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DETROIT — Parker Navarro ran for two touchdowns and passed for two more and Ohio beat Miami (OH) 38-3 in the Mid-American Conference championship game played at Ford Field on Saturday.

Anthony Tyus III rushed for 151 yards and a score on 27 carries to help the Bobcats (10-3) win their first MAC championship game in six appearances since the title game was introduced in 1997. The win also avenged a 30-20 regular-season loss to the RedHawks (8-5), who they tied for the regular-season MAC title at 7-1.

Prior to the introduction of the league title game, the Bobcats’ last MAC championship came in 1968.

“Offensively, a masterful game plan by our offensive staff,” said Tim Albin, the fourth-year head coach who came to Ohio as an assistant in 2005 in a TV interview. “We were on schedule all day. Time of possession; our defense was watching. … This has to be the best four quarters of football I’ve ever seen in my 36-year career. For sure, my 20 years here at Ohio.”

Ohio scored touchdowns on every complete possession except two, which resulted in a field goal and the team’s lone punt in the final minute of the third quarter.

Navarro was 20-of-27 passing for 235 yards — going over 2,000 this season — and ran for 67 more.

Brett Gabbert threw for 127 yards with an interception for the RedHawks, who rushed for just 62 yards and were outgained 467-189.

Miami scored on its opening drive with a Dom Dzioban 25-yard field goal, but Ohio scored touchdowns on its three first-half possessions for a 21-3 lead.

Navarro scored from 4 yards out on an 11-play, 75-yard drive then completed an 18-play, 82-yard drive of over 10 minutes with a 1-yard run. The latter TD came two plays after Navarro was dropped for a 7-yard loss but a face-mask penalty set the Bobcats up at the 1.

After a three-and-out by the RedHawks, Ohio again went down the field, going 75 yards on 10 plays and scoring on Navarro’s pass to Mason Williams at the 15 that the tight end took in to the end zone.

Ohio took the second-half kickoff and made it 27-7 when Navarro rolled out to the right and hit Coleman Owen for a 25-yard touchdown. Gianni Spetic added a career-long 52-yard field goal. Anthony Tyus III scored on a 21-yard run late in the game.

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Rodriguez makes history with another 20-20 year

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Rodriguez makes history with another 20-20 year

SEATTLE — Julio Rodriguez homered to become the first player in major league history with 20 or more home runs and 20 or more stolen bases in each of his first four seasons, and the Seattle Mariners beat the Texas Rangers 5-4 on Sunday.

Rodriguez hit a two-run shot in the third inning — his 100th career homer — and the slugging and speedy center fielder also added his 21st stolen base of the season after singling in the fifth inning.

“That’s a very big accomplishment,” Rodríguez told reporters, according to MLB.com. “I know my family’s very happy, and I’m sure they’re thinking of all the things I had to do to be able to get here. To be able to do it with this team and this organization is awesome. I’m just excited to see where things are going to go from here.”

Jorge Polanco added a solo shot in the second, and shortstop J.P. Crawford smacked a two-run blast in the fourth against Rangers starter Jacob deGrom (10-4), who became the fastest pitcher in major league history to reach 1,800 career strikeouts by games and innings Sunday.

The Rangers kept things close by pushing across three runs against Mariners starter Logan Evans (5-4), but tallied only one run against the Mariners bullpen before closer Andrés Muñoz locked down his 25th save of the season.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Marlins def. Yankees, earn 1st-ever sweep of N.Y.

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Marlins def. Yankees, earn 1st-ever sweep of N.Y.

MIAMI — Kyle Stowers hit a three-run homer and the Miami Marlins defeated the New York Yankees 7-3 on Sunday, completing their first-ever sweep of the Yankees in a series of three or more games.

The Marlins (55-55) reached .500 for the first time since April 15, when the team was 8-8. Since June 13, the Marlins are 30-14; that’s tied with the 2003 team for the most wins in a 44-game span in franchise history, according to ESPN Research.

The 2003 Marlins went on to beat the Yankees in the World Series in six games.

Marlins starter Edward Cabrera (5-5) pitched six innings of two-hit ball with seven strikeouts and one walk. His only blemish came against the first batter he faced. Trent Grisham drove Cabrera’s 98.1 mph four-seam fastball to right-center.

Miami rookie Jakob Marsee, who made his major league debut on Friday, was 2-for-4 and finished a single short of the cycle.

Stowers made it 6-1 when he connected on an 0-2 fastball from Brent Headrick, who entered in the fourth with two on after starter Luis Gil (0-1) was lifted 3⅓ innings into his season debut.

Gil, the reigning AL Rookie of the Year, struck out three and surrendered five runs and five hits while issuing four walks in his return from a high-grade lat strain. He threw 77 pitches.

Gil’s shaky debut comes at a rough point in the season for the Yankees, whose inconsistency has prompted a rash of criticism, the latest coming from former Yankees stars Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez on Fox’s pregame show Saturday night.

“They make way too many mistakes,” Jeter said. “Way too many mistakes, and you can’t get away with making that number of mistakes against great teams.”

Added Rodriguez: “Where’s the accountability?”

Boone addressed those criticisms before Sunday’s game, saying it comes with the territory of being the Yankees, but he added after the loss that it’s “gut-check” time for his club.

New York’s weekend series at Miami included the Yankees blowing a six-run lead in a wild 13-12 loss on Friday, before a 2-0 loss on Saturday.

The Yankees had a seven-game lead in the AL East in late May. By July 2, the lead was gone and the Yankees have been looking up at Toronto in the division ever since. The red-hot Boston Red Sox, who were more than 10 games behind the Yankees about two months ago, have overtaken their rival for the second spot in the AL East and AL wild-card lead.

“It’s getting late,” Boone said. “And it’s certainly not too late for us. I am confident that we’re going to get it together. But that’s all it is right now is, you know, it’s empty until we start doing it.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Rodriguez makes history with 4th 20-20 season

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Rodriguez makes history with another 20-20 year

SEATTLE — Julio Rodriguez homered to become the first player in major league history with 20 or more home runs and 20 or more stolen bases in each of his first four seasons, and the Seattle Mariners beat the Texas Rangers 5-4 on Sunday.

Rodriguez hit a two-run shot in the third inning — his 100th career homer — and the slugging and speedy center fielder also added his 21st stolen base of the season after singling in the fifth inning.

Jorge Polanco added a solo shot in the second, and shortstop J.P. Crawford smacked a two-run blast in the fourth against Rangers starter Jacob deGrom (10-4), who became the fastest pitcher in major league history to reach 1,800 career strikeouts by games and innings Sunday.

The Rangers kept things close by pushing across three runs against Mariners starter Logan Evans (5-4), but tallied only one run against the Mariners bullpen before closer Andrés Muñoz locked down his 25th save of the season.

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