcons rookie linebacker Kendal Daniels was injured and left the field on a stretcher in the third quarter of Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears. The Falcons said that Daniels was alert and had movement in all his extremities and was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital for further evaluation. He was seen after the game in the locker room walking under his own power.

ATLANTA (AP) — Caleb Williams had been “itching” on the sideline while missing three straight games. Finally cleared to play, Williams performed as if determined to make up for lost time. Williams completed his first 12 passes in his return from a hamstring injury, D'Andre Swift ran for two touchdowns, and the Chicago Bears beat the Atlanta Falcons 31-23 on Sunday.

Miami is No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 for the first time since 2002, No. 2 BYU has its highest ranking since its 1984 national championship season, and Notre Dame and Georgia stayed in the top five Sunday after both lost close games.

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Alex McPherson kicked a game-winning 34-yard field goal as time expired and Auburn, led by quarterback Byrum Brown's dominant running game, upset No. 1 Georgia 27-24 on Saturday.

ATLANTA (AP) — Lionel Messi scored two second-half goals 4 minutes apart after a first-half assist, and Inter Miami cruised to a 3-1 victory over Atlanta United on Saturday night.

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is on track to start for the Atlanta Falcons Sunday against the Chicago Bears after leaving last week's loss to Baltimore with a rib injury.

The Atlanta Hawks are gearing up for a promising season with a strong core lineup. Key returning players include Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu, who helped secure a playoff spot last season. Johnson's growth is crucial, especially after leading the team in assists, rebounding, and scoring in the playoffs.

ATLANTA (AP) — Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. sustained a rib injury when he was sacked by Ravens linebacker Tavius Robinson late in the fourth quarter of Atlanta's 30-23 overtime loss to Baltimore on Sunday night and was unable to finish the game.

TLANTA (AP) — With Tyler Huntley filling in at quarterback, the Baltimore Ravens were on Snoop patrol. When “Snoop” Huntley is leading the offense, the Ravens don't feel like a backup is on the field.

Georgia moved up to No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 on Sunday following its win at Alabama, Texas dropped six spots to No. 7 after its loss to rival Oklahoma, and Oregon was unranked for the first time in four years after losing for the second time in the past month.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — If Georgia lands the No. 1 ranking, it should probably come with an asterisk. The second-ranked Bulldogs benefited from what appeared to be a blown call in a 20-17 victory at No. 2 Alabama on Saturday night.

CHICAGO (AP) — Mike Ditka, who personified the toughness and grit of Chicago in a Hall of Fame career as a player and coach of the Bears and the leader of arguably the most dominant team in NFL history, has died. He was 86.

ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons will be looking to build upon their dramatic turnaround since Michael Penix Jr. took over at quarterback when they play the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night.

The latest edition of the Bulldogs-Crimson Tide rivalry is Saturday night — if the weather holds up.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — It should be no surprise that Georgia and Alabama are among the last unbeatens in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. It's been that way for years — decades, really.

Tropical Storm Isaias could make landfall on the U.S. Gulf Coast as a hurricane this weekend, hours before No. 2 Georgia plays at No. 6 Alabama in a major college football game on Saturday night that President Donald Trump is planning to attend.

ATLANTA (AP) — Andy Pages drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single in the seventh inning to give Los Angeles the lead, and the Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 4-1 on Wednesday night to clinch their NL Division Series.

ATLANTA (AP) — Yoshinobu Yamamoto felt the trust from Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts when he remained in a crucial NL Division Series game after a stressful fifth inning. “I’d like to continue living up to the highest expectation,” Yamamoto said through a translator.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Lionel Messi turned his official farewell to Argentina into a gala performance, contributing a penalty and two assists in a 3-0 win over Benin on Tuesday at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires, where the crowd offered a deafening final ovation to the genius who defined the footballing pulse of a nation for two decades.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina fans are confident there is a bright future beyond Lionel Messi as the team's most influential player of the last two decades prepares to bid farewell. The 39-year-old superstar will play his final match for Argentina on Tuesday — a friendly against Benin at Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires — marking a pivotal moment in the country's football.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Michael Harris II tripled and scored the go-ahead run on reliever Kris Bubic's wild pitch in the fifth inning, and the Atlanta Braves beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 on Sunday night to even the National League Division Series at a game apiece.

Missouri made a big jump to No. 14 in The Associated Press Top 25 on Sunday following its rout of Florida, while the Gators dropped eight spots to No. 16 and were replaced by LSU in the top 10.

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Gunner Stockton threw for 295 yards and three touchdowns as No. 2 Georgia cruised to a 38-14 win over Vanderbilt on Saturday.

Early last December, five-star recruit Jared Curtis flipped his nearly seven-month-long commitment to Georgia and signed a letter of intent with Vanderbilt the next day. Nearly 10 months later, Curtis will return to Athens and take the field at Sanford Stadium as the Commodores’ starting quarterback, in the place that could have been his home field.