Jets GM on Dustin Byfuglien: ‘It’s a complicated issue’ - Sportsnet.ca

There are a number of layers to sift through when it comes to the current situation between the Winnipeg Jets and defenceman Dustin Byfuglien.

Wednesday’s news that Byfuglien underwent ankle surgery last week adds a few more layers to what Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff called a “complicated issue.”

“Going back to the start of training camp, that’s when we met with Dustin and those are all pretty well-documented stuff and obviously over the course of time here, he has had an ankle surgery here now and we’re dealing with that,” Cheveldayoff told reporters during a media availability on Thursday afternoon. “So with respect to really anything else that I can comment on, that’s pretty much where it’s at at this point in time. We’re in constant conversations with his agents and that’s where we’re at.”

Cheveldayoff wasn’t able to elaborate on many details of what is clearly a fluid situation.

News of Byfuglien’s surgery, which has him sidelined until the new year, brings a few new questions to the surface with many wondering why the player didn’t simply go on long-term injured reserve — a move that would have allowed him to continue getting paid — rather than being suspended by the team.

“It’s a complicated issue,” Cheveldayoff said. “I’m here to speak but there’s really not much that I can enlighten beyond what’s been talked about as it stands right now.”

On Byfuglien: surgery was last week. Recovery expected to take until the New Year — and we’ll see what he decides. This adds an extra layer around his contract situation, too, because he can argue he deserves to be paid while recovering from a legitimate injury.

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) October 31, 2019

Reports surfaced in mid-September that the veteran rearguard was taking a personal leave from the team to contemplate his hockey future and has been considering retirement. Shortly after, the Jets suspended him for not reporting to training camp — a move head coach Paul Maurice called “absolutely procedural” at the time and said “Dustin was aware of it.”

Suspending Byfuglien was seen as a temporary workaround for the team as it continues to navigate the salary cap, as it allowed the Jets to keep a little cap flexibility through the uncertainty.

Questions also arose in regards to the Jets’ involvement, if any, with Byfuglien’s decision to undergo last week’s ankle surgery.

Global Winnipeg reporter Russ Hobson tweeted the following statement from the team Wednesday night:

Here's the statement from the Winnipeg Jets regarding Dustin Byfuglien's ankle surgery last week in Minnesota…"We were aware he was contemplating having surgery, but were not directly involved in his decision making process."

— Russ Hobson (@russ_sportsguy) October 31, 2019

Cheveldayoff echoed that during Thursday’s availability.

“From our situation, nothing’s really changed with the news with respect to him having surgery. We were aware he was contemplating it,” he said. “Again, when we said we weren’t directly involved, we weren’t directly involved but obviously we knew that he was contemplating that. As far as what it means for the future, again, it’s something that we’ll just have to wait and see.”

When asked about a possible move to LTIR, Cheveldayoff said Byfuglien’s status hasn’t changed.

“There’s not much more that I can say,” he said. “The status has been the same since the beginning of training camp.”

Byfuglien’s contract has two years remaining, with an average annual value of $7.6 million. When asked about managing the situation as far as the cap is concerned, the GM had this to say:

“There’s cap challenges every day in the National Hockey League. Nothing has really changed with respect to how we have to operate on a daily basis. It’s something that we’ve been challenged with and are managing daily.”

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November 01, 2019 at 03:25AM

Scott Stinson: The Houston Astros are the team of data (that failed them in the end) - National Post

HOUSTON • The late innings of Game 7 of the World Series were where narratives went to die.

With the Houston Astros holding a 2-0 lead into the seventh inning, a lead that seemed much bigger than that given that Zack Greinke was doing a fabulous Greg Maddux impression on the mound, inducing weak ground balls that he was fielding like a serve-and-volley player at the net, the story looked simple.

The Astros, the data-driven organization that had earned enmity across Major League Baseball for their slavish devotion to numbers, and more recently for unrelated reasons, were about to lock down their second World Series title in three seasons, in which they won more than 100 regular-season games each time. This was dynastic stuff, the kind of accomplishments that only a handful of organizations have ever managed.

As if to underscore the message, the Washington Nationals were playing the part of the overmatched idealists. Dave Martinez was managing by gut and feel, leaving a labouring Max Scherzer out on the mound to fend off the Astros. He was the wounded gladiator, and the Astros were angry lions. (Except Jose Altuve, the feisty chipmunk.)

The ruthless Astros were about to squeeze the life out of the plucky underdogs.

But then baseball happened again.

Washington Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon hits a solo home run off of Houston Astros pitcher Zack Greinke during the seventh inning in game seven of the 2019 World Series at Minute Maid Park. Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The funny thing about Washington’s thrilling comeback, with six runs in the final three frames to win Game 7 and take the first World Series in Nationals (and Montreal Expos) franchise history, is how utterly baseball it was. Anthony Rendon’s no-doubt shot over the left-field wall to put the Nationals, finally, on the board was the kind of thing that happens even when a pitcher like Greinke is doing a maestro thing on the mound. It was one of the very few balls that anyone on the Nats had hit squarely all night. But, leave a pitch over the plate against a hitter like Rendon, and, boom.

It wasn’t until two batters later that the cruelty of the sport was laid bare. Greinke had been yanked after a walk to Juan Soto — more on that in a bit — and Will Harris was in to tidy things up. He is usually death on right-handed hitters, with breaking stuff that tails away from them. Howie Kendrick swung and missed at his first offering, just as planned. But then Kendrick barrelled his second pitch, sending it slicing to the opposite field. It didn’t slice enough for the Astros, plunking the screen on the foul pole in the right-field corner for a two-run homer that flipped the score in favour of the visitors.

If that ball dives just a bit further, if the spin carries it maybe six feet to the right, possibly even less than that, then the Astros still hold a lead, and who knows what a chastened Harris does next. He had a huge strikeout of Kendrick earlier in the series; he could easily have done so again. The narratives would have all been intact. Hinch’s ruthless decision to hook Greinke — following the data that says starters are significantly less effective when facing batters for the third time in a game — would have been vindicated.

Howie Kendrick of the Washington Nationals celebrates in the locker room after defeating the Houston Astros in Game Seven to win the 2019 World Series on October 30, 2019 in Houston, Texas. Elsa/Getty Images

Instead, it was the opposite of that.

“It’s a decision I’ll have to live with,” Hinch said afterward. “And I don’t know what would have happened had I left (Greinke) in.”

The Astros manager said he wanted to take Greinke out a little early rather than leaving him in a little late.

In the other dugout, Martinez had taken the opposite approach to handling a veteran starter. Scherzer had been unable to get out of bed or even dress himself 72 hours earlier, and he was clearly not the Scherzer who fanned 12 hitters per nine innings this season. He gave up seven hits and four walks over five innings, striking out just three. It was the first time in a streak of 257 starts that Scherzer walked more batters than he fanned, the longest such streak since the 1920s. Every bit of logic suggested that Martinez should have replaced him earlier, instead of leaving him to gut out innings against the lions. He had two rested starters, Patrick Corbin and Anibal Sanchez, in the bullpen. Scherzer couldn’t locate his breaking pitches, and at some point one of these Astros was going to smoke a fastball. Even when Carlos Correa finally did, the shot down the third-base line bounced into foul territory, but didn’t make it to the outfield, which would have allowed more runners to score. Instead, it was just a one-run single to make it 2-0.

Manager Dave Martinez of the Washington Nationals hoists the Commissioners Trophy after defeating the Houston Astros 6-2 in Game Seven to win the 2019 World Series. Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

These were the margins that allowed the Nationals to write their own history. Instead of being roasted for under-managing, for giving too much weight to heart and toughness, Martinez was wiping Champagne and tears from his eyes.

And, instead of proving, again, that baseball could be won by removing the human element, by playing the percentages and trusting the numbers, it was Hinch and the Astros who will face an off-season of second-guessing. It brought back the old line from Billy Beane, the spiritual father of analytics, who once offered of his Oakland Athletics: “My (expletive) doesn’t work in the playoffs.”

For the Astros, obviously, it sometimes does. But their ethos is to apply cold science to a quirky old sport, to the exclusion of all else. They are trying to wrestle the unpredictability out of it.

Baseball has shown it will not go quietly.

Postmedia News

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November 01, 2019 at 12:32AM

5 things noticed in Toronto FC’s 2-1 thriller over Atlanta United FC to advance to 2019 MLS Cup Final - Waking The Red

TORONTO, Ont.—Wednesday night wasn’t the prettiest 90 minutes of football for Toronto FC, but once again, the Reds found a way to get things done, topping the defending MLS Cup Champions Atlanta United FC 2-1 in front of their rowdy home crowd at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

What a time TFC fans. While it’s great to look at the bigger picture — like we get to see the third installment of the Toronto-Seattle trilogy — there was still plenty of action to dissect between the lines.

So, celebrate and enjoy some morning content. The Reds are in the 2019 MLS Cup Finals. Here are five things we noticed shortly after the match in TFC’s historic win in the dirty South.

---

Quentin Westberg

Let’s get one thing straight: We wouldn’t be having any MLS Cup Final conversations if it weren’t for the heroics of Toronto FC goalkeeper Quentin Westberg.

The 33-year-old has been in peak form, making a save on every single shot he’s had a chance on — and even some he hasn’t.

If Westberg doesn’t come up big on the Josef Martinez penalty attempt, adding to his prolific 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs highlight reel, the Reds would be down 2-0, facing an enourmous hill to climb. He finished the night with four saves, but his impact stretched far beyond the stat sheet.

What a story the French-born U.S. international has been since his arrival to MLS in February. Here’s more on Westberg in Gianluca Lia’s feature here.

A group of fighters

If it wasn’t clear before, it should be now. 2019 Toronto FC have established an identity: they’re difficult to beat.

Despite being outplayed for most of the match Wednesday night, conceding possession to Atlanta (59 per cent to 41), the Reds once again found a way to earn a positive result.

Over the course of their magical playoff run, Toronto has been tested immensely. And while they’ve wavered, they haven’t broken — something that TFC coach Greg Vanney said his side has prided themselves on heading into the post-season. I mean, a club simply doesn’t get lucky for 13 straight contests (the Reds are unbeaten in their last 13 matches), especially on the road and in the playoffs. It takes a collective effort, and TFC have bought in.

With most of the league opting to roll head-to-head with pure talent, Vanney has taken a different approach when selecting his Starting XI during this playoff run: relentless hard work, grit, and team chemistry. Is there a tougher, harder working midfield in MLS than Michael Bradley, Jonathan Osorio, and Marky Delgado — not to mention super-sub Nick DeLeon?

Big-match moments are meant for big-match players

Speaking of DeLeon — wow. Two goals this MLS Cup Playoffs, two absolute screamers.

Tonight’s appearance for DeLeon in the Eastern Conference Final was special for many reasons. It wasn’t just about his 30-yard screamer. When TFC offered little-to-nothing moving forward, it was DeLeon’s confidence, strength, and presence he brought with him on the pitch that made him a difference maker tonight.

The veteran midfielder, who entered the match early in the second half, led by example.

It took 20 minutes for Toronto FC to get going after the break, a frustrating and stressful spell of football for the Reds, where they were dominated by ATL. Their only sniff at Atlanta’s box that the Reds got in the opening moments of the second 45’ came via an inspiring run by DeLeon, where he shook off two defenders in Toronto’s half to keep the play alive.

While his run ultimately didn’t result in anything tangible, it seemed to inspire those around him, bringing back a sense of confidence and swagger into the TFC side — a testament to his impact this season.

The American’s emergence for Toronto FC has easily been one of the better stories around the league this year.

Super Subs

Once again, Toronto FC’s head coach came through. Where are all those #VanneyOut fans now?

After a disastrous start to the match, one in which TFC got their tactics completely wrong trying to play a high defensive line against a quick counter-attacking offense, the Reds adjusted.

At the end of the opening 45’, Vanney told Kristian Jack that he needed to make a change to his team’s shape. He did that by using two quick subs to start the second half, bringing on defender Richie Laryea for winger Tsubasa Endoh, and the aforementioned DeLeon for Nicolas Benezet, who was playing a more attacking role at the time.

In fact, the Toronto FC manager used all three of his subs before Atlanta used one of theirs — but it paid off.

Both Laryea and DeLeon were incredible for the Reds down the stretch, especially defensively, while Patrick Mullins, the third TFC substitution, provided a much-needed aerial presence with Omar Gonzalez on the bench.

Vanney, who notched his club-leading 99th career victory with Wednesday night’s win over Atlanta, has been known to change things up mid-game, frustrating TFC fans over the course of the regular season at times. Well, now we have a reason to Vanney’s madness.

The Reds have become a Swiss-army knife: a versatile unit, comfortable and capable of playing various different styles of football, and so far, it’s working out for TFC.

Nerves of Steel

What does it take to leave your best defender on the bench in a single-elimination game?

A lot of trust.

A lot of trust in 34-year-old Laurent Ciman who has found his stride with Toronto FC at the perfect time. While he struggled with the Reds since his arrival prior to the start of the season, the Belgian-born defender has done everything of late that TFC could’ve asked of him, and then some.

Keep in mind that Ciman found out an hour before Toronto FC’s opening-round playoff match against D.C. United that he would be in the lineup. Three matches later, and the former MLS Defender of the Year has established himself as a pivotal leader at the back for the Reds in the 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs; who would’ve thought?

His ability to pick a pass — as we saw on Benezet’s goal — allows Toronto to play more freely in a False 9. Instead of hold up play at our strikers, we have the ability, especially with Westberg, to keep the ball at the back instead of easily conceding possession. It’ll be interesting to see if Vanney elects to roll with the hot hand and keep Ciman in once again, or if he’ll opt to return to the ever-stable Omar Gonzalez. Either way, it’s a good problem to have because Toronto FC is in the 2019 MLS Cup Final.

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October 31, 2019 at 09:19PM

Bianca Andreescu withdraws from WTA Finals after MRI on injured knee - CBC.ca

Canada's Bianca Andreescu says she is withdrawing from the WTA Finals due to an injury to her left knee.

Andreescu said results from an MRI on Thursday convinced her she should not play her final round-robin match against Elina Svitolina on Friday at the season-ending, US$14-million event.

The 19-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., was eliminated from championship contention after retiring from her match against Karolina Pliskova on Wednesday as a result of the injury.

"It's very disappointing," said Andreescu, who shook hands with Pliskova after losing the first set 6-3, dropping her record to 0-2.

"It's the last tournament of the season. You want to go all out, but stuff happens. You just got to take a step back, re-evaluate. That's what I did. I think this is the best decision for me right now."

WATCH | Andreescu injures left knee:

Bianca Andreescu of Mississauga, Ont., injured her left knee while returning a serve in her WTA Finals match against Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic. Andreescu would later retire from the match. 1:50

American Sofia Kenin will replace Andreescu for the match against Svitolina.

Andreescu said she twisted her knee during a forehand return in the fifth game against Pliskova.

"I heard a crack," she said. "After that, it was hard to put pressure on it. On the spot the physio thought it was my meniscus, so she taped it up. It was really hard to bend with the taping and the pain kept getting worse, so I had to stop.

"I fought with what I had, but I didn't want to get it worse."

WATCH | 'I don't want to stop,' Andreescu tells coach:

Despite injuring her left knee, Bianca Andreescu vowed to carry on during the first round of her WTA Finals match against Karolina Pliskova. 0:40

The decision ends a year which was extremely successful, in spite of several injuries.

Andreescu reached a Canadian record No. 4 in the women's tennis rankings after winning her first three career tournaments, including the U.S. Open for her first Grand Slam title.

In between winning her first and second events, Andreescu was sidelined for almost four months because of a shoulder injury.

Time off

The Canadian hurt her back in her opening match at the WTA Finals, a loss to Simona Halep, before suffering the season-ending knee injury.

"Definitely, I need some time off," she said. "It's been a short yet long season at the same time for me. I'm definitely going to take time off, be with my family, with my friends, recoup, then start my pre-season.

"I'll become even stronger for 2020."

Andreescu is the second player to pull out of the WTA Finals during the event because of injury. Japan's Naomi Osaka dropped out because of a shoulder injury and was replaced by Kiki Bertens.

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October 31, 2019 at 08:40PM

Raptors need to find ways to give Lowry, VanVleet more rest - Sportsnet.ca

TORONTO — Ten days in to the season, still decidedly morning-after territory for a championship team, there’s no arguing the results of these Toronto Raptors. They hold the second-best true shooting percentage in basketball. Also, a top-five net rating. Pascal Siakam is now Karl Malone. And, most importantly, they have four wins from five games — the lone loss coming on the road in Boston where the Celtics were jumping out of the gym, pulling down an absurd 21 offensive boards which allowed them to attempt 31 more field goals than Toronto. And the Raptors still fell by only six.

But is the process sustainable? Can they keep playing this way? Specifically, can their two point guards — their only two point guards — continue to log nearly 40 minutes a night? Don’t the Raptors need someone else to help shoulder some of the load? Do they even have someone else to run the floor, make plays, facilitate? Is the team not inviting future trouble to its dual guards, whether in the form of fatigue or injury — or the former leading to the latter?

It has to be a cause of anxiety for Raptors fans, particularly after Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet each played heavy minutes again in Wednesday’s 125-113 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Lowry (39.3) and VanVleet (38.8) entered the night first and third, respectively, in minutes per game this season. That included an overtime contest, which skews the numbers slightly. But even if you remove that one, they were each over 37 minutes per game, a mark only four other NBA players are averaging this season.

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VanVleet at least got Wednesday’s fourth quarter off after playing every possession from about five minutes into the second quarter through the end of the third. With the Raptors in cruise control, and VanVleet — who’s perpetually battling some sort of minor physical ailment — still carrying an ankle injury he suffered on opening night, there was no sense pushing him past the half-hour he’d already played.

But VanVleet being off the court meant Lowry had to be on it to run the offence. So, even as the Raptors flirted with a 20-point lead during Wednesday’s fourth quarter, Lowry played right through to the game’s final 85 seconds, when he finally checked out and, quite amusingly, received a technical foul for commentary provided as he was taking his seat on the bench.

“I mean, I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do to help our team win. And whatever coach decides to do, you know, I’ll fall into line with that,” Lowry said of his minutes. “Whatever it takes to win games and make us a better team. If it’s less minutes, more minutes — whatever it is. As long as we win games.”

In the end, Lowry — a 33-year-old coming off July thumb surgery — logged 37 minutes and 47 seconds Wednesday, a slight improvement from the 38:11 he put in during a game 48 hours prior. It was still the fourth time in five games in nine nights that he’s been up over 37, and no matter what happens between now and Toronto’s next game Saturday in Milwaukee, it’s extremely unlikely anyone in the league will have exceeded his average of 39 per night.

“They’re a little high for me. Yeah, they’re a little high. I’d like to trim them,” Raptors head coach Nick Nurse said of Lowry’s minutes. “I’m excited that I trimmed them from 40 to 37 tonight. I’m working on it. If I can trim a couple more minutes here and there we’ll be in the ballpark.

“He likes to play, right? He likes to play. Sometimes, we’ve got to control that a little bit better from our standpoint for down the road. Certainly he’s got us off to a good start. He’s certainly playing great. But we’ll try to trim a little bit off here as we get a little more comfortable.”

That’s going to be tough considering Nurse’s options. Aside from undrafted two-way rookie Shamorie Ponds — who has yet to dress for a game — Lowry and VanVleet are the only true point guards the Raptors roster. The void left by the departure of Delon Wright in last season’s Marc Gasol deal has never been filled. Jeremy Lin occupied the vacancy for a spell before falling out of favour with the coaching staff, while Jordan Loyd was given only sparse opportunities. This season, they’re both playing overseas.

If there is a podcasting odd couple, this might be it. Donnovan Bennett and JD Bunkis don’t agree on much, but you’ll agree this is the best Toronto Raptors podcast going.

And that Lowry and VanVleet both start and finish for this team — rather than being staggered in a more traditional starter and backup rotation — exacerbates the issue. Without a trusted third option, Nurse has to take turns extending Lowry or VanVleet in between their heavy shifts at the beginning and end of games in order to have a reliable ballhandler on the floor with the team’s reserves in the middle. So far this season, the Raptors have yet to deploy a non-garbage time lineup that didn’t include one of Lowry and VanVleet. And it will probably take one of the two not dressing for it to happen.

But what’s Nurse to do when Lowry and VanVleet are playing so well, both individually and together? The Raptors have played to a 12.5 net rating with the duo on the floor this season, scoring 111.5 points per 100 possessions while allowing the opposition to score only 99. You want them out there at the end of games. And Nurse wants them on the court at the beginning, too, when the Raptors prioritize defensive energy and fast-paced offence.

They’re both reliable, willing shooters; vigorous, physical defenders; aggressive, careening drivers. Which presents its own problems. They’re going to be fouled, they’re going to hit the floor, they’re going to feel their minutes. Getting knocked around is integral to their games.

Think about how often you see Lowry or VanVleet drive to the basket, take contact, and end up crash-landing somewhere around the baseline. Or how often you see them get under whoever they’re guarding, sticking their jaws well within range of elbows and shoulders. A battering is received fighting through screens and wrestling with much larger players for rebounds in the paint. Add in the responsibility of carrying the ball up the floor, facilitating the offence, trying to create off the dribble — it’s a lot.

Having the luxury of a playmaking seven-footer like Marc Gasol helps. He’ll sometimes orchestrate the offence from the elbows, letting Lowry and VanVleet catch their breath working off the ball. But that’s not quite the same as having a third ball-handling guard who could let the pair get proper rest on the bench more often.

That role could eventually be filled by Patrick McCaw, who Nurse is high on, often praising the 24-year-old’s energy and intelligence at both ends. There’s certainly no denying McCaw’s athleticism and bounce, and the ways he can combine those traits with good vision and anticipation to cause problems for the opposition. But consistently putting it all together under the bright lights has been an issue so far.

It could be Norman Powell, who’s enjoying a bigger share of the offence this season in the wake of Kawhi Leonard’s departure. He’s long demonstrated an ability to create off the dribble and attack the rim. But, to this point in his career, Powell’s played exclusively as a two-guard and never been given the opportunity to run Toronto’s offence.

It could be Terrence Davis, but he’s an undrafted surprise story who Wednesday appeared in his fifth-ever NBA game. It could be Siakam serving as a point forward, but isn’t enough already being asked of him? It could be Malcolm Miller, but he’s outside Toronto’s rotation looking in.

Or it could be Lowry and VanVleet continuing to shoulder immense workloads until something gives. Surely the minutes they’re currently logging are unsustainable, and potentially irresponsible considering how taxing it was playing through to the NBA Finals last season, the amount of volume they’ll be asked to absorb in the latter half of this one, and the effect fatigue has on injury risk.

So, there’s your primary dilemma for a 4-1 team: how can the Raptors get these two more rest without a sacrifice in the team’s overall quality of play? Currently, there’s no easy answer. But the Raptors need to find one.

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October 31, 2019 at 09:01PM

Stephen Strasburg named World Series MVP 7 years after infamous shutdown - CBC.ca

The shutdown that shook baseball paid off for Stephen Strasburg and the Washington Nationals.

It just took seven seasons.

Strasburg was voted MVP of the World Series following the Nationals' 6-2 win over the Houston Astros in Game 7 on Wednesday night, the first title in the 51 seasons of the Washington/Montreal Expos franchise.

Ending the most prolific of 10 big league seasons for the 31-year-old right-hander, Strasburg went 5-0 with a 1.98 ERA in five post-season starts and one relief appearance, including victories in Games 2 of 6 of the Series.

Seven years after Strasburg was shut down because of an innings limit following Tommy John surgery, he helped lead the Nationals to the championship.

"I slept like a baby when we made the decision," Washington general manager Mike Rizzo said Wednesday. "I knew more information than the people criticizing. I've got a pretty thick skin being in the game this long."

Former 1st overall pick

Selected by Washington with the first pick in the 2009 amateur draft, Strasburg made his first Nationals start a year later and grabbed attention with 14 strikeouts, the most in a big league debut since Houston's J.R. Richard in 1971. But after Strasburg's 12th start came the shocking news, three of the most dreaded words in baseball: Tommy John surgery.

Strasburg exits Game 6 after 8 1/3 innings of two-run pitching. (Matt Slocum/The Associated Press)

Strasburg returned for five abbreviated starts in September 2011 and was 15-6 with a 3.16 ERA and 197 strikeouts in 159 1/3 innings when the Nationals cut short his 2012 season on Sept. 8, citing the need to protect his arm. Washington finished with a big league-best 98 wins but without its ace lost to St. Louis in a five-game Division Series.

"What if" became the team motto, at least for Nationals fans.

Not for Strasburg.

"Try not to look in the past. Try not to look in the future. Really just try and be in the moment," he said this October. "Once you start thinking about how things could have been or what things might happen, it takes your focus away from what your job is."

Unrivalled October

Strasburg's October is unmatched, the first pitcher to go 5-0 in a single post-season — Arizona's Randy Johnson was 5-2 in 2001 and Angels reliever Francisco Rodriguez 5-1 the following year. Stras, as teammates call him, struck out 47 and walked four in 36 1/3 innings. He won Games 2 and 6 against Houston in the World Series, giving up four runs over 14 1/3 innings in an analytic era of quick hooks.

Intense and quiet, Stras and Mad Max are the yin and yang of the Nationals' championship rotation.

"Max is a little bit more outgoing — rambunctious maybe is the word. And Stras is a little more subtle in his behaviour," manager Dave Martinez said before Game 7. "In case you didn't notice yesterday when the game was over, there was a group hug for Stras. They all got together and gave him a big hug. ... When Max does it and pitches, he wants all those hugs."

Stephen Strasburg is the first No. 1 overall pick to win <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WorldSeries?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WorldSeries</a> MVP.

&mdash;@MLBStats

Having finished the third season of a contract guaranteeing $175 million Us over seven years — and earning an extra $250,000 for the World Series MVP honour — Strasburg can opt out of his deal, give up $100 million and become a free agent. He is coming off his most durable season, going 18-6 with a 3.32 ERA and 251 strikeouts in an NL-high 209 innings, boosting his record to 112-58 in 10 seasons.

In 2015, the New York Mets let Matt Harvey pitch 216 innings in his return from Tommy John surgery, and they reached the World Series before losing to Kansas City in five games. He hasn't had a winning season since and his career is uncertain going into 2020.

Strasburg was protected and endures.

"Sometimes the hardest decisions aren't the most popular decisions," Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman said. "I think the most important thing is the organization really did have the best interests in mind for the player. And I think sometimes that gets lost in the equation. So I respect the heck out of them for doing that for Stephen."

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October 31, 2019 at 11:41AM

'FAVOURITE GOAL OF ALL TIME': Toronto FC headed back to MLS Cup with victory over Atlanta - Toronto Sun

ATLANTA — Toronto FC ventured into the lion’s den that is Mercedes-Benz Stadium and managed to tame a talented Atlanta United club on Wednesday night, posting a 2-1 victory to move to the MLS Cup final on Nov. 10 against the Seattle Sounders.

TFC tamed the Five Stripes where it counted. On the scoreboard. But the Reds were fortunate to come away with the win as, for large parts of the match, the explosive United side dominated. But thanks to goals by Nick DeLeon and Nicolas Benezet, and a huge game by goalkeeper Quentin Westberg, Toronto prevailed.

The trip to Seattle’s at CenturyLink Field a week Sunday for the MLS Cup final will mark TFC’s third appearance at the final in the past four years. The Reds have now gone 13 consecutive MLS games without losing.

DeLeon, who came in as a substitute in the 54th minute, scored a cracker in the 78th minute to give Toronto the 2-1 lead and ultimately the win. He picked up a pass from Alejandro Pozuelo just in front of the penalty area, swung around with the ball and right-footed a shot into the top left corner past Atlanta goalkeeper Brad Guzan.

“Definitely my favourite goal of all time. So far,” DeLeon said.

Atlanta fired 18 shots to four for Toronto (5-4 on target) and held possession 60% of the time and TFC coach Greg Vanney acknowledged that his club was outplayed for much of the match, but praised his players for coming through in a pretty hostile environment, and on turf.

“Truthfully, I’m exhausted,” said Vanney afterwards. “But I’m also elated, so proud of the guys. It was an exhausting game. I’m sure for them, but even on the sidelines, it was exhausting.”

The match was a prickly affair with lots of arguing and protesting and the 44,055 faithful on hand grew more impatient and frustrated as the minutes went by and their team missed numerous chances to take the lead. That only intensified following DeLeon’s goal. United, the defending MLS Cup champs, wouldn’t go away quietly, pressing its attack through the five minutes of extra time.

For the third straight playoff game, Jozy Altidore was unavailable to play because of a quad strain. There was a thought that centre back Omar Gonzalez would be able to start as he was progressing well from his hamstring strain but he was relegated to the bench. The decision not to put him in the starting XI probably came down to game fitness and the fact that veteran defender Laurent Ciman has played well in his place in the post-season. Ciman played well, again.

The match got off to a wild start, with two goals and an unsuccessful penalty kick in the first 14 minutes.

Atlanta opened the scoring in the fourth minute on a beautiful three-way passing play starting with Ezequiel Barco finding Pity Martinez through the Toronto midfield and then Martinez fed Julian Gressel a pass in front for the easy strike.

And then in the eighth minute, TFC midfielder Michael Bradley brought down Martinez in the penalty area, a foul he pretty well had to make as Martinez was all alone. But Westberg came up huge, saving the Josef Martinez penalty kick in the 11th minute by diving to his right, to prevent an early 2-0 Atlanta lead.

“They had a loud crowd, they had a good team, really confident, maybe a little too much,” said Westberg. “As long as we were still in the game 10 minutes in, I think we had momentum and heart going our way.

“You can’t be the most talented team all the time. Sometimes the brave team, and the strong team and the resilient team wins and once again I think we showed a lot of that.”

Benezet tied it up in the 14th minute when he took a pass in the left flank from Ciman, cut to the middle and right-footed a shot past Guzan to the far corner.

Atlanta, showing its speed in transition, picked up a free kick in the 35th minute about five yards from the penalty area after a Benezet foul and the attempt by Barco was blocked by a TFC defender. Two minutes after that, Westberg came up big again when he saved a shot in the right side of the box on Gressel.

In extra time, with Atlanta pressing, Westberg made another big save, this time on Leandro Pirez.

The Sounders and Reds previously met in MLS Cup in 2016 and 2017. Seattle won the first match up on penalty kicks in 2016, before TFC earned a convincing 2-0 victory in 2017 — both matches at BMO Field.

VANNEY ‘SCARFS’ IT DOWN

TFC coach Greg Vanney raised a few eyebrows when he walked on to the field at Mercedes-Benz Stadium before Wednesday night’s Eastern Conference final against Atlanta United wearing a thick scarf — even though the game was played indoors.

Turns out, Vanney wore it for superstitious reasons. He wore the same scarf when his club defeated D.C. United outside at BMO Field in the first game of the playoffs on Oct. 19 and then again last week at cold and damp Citi Field in the win over NYCFC.

There was no way he was not going to wear it against Atlanta United.

“It was hot as heck in there and I got to the point where I thought I was going to pass out a few times,” said Vanney, with a laugh. “I do get superstitious sometimes.”

Rain or shine, you know the coach will be wearing the scarf on Nov. 10 in Seattle when his club takes on the Sounders for the MLS Cup at CenturyLink Field.

sbuffery@postmedia.com

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October 31, 2019 at 07:17PM

Brendan Gallagher is an elite NHL winger - Habs Eyes on the Prize

Playing against an Arizona Coyotes squad travelling back home from a road trip, it was imperative for the Montreal Canadiens to get off to a quick start in Glendale against a likely fatigued team. They did just that, and it took all of 22 seconds for them to find the board.

And in his 500th NHL game, it came courtesy of none other than Brendan Gallagher.

It was the quintessential Gallagher goal — two whacks at the puck from close enough to spit on the net camera — giving his team an early lead that would not be relinquished. He set the tone, and he could have had even more on the night if some bounces on the questionable Arizona ice went his way.

His on-ice corsi at even-strength was a sparkling 61.76% for the night. He’s now tied for the team lead with six goals on the year — all of them coming at even-strength — and actually has an expected goals-for of 8.47, so if anything he should start scoring more if he keeps up his current play.

And it must be mentioned that he does this while playing to the right of Phillip Danault and has started just 41.54% of his even-strength shifts in the offensive zone this year. He’s playing difficult minutes, and he’s eating them like cake.

Of course, playing with a remarkable defensive forward like Danault doesn’t hurt, but Gallagher and Tomas Tatar round out a solid defensive trio that not only shuts down the opposition, but does damage at the other end.

The chief scoring threat among them is of course Gallagher. Natural Stat Trick has him with 45 individual scoring chances this year at five-on-five. The only player with more is Alex Ovechkin. Again, if Gallagher keeps playing like this, his production could get even better.

And this isn’t a blip on the radar; he has been producing goals at a very high rate for a few years now at five-on-five...

I won’t sit here and argue that Gallagher is the same as Ovechkin, or that he’s a better player than John Tavares. But when you look at the company he keeps in terms of production at even strength, you can only come to one conclusion.

Brendan Gallagher isn’t just good, he is an elite NHL forward.

And everything he does must be evaluated within the context of his $3.75 million AAV. That is absurd value, and Marc Bergevin could manage in the NHL for another 30 years without inking a better deal. It is arguably a top-five contract in the league right now that isn’t of the entry-level variety.

He’s on pace for his first ever 40-goal season, and while that pace will be tough to keep, it has been impossible to put a ceiling on the former fifth-round pick throughout his career. To completely discount that possibility now would be foolish considering how he’s defied expectations at every turn since he broke into the league.

He might not have the flash of other elite players, but it’s high time that he starts being mentioned in the same breath as them.

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October 31, 2019 at 09:00PM

Game #14 Review: Washington Capitals 4 vs Toronto Maple Leafs 3 (OT) - Maple Leafs Hot Stove

The Toronto Maple Leafs showed improvements in some areas — starting on time, overall competitiveness throughout the 60 minutes — but dealt with setbacks in others — special teams, discipline — as they fell to the Washington Capitals in overtime on Tuesday night.

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First Period

The Leafs have been struggling to start on time all month long, but with the benefit of a few days rest and a bit of urgency in their stride, they came out of the gate flying, established a forecheck, and didn’t take long to open the scoring.

Great pressure from the Matthews line and Johnsson scores 40 seconds in. 1-0 Leafs. #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/iSFxQORI3L

— Maple Leafs Hotstove (@LeafsNews) October 29, 2019

That’s a much better tone-setting shift to start a home game.

Following the goal, the temperature and physicality of the game picked up quickly, beginning an unrelenting stream of special teams time that lasted basically all game long right through the three-on-three overtime.

Matthews gets hit by Backstrom, causing Rielly to cross-checks Backstrom. Rielly to the box. #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/YYdJsiCj0C

— Maple Leafs Hotstove (@LeafsNews) October 29, 2019

Washington did generate their looks on their first power play, but they were unable to capitalize and the successful kill went straight to Leafs‘ legs.

Nice play by Mikheyev to apply pressure on Jensen and force a turnover. #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/9ZU8mg8td0

— Maple Leafs Hotstove (@LeafsNews) October 29, 2019

While the Leafs were skating and competing well early, some east-west passing through the slot from the Capitals led to John Carlson tying the game up:

Carlson blast one down low. 1-1. #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/hpMSsvM34E

— Maple Leafs Hotstove (@LeafsNews) October 29, 2019

There wasn’t a ton of scoring chances or even shots on goal on offer at 5v5 in this game as both sides played tight-checking hockey and eliminated time and space through the neutral zone effectively. The scoring chances at evens were hard-earned:

What a play by Marner. That would have been pretty. #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/h7z2OLNpWL

— Maple Leafs Hotstove (@LeafsNews) October 29, 2019

As the period drew to a close, the Leafs had their special teams put to the test as they had to kill a penalty before immediately getting a power play of their own. Toronto was able to take care of business shorthanded, but couldn’t convert on the man-advantage.

Absent for the remainder of the period (and game) was Jake Muzzin, who got shaken up by what appeared to be charlie horse sustained on what seemed like a clear charge from a familiar pest in Tom Wilson:

Wilson charges at Muzzin, who was in some discomfort and went to the locker room. #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/xx0ysUCmbh

— Maple Leafs Hotstove (@LeafsNews) October 29, 2019

Just as the Leafs receive Travis Dermott back in the lineup and Zach Hyman and John Tavares are nearing returns of their own, Leafs Nation was holding its collective breath about the potential loss of their most reliable defender in the month of October.

Second Period

The Leafs started the middle frame on the power play and nearly converted again right off of the opening faceoff.

Great feed by Rielly to Johnsson who nearly buries it. #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/eCsPjyURXE

— Maple Leafs Hotstove (@LeafsNews) October 30, 2019

Following another unsuccessful attempt on the man-advantage, the Leafs got another opportunity a couple of minutes later and again couldn’t convert on the opportunity despite better overall puck movement. Matthews needed to be alert and hustle back to negate a breakaway late in the PP:

Good defensive play by Matthews to deny a scoring chance. #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/pmzTYOVcXV

— Maple Leafs Hotstove (@LeafsNews) October 30, 2019

The onslaught of penalties both ways continued unabated, and that usually ends only one way against a Capitals power play oriented around the lethal shots of Ovechkin and Carlson.

Carlson scores his second of the night on the PP. 2-1 Capitals. #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/2R5j1cPdLg

— Maple Leafs Hotstove (@LeafsNews) October 30, 2019

The Leafs kept getting opportunities on the man advantage as the period progressed and letting them all go to waste. With each successive opportunity coming up empty, the SBA crowd let their team hear it with a smattering of boos.

Back at evens, the Leafs finally broke through with a huge goal in the final 40 seconds of the period.

Matthews tips home Barrie's shot, snapping the latter's point slump. 2-2. #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/BV1GGqoNGm

— Maple Leafs Hotstove (@LeafsNews) October 30, 2019

Strong work there by Nylander entering the zone after picking the puck up in his defensive third — those are the types of plays that don’t show up on the scoresheet but are only made possible by the initial controlled entry to set the zone, an area of the game where Nylander remains highly under-appreciated.

Matthews did a great job signaling for the tip and Tyson Barrie delivered a hard low pass into the right spot, snapping his nine-game points drought in the process. Pretty goal.

Third Period

Both teams continued to defend hard and play a physical brand of hockey at 5v5, including a second questionable hit from Wilson on Tyson Barrie.

Barrie shaken up by a late hit from Wilson. #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/7HaQGBzElh

— Maple Leafs Hotstove (@LeafsNews) October 30, 2019

After taking his second big hit in as many games, Barrie was again able to stay in the game. After the whistle, Frederik Gauthier provided a much-needed response by scrumming with Wilson:

Gauthier took exception to Wilson's hit after the whistle. #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/jNyTQJlCsV

— Maple Leafs Hotstove (@LeafsNews) October 30, 2019

On the ensuing power play, the Leafs finally snapped out of the funk. Pushing back after the hit as Gauthier did and then making the other team pay on the ensuing power play is exactly the type of response you’re looking for if you’re the Leafs:

Nice pass from Nylander to Matthews who scores on the PP. 3-2 Leafs. #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/diu1yE0B6f

— Maple Leafs Hotstove (@LeafsNews) October 30, 2019

The staples of what makes the Nylander-Matthews combination so effective were on display here: Nylander did a great job of out-waiting the defender and saucing the puck into a high-percentage area, and Matthews made no mistake with his trademark catch-and-release. Of note here: Matthews and Marner were back on their strong sides.

With the crowd now back into the game, the Leafs kept the pressure on with some quality looks. A single rush back the other way, however, proved costly:

Ovechkin buries it on the doorstep. 3-3. #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/22WhTq2CGG

— Maple Leafs Hotstove (@LeafsNews) October 30, 2019

Just before the clip starts, the sequence actually starts with Matthews not stopping on the puck inside the offensive blue line. From there, Rielly got walked by TJ Oshie in what was a disappointing sequence from a couple of players who otherwise played strong games.

To their credit, the Leafs did not stop playing after the tying goal went against them. Their stars were leading the charge, including a notable Matthews battle in front after the whistle:

Auston Matthews starts a scrum after the whistle. #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/YRJTSAOrHi

— Maple Leafs Hotstove (@LeafsNews) October 30, 2019

With time winding down, the Leafs had a golden opportunity to win the game thanks to a late penalty by the Capitals. It yielded a few good looks, but no dice on the game-winner:

Nice cross-ice pass by Spezza to Kapanen who gets a great look. #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/c6D2iRlk08

— Maple Leafs Hotstove (@LeafsNews) October 30, 2019

Overtime

On the first shift in the extra time, Nylander went to the box for tripping and gifted the Capitals yet another power play. The Leafs held the fort and were close to coming out unscathed when Marner took a sloppy high sticking penalty late in his shift with a second remaining on the kill.

As was the case in regulation, the PKers can work their tails off, but there is only so much time you can afford a power play this dangerous before it kills you:

Ovechkin scores on the PP to end it. Leafs lose 4-3. #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/IPp989OMFD

— Maple Leafs Hotstove (@LeafsNews) October 30, 2019

---

Post Game Notes

• The Andreas Johnsson–Auston Matthews–William Nylander line was the Leafs best in terms of the number of quality looks they were able to generate off the forecheck, cycle, and entering the zone with control. Matthews looked like he was out to respond after the Ovechkin comments and more importantly, his own statements that he needs to be better over 200 feet. Not stopping on the puck in the offensive zone just before the 3-3 goal was a good reminder of how one slipup in your habits can lead to bad news against a good team, but it was otherwise a much more competitive performance than Saturday night in Montreal. The Leafs need more of these out of #34 with Tavares still out.
• In his return to the lineup, Travis Dermott ended up having a quiet but reasonably clean night as his usage in the game was limited; understandably, Babcock is easing him back into action (12 minutes and change). He finished the game with a 42.86 CF%, a 45.45 FF%, a 57.15 SF%, a 51.87 xGF%, and a 62.50 SCF% at 5v5. There were some flashes of his elusiveness and ability to hold his blue line. Patience is going to be required here as he gets up to speed.
• What’s the recovery time on a charlie horse? That looked to (hopefully) be extent of the damage for Jake Muzzin and Babcock confirmed as much after the game, which is relieving news as it could easily have been a knee situation there. It goes without saying Muzzin is a massive part of the Leafs blue line, is their most credible shutdown defender, and has been off to a fantastic start to the season. There are no games until Saturday now, so here’s hoping for no missed time.
• What a weird month for Mitch Marner coming off of the contract situation. No one who has watched him closely, and probably not Marner himself, would be overly happy with how he played overall and the number of important goals against and other negative plays he’s been involved in, including the costly penalty in OT tonight — the second time he’s been directly involved in an OT goal against to start the season (the other coming vs. Columbus, leading to the penalty-shot winner by Gustav Nyqust). And yet he has 16 points in 14 games after the power-play assist tonight.
  i
  It went unnoticed because it didn’t end in a goal, but the Leafs nearly gave away the game shorthanded on their late third-period power play because Marner stopped moving his feet and got beat up the ice for an odd-man rush. He’s got another level to find as the calendar turns to November, to be sure.
• The Leafs special teams were the biggest factor in this game. By night’s end, Toronto finished with 1/8 on the power play and 2/7 on the penalty kill. Both the lack of discipline and inconsistencies on the man advantage have been two areas of weakness that came to a head tonight. There is a lot happening in seven unsuccessful attempts to go over it all in one review —  passing up some good looks, plenty of good saves by Holtby — but the static nature of the Leaf power play stood out. They’ve got players in Marner, Matthews, and Nylander that are capable of getting lost in coverage and taking advantage of openings if they could rotate around the zone more and force more handoffs out of the PK defenders. A stationary PP is the easiest type to defend.
• With this game in the books, the Leafs conclude the month of October with a 6-5-3 record and 15 points. At the time of this writing, this puts the team in third place in the Atlantic Division with just a single point ahead of the fourth-place Florida Panthers. While Mike Babcock’s future with the team has been brought up incessantly in the media during the slow-ish start, it goes without saying that there was a lot going working against the team: a number of new faces, key players out with injuries, inconsistent goaltending, a tough schedule. Points in nine of 14 and a 6-2-2 record in non-tired b2b situations is no cause for panic yet.

---

Clip of the Night

Matthews is happy for Barrie. #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/EEYkxQDabZ

— Maple Leafs Hotstove (@LeafsNews) October 30, 2019

---

Notable Stats

Auston Matthews: 11 goals
The Leafs’ next three highest scorers combined (Kerfoot, Johnsson, Mikheyev): 12 goals

— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) October 30, 2019

Auston Matthews: First player in #LeafsForever history to score 10 October goals in back-to-back seasons.

— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) October 30, 2019

#Leafs Mitch Marner has 1 point (1 G) in his last 7 games vs Capitals.

— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) October 29, 2019

6-5-3 to finish the month of October. Not good enough

— No killer instinct Leafs (@brendalchuck) October 30, 2019

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Game Flow: 5v5 Shot Attempts

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Heat Map: 5v5 Shot Locations

---

Condensed Game

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October 30, 2019 at 12:41PM

NASA capture 'space ghost' staring at Earth with creepy glowing eyes in stunning image - Express.co.uk

In the image, an uncanny pair of glowing eyes glares menacingly in our direction. The piercing "eyes" are the most prominent feature of what resembles the face of an otherworldly creature. But this is no ghostly apparition. Hubble is looking at a titanic head-on collision between two galaxies.

The image shows an outline of a face in a ring of blue stars with further groups of new stars form a nose and mouth.

Each "eye" is the bright core of a galaxy, one of which slammed into another.

The violent encounter gives the system an arresting "ring" structure for only a short amount of time, about 100 million years.

The crash pulled and stretched the galaxies' disks of gas, dust, and stars outward.

READ MORE: Asteroid: NASA reveals ‘sci-fi strategies’ for ‘deflecting disaster'

This action formed the ring of intense star formation that shapes the nose and face.

The entire system, named AM 2026-424, is 704 million light-years from Earth.

Ring galaxies are rare; only a few hundred of them exist in the large cosmic neighbourhood.

These galaxies have had to collide at just the right orientation to create the ring.

Hubble observed this unique system as part of a "snapshot" program that takes advantage of occasional gaps in the telescope's observing schedule to squeeze in additional pictures.

Astronomers plan to use this innovative Hubble program to take a close look at many other unusual interacting galaxies.

The goal is to compile a robust sample of nearby interacting galaxies, which could offer insight into how galaxies grew over time through galactic mergers.

By analysing these detailed Hubble observations, astronomers could then choose which systems are prime targets for follow-up with NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, scheduled to launch in 2021.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1197832/NASA-capture-space-ghost-staring-at-Earth-with-creepy-glowing-eyes-in-stunning-image

2019-10-31 07:50:00Z
52780422773567

It's OK for Bianca to stop - CBC.ca

This is a web version of CBC Sports' daily email newsletter. Stay up to speed on what's happening in sports by subscribing here.

Here's what you need to know right now from the world of sports:

Bianca Andreescu got hurt again and her season might be over

The Canadian tennis star, who was already nursing a back injury, hurt her knee early in her second match of the year-ending WTA Finals in China. Andreesecu's back seemed fine as she won the first two games against Karolina Pliskova. But after reaching to her right to return a serve, Andreescu went down and then limped off in obvious pain. A trainer examined her left knee, taped it heavily, and Andreescu returned to the court. After losing the next three games (and not looking like herself) she told her coach her knee was "cracking every time I walk. It friggin' hurts." She also said the trainer figured it was an injury to her meniscus — the pieces of cartilage that act as cushions between your shinbone and thighbone.

In classic Bianca fashion, she decided to fight through the injury. Her coach, Sylvain Bruneau, advised her not to push it. But Andreescu, fighting back tears, said "I don't want to stop." It was reminiscent of that moment during the Indian Wells final back in March when Andreescu told Bruneau her feet were "burning" and she felt like she could barely move. Her racket shoulder was also taped up for that match. But she told her coach "I want this so bad" and then went back out and won her first big pro title.

Amazingly, Andreescu won the next game to even the set at 3-3. But that was all she had left. Pliskova took the next three games, and Andreescu didn't even move on her opponent's final serve, conceding the set-winning point. She then quit the match. Here's how she explained the injury to the press: "I stepped weirdly on a return," she said. "I heard my knee crack. It kind of went inwards. Putting pressure afterwards on it really bothered me. I could barely bend my knee. But I fought with the pain as much as I could. At some point an athlete has to say 'stop' and just listen to their body. That's what I did." Read more about her injury and watch video of it here.

Today's loss eliminated Andreescu from the tournament. She still has one more round-robin match left, but it doesn't matter. Her record is 0-2. Only the top two players in her four-person group advance. Elina Svitolina is guaranteed to be one of them after starting 2-0. Pliskova and Simona Halep are both 1-1, but they play each other next so one of them will end up 2-1 and claim the group's other semifinal berth.

But Andreescu hasn't called it quits on the tournament yet. She said she'll wait for the results of an MRI Thursday to decide whether to play her final match on Friday. That seems risky. Sure, there's a two-month vacation coming after this tournament. And yes, there's $305,000 US up for grabs for the winner of each match, plus 125 rankings points for showing up and another 125 for a win. But Bianca has already won more money (north of $6 million) and risen higher in the world rankings (No. 4) this year than anyone could have dreamed. And remember what happened last time she kept playing through an injury? Days after that grueling run to the Indian Wells title, she was back on the court for another tournament — her shoulder still taped. She won a few rounds before the injury forced her to quit. It cost her the next four months. Bianca has the heart of a champion. She always wants to fight through the pain. It's one of the things that makes her great. But sometimes it's OK to stop. This might be one of those times.

Bianca Andreescu of Mississauga, Ont., injured her left knee while returning a serve in her WTA Finals match against Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic. Andreescu would later retire from the match. 1:50

This weird World Series is going to a Game 7

Washington forced tonight's rubber match with a 7-2 win last night. Quick summary: Stephen Strasburg pitched into the ninth to deliver another post-season gem. Houston's Justin Verlander took the loss to fall to 0-6 in the World Series in his otherwise-brilliant career. Washington manager Dave Martinez got tossed for arguing a controversial call in which Trea Turner was ruled out for running off the baseline on his way to first — a call that ended up not mattering. Old-school baseball people (including Martinez) got mad at the Nationals' Juan Soto and Alex Bregman for celebrating home runs by carrying their bats all the way to the first-base coach. Read more about the game and see highlights here.

If the Nats win tonight, they'll make history in a couple of ways. It would be the first championship in the history of the franchise, which started as the Montreal Expos from 1969-2004. It would also be the first time in the history of the big four North American pro sports leagues that the road team won every game in a seven-game playoff series.

Max Scherzer is back from the dead. OK, it's not quite that dramatic, but the Washington ace woke up a few days ago barely able to move because of a nerve problem in his neck. He was scratched from his scheduled Game 5 start, but he appeared to be available in the bullpen last night. Now he says he's good to start Game 7 thanks to a cortisone shot and some chiropractic work.

If Scherzer wins tonight, he'll be remembered. His post-injury heroics could go down with Curt Schilling's bloody-sock pitching performance for Boston in the 2004 AL Championship Series and Kirk Gibson's "I don't believe what I just saw" home run to win Game 1 of the 1988 World Series for Los Angeles.

You can watch a longer version of the Gibson homer below — featuring Vin Scully's call — and an underrated thing about it is how great of an at-bat this was by Gibson. He's half-crippled, falls behind in the count 0-2, but stays alive with some foul balls and works his way up to 3-2. The dramatic homer comes on the eighth pitch of the at-bat. Dennis Eckersley also spent a lot of energy worrying about Mike Davis on first base. The Oakland closer threw over a ton of times to keep him close, and then Davis stole second anyway.

Quickly...

Some good Canadian tennis news: Denis Shapovalov advanced to the third round of the Paris Masters tournament. He's ranked 28th in the world, and today he upset 11th-seeded Fabio Fognini. Next up is No. 6 seed Alexander Zverev, who's 3-0 vs. Shapovalov. The other Canadian in the tournament, Milos Raonic, lost today to No. 5 Dominic Thiem. Read more about today's matches here.

Toronto FC can advance to the MLS title match tonight. After upsetting New York City FC in the last round, TFC hits the road again to face defending champion Atlanta in the Eastern Conference final at 8 p.m. ET. If Toronto wins, it will play Seattle for the championship for the third time in four years. The Sounders upset top-ranked LAFC in last night's Western Conference final. Back in 2016, Seattle beat Toronto in a shootout in the MLS Cup final. Toronto won the rematch the next year.

And finally...

Please enjoy these two lacrosse-style goals by hockey players on the same day:

Andrei Svechnikov lit the lamp in North Carolina, while Canucks' prospect Nils Hoglander scored an almost identical beauty in Sweden. 0:32

That's it. You're up to speed. Want more writing like this sent directly to your inbox? Subscribe to The Buzzer below.

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October 31, 2019 at 03:52AM

Scherzer vs. Greinke: Astros, Nationals set for Game 7 of World Series - Sportsnet.ca

HOUSTON — There was no logical explanation to be shared, so Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez didn’t allot too much time attempting to decipher something both historic and unfathomable.

With the Nationals’ 7-2 victory over the Houston Astros in Game 6 of the World Series on Tuesday, the visiting teams improved to 6-0, a first in postseason history. Washington will attempt to complete the road sweep Wednesday in Game 7 of the Fall Classic, a result that would give the franchise its first championship.

“Honestly, no. It’s weird, really,” Martinez said when asked to shed some light on the road-success oddity. “I mean, we can’t explain it. I know we were trying to win games at home and just couldn’t do it.”

A key factor in the Nationals’ 7-1 loss in Game 5 at Nationals Park could play to their advantage in the series finale.

Washington ace right-hander Max Scherzer (3-0, 2.16 ERA this postseason), a late scratch Sunday due to spasms in his neck and trapezius, declared himself fit to start Game 7 after throwing in the outfield on Tuesday. Scherzer, the Game 1 winner after allowing two runs in five innings, had a cortisone shot in his neck last weekend, and his condition improved dramatically during the travel day Monday.

With the Nationals clinging to a one-run lead in the latter stages of Game 6, Scherzer went to the bullpen to warm up, seemingly to enter the contest in a high-leverage situation. Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon spared Martinez of having to make a decision regarding Scherzer, hitting a two-run homer in the seventh inning, pushing the lead to 5-2.

“He said he felt good,” Martinez said of Scherzer. “And he didn’t … warm up to get in the game, he was just throwing to get loose. And after the game, he’s ready to go.”

Writers Bloc

How much of Max Scherzer will we see tonight?

October 30 2019

The Astros will counter in Game 7 with right-hander Zack Greinke (0-2, 5.30 ERA). Greinke has delivered uneven results for Houston this postseason, even in Houston victories. He combined to log just nine innings in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees and Game 3 of the World Series, allowing two runs on 10 hits and seven walks with 11 strikeouts.

Greinke has made one start at Minute Maid Park this postseason, and it qualified as his best outing even though he took the loss. He allowed three runs on seven hits with six strikeouts over six innings in Game 1 of the ALCS.

A heralded acquisition at the trade deadline, Greinke has yet to deliver a signature pitching performance for the Astros. Game 7 would serve as a timely reminder of his stellar resume and validate what Houston surrendered (four minor-leaguers) to secure his services from the Arizona Diamondbacks.

“A little excited about it at the moment, but we’ll see,” Greinke said of his pending start before cracking a smile while adding, “I wish it was in a National League park.”

The Scott Rintoul Show

Stephen Strasburg's historic outing in Game 6 is a reminder he is elite

October 30 2019

The Astros won a club-record 60 games at home this season and endured a losing skid of more than two games at Minute Maid Park only once (Sept 10-12 against the Oakland Athletics) prior to the World Series.

While the pitching matchup appears to favor the Nationals, the odds of Houston dropping four consecutive games at home for the first time all season would seem slim given past results. But given the odd nature of this World Series, confidently predicting what comes next is folly.

“We don’t know, but we’re going to continue to try to ride this wave as long as possible,” said Rendon, who drove in five runs Tuesday. “Maybe they enjoy our park and maybe we enjoy their park. We’re not going to ask questions, we’re just going to try to go out there and just have some fun.”

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October 31, 2019 at 04:35AM

Ex-MLB All-Star Hamilton charged with child injury - TSN

KELLER, Texas — Former All-Star slugger Josh Hamilton has been charged with injury to a child after his 14-year-old daughter told his ex-wife that he had struck her.

Hamilton, 38, surrendered Wednesday to the Tarrant County Jail in Fort Worth, Texas, and was released on $35,000 bond. If convicted, he could be sentenced to two to 10 years in prison.

According to an affidavit by a Keller Police Department detective, Hamilton's daughter told police that he went on a rampage Sept. 30. She says she made a comment to Hamilton that upset him, so he threw a full bottle overhand at her, hitting her in the chest, then cursed and shouted at her. He pulled away the chair on which she rested her feet and threw it, breaking the chair. It didn't hit her, but he then grabbed her by the shoulders and lifted her from the chair on which she sat. She fell to the floor, and he lifted her up, threw her over his shoulder and carried her to her bedroom.

The girl said at this point she was telling Hamilton, "I'm sorry." Upon reaching her bedroom door, he tossed the teen onto her bed, pressed her face onto the mattress and began hitting her legs with an open hand and closed fist.

She said that after he finished striking her, he told her, "I hope you go in front of the f---ing judge and tell him what a terrible dad I am so I don't have to see you anymore and you don't have to come to my house again."

As he left the room, he told her to gather her things for school. When she replied that she had already put them in the car, he responded, "Well, aren't you just the perfect child."

The Dallas Morning News reports that Hamilton's ex-wife Katie Hamilton, the mother of the children, had sought a protective order for the girl against Hamilton earlier this month.

Hamilton has an unlisted telephone number and couldn't be reached for comment. It was unclear if he has an attorney.

Hamilton played for the Texas Rangers, Cincinnati Reds and Los Angeles Angels. This summer, he was inducted into the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame.

"The Texas Rangers take the issue of family violence very seriously. We are aware of the situation involving Josh Hamilton. Since this is an ongoing legal matter, we have no further comment," the Rangers said in a statement.

After Hamilton was the first overall pick out of high school in the 1999 amateur draft by Tampa Bay, his career was nearly destroyed by cocaine and alcohol addiction. He returned to baseball with Cincinnati and made his big-league debut in 2007, when he hit 19 homers in 90 games before being traded to the Rangers. He was part of their only two World Series teams (2010 and 2011) and was an All-Star five seasons in a row.

An awe-inspiring display in the Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium in 2008 was a highlight of his career, when the first-time All-Star led the American League with 130 RBIs while hitting .304 with 32 homers in his first full season. He hit four homers in the 2010 AL Championship Series and had a four-homer game at Baltimore in 2012.

Hamilton left the Rangers in free agency, signing a $125 million, five-year deal with the Los Angeles Angels before the 2013 season. He was recovering from shoulder surgery when the Angels traded him back to Texas in 2015 after his two injury-plagued seasons with Los Angeles. He played 50 games for Texas in 2015, but never again after surgery on his left knee at least three times after that.

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October 31, 2019 at 04:54AM

Toronto FC Prediction League: Round 43 (MLS Cup Playoffs at Atlanta United) - Waking The Red

TORONTO, Ont.—I want to start this one off by saying how fortunate we are to still be able to have prediction league articles in late October; let’s hope we get at least one more this season.

The Reds, who have gone a club-record 12 matches in a row without a loss, will roll into Mercedes-Benz Stadium Wednesday night feeling confident in front of what is expected to be a crowd of roughly 70,000 fans. Over their recent strong run of play, Toronto FC haven’t conceded three goals and have conceded two just twice.

Toronto and Atlanta have only played twice this season. In their two matches — with both teams boasting sparse lineups early in the year — the home team has won on both occasions.

Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. EST in ATL. I recommend you reading Brady Reid’s full in-depth preview before making your guesses because it’s a good read.

So, with so much on the line, what happens today? Do the Reds continue their undefeated streak and advance to their third MLS Cup Finals in four seasons? Or will the defending MLS Cup champions reach the promise land yet again? Get your guesses in below (team and result) + BONUS point (guess the first goal scorer for TFC tonight — write “NONE” if you think the Reds will be shut out).

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Standings Update

We live to see another day; we’ll see if today is the last of the prediction league — we certainly hope not. DTM-NS and ontexco have been battling it out near the top of the table for most of the season, as DTM-NS now holds a commanding five point lead. With the bonus, that’s the maximum amount of points that you can earn today... so you never know.

Check out the full standings below and leave your predictions in the comments!

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October 30, 2019 at 01:37PM