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The San Francisco Giants' Travis Ishikawa reacts Thursday after hitting a walk-off three-run home run during the ninth inning of Game 5 of the National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Jeff Chiu/The Associated Press hide caption

itoggle caption Jeff Chiu/The Associated Press

Walk-Off 3-Run Homer Sends Giants Past Cardinals To The World Series

October 16, 2014 • The bash by leftfielder Travis Ishikawa gave San Francisco a 6-3 win, sent St. Louis home, and set up a title matchup with the streaking Kansas City Royals.

Outfielder Alex Gordon of the Kansas City Royals celebrates the team's Game 4 win over the Baltimore Orioles, which completed a sweep of the American League Championship Series, at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., on Wednesday. Jamie Squire/Getty Images hide caption

itoggle caption Jamie Squire/Getty Images

The Two-Way

Kansas City Royals Sweep Baltimore Orioles To Advance To World Series

October 15, 2014 • The Royals came into the game undefeated in the postseason and continued their streak, beating the Orioles 2-1. The team set a record with its eighth straight win to start the playoffs.

Tom Seaver of the New York Mets pitches in the fourth game of the 1969 World Series. Bettmann/Corbis hide caption

itoggle caption Bettmann/Corbis

Reporter's Notebook

Baseball, Vietnam And Coming Of Age At The 1969 World Series

October 15, 2014 • On Oct. 15, 1969, hundreds of thousands marched in Washington to protest the Vietnam War. But it was also Game 4 of the World Series, and NPR's Brian Naylor, then 14, knew where he had to be.

Stories from NPR>

Trade Lingo

In Sky Diving, A 'Whuffo' Won't 'Burble' Or Try The 'Horny Gorilla'

October 17, 2014 • In a new installment of our series on trade lingo, sky diving instructor Michael Snively defines "whuffo," "burble" and "horny gorilla."

Listen Loading… 4:27

NBA Is Trying Shorter Games — Why Not A Shorter Season?

October 17, 2014 • While the NBA is experimenting with shorter games, some players — including Lebron James — would like to see shorter seasons. Audie Cornish talks to sportswriter Stefan Fatsis.

Listen Loading… 4:00

Wild Card Teams, Giants And Royals, To Meet In World Series

October 17, 2014 • The San Francisco Giants beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-3 Thursday to advance to the championship. The day before, the Kansas City Royals defeated the Baltimore Orioles to win their series slot.

Listen Loading… 3:33

Around the Nation

Cardinals' Playoff Success Dampened By Ferguson Protests

October 16, 2014 • The St. Louis Cardinals may be eliminated from the Major League Baseball playoffs on Thursday night. The community around the Gateway City is still tense in the aftermath of the Michael Brown shooting.

Listen Loading… 3:53

Kansas City Moves On To World Series After Sweeping Baltimore

October 16, 2014 • The Kansas City Royals just keep winning. After a 28-year postseason drought, the team is headed to the World Series to face either the St. Louis Cardinals or the San Francisco Giants.

Listen Loading… 1:17

Around the Nation

Football Players In Sayreville, N.J., Charged In Sexual Assault WNYC

October 15, 2014 • Seven football players at Sayreville War Memorial High School have been charged in connection with criminal sexual contact involving younger players. The state may charge them as adults.

Listen Loading… 3:54

Super Bowl volunteer Ben Schreiber distributes fan guides for Super Bowl XLVI festivities in 2012. Chad Ryan/CSM/Landov hide caption

itoggle caption Chad Ryan/CSM/Landov

Sweetness And Light

Nonprofit NFL Seeks Super Bowl Volunteers, Again

October 15, 2014 • The NFL is looking for 10,000 volunteers for this season's Super Bowl. Commentator Frank Deford thinks other causes are more deserving.

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Lots Of Baseball And A Little Soccer: The Week In Sports

October 11, 2014 • NPR's Scott Simon and NPR's Tom Goldman talk baseball playoffs. Last night, the Kansas City Royals beat the Baltimore Orioles in the 10th inning, the team's fourth extra-inning playoff game.

Listen Loading… 3:37

Donovan celebrates with fans after the match. He and teammates led a cheer of "I believe that we can win!" Elise Amendola/AP hide caption

itoggle caption Elise Amendola/AP

The Two-Way

Landon Donovan Makes An Emotional, If Slightly Awkward Farewell

October 11, 2014 • Although he was cut from the roster for the World Cup this summer, the retiring soccer legend got a grand send-off in his final game with the U.S. team.

Landon Donovan Will Leave Indelible Mark On American Soccer

October 10, 2014 • Landon Donovan will play his last game with the U.S. men's soccer league on Friday. He is the all-time leader for assists and goals in Major League Soccer.

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University of Texas football coach Charlie Strong holds up the "Hook' em Horns" sign as he sings the school song following an NCAA game against North Texas on Aug. 30. Texas won 38-7. Eric Gay/AP hide caption

itoggle caption Eric Gay/AP

The Two-Way

Former Texas Cheerleader Behind 'Hook 'Em Horns' Dies At 78

October 10, 2014 • At a pep rally in 1955, Harley Clark displayed his index and pinky fingers extended, with his two middle fingers tucked under his thumb.

Young Mike (Joseph Carlson) antagonizes Mike (Michael Patrick Thornton) during a physical therapy session with Jerry (James Whalen). Stan Barouh/Olney Theatre Center hide caption

itoggle caption Stan Barouh/Olney Theatre Center

Theater

Play, Ball: A Theatrical Look At The 'Beauty And Brutality' Of Football

October 9, 2014 • In the new play Colossal, a former football player, paralyzed after taking a bad hit during a game, reflects on his glory days and his struggles as a gay man in the macho culture of football.

Listen Loading… 5:09

NFL sideline reporter Alex Flanagan (center) interviews Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick last year. Mark Zaleski/AP hide caption

itoggle caption Mark Zaleski/AP

Sweetness And Light

Deford: A New Sports Talk Show By Women, But Will People Watch?

October 8, 2014 • Women are everywhere in sports — coaches, executives, athletes and reporters. Commentator Frank Deford wonders why there's still low viewership for women's sports on TV.

Listen Loading… 3:25

Matt Adams of the St. Louis Cardinals reacts after hitting a three-run home run in the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 4 of the National League Division Series. Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images hide caption

itoggle caption Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images

The Two-Way

Cardinals And Giants Advance To NLCS, Will Play Each Other Saturday

October 8, 2014 • The St. Louis Cardinals beat the LA Dodgers 3-2 Tuesday. The San Francisco Giants defeated the Washington Nations 3-2. The Cardinals and Giants will meet in the National League Championship Series.

Orioles General Manager Duquette: A Comeback Story Fit For Baseball

October 6, 2014 • Dan Duquette is largely credited with rebuilding the Baltimore Orioles, but spent many years in the baseball wilderness after being fired by the Red Sox. Robert Siegel talks to Keith Law of ESPN.

Listen Loading… 4:20

The Kansas City Royals celebrate after defeating the Los Angeles Angels 8-3 to sweep the series in Game 3 of the American League Division Series at in Kansas City, Mo., on Sunday Jamie Squire/Getty Images hide caption

itoggle caption Jamie Squire/Getty Images

The Two-Way

Orioles, Royals Sweep Opponents In AL Division Series

October 6, 2014 • The Baltimore Orioles beat the Detroit Tigers 2-1 on Sunday, and the Kansas City Royals defeated the Los Angeles Angels 8-3. The American League Championship Series begins Friday in Baltimore.

Roger Goodell, the NFL's commissioner, met last week with the National Domestic Violence Hotline. But several black women's organizations said the groups the league is working with to craft its plan to combat domestic violence don't have footholds in black communities — an oversight for a league that is mostly black. Eric Gay/AP hide caption

itoggle caption Eric Gay/AP

Code Switch

Black Women's Groups Meet With NFL On Domestic Violence

October 5, 2014 • Several civic leaders criticized the NFL's response to news about players involved in domestic violence, saying that black women weren't represented among the groups consulted by the league.

Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos tags out Giants' Buster Posey in the ninth inning. It was the longest postseason game in MLB history. Alex Brandon/AP hide caption

itoggle caption Alex Brandon/AP