The Phillies are headed back to the World Series for the first time since 2009, and it turns out paying Bryce Harper $330 million was a pretty good investment, Axios' Jeff Tracy writes.

What happened: Harper continued one of the hottest stretches of his career in Sunday's 4-3 win over the Padres, hitting a two-run bomb in the eighth that ultimately stood as the game- and series-winner.

By the numbers: After ending the season in a slump, Harper has gone atomic.

• NLCS: 8-for-20 (.400), 2 HR, 3 doubles, 5 RBI, and 4 runs. NLCS MVP.
• Postseason: 18-for-43 (.419), 5 HR, 6 doubles, 11 RBI, 10 runs and a 10-game hit streak.
• Wild stat: His 1.351 OPS so far would be the fourth-highest mark ever in a single postseason (min. 10 games).

What he's saying: "This city, this team … it's all for them," said Harper after the game. "But the job's not done."

The big picture: The Phillies, who only reached the postseason thanks to the expanded format, are tied for the fifth-fewest regular-season wins* among teams who've made the World Series. Three of the previous five won it all.

• 1973 Mets: 82-79 (lost to A's)
• 2006 Cardinals: 83-78 (beat Tigers)
• 1987 Twins: 85-77 (beat Cardinals)
• 1997 Indians: 86-75 (lost to Marlins)
• 2000 Yankees: 87-74 (beat Mets)
• 2022 Phillies: 87-75 (?)

The bottom line: The Phillies were 22-29 when they fired Joe Girardi in early June and replaced him with 59-year-old rookie manager Rob Thomson. Now they're four wins from a championship.

*Not counting the strike-interrupted 1981 season or pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

For the fourth time in six years, the Astros are heading to the Fall Classic, Jeff writes.

How it happened: The Yankees bats finally woke up after an all-time bad postseason, but it was too little too late as the Astros fought back from multiple deficits on Sunday night to win, 6-5, and complete the sweep.

• Jeremy Peña had two more hits, including a three-run homer, to take home ALCS MVP. The 25-year-old rookie went 6-for-17 (.353) with 2 HR and 4 RBI in the series.
• Dusty Baker, who'll now manage in his third World Series, will be the oldest to do so at 73 years, 135 days. He's still seeking his first title.

The big picture: Houston is just the third team in the Wild Card era (since 1995) to sweep their way into the World Series. Their last loss came on Oct. 3 — against the Phillies.

The other side: New York's postseason woes continue. The Yankees have lost each of the last five ALCS they've appeared in, which is the longest streak by any team since the round was established in 1969.

• They've played in just one World Series over the past 19 years, which is tied for the worst stretch in franchise history.
• The only other time the Yankees experienced a World Series drought this long was during their first 19 years of existence (1903-21).

Looking ahead: Game 1 of the World Series is Friday in Houston.

Go deeper: What's next for the Yankees? Big questions loom (CBS Sports)

A pair of former XFL QBs led their teams to victory on Sunday against two of the greatest players in NFL history, Jeff writes.

Why it matters: The losses keep piling up for Tom Brady's Buccaneers and Aaron Rodgers' Packers, both of whom are under .500 as the season nears its halfway point.

• Buccaneers (3-4): P.J. Walker and the Panthers beat the Bucs, 21-3, to hand Tampa its second straight loss as a 10+ point favorite. Brady hasn't had a losing record this deep into the season since 2002.
• Packers (3-4): Taylor Heinicke led the Commanders past the Packers, 23-21, despite a sea of Cheeseheads taking over FedEx Field. Rodgers has now lost three straight games for the first time since 2018.

Elsewhere:

• Joe Cool: Joe Burrow was lights out in Cincy's 35-17 win over Atlanta, with 481 passing yards and 4 total TD. Since throwing four picks in Week 1, he's thrown 13 TD against just one INT for the surging Bengals.
• Giants keep winning: Big Blue keeps finding ways to win, holding on for a 23-17 victory over the Jaguars to improve to 6-1. Their six wins have come by 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 points.
• So do the Jets: Gang Green's 16-9 win over the reeling Broncos gives them four straight wins for the first time since 2015.
• Run, rookie, run: Seahawks rookie Kenneth Walker III put up huge numbers (168 rushing yards, 2 TD), and the 22.09 mph he reached on his 74-yard score is the fastest any ball carrier has run this season.

Scoreboard:

• Early window: Bengals 35, Falcons 17; Cowboys 24, Lions 6; Titans 19, Colts 10; Commanders 23, Packers 21; Panthers 21, Bucs 3; Giants 23, Jaguars 17; Ravens 23, Browns 20
• Late window: Jets 16, Broncos 9; Raiders 38, Texans 20; Seahawks 37, Chargers 23; Chiefs 44, 49ers 23
• SNF: Dolphins 16, Steelers 10

Go deeper: 32 things we learned from Week 7 (USA Today)

⛳️ New No. 1: Rory McIlroy shot a final round 67 on Sunday to win the CJ Cup. With the victory, he ascends to No. 1 in the world, supplanting Scottie Scheffler.

⚽️ Women's World Cup draw: The two-time defending champion USWNT will be in Group E next summer alongside the Netherlands (2019 runner-up), Vietnam and one of Cameroon, Portugal or Thailand.

🏈 Magic eyeing Raiders: Magic Johnson is pursuing an ownership stake in the Raiders at a price that could set a record for sports deals, Semafor reports. Johnson is already part-owner of the Dodgers and Sparks.

⚽️ MLS final four: LAFC will host Austin in the West Finals this Sunday; Philadelphia will host NYC FC in the East Finals. Preview.

⚾️ Bochy to Texas: The Rangers have hired Bruce Bochy as their manager, bringing the three-time World Series champion out of a short retirement to take over a team that has had six straight losing seasons.

🎾 Halep suspended: Two-time major champion Simona Halep was suspended on Friday after a positive doping test at the U.S. Open. Halep, ranked No. 9 in the world, called it the "biggest shock of my life."

💔 Skydiving death: A 55-year-old skydiver died after plummeting to the ground before a high school football game in Jonesborough, Tennessee.

A potentially landmark CTE trial began Friday in Los Angeles, when opening statements were heard in the wrongful death lawsuit filed by former USC linebacker Matt Gee's widow, Jeff writes.

Why it matters: This is just the second wrongful death lawsuit brought against the NCAA by a college football player to go to trial, and it could be the first to reach a jury.

The backdrop: Gee played for USC from 1988-92, but after getting cut by the Raiders in training camp as a rookie, he left the game. He married his college sweetheart, Alana, they had three kids and he ran an insurance company for 20 years.

• But in 2013, his temperament drastically changed. He became angry, confused and depressed and started drinking heavily, according to Alana — all symptoms of CTE.
• He died on New Year's Eve 2018, with the original cause listed as the toxic effects of drugs and alcohol, paired with other health issues like obesity.
• Alana donated his brain to Boston University's CTE center, which diagnosed him with CTE.
• The NCAA stands by the original cause of death, while Alana's suit claims it was the result of repeated head injuries that the NCAA failed to protect him from.

State of play: A study this summer found conclusive evidence that repeated head trauma causes CTE, and in 2016, the NFL acknowledged a link between football and CTE. The NCAA has yet to do so.

What they're saying: "We believe [Gee] suffered a number of concussions at USC and was never warned what might happen later in life," said one of Gee's attorneys.

The other side: The NCAA's attorney countered that "evidence will show CTE was not discovered in a football player until 2005. But somehow the NCAA was supposed to be warning people about a disease that hadn't been identified yet."

The top six teams stayed the same in this week's poll, and TCU continued its undefeated season to move up to No. 7.

State of play: Three undefeated teams fell on Saturday (UCLA, Ole Miss, Syracuse), leaving just six, including two pairs of conference foes.

• No. 1 Georgia (7-0): We're two weeks away from the potential game of the year: Tennessee at Georgia on Nov. 5. Feels like "College GameDay" might be heading to Athens for that one.
• No. 2 Ohio State (7-0): The Buckeyes trounced Iowa, 54-10, behind C.J. Stroud's fifth game with 4+ passing TD. His 28 TD are four more than anyone else in the nation.
• No. 3 Tennessee (7-0): The Vols blew out UT Martin, 65-24, and WR Jalin Hyatt had another monster day. His last two games: 13 catches, 381 yards, 7 TD.
• No. 4 Michigan (7-0): Coming off a bye, and with a relatively easy schedule for the next month, all eyes will be on their Thanksgiving week game against the Buckeyes.
• No. 5 Clemson (8-0): The Tigers overcame four turnovers and a benched starting QB in their 27-21 comeback win over previously unbeaten Syracuse.
• No. 7 TCU (7-0): The Horned Frogs rallied to beat then-No. 17 Kansas State, 38-28, marking the first time in school history they've won four straight games against ranked opponents.

The big picture: The CFP field is beginning to crystallize. Five of the six unbeaten teams (all but TCU), plus Alabama, have at least a 49% chance of making the playoff. No other team's odds exceed 11%.

Go deeper: What's next for each ranked team (ESPN)

NORWOOD, Mass. — On Saturday night, American teenager Ilia Malinin became the first figure skater to land a quadruple axel at a Grand Prix event, the highest level of skating competition.

• Go deeper: Quad axel, explained (The Athletic)

SEATTLE — The Kansas City Current beat OL Reign, 2-0, on Sunday to advance to the NWSL final — one year after finishing dead last.

• The other game: Crystal Dunn scored in stoppage time to lift Portland past San Diego, 2-1, and earn a spot in the final.

AUSTIN, Texas — Max Verstappen won the U.S. Grand Prix and secured the Constructors' Cup for Red Bull for the first time in nearly a decade.

• The backdrop: Red Bull co-founder and CEO Dietrich Mateschitz, whose sports empire spanned continents, died over the weekend.

Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid go head-to-head for the 10th time tonight when the Penguins host the Oilers (8pm ET, NHL).

• By the numbers: Crosby (3 goals, 7 assists) and McDavid (5 goals, 5 assists) are tied for third in the NHL with 10 points.
• The big picture: Two generational talents, who have a lot of respect for each other. Must-see matchup.

More to watch:

• 🏈 NFL: Bears at Patriots (8:15pm, ESPN/ESPN2) ... NE -8.5 | O/U: 40
• 🏀 NBA: Magic at Knicks (7:30pm, NBA); Nuggets at Trail Blazers (10pm, NBA)
• ⚽️ EPL: West Ham vs. Bournemouth (3pm, USA)
• ⛳️ NCAA Golf: East Lake Cup (3pm, Golf) … Three-day competition in Atlanta showcasing the best men's and women's teams.

Chris Paul reached 11,000 career assists on Sunday, becoming the third NBA player to do so.

• Question: Who are the other two?
• Hint: Careers overlapped.

Answer at the bottom

1. ⛸ Quad god
2. 🏈 Insane play
3. ⚽️ Mbappé to Messi
4. 🏈 Impossible catch
5. 🏀 Ja Morant!
6. ⚾️ Joe Musgrove!
7. 🏈 A+ concentration
8. ⚽️ What a strike
9. 🏒 Fancy finish
10. 🏈 Goes up and gets it

Watch all 10