A roundup of the week Oct. 3-9
BASEBALL—The BALTIMORE ORIOLES defeated the Chicago White Sox three games to one to win the American League Championship Series, while the PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-1 to clinch the National League pennant (page 28).
PRO FOOTBALL—NFL: Baltimore and Buffalo surprisingly continued to lead the AFC East. The Colts defeated New England 12-7 for their third consecutive victory, their longest winning streak since 1980. Rookie Raul Allegre kicked a 52-yard field goal, and Curtis Dickey took a Mike Pagel swing pass and raced for a 68-yard touchdown to key the Colts' victory. The Bills upset the Dolphins 38-35 in overtime as Joe Ferguson completed 38 of 54 passes for 419 yards and five TDs against a Miami pass defense that had been ranked first in the NFL. One of those scoring passes, a 23-yarder to Joe Cribbs with 23 seconds left, sent the game into overtime. Then, a 35-yard pass from Ferguson to Mike Moseley set up the winning score, a 36-yard Joe Danelo field goal with 1:02 left in OT The Jets, who romped to a 34-10 victory over Buffalo on Monday night, sputtered to a 10-7 loss in Cleveland on Sunday. The Browns' Matt Bahr booted a 44-yard field goal as time expired to beat New York. In Houston, Steve DeBerg, starting in place of beleaguered rookie John Elway, threw two touchdown passes, and Rick Karlis kicked four field goals to deal the Oilers their 13th consecutive regular-season defeat 26-14. AFC West leader Los Angeles edged Kansas City 21-20 when Raider Marcus Allen recovered teammate Frank Hawkins' fumble in the end zone for a score with 8:29 remaining. San Diego moved into a second-place tie with Seattle in the AFC West by beating the Seahawks 28-21. In San Francisco, Eric Dickerson rumbled for 142 yards to pace the Rams to a 10-7 upset of the 49ers. New Orleans, off to its fastest start ever, defeated Atlanta 19-17 as Morten Andersen kicked four field goals, including the game-winner from 35 yards with no time left. Minnesota moved past the puzzling Packers into first place in the NFC Central. The Vikings beat Chicago 23-14 as Running Backs Tony Galbreath and Darrin Nelson combined for 182 yards and two touchdowns. Detroit rookie Fullback James Jones ran for three TDs, and Eric Hippie threw for two more to lead the Lions to a 38-14 rout of Green Bay, snapping a four-game Detroit losing streak. Dallas got its sixth consecutive come-from-behind win, 27-24 over fired-up Tampa Bay, when Rafael Septien kicked a 42-yard field goal 4:38 into overtime. In St. Louis, John Riggins rushed for 115 yards and scored three touchdowns in Washington's 38-14 win over the Cardinals. Ron Jaworski tossed two TD passes, and Tony Franklin kicked a 25-yard field goal with 12:22 left to pace Philadelphia's 17-13 victory over the Giants.
HOCKEY—The NHL's 67th season opened with the league's 21 teams working overtime for the first time in 41 years. Winnipeg's Scott Arneil had a hat trick, and teammate Doug Smail scored with 3:23 left in regulation to tie Detroit 6-6 and force the first regular-season sudden death since Nov. 10, 1942, but brilliant goaltending by the Jets' Doug Soetart and the Red Wings' Eddie Mio preserved the tie. Minnesota and Los Angeles played to a 3-3 OT deadlock, with the North Stars getting the only shot on goal in the sudden death. L.A.'s Marcel Dionne had two goals in regulation to raise his career total to 546, fifth-best in NHL history. Two nights later, Vancouver's Patrik Sundstrom scored with 4:56 to play to give the Canucks a 10-9 triumph over the North Stars. The 19 goals were the most in a regular-season game since 1944. The Islanders won the first overtime game to come to a decision, 8-7 over Washington, when Bob Bourne scored on a power play at 2:01 of OT. The Rangers, Flyers and Oilers each won thrice without a loss. New York swept home-and-home season openers from New Jersey, winning 6-2 at Madison Square Garden and 3-1 at the Meadowlands Arena. The Rangers then whipped Pittsburgh 6-1 as Goaltender Steve Weeks stopped 37 shots. Philadelphia got two goals each from Tim Kerr and Bill Barber to beat the Penguins 7-1 in the Spectrum. Earlier, the Flyers had beaten the Capitals 4-1 in their season opener, and then Philadelphia won 6-3 at Montreal. Wayne Gretzky amassed four goals and four assists to pace Edmonton to a 4-3 win over Minnesota in OT, an 8-6 victory over Winnipeg and a 5-4 come-from-behind victory over Toronto.
MOTOR SPORTS—MARIO ANDRETTI drove a Lola T-700 to victory in the $434,402 Caesars Palace Grand Prix III in Las Vegas, averaging 87.192 mph on the hotel's 1-mile temporary circuit to defeat John Paul Jr., in a Penske PC 10, by two seconds.
Richard Petty, in a Pontiac, won a 500-mile, $417,270 NASCAR event in Charlotte, N.C., defeating Darrell Waltrip, in a Chevrolet, by three seconds. Afterward, NASCAR fined Petty $35,000, the largest fine ever assessed against a driver, because his engine exceeded the maximum size limitation and he used left-side tires on the right side of his car.
MILEPOSTS—FIRED: As manager of the Cincinnati Reds, RUSS NIXON, 48, who in his 1½ seasons guided the Reds to a 101-131 record and two last-place finishes in the National League West. VERN RAPP, 55, a former manager of the St. Louis Cardinals (1977-78), was named to replace Nixon.
NAMED: JIM FREY, 52, as manager of the Chicago Cubs, replacing Charlie Fox, who returned to his duties as special consultant to the general manager; as manager of the Milwaukee Brewers, RENE LACHEMANN, 38, who led Seattle to a 140-180 record in over two seasons as manager.
SENTENCED: By a U.S. District Court judge, Washington Redskins Safety TONY PETERS, 30, to four years' probation and a $10,000 fine for his part in a conspiracy to traffic in cocaine and for the use of a telephone to carry out the felony. Peters, who had pleaded guilty to the charges, must also perform 500 hours of community-service work.
DIED: Lightweight boxer ISIDRO (GINO) PEREZ, 24, of a dislocation of his cervical spine suffered in a Felt Forum fight with Juan Ramon Cruz on Sept. 30; in New York City.