AP Sports Minute

Your Associated Press Sports Minute for Wednesday, October 14, 2015

CHICAGO (AP) — Javier Baez, Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Schwarber homered as the Chicago Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-4 to advancing to the National League Championship Series for the first time since 2003. Baez belted a three-run shot in the second to put Chicago ahead 4-2, but the Redbirds knotted the score before Rizzo's solo blast in the sixth. It's the first time the Cubs have clinched a postseason series at home.

NEW YORK (AP) — Clayton Kershaw tossed seven stellar innings and the Dodgers forced a fifth game in the NL division series by defeating the Mets 3-1 in New York. Kershaw entered the game 1-6 with a 4.99 ERA lifetime in the postseason before limiting the Mets to three hits, including Daniel Murphy's fourth-inning homer. The Dodgers got their runs in the third inning as Adrian Gonzalez hit an RBI single before scoring on Justin Turner's two-run double.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Shawn Elliott is the interim football coach at South Carolina following Steve Spurrier's resignation. The 70-year-old Spurrier said it was time to go after the Gamecocks got off to a 2-4 start, including an 0-4 mark in the SEC. Elliott had been the co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Panthers middle linebacker Luke Kuechly (KEEK'-lee) has returned to practice for the first time since suffering a concussion in Carolina's season-opening win against Jacksonville. Kuechly spent four weeks in the NFL's concussion protocol and missed three games before being cleared to return. The Panthers had a bye last week and travel to play Seattle on Sunday.

UNDATED (AP) — The NFL has acknowledged an officiating error during final moments of last night's game between the Chargers and visiting Steelers. Eighteen seconds were incorrectly run off the clock late in the fourth quarter of the Pittsburgh Steelers' 24-20 victory at the San Diego Chargers, and none of the game officials noticed the gaffe and corrected it. After the Chargers hit a go-ahead field goal with 2:56 remaining, the ensuing kickoff went for a touchback, but the clock rolled down to 2:38 instead of remaining at 2:56.

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.