AP Wednesday Sports Roundup

Royals outlast Mets to win marathon opener

KANSAS CITY (AP) — In the longest World Series Game 1 ever, the Kansas City Royals outlasted the New York Mets 5-4 in 14 innings to gain the early edge in the 111th Fall Classic.

Eric Hosmer hit a sacrifice fly that scored Alcides Escobar from third base to end it and give the Royals a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven Series. The game took 5 hours, 9 minutes. The losing pitcher was 42-year-old Bartolo Colon, who escaped a bases-loaded jam in the 12th before running out of luck in the 14th inning.

The game had drama galore, and just about a bit of everything a baseball fan would want -- especially a Royals fan.

Kansas City forced extra innings when Alex Gordon homered off Mets closer Jeurys Familia with one out in the ninth to tie it. Familia had not blown a save since July 30 before Gordon sent a 97 mph pitch over the center field fence.

New York had taken a 4-3 lead when Gold Glove first baseman Hosmer let Wilmer Flores' grounder bounce past him for an error in the eighth inning that allowed Juan Lagares to score from second.

Escobar hit an inside-the-park home run on Matt Harvey's first pitch, but the Mets pulled ahead 3-1, helped by Curtis Granderson's tiebreaking home run off Edinson Volquez. That was the first inside-the-park World Series home run since Mule Haas of the old Philadelphia Athletics did it against the Chicago Cubs in 1929.

Game 2 is Wednesday night -- Jacob deGrom for the Mets against Johnny Cueto.

WORLD SERIES-VOLQUEZ

AP sources: Pitcher's father dies

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The father of Royals pitcher Edinson Volquez died Tuesday in the Dominican Republic, shortly before his son took the mound to start Game 1 of the World Series against the New York Mets.

Two people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press that 63-year-old Danio Volquez died from heart failure. His son was informed of Volquez's passing on the way to the ballpark, where he was scheduled to make his World Series debut.

Volquez pitched six innings, allowing three runs on six hits, striking out three. He was not involved in the decision.

MLB-BLUE JAYS-ENCARNACION

Encarnacion has surgery

TORONTO (AP) — Blue Jays slugger Edwin Encarnacion has undergone surgery to repair a sports hernia. The Blue Jays expect the designated hitter/first baseman to recover in time for spring training.

Encarnacion hit .333 with 39 homers and 111 RBIs for the Blue Jays, who lost to Kansas City in the AL Championship Series.

NBA-SCHEDULE

No. 1 fan watches Bulls win opener...Curry pours in 40 in Warriors win

UNDATED (AP)— With President Barack Obama watching courtside, the Chicago Bulls opened the NBA season by holding off the defending Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers 97-95.

Nikola Miratic led the Bulls with 19 points and nine rebounds. Derrick Rose had 18 points and five assists.

LeBron James led all scorers with 25 for Cleveland. He also had 10 rebounds and five assists.

In other NBA opening night action:

— Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 21 points to lead all five Detroit starters in double figures, carrying the Pistons to a surprising 106-94 victory over the Atlanta Hawks. That ruined the home opener of the team with the best record in the Eastern Conference last season.

__ Stephen Curry scored 24 of his game-high 40 points in the first quarter in leading the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors over New Orleans 111-95.

NBA-KERR

Warriors coach expects to coach this year

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr is still experiencing symptoms caused by complications following back surgery this summer and isn't sure when he will resume his duties on the bench.

The second-year coach of the defending NBA champions has been on a leave of absence since having issues during the first week of training camp. He was on hand at Oracle Arena for Tuesday night's championship banner raising and ring ceremony as part of pregame festivities and planned to watch the game from the locker room.

Luke Walton is coaching the team in Kerr's absence.

NFL-MOVES

Roethlisberger to return

UNDATED (AP) — Ben Roethlisberger (RAWTH'-lihs-bur-gur) is ready to return for the Steelers when they take on unbeaten Cincinnati Sunday. The two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback has missed four games for 4-3 Pittsburgh with a sprained knee and bruised leg.

Roethlisberger initially feared the worst after he left in the third quarter of a September win at St. Louis, but he was relieved to learn the injury didn't end his season.

Elsewhere:

— Defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul and the New York Giants have agreed to a contract more than three months after he damaged his right hand in a fireworks accident in Florida. It's a one-year deal, heavy with incentives. Pierre-Paul met with the team over the past two days and was given the OK to play by team doctors.

— Houston has released quarterback Ryan Mallett after he missed the team's charter flight to Florida for the Dolphins game last weekend. Mallett says he missed the flight because of traffic and instead took a commercial flight to meet the team in Miami.

— Tampa Bay receiver Louis Murphy will miss the rest of the season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. The Bucs also released tackle Martin Wallace and cornerbacks Keon Lyn and Daxton Swanson from the practice squad.

NHL-STREAK

Habs quest for record ends

UNDATED (AP) — The Montreal Canadiens' season-opening winning streak is over at nine-- one short of the NHL record.

The Vancouver Canucks jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period and Ryan Miller made it stand up with 25 saves in a 5-1 victory over the Canadiens. Vancouver scored twice on its first six shots. Jared McCann scored twice for the Canucks.

It just wasn't the Canadiens' week. Montreal had a scare at practice Monday when goalie Carey Price remained on the ice for a bit after being hit by a high, hard shot. He finished the session and coach Michel Therrien warned the team to keep its shots down.

In other hockey:

— The L.A. Kings scored three goals in the final period to beat Winnipeg 4-1. Milan Lucic scored the eventual game-winner with 4:41 left in regulation time to give the Kings their sixth straight win.

__ After losing its first four home games, Boston finally came up big for the home crowd. The Bruins blanked Arizona 6-0. Tuuka Rask gets the shutout with 24 saves. David Krejci scored twice.

— Boone Jenner and Cam Atkinson scored 35 seconds apart in the third period and Sergei Bobrovsky made 23 saves to lead the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 3-1 victory over New Jersey. That snaps the Devils' four-game winning streak.

— Zemgus Girgensons scored on a breakaway with 2:31 left in overtime to lift the Buffalo Sabres to a 4-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers.

__Victor Rask and Ron Hainsey both scored to lead the Carolina Hurricanes to a 3-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings.

— Charlie Coyle scored for Minnesota midway through the third period, 43 seconds after Ryan Suter's second goal of the game thwarted Edmonton's rally, and the Wild hung on to beat the Oilers 4-3.

— Vincent Trocheck had two goals and an assist to help Roberto Luongo win his 404th game and lift the Florida Panthers to a 4-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche.

__ Jake Allen stopped 26 shots for his sixth career shutout as the St. Louis Blues beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-0. Scott Gomez and Troy Brouwer scored.

— Antoine Roussel scored with 1:28 to play, rallying the Dallas Stars to a 4-3 victory over the Anaheim Ducks.

NHL-PANTHERS

No surgery for Panthers' center

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov won't need surgery to repair his broken right hand, and he's expected to be sidelined two to four weeks.

Barkov's hand was hit with a puck Thursday against the Blackhawks. An MRI on Monday determined the injury wasn't as serious as first feared.

The Panthers were at home against Colorado on Tuesday night.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Stockton lands a college job

BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) — Hall of Famer John Stockton is joining Montana State as an assistant coach for the women's basketball team for the upcoming season.

Among the players the former Utah Jazz point guard will be coaching will be his daughter, Lindsay, who is a senior guard for the Bobcats.

Coach Tricia Binford says Stockton has coached four current players on the team already and is someone the program respects and trusts.

SOCCER

Wambach retires

UNDATED (AP) — Abby Wambach, the leading career scorer, male or female, in international soccer, announced her retirement from soccer shortly after the U.S. national team celebrated its Women's World Cup victory at the White House. The 35-year old, who grew up in Rochester, New York, has appeared in 252 international matches with 184 goals.

She will play the final four matches of the national team's 10-game victory tour before stepping away from the team. Her final match will be Dec. 16 against China in New Orleans.