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Sports Quote of the Day:
"Every champion was once a contender that refused to give up." ~ Sylvester Stallone, Hollywood Screen Actor and Star of the Rocky Movie Series (Boxing)
Redskins outscore Bears, backup QB McCown 45-41.
By JOSEPH WHITE (AP Sports Writer)
Still far from being a good team, the Washington Redskins are at least a successful team for a change.
The Redskins gave up a special teams touchdown to Devin Hester - who didn't see that coming? - and had their defense shredded by a backup quarterback playing his first regular season game in 21 months.
They took advantage of an injury-depleted Chicago Bears defense and scored their most points since 2005, needing every morsel of offense from Robert Griffin III and Co., right down to Roy Helu's game-deciding 3-yard touchdown with 45 seconds remaining.
They beat the Bears 45-41 Sunday, raising their record to 2-4 while not doing much to alleviate the doubts surrounding the reigning NFC East champions.
''When we go watch the film,'' Griffin said, ''we won't watch it with smiles on our face. ... But I think we made enough plays today to win the game, and that's all matters.''
Griffin completed 18 of 29 passes for 298 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, and he also ran 11 times for a season-high 84 yards. Helu rushed for three scores, and third-round rookie tight end Jordan Reed had a breakout performance with 134 yards and a touchdown, catching all nine passes thrown his way.
''Every game is big, but we sure needed it after being 1-4,'' coach Mike Shanahan said. ''You don't want to dig yourself a bigger hole.''
The Redskins' two victories have come against backup QBs - Matt Flynn, who has since been released by the Oakland Raiders - and now Josh McCown, who entered Sunday's game in the second quarter after Jay Cutler left with a groin injury.
McCown was seeing his first action since the 2011 season, but the Bears improved with him in the game. Chicago had 46 yards of total offense in the first half and 313 in the second. He completed 14 of 20 passes for 204 yards, including a 7-yard touchdown pass to Martellus Bennett that gave his team a 41-38 lead with 3:57 to play.
''I didn't ask him what he liked, what he didn't like,'' Bears coach Marc Trestman said.
''I just called the plays according to the plan we had put together. I thought he functioned very well in the offense.''
Matt Forte rushed for three touchdowns, Alshon Jeffery had 105 yards receiving, and Hester tied Deion Sanders' NFL record for return touchdowns with an 81-yard punt runback, but the Bears (4-3) couldn't keep up because the defense was running out of playmakers.
Having already lost middle linebacker D.J. Williams and two defensive tackles to season-ending injuries, Chicago had to make do without linebacker Lance Briggs (shoulder) and Charles Tillman (knee) down the stretch after both were hurt in the second half.
''They've been here a long time, made a lot of plays. Definitely wish we could have had them out there,'' linebacker Jonathan Bostic said.
Cutler was injured when he was brought down on the first career sack by 333-pound nose tackle Chris Baker. Cutler clutched at the top of his left leg and limped off the field. He will have an MRI on Monday. Trestman didn't have an update on Briggs or Tillman.
McCown looked understandably rusty in his first few plays, but Hester was there to restore some Bears momentum with his punt return. It was his 19th career return touchdown, as well as the third special teams touchdown allowed by the Redskins in three games.
The Redskins started their final possession with 3:57 to play and trailing by three. Milking the clock, they converted three third downs to set up Helu's touchdown run. Griffin said the offense played most of the game in sync for the first time this season, in part because he's cleared a psychological hurdle in his return from offseason knee surgery.
''I think mental part of it that I did get over was not thinking out on the field, just reacting,'' Griffin said. ''And I don't think that was anything to do with my knee, the knee brace or anything else, I just think that was for me mentally playing the game irrelevant of my injury.''
Griffin also passed an unwelcome milestone. After throwing only five interceptions last season when he was the NFL's offensive rookie of the year, he threw his sixth of 2013 on Sunday when Tillman, who went to the same Texas high school as Griffin, got a pick in the first half.
Griffin evened the score, however, in the fourth quarter with a 45-yard heave to Aldrick Robinson, who made the catch while Tillman and safety Chris Conte were tumbling to the turf.
''He did get me with an interception,'' Griffin said with a smile, ''but I got him back with a touchdown.''
It was that kind of game.
Notes: Hester has 13 return TDs on punt, five on kickoffs and one on a missed field goal. ... Redskins S Reed Doughty left the game with a concussion.
With Cutler's status unknown, Bears prepared to go with McCown.
By John Mullin
For some unknown reason the mind sometimes just goes funny places. Like back to just about two years when Jay Cutler went down with a thumb injury, and you flash back to thinking that if the Bears insert Josh McCown for Cutler instead of Caleb Hanie, the Bears likely make the playoffs and Lovie Smith is possibly still Chicago Bears head coach.
But those are useless musings because they’re in the past, whereas now seeing what McCown is still capable of, with exactly zero snaps during regular game weeks (meaning he hasn’t done much quarterbacking since the end of preseason) is a whole lot more relevant.
McCown delivered nothing short of a spectacular performance off the bench, playing for the first time since 2011, and directing four scoring drives in the second half of the Bears’ 45-41 loss to the Washington Redskins.
McCown’s greatest asset is that he has learned through years of experience to play within himself as well as the offense.
“Trying to stay calm, lead the team, getting in and out of the huddle, be active with the football and play with my feet as well,” he said. “However I need to get it done, get it done.”
As far as what Cutler does that he can’t? “Have you seen him throw?” McCown said, then laughed.
If there was one significant positive amid the franchise calamity – referring here to the defense allowing nearly 500 yards and 45 points; Cutler will heal but the defense…. – it was in McCown improving on Cutler, at least for the day. McCown completed 14 of 20 passes for 204 yards, a rating of 119.6, second-highest of his career, and he led four scoring drives in the second half, not including a fifth that came up dry when Robbie Gould missed a 34-yard field goal. Gould’s career mark from inside 40 yards: 91.4 percent.
“[McCown] has gotten reps with us in camp,” said running back Matt Forte. “We hang out with Josh every day. He is in meetings with us and [at] practice, so it doesn’t change much. Josh commands the huddle the same way [as Cutler].”
Cutler’s status after suffering a painful groin injury in the second quarter of the Bears 45-41 loss to the Washington Redskins won’t be fully apparent until after an MRI and evaluation on Monday. Then, depending on the severity, the Jay Watch will begin and possibly extend well into the preparation week for the Bears’ game against the Green Bay Packers on Monday Nov. 4. Cutler was walking with considerable difficulty just leaving the field and this is a player with a well-established high pain threshold.
In the meantime, GM Phil Emery’s strategy of bringing veterans Trent Edwards and Jordan Palmer to training camp but opting to go into the season with two quarterbacks on the roster now plays out. The Bears are expected to sign Palmer, as first reported by Adam Schefter over at ESPN.
Notably perhaps, McCown’s first start in 2011 after the Hanie debacle had run its four-game course (McCown took over late in the Seattle loss) was against Green Bay.
McCown had the Bears within a 14-10 score in the third quarter and directed the offense to 441 yards and 21 points.
McCown’s body of work at practices has consisted only of backup center Taylor Boggs giving him practice snaps back away from the offense after it runs its plays.
McCown then mentally simulates executing the play after he takes the snap.
“He did a great job,” said center and offensive co-captain Roberto Garza. “Absolutely no reps, and that’s a tribute to all the work he puts in off the field.”
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Kostka, Blackhawks spoil Bolland's homecoming.
By Tracey Myers
Mike Kostka gave a big fist pump and celebrated his goal, the first of his NHL career. Who figured, between he and Dave Bolland, that Kostka would be the first to score on his former team the first time he faced it.
Kostka recorded his first NHL goal and Bryan Bickell scored his first of the season as the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 at the United Center on Saturday night. On the night where Bolland returned to his old stomping grounds to face the team he won two Stanley Cups with, Kostka, who played 35 games with Toronto last season, would be the one celebrating with his new mates.
“Things have come full circle. It’s a special night to be able to do that, and extra sweet to do it against my old team,” Kostka said. “It was a long time waiting, and I needed to throw (that fist pump) into that because it doesn’t happen too often.”
Brandon Pirri scored his second goal in as many games, this one coming on his newly acquired power-play time. Nick Leddy recorded two assists and Corey Crawford stopped 19 of 20 shots in the victory.
For the Blackhawks as a team, tonight was a welcome sight. After a forgettable performance against the St. Louis Blues on Thursday, the Blackhawks came with as complete an outing as they’ve had this season. No, the Blackhawks didn’t score in the third period. But they kept the pressure on and the shots coming and kept the Leafs off the scoreboard during those final 20 minutes.
“We got what we were looking for as far as chances, zone time, it was consistency across the line,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “Even though we didn’t produce in the third period – we did score once (a Joakim Nordstrom goal nullified by a Bickell goaltending interference) – we did what we wanted to do tonight. We were much more effective.”
Indeed, the Blackhawks didn’t take their foot off the gas much on Saturday night. Only a Nazem Kadri power-play shot bested the Blackhawks, who outshot the Leafs 40-20. The Blackhawks penalty kill recovered after that Kadri goal, killing off their final three penalties including two in the third period.
“That was a better 60 minutes,” Bickell said. “We outshot them by quite a bit. Going into the third we were only up by two, but give (credit) to our penalty kill. They blocked shots, did what it took to get the win.”
Quenneville said he’s fine with not scoring in the third as long as they don’t give anything up in return.
“We still had some good chances to score. It’s not like we just sat back and waited for them to come,” he said. “We played the way we did the first two periods, kept the heat on relatively well. We had a couple penalties to get through that gave them some momentum, but I thought we settled down in 5 on 5.”
Kostka went that full circle with his first career goal at the most opportune time. The Blackhawks put in a full 60 minutes. Not a bad Saturday night for anyone in a red jersey, really.
“We’ve had some good periods. The first (period) against Carolina was as good as we’ve played,” Quenneville said. “But start to finish, that’s what we were looking for.”
Myers view: Blackhawks still looking to tap into offensive rhythm.
By Tracey Myers
The Chicago Blackhawks entered Sunday’s NHL games in fourth place in the Western Conference. Not a bad setting for a team that’s struggled to find its offense. So, as we finish watching the Chicago Bears hit the end zone today the way the Blackhawks would like to hit the back of the net, some random musings:
1. Break out the ketchup bottle: Bryan Bickell got off the scoring schneid. Perhaps it was just going back to where he was familiar. Bickell was fine when he moved to the top line in the postseason but he felt most comfortable, and was offensively effective, with his third-line pals. Considering how many moving pieces the Blackhawks have, and if it bolsters his production, why not keep Bickell on the third line for a while.
2.Quick show of hands for who had Niklas Hjalmarsson as the Blackhawks’ leading assist man with five? Now put your hands down, ya liars… .
3. Andrew Shaw is still looking for his first goal of the 2013-14 season but Quenneville is fine with the way Shaw is playing and the energy he’s bringing. “He’s been consistent in how he’s competing. The finish, the production part of it hasn’t been what he’s accustomed to. But I still like the way he’s playing. Eventually I think that (production) will turn for him.”
4. The Blackhawks have talked about finding those “greasy” goals to up their scoring production. Two of their three goals on Saturday night were within about a foot of the net. Message apparently received.
5. Blackhawks line of the week goes to Marian Hossa, when talking about Patrick Sharp’s habit of scoring a big goal in the first game after each of his daughters has been born: “Too bad he didn’t have triplets.”
6. Joakim Nordstrom was reassigned to Rockford earlier today. We’ll talk to Quenneville more about this at Monday’s practice, but we’re assuming it’s to get some seasoning in this North American pro hockey game. Nordstrom had just 11 games with the IceHogs last season before making the Blackhawks out of training camp, and he admitted getting used to the smaller ice surface here took some adjusting. Also, he wasn’t doing as well on the penalty kill as the Blackhawks had hoped. So Nordstrom will get some extra work.
7. A quick P.S. on the above Nordstrom note (since you asked): the Blackhawks don’t have to recall another player, since they have 22 on their current roster. They have the minimum number of forwards right now – kind of. Michael Kostka played some wing in the preseason, and Sheldon Brookbank’s been used as a forward before, too. We’ll see tomorrow if the Blackhawks recall another forward for the Florida trip, but it’s not an absolute necessity. We are talking someone going on the fourth line (most likely) here.
8.Brandon Pirri learned something fast last night: when the Blackhawks give you an opportunity, use it. He did so on the power play, and that will likely get him more time on it in future games. As for his potential in playing a bigger all-around role with the Blackhawks, read here what Quenneville thinks. Quick synopsis: we’ll see.
9. For those who sulk when Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane are split up: relax. First, this just broadens the Blackhawks’ line depth. Second, you know they’ll be back together eventually. Like the circus trip.
10. Despite the team’s struggles to score goals and a hit-and-miss penalty kill, the Blackhawks have just one regulation loss in their first eight games. Think about that.
Just another Chicago Bulls Session... Hinrich's possible concussion latest Bulls' injury.
By Aggrey Sam
It’s just the preseason, but the Bulls are already experiencing aches and pains, some of which is a product of their hard-playing style.
Veteran reserve guard Kirk Hinrich might embody that more than any other player on the team and in Friday night’s 103-98 win over the Pacers at the United Center, he paid the price, having to leave the contest after suffering a head injury in the fourth quarter.
“Not sure yet. Banged his head,” Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau said of Hinrich’s status. “It appears to be a concussion, but I haven’t spoken to Fred [Tedeschi, the team’s head athletic trainer] yet.”
Similar to Hinrich, rookie Erik Murphy was another victim, hitting his head, but playing through it. The University of Florida product is no stranger to in-game injuries, as evidenced by breaking his nose and returning to the game in a July summer-league game in Las Vegas.
All-Star small forward Luol Deng also got nicked up, bumping his right knee in the first half before returning to the contest. Veteran center Nazr Mohammed sported a bandage over an eye, something that could be considered minor in the wake of the rest of the injury toll.
All of this took place in a game that starters Jimmy Butler and All-Star center Joakim Noah missed due to injury. Butler is nursing a bruised left knee that came in last Saturday’s win in Brazil, while Noah is shut down for a week as he recovers from a lingering strained groin suffered in an early training-camp practice at the Berto Center.
On the bright side, Derrick Rose reported suffering no ill effects after playing 31 minutes, the highest he’s played in the preseason. Rose scored 32 points and dished out nine assists in Friday’s victory.
“It’s just giving me some reassurance right now,” he said of his physical state. “Letting me know my leg is safe and me driving, laying the ball up against Roy [Hibbert] and all the big guys that they have on their team.”
Rose claimed that, if necessary, he could play even more minutes.
“If that’s what they ask me than yeah, but at the same time we have to be smart about the situation. It’s preseason,” he explained. “I’m happy [Thibodeau] threw me back out there, especially in that moment.
“It felt good, but at the same time I didn’t want to rush anything. He put me back in the game and I told him I would be ready,” Rose continued, referring to Thibodeau reinserting him into the game down the stretch, “Playing that extra four, five minutes, just trying to keep knocking rust off every night.”
But when asked whether he’d be ready to handle major minutes in the Bulls’ regular-season opener, Oct. 29 in Miami, the former league MVP’s emotions betrayed him.
“Oh, hell yeah,” he exclaimed. “I know I’ll be ready, but at the same time, just being smart, just looking at the situation, looking at how the game is going. If he pulls me, he pulls me but if not, I’ll be out there.”
It was evident that Rose’s conditioning and timing have returned, as he shot 8-for-15 from the field, 4-for-7 from three-point range and was aggressive enough to go 10-for-13 from the charity stripe. The Chicago native’s outside touch was one of the last aspects of his game to show that it’s back at his previous form.
“Yeah, I’m getting my feet under me. Really lifting the ball and just getting all them jitters out. But I’m fine and they were giving me the shot anyway. I was just taking them,” he said. “It’s just coming back to me. Like I said, getting my feet under me, my teammates did a good job finding me and I was wide open.
“Just taking what the defenses are giving me right now. Just trying to make the game as easy as possible and just trying to be more efficient.”
At least there’s some gain from all the Bulls’ pain.
Looking ahead to the World Series.
The Associated Press
A look at the best-of-seven World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox:
Schedule:
(All times EDT) Game 1, Wednesday, at Boston (8:07 p.m.); Game 2, Thursday, at Boston (8:07 p.m.); Game 3, Saturday, at St. Louis (8:07 p.m.); Game 4, Sunday, at St. Louis (8:15 p.m.); x-Game 5, Monday, Oct. 28, at St. Louis (8:07 p.m.); x-Game 6, Wednesday, Oct. 30, at Boston (8:07 p.m.); x-Game 7, Thursday, Oct. 31, at Boston (8:07 p.m.). (All games on FOX).
x-if necessary.
Season Series:
Did not play.
Projected Lineups:
Cardinals: 2B Matt Carpenter (.318, 11 HRs, 78 RBIs, .392 OBP; led MLB with 199 hits, 126 runs and 55 doubles), RF Carlos Beltran (.296, 24, 84), LF Matt Holliday (.300, 22, 94, .389 OBP), C Yadier Molina (.319, 12, 80), DH Allen Craig (.315, 13, 97, MLB-best .454 average with RISP), 3B David Freese (.262, 9, 60), 1B Matt Adams (.284, 17, 51 in 108 games), CF Jon Jay (.276, 7, 67, 10 SBs) or Shane Robinson (.250, 2, 16 in 144 ABs), SS Pete Kozma (.217, 1, 35) or Daniel Descalso (.238, 5, 43).
Red Sox: CF Jacoby Ellsbury (.298, 9, 53, 92 runs, MLB-best 52/56 SBs), RF Shane Victorino (.294, 15, 61, 21 SBs), 2B Dustin Pedroia (.301, 9, 84, 42 doubles, 17 SBs), DH David Ortiz (.309, 30, 103, .959 OPS), 1B Mike Napoli (.259, 23, 92), LF Jonny Gomes (.247, 13, 52) or Daniel Nava (.303, 12, 66), C Jarrod Saltalamacchia (.273, 14, 65), SS Stephen Drew (.253, 13, 67, 8 errors), 3B Xander Bogaerts (.250, 1, 5 in 44 ABs).
Projected Rotations:
The Associated Press
A look at the best-of-seven World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox:
Schedule:
(All times EDT) Game 1, Wednesday, at Boston (8:07 p.m.); Game 2, Thursday, at Boston (8:07 p.m.); Game 3, Saturday, at St. Louis (8:07 p.m.); Game 4, Sunday, at St. Louis (8:15 p.m.); x-Game 5, Monday, Oct. 28, at St. Louis (8:07 p.m.); x-Game 6, Wednesday, Oct. 30, at Boston (8:07 p.m.); x-Game 7, Thursday, Oct. 31, at Boston (8:07 p.m.). (All games on FOX).
x-if necessary.
Season Series:
Did not play.
Projected Lineups:
Cardinals: 2B Matt Carpenter (.318, 11 HRs, 78 RBIs, .392 OBP; led MLB with 199 hits, 126 runs and 55 doubles), RF Carlos Beltran (.296, 24, 84), LF Matt Holliday (.300, 22, 94, .389 OBP), C Yadier Molina (.319, 12, 80), DH Allen Craig (.315, 13, 97, MLB-best .454 average with RISP), 3B David Freese (.262, 9, 60), 1B Matt Adams (.284, 17, 51 in 108 games), CF Jon Jay (.276, 7, 67, 10 SBs) or Shane Robinson (.250, 2, 16 in 144 ABs), SS Pete Kozma (.217, 1, 35) or Daniel Descalso (.238, 5, 43).
Red Sox: CF Jacoby Ellsbury (.298, 9, 53, 92 runs, MLB-best 52/56 SBs), RF Shane Victorino (.294, 15, 61, 21 SBs), 2B Dustin Pedroia (.301, 9, 84, 42 doubles, 17 SBs), DH David Ortiz (.309, 30, 103, .959 OPS), 1B Mike Napoli (.259, 23, 92), LF Jonny Gomes (.247, 13, 52) or Daniel Nava (.303, 12, 66), C Jarrod Saltalamacchia (.273, 14, 65), SS Stephen Drew (.253, 13, 67, 8 errors), 3B Xander Bogaerts (.250, 1, 5 in 44 ABs).
Projected Rotations:
Cardinals: RH Adam Wainwright (19-9, 2.94 ERA, 223 Ks, NL-high 241 2-3 IP), RH Michael Wacha (4-1, 2.78 in 15 games, 9 starts; NLCS MVP), RH Joe Kelly (10-5, 2.69 in 37 games, 15 starts), RH Lance Lynn (15-10, 3.97).
Red Sox: LH Jon Lester (15-8, 2.75, 213 1-3 IP), RH John Lackey (10-13, 3.52, 2 CG), RH Clay Buchholz (12-1, 1.74), RH Jake Peavy (12-5, 4.17 with White Sox and Red Sox).
Relievers:
Cardinals: RH Trevor Rosenthal (2-4, 2.74 ERA, 3 saves), RH Carlos Martinez (2-1, 5.08 in 21 games), RH Seth Maness (5-2, 2.32, 16 GIDP in 62 IP), LH Randy Choate (2-1, 2.29 in 64 games), LH Kevin Siegrist (3-1, 0.45, 39 2-3 IP, 17 hits, 50 Ks, 18 BBs), RH John Axford (7-7, 4.02 in 75 games; 1-0, 1.74 in 13 games with Cardinals after trade from Milwaukee), RH Edward Mujica (2-1, 2.78, 37/41 saves), RH Shelby Miller (15-9, 3.06 in 31 starts; led MLB rookies in wins).
Red Sox: RH Koji Uehara (4-1, 1.09, 21/24 saves, 101 Ks, 9 BBs, 73 games; ALCS MVP), RH Junichi Tazawa (5-4, 3.16, 71 games), LH Craig Breslow (5-2, 1.81), RH Brandon Workman (6-3, 4.97 in 20 games, 3 starts), LH Felix Doubront (11-6, 4.32 in 29 games, 27 starts), LH Franklin Morales (2-2, 4.62), RH Ryan Dempster (8-9, 4.57 in 32 games, 29 starts).
Matchups:
While these teams haven't run into each other in interleague play since June 2008, they have met in three memorable World Series throughout the years: St. Louis won seven-game thrillers in 1946 and 1967 before Boston rolled to a 2004 sweep that halted its 86-year championship drought. Aside from Yankees-Dodgers, there hasn't been a more frequent matchup since that first Red Sox-Cardinals clash. ... Each one left its own mark in baseball lore. There was Enos Slaughter's ''mad dash'' home in 1946, when Red Sox shortstop Johnny Pesky appeared to hesitate on the relay, deciding a World Series that pitted Ted Williams against Stan Musial. There was Bob Gibson denying Carl Yastrzemski and Boston's ''Impossible Dream'' in 1967. And there was Curt Schilling's bloody sock and the end of The Curse of the Bambino nine years ago. The Red Sox never trailed in that Series. ... Both model franchises rank among the most successful in baseball over the past 15 years. The Red Sox are seeking their third World Series title in 10 seasons. The Cardinals are going for their second in three years and third since 2006. ... Both clubs won 97 games this season, tying for the best record in the majors. It marks the first time since the Yankees swept the Braves in 1999 that the top teams in each league have met in the World Series. ... St. Louis led the National League with 783 runs. Boston topped the majors with 853. ... The designated hitter creates key questions for both teams, as it often does in the World Series. Craig seems a perfect choice for the Cardinals when AL rules apply in Boston - he said Sunday he has recovered enough from a sprained left foot that's sidelined him since early September. And if Craig is healthy enough to play first base, then Adams could slide to DH. Holliday and Beltran could also be candidates, opening room in the outfield for two superior defenders in Robinson and Jay. But when there is no DH allowed in the NL park, the Red Sox have a difficult decision to make. They can keep Ortiz in the lineup at first base, but that puts Napoli on the bench. A proven postseason slugger, Napoli hit two big homers in the ALCS. He used to be a catcher, but hasn't caught all season. ... Wainwright took a tough-luck loss in the NLCS but is 4-1 with a 2.10 ERA and 4 saves in 16 career postseason games, including 7 starts. He even helped St. Louis to a championship as a rookie closer in 2006. ... Wacha, the NLCS MVP, has been almost unhittable lately, displaying remarkable poise for a 22-year-old rookie. He lost a no-hit bid against Washington on an infield single with two outs in the ninth inning of his final regular-season outing, then pitched 7 1-3 hitless innings at Pittsburgh before Pedro Alvarez homered in Game 4 of the NLDS. With the Cardinals facing elimination, Wacha won 2-1 to send the series back to St. Louis. In the NLCS, he outpitched Kershaw twice and threw 13 2-3 scoreless innings. He is 3-0 with a 0.43 ERA in 3 postseason starts. ... With plenty of speed at the top of the lineup, the Red Sox like to run. With a rocket arm behind the plate, Molina makes it tough - he threw out 19 of 45 runners trying to steal this year. That matchup should be interesting. On the other side, St. Louis is short on wheels and rarely tries to steal. It's a role reversal of sorts - traditionally, the Red Sox have built their offenses on plodding sluggers, while the Cardinals love jackrabbits who can scoot. ... More than a dozen players remain from the Cardinals team that won the 2011 World Series. ... Boston is 8-0 in World Series games since losing Game 7 against the New York Mets in 1986. ... Few in this matchup have faced the opposing pitchers, but Victorino and Gomes, two former NL players, each have homered off Wainwright.
Big Picture:
Cardinals: After winning their 19th pennant, the Cardinals are seeking their 12th World Series title. They nearly repeated as NL champs in 2012 before blowing a 3-1 lead against San Francisco in the NLCS. This year, they opened a 3-1 lead over Los Angeles before dropping Game 5. But the Cardinals closed it out by thumping Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw in the Game 6 clincher. ... When the season is on the line, nobody's been better than St. Louis. After winning the final two games of their best-of-five division series against Pittsburgh, the Cardinals are 8-1 when facing postseason elimination the past three years. ... The pressure was on throughout the regular season and the Cardinals (97-65) pulled away at the finish from Pittsburgh and Cincinnati to win the NL Central after never leading by more than four games nor trailing by more than four. To win another championship, they'll need a long list of youngsters to keep coming through for second-year manager Mike Matheny. ... After setting a franchise record by batting .330 with runners in scoring position, the Cardinals' potent lineup was minus a big bat in Craig during the playoffs. Adams hit eight homers filling in at first base down the stretch but can be vulnerable against lefties. His two-run homer in the eighth inning all but sealed Game 5 against Pittsburgh. ... Kelly was a fill-in for the second straight year but ended up being the team's most consistent starter for about six weeks. ... The 23-year-old Miller also is a top-end talent, but he was left out of the playoff rotation and has pitched only one inning of relief this postseason. ... The bullpen anchors are also young, led by the hard-throwing Rosenthal. He has been dominant since taking over as the closer late in the season. ... Cardinals rookies had a major league-high 36 wins. ... St. Louis had plenty to overcome this year after losing longtime ace Chris Carpenter, closer Jason Motte and shortstop Rafael Furcal to season-ending injuries before the season even started. Still, the Cardinals racked up their most wins since 2005, when they won 100 games. ... Wainwright tied Washington RHP Jordan Zimmermann for the NL lead in wins and joined Dizzy Dean (1934-35) and Mort Cooper (1942-43) as the only St. Louis pitchers to lead the league twice. ... According to STATS, Adams became one of three rookies to reach 17 homers and 50 RBIs in fewer than 300 at-bats - the first to do it in the NL since Tom Haller for the Giants in 1962.
Red Sox: Boston (97-65) returned to the postseason for the first time since 2009 after one of the most tumultuous periods in franchise history. Following an unprecedented collapse in September 2011, the Red Sox brought in manager Bobby Valentine to restore order to a clubhouse that had grown complacent under two-time World Series champion Terry Francona. Players rebelled against Valentine and the team won just 69 games - its worst finish in almost half a century. The rebuilding began with the August 2012 trade of Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford to the Dodgers. ... The AL's victory in the All-Star game gives them the extra home game in the World Series. ... Under new manager John Farrell, the Red Sox became the second AL team in the three-division era to go from worst to first. Then they defeated the wild-card Rays 3-1 in the division series, winning both home games. Boston beat Detroit 4-2 in the ALCS to capture its 13th pennant, going 2-1 at Fenway Park despite nearly getting no-hit in the opener. Grand slams by Ortiz in Game 2 and Victorino in Game 6 rallied the Red Sox to victory. ... This was Boston's first AL East title since 2007 and just the second since 1995. ... Ortiz is the only player remaining from the 2004 World Series title team. Pedroia, Lester and Ellsbury were also on the 2007 champions. ... The Red Sox never lost more than three games in a row this season, the first major league team to do that since the 2005 Cardinals. Boston has dropped three straight only twice since May. ... The Red Sox were successful on 86.6 percent of stolen base attempts, the best in AL history since baseball started keeping track of caught stealings in the 1920s. Boston was successful on its final 39 tries during the regular season and 11 of 13 in the playoffs. ... This is the fourth time Gomes has been a part of a big turnaround. The 2008 Rays won 31 more games than the year before; the 2010 Reds won 13 more, the 2012 Athletics won 20 more and this year's Red Sox won 28 more than the previous season.
Watch For:
- Welcome To The Show. One of the greatest hitters in playoff history, the 36-year-old Beltran has finally reached the first World Series of his 16-year career after three painful losses in Game 7 of the NLCS. Now, an even bigger stage for the eight-time All-Star, who can become a free agent after the season.
- Lights Out. Neither closer came into the season with that role, but both have been sensational. Featuring a 100 mph fastball, Rosenthal has 3 saves and 9 strikeouts in 7 scoreless innings this postseason. Uehara inherited the job in Boston when former All-Stars Joel Hanrahan and Andrew Bailey were injured. The 38-year-old right-hander was phenomenal all summer, compiling 27 straight scoreless outings and retiring 37 batters in a row during one stretch. Previously a playoff flop with Texas, he gave up a game-winning homer against Tampa Bay in the ALDS but took home ALCS MVP honors with 3 saves and a win against Detroit. He is 1-1 with 5 saves, 13 Ks and a 1.00 ERA in 9 innings this postseason.
- Youth Movement. The Cardinals aren't the only team with an impressive rookie or two. Late in the ALCS, Farrell benched slumping 3B Will Middlebrooks in favor of Bogaerts, a touted 21-year-old prospect with a keen eye and pop at the plate. Showing poise and patience beyond his years, Bogaerts has a .727 on-base percentage in limited postseason action, with 3 doubles and 5 walks. He's also scored 7 runs.
- Home Turf. The Cardinals went 54-27 at Busch Stadium this season, the second-best home record in the majors, and 5-1 during the playoffs. But they were 2-3 on the road vs. Pittsburgh and Los Angeles, and won't have the luxury of home-field advantage in the World Series. Meanwhile, the Red Sox went 53-28 at Fenway Park during the regular season. They were 4-1 at home during the playoffs and 3-2 on the road.
Webb Simpson wins in Las Vegas.
By KEITH FREEMAN (Associated Press)
By KEITH FREEMAN (Associated Press)
Simpson birdied two of the first three holes Sunday, pulling away for a six-stroke win in the second event of the season.
''One over through three yesterday and 2 under today felt like a huge difference,'' Simpson said. ''And it was because it really let me slow down and pace myself, and you know, try to let the guys come after me.''
Winning for the first time since the 2012 U.S. Open, Simpson closed with a 5-under 66 in the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. He finished at 24-under 260 after opening with rounds of 64, 63 and 67 to take a four-stroke lead into the final round.
''As we were going kind of middle of the round, pins were tough, greens were drying out and I knew it would take a really special round for somebody to shoot 7, 8 under,'' Simpson said.
''So, I felt like I was in control, and I asked my caddie, once I hit it on the green on 17 where we stood. And I was just thankful that I was able to kind of manage my golf ball the last couple rounds.''
Simpson earned $1.08 million for his fourth PGA Tour title. In addition to the U.S. Open last year at The Olympic Club, he won the Wyndham Championship and Deutsche Bank Championship in 2011.
Ryo Ishikawa and Jason Bohn tied for second. Ishikawa, the Japanese player who had to play the Web.com Tour Finals to regain his PGA Tour card, shot a 65. Bohn had a 66.
Charley Hoffman was fourth at 17 under after a 64.
''When you get that far up the leaderboard every putt you make is worth big dollars and big FedEx Cup points,'' Hoffman said. ''So, to get the year started off on the right foot, you always want to make those putts.''
Chesson Hadley, second entering the final round, had a 70 to drop into a tie for fifth at 16 under with Luke Guthrie, Troy Matteson and Charles Howell III. Guthrie and Matteson shot 64, and Howell had a 65.
Matteson had seven straight birdies - on Nos. 9-15 - to fall one short of the tournament record set by Jerry Kelly in 2003.
''It was a really good ball-striking round,'' Matteson said. ''As a matter of fact, when I got to 16, I thought I was going to get that eighth one and I ended up hitting the pin and almost going into the lake, so I would have had a tap-in there. But you know what, all in all it's a great end to my week. I didn't quite figure it out in the middle (of the tournament), but I certainly put it together today.''
Man pleads guilty to shooting golfer who hit home. CS&T/AA says, "Hit them long but hit them straight."
By MARTIN GRIFFITH (Associated Press)
A Nevada man accused of shooting a golfer who broke a window at his home with an errant ball has pleaded guilty to a felony charge.
Jeff Fleming of Reno entered the plea to battery with a deadly weapon on Thursday in Washoe County District Court. He faces from probation to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine when he's sentenced Dec. 12.
The golfer was unable to find his ball and was doing a drop shot on the 16th hole of the Lakeridge Golf Course in September 2012 when Fleming approached and fired a single shot at him with a shotgun, prosecutors said. The golfer was treated for minor injuries to an arm and both legs at a hospital.
Deputy District Attorney Sean Neahusan said neighbors along the golf course were stunned as it's common for stray golf balls to hit their homes.
''Live on a golf course and you got to expect your house to get hit every once in a while,'' he told The Associated Press. ''This (shooting) is one of those stories that you just can't make it up.''
Neahusan said he's unsure what motivated the shooting and referred queries about Fleming's mental state to his lawyer, Larry Dunn.
Dunn did not immediately return phone calls.
Fleming, 53, has expressed remorse and shock over his reaction to the broken window, Neahusan said, adding he apparently has no felony criminal record.
''I'm not sure what was going on, but from what I've read and heard, it definitely sounds out of character,'' the prosecutor said.
In return for Fleming's guilty plea, prosecutors agreed to drop an assault with a deadly weapon charge and to go along with the Division of Parole and Probation's recommended sentence for him.
Police said the golfer and his partner ran away after the shot was fired and it wasn't until they were safe that the golfer realized he had been hit. One or two shotgun pellets had to be removed from his body at the hospital.
The area around the 16th hole was evacuated after the shooting. Fleming drove to his attorney's office, where he surrendered without incident.
Jamie McMurray wins Talladega race that finishes without its signature wreck.
By Nick Bromberg
Jamie McMurray didn't know what he was going to do.
Was Dale Earnhardt Jr. going to make a move on McMurray for the lead coming off of turn two on the final lap? Was he going to do it on the backstretch? Was he going to wait until the field was football fields from the finish line? How was McMurray going to defend it?
None of us know.
With McMurray in the lead on the final lap of Sunday's race at Talladega, the caution flag flew for a crash involving Austin Dillon and Casey Mears before Junior had a chance to make that move. On last-lap cautions, the field is frozen. McMurray was the winner.
"I don't know how the last lap would have played out," an emotional McMurray said in victory lane. "I could see the 88 trying to set me up and figure out where he could get a run on me but when I saw -- the caution came out behind me -- and honestly I wanted to end under green but at the same time I wanted a caution and I'm OK with it right now."
The race had made it to that point without a Talladega staple, the Big One, a wreck that encompasses a double digit number of cars. As many a NASCAR fan can attest, the longer a race goes without a Big One, the more inevitable it feels. But we still don't ever know if it'll happen until it happens.
Add in the jockeying for position that heats up over the final laps of a restrictor plate race, and when Dillon's car snapped around from third place in front of a whole pack of cars behind him, mass crashing immediately became a possibility.
But that didn't happen. This Big One only meant severe damage for Dillon and Casey Mears, who clobbered Dillon's car so violently that it popped up into the air before it landed on its wheels.
While the timing benefitted McMurray, who took the lead with 15 laps to go and never relinquished it, the placement of the car crashing did too. The race's final pit stops came more than 25 laps from the finish, and over the last 10 laps, drivers were forced to move to a line on the high side of the track to manage their tires. Remember, Dillon was in third.
"I don't know -- the thing about the package we have now -- if you can get the third car in line to push the guy in second, it's hard to defend," McMurray said. "You just gotta try to make your car as wide as you can ... And then when they could never get the bottom line to form, I'm like it's going to come down to the first three or four cars."
But do you ever truly know? Both in NASCAR and at Talladega. Sunday's win was McMurray's first since October of 2010, a three-win season that included wins in the Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400. He missed the Chase that season, but the season looked to be the start of a fruitful partnership between McMurray and car owner Chip Ganassi.
Since then, the team has struggled, and McMurray's had just 15 top 10s in 108 starts. But in that time period, McMurray and his wife Christy have had a son and daughter. And there are signs of a turnaround on the track.
The team switched to Hendrick engines before 2013 and seven of those top 10s had come this season before Sunday, the first time that McMurray was able to celebrate with his wife and children in victory lane. He's now 14th in the standings, the same place he finished in 2010, and is signed with Earnhardt-Ganassi for 2014 to team with Kyle Larson.
Will the improvement continue? That too, we don't know. But isn't that why we all keep driving?
US gives Sermanni win over old team Australia 4-0.
By JIM VERTUNO (AP Sports Writer)
Tom Sermanni could have been forgiven for any pangs of nostalgia when facing his old team. His new players, however, had no similar emotional attachment.
Lauren Holiday and Carli Lloyd scored in the first half, and the U.S. women's national team overpowered Australia 4-0, giving Sermanni a victory in his first match against his former side.
''The reality is as a coach, you have to be detached once the game starts,'' Sermanni said. ''We knew it was going to be a difficult game. I'm pleased to have come out of it unscathed. Otherwise I might have been a pariah in Australia and the U.S.''
Holiday and Lloyd scored on powerful volleys, and Abby Wambach extended her international record with her 162nd goal, connecting with delicate flick off the outside of her right foot that trickled into the corner. Christen Press scored in stoppage time.
The win extended the Americans' unbeaten streak to 36 games and pushed Sermanni's record with the U.S. to 11-0-2 in his first year. Sermanni coached Australia for eight years, leading the Matildas to two World Cup appearances and an Asian Cup title before taking over the U.S. job in late 2012.The 2012 Olympic champion, the U.S. is unbeaten on home soil since 2004, a streak of 74 games.
Australia coach Hersterine de Reus, preparing the Matildas for next year's Asian Cup, was frustrated with defensive lapses.
''Giving up four goals is a bit too much for me,'' de Reus said. ''We were a capable of creating dangerous opportunities ... but we struggled a lot on defense and couldn't get control of the game.''
The U.S. started Wambach, Alex Morgan and Sydney Leroux together for the first time but dropped Leroux to midfield. The Americans pressed from the outset and scored in the sixth minute when Holiday got her 20th career goal.
Becky Sauerbrunn lofted a high free kick into the penalty area that Australia failed to clear. The ball bounced to Holiday, who slammed a volley that took a slight deflection off a defender and zipped past goalkeeper Lydia Williams.
The U.S. struck again in the 14th when Lloyd pounced on a ball that bounced her way across the top of the penalty area. With no one challenging her, Lloyd hit a powerful shot with her left foot that again left Williams with no chance. It was Lloyd's 45th career goal.
Australia had several good chances in the first half as the U.S. back line struggled with the speed of Matildas forward Lisa De Vanna.
De Vanna had three shots denied by goalkeeper Hope Solo, the best coming three minutes in when DeVanna burst past Crystal Dunn. Solo made a diving one-handed save to punch the ball away.
While the Americans forced most of the play in the Australian half, the U.S. back line of Dunn, Sauerbrunn, Whitney Engen and Meghan Klingenberg looked fragile defending Australia's counters in the first 45 minutes.
Sermanni said he expected De Vanna to challenge his defense.''We were a bit rusty at times and allowed Australia to get behind us, and Hope really came up big. Australian teams are notoriously difficult to play,'' Sermanni said. ''We left ourselves very open in the first half, and were kind of our own worst enemy.... You never quite harness De Vanna. She always bring something.''
Solo shrugged off the early defensive lapses by her back line.
''I'm excited about this defense. They have all the potential. They have the speed, will get in for tackles. This is a defense can get us back to where we have the best defense in the world,'' Solo said.
Sermanni stuck with his starters to open the second half and the U.S. continued to press the pace of play. Wambach, the reigning FIFA player of the year, found the net in the 56th minute.
Wambach chased a long ball from Lloyd and just managed to flick it under the diving Williams, who turned to watch as the ball rolled just inside a post.
The game was the first of three in 10 days for the U.S. The Americans play New Zealand in San Francisco on Oct. 27 and again in Columbus, Ohio on Oct. 30.
AP Top 25: Week 9
Associated Press
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