National Sports

Despite the global pandemic and all that comes with it, league-leading Toronto FC is somehow ahead of its 2017 championship year pace.

SAN DIEGO — Back in the ballpark where he started his big league career, Manuel Margot of the Tampa Bay Rays had a breakout game in the AL Championship Series with a three-run home run and a spectacular catch while tumbling over a wall in right field

VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Canucks have acquired defenceman Nate Schmidt from the Vegas Golden Knights for a third-round pick in the 2022 NHL draft.

CINCINNATI — At 5-foot-7, he was the smallest cog in the Big Red Machine. And to his star-powered teammates, Joe Morgan was a driving force, too.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Taylor Hall refused to buy into the negativity surrounding the Buffalo Sabres, and instead focused on the positives. The opportunity to alongside captain Jack Eichel was a factor. Playing for a familiar coach in Ralph Krueger another.

Alexis Lafrenière isn't going back to play junior hockey in Quebec, and the Rangers hope he's on the ice in New York sooner than later. The Rangers agreed to terms Monday with the No.

The Montreal Canadiens signed forward Tyler Toffoli to a four-year deal on Monday. The deal carries an average annual value of US$4.25 million.

SAN DIEGO — Randy Arozarena homered again at Petco Park and Mike Zunino drove in the go-ahead run for the Tampa Bay Rays, who beat the Houston Astros 2-1 Sunday night in the opener of the AL Championship Series.

SAN DIEGO — After the Houston Astros bashed the ball all over Dodger Stadium for the past week, they found it a whole lot harder to slug when they moved a couple of hours down the coast for the AL Championship Series.

Jimmy Butler finally has to take his business elsewhere. There will be no more coffee customers with the bubble closing down, though he kept it open far longer than expected with some of the most inspired NBA Finals play seen in years.