ANTIPOLO — Grace Irebu’s towering presence was in full display Saturday, towing University of Santo Tomas to a hard-fought 57-53 win over Adamson in UAAP season 82 women’s basketball tournament at the Ynares Center here.

The reigning MVP churned out a monster performance with 27 points and 20 rebounds as the Growling Tigresses wrapped up the elimination round as the two-seed with an 11-3 record.

The Congolese student-athlete scattered 13 points in the payoff period, including two big baskets in the end game which sandwiched a Kat Araja three to keep the Lady Falcons at bay 55-52 with 26 seconds left in the game.

Things got even more interesting a few moments later when Lhyn Bilbao was called for an unsportsmanlike foul for a hard foul on Ruby Portillo.

Portillo split her free throws to give the Tigresses a 56-52 lead with 13 ticks remaining, but they left the door open when they turned the ball over on the next possession before Portillo herself was called for a technical foul after contesting a foul called against her.

Mar Prado drained the solitary free throw to give Adamson one last shot to send the game into overtime but Rose Ann Dampios’ three-pointer failed to find the mark.

“Mixed emotions, I’m happy because we’re number two and we’ll have a twice to beat advantage, but not so happy and impressed with the way my team played today,” UST coach Haydee Ong said.

“Grace saved us for another win today, with her monster performance.”

Tantoy Ferrer also had a big game on the boards as she finished with 15 rebounds to go along her eight points, two assists, and a block. As a team, the Tigresses outrebounded the Lady Falcons 60-40.

Prado had an all-around performance for the Lady Falcons as she finished with 11 points, 12 rebounds, and six steals while Dampios topscored for them with 12 points.

It was a missed opportunity for Adamson to separate itself from the pack as it dropped to 8-5. Far Eastern University (7-6) and La Salle (6-6) remain hot on their heels in what is expected to be a wild end to the tournament.

Scores:

UST 57 – Irebu 27, Ferrer 8, Portillo 8, Gandalla 4, Panti 4, Soriano 3, Callangan 2, Rivera 1, Gonzales 0, Tacatac 0

ADU 53 – Dampios 12. Prado 11. Bilbao 10, Flor 10. Araja 6, Catulong 2. Ornopia 2, Anicamara 0, Mendoza 0

Quarterscores: 19-18, 33-25, 42-41, 57-53

Source: Manila Bulletin

National University moved a win away from another elimination-round sweep with a 76-59 drubbing of Ateneo in UAAP season 82 women’s basketball tournament Saturday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.

After a slow start, the Lady Bulldogs gathered steam in the middle quarters that saw them limit the Lady Eagles to just 23 points to break the game wide open.

Kelli Hayes and Angel Surada led the charge as they turned a two-point lead in the first quarter to a 58-41 spread with 10 minutes to spare in the game — a lead they padded to as many as 21 in the fourth period on the way to their 13th straight win and 93rd since July 13, 2014.

“I’m just happy na we can accomplish the feat again of having six straight 14-0s. It’s an accumulation of all the hard work that the girls have been doing. They deserve it, so now we have to be ready for the next steps,” National University head coach Pat Aquino said.

The win was a big one for the Lady Bulldogs after surviving a huge scare from University of Santo Tomas last Wednesday, where they escaped with a 74-70 win.

Surada finished with a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds as Hayes and Rhena Itesi also chipped in 10 apiece.

Jack Animam filled the stats sheet with eight points, 10 rebounds, three assists and three steals for the Lady Bulldogs who will target a return trip to the finals when they take on the struggling UE Lady Warriors on October 30.

 

Source: Manila Bulletin

LIPA City – Juvic Pagunsan recovered from a late meltdown in regulation with a gutsy stand in sudden death, pouncing on Tony Lascuna’s errant drive on the second playoff hole on No. 9 and holing out with a birdie to clinch the ICTSI Summit Point World 18 Challenge crown here Saturday.

Pagunsan uncharacteristically blew a two-stroke lead with three holes left in regulation with bogeys on Nos. 16 and 17 for a 71 but he rose to the challenge, hitting a solid drive on their third trip in the day on the par-5 No. 9 while pouncing on Lascuña’s errant shot to the roughs.

He chipped to a putter-length distance. After watching Lascuña smirk after almost sinking a birdie bid off the fringe, Pagunsan banged in his last putt then raised his arm in triumph after foiling a worthy, tough rival to mark another brilliant campaign on Philippine Golf Tour Asia.

“I’m very happy with this win even if I had to go through two extra holes,” said Pagunsan, who hacked his 6-iron second shot barely in front of the ninth green and hit a 52-degree wedge shot to within four feet.

Two behind Pagunsan after 54 holes of the $100,000 championship, the seventh leg of the third season of the circuit put up by ICTSI, Lascuña closed out with a bogey-free 69 to force a playoff at 18-under 270.

Both birdied the reachable 546-yard No. 9 on “gimme” distance but Lascuña pulled his drive to the left and barely got past a line of bunkers some 90 yards off the green the third time around. He also came up short on his approach but nearly knocked down a birdie from 30 feet out that would’ve extended the match.

‘It (title) was indeed for him,” said a dejected Lascuña.

Heading to the par-4 72nd hole, Pagunsan and Lascuña hit it straight in the rain and wind but while Lascuña knocked down his approach shot to the right side of the cup, some 20 feet out, Pagunsan’s approach hit the top of the left fringe, the ball rolling sideways to the green but resting oin a ridge some 25 feet out.

Pagunsan two-putted for par while Lascuña barely clinched it after his sidehill putt went inches past the cup, setting the stage for another playoff the way it was when Joenard Rates rallied from six down to beat Finland’s Janne Kaske last year.

On a break from Japan PGA Tour, his base the past decade or so, Pagunsan pocketed another $17,500, the same purse he collected after dominating the PGT Asia Riviera leg last March. Vying in nine tournaments while shuttling back and forth, Pagunsan won a total of six in nine local appearances this year, including a record four straight title romp in the PGT legs in Bacolod, Negros, Iloilo, where he nipped Michael Bibat, also in a playoff, and Riviera.

“I’ll go back to Japan next week till December,” said Pagunsan, who will actually return next month to receive his Order of Merit title in the PGT, which he dominated with that four-win feat.

Lascuna settled for $11,500.

Pagunsan’s late-hole meltdown also enabled the likes of Aussie Jack Lane-Weston and Clyde Mondilla to close in but both ran out of holes in their respective bids in separate flights. Lane-Weston gunned down seven birdies against a bogey for a 66 and tied Mondilla, who went six-under, spiked by an eagle on No. 9, in the last 10 holes for a 67, at 271, just one off the playoff protagonists.

Jhonnel Ababa, the third player in the championship flight, groped for putting form and settled for a 70, dropping to solo fifth at 273 while American Brett Munson, who first set the course record 64 in the second day before Pagunsan and Lascuña matched it Friday to fuel their title drives, closed out with a 68 for solo sixth at 274.

Thai Chonlatit Chuenboonngam shot a 69 and tied for seventh at 276 with Sam Gillis of the US, who carded a 70, while Japanese Keita Sudo placed ninth at 277 after a 67, and former Philippine Open champion Gerald Rosales rallied with a 67 to tie Thais Donlaphatchai Niyomchon (69) and PGT Asia Luisita leg winner Namchok Tantipokhakul (65) and Aboitiz Invitational winner Damien Jordan of Australia (74) at 10th at 278 in the event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. and backed by PLDT Enterprise, Meralco, BDO and PGT Asia official apparel Pin High.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Jonas Terrado

TNT KaTropa star Jayson Castro will be out for three to four weeks after sustaining an injured right calf in a loss to NLEX in Friday’s PBA Governors’ Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Team manager Gabby Cui said Castro was diagnosed with a Soleus muscle strain which he sustained with 6:18 left in the first quarter of the KaTropa’s 126-113 loss that ended a 7-0 start in the season-ending conference.

“Regarding Jayson. Soleus muscle strain, rest and rehab of three to four weeks. Achilles tendon intact,” Cui said in a text message Saturday.

Cui is also hoping that the injury won’t keep Castro out of Gilas Pilipinas’ campaign in the 30th Southeast Asian Games.

Basketball competitions in the biennial meet start on Dec. 4.

“We are hoping he can recover as early as possible,” said Cui. “Let’s see how the recovery goes.”
Castro will miss the final three games of the eliminations and possibly the early stages of the playoffs.

TNT plays Barangay Ginebra San Miguel on Nov. 8 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, Magnolia on Nov. 16 in Davao City and San Miguel Beer on Nov. 20 at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.

The Commissioner’s Cup Best Player of the Conference is averaging 14.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.3 steals in eight games.

Source: Manila Bulletin

Defending champion Ateneo hardly broke out a sweat in disposing of National University Saturday 88-51 as the Blue Eagles moved a win from sweeping the elimination round in the UAAP season 82 men’s basketball tournament at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo.

The win raised Ateneo’s record to 13-0 as it put the Eagles on the brink of earning an outright finals berth. A victory over University of the Philippines this Wednesday will give Ateneo that coveted slot and force a stepladder playoffs among the other squads.

Ange Kouama led the way with 17 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks as the Eagles raced to a 44-27 lead after the first half of play.

“It’s satisfying. Two weeks in a row, two games in a row, we’ve come out with a great attitude,” Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin said.

The lead for the Blue Eagles just continued to balloon as everyone Tab Baldwin inserted to the floor contributed – and it resulted in the biggest winning margin of the season for Ateneo.

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

“We’ve seen our team, really, transfer the work ethic from practice to the court, into the game and that’s gratifying as a coach.”

Thirdy Ravena added 15 points, four rebounds and three assists as everyone with the exception of starting guard Matt Nieto got into the scoreboard.

Shaun Ildefonso paced the Bulldogs with 21 points but that went for naught as they dropped their fourth straight match to fall to 2-11.

NU’s leading scorer Dave Ildefonso was limited to a career-low two points on 1-of-5 shooting by the unforgiving Ateneo defense after averaging 16 points for the season.

Scores:

ADMU 88 – Kouame 17, Ravena 15, Tio 9, Wong 8, Belangel 7, Mamuyac 5, Mi. Nieto 5, Andrade 4, Daves 4, Go 4, Malilin 4, Chiu 3, Maagdemberg 3, Ma. Nieto 0

NU 51 – S. Ildefonso 21, Gallego 9, Tibayan 8, Minerva 4, Clemente 3, Gaye 2, D. Ildefonso 2, Diputado 0, Galinato 0, Joson 0, Malonzo 0, Mangayao 0, Mosqueda 0, Oczon 0, Yu 0

Quarterscores: 22-12, 44-27, 65-36, 88-51

Source: Manila Bulletin

By the Associated Press

INZAI CITY, Japan — Tiger Woods shot a second straight 6-under 64 on Saturday to take a two-stroke lead after the second round of the rain-hit Zozo Championship.

Teeing off in front of empty stands, Woods picked up where he left off after a 64 in Thursday’s opening round with a birdie on the first hole, one of seven on the day that gave him a 36-hole total of 12-under 128, two shots ahead of Gary Woodland.

Woods took the lead on the par-4 17 when his approach shot landed a foot from the hole and he made the easy birdie putt. His only bogey came on the par-4 second hole.

Organizers of the PGA Tour’s first tournament in Japan took the unusual step of closing the Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club course to spectators for Saturday’s second round over safety concerns.

Torrential rain caused flooding and mudslides Friday in towns east of Tokyo, leaving at least nine people dead and expanding damage in areas still recovering from recent typhoons.

Woodland, who shared the lead with Woods after the first round, had five birdies including three straight from the par-3 16th.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By the Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, California — As he watched Damian Lillard take over in the fourth quarter, Hassan Whiteside stood up from his spot on Portland’s bench and began pointing to his wrist.

Having seen Lillard repeatedly burn teams with late shots while playing against him, Whiteside knew his new teammate was ready to do it once again.

Lillard scored 13 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter and the Trail Blazers pulled away to beat the Sacramento Kings 122-112 on Friday night.

“I knew what time it was,” Whiteside said. “I think everybody knew what time it was.”

Lillard added five assists and five rebounds, Whiteside had 22 points and nine rebounds despite sitting out the entire fourth period, and C.J. McCollum scored 19.

“In the first half we didn’t think we played well at all,” Lillard said. “We were able to come out and assert ourselves starting the third quarter and pretty much controlled the game through the finish.”

Portland (1-1) overcame a sluggish first half but couldn’t shake Sacramento until Lillard took over midway through the fourth.

The All-Star point guard weaved through the Kings defense for an uncontested layup, then nailed back-to-back 3-pointers, including one from 31 feet, and a pair of free throws to make it 114-101.

Hield hit a 3-pointer for the Kings but McCollum scored on consecutive trips down the floor and Lillard added his third 3 of the quarter.

It was nothing new to Whiteside. He’s seen it all before from both Lillard and McCollum. The only difference now is Whiteside’s vantage point.

“That’s part of the reason I was so excited coming here,” Whiteside said. “I knew what it was. I’ve guarded it. Being out there with those guys means a lot.”
Blazers coach Terry Stotts credited his team’s defense for making the difference.

“That was a really challenging game,” Stotts said. “Sacramento plays a style that’s really tough to guard. We made most of our runs when we defended well.”

De’Aaron Fox had 28 points, five assists and six rebounds for Sacramento. Buddy Hield added 21 points but the Kings remained winless in two games under new coach Luke Walton.

“We need to be able to get stops, and tonight we were not able to,” Walton said. “I actually thought we had some nice strides toward the end of the preseason with our defense but it has unfortunately not carried over into the regular season.”

Anfernee Simons added 15 points off the bench for Portland.

Sacramento controlled most of the first half and led by seven late in the second quarter before Portland closed on a 12-5 run. McCollum fueled the surge with a steal, dunk and short floater, and Lillard made a step-back 22-footer over Fox to tie it at 57.

RESTING HASSAN

Stotts rested Whiteside in the fourth quarter after the big man logged 26 minutes in the first three periods. Whiteside also played 26 minutes in the opener against Denver.

It helped that Sacramento’s two centers, Dewayne Dedmon and Richaun Holmes, were in foul trouble, forcing the Kings to go with a smaller lineup.

TIP-INS

Trail Blazers: Lillard picked up two fouls in a five-second span early in the first quarter. … Simons scored 10 points in the second quarter after being held to five on 2-of-7 shooting in the season-opening loss to Denver.

Kings: Marvin Bagley III, who broke his right thumb in the opening loss at Phoenix, did not play and is expected to miss four-to-six weeks. Harry Giles (left knee soreness) also was held out.

WEBBER, WALTON ON HAND

Chris Webber attended the game and sat courtside next to Kings owner Vivek Ranadive. Webber, a four-time All-Star with Sacramento and one of the most popular players in franchise history, was greeted with a loud ovation from the Golden 1 Center crowd.

Former Blazers star Bill Walton, the father of Sacramento’s coach, was also in attendance wearing a purple Kings shirt.

UP NEXT

Trail Blazers: Play at Dallas on Sunday. The teams split four games last season.

Kings: Play at Utah on Saturday. Sacramento has lost two straight against the Jazz.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By the Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Josh James sailed a changeup high and tight to Ryan Zimmerman, going to a full count with two on and the Houston Astros clinging to a two-run, fifth-inning lead.

Catcher Robinson Chirinos called for another change. James shook him off.

Chirinos put down the same signal.

“It was one of those situations where I trusted him,” James said. “He knew what to call and I just threw it.”

James’ second changeup spun off the inside corner and would have been ball four, but Zimmerman swung over it. The Nationals wasted an opportunity yet again as the Astros won 4-1 Friday night and clawed back to 2-1 in the World Series after losing the first two games at home.

Astros pitchers baffled batters when it mattered most, shutting down an October offense of uncanny timeliness.

Washington had a .314 average with runners in scoring position in its first 12 postseason games, 68 points higher than any of the other nine postseason teams. The Nationals threatened in each of the first six innings Friday but went 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12. On a night of pitching dangerously, Zack Greinke and the Astros’ bullpen kept escaping.

“A lot more runs could have been scored there,” Zimmerman said. “Had a chance a couple times but, yeah, that’s baseball.”

Houston pitchers had just one 1-2-3 inning, by Will Harris in the seventh, just the fourth time the Astros retired the side in order in the Series.

Unsustainable in the long run, but on this night good enough.

Chirinos, who also homered Friday, spent six hours watching video before Game 1 at Minute Maid Park, examining Nationals’ plate appearances all the way back to 2017.

“Just trying to look for anything I can take advantage in,” he said.

He spent two-to-three hours at Nationals Park on Friday reviewing the first two games.

“How they’re taking spins, how they’re swinging at fastballs, where they’re putting better swings,” he said. “We’re in the World Series. You have to put the time, the effort in this situation.”

James relieved Greinke after Asdrúbal Cabrera’s two-out double put runners on second third. James’ 0-2 pitch sent Zimmerman sprawling, a 98 mph fastball near the batter’s head.

“I think it scared me more than anything, but that’s part of the game,” said Zimmerman, who was slow to get up.

Zimmerman took two balls, fouled off two, and took the first changeup. Then came the key moment.

“I know Zimmerman chases the changeup,” Chirinos said. “JJ wanted to throw the slider. I didn’t think it was the right pitch in that situation. Something I saw.”
James wasn’t hard to persuade.

“I knew if I got it relatively in the zone, around the zone, I could get him to swing, hopefully some soft contact or get him to swing and miss,” he explained.

James, who got the win, combined with Brad Peacock, Will Harris, Joe Smith and Roberto Osuna for 4 1/3 innings of shutout, two-hit relief.

Greinke, pitching four days after his 36th birthday, was 0-2 with a 6.43 ERA in his first three starts. He displayed his broad repertoire against the Nationals, mixing four-seam fastballs (39) and two-seamers (six) with curveballs (18), changeups (18) and sliders (14) to keep batters off-balance.

“We were kind of surprised early that they were swinging at Zack’s curveball,” said Chirinos, who was so alarmed at Washington’s approach that Houston checked video to make sure Greinke wasn’t tipping the curves.

Greinke’s fastest pitch was 93 mph, and his slowest 67. He struck out Juan Soto, playing on his 21st birthday, on a 72 mph curve to strand a runner at second in the first inning, fanned Cabrera on a curve with two on to end the third and retired Trea Turner with a curve hit for a grounder to leave a runner at third base in the fourth.

With two on in the second, Victor Robles grounded a fastball for a 5-4-3 double play.

“He toys with the strike zone. He never really concedes,” Astros manager AJ Hinch said. “He would rather pitch carefully to you than necessarily throw a ball right down the middle.”

Greinke fell one out short of getting the win but was more concerned about taxing his bullpen ahead of Houston’s all-reliever pitching plan for Game 4 Saturday.

“We might have used a guy a little more, to make it a little harder for tomorrow,” he said.

Osuna, booed loudly when he entered, froze Soto with a 99 mph fastball for a called third strike to end it. The Astros lined up in front of the third-base dugout for handshakes.

“It brings a lot of confidence back,” he said.

Houston managed to avoid a sweep. And maybe more.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By the Associated Press

WASHINGTON — For a guy who started the season in Double-A and has pitched just 11 times in the majors, José Urquidy is getting a nice reward.

“The manager told me I’m going to have the ball tomorrow,” he said after the Astros beat Washington 4-1 in Game 3 of the World Series.

Urquidy will start Saturday night as Houston tries to pull even.

“He can go as long as he’s good. I don’t have necessarily a predetermined plan on how many innings, how many pitches,” manager AJ Hinch said.

“It’s Game 4 of the World Series. All things are being considered,” he said.

Aces Gerrit Cole, Justin Verlander and Zack Greinke started the first three games and none of them put on a dominant performance.

Now it’ll be a 24-year-old righty who made his big league debut in early July. He went 2-1 with a 3.95 ERA in nine games for Houston and has pitched twice in the postseason — he’s allowed one run in 4 1/3 innings, striking out eight.

Hinch said a couple things factored into his decision.

“The lineup, it’s not just a one-size-fits-all strategy when you’re facing different teams,” he said.

“You take the first four hitters, when you think about starting a game, and if you’re going to go bullpen, you better have somebody that’s pretty good at a little bit of everything. Those are four distinctly different guys,” he said.

Urquidy fully appreciates the chance.

“Very few Mexicans have had this opportunity and for me to be in this position I’m obviously very happy about that,” he said.

“I’m living the dream,” he said.

AILING

Nationals catcher Kurt Suzuki hurt his right hip flexor trying to block a pitch in the dirt and exited after six innings. His status for Game 4 was uncertain.

“We don’t know the severity of it yet,” manager Dave Martinez said after the loss. “We’ll know more tomorrow.”

“His strength was good but we’ll see. I don’t know if he’s going to get an MRI,” he said. “But we’ll see how he feels tomorrow.”

Suzuki struck out twice before Yan Gomes replaced him. Suzuki hit a tiebreaking home run in Game 2 that sent the Nationals to a rout.

Patrick Corbin is set to pitch next for the Nationals and Gomes is his regular catcher.

STRUGGLING

Alex Bregman could win the NL MVP award. But right now, he’s looking lost in the World Series.

Bregman was hitless in five at-bats and stranded six runners Friday night, hardly what Houston has seen from the All-Star third baseman this season.

Bregman is only 1 for 13 through three games against Washington. His lone hit was a two-run homer in Game 2 — he also made a throwing error in that loss.

After hitting 41 home runs with 112 RBIs and batting .296, Bregman says he sees signs of bouncing back.

“It felt good, not great, but good. I put good swings on the ball and I think every time I go up to hit I have confidence that I’m going to get the job done and hit the ball hard somewhere,” he said.

Teammate Michael Brantley is confident, too.

“I’m not worried about Alex. You saw what he did. He’s a great player. He had some good at-bats, he lined out, he hit the ball hard,” he said.

“He’ll find his breaks. I can’t wait to see him come out tomorrow, I’m ready,” he said.

CORBIN READY

After pitching in relief in the Series opener, Nationals lefty Patrick Corbin was poised to start Game 4.

“These are games I want to pitch in,” he said Friday afternoon. “This is what you prepare for all offseason, to pitch in these games and just to have the opportunity to go out there, give it my best.”

Signed as a free agent during the offseason, Corbin went 14-7 with a 3.25 ERA in 33 starts for Washington.

He’s 1-2 with a 6.91 ERA in six appearances this postseason.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By the Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Michael Brantley pulled up a chair and waited.

Hours after his two big hits propelled the Houston Astros to victory in Game 3 of the World Series, the veteran outfielder put his foot up and listened as a young teammate expressed confidence about his chance to make a mark on this Fall Classic.

Brantley waited more than a decade to play this deep into the postseason. What’s a few more minutes?

Brantley wondered a lot through the years — and the injuries — if he’d get this opportunity. Healthy at the most important time, Brantley isn’t letting it go to waste, hitting two run-scoring singles Friday night to help Houston beat the Washington Nationals 4-1 and cut its World Series deficit to 2-1.

“It means a lot,” Brantley said. “Any time you get to help your team win a game, especially in the World Series of this magnitude, a lot of hard work pays off. I didn’t get here by myself.”

After waiting so long to play on this stage, Brantley went 2 for 4 and was a big part of the Astros reversing their dreadful trend with runners in scoring position. Manager AJ Hinch could have put hot-hitting rookie Yordan Álvarez in left field hoping for a timely hit or two, but he stuck with the sure-handed Brantley.

He was steady as ever.

Brantley singled off starter Aníbal Sánchez in the third and fifth innings and was intentionally walked in the sixth so he couldn’t do more damage. He’s 5 for 12 in the World Series, which is becoming a showcase of the 32-year-old as a professional hitter.

He blooped an 0-2 pitch from Sánchez into left field for Houston’s first run of the night and perfectly timed a 3-1 changeup to lace a single to right and restore a two-run lead.

“He’s been playing the game for a while, and I’ve been watching him when I was growing up,” Astros teammate Kyle Tucker said. “One, his swing’s good. Two, his approach is one of the best. He makes a lot of contact within the strike zone. There’s not whole lot of guys like him.”

Houston entered the game hitting .175 this postseason with runners in scoring position. Brantley led the way as the club went 4 for 10 in those key spots Friday.

Brantley has seen this spotlight up close, just not in uniform. A right shoulder surgery sidelined him during the 2016 World Series, when his Cleveland Indians teammates lost to the Chicago Cubs in seven games.

He was used to sitting out by then, of course. A right wrist injury and hand surgery ended his 2011 season, sports hernia surgery was his reward for getting through 2012, right shoulder surgeries spoiled 2015 and 2016, and a right ankle strain hampered him in 2017.

Those injuries easily could have derailed Brantley’s career, especially the shoulder problems.

“Any time you have a major surgery, getting back to this level is not easy,” Brantley said. “This is a very competitive place. It’s the top of the line. It’s the best in the world competing against one another. But with the faith in my family and my friends and all the people that helped me along the way, I’m just very appreciative of everybody taking time out of their life to help me.”

With that help, Brantley bounced back and has been an All-Star three years in a row. He hit .309 with 17 home runs and 76 RBIs last season, his final with Cleveland before signing a $32 million, two-year deal to join the Astros.

Brantley was even better this season with 22 home runs and 90 RBIs. This is the first playoffs he’s been able to get past the first round, and thanks to a couple of timely hits, Brantley guaranteed the Astros will play at least two more games in this World Series.

“We have a lot of confidence in that locker room,” Brantley said. “You don’t win as many games as we have and gone through the tough series we have to go through to be here.”

Source: Manila Bulletin