Last Night in Sports: Guardians Win the ALDS, Sooners Storm Back in Red River

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2026

Sixty-eight finals, and the night belonged to the comebacks. The Guardians finished off the White Sox 2-0 in a winner-take-all ALDS Game 5 and punched their ticket to the ALCS, the Sooners ripped 17 unanswered fourth-quarter points to stun Texas in the Red River Rivalry, and Georgia walked out of Tuscaloosa with the kind of road win that decides the SEC. Here's everything that happened.

MLB: Williams' 12 strikeouts send Cleveland to the ALCS

October baseball doesn't get more winner-take-all than this. Gavin Williams struck out 12 over 5.2 scoreless innings, the Guardians' bullpen slammed the door the rest of the way, and Cleveland beat the White Sox 2-0 in ALDS Game 5 — winning the series 3-2 and setting up an ALCS date with the Rays.

Two runs. That's all it took, because Williams was untouchable — one hit, two walks, and a dozen strikeouts against a White Sox lineup that had looked in control after taking the first two games of the series. Chicago had already been pushed to the brink twice in Cleveland and never recovered: the Guardians won three of the last four, and the last two on the road and at home by a combined 11-5.

The ALCS is now a series of survivors. The Rays swept the Yankees out of the division series without breaking a sweat; the Guardians needed every one of five games and three straight backs-to-the-wall wins to get here. Cleveland took the season's final two ALDS games by a combined 11-5, and if Williams' Game 5 is any indication of the form the rotation is hitting, Tampa's rested bats are walking into something. Guardians page · White Sox page · MLB page

Every final: ALDS Game 5

• Guardians 2, White Sox 0 — CLE wins series 3-2

College football: Red River goes to the Sooners in a fourth-quarter storm

Oklahoma 27, Texas 24. The Longhorns led 17-7 at halftime and looked like they were running away with the Red River Rivalry — then the Sooners dropped 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter and walked out of the Cotton Bowl with the most important win of their season. Texas' offense vanished after the break while Oklahoma found a gear nobody saw coming.

And that was only the start of the chaos. Kentucky took down LSU 35-34 in overtime after trailing 17-7 at the half, UCLA went into Autzen and shocked Oregon 17-15, and Illinois survived Michigan State 38-37 in overtime after blowing a 20-7 halftime lead. USC went to Happy Valley and left with a 31-23 win over Penn State, breaking a 17-17 halftime tie with a 14-6 second half. Indiana trailed Nebraska 10-3 at the half, then scored 14 in the fourth to steal a 20-17 win in Lincoln.

The blowouts were just as loud: Notre Dame hammered Stanford 58-7, Ohio State rolled Maryland 45-16, Ole Miss hung 52 on Vanderbilt, and Oregon State dropped 66 on San Diego State. Also in the books: Georgia Tech 28, Duke 25; Virginia 28, Syracuse 25; Tennessee 24, Arkansas 17; Missouri 27, Texas A&M 6; Wake Forest 38, NC State 14; Arizona State 30, Hawai'i 12; UNLV 13, North Dakota State 7; Army 20, Tulane 17; Navy 34, Tulsa 26; Arizona 52, West Virginia 31; Boise State 38, Fresno State 31; and Purdue 41, Minnesota 13. The big-picture takeaway: Georgia's Tuscaloosa escape keeps the Bulldogs alone atop the SEC pecking order, Oklahoma's Red River comeback puts the Sooners back in the playoff conversation, and Kentucky and UCLA just became the teams nobody wants to see on the schedule. College football page

Every final: college football

• Oklahoma 27, Texas 24
• Georgia 20, Alabama 17
• Notre Dame 58, Stanford 7
• Ohio State 45, Maryland 16
• Indiana 20, Nebraska 17
• Ole Miss 52, Vanderbilt 17
• Kentucky 35, LSU 34 (OT)
• Utah 41, Kansas 24
• UCLA 17, Oregon 15
• Missouri 27, Texas A&M 6
• Tennessee 24, Arkansas 17
• South Carolina 38, Florida 19
• Oklahoma State 42, UCF 28
• USC 31, Penn State 23
• Houston 35, Kansas State 16
• Boise State 38, Fresno State 31
• North Carolina 21, Pittsburgh 17
• Arizona 52, West Virginia 31
• Wake Forest 38, NC State 14
• Army 20, Tulane 17
• Bowling Green 38, Sacramento State 10
• Northwestern 45, Ball State 14
• East Carolina 28, Rice 12
• Old Dominion 10, App State 3
• Miami (OH) 20, Massachusetts 19
• Georgia Tech 28, Duke 25
• California 25, Virginia Tech 20
• Illinois 38, Michigan State 37 (OT)
• North Texas 50, Charlotte 10
• Navy 34, Tulsa 26
• Eastern Michigan 25, Akron 23
• Buffalo 23, Toledo 8
• Ohio 31, Central Michigan 14
• Western Michigan 38, Kent State 7
• UConn 34, Temple 20
• Oregon State 66, San Diego State 14
• Memphis 38, UAB 13
• Nevada 30, UTEP 13
• UNLV 13, North Dakota State 7
• Coastal Carolina 27, Marshall 21
• Virginia 28, Syracuse 25
• Air Force 28, Northern Illinois 7
• Louisiana Tech 32, Louisiana 31
• Purdue 41, Minnesota 13
• James Madison 27, Georgia Southern 24
• Arizona State 30, Hawai'i 12

NHL: fourteen finals, and the Knights stay perfect against the Kings

It took overtime, but the Golden Knights made it four straight. Mitch Marner's 4-on-3 power-play wrist shot 2:40 into overtime beat the Kings 2-1 in front of a packed T-Mobile Arena, keeping Vegas in first place in the Pacific and dropping Los Angeles to 0-4 — the first 0-4 start in franchise history. Full story on the OT winner.

Elsewhere: the Maple Leafs hung six on the Avalanche in Denver, the Bruins broke open a 5-1 win over the Flyers with three third-period goals, and the Lightning scored twice in the third to get past the Islanders 5-3. The Hurricanes beat the Blackhawks 5-2, the Oilers handled the Sharks 3-1, the Wild beat the Panthers 4-1, the Devils beat the Canucks 4-1, the Mammoth beat the Sabres 4-1, the Canadiens shut out the Red Wings 1-0, the Senators edged the Predators 3-2, the Penguins topped the Stars 2-1, the Blues beat the Blue Jackets 5-3, and the Ducks downed the Flames 4-2. NHL page

Every final: NHL

• Golden Knights 2, Kings 1 (OT) — VGK 4th straight win
• Bruins 5, Flyers 1
• Devils 4, Canucks 1
• Oilers 3, Sharks 1
• Wild 4, Panthers 1
• Mammoth 4, Sabres 1
• Canadiens 1, Red Wings 0
• Senators 3, Predators 2
• Penguins 2, Stars 1
• Hurricanes 5, Blackhawks 2
• Blues 5, Blue Jackets 3
• Maple Leafs 6, Avalanche 3
• Lightning 5, Islanders 3
• Ducks 4, Flames 2

NBA preseason: Celtics drop 144, Wolves escape Miami by a point

The Celtics put up 144 on the 76ers in the preseason's loudest statement — a 144-106 blowout that was over by halftime. The night's best game was in Miami, where the Timberwolves survived the Heat 125-124: Miami won the fourth quarter 40-34 but came up one point short. Also: the Raptors beat the Clippers 114-106, the Wizards edged the Pistons 114-108, the Hawks slipped past the Pacers 119-117, the Warriors beat the Kings 111-106, and the Suns held off the Spurs 102-98. NBA page

Every final: NBA preseason

• Raptors 114, Clippers 106
• Hawks 119, Pacers 117
• Wizards 114, Pistons 108
• Timberwolves 125, Heat 124
• Celtics 144, 76ers 106
• Warriors 111, Kings 106
• Suns 102, Spurs 98

On deck: NLCS Game 1, ALCS on deck, and a full NFL Sunday

Sunday brings NLCS Game 1 in Milwaukee — the Dodgers open their title defense against the Brewers, with Miguel Rojas expected back on the roster — plus a full NFL Sunday slate and the WNBA semifinals. And with the Guardians' Game 5 win, the ALCS is set: Cleveland against the Rays, who swept their way into the pennant round. October is officially moving fast. MLB · NFL · WNBA