BOSTON — Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell waited until all of his players safely made it out of a simulated game before confirming what he’d only hinted at before: Left-hander Jon Lester will start Game 1 of the AL division series.

Lester was 15-8 with a 3.75 ERA this season, but he won his first six decisions and seven of his last nine. From May 20 through the All-Star break, he went 2-6 with a 6.27 ERA.

Uggla off roster for Atlanta BravesATLANTA — Slumping second baseman Dan Uggla was left off the Atlanta Braves’ roster for the NL division series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.The Braves announced their roster Wednesday.Outfielder B.J. Upton, who is hitting only .184, is on the roster.

Ex-college gridders file suit vs. NCAAINDIANAPOLIS — Two more former college football players have filed a lawsuit against the NCAA stemming from concussions and brain injuries.John DuRocher, a quarterback at Washington and Oregon, and Darin Harris, a safety at Washington, are seeking more than $5 million in damages. Both say they sustained repeated head injuries, despite promises that they would be competing in a protected college environment.The class-action suit was filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court of Southern Indiana.Helmet-manufacturer Riddell and its parent company, Easton-Bell Sports, are also named in the complaint.

LeBron’s jersey NBA’s top sellerPARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas — LeBron James has the world’s best-selling NBA jersey.The Miami Heat star and four-time league MVP tops the NBA’s global list of jersey sales for this past season, according to numbers released Tuesday. James — who also has the top-selling jersey in the United States — outsold Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls, Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers, Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Heat teammate Dwyane Wade for the No. 1 spot.

Canadiens’ Parros gets out of hospitalMONTREAL — Montreal Canadiens enforcer George Parros was released from the hospital after being treated overnight for a head injury suffered in a season-opening loss to Toronto.Parros was knocked unconscious early in the third period Tuesday after his face slammed into the ice during a fight with Maple Leafs tough guy Colton Orr. Parros spent several minutes motionless on the ice before he was taken off on a stretcher.

Boeheim against paying collegiansSYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse basketball coach Jim Boeheim isn’t on board with paying college athletes.Boeheim said he’s heard the most recent talk about paying college athletes and doesn’t agree with it one bit.“That’s really the most idiotic suggestion of all time,” Boeheim said.