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Super Brathwaite vaults Patriots to victory in tiebreaker

Published in Cricket
Tuesday, 17 September 2019 20:32

Trinbago Knight Riders 216 for 4 (Simmons 90, Brathwaite 2-48) tied withSt Kitts and Nevis Patriots 216 for 7 (Brathwaite 64, Lewis 45, Phillip 3-38)

Super Over St Kitts and Nevis Patriots 18 for no loss (Brathwaite 17*) beat Trinbago Knight Riders 5 for 1 (Brathwaite 1-5) by 13 runs

Carlos Brathwaite played an innings to remember, arresting a middle-overs collapse with hitting of the highest caliber to keep St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in the hunt chasing 217, before delivering the knockout punch with both bat and ball in the Super Over after the game was tied - only the second such occurrence in CPL history.

If his 30-ball 64 wasn't enough of a contribution, he took it upon himself to snap Trinbago Knight Riders's winning streak, smashing Ali Khan for two sixes and a four to set them 19, before conceding just five with the ball. Incidentally, that was exactly what the Patriots needed to win -19 - when Jimmy Neesham was taken for 18 by Rayad Emrit and Alzarri Joseph to tie the game. A total of 36 fours and 24 sixes were hit, and Knight Riders' Lendl Simmons was a heavy contributor to that tally in his 45-ball 90 - his third successive fifty - during the course of which he overtook Chris Gayle to lead the run charts this season. But it proved insufficient as the Patriots clinched the thriller in Basseterre.

On the off side, there is god and then Lendl Simmons

It started with an inside edge that narrowly missed the stumps, but thereafter, there was hardly one that missed the middle of Simmons' bat. His strokeplay through the off side was the perfect union of style and power, belligerent, but a sight for sore eyes. Based on little changes in length, line and the field, Simmons either drove through the covers on the up, punched through cover-point off the backfoot, opened the face to pierce the infield behind square, or slashed up and over third man. But he was only marginally partial to the off side, as 42 of his 45-ball 90 came through the leg side, some clubbed over long-on, some pulled over deep midwicket and others tickled fine. However, part of the reason he could pepper all corners of the field was the bowlers' inconsistency in both length and line. They bowled two lengths - either too short or full - and strayed on both sides of the wicket, and Simmons, in the form of his life, cashed in every time.

Alzarri Joseph pulls things back

At 100 for one after 8, Knight Riders were on course to challenge their own record 267 from the last match. That's when Alzarri Joseph came on for his first and pulled things back with immediate success. He delivered the first boundary-less over, conceding just six - also the cheapest at that point - bringing some calm to proceedings. Though Simmons picked up a couple of sixes from his second, he fell to Sheldon Cottrell in the next over, and Joseph came back to unsettle Colin Munro and Kieron Pollard with his pace. His third over went for just two, with the 14-ball period post Simmons' fall culminating in Munro's dismissal. His last over was equally miserly, just three coming off it as he finished with 1 for 25, which arguably proved to be the difference as Knight Riders made 94 in their last ten overs, having made 122 in the first ten.

Evin Lewis gatecrashes Neesham's party

There were no birthday presents for the allrounder who turned 29, as Lewis tore into him from the get-go, launching him down the ground first ball. The next two went for four, and in context of what was to come, it was the best result for Neesham. Lewis, after showcasing finesse with a dab to third man and lap to fine leg, was back to his brutal best, clobbering one over deep midwicket, clubbing another one over long-off, before finishing off with another boundary to take 31 from the over. Neesham continued to have a poor day as he conceded 68 in his four, including the 20th which went for 18 resulting in the tie.

Powerplay squeeze

After Neesham had been greeted into the attack with a brutal assault, Ali Khan pulled things back, keeping Lewis off strike by bowling tightly to Laurie Evans. The fifth over was taken for just three as a result, and after Anderson Phillip managed to do the same, he was rewarded with Evans' scalp, the frustrated batsman holing out to deep square leg. Lewis had just played two balls in the last two overs, and another over went by where he was kept at the non-striker's end, as Hafeez struggled to get Khary Pierre off the square. With Lewis back on strike next over, Phillip bowled to a plan, firing them full outside off and keeping them away from Lewis' reach, who had by then started to lose rhythm, and though a few extras were conceded through wides, Lewis fell into the trap as he sliced the fourth delivery of the eighth to Pollard at deep point.

Remember the name

Three wickets in the space of four quiet overs had turned the tide Knight Riders' way. The required run-rate had shot through the roof into the 12s and he had Shamarh Brooks for company, with a career strike-rate of 112.50. What does Braithwaite do? Just presses forward and extends his arms to send one sailing over the sight screen. That was just the start, his second ball, with plenty to come.

The next few overs, Brooks went along at a run-a-ball, but every time the required rate threatened to get out of hand, Brathwaite found the boundary - six down the ground, four swept away, four, a dab to third-man. For the time that he was at the crease, he ensured the boundary was found every over, and there was fear in the mind of the opposition; a fear he instilled single-handedly, with Brooks managing just one four. And though he fell with 44 still required from three overs, the required rate remained achievable, and Knight Riders had started to panic, something he took full toll of after the game went into the Super Over.

Jeff Vaughan promoted to coach Tasmania's Shield team

Published in Cricket
Tuesday, 17 September 2019 21:09

Tasmania have promoted assistant coach Jeff Vaughan to take over the main coaching role during the Sheffield Shield portion of the season in a move designed to give head coach Adam Griffith a different perspective on Tasmania's cricket program while developing Vaughan's coaching credentials.

Griffith is the head coach of Tasmania as well as Hobart Hurricanes in the BBL. Adam Voges (WA and Perth Scorchers) and Andrew McDonald (Victoria and Melbourne Renegades) are the only other men who coach teams across all three formats in Australian domestic cricket.

Griffith took time away from Tasmania's pre-season to do a short-term stint as Australia's bowling coach during the World Cup campaign in England, which allowed Vaughan to run the early part of the preparation for the summer. Griffith's previous experience under Justin Langer in Western Australia, where he was given opportunities to take the reins for various short-term domestic assignments, gave him the confidence to promote Vaughan to look after the Shield side for the entire summer.

"It's something I've been thinking about for 6-12 months now, on how to continually develop our people," Griffith told ESPNcricinfo. "One of my passions is not only developing our players but helping our coaches develop, including myself.

"We were contemplating whether I should step back for a couple of games on tour, which is something that happened with me in WA, I was allowed to take the team away at times and lead the group.

"When we sat down and looked at the schedule this year, we've got a new High Performance Manager and a new CEO coming in and I think it's a really important time for our organisation as a whole and our high performance department as a whole, and giving Jeff the opportunity to lead the team on game day and have that autonomy as head coach will hopefully help his development in his space and also allow me to continue to run the program.

"I'll still continue to be the head coach of Tasmanian cricket but on [Shield] game days and leading into the games, Jeff will have that opportunity. I'll still be involved with the Shield team and still working with the bowlers and I'm really looking forward to seeing how Jeff progresses. He's earned the right to have this opportunity."

Vaughan's coaching stocks continue to rise. His influence on Matthew Wade as a batting mentor since returning to Tasmania has not gone unnoticed following Wade's impressive return to international ranks after dominating domestic cricket.

"He's already starting to think about the Shield, which is brilliant," Griffith said. "He's already starting to think about how the team needs to prepare and some training sessions and how we want to play, do we tweak last year, do we do the same things, selection of the team and that sort of stuff. He's doing that now while I'm focussing on how we're going to win our first four one day games. That allows us to do that and it allows me to get my head up out of the sand a little bit and have a look at our whole program."

Griffith's own stocks are high as Tasmanian cricket continues to rebound strongly following an exhaustive independent review in early 2017, led by former Australian great Michael Hussey, after a sustained period of poor results across all formats.

Griffith is highly regarded by Langer having worked closely with him during his entire tenure in WA prior to becoming Australia coach. Langer is looking to reshape his own coaching team and CA are yet to find a full-time appointment to replace David Saker, who ended his time as Australia's bowling coach last summer and Brad Haddin's contract as Australia's fielding coach has also come to an end.

Griffith said his move to step back from the Shield commitments has nothing to do with the Australian team at this stage. The exit of experienced Cricket Tasmania chief executive Nick Cummins, to a role with Cricket Victoria, and high performance manager Drew Ginn, who has been appointed new executive general manager of high performance at Cricket Australia, has left Cricket Tasmania with some holes to fill. They are still searching for a new CEO but have appointed Simon Insley as Ginn's replacement.

Griffith will coach Tasmania's Marsh Cup squad as their campaign starts in Perth on Monday. Jordan Silk will captain the side for the first two games in the absence of Wade, who is being rested following the Ashes series. Ben McDermott will keep wicket.

Verlander on cusp of 20 wins after beating Texas

Published in Baseball
Tuesday, 17 September 2019 21:37

HOUSTON -- Justin Verlander picked up his major league-leading 19th win, and Yuli Gurriel, Alex Bregman and Yordan Alvarez all homered to help the Houston Astros to a 4-1 victory over the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night.

The Astros are a win away from their third straight 100-win season and have a magic number of one to clinch a playoff berth and three to capture their third straight American League West title.

Verlander (19-6) added to his case for the AL Cy Young Award by striking out eight and scattering four singles over six scoreless innings. He lowered his AL-leading ERA to 2.50, and his 283 strikeouts this season leave him 11 shy of becoming the 18th player in MLB history to reach 3,000.

Roberto Osuna struck out two in the ninth for his 34th save.

Texas starter Lance Lynn (14-11) was tough early and the Astros had only one hit before Gurriel's home run to the first row of the seats in right field with one out in the fifth.

There were two outs in the sixth when Bregman launched his homer onto the train tracks atop left field to give him 37 this season. It's the most home runs by an Astro since Chris Carter also had 37 in 2014.

Houston went back-to-back when Alvarez extended his rookie franchise record with his 26th homer on a ball hit to straightaway center field to make it 3-0.

Nomar Mazara had two hits, including a solo home run off Hector Rondon in the seventh inning as the Rangers dropped their fourth game in a row overall and their sixth straight to the Astros.

Lynn yielded seven hits and four runs with eight strikeouts in seven innings. He is 0-5 in his past eight starts behind an offense that hasn't provided much run support. The Rangers haven't scored more than three runs in one of his starts since his last win on Aug. 2.

Jose Altuve singled with one out in the first inning before Lynn settled in, retiring the next 12 batters, with six strikeouts before Gurriel's homer.

Houston shortstop Carlos Correa went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in his return after sitting out since Aug. 19 because of a sore lower back.

The Astros tacked on a run in the seventh inning when Robinson Chirinos tripled and scored on a single by George Springer.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Rangers: OF Joey Gallo (wrist surgery) is working out and playing in games at the Rangers instructional league in Arizona and could come off the injured list by the end of the week.

Astros: Correa was able to get in only one rehabilitation game at Triple-A Round Rock before the team's season ended, so the Astros will ease him back into playing every day. Manager AJ Hinch said he'll be off on Wednesday to give him two days off coupled with an off day Thursday, and that he'll probably play only two of three games this weekend against the Angels. ... RHP Brad Peacock (sore shoulder) threw a bullpen session Monday and is scheduled to throw live batting practice Thursday as he moves closer to coming off the injured list.

UP NEXT

Rangers: LHP Kolby Allard (4-0, 4.34) will start for Texas on Wednesday night. The rookie gave up seven hits and four runs in four innings in his last start but did not factor in the decision in a 6-4 win over Tampa Bay.

Astros: RHP Gerrit Cole (17-5, 2.62), who leads the majors with 292 strikeouts, is scheduled to start for Houston on Wednesday. Cole gave up four hits and one run while striking out 11 as he pitched a season-high eight innings for the second straight start in a 4-1 win over Kansas City the last time out.

Competing in class 7, Will Bayley, the top seed and gold medallist at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, experienced defeat by the very narrowest of margins at the hands of Sweden’s Nicklas Westerberg (11-5, 3-11, 4-11, 11-5, 12-10).

Similarly but not quite in such a dramatic fashion, in class 8, Ross Wilson, the reigning World and Commonwealth Games champion, the no.2 seed, was beaten by Ukraine’s Maksym Nikolenko (11-8, 10-12, 11-6, 12-10).

Tokyo the goal

Conversely, in class 6, David Wetherill accounted for Spain’s Alvaro Valera, the top seed and defending champion (5-11, 11-9, 11-2, 11-6).

“It’s good but it is only a quarter-final. He went 1-0 up but I still felt relaxed. When you walk into a cave and poke the bear you don’t come out alive and I think losing the first was quite good for me. I still feel like I am working my way into the tournament; I’m so rusty but I feel that I am getting better and better and feel comfortable on the table. We’ll see what happens tomorrow; it puts me in a good position for Tokyo and that is the only reason I am here, to qualify for Tokyo next year.” David Wetherill.

Minimal margin

Success against the odds for David Wetherill, it was the same in class 4 for Rafal Lis; he ousted Frenchman Maxime Thomas, the no.2 seed and the winner two years ago when the tournament was staged in Lasko, Slovenia. Similar to the efforts of Nicklas Westerberg it was success by the minimal margin (11-5, 11-13, 6-11, 12-10, 11-9).

Defeat for Maxime Thomas and there was a close call for his colleague, Fabien Lamirault in class 2; the top seed, the reigning Paralympic Games and World champion, he lost the opening two games against Spain’s Iker Sastre, before recovering to win the next three in some style (7-11, 7-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-1).

Nadejda Pushpasheva recovers

Meanwhile, in the women’s singles events, matters went very much according to seeding; the player to note being Russia’s Nadejda Pushpasheva, the winner of the class 1-2 title two years ago in Lasko.

After a somewhat disastrous opening day, when she lost to both Serbia’s Ana Prulovic (11-13, 11-8, 8-11, 13-11, 11-8) and Isabelle Lafaye of France (11-9, 8-11, 11-9, 11-9), she recovered to beat Femke Cobben of the Netherlands (11-5, 9-11, 11-6, 11-6). A group organised event, she now meets Italy’s Giadi Rossi, the top seed and hitherto unbeaten in her concluding contest.

Play in the men’s singles and women’s singles events concludes on Wednesday 18th September.

2019 ITTF European Para Championships: Latest Draws and Results

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Also successful earlier this year on the ITTF World Junior Circuit in Italy, when she won the junior girls’ singles event, Chen Yi is a member of a very strong Chinese contingent on duty in Varazdin.

Notably she lines up alongside Wu Yangchen, Yuan Yuan and Kuai Man; all players who like Chen Yi have impressed in recent months. Wu Yangchen was beaten by Chen Yi in the Italian final; in Thailand Kuai Man emerged the winner accounting for Yuan Yuan in the penultimate round.

Seeding

In Varazdin, Wu Yangchen is the no.3 seed in the junior girls’ singles event behind Italy’s Jamila Laurenti and Prithika Pavade of France; earlier this year, on duty at the French Junior and Cadet Open, Prithika Pavade emerged the junior girls’ singles winner, Jamila Laurenti reached the semi-final round.

Meanwhile, Yuan Yuan is the no.5, next in line to Romania’s Tania Plaian. She is followed by Russia’s Elizabet Abraamian and Chen Yi; Kuai Man is the no.10 seed behind Anastasia Bondareva.

Impressively on this year’s ITTF Word Junior Circuit, Tania Plaian reached the quarter-final round in Poland, Elizabet Abraamian was the runner up in Spain, Anastasia Bondareva has yet to reach the later rounds.

Continental champions

Prominent names, Chen Yi and Kuai Man are also very much in evidence in the cadet girls’ singles event, one which witnesses three continental champions on duty. Kuai Man is the top seed followed by Chen Yi, Romania’s Elena Zaharia and Egypt’s Hana Goda.

Recently Elena Zaharia won the cadet girls’ singles title at the European Youth Championships, Hana Goda prevailed at the African Youth, Junior and Cadet Championships.

Similar situation

Similarly, in the junior boys’ singles event there is a strong Chinese presence; Quan Kaiyuan,successful in Belgium in May is named on the entry list, as is Chen Yuanyu, the winner of the cadet boys’ singles title at the 2019 Asian Junior and Cadet Championships some ten days ago.

In Varazdin, Quan Kaiyuan is the no.7 seed, Chen Yuanyu is the no.15 seed but occupies the top seeded position in the cadet boys’ singles event ahead of Romania’s Denis Movilieanu, the recently crowned European champion.

Samuel Kulcyzycki heads list

Top seed in the junior boys’ singles event is Poland’s Samuel Kulcyzycki followed by Russia’s Maksim Grebnev, Hungary’s Bence Csaba, Germany’s Kay Stumper and Belgium’s Olav Kosolosky.

Significantly, this year Samuel Kulczycki won in the Czech Republic, Maksim Grebnev was a semi-finalist in both the Czech Republic and Italy. Similarly, Bence Csaba was the runner up in Poland, Kay Stumper in Sweden. Belgium’s Adrien Rassenfosse completes the top eight names.

Play commences with the junior boys’ singles and junior girls’ singles events.

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Sydney Thunder have signed South Africa bowling allrounder Chris Morris for BBL09 while England batsman James Vince has re-signed for with Sydney Sixers.

Sydney Thunder coach Shane Bond was delighted to secure Morris for the BBL. He has extensive T20 experience globally and has been a valuable commodity in the IPL for Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals and, most recently, Delhi Capitals. Bond has watched Morris closely whilst serving as Mumbai Indians bowling coach over recent seasons.

"Chris is someone who I had my eye on," Bond said. "It's always great to have a player who can change the game with bat and ball. He's an experienced, hardened cricketer who bowls 90mph and smacks it with the bat. Those players are very rare, so he brings a unique skill set.

"I'm looking forward to welcoming his personality and competitiveness to the team as well."

Morris will join the Thunder after his commitments with Nelson Mandela Bay Giants in the Mzansi Super League in South Africa end. The MSL final is set for December 16, and the Thunder play the opening game of the BBL on December 17 in Brisbane. Morris' early availability will be tested further given the Thunder play three matches in the first five days of the tournament.

Meanwhile, Vince returns to Sydney Sixers after playing eight matches last season coming in as a replacement for countryman Joe Denly. Vince will return to Sydney alongside another Englishman Tom Curran as the Sixers' two overseas players.

Vince was instrumental in helping the Sixers to the semi-final, making 75 off 46 balls against Brisbane Heat and then 74 not out from 50 balls in a record-breaking partnership with Josh Philippe to beat competition leaders Hobart Hurricanes.

"James made a huge impression within our group through his consistent performance in the vital No.3 position that assisted the team reaching the semi-finals," Sixers coach Greg Shipperd said. "As captain of his county Hampshire, and an England player, he brings great knowledge, leadership and calm to our group.

"He is one of the sweetest strikers of the ball in the world, with a rare purity of strokes on both sides of the wicket making him tough to contain. Who can forget his breathtaking unbeaten partnership with Josh Philippe at the SCG. He will compliment beautifully our opening duo of Philippe and Daniel Hughes."

Vince is keen to atone for last year's semi-final loss. "Having lost out in the semis in BBL 08 I'm hoping we can go all the way this time around," he said. "There is a huge amount of talent in the squad and some great people at the club. I'm looking forward to contributing to what is hopefully going to be a great BBL for the Sixers."

No. 3 Georgia and No. 7 Notre Dame are both steeped in rich tradition, but they don't have much real history together, not as far as actual on-field meetings go. Yet their matchup Saturday feels like one filled with the bad blood, pettiness and season-changing implications that go hand-in-hand with rivalry games.

We can start in 1981, when Georgia beat Notre Dame 17-10 in the Sugar Bowl to win the national championship. We can thank Dec. 29, 2018, for dredging up the antagonism.

As Clemson and Notre Dame played in the College Football Playoff semifinal, Georgia players tuned in from New Orleans, where they prepared to play Texas in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. The Bulldogs felt they deserved a spot in the top four despite two losses, and so did a vocal contingent that lobbied hard on their behalf.

Undefeated Notre Dame, despite playing as an independent with no conference championship game, made it in at No. 3 but drew the bulk of the Bulldogs' ire after Clemson raced out to a 20-point halftime lead. Multiple players took to social media to voice their displeasure, with tweets ranging from receiver Mecole Hardman's "They say the '4 best teams' huh?" to Monty Rice chiming in, "The best 4 should get in #exposed."

A few days later, Georgia lost to Texas, and in the eyes of some, that settled the argument. But their point was made. In the never-ending playoff discussion centering on the most fundamental of questions -- should the four most deserving teams or the four best teams make it in? -- Georgia vs. Notre Dame provided the most heated debate yet.

Much of that has to do with Notre Dame and its unique place in the college football landscape. Throw in the all-powerful SEC, with loyalists who firmly believe it is the toughest conference and will not entertain any argument on the matter, and you get a situation that remains unresolved to this very day. Is it best or most deserving?

Because there are still those who wonder whether the committee got it right last year, and whether Notre Dame's poor showing should forever close the door on its playoff aspirations so long as it keeps playing as an independent. With that as the backdrop, the Irish travel to Georgia on Saturday in perhaps the most anticipated nonconference game of the season.

Although last year is over, this is the type of playoff play-in game that would have drawn us all in. Still, the postseason implications remain very real.

In all likelihood, Georgia can withstand a nonconference loss and keep its playoff hopes alive. That may not be the case for the Irish, who probably need to go undefeated for another legitimate shot. Borrowing the neuralyzer the "Men in Black" use to erase memories might help, too.

Because right now, all anyone can remember about the Irish and their postseason efforts are their 42-14 loss to Alabama in the 2013 BCS national title game and their 30-3 semifinal loss to Clemson. Notre Dame is 5-13 in bowls since 1993 and has lost every major bowl game in which it has played. Not exactly the type of results that inspire confidence in their ability to compete for a championship.

"We always have something to prove," Notre Dame defensive end Adetokunbo Ogundeji said. "We're focused on the Notre Dame 2019 team, and we're not worried about anything outside the locker room. We're Notre Dame. We're at the highest level. That's just how it is, and all the teams are looking out for us, so we've got to step it up each and every game."

Georgia feels the exact same way. So much so, coach Kirby Smart made the Bulldogs' preseason motto, "Do More." Rather than ignoring the large Alabama elephant in the room, he wanted his players to embrace their shortcomings in their past three championship games against the Tide, and use them as motivation to literally do more.

"We put the pedal to the metal," Georgia defensive lineman Jordan Davis said. "We had to grind. We had to work for what we got."

That meant doing more after their scheduled workouts. More watching film. More asking questions. More focus on the weight room, eating right, getting treatment. More running after practice. More catching passes after practice. More reps. More time in the facility on off days.

"We've come up short," quarterback Jake Fromm said. "Obviously, we've got to do something, so we think doing more is a little bit better."

This game is the first real test of that mantra, the team's first against a top-10 opponent this season. You could make the argument the mantra also fits Notre Dame. After all, the goal for both teams will always be the same: winning another national championship.

Both programs rank among the most important and powerful blue bloods, yet they last won national titles in the 1980s. As the years pass and their championship seasons recede further from view, every season feels like one that is missing something. And the desperation grows.

Perhaps that is why finishing No. 5 last season struck such a nerve with the Georgia players, coaches and fans. We are approaching 40 years since the 1980 national championship season, a drought nobody could have ever expected when Herschel Walker led them to victory.

Perhaps that is why getting blown out (again) with a national championship in reach is so difficult to accept for Notre Dame. Each team that lines up will always and forever be judged on whether it finally brings another trophy home to South Bend, Indiana.

In these ways, the programs are more similar than not. Their game Saturday is just the third in their long histories, and their last meeting in 2017 went down to the wire. Georgia rallied to win 20-19 in what was a coming-of-age moment for Fromm, who made his first career start while filling in for the injured Jacob Eason and has started every game since then.

But there was some chippiness and trash talk coming from the Bulldogs in the week leading up to that game. Most notably, safety Dominick Sanders said the goal was to "punish them from the start."

Smart was not pleased with those comments, and it is a safe bet he was not thrilled his players took to social media to chirp about getting left out of the playoff last year. But if anything, both Notre Dame and Georgia can look to last year and the way both their seasons ended in massive disappointment and use it.

Especially with playoff hopes riding on what happens Saturday.

"We've got to rush harder, we've got to stop the rush better, we've got to pass the ball better, we've got to stop the pass, we've got to do all the football things right," Georgia running back Brian Herrien said.

"The football gods are watching."

Source: Ingram, Ball full participants in workouts

Published in Basketball
Tuesday, 17 September 2019 19:41

New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram and guard Lonzo Ball have been full participants in the team's voluntary offseason workouts in New Orleans, a source told ESPN on Tuesday.

Neither player has been restricted by the injuries that shut them down last season while members of the Los Angeles Lakers, representing a significant step with training camp around the corner on Oct. 1.

Ingram and Ball were part of the trade that sent Anthony Davis from New Orleans to L.A. in June.

Ingram missed the final five weeks of last season while suffering from deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder. Ingram had his best stretch of work that season after LeBron James came back from a hip injury, as Ingram averaged 23.0 points over the final 15 games he played, while shooting 56.5% from the field and 37.9% from deep.

Ingram had been shut down since March 4, but he mentioned at his introductory news conference in New Orleans in July that he was "pretty close" to returning to basketball workouts.

Ball injured his left ankle on Jan. 19 against the Houston Rockets and was shut down for good on March 9 by the Lakers.

In all, Ball missed the final 35 games because of the ankle sprain.

Darvish K's 8 straight for Cubs' single-game mark

Published in Baseball
Tuesday, 17 September 2019 20:05

CHICAGO -- Cubs pitcher Yu Darvish struck out eight straight batters during Tuesday night's game against the Cincinnati Reds to set a franchise record for most consecutive strikeouts within a single game.

Darvish accomplished the feat from the second inning to the fourth inning, compiling 11 strikeouts overall in his first four innings.

Kyle Farnsworth, Kerry Wood and Juan Cruz also racked up eight consecutive strikeouts as Cubs pitchers, but they did so over multiple games.

Darvish whiffed the last two Reds in the second inning, then went on to strike out the side in the third and fourth innings, before Jose Peraza ended the streak when he lined out to lead off the fifth.

Darvish is the first pitcher to strike out 11 batters in the first four innings of a game since Chicago White Sox lefty Carlos Rodon did so in 2017.

Tom Seaver holds the record for most consecutive strikeouts in a game when he set down 10 straight in 1970.

Including the six innings he pitched in his previous start and the first four innings on Tuesday, Darvish had struck out 25 batters over 10 innings pitched.

Wood shares the major league record of 20 strikeouts in a game with three other pitchers: Roger Clemens (who did it twice), Randy Johnson and Max Scherzer.

Darvish finished with 13 strikeouts in seven innings versus the Reds, allowing four runs on six hits and a walk.

Biggios now 2nd father-son duo to hit for cycles

Published in Baseball
Tuesday, 17 September 2019 20:50

Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Cavan Biggio hit for the cycle in Tuesday night's game against the Orioles, securing it with a triple that drove in two runs in the top of the ninth.

The rookie came to the plate in the ninth against Orioles pitcher Mychal Givens, having hit a single, a double and a homer earlier in the game.

There were two men on, and the Jays were down to their last out. Biggio hit the ball deep to left center. Orioles center fielder Mason Williams made a run and hit the wall trying to make the catch.

Craig Biggio, Cavan's father, had one career cycle with the Astros, coming on April 8, 2002, vs. the Rockies. Craig and Cavan Biggio are the second father-son duo in MLB history to each have a cycle in their careers. They join Gary and Daryle Ward.

"This whole year has been hard to put into words, and obviously your son to hit for the cycle in his first year in the big leagues -- and his mom drove down there to watch him play -- makes it even more special," Craig Biggio told MLB.com.

It was also the first four-hit day of Cavan Biggio's career. The only other player in the last 10 seasons to hit for the cycle within his first 100 games was Cody Bellinger in 2017.

Biggio, 24, joins Kelly Gruber (April 16, 1989 vs. the Royals) and Jeff Frye (August 17, 2001 vs. the Rangers) as Blue Jays to hit for the cycle.

Biggio also had two stolen bases. Biggio is just the second player over the last 100 years to hit for the cycle and have multiple stolen bases in the same game, joining Charlie Moore in 1980.

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Basketball

Injury-plagued Mavs lose Prosper for season

Injury-plagued Mavs lose Prosper for season

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsDALLAS -- Mavericks forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper has undergone s...

Curry hits 4,000 3s: 'Beyond my wildest dreams'

Curry hits 4,000 3s: 'Beyond my wildest dreams'

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsSAN FRANCISCO -- Stephen Curry lost the ball as he crossed the half...

Baseball

Red Sox's Giolito (hammy) to start season on IL

Red Sox's Giolito (hammy) to start season on IL

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsBoston Red Sox right-hander Lucas Giolito will begin the season on...

Rays not moving forward with new stadium plans

Rays not moving forward with new stadium plans

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThe Tampa Bay Rays, citing hurricanes and costly delays, will not p...

Sports Leagues

  • FIFA

    Fédération Internationale de Football Association
  • NBA

    National Basketball Association
  • ATP

    Association of Tennis Professionals
  • MLB

    Major League Baseball
  • ITTF

    International Table Tennis Federation
  • NFL

    Nactional Football Leagues
  • FISB

    Federation Internationale de Speedball

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