27 Sports Wednesday, September 25, 2019 Goldschmidt homers in return to Arizona as Cardinals win Nationals overpower Phils, inch closer to playoff bid

PHOENIX: Paul Goldschmidt had two hits including his Rojas, Eduardo Escobar and Walker had run-scoring 32nd homer in his return to Arizona and Yadier Molina singles in the last of the fifth to make it 6-5, and Bader’s homered and drove in four runs in the St. Louis solo shot in the eighth made it 7-5. Arizona left-hander Cardinals’ 9-7 victory over the Diamondbacks on Alex Young (7-5) gave up seven hits and six runs in five Monday in Phoenix. Tommy Edman had two hits, includ- innings, with five strikeouts and two walks. ing a home run, and Harrison Bader also homered for the Cardinals (90-67), who moved 3 1/2 games ahead of the NATIONALS 7, PHILLIES 2 Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central with five games Adam Eaton, Yan Gomes and Trea Turner hit solo remaining. The loss eliminated Arizona from wild-card homers in the first three innings, and host Washington contention. defeated Philadelphia. Patrick Corbin pitched six solid Christian Walker had three hits including his 27th innings for the Nationals, whose magic number to clinch homer, Josh Rojas had two hits, and Nick Ahmed home- a playoff berth is three. They lead the idle Milwaukee red for the Diamondbacks (80-77). Walker took over at Brewers by one-half game in the race for the top first base this season for Goldschmidt, who was a fixture National League wild card. The Phillies saw their tragic in his eight seasons in Arizona. number for playoff elimination slip to one. Eaton had The Diamondbacks played a video tribute of three hits, and Turner and Gomes had two each. Juan Goldschmidt before the game, his first at Chase Field Soto drew four walks for Washington. Corbin (14-7) has after being traded last winter, and he received a standing won four of his last five starts. He allowed one run on ovation in his first plate appearance. St. Louis right-han- three hits while striking out six and walking four. der Adam Wainwright (14-9) won his fifth straight Philadelphia starter Zach Eflin (9-13) gave up five runs September start, giving up eight hits and five runs in five on eight hits in five innings with four walks and two innings with six strikeouts and two walks. He had given strikeouts. up only one earned run in four previous September starts, and his ERA for the month is 1.69. RAYS 7, RED SOX 4 Carlos Martinez entered after Ahmed homered and Willy Adames slugged a tiebreaking two-run home Carson Kelly drew a walk against John Brebbia in the run as part of a six-run fourth inning as Tampa Bay ral- ninth. Martinez gave up an RBI double to Josh Rojas lied past Boston in St. Petersburg, Fla. Ji-Man Choi and before finished up for his 24th save. Marcell Ozuna had Brandon Lowe also homered in the fourth as the Rays PHOENIX: Matt Carpenter #13 of the St. Louis Cardinals makes an off balance throw to first base as third two doubles and Goldschmidt and Edman scored three came back from an early four-run deficit to win the base coach Tony Perezchica #3 of the Arizona Diamondbacks signals for Josh Rojas #9 to stop at third dur- times. Edman hit his 11th homer of the season with one finale of the four-game series. With the victory, Tampa ing the fifth inning at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona. — AFP out in the first inning before Goldschmidt walked, Ozuna Bay moved a half-game ahead of the idle Cleveland doubled and Molina hit an RBI groundout for a 2-0 lead. Indians for the second American League wild card host New York’s flickering playoff hopes. The Mets fell host Toronto a walk-off win over Baltimore. The game Adam Jones followed singles by Walker and Jake while closing within 1 1/2 games of idle the Oakland A’s five games behind the Brewers in the race for the second was tied 9-9 after nine innings, and both teams scored in Lamb with an RBI single to make it 2-1 in the second for the first wild card. Jackie Bradley Jr. had three hits wild-card spot and 5 1/2 games behind the Nationals. the 12th. Chris Davis hit his 12th home run, a solo shot, inning. Edman was hit by a pitch leading off the third for the Red Sox, and J.D. Martinez notched his 100th Amed Rosario hit a grand slam for the Mets, and J.D. with two outs in the top of the 12th, before the Blue Jays inning, and Goldschmidt homered to right-center field RBI of the season. Davis had three hits. tied it at 10-10 in the bottom of the inning on Jonathan for a 4-1 lead, becoming the first player to hit 100 Davis’ sacrifice fly. Down two in the bottom of the ninth, homers at Chase Field. Walker homered in the fourth MARLINS 8, METS 4 BLUE JAYS 11, ORIOLES 10 (15 INNINGS) the Blue Jays got a sacrifice fly from Cavan Biggio and inning to make it 4-2, before Molina’s two-run shot in the Jorge Alfaro hit two home runs, including a grand Anthony Alford hit his first career major league home RBI single from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. against Shawn fifth gave the Cardinals a 6-2 lead. slam in the sixth inning, as Miami dealt another blow to run with two outs in the bottom of the 15th inning to give Armstrong to tie the game with two outs. — Agencies India’s Bumrah Sri Lanka squad out of SA Tests leave for Pakistan Zidane brushes off with back injury COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s depleted national criticism as Madrid squad left for Pakistan yesterday expressing confidence in security promises by the hosts despite reports that look to continue NEW DELHI: India’s premier paceman Jasprit Bumrah the team could be targeted by militants. has been ruled out of the upcoming Test series against The Sri Lanka team were attacked in Lahore in South Africa with a stress fracture in his lower back, the 2009. Since then most international teams have refused recovery country’s cricket board said yesterday. to tour the South Asian country, leaving Pakistan to COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s cricket captain Lahiru Umesh Yadav will replace Bumrah, who tops the play nearly all their “home” games in the United Arab Thirimanne (R) and teammates look on as Buddhist bowling chart in one-day rankings and is placed third in Emirates. monks chant prayers for their success during a cere- MADRID: Zinedine Zidane claims he has not Tests, in the 15-man squad for the three five-day Ten senior players citing security concerns have mony in Colombo yesterday, prior to the team’s depar- even thought about the criticism aimed at him matches starting October 2 in Visakhapatnam. opted out of the tour comprising three one-day inter- ture for a cricket tour in Pakistan. — AFP in recent weeks as Real Madrid look to build The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) nationals and three matches beginning on on Sunday’s morale-boosting win away at said “the injury was detected during a routine radio- Friday. But the captain of the Twenty20 squad, Dasun Sevilla. Madrid eased the growing pressure logical screening”. “He will now undergo rehabilita- high degree of protection in Pakistan, usually reserved Shanaka, said yesterday he had no misgivings about on their coach with a determined perform- tion at NCA (National Cricket Academy) and will be returning to Pakistan after they played a Twenty20 for visits by heads of state. ance at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan after they monitored by the BCCI Medical Team,” the state- international in Lahore in October 2017, their first since Sri Lanka’s cricket board received the all-clear from had been beaten 3-0 by Paris Saint-Germain ment added. the 2009 attack. the defence ministry last week to go ahead with the Bumrah, 25, who has an unorthodox sling-arm “I have been there before,” Shanaka told reporters tour after establishing that there was no threat. The in the Champions League four days before. action, has claimed 62 in 12 Tests and recently just before the team left Colombo where they were 2009 attack left six players injured when gunmen That loss was Madrid’s worst during claimed just the third hat-trick by an Indian in the blessed by saffron-robed Buddhist monks. “I am satis- attacked their bus. Six Pakistan policemen and two Zidane’s two spells as coach and prompted longest format in the West Indies. Known for bowling fied with the security arranged for us and I am happy to civilians were killed. questions about the Frenchman’s future, with near-perfect yorkers in the death overs, he was India’s lead my team to Pakistan. We hope to give a good fight Tour schedule: Jose Mourinho among those linked with tak- strike bowler in the recent 50-over World Cup in to our very strong hosts.” One-day internationals (all in Karachi): September 27, 29, ing charge. Madrid play newly-promoted England, taking 18 wickets from nine matches. ODI skipper Lahiru Thirimanne said he also had no October 2. Osasuna today and could go top of La Liga But the quick was not part of the recently concluded concerns and they had been given assurances of a very Twenty20 internationals (all Lahore): October 5, 7, 9.—AFP with a victory. three-match Twenty20 series against the visiting South “It’s always the same, there has always African side who won the final game to draw the series been criticism and there always will be,” 1-1. The first match was washed out. Zidane said in a press conference yesterday. India squad: Virat Kohli (capt), , Hamilton, Kubica “I don’t even think about it. It is what it is, it Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (vc), Matches on TV happens. When we lose, I’m going to get Hanuma Vihari, , Wriddhiman Saha, sacked and when we win, I’m the best. You , Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, keep points after (Local Timings) Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, just have to keep working. Shubman Gill. — AFP SPANISH LEAGUE “I feel strong but I feel the same as I did a Alfa appeal rejected Real Mallorca v Atletico de Madrid 20:00 month ago. The important thing is to give 100 beIN SPORTS HD 3 per cent and to give my best. I remember CD Leganes v Athletic de Bilbao 20:00 playing badly for this team as well but the LONDON: Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton retained beIN SPORTS HD 3 Valencia C.F v Getafe CF21:00 important thing is to give your best.” his 65-point lead and Williams kept their sole point of the Madrid have won three of their six games season when a court rejected yesterday an Alfa Romeo beIN SPORTS HD 3 Real Madrid CF v Osasuna 22:00 in all competitions so far this season and, appeal against their drivers’ German Grand Prix penalties. beIN SPORTS HD 3 A spokesman for the governing body FIA said the after Osasuna, play Atletico Madrid at the Wanda Metropolitano on Saturday. “We International Court of Appeal in Paris had found the Swiss- ITALIAN CALCIO LEAGUE based team’s protest was not admissible. The 30-second AS Roma v Atalanta 20:00 played a good game in Sevilla but most of all post-race penalties dropped Alfa’s Kimi Raikkonen and beIN SPORTS HD 4 we played as a team from the first minute until Antonio Giovinazzi out of the points and lifted Hamilton’s ACF Fiorentina v UC Sampdoria 22:00 the last,” Zidane said. “ Mercedes up to ninth in the July 28 race at Hockenheim, with beIN SPORTS “Playing as a team, fighting for each other, Williams’ Robert Kubica 10th. Internazionale Milano v SS Lazio 22:00 that’s what we have to do against Osasuna beIN SPORTS HD 4 The hearing was also attended by representatives of and we have to keep playing like that.” Not Mercedes, Renault, Red Bull, Racing Point and Haas as inter- SSC Napoli v Cagliari Calcio 22:00 ested parties. Five times world champion Hamilton had fin- beIN SPORTS HD 5 for the first time this season, Zidane singled ished the race 11th on track, a position that would have end- Parma Calcio 1913 v US Sassuolo Calcio 22:00 out Gareth Bale for praise on Sunday after the ed his run of successive scoring races that currently stands beIN SPORTS Welshman continued his reintegration at the at 27. He left Hockenheim with a 41-point lead over team Genoa CFC v Bologna FC 22:00 club with another tenacious display. mate Valtteri Bottas, an advantage since extended to 65 beIN SPORTS spal v US Lecce 22:00 “I am not surprised,” Zidane said. “I’m with ahead of this weekend’s Russian Grand Prix in Sochi. beIN SPORTS him every day and we know he can do a lot Kubica’s point is his only one so far in a remarkable racing offensively but he is helping us defensively comeback that is set to end when the season finishes, with FRENCH LEAGUE too. When we work together we can achieve the Pole having already announced his departure from Montpellier HSC v Nimes Olympique 20:00 Williams. good things.” Madrid will be without Ferland beIN SPORTS Mendy on Wednesday after the defender Raikkonen had finished seventh at Hockenheim and FC Nantes v Stade Rennais 20:00 Giovinazzi eighth but were demoted for clutch-related irreg- beIN SPORTS injured his hamstring against Sevilla. ularities at the start. “The situation arose during the laps we Saint Etienne v FC Metz 20:00 It is the second muscle injury Mendy has spent behind the safety car ahead of the standing start,” beIN SPORTS suffered since joining Madrid from Lyon for team boss Frederic Vasseur said in a statement at the time. Toulouse FC v SCO Angers 20:00 50 million euros in July and leaves Zidane “We suffered a dysfunction of the clutch that was beyond beIN SPORTS short at left-back, with Marcelo also recover- Stade Brest 29 v Olympique Lyonnais 20:00 our control... we respect the FIA’s process and the stewards’ ing from a back problem. work, but believe we have the grounds and evidence to have beIN SPORTS Zidane said Marcelo is close to a return, it overturned.” Haas’s Romain Grosjean and Kevin LOSC Lille v RC Strasbourg20:00 Magnussen moved up to seventh and eighth respectively on beIN SPORTS along with Luka Modric and Isco, who have the day as a result of the penalties. Racing Point are one Amiens SC v FC Girondins de Bordeaux20:00 been out with thigh injuries. Marco Asensio is beIN SPORTS place ahead of eighth-placed Alfa in the constructors’ stand- a long-term absentee after he ruptured his Paris Saint-Germain v Stade Reims 22:00 ings, with six races remaining, and in a midfield battle with beIN SPORTS anterior cruciate ligament. —AFP Jasprit Bumrah Red Bull-owned Toro Rosso and Renault. — Reuters