Last Night in Sports: Falcons Ruin the Domecoming, October Baseball Gets Ruthless

MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2026 — Twelve finals, one clear message: Monday belonged to the road teams. The Falcons turned the Saints' 20th-anniversary Domecoming into their own highlight reel at the Caesars Superdome, October baseball moved a step closer to deciding two ALCS berths, and the NHL and NBA preseason packed the rest of the night. It was the kind of night that rewards flipping: a rout on the gridiron, two teams one win from the ALCS, and enough hockey and hoops to fill every screen in the house.

NFL: Falcons ruin the Domecoming, 45-24

Three plays. That's how long the Saints' 20th-anniversary Domecoming lasted as a celebration. Falcons running back Bijan Robinson took a handoff on the third play from scrimmage, found a seam and was gone — 59 yards for a touchdown before the Caesars Superdome had finished settling into its seats. Robinson finished with 19 carries for 145 yards and two touchdowns, Brian Robinson Jr. added 14 carries and three more scores, and Atlanta piled up 205 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns in a 45-24 Monday night rout. The Falcons racked up 420 total yards at 7.5 yards per play; the Saints, for all their 22 first downs and 69 offensive snaps, managed just 4.6 a snap and were chasing the game from the opening minutes. Tyler Shough went 30-of-48 for 286 yards and a touchdown in defeat — Chris Olave caught 8 for 116 — but New Orleans never recovered from the punch in the mouth that opened the night.

The Domecoming was supposed to be a night of remembrance — twenty years since the Superdome reopened after Hurricane Katrina, one of the most emotional nights in league history, now an annual anniversary celebration. Atlanta turned it into a road-team highlight reel. The Falcons converted only 4 of 8 third downs and didn't need more; they averaged 7.5 yards every time they snapped the ball, and the Saints' two fourth-down conversions came with the outcome long decided. For New Orleans, a night meant to honor resilience became a reminder of how far the rebuild still has to go. Full recap · Falcons page · Saints page

Every final: NFL

• Falcons 45, Saints 24

MLB: Rays and White Sox one win from the ALCS

The Rays are one win from the ALCS, and the Yankees have nobody to blame but themselves. Four New York errors — three on the first four batters Cam Schlittler faced — buried the visitors in a 5-2 Game 2 loss, and Tampa Bay takes a 2-0 ALDS lead. Ben Rice hit two solo home runs, in the fourth and eighth innings — all of New York's scoring across the first two games, with Aaron Judge sidelined — but it wasn't close to enough. Consider the state of the Yankees' offense: through two postseason games, the only runs on the board came from one man's bat. Sunday's 1-0 Game 1 loss was a pitching duel; Monday's was a giveaway. Tampa hasn't needed to be great — just steadier than a team falling apart in the field. Full recap

In Cleveland, the White Sox are one win from October's final four too. Braden Montgomery went 1-for-4 with a double and two RBIs as Chicago held on 4-3 against the Guardians — a day after Munetaka Murakami's 440-foot blast powered a 3-0 Game 1 shutout — and the White Sox take a 2-0 series lead. Two games, two wins, two completely different scripts: a blowout behind the long ball, then a grind-it-out one-run hold. That's the profile of a team that can win in October more than one way. Game 1 recap

Every final: MLB Division Series Game 2

• Rays 5, Yankees 2 — TB leads 2-0
• White Sox 4, Guardians 3 — CHW leads 2-0

NHL: a four-game Monday

The Stars blanked the Sharks 5-0 in the nightcap, the Lightning topped the Flyers 4-1, the Senators won 4-1 in Boston over the Bruins, and the Jets edged the Penguins 3-2. Two 4-1 road statements, a one-goal grinder in Pittsburgh, and a shutout to close the night — a little of everything across the four rinks. Monday night roundup · NHL page

Every final: NHL

• Lightning 4, Flyers 1
• Senators 4, Bruins 1
• Jets 3, Penguins 2
• Stars 5, Sharks 0

NBA preseason: five finals

The Lakers closed the night with a 127-103 win over the Kings in the late tip. Earlier: the Timberwolves beat the Bucks 116-97 behind Anthony Edwards, the 76ers handled the Knicks 120-97, the Pistons edged the Suns 109-107, and the Grizzlies beat the Hawks 132-123. Four of the five were decided by double digits — only the Pistons' two-point escape in Detroit came down to the final minute. Preseason roundup · NBA page

Every final: NBA preseason

• Grizzlies 132, Hawks 123
• Pistons 109, Suns 107
• 76ers 120, Knicks 97
• Timberwolves 116, Bucks 97
• Lakers 127, Kings 103

On deck: NLDS Game 3s, then WNBA Game 2s

Tuesday brings the National League back: Braves-Dodgers in Atlanta with their series tied 1-1, and Brewers-Padres in San Diego with Milwaukee up 2-0 — both Game 3s with a trip to the NLCS coming into focus. In the American League, the Rays and White Sox both carry 2-0 leads into Game 3s with a chance to punch the first two ALCS tickets. The WNBA semifinal Game 2s land Wednesday: the Liberty visit the Dream and the Aces visit the Valkyries, both visitors trying to avoid an 0-2 hole. NFL · MLB