Reuters U.S. Sports Schedule at 2 PM EST on Wednesday, Oct. 14

Oct. 14 (Reuters) - Reuters U.S. sports schedule at 2 PM ET on Wednesday: - - - - The duty editor is Steve Ginsburg, 202-898-8427 - - - - MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL ALDS, Game 5: Rangers at Blue Jays TORONTO - Marcus Stroman leads the Toronto Blue Jays into the deciding game in the American League Division Series against Cole Hamels and the Texas Rangers with the winner heading to the AL Championship Series. (BBO-BLUEJAYS-RANGERS-FIRSTLEDE-WRITETHRU/ (PIX), expect ASAP after 4:07 PM ET start, by Larry Millson, The Sports Xchange, 400-word first lede, 700-word writethru) - - ALDS, Game 5: Astros at Royals KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Midseason acquisition Johnny Cueto hasn't pitched like an ace in Kansas City but can redeem himself in Game 5 of the AL Division Series by beating Collin McHugh and the Houston Astros. KC rallied from a 6-4 deficit in Game 4 in Houston to force the series finale. (BBO-ROYALS-ASTROS-FIRSTLEDE-WRITETHRU/ (PIX), expect ASAP after 7:07 PM ET start, by Alan Eskew, The Sports Xchange, 400-word first lede, 700-word writethru) - - Not need in Game 4, deGrom gets start for Mets in Game 5 NEW YORK - The "use only in an emergency" option was not utilized by the New York Mets on Tuesday. Now, right-hander Jacob deGrom goes in the most urgent situation of all -- Game 5. (BBO-METS-NEWS/, moved, by Jerry Beach, The Sports Xchange, 475 words) - - Dodgers get it back to Zack NEW YORK - For many reasons Game 4 was a desperate situation for the Dodgers, who find some sense of relief in returning home to Los Angeles with Zack Greinke on the mound for Game 5. (BBO-DODGERS-NEWS/, moved, by Jerry Beach, The Sports Xchange, 511 words) - - No longer losers, Cubs see success off the baseball field as well The Chicago Cubs have thrilled fans with a run to the National League championship, but the team formerly known more for losing and bad luck is now set for a long and lucrative run both on and off the baseball field. (BASEBALL-FINANCES/CUBS (PIX), expect by 4 PM ET, by Ben Klayman, 600 words) - - Cubs installed as World Series favorites From loveable losers to the betting public's favorite, the Chicago Cubs are leading World Series odds at 5:2. (BBO-CUBS-NEWS/, moved, The Sports Xchange, 160 words) - - MLB Notebook News and notes from around the diamond. (BBO-NOTEBOOK/, expect by 7 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 350 words) - - MLB schedule at a glance American League Division Series Texas at Toronto, 4 PM ET (PIX) Houston at Kansas City, 8 PM ET (PIX) - - - - NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE Week 6 preview: Falcons at Saints Atlanta expects Julio Jones to give it a go despite a hamstring injury as the Falcons (5-0) visit Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints on Thursday night. (FBN-SAINTS-FALCONS-PREVIEW/, expect by 3:30 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, by Jeff Reynolds, 400 words) - - Patriots OT Solder out for season New England Patriots left tackle Nate Solder is out for the season with a torn right biceps. The Patriots will juggle their offensive line, which is already anchored by youth, to help protect quarterback Tom Brady. (FBN-PATRIOTS-NEWS/, moved; will be led, The Sports Xchange, 200 words) - - Cowboys reverse field, changes coming at QB, RB The Dallas Cowboys may not be finished with making changes in the starting lineup during the team's bye week after switching to Matt Cassel as their QB. Coach Jason Garrett confirms that Cassel will take over for Brandon Weeden when the Cowboys face the New York Giants for the second time this season. (FBN-COWBOYS-NEWS/, moved, The Sports Xchange, 400 words) - - Roethlisberger to be limited in Steelers' practice PITTSBURGH - Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger plans to participate in 7-on-7 drills today, practicing on a limited basis for the first time since a knee injury Sept. 27. Roethlisberger's status for Week 6 won't likely be determined until later in the week. (FBN-STEELERS-NEWS/, moved; will be led, The Sports Xchange, 275 words) - - Dolphins VP Tannenbaum denies wanting Quinn Miami Dolphins football boss Mike Tannenbaum denies a report that he tried to fire head coach Joe Philbin last offseason so he could hire former Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. (FBN-DOLPHINS-NEWS/, moved, The Sports Xchange, 311 words) - - Winless Lions lose another, LB Levy (hip) opts for surgery Detroit Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy will not return to the field any time soon. Instead, he'll undergo surgery on his ailing hip. (FBN-LIONS-NEWS/, moved, The Sports Xchange, 300 words) - - NFL reports Live reports from team headquarters including another day of practice for Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, the Dolphins shifting gears for fiery interim coach Dan Campbell and backfield in motion in Buffalo, where LeSean McCoy practices and coach Rex Ryan plays down Tyrod Taylor's knee injury. (FBN-TEAMNAME-NEWS/, expect between 6-10 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 500 words per team) - - NFL roundup News and notes from around the NFL. (FBN-ROUNDUP/, expect by 8 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 400-600 words per team) - - - - COLLEGE FOOTBALL FSU seeks to continue dominance of Louisville Louisville knows upsetting Florida State can be elusive based on recent meetings, including a game the Cardinals thought they had won last season. (FBC-FSU-LOUISVILLE-NEWS/, moved, The Sports Xchange, 469 words) - - Penn State sticks to normal routine ahead of Ohio State game Penn State head coach James Franklin likes to let his players savor wins for a few hours before they turn their focus to the next week's opponent. He did that again this past Saturday, after the Nittany Lions (5-1, 2-0 Big Ten) defeated Indiana 29-7 to win their fifth straight game. (FBC-PENNSTATE-NEWS/, moved, The Sports Xchange, 400 words) - - Ohio State: QB system works COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio State's offense might have found its sweet spot last Saturday vs. Maryland. Using starting QB Cardale Jones between the 20-yard lines and J.T. Barrett, last year's starter, in the red zone, the top-ranked Buckeyes clicked for 499 yards of total offense in a 49-28 victory over the Terps. (FBC-OHIOSTATE-NEWS/, moved, The Sports Xchange, 530 words) - - Horned Frogs not sweating style points FORT WORTH, Texas - Third-ranked TCU has been tested in each of its last two Big 12 road games. It is expecting another tussle this Saturday at Iowa State. Last Saturday's game at Kansas State was particularly dicey as the Horned Frogs had to rally from an 18-point halftime deficit to post a 52-45 victory. (FBC-TCU-NEWS/, moved, The Sports Xchange, 581 words) - - Irish hush outsiders, brace for Southern Cal's best Notre Dame's Atlantic Coast Conference affiliation has put its recent schedules in a state of flux, but two opponents remain constants. One is Navy, which the Irish beat 41-24 last Saturday. The other is USC, this week's foe. (FBC-NOTREDAME-NEWS/, moved, The Sports Xchange, 455 words) - - Spartans not panicked about Michigan EAST LANSING, Mich. - While Michigan State continues to squeak past opponents and watch its national ranking continue to drop, there's a certain amount of angst taking over around the Spartans. Just don't try and convince anyone of that inside the program. (FBC-MICHIGANSTATE-NEWS/, moved, The Sports Xchange, 519 words) - - CFB notebook News and notes from around college football. (CFB-NOTEBOOK/, expect by 7 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 400 words) - - - - GOLF Very little rest for PGA Tour players as new season starts Just 18 days after the 2014-15 PGA Tour ended with Jordan Spieth's four-shot victory at the Tour Championship, the 2015-16 season gets underway with Thursday's opening round of the Frys.com Open at Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif. We preview the season opener where world No. 3 Rory McIlroy and seventh-ranked Justin Rose head a strong field. (GOLF-PGA/ (PREVIEW), expect by 6 PM ET, 400 words) - - 10 Players to Watch: Frys.com Open Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose are two of the players to watch as the PGA Tour begins a new season at the Frys.com Open. It's also a chance for golf fans to get to know Argentina's Emiliano Grillo, a legitimate rookie of the year candidate. (GLF-PGA-PREVIEW/, moved, by Tom LaMarre, The Sports Xchange, 1,060 words) - - Westwood leaving PGA Tour to return to Europe Lee Westwood resigns his PGA Tour membership and is moving back to Europe. (GLF-PGA-NEWS/, moved, The Sports Xchange, 225 words) - - More talks to come on Asia-Europe merger, says Thongchai More talks are planned on a proposed merger between the Asian and European Tours following a lengthy but productive discussion in Macau, Thai golfer Thongchai Jaidee tells Reuters. (GOLF-ASIA/EUROPEAN-MERGER, moved, by Patrick Johnston, 299 words) - - - - NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION Lamar Odom reported in critical condition after Nevada brothel emergency Former NBA player and reality television star Lamar Odom is reported to be on a respirator and fighting for his life in a Las Vegas hospital after being found unresponsive at a Nevada brothel. (PEOPLE-LAMARODOM/ (UPDATE 3, PIX, TV), moved; will be led, 417 words) - - NBA roundup News and notes from around the NBA. (BKN-ROUNDUP/, expect by 7 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 280 words) - - - - NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE NHL schedule at a glance Ottawa at Columbus, 7 PM ET (PIX) Chicago at Philadelphia, 8 PM ET (PIX) Boston at Colorado, 10 PM ET (PIX) Arizona at Anaheim, 10:30 PM ET (PIX) - - NHL roundup The latest news and notes from the NHL. (HKN-ROUNDUP/, expect by 7 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 350 words) - - - - HORSE RACING American Pharoah 'on target' in Breeders' buildup LOS ANGELES - Triple Crown winner American Pharoah is "on target" in his Breeders' Cup Classic preparation after completing his toughest workout since finishing a shocking second in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga in August. (HORSERACING-PHAROAH/, moved, 436 words) - - - - SOCCER South Africa soccer official Kika gets FIFA six-year ban FIFA's Ethics Committee bans ex-South African Football Association official Lindile Kika from soccer activities for six years, adding to a string of suspensions at the sport's governing body. (SOCCER-FIFA-KIKA/, moved, 333 words) - - - - AUTO RACING Auto Racing Glance Capsule previews of the week ahead in auto racing. (CAR-SPRINT-XFINITY-PREVIEW/, moved, by Jerry Bonkowski, The Sports Xchange, 755 words) - - F1 teams must agree on calendar and older engines LONDON - Formula One teams will have to reach unanimous agreement in the coming weeks if the sport is to expand to 21 races next year and manufacturers are to be allowed to supply customer teams with older engines. (MOTOR RACING-ENGINES/, moved, by Alan Baldwin, 329 words) - - - - TENNIS Djokovic sails through as Nadal toils for win in Shanghai Novak Djokovic breezes into the third round of the Shanghai Masters with a straight-set victory over Martin Klizan but Ivo Karlovic makes sure Rafa Nadal had to work a lot harder. (TENNIS-MEN/SHANGHAI, moved, 296 words) - - - - SPORTS BETTING Appeals court to reconsider New Jersey sports betting bid A U.S. appeals court agrees to review its previous decision blocking legal sports betting in New Jersey, in a case closely watched by other states wishing to legalize such gambling. (USA-GAMBLING/SPORTS, moved, 253 words) - - - - OLYMPICS IOC sees positive strides in Tokyo's preparations for 2020 games TOKYO - The International Olympic Committee says it sees positive strides in Tokyo's preparations for the 2020 Games despite embarrassments such as scrapping its logo and plans for its new Olympic Stadium due to anger over ballooning costs. (OLYMPICS-JAPAN/ (TV), moved, by Elaine Lies, 582 words) - - - - RUGBY We will monitor news from across the tournament and file stories throughout. (RUGBY UNION-WORLD/) - - - - NORTH AMERICAN SPORTS Roundups of off-field developments in the major North American professional sports leagues. (Expect by 8 PM ET, by The Sports Xchange, 400 words)