Dolphins grades, stock up, stock down for victory over New England  —  MIMAI GARDENS — The Dolphins opened the season and the Mike McDaniel era in rousing fashion with Sunday's 20-7 victory over AFC East rival New England at Hard Rock Stadium.  —  The defense led the way early and late …

QB Justin Fields rallies the Chicago Bears in the 2nd half for a 19-10 win in rainy conditions at Soldier Field  —  ExpandAutoplay  —  1 of 34  —  Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields (1) carries the ball in the second quarter of a game against the San Francisco 49ers.  (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

Now is the time for the Mets to pounce  —  Seven years of frustration are going to come down to a few weeks.  —  For the Mets to win their first division title since 2015, they'll need to take care of some very doable business.  That was once a horrifying ordeal, as both the 2007 and 2008 Mets can attest to.

Four takeaways as the Mets cap weeklong road trip with convincing series win over Marlins  —  MIAMI — The pressure has eased some on the Mets.  —  Over the last two games, the Mets' offense has exploded while they watched the Braves' eight-game winning streak finally come to an end.

QB Lamar Jackson outduels Joe Flacco as Ravens cruise to 24-9 win over New York Jets in season opener  —  ExpandAutoplay  —  1 of 58  —  Jets quarterback Joe Flacco (19) meets Ravens Calais Campbell (93) midfield after the Baltimore Ravens defeated the New York Jets 24-9 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

ASK IRA: Can Heat emulate Dolphins speed?  —  Q: Ira, I know Erik Spoelstra was at Dolphins camp.  Can he get the Heat to use their speed like the Dolphins did against the Patriots?  - Bernard.  —  A: I'm not sure the Heat have a Tyreek Hill or even a Jaylen Waddle.

Yankees Notebook: DJ LeMahieu plans to return this season  —  When the Yankees placed DJ LeMahieu on the injured list with inflammation in his toe, Aaron Boone expressed concern that the veteran may not return this season.  —  However, the tide seems to have turned in the right direction.

Marlins' Sherman calls season ‘immensely frustrating,’ says franchise must ‘look in mirror’  —  Miami Marlins chairman and principal owner Bruce Sherman is unhappy with the team's performance in his fifth year of ownership and has met with club officials to begin plotting a course for a franchise …

Albert Pujols continues ‘absolutely legendary’ run, hits 697th home run as St. Louis Cardinals rally  —  PITTSBURGH — Albert Pujols hit his 697th home run, moving past Alex Rodriguez into fourth place on the career list and doing it in dramatic fashion with a ninth-inning drive that rallied …

For the Yankees, a Thin Roster but a Crowded Infield  —  A team with 15 players on the injured list is awash in versatile middle infielders.  And its prized prospect, shortstop Anthony Volpe, looms in the minors waiting for his turn.  —  During a rain delay on Sunday …

Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout homers in seventh straight game, one shy of MLB record  —  CLEVELAND — Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout homered in his seventh consecutive game, one shy of the major league record, but the AL Central-leading Cleveland Guardians posted a 5-4 victory on Monday night.

Tony La Russa calls his return to the Chicago White Sox dugout ‘uncertain’ in Oakland: ‘A lot of it is going to depend on the experts’  —  OAKLAND, Calif. — Tony La Russa was back at a ballpark Sunday, participating in a ceremony honoring former pitcher Dave Stewart at Oakland Coliseum.

Taking a look at the races for baseball's major awards as the regular season winds down  —  There is enough time between now and Oct. 5, the last day of Major League Baseball's regular season, that voting for the major awards could be swayed.  —  Most of the attention will be on the American League …

UCLA football rolls through depth in win over Alabama State  —  The Bruins finish with 485 yards of total offense, scoring at least 40 points for the fifth straight game  —  PASADENA — In its first-ever matchup against an FCS and HBCU opponent, UCLA rolled through its depth and past Alabama State …