Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy says he’s making progress with his right ankle injury but his status is uncertain for Sunday’s AFC wild-card playoff game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
McCoy spoke to the media on Thursday for the first time since suffering the injury in Sunday’s 22-16 win over the Miami Dolphins. He has yet to practice this week Mark Walton Color Rush Jersey , but did participate in stretches Thursday before leaving the field with a trainer.
”I’m definitely happy with how things are working out so far, but there is a lot more room for improvement, especially with where I want to be,” McCoy said. ”I know my body, I know myself, especially the way I play is more cutting and running.
”It’s been feeling a lot better. I’m out of the boot and I can walk around without any pain. So that’s a plus.”
McCoy has been Buffalo’s most explosive and most consistent playmaker, finishing the year with 1,138 rushing yards and six touchdowns. His absence would leave a hole in Buffalo’s offensive attack; the Bills finished the regular season with the 31st-ranked passing attack in the league.
”I just want to be able to cut well enough where I don’t have a lot of pain when I’m cutting,” McCoy said. ”I just want to be close or the best as far as 100 percent as I can get. But the type of game like this, you’ve got to lay it all on the line. If I can’t get 100 percent, as long as I’m out there and I can run effective enough I’ll do it. So we’ll just see.”
McCoy was quick to mention previous times when he tried to play through injuries in Buffalo and had limited success. McCoy has attempted to play through hamstring injuries in each of the past two seasons. Each time, his production significantly dropped.
”I don’t want to make any promises,” McCoy said.
The Bills have no established running back behind McCoy on the depth chart. Marcus Murphy was promoted from the practice squad ahead of the Week 17 win over the Dolphins, rushing for 41 yards on seven carries. Buffalo also has veteran fullback/running back Mike Tolbert.
”I think we’re moving in the right direction,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said of McCoy. ”Will we be able to get there in time? We’ll see.”
J.D. Martinez hit his major league-leading 25th home run, Rafael Devers delivered a tiebreaking double and the Boston Red Sox beat the skidding Los Angeles Angels 9-6 on Wednesday night after squandering a six-run lead.
Martinez’s homer capped a six-run second for the Red Sox Baker Mayfield Color Rush Jersey , who won for the fifth time in six games. Eduardo Nunez and Sandy Leon also went deep in the inning. Boston improved to 5-0 against the Angels this season and has outscored them 45-10.
Martin Maldonado launched a three-run homer and Ian Kinsler had a solo shot for the Angels. They lost their fifth straight and 12th in 16 games.
Los Angeles reliever Jake Jewell was carted off the field with what appeared to be a gruesome injury to his right ankle after covering the plate on a run-scoring wild pitch in the eighth.
Angels star Mike Trout went 1 for 4 as a sprained right index finger kept him as the designated hitter for the eighth consecutive game.
Devers doubled off reliever Jose Alvarez (3-3) in the seventh, putting Boston back in front 7-6, and scored on Leon’s single. Matt Barnes (2-2) worked a scoreless inning. Craig Kimbrel got four outs for his 23rd save, his first of more than three outs this season.
ASTROS 7, BLUE JAYS 6
HOUSTON (AP) – Alex Bregman hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning to complete a big rally in Houston’s victory over Toronto.
It was Bregman’s third straight game with a homer and it capped a huge comeback for the Astros. They trailed 5-0 in the middle of the first inning after a terrible start by Dallas Keuchel.
The Astros trailed by one when Tony Kemp singled off Ryan Tepera (5-3) with no outs in the ninth and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Then with one out in the inning, Bregman sent a fastball to left field, where it bounced off the wall above the Crawford Boxes, to give Houston the victory.
Bregman also doubled twice after hitting a homer and doubling three times in a win on Tuesday night.
Will Harris (3-3) allowed one hit in a scoreless ninth.
After the Blue Jays took a 5-0 lead in the first, Houston scored three in the bottom of the first to close the gap and got within one Evan Gattis‘ RBI double in the fifth. But Kevin Pillar singled and scored on an error in the sixth to make it 6-4. Marwin Gonzalez snapped an 0 for 23 slump with a solo shot to the bullpen in right-center off Tyler Clippard with two outs in the eighth inning to cut the lead to one.
DODGERS 7, CUBS 5
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Max Muncy and Cody Bellinger each hit a solo home run, Joc Pederson added a two-run shot and Los Angeles defeated Chicago.
The Dodgers improved to 17-6 in June and have slugged a major league-leading 51 homers this month. That’s the second-most during any month in franchise history, and with three days remaining they have a chance to overtake last year’s team that set the record with 53.
Alex Wood (4-5) allowed three runs and seven hits in seven innings to earn his third straight win. The left-hander struck out six and walked none, retiring the final seven batters he faced. Kenley Jansen earned a four-out save, his 21st of the season.
Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks (5-8) gave up six runs and eight hits in 2 2/3 innings, failing to go at least five innings for the first time in 16 starts this season. The team has lost five of his last six starts.
RANGERS 5, PADRES 2
ARLINGTON Denzel Ward Color Rush Jersey , Texas (AP) – Mike Minor took a perfect game into the seventh inning, Shin-Soo Choo reached base for the 40th straight game and Texas beat San Diego.
Minor (6-4) was perfect until Eric Hosmer’s single up the middle with one out in the seventh. One out later, center fielder Delino DeShields preserved Minor’s shutout by leaping to rob Hunter Renfroe of a home run. Minor struck out five and threw 85 pitches.
Choo tied Philadelphia’s Odubel Herrera for the longest on-base streak this season. Choo was hit by a pitch leading off the first inning and also had two hits to extend his hitting streak to 11 games.
Keone Kela pitched a perfect ninth for his 20th save, the most in the majors this season without a blown save. Clayton Richard (7-7) took the loss.
PIRATES 5, METS 3
NEW YORK (AP) – David Freese hit a go-ahead, two-run single and Pittsburgh rallied for four runs in the ninth inning to beat New York.
Gregory Polanco had an RBI single and Josh Bell added a sacrifice fly in the ninth as the Pirates, shut down by Zack Wheeler most of the night, came back against a beleaguered New York bullpen to win for just the second time in eight games.
Wilmer Flores homered and Asdrubal Cabrera had three hits for New York, which has dropped eight of nine. Mets relievers have 21 losses this season, most in the majors.
Felipe Vazquez (3-2) threw two scoreless innings for the win.
Jeurys Familia (3-4) took the loss.
PHILLIES 3, YANKEES 0
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Zach Eflin limited New York to four hits in seven innings, and Rhys Hoskins hit a three-run homer in Philadelphia’s victory.
Eflin won his fifth straight start and kept the surprising Phillies in the thick of the NL East race.
Eflin (6-2) became the first Phillies pitcher to win five starts in a month (he had a 1.76 ERA in June) since Cole Hamels went 5-0 in May 2012.
Searanthony Dominguez finished for his fifth save. Luis Cessa (0-1) lasted only three innings in his first start for the Yankees since Aug. 14.
DIAMONDBACKS 2, MARLINS 1
MIAMI (AP) – Robbie Ray pitched six scoreless innings in his first game in nearly two months in Arizona’s victory over Miami.
Ray (3-0) allowed two hits and issued two walks. He struck out six in his first game since April