After Andy Murray's late night win on Monday night over Stanislas Wawrinka in 5 sets, the final 8 of the men's draw was finalized. Each player has a legitmate chance to win the tournament.
Lleyton Hewitt v. (6) Andy Roddick
Hewitt is in great form after taking out #5 seed Juan Martin Del Potro in the 2nd round and German Philip Petzschner in the 3rd round, Hewitt conquered Radek Stepanek in the round of 16, with only one of the matches against Stepanek going more than 3 sets.
Roddick is on fire as well after beating Tomas Berdych in straight sets Monday, Roddick's confidence is high and will look to take down Hewitt and add to his trophy case in the next week.
Prediction: Roddick wins in 4 sets
(3) Andy Murray v. Juan Carlos Ferrero
Murray is the clear favorite after his late night 5-set win over Wawrinka on Monday. Murray is also looking to become the first British man to win the title since 1936 and with the chances of that becoming even more likely, the Centre Court crowd will no doubt be on Murray's side
Ferrero is facing many challenges if he wants to pull the upset. He will have to deal with the crowd and the overpowering game of Murray. Although he beat #8 Gilles Simon on Monday, Murray is a completely different player especially with the crowd.
Prediction: Murray in straight sets
(24) Tommy Haas v. (4) Novak Djokovic
In what is probably the most intruging quarterfinal, the veteran Haas is looking for his first grand slam title. After surviving a 5-set holdover match to defeat #11 Marin Cilic on Friday into Saturday, Haas recovered with a straight set win over #29 Igor Andreev.
Djokovic is in the same situation as Haas, he also is coming off of a straight set win, his over Dudi Sela, the surprise opponent from Israel. But, Djokovic is looking to add to 2008 Aussie Open title but he should not overlook Haas to a potential match with Roger Federer in the semis.
Prediction: Djokovic in 5 sets.
(22) Ivo Karlovic v. (2) Roger Federer
The hard serving Karlovic is coming off a 4-set win over 7th-ranked Spainard Fernando Verdasco, in which 3 of the sets went to tiebreaks. Karlovic is very big threat to Federer with his serve. Standing at 6'10'', he gets a ton of velocity thanks to his height. Karlovic should give Federer a challenge.
Federer has cruised through his first 4 matches, including his win over #13 Robin Soderling in a rematch of this year's French Open final. Since winning the French, Federer's confidence has been sky high, and the only to knock his confidence off cloud 9 is Karlovic's serve.
Prediction: Federer wins in 4 sets.
Prediction for rest of tournament
Semis:
Murray defeats Roddick in 5 sets
Federer defeats Djokovic in 4 sets
Final: Federer wins his record-breaking 15th major in 4 sets over Andy Murray
Monday, June 29, 2009
Weekend Wrap June 26-28
This weekend in sports have the conclusion of interleague play in baseball, an extremely good Sunday of soccer at the Confederations Cup, and a first week at Wimbledon that produced few shocking upsets.
TOP 5 PERFORMANCES
5. Melanie Oudin
The 17-year old American upset former #1 Jelena Jankovic on Saturday at Wimbledon. Oudin won in 3 sets, 6-7, 7-5, 6-2 in her third round match in her first ever Wimbledon. She will now face Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland in her Round of 16 match on Monday.
4. Joey Logano
Logano won his first NASCAR race Sunday in Loudon, New Hampshire. Not only was it his first win but he became the youngest driver in NASCAR history to win a race at 19 years, 35 days. The win moved Logano up to 21st in points and he needs to string together a chain of very good results to be in the chase.
3. Andre Ethier
On Friday night against Seattle, the Dodgers right fielder hit not one, not two, but three home runs off of Mariners' starter Jason Vargas, and relievers Roy Corcoran and Miguel Batista. Unfortuneately, Ethier could not continue his stellar offensive performance for the rest of the weekend going 0-for-7 on Saturday and Sunday.
2. U.S. Men's Soccer Team
The cinderella run to the final ended on Sunday with a heartbreaking loss to Brazil. Goals from Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan in the first half gave the U.S. a 2-0 lead at the half and then Brazil scored 3 to win the game 3-2. Despite the loss, the Americans proved that they are no longer a push over on the world stage.
1. Brazil Men's Soccer Team
The Brazilians came back from a 2-0 deficit at the half to beat the United States 3-2 to win the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. With 2 goals from Luis Fabiano in the 46th and 73rd minutes, Brazil tied the game and then in the 83rd minute, Lucio, the team's captain headed in the winning goal to give Brazil the title.
TOP 5 PERFORMANCES
5. Melanie Oudin
The 17-year old American upset former #1 Jelena Jankovic on Saturday at Wimbledon. Oudin won in 3 sets, 6-7, 7-5, 6-2 in her third round match in her first ever Wimbledon. She will now face Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland in her Round of 16 match on Monday.
4. Joey Logano
Logano won his first NASCAR race Sunday in Loudon, New Hampshire. Not only was it his first win but he became the youngest driver in NASCAR history to win a race at 19 years, 35 days. The win moved Logano up to 21st in points and he needs to string together a chain of very good results to be in the chase.
3. Andre Ethier
On Friday night against Seattle, the Dodgers right fielder hit not one, not two, but three home runs off of Mariners' starter Jason Vargas, and relievers Roy Corcoran and Miguel Batista. Unfortuneately, Ethier could not continue his stellar offensive performance for the rest of the weekend going 0-for-7 on Saturday and Sunday.
2. U.S. Men's Soccer Team
The cinderella run to the final ended on Sunday with a heartbreaking loss to Brazil. Goals from Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan in the first half gave the U.S. a 2-0 lead at the half and then Brazil scored 3 to win the game 3-2. Despite the loss, the Americans proved that they are no longer a push over on the world stage.
1. Brazil Men's Soccer Team
The Brazilians came back from a 2-0 deficit at the half to beat the United States 3-2 to win the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. With 2 goals from Luis Fabiano in the 46th and 73rd minutes, Brazil tied the game and then in the 83rd minute, Lucio, the team's captain headed in the winning goal to give Brazil the title.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Weekend Wrap June 19-21
This weekend presented sports fans with the continuation of interleague play, a NASCAR road race, the completion of the Confederations Cup group stage, and most importantly, the U.S. Open.
TOP 5 PERFORMANCES
5. Kasey Kahne
Kahne won the NASCAR race at Sonoma,CA on Sunday. Kahne held off road course specialists like Juan Pablo Montoya and Tony Stewart for the win. Kahne also gave Richard Petty Motorsports its first win of the 2009 season.
4. Luis Fabiano
The Brazilian striker scored two goals in a six minute span on Sunday against Italy in the Confederations Cup. Both of his goals were set up by Kaka and Robinho. Fabiano could have had a third goal if Italian defender Andrea Dossena didn't score an own goal. Fabiano will try and continue his great form against host South Africa on Thursday in the semifinals.
3. Chicago Cubs
The Cubbies' offense showed a flare for the dramatic this weekend with 3 straight walk-off wins on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. On Thursday, Alfonso Soriano won the game against the White Sox with a walk-off single in the bottom of the 9th. Friday, Ryan Theriot provided the win driving in Soriano in the bottom of the 10th against the Indians. And on Saturday with Jake Fox at-bat, Indians P Kerry Wood threw a wild pitch and Andres Blanco scored from third to secure the win.
2. Brad Guzan and Julio Cesar
Guzan, the American keeper on Sunday against Egypt and Cesar, the Brazilian keeper Sunday versus Italy helped their teams advance to the semifinals of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. Cesar was tested the most in preserving his team's 3-0 victory by saving two lasers from Italy phenom Guiseppe Rossi. Guzan made crucial saves throughout the game and posted a shutout in a 3-0 win against Egypt, which advanced the Americans to the semis.
1. Lucas Glover
Glover was in 2nd place at -7 going into the final round of the U.S. Open at Bethpage Black, 1 shot back of leader Ricky Barnes and 4 shots ahead of anyone else on the leaderboard. Glover played 1 hole on Sunday night and finished his round Monday at +4 for the day. Despite his poor performance, no one else in the field could reach -4 at the end of the tournament. Barnes faded and challenges from Phil Mickelson, David Duval, Ross Fisher, and Hunter Mahan fell short. The win gives Glover his 1st major and he is also guaranteed to be in the field for all 4 majors for at least 5 years.
TOP 5 PERFORMANCES
5. Kasey Kahne
Kahne won the NASCAR race at Sonoma,CA on Sunday. Kahne held off road course specialists like Juan Pablo Montoya and Tony Stewart for the win. Kahne also gave Richard Petty Motorsports its first win of the 2009 season.
4. Luis Fabiano
The Brazilian striker scored two goals in a six minute span on Sunday against Italy in the Confederations Cup. Both of his goals were set up by Kaka and Robinho. Fabiano could have had a third goal if Italian defender Andrea Dossena didn't score an own goal. Fabiano will try and continue his great form against host South Africa on Thursday in the semifinals.
3. Chicago Cubs
The Cubbies' offense showed a flare for the dramatic this weekend with 3 straight walk-off wins on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. On Thursday, Alfonso Soriano won the game against the White Sox with a walk-off single in the bottom of the 9th. Friday, Ryan Theriot provided the win driving in Soriano in the bottom of the 10th against the Indians. And on Saturday with Jake Fox at-bat, Indians P Kerry Wood threw a wild pitch and Andres Blanco scored from third to secure the win.
2. Brad Guzan and Julio Cesar
Guzan, the American keeper on Sunday against Egypt and Cesar, the Brazilian keeper Sunday versus Italy helped their teams advance to the semifinals of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. Cesar was tested the most in preserving his team's 3-0 victory by saving two lasers from Italy phenom Guiseppe Rossi. Guzan made crucial saves throughout the game and posted a shutout in a 3-0 win against Egypt, which advanced the Americans to the semis.
1. Lucas Glover
Glover was in 2nd place at -7 going into the final round of the U.S. Open at Bethpage Black, 1 shot back of leader Ricky Barnes and 4 shots ahead of anyone else on the leaderboard. Glover played 1 hole on Sunday night and finished his round Monday at +4 for the day. Despite his poor performance, no one else in the field could reach -4 at the end of the tournament. Barnes faded and challenges from Phil Mickelson, David Duval, Ross Fisher, and Hunter Mahan fell short. The win gives Glover his 1st major and he is also guaranteed to be in the field for all 4 majors for at least 5 years.
Monday, June 15, 2009
U.S. Faces Tough Task in Last 2 Games
After the tough loss to Italy on Monday in opening game of the 2009 Confederations Cup, the United States must put in the same effort and even more to advance into the semifinals.
The U.S. plays Brazil on Thursday in what will be an even harder task than playing the Italians. The number of playmakers with speed on the Brazilian team like Robinho, Kaka, Elano, and Dani Alves will produce even more problems for the American fullbacks than the Italians did. Brazil did show that they could be beaten though. Earlier on Monday, Brazil faced Egypt and barely won 4-3, due to a late penalty kick made by Kaka, they were able to win. If the Americans thought that their game Sunday against Egypt would be easier, it will not be as Egypt almost played Brazil to a draw. The Egyptians pose a scoring threat as well with Mohamed Zidan. So how can the U.S. defeat these two teams and advance to semis?
They need to do a few things to keep themselves in the tournament.
1. Fullbacks have to step up and stop the wing players especially from Brazil. If Jonathan Spector and Jonathan Bornstein play like they did today, the U.S. should be alright.
2. Midfielders need to push forward when the opportunity is given. Michael Bradley can not be the only one pushing forward consistently. Whoever is playing alongside him in the central midfield, whether it be Sacha Kljestan, DaMarcus Beasley or someone else to replace Ricardo Clark, who was sent off in the first half of Monday's game, they need to penetrate the back four of both Brazil and Egypt.
3. Finish chances in front of goal.
The U.S. had very few chances against Italy in front of goal and did not succeed except for Landon Donovan's penalty. Jozy Altidore did a good job on Monday but he needs to finish his chances and put pressure on the opposing side to produce goals.
The United States defintely faces a tough task ahead, but it can be done with a perfect game being played by everyone and advance to the semifinals of the Confederations Cup.
The U.S. plays Brazil on Thursday in what will be an even harder task than playing the Italians. The number of playmakers with speed on the Brazilian team like Robinho, Kaka, Elano, and Dani Alves will produce even more problems for the American fullbacks than the Italians did. Brazil did show that they could be beaten though. Earlier on Monday, Brazil faced Egypt and barely won 4-3, due to a late penalty kick made by Kaka, they were able to win. If the Americans thought that their game Sunday against Egypt would be easier, it will not be as Egypt almost played Brazil to a draw. The Egyptians pose a scoring threat as well with Mohamed Zidan. So how can the U.S. defeat these two teams and advance to semis?
They need to do a few things to keep themselves in the tournament.
1. Fullbacks have to step up and stop the wing players especially from Brazil. If Jonathan Spector and Jonathan Bornstein play like they did today, the U.S. should be alright.
2. Midfielders need to push forward when the opportunity is given. Michael Bradley can not be the only one pushing forward consistently. Whoever is playing alongside him in the central midfield, whether it be Sacha Kljestan, DaMarcus Beasley or someone else to replace Ricardo Clark, who was sent off in the first half of Monday's game, they need to penetrate the back four of both Brazil and Egypt.
3. Finish chances in front of goal.
The U.S. had very few chances against Italy in front of goal and did not succeed except for Landon Donovan's penalty. Jozy Altidore did a good job on Monday but he needs to finish his chances and put pressure on the opposing side to produce goals.
The United States defintely faces a tough task ahead, but it can be done with a perfect game being played by everyone and advance to the semifinals of the Confederations Cup.
Weekend Wrap June 12-14
This weekend gave us 2 new champions, in the Lakers and Penguins, 2 new MVPs, Malkin and Bryant, and opened up interleague play for a stretch of 2 weeks full of great matchups.
TOP 5 PERFORMANCES
5. Cliff Lee
In Sunday night's game against the Cardinals, the Indians starter took a no-hitter into the 8th, when it was broken up by a Yadier Molina double. After the hit, Lee recovered and finished the game with complete game 3-hit shutout in the Indians' 3-0 win.
4. Fernando Torres
In the first 17 minutes of Spain's opening game of the FIFA Confederations Cup against New Zealand, Torres struck the back of the net, not once, not twice, but three times. Torres scored in the 6th, 14th, and 17th minute to propel the European Champions to a 5-0 win over the champions of Oceania.
3. Colorado Rockies
The Rockies extended the winning streak to 11 Sunday with a win over the Seattle Mariners, 7-1. The Rockies swept the Mariners over the weekend at home for wins 9,10,and 11 of their streak. The win also led the Rockies to their thrid straight series sweep, previously they took 4 from the Cardinals and 3 from the Brewers. The Rockies will try to extend their streak Tuesday when the host the Tampa Bay Rays.
2. Kobe Bryant
Bryant continued his impressive form in the NBA Finals Game 5 last night. He scored 30 points, going 10-23 from the field. WIth the win, the Lakers were crowned NBA Champions and gave Bryant his 4th title and gave Bryant his first Finals MVP award.
1. Marc-Andre Fleury and Maxime Talbot
The Pittsburgh Penguins would not have won Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final if it weren't for these two players. Talbot scored Pittsburgh's only 2 goals of the game and Fleury made 23 saves on 24 shots, with his last save the most important one. Fleury dove acorss the crease to deny Nicklas Lindstrom of a goal that would have sent the game to overtime. Fleury and Talbot were not series MVPs (Evgeni Malkin was) but they were the MVPs of Game 7.
TOP 5 PERFORMANCES
5. Cliff Lee
In Sunday night's game against the Cardinals, the Indians starter took a no-hitter into the 8th, when it was broken up by a Yadier Molina double. After the hit, Lee recovered and finished the game with complete game 3-hit shutout in the Indians' 3-0 win.
4. Fernando Torres
In the first 17 minutes of Spain's opening game of the FIFA Confederations Cup against New Zealand, Torres struck the back of the net, not once, not twice, but three times. Torres scored in the 6th, 14th, and 17th minute to propel the European Champions to a 5-0 win over the champions of Oceania.
3. Colorado Rockies
The Rockies extended the winning streak to 11 Sunday with a win over the Seattle Mariners, 7-1. The Rockies swept the Mariners over the weekend at home for wins 9,10,and 11 of their streak. The win also led the Rockies to their thrid straight series sweep, previously they took 4 from the Cardinals and 3 from the Brewers. The Rockies will try to extend their streak Tuesday when the host the Tampa Bay Rays.
2. Kobe Bryant
Bryant continued his impressive form in the NBA Finals Game 5 last night. He scored 30 points, going 10-23 from the field. WIth the win, the Lakers were crowned NBA Champions and gave Bryant his 4th title and gave Bryant his first Finals MVP award.
1. Marc-Andre Fleury and Maxime Talbot
The Pittsburgh Penguins would not have won Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final if it weren't for these two players. Talbot scored Pittsburgh's only 2 goals of the game and Fleury made 23 saves on 24 shots, with his last save the most important one. Fleury dove acorss the crease to deny Nicklas Lindstrom of a goal that would have sent the game to overtime. Fleury and Talbot were not series MVPs (Evgeni Malkin was) but they were the MVPs of Game 7.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Extra Inning Madness
For the last 4 days, Major League Baseball has seen at least 2 of its teams go into extra innings each night. Only one of the 6 games went 10 innings. Included in the extra inning games are a rain delay, no-hitter, and a historic win.
Sunday
Chicago Cubs 6, Cincinnati 3 F/14
The Reds tied the game up in the 8th with their third run but it wasn't until the 14th when the next run came off the bat of Alfonso Soriano. Soriano hit a homer to give the Cubs the lead and they would tack on 2 more to get the win after going 11 innings the night before.
Arizona 9, San Diego 6, F/18
This game was all Arizona until the bottom of the 9th, when David Eckstein capped off a 5-run Padre 9th with a 3-run homer. That would be San Diego's last hit of the game. The D'Backs bullpen threw 9 no-hit innings and were finally bailed out when Mark Reynolds hit a 3-run homer off of Padre SS Josh Wilson in the 18th inning.
Monday
Atlanta 7, Pittsburgh 6, F/15
This game could have ended early in extra innings if it wasn't for poor judgement by Pittsburgh 3rd base coach, Tony Beasley who sent Craig Monroe home on a hit by Andrew McCutchen to the gap. Monroe was out by a mile, and the game continue until Atlanta C David Ross came up to the plate with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 15th and hit a ball right up the middle for a walk-off single. With this win, Atlanta manager Bobby Cox got his 2,000th win with the Braves.
Tuesday
Detroit 7, Chicago White Sox 6, F/10
This extra-inning affair only lasted 1 inning due to Tigers 1b Miguel Cabrera hitting a home-run in the top of the 10th to give the Tigers the lead and Brandon Lyon was able to close the game out in the bottom of the 10th to give the Tigers the win.
Wednesday
Philadelphia 5, NY Mets 4, F/11
The Mets yet again fell apart in the final innings of a game. The Phillies were able to score 3 in the 7th, with help from Carlos Beltran, who dropped a ball up against the wall and David Wright, who couldn't handle a slow roller, the Phils were able to get back into it. The Phils also helped themselves when Jayson Werth made a diving catch in right field to rob David Wright of a walk-off hit in the bottom of the 10th. Then, in the top of the 11th, Chase Utley hit his 2nd homer of the game and eventually gave the Phillies a 5-4 win.
Cincinnati 4, Washington 2 F/12
In the most bizarre scenario of all these games, the Nationals had a runner on first and one out in the bottom of the 9th when rain began to fall. 2 hours and 10 minutes later, the two teams got back on to the field and the Nationals forced extra innings. Then, in the top of the 12th, the Reds got a RBI-double from Jonny Gomes and a RBI-single from Jerry Hairston, Jr. to secure the win.
With all these great extra innings games this week so far, will more be on tap for interleague play this weekend?
Sunday
Chicago Cubs 6, Cincinnati 3 F/14
The Reds tied the game up in the 8th with their third run but it wasn't until the 14th when the next run came off the bat of Alfonso Soriano. Soriano hit a homer to give the Cubs the lead and they would tack on 2 more to get the win after going 11 innings the night before.
Arizona 9, San Diego 6, F/18
This game was all Arizona until the bottom of the 9th, when David Eckstein capped off a 5-run Padre 9th with a 3-run homer. That would be San Diego's last hit of the game. The D'Backs bullpen threw 9 no-hit innings and were finally bailed out when Mark Reynolds hit a 3-run homer off of Padre SS Josh Wilson in the 18th inning.
Monday
Atlanta 7, Pittsburgh 6, F/15
This game could have ended early in extra innings if it wasn't for poor judgement by Pittsburgh 3rd base coach, Tony Beasley who sent Craig Monroe home on a hit by Andrew McCutchen to the gap. Monroe was out by a mile, and the game continue until Atlanta C David Ross came up to the plate with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 15th and hit a ball right up the middle for a walk-off single. With this win, Atlanta manager Bobby Cox got his 2,000th win with the Braves.
Tuesday
Detroit 7, Chicago White Sox 6, F/10
This extra-inning affair only lasted 1 inning due to Tigers 1b Miguel Cabrera hitting a home-run in the top of the 10th to give the Tigers the lead and Brandon Lyon was able to close the game out in the bottom of the 10th to give the Tigers the win.
Wednesday
Philadelphia 5, NY Mets 4, F/11
The Mets yet again fell apart in the final innings of a game. The Phillies were able to score 3 in the 7th, with help from Carlos Beltran, who dropped a ball up against the wall and David Wright, who couldn't handle a slow roller, the Phils were able to get back into it. The Phils also helped themselves when Jayson Werth made a diving catch in right field to rob David Wright of a walk-off hit in the bottom of the 10th. Then, in the top of the 11th, Chase Utley hit his 2nd homer of the game and eventually gave the Phillies a 5-4 win.
Cincinnati 4, Washington 2 F/12
In the most bizarre scenario of all these games, the Nationals had a runner on first and one out in the bottom of the 9th when rain began to fall. 2 hours and 10 minutes later, the two teams got back on to the field and the Nationals forced extra innings. Then, in the top of the 12th, the Reds got a RBI-double from Jonny Gomes and a RBI-single from Jerry Hairston, Jr. to secure the win.
With all these great extra innings games this week so far, will more be on tap for interleague play this weekend?
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Underdogs Survive Tuesday Night
Last night the Red Wings could have carried the Stanley Cup around Mellon Arena and the Lakers could have been one win away from the NBA title. But, the Penguins and Magic had something to say about that.
Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final followed the trend of the home team winning every game but Pittsburgh did it without a major contribution of its 2 stars, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. With goals from Jordan Staal and Tyler Kennedy, the Penguins won the gaem 2-1. But the 2 goals were a small contribution compared to defenseman Rob Scuderi's effort in the last minute of the 3rd period. Diving around the crease to block 2 shots from ending up in net, Scuderi saved an out of position Marc-Andre Fleury, who recovered from the beatdown he received in goal in Game 5 by recording 25 saves and giving up only 1 goal, from being the most hated Pittsburgh player by misplaying a save in Game 6 for two years straight. Instead, the two teams will play Game 7 Friday night at Joe Louis Arena to determine who will raise Lord Stanley's Cup.
In the NBA Finals Game 3 Tuesday night, the Orlando Magic saved themselves from a possible sweep at the hands of the Lakers. Holding off a 4th quarter comeback from Kobe and the Lakers, Orlando was able to at least play 2 more at home. Just like the Penguins, the Magic's role players stepped up on Tuesday night. Dwight Howard had his regular double-double performance but the real stars of the game were Rafer Alston and Mickael Pietrus. Alston's start at point guard meant he had to improve on his play from the past 2 games and he did by scoring 20 points and playing more minutes than Courtney Lee and Jameer Nelson, the Magic's 2 other point guards, combined. Pietrus stepped up in the 4th with a few big shots that secured the Magic win. In 31 mintues, Pietrus had 18 points, but the most important were his 2 free throws at the end of the game preventing the Lakers from having any chance at a desperation shot to force overtime and maybe change the series dramatically. Orlando needs the same performance from these players to win Game 4 on Thursday night at home.
Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final followed the trend of the home team winning every game but Pittsburgh did it without a major contribution of its 2 stars, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. With goals from Jordan Staal and Tyler Kennedy, the Penguins won the gaem 2-1. But the 2 goals were a small contribution compared to defenseman Rob Scuderi's effort in the last minute of the 3rd period. Diving around the crease to block 2 shots from ending up in net, Scuderi saved an out of position Marc-Andre Fleury, who recovered from the beatdown he received in goal in Game 5 by recording 25 saves and giving up only 1 goal, from being the most hated Pittsburgh player by misplaying a save in Game 6 for two years straight. Instead, the two teams will play Game 7 Friday night at Joe Louis Arena to determine who will raise Lord Stanley's Cup.
In the NBA Finals Game 3 Tuesday night, the Orlando Magic saved themselves from a possible sweep at the hands of the Lakers. Holding off a 4th quarter comeback from Kobe and the Lakers, Orlando was able to at least play 2 more at home. Just like the Penguins, the Magic's role players stepped up on Tuesday night. Dwight Howard had his regular double-double performance but the real stars of the game were Rafer Alston and Mickael Pietrus. Alston's start at point guard meant he had to improve on his play from the past 2 games and he did by scoring 20 points and playing more minutes than Courtney Lee and Jameer Nelson, the Magic's 2 other point guards, combined. Pietrus stepped up in the 4th with a few big shots that secured the Magic win. In 31 mintues, Pietrus had 18 points, but the most important were his 2 free throws at the end of the game preventing the Lakers from having any chance at a desperation shot to force overtime and maybe change the series dramatically. Orlando needs the same performance from these players to win Game 4 on Thursday night at home.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Weekend Wrap (June 5-7)
This weekend was filled with a champ finally acheiving his final step towards greatness, a thumping in Detroit, a missed layup that could have cost a team the championship, and tons of great baseball. So while you try and figure out if Brett Favre is really coming back to play for the Vikings, here are the top 5 performances of the weekend.
TOP 5 PERFORMANCES
5. Arizona Diamiondbacks Bullpen
For the second straight week, the top 5 boasts a no-hitter in extra innings. After a three-run homer by the Padres' David Eckstein tied the game in the bottom of the 9th on Sunday, the game between Arizona and San Diego went into extras. In 9 innings of work , Jon Rauch, Clay Zavada, Esmerling Vasquez, and Leo Rosales held the Padres hitless and ended up giving the D'Backs the pitching to support their 6-3 win in 18 innings.
4. Roy Halladay
Halladay became the first 10-game winner in the majors this season with a complete game, 7-hit shutout against the Royals on Sunday. Halladay has been unstoppable this year with his 10-1 record this season. Halladay has also thrown 3 complete games, one of them being a shutout.
3. Tony Stewart
Stewart won the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Pocono on Sunday. With the win, it makes Stewart the first owner-driver to win a race since 1998. Stewart made a gutsy move over the offfseason to leave Joe Gibbs Racing to form Stewart-Haas Racing and it has proven successful. Stewart is in first place in the NASCAR points standings and with the win at Pocono, he is ready to take hold of more trophies very soon.
2. Tiger Woods
Down 5 shots going into Sunday's final round at The Memorial, Woods had a decent chance of winning. But the dominating fashion in which Woods won this tournament was typical Tiger. Out in his traditional Sunday red, Woods made all 14 fairways in play Sunday, and shot 7-under, winning the tournament at 12-under and winning by 2 shots.
1. Roger Federer
There is no way Federer could not be #1 this weekend. Federer dominated #23 Robin Soderling in the French Open final. By doing so, Federer won his 14th major tournament, tying him with Pete Sampras, and more importantly his 1st French Open title, something Sampras never achieved. Federer is in good position to win major #15 at Wimbledon later this month, with the news that #1 Rafael Nadal most likely will not compete.
That's it for this edition. Enjoy all the sports this week.
TOP 5 PERFORMANCES
5. Arizona Diamiondbacks Bullpen
For the second straight week, the top 5 boasts a no-hitter in extra innings. After a three-run homer by the Padres' David Eckstein tied the game in the bottom of the 9th on Sunday, the game between Arizona and San Diego went into extras. In 9 innings of work , Jon Rauch, Clay Zavada, Esmerling Vasquez, and Leo Rosales held the Padres hitless and ended up giving the D'Backs the pitching to support their 6-3 win in 18 innings.
4. Roy Halladay
Halladay became the first 10-game winner in the majors this season with a complete game, 7-hit shutout against the Royals on Sunday. Halladay has been unstoppable this year with his 10-1 record this season. Halladay has also thrown 3 complete games, one of them being a shutout.
3. Tony Stewart
Stewart won the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Pocono on Sunday. With the win, it makes Stewart the first owner-driver to win a race since 1998. Stewart made a gutsy move over the offfseason to leave Joe Gibbs Racing to form Stewart-Haas Racing and it has proven successful. Stewart is in first place in the NASCAR points standings and with the win at Pocono, he is ready to take hold of more trophies very soon.
2. Tiger Woods
Down 5 shots going into Sunday's final round at The Memorial, Woods had a decent chance of winning. But the dominating fashion in which Woods won this tournament was typical Tiger. Out in his traditional Sunday red, Woods made all 14 fairways in play Sunday, and shot 7-under, winning the tournament at 12-under and winning by 2 shots.
1. Roger Federer
There is no way Federer could not be #1 this weekend. Federer dominated #23 Robin Soderling in the French Open final. By doing so, Federer won his 14th major tournament, tying him with Pete Sampras, and more importantly his 1st French Open title, something Sampras never achieved. Federer is in good position to win major #15 at Wimbledon later this month, with the news that #1 Rafael Nadal most likely will not compete.
That's it for this edition. Enjoy all the sports this week.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Prospect Watch
The past few weeks in Arizona has seen a handful of prospects being called up to the big leagues. 5 top prospects have been called up to the Diamondbacks in the past few weeks, pitchers Max Scherzer, Billy Buckner, and Daniel Schlereth, OF Gerardo Parra, and IF Josh Whitesell. 2 of the players, Buckner and Schlereth have fathers that were pro athletes(1B Bill Buckner and football offensive lineman, Mark Schlereth). Parra has hit .315 in 18 games with 16 RBIs. Whitesell has gotten off to a slow start in his first 12 games hitting only .133. Schlereth made his debut the other night, and Buckner and Scherzer are part of the D-Backs rotation. With the recent promotion of all these players, the D-Backs have a bright future, maybe not this year but certainly in the years to come.
Debut of the Week: Phillies P Antonio Bastardo
Bastardo made his first start Tuesday night in San Diego for the Phils. He went 6 innings, giving up only 1 run on 4 hits with 5 strikeouts. Bastardo started the year at Double-A Reading, he was eventually promoted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley and after a few starts there, the Phillies promoted Bastardo after Brett Myers went on the DL.
Players to Watch:
C Jesus Montero
The Yankees #2 prospect, Montero made his debut at Double-A Trenton Wednesday and could possibly be Jorge Posada's replacement in a year or two.
P Charlie Morton, OF Gorkys Hernandez
Both of these players were traded Wednesday by the Braves to Pittsburgh in the Nate McLouth trade. Both players are in the Braves' top 10 prospects list. If not immediately, these two will eventually make there debuts for Pittsburgh this year, as the Pirates continue adding the young talent to their roster.
P Tommy Hanson
The Braves have finally called up the young right-hander and will start this weekend. Hanson is replacing Tom Glavine on the roster after Glavine was released Wednesday during the Braves big shake-up of their roster.
Stay tuned for next week's prospect watch with more previews of the best young players in baseball.
Debut of the Week: Phillies P Antonio Bastardo
Bastardo made his first start Tuesday night in San Diego for the Phils. He went 6 innings, giving up only 1 run on 4 hits with 5 strikeouts. Bastardo started the year at Double-A Reading, he was eventually promoted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley and after a few starts there, the Phillies promoted Bastardo after Brett Myers went on the DL.
Players to Watch:
C Jesus Montero
The Yankees #2 prospect, Montero made his debut at Double-A Trenton Wednesday and could possibly be Jorge Posada's replacement in a year or two.
P Charlie Morton, OF Gorkys Hernandez
Both of these players were traded Wednesday by the Braves to Pittsburgh in the Nate McLouth trade. Both players are in the Braves' top 10 prospects list. If not immediately, these two will eventually make there debuts for Pittsburgh this year, as the Pirates continue adding the young talent to their roster.
P Tommy Hanson
The Braves have finally called up the young right-hander and will start this weekend. Hanson is replacing Tom Glavine on the roster after Glavine was released Wednesday during the Braves big shake-up of their roster.
Stay tuned for next week's prospect watch with more previews of the best young players in baseball.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Finals Week
While many high-schoolers and finishing out their year with finals, so are the best in sports. With the Women's College World Series ending tonight, the NBA and Stanley Cup Finals, and the last week of the French Open, there are plenty of championships to be awarded in the next week.
The Women's College World Series came to an end tonight as Washington swept Florida in the best-of-3 series. With the win, the Huskies softball team gave the school its first ever national championship in not only softball but in any sport. The Huskies were powered by National Player of the Year, pitcher Danielle Lawrie, who can add the championship to her growing resume after pitching for Canada in the Beijing Olympics and winning player of the year. With this championship already handed out, let's turn to the three others being given out soon.
The French Open finals are Saturday for the women and Sunday for the men. The women's bracket is still full of favorites, #1 Dinara Safina, and #2 Serena Williams still in, but a few women might pose a shocker in the final if things go right. With underdogs like Sorana Cristea of Romania and #20 Daniela Cibulkova left, you never what will happen on the clay at Roland Garros.
On the men's side, the bracket is even more wide open with the defeat of #3 Andy Murray and #6 Andy Roddick in the past two days. This leaves #2 Roger Federer as the only player who has won a major left in the tournament, but Federer is looking for his first French Open. There are many good competitors left like #23 Robin Soderling who defeated 4-time defending champ and #1 Rafa Nadal on Sunday and advanced to the semis today with a win over #10 Nikolay Davydenko. But the one man everyone left in the bracket should worry about is #5 Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina. Del Potro is 6'7'' and moves very well on the clay and should give Federer a challenge if they meet in the semis.
Prediction: Women's Final- Serena Williams defeats Dinara Safina in 3 sets.
Men's Final- Del Potro over Fernando Gonzalez of Chile in 4 sets.
Now, to the two most talked about championships at stake, one is already 3 games in, the other starts Thursday and will take a few weeks to play only 7 games.
The Stanley Cup Finals are going exactly as they were last year, with Detroit wnning the first 2 at home and Pittsburgh winning game 3 tonight at home. Will the next 3 games follow the path of last year's series? No. I believe Detroit will come back and win in Pittsburgh to take the 3-1 lead and then raise the cup at home this year at Joe Louis Arena by winning Game 5.
Prediction: As you read above- Wings in 5.
MVP: Nicklas Lindstrom or Johan Franzen, both for Detroit
And finally the series everyone is waiting for will have to wait for next year because the Orlando Magic beat Cleveland in the Eastern Conference Finals setting up a matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. There is no problem with the matchup, but I do have a problem with a game being played every other day starting Thursday, this will drag the series out for at least a week, maybe even two if they reach game 7. The Magic have an advantage in the 3. With many different shooters in their arsenal (Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu, Courtney Lee, and possibly Jameer Nelson) it will be hard for the Lakers to defend the 3 and Dwight Howard in the middle at the same time. But for Lakers, they do have Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, along with a great supporting cast to get the job done. The series will come down to which team's supporting cast gets the job done. Everyone knows that the stars like Bryant, Gasol, and Howard will show up for all the games, but will the rest of their teams? That we will find out in the next week(or two).
Prediction: Lakers in 7
MVP: Kobe Bryant
Hope you will enjoy the finals of the French Open, Stanley Cup, and NBA as much as I will.
The Women's College World Series came to an end tonight as Washington swept Florida in the best-of-3 series. With the win, the Huskies softball team gave the school its first ever national championship in not only softball but in any sport. The Huskies were powered by National Player of the Year, pitcher Danielle Lawrie, who can add the championship to her growing resume after pitching for Canada in the Beijing Olympics and winning player of the year. With this championship already handed out, let's turn to the three others being given out soon.
The French Open finals are Saturday for the women and Sunday for the men. The women's bracket is still full of favorites, #1 Dinara Safina, and #2 Serena Williams still in, but a few women might pose a shocker in the final if things go right. With underdogs like Sorana Cristea of Romania and #20 Daniela Cibulkova left, you never what will happen on the clay at Roland Garros.
On the men's side, the bracket is even more wide open with the defeat of #3 Andy Murray and #6 Andy Roddick in the past two days. This leaves #2 Roger Federer as the only player who has won a major left in the tournament, but Federer is looking for his first French Open. There are many good competitors left like #23 Robin Soderling who defeated 4-time defending champ and #1 Rafa Nadal on Sunday and advanced to the semis today with a win over #10 Nikolay Davydenko. But the one man everyone left in the bracket should worry about is #5 Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina. Del Potro is 6'7'' and moves very well on the clay and should give Federer a challenge if they meet in the semis.
Prediction: Women's Final- Serena Williams defeats Dinara Safina in 3 sets.
Men's Final- Del Potro over Fernando Gonzalez of Chile in 4 sets.
Now, to the two most talked about championships at stake, one is already 3 games in, the other starts Thursday and will take a few weeks to play only 7 games.
The Stanley Cup Finals are going exactly as they were last year, with Detroit wnning the first 2 at home and Pittsburgh winning game 3 tonight at home. Will the next 3 games follow the path of last year's series? No. I believe Detroit will come back and win in Pittsburgh to take the 3-1 lead and then raise the cup at home this year at Joe Louis Arena by winning Game 5.
Prediction: As you read above- Wings in 5.
MVP: Nicklas Lindstrom or Johan Franzen, both for Detroit
And finally the series everyone is waiting for will have to wait for next year because the Orlando Magic beat Cleveland in the Eastern Conference Finals setting up a matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. There is no problem with the matchup, but I do have a problem with a game being played every other day starting Thursday, this will drag the series out for at least a week, maybe even two if they reach game 7. The Magic have an advantage in the 3. With many different shooters in their arsenal (Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu, Courtney Lee, and possibly Jameer Nelson) it will be hard for the Lakers to defend the 3 and Dwight Howard in the middle at the same time. But for Lakers, they do have Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, along with a great supporting cast to get the job done. The series will come down to which team's supporting cast gets the job done. Everyone knows that the stars like Bryant, Gasol, and Howard will show up for all the games, but will the rest of their teams? That we will find out in the next week(or two).
Prediction: Lakers in 7
MVP: Kobe Bryant
Hope you will enjoy the finals of the French Open, Stanley Cup, and NBA as much as I will.
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