By Agence France-Presse

Stephen Strasburg baffled Houston’s batters as the Washington Nationals routed the Astros 7-2 Tuesday, forcing a Game 7 winner-take-all showdown for the 115th World Series championship.

Washington pulled level at 3-3 in Major League Baseball’s best-of-seven final, setting up a decider in Houston Wednesday.

Strasburg allowed two runs on five hits while walking two and striking out seven Houston batters, improving to 5-0 in the playoffs after an 18-6 season, the 31-year-old right-hander having also won game two in Houston last week.

Washington’s Juan Soto and Adam Eaton blasted solo home runs in the fifth inning and Anthony Rendon drove in five runs, including a key two-run homer in the seventh.

That was enough run production for the Nationals thanks to Strasburg mystifying the Houston hitters who had produced 19 runs over the prior three games.

And it came on a night when Nationals manager Dave Martinez became the first World Series ejection since 1996, needing to be restrained as he angrily confronted umpires after a controversial seventh-inning call.

The Nationals, who improved to 4-0 in playoff elimination games this month, will start three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer in game seven after neck spasms kept him out of game five. Fellow right-hander Zack Greinke will start for Houston.

In the first World Series where road teams have won the first six games, the Astros will try for their second title in three seasons while the Nationals seek the first crown in their franchise’s 50-year history.

It would also be the first World Series title for Washington since 1924.

 

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

Trying to complete a championship comeback in the World Series, the Houston Astros turned to a pair of NBA legends Tuesday to help their fortunes, Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler.

Nigerian-born American Olajuwon, a gifted center who led the Houston Rockets to two NBA titles, threw out the ceremonial first pitch at game six of the World Series with Drexler, a standout swingman on the 1995 Rockets’ championship squad, serving as catcher.

“To be in this position, it’s truly an honor,” Drexler said. “We’re all proud of the job that they’ve done.”

The Astros led the Washington Nationals 3-2 in Major League Baseball’s best-of-seven final looking to take the title at home after dropping the first two games in their own ballpark.

“You can see the disappointment last week,” Olajuwon said. “And just to see that turn around and to be in this position to close it, you can imagine the players — that was pressure.”

Olajuwon, like Drexler wearing an orange Astros jersey, bounced the ball into the strike zone for his teammate at the plate and both laughed about the moment as they walked off the field together.

Drexler, who made the ceremonial “Play Ball” yell to start the contest, and Olajuwon know a little about overcoming adversity when down 2-0 in a playoff series.

Trailing the Phoenix Suns 2-0 in the second round of the 1995 NBA playoffs, the Rockets rallied to advance in seven games and went on to sweep Orlando in the NBA Finals.

“These guys have the heart of a champion,” Drexler said. “They never quit, no matter what odds they’re up against.”

 

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Jonas Terrado

Standings W L

X-TNT KaTropa 7 1
X-NLEX 6 1
Meralco 5 2
Ginebra 4 2
San Miguel 5 3
Magnolia 4 4
Columbian 4 5
NorthPort 3 4
Rain or Shine 2 6
Phoenix Pulse 2 6
Alaska 2 6
Blackwater 2 6
X-clinched quarterfinals berth

Games Today

(Cuneta Astrodome)

4:30 p.m. — Rain or Shine vs NLEX
7 p.m. — Blackwater vs Ginebra

NLEX shoots for a share of the lead while Barangay Ginebra San Miguel seeks its fourth straight win when they play a pair of teams carrying 2-6 slates in the PBA Governors’ Cup at the Cuneta Astrodome.

The Road Warriors face the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the 4:30 p.m. opener before Ginebra takes on Blackwater at 7 p.m. to conclude the final doubleheader before the league takes a break on All Saint’s Day and All Souls Day.

Import Manny Harris and Kiefer Ravena hope to put NLEX on level terms with idle TNT KaTropa at seven wins and one defeat at the expense of coach Yeng Guiao’s former team.

Harris fired 40 points while Ravena dished out 14 assists last Friday when the Road Warriors handed the KaTropa their first defeat 126-113 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Two games since replacing Olu Ashaolu, Harris has averaged 42.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 5.0 steals and 1.5 blocks.

Ravena, on the other hand, leads the league assists with 9.7 per contest.

Ginebra, which belongs to the SMC Group, aims to restore its tie for third spot with third-running Meralco at 5-2 with another victory in the second game.

TNT, NLEX and Meralco are with the MVP Group of Companies.

Coach Tim Cone is hoping Ginebra can with more urgency after surviving a scare against Rain or Shine last Saturday at the Big Dome.

The Kings claimed a 98-89 victory but not after erasing an eight-point third quarter deficit and scoring the game’s final nine points.

Rain or Shine and Blackwater can’t afford to suffer another loss if they want to stay in the quarterfinal race.
Blackwater has dropped three in a row as it continues to make adjustments after dealing Mike DiGregorio to TNT and Allein Maliksi and Raymar Jose to Meralco.

Rookie Ray Parks Jr. has been consistent this conference despite producing 20.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.4 steals.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Kristel Satumbaga

Games Wednesday

(Mall of Asia Arena)

10:30 a.m. – UE vs NU

12:30 p.m. – La Salle vs Adamson

4 p.m. – Ateneo vs UP

Ateneo guns for an elimination round sweep and an outright finals berth when it tackles University of the Philippines today in UAAP season 82 men’s basketball at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The anticipated thrilling showdown is at 4 p.m. in a preview of last season’s finals affair where the Blue Eagles captured the crown.

The Blue Eagles also seek a repeat performance of their 89-63 first round triumph over the Maroons to stretch their winning run to 14 games.

A win for Ateneo would set up a stepladder semis among UP, University of Santo Tomas and Far Eastern University for the remaining finals ticket.

Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin expects the same intensity in their 88-51 drubbing of National University last Saturday where his stalwarts came out smoking on both ends.

“It was satisfying. Two weeks in a row, two games in a row, we’ve come out with a great attitude,” he said.

“Sure, we put points on the board, made some shots, but I think what we really focused on was our defense and rebounding.”

For UP, it will be all about giving the best shot after a morale-boosting 71-68 win over De La Salle on Sunday that gave them the No. 2 semis seeding with a 9-4 record.

“We just need to come out really strong,” said UP coach Bo Perasol. “We’ll give it our best shot. They’re not the champion for nothing.”

Perasol is also expected to keep his emotions in check after getting ejected in their previous match against Ateneo that earned him a two-game ban.

Meanwhile, four eliminated teams aim to end the season on a high note with University of the East (3-10) clashing with NU (2-11) in the 10:30 a.m. opener, and La Salle (6-7) colliding with Adamson University (4-9) at 12:30 p.m.

The four squads are nursing recent defeats particularly the Archers, whose loss to the Maroons ended their semis chances.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Jonas Terrado

Former UAAP star Sean Manganti and ex-PBA D-League standout Roosevelt Adams lead a group of Fil-foreigners who have declared their entry in the PBA Rookie Draft set Dec. 8.

The PBA’s official website reported that Manganti and Adams are joined by Franky Johnson, Troy Rike, Vince Tolentino, Adrian Wong, Jason Riley, Daryl Singontiko and Mark Taylor in the list of early hopefuls eager to take their talents to the pro ranks.

Fil-foreigners have until next week to apply for the annual proceedings.

Not included in the list is Joshua Munzon, who opted to concentrate on helping the Philippines earn a slot in the men’s 3×3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

Manganti played three UAAP seasons for Adamson highlighted by a near finals berth in 2018. He also had played in the D-League for Akari and Che’Lu Bar & Grill.

Adams was part of the Mighty Sports squad that won this year’s William Jones Cup while also playing for Go for Gold-St. Benilde in the D-League First Conference.

Johnson played for Gamboa Coffee, Marinerong Pilipino and AMA Online Education in the D-League but has kept himself busy in the ongoing Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3 league.

Tolentino was a member of Ateneo’s 2017 UAAP championship team while Wong is currently part of the Blue Eagles’ roster.

Rike played just one UAAP season for National University in 2018 before spending time with AMA in the D-League and 3×3 circuit.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

Organizers of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics on Tuesday unveiled a custom-built $188 million gymnastics venue inspired by Japanese architecture that uses wood brought from around the country.

The futuristic-looking Ariake Gymnastics Centre in central Tokyo uses 2,300 cubic meters of wood and is intended to hark back to traditional building techniques that predated the use of modern materials.

The structure features a gently undulating roof, with external walls constructed from lengths of cedar wood.

Supporting rods allow the building to look from a distance as though it is suspended in the air.

Organizers said it was intended to look like “a wooden bowl, floating in the bay area.”

The building, one of a handful custom-built for the Games, “symbolizes Japan’s wood culture and viewers can feel its simple beauty,” the organizers said.

“We’re using a lot of wood,” venue general manager Koichi Fukui told reporters.  “We can smell wood and feel the warmth of wood,” he said.

Built at a cost of 20.5 billion yen, the venue features a domed ceiling constructed from Japanese larch with no steel framework and is among the largest of its kind in the world.

The venue can seat 12,000 spectators on long benches placed around the space.

The main Olympic stadium designed by renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma also heavily features the use of wood in a nod to traditional techniques.

The gymnastics venue is a temporary site, which is expected to be converted into an exhibition center after the Games.

Organizers say they plan to repurpose some of the wood from the site, including the benches, in the exhibition center and other sites including schools.

 

Source: Manila Bulletin

Far Eastern University survived a 2.5-1.5 win over University of Santo Tomas in the 14th and final round to snare its fifth title in the women’s class of the UAAP Season 82 Chess Tournament at the Quadricentennial Pavilion Sunday.

Shania Mae Mendoza provided the lone victory on top board as the rest—Bea Mendoza, Marife dela Torre and Viona Nepascua—ended up with fighting draws to help the Lady Tams finish with 40 points, good enough to claim the crown.

La Salle, last year’s winner, went for shutout win but wound up with just a slim 2.5-1.5 win over first-round conqueror Ateneo on wins from Antoinette Marie San Diego and Samantha Glo Revita on boards two and three and a split by Franchell Eds Javier with Laila Camel Nadera on board four, and settled for second place with 38.5 points.

It was sweet revenge for the Lady Woodpushers from Taft Avenue after they made up for a 1.5-2.5 defeat at the hands of the Lady Eagles, whose lone win was provided for by Alexis Anne Ocena on board two, in the very first round that derailed the former’s title-retention bid.

If there’s any consolation, San Diego edged Philippine Olympiad squad teammate Mendoza for the board one gold and MVP plum.

San Diego actually finished with 11.5 points or half a point behind Mendoza with 12 but took the pair of awards after emerging with the higher percentage score of 88.5 percent against the latter’s 85.7 percent.

Mendoza was just too happy to end her five-year collegiate career with three championships and a pair of runner-up finishes plus a Rookie of the Year award to spare.

“Winning the championship is enough for me as I bid goodbye to my alma mater,” said Mendoza, who had to skip last season to play for the national team in World Chess Olympiad in Batumi, Georgia.

The Lady Woodpushers of España Boulevard, coached by Grandmaster-elect Ronald Dableo, settled for third with 35.5 points.

Other board gold medalists were FEU’s Bea Mendoza on board two, Ateneo’s Manilyn Cabungcag and Laila Camel Nadera on boards three and four, UST’s Vanezza Fe Villamil on board five, and FEU’s Rizalyn Jasmine Tejada on board six.

Source: Manila Bulletin

Not even a final round defeat could deny Far Eastern University the title of the greatest UAAP men’s chess team in history.

The Tamaraws yielded for the first time of the season to the University of Santo Tomas Tigers, 2.5-1.5, in the 14th and final round, but the title has been decided several rounds before.

 

Minus the final round setback, FEU finished with 43 points — 7.5 points ahead of eventual runner-up UST with 35.5 points.

It was the 15th title for the Morayta-based chessers, the most by any UAAP schools, that underscored their status as the league’s best collegiate chess team.

It will take a very long time before anyone could lay claim on FEU’s status as both La Salle and UST have only seven crowns apiece.

And it looked like the Tams will build a dynasty as they will parade practically the same team anchored on Jeth Romy Morado, RK Sevillano, and JM Jacutina in seasons to come.

All three won gold on the top three boards with Morado and Jacutina sharing the Most Valuable Player award and Sevillano and Jacutina named as co-Rookie of the Year awardees.

Another Tamaraw, Israelito Rilloraza claimed the gold on board six to cap FEU’s domination.

The only gold medals that didn’t go FEU’s way went to Ateneo’s Tristan Jared Cervero on board four and UST’s Antonio Almodal III on board five.

Morado, the reigning national juniors champion, would have bagged the MVP plum uncontested if not for a shock 62-move defeat to Julius Gonzales in a Scotch duel.

Jacutina, for his part, took care of business by downing Samson Lim III in 60 moves of a Stonewall variation of the Queen’s Pawn opening while Sevillano halved the point with Melito Ocsan, Jr. in 34 moves of an English duel.

UST capped its upset of FEU with a quick, masterful 27-move triumph by Brylle Gever Vinluan over John Jasper Laxamana in another English encounter on board four.

University of the Philippines, which drew with National University, 2-2, pocketed the bronze with 26.5 points.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By WAYLON GALVEZ

Members of the esports national team Sibol are set to receive cash rewards from PLDT mobile subsidiary Smart Communications, Inc. in the hopes of boosting their chances of winning gold medals in the 30th Southeast Asian Games here.

PLDT/Smart and Sibol formalized the partnership last Monday in an effort to encourage the members of the national team as the game of esports make its debut in the biennial meet set Nov. 3 to Dec. 11.

PLDT/Smart has launched its “Get Gold!” campaign, which offers cash rewards to athletes, coaches and managers of Sibol.

The cash incentive is P2 million for every gold won in team events like Dota 2, Mobile Legends Bang Bang and Arena of Valor, and P1 million for individual events like Tekken 7, Hearthstone and Star Craft.

“This is a huge milestone for esports,” said PLDT chief revenue officer and Smart president Al Panlilio, also the head of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP).

“It is our greatest honor to support the best Filipino gamers as they prove that we have the talent, skill, and drive to dominate this increasingly growing scene.”

Sibol has done a nationwide selection process as it picked members of the team in their respective games, and for flag and country, they are brought together to heed the call of flag and country with a battle cry of “Lakad Matatag” in the SEA Games competition.

In an effort to enhance the skills of Sibol athletes, Smart has opened the doors of the Smart Sibol Training Ground, the team’s headquarters which is fitted with the latest mobile network innovations.

“We are very happy that Smart is joining us in our first outing with Sibol – no less than the 30th SEA Games,” said PSEU co-chairman and Cignal TV and TV5 president Jane Basas.

“With the combined efforts of Smart and their “Get Gold!” program, as well as our other partners and the whole country, we believe that Sibol now has taken firm root and will be able to face all challenges that come their way on their path to victory.”

Source: Manila Bulletin