WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27, 2014 SPORTS

Promes aiming for Platini to announce Everton and Cameroon stardom in Russia FIFA’s election plan striker Eto’o near deal GENEVA: Michel Platini is set to announce tomorrow if he will chal- LONDON: Everton are moving closer to signing Cameroon striker Samuel lenge former mentor Sepp Blatter for the FIFA presidency. The UEFA : Spartak Moscow’s Dutch international midfielder Quincy Promes is aim- Eto’o before the end of the current transfer window, several British media ing to become a big star in Russia. Promes, who joined Russia’s most successful club president will meet the leaders of his 54 member federations at the Champions League draw in Monaco before holding a news conference organizations, including the BBC, reported yesterday. The 33-year-old for- earlier this month on a four-year deal, told Soviet Sport daily: “After my third match ward became a free agent at the end of last season following his release by with Spartak I feel I that I have begun to adapt to my new team’s style and to my life to explain his decision. “He will present his plan and they will give him their feedback,” UEFA spokesman Pedro Pinto said yesterday. “It is Chelsea. Everton were reported to have held talks with the former in Russia as well. “Probably I will manage to become a big star here in Russia some Barcelona and forward last week. It was thought those discus- day.” The 22-year-old, signed by Spartak for 10 million euros ($13 m) from Dutch club always his policy to consult the national associations before making a big decision.” Platini is the long-time favorite to succeed Blatter, but sions had broken down but the Liverpool Echo newspaper said discussions Twente Enschede, added that after a dreadful debut in Krasnodar, had re-started, with the Merseyside club prepared to offer where Spartak suffered a 4-0 defeat, he considered his next two would have a daunting task to unseat a rival who turns 79 before elec- tion day next May. Blatter has led FIFA since 1998 and a successful, prof- Eto’o a two-year deal should he complete a medical yes- games a success. “My debut was just a disaster. For me it was itable World Cup only boosted his standing with football officials who terday. If Eto’o does join Everton, he will become the especially difficult to perform at my best being Spartak’s new- show little desire for change. Five of FIFA’s six continental bodies club’s fifth signing of the transfer window period follow- comer,” Promes said. “But the two following matches, including already supported Blatter’s expected candidacy at pre-tournament ing Mohamed Besic, Brendan Galloway, Christian Atsu the derby with CSKA, both of which Spartak won, have turned meetings in Brazil. Europe alone publicly opposed him. Platini said then and £28m man Romelu Lukaku. Eto’o scored nine goals out well for me. “Now I’m set to make a small step forward in that FIFA “needs a breath of fresh air.” “In the future I won’t support in 21 appearances for Chelsea last sea- every match.” Promes also said that he was impressed by Blatter anymore. I’ve told him that,” Platini said on the eve of the World son and has bagged more than 300 in his career. His Spartak fans and their passionate support in Russian Premiership Cup in Sao Paulo. Still, Blatter appeared confident and relishing a con- arrival at Goodison Park would be timely for matches. “Spartak supporters are just amazing,” he said. “And it test this month when he called out critics he did not identify. “Don’t Everton manager Roberto Martinez, still without was really surprising to discover that Spartak fans live through- speak - go out and fight,” Blatter said at an annual event for his charity the sidelined Arouna Kone, who remains out of out Russia, almost in every city. It’s the red-white army. I’m foundation in Switzerland. “And I am happy to fight. But if you take the action with a knee injury. —AFP absolutely delighted. — AFP risk (to be in the election) you also have the chance to lose.”— AP

MLB CAPSULES Orioles cruise past Tampa Bay Rays 9-1

BALTIMORE: Delmon Young, JJ Hardy and Chris Holliday followed with a sharp single to left off Davis homered in succession during a six-run fifth Hughes (6-4) to score Jay and Matt Carpenter. John inning, and the Baltimore Orioles cruised past the Lackey (13-8) worked out of trouble early to work Tampa Bay Rays 9-1 Monday night to end a three- seven innings and pick up his second victory with game losing streak. Baltimore hit five homers in all, the Cardinals after arriving in a trade from Boston four off rookie Jake Odorizzi (9-11). Nick Markakis on July 31. Trevor Rosenthal gave up a leadoff and Steve Pearce delivered back-to-back shots in home run in the ninth to Andrew McCutchen but the third to spark the Orioles to their ninth win in held on to earn his 39th save. Pedro Alvarez hit his 13 games against Tampa Bay this season. After 18th homer in the second off Lackey, but the totaling four runs and 13 hits in three road losses to Pirates managed little after that to fall further the Chicago Cubs, the Orioles got 14 hits against a behind St. Louis and first-place Milwaukee in the NL Tampa Bay staff that had a major league-best 2.28 Central race. ERA since the All-Star break. Baltimore’s Chris Tillman (11-5) yielded an unearned run and three MARLINS 7, ANGELS 1 hits in seven innings. Giancarlo Stanton upstaged Mike Trout with a three-run homer in the first regular-season show- YANKEES 6, ROYALS 1 down between two of baseball’s brightest young Derek Jeter drove in two runs in his final sched- stars, leading Miami to a comfortable victory over uled trip to Kauffman Stadium, backing a sharp Los Angeles. Jarred Cosart (2-1) allowed a run and outing from Michael Pineda and helping the seven hits over 7 2-3 innings. He struck out four in Yankees beat the Royals for their fifth straight win. his fourth outing since he was acquired from Jacoby Ellsbury drove in a run in the seventh inning Houston at the July 31 trade deadline. The right- with the 1,000th hit of his career, then added a two- hander, who was 9-7 with the Astros, lost his run homer in the ninth. Stephen Drew and Martin shutout bid in the eighth on an RBI double by Kole Prado also homered for New York. Pineda (3-2) gave Calhoun. Wade LeBlanc (0-1) was charged with six up a solo shot to Mike Moustakas leading off the runs and seven hits in 3 1-3 innings as a replace- third inning, but that was about it in his third game ment for Garrett Richards, out for the season back from the disabled list. Pineda struck out five because of a knee injury that occurred last week in without a walk in 6 1-3 innings to win for the first Boston. It was LeBlanc’s first big league start since time since beating the Cubs on April 16. James May 6, 2013, for the Marlins. The Angels slipped Shields (12-7) allowed six runs over 6 2-3 innings for back into a tie for the AL West lead with Oakland. Kansas City. ATHLETICS 8, ASTROS 2 CARDINALS 3, PIRATES 2 Jeff Samardzija pitched eight solid innings SEATTLE: Second baseman Rougned Odor #12 of the Texas Rangers is spiked by Logan Morrison #20 of the Seattle Mariners on a double Matt Holliday’s two-run single in the seventh and Josh Donaldson drove in three runs to lead play in the eighth inning at Safeco Field on August 25, 2014 in Seattle. — AFP inning off Jared Hughes capped a late rally, and the Oakland over Houston. Samardzija (4-3) allowed in which he yielded 11 runs combined. The right- BREWERS 10, PADRES 1 RANGERS 2, MARINERS 0 Cardinals beat the Pirates. Jon Jay’s pinch-hit single six hits, two runs and tied a season high with 10 tied the game with two outs in the seventh and hander was 2-7 with the Chicago Cubs before an Ryan Braun and Aramis Ramirez homered to Miles Mikolas allowed three hits in eight strikeouts to bounce back from a two-game skid early July trade. Josh Reddick hit a two-run back Kyle Lohse’s six effective innings as innings, JP Arencibia singled home the go-ahead homer and Donaldson had three hits after sitting Milwaukee routed San Diego for its fifth straight run in the fourth and Texas blanked Seattle in out Sunday with a knee injury. Donaldson dou- road win. Lohse (12-7) allowed a run and four the opener of a three-game set. Mikolas (2-5) MLB results/standings bled twice for his first extra-base hits and RBIs in hits in his first start since spraining his right ankle faced two batters more than the minimum, eras- his last nine games. Chris Carter hit a two-run on Aug 13. He beat the Padres for the fourth ing two of the three hits he allowed with double homer in the eighth to pull the Astros within straight time. Eric Stults (6-14) was charged with plays. The right-hander struck out five and Baltimore 9, Tampa Bay 1; Philadelphia 3, Washington 2; St. Louis 3, Pittsburgh 2; Boston 4, one, but the A’s added five runs in the ninth after four runs and nine hits in five innings, snapping walked one. It was the first time Mikolas did not Toronto 3 (10 Innings); NY Yankees 8, Kansas City 1; Oakland 8, Houston 2; Miami 7, LA reliever Tony Sipp walked all four batters he his three-game winning streak. Ramirez and permit a run in 10 career starts. Neftali Feliz Angels 1; Texas 2, Seattle 0; Milwaukee 10, San Diego 1; Colorado 3, San Francisco 2. faced. Scott Feldman (7-10) allowed seven hits Gerardo Parra had three RBIs apiece. Braun, worked a one-hit ninth for his seventh save. American League National League and three runs in seven innings. Ramirez and Carlos Gomez each had three hits Mariners starter Roenis Elias (9-11) walked four Eastern Division Eastern Division to help the first-place Brewers remain 1 1/2 but limited the Rangers to one run in five W L PCT GB Washington 75 55 .577 - PHILLIES 3, NATIONALS 2 games ahead of St. Louis in the NL Central. innings. — AP Baltimore 74 55 .574 - Atlanta 68 63 .519 7.5 AJ Burnett struck out 12 in seven innings and NY Yankees 68 61 .527 6 Miami 65 65 .500 10 Cody Asche and Carlos Ruiz homered to lead the Toronto 66 65 .504 9 NY Mets 61 70 .466 14.5 Phillies to a victory over the Nationals. Domonic Tampa Bay 64 67 .489 11 Philadelphia 59 72 .450 16.5 Brown had two hits and an RBI for Philadelphia, Boston 57 74 .435 18 Central Division which won for the fourth time in five games. Central Division Milwaukee 73 58 .557 - Wilson Ramos and Anthony Rendon homered Kansas City 72 58 .554 - for NL East-leading Washington, which lost for St. Louis 71 59 .546 1.5 Detroit 70 59 .543 1.5 just the second time in 14 games. Burnett (7-14) Pittsburgh 67 64 .511 6 Cleveland 66 63 .512 5.5 won for the first time since the All-Star break, Cincinnati 63 68 .481 10 Chicago White Sox 59 71 .454 13 allowing one run on three hits with just one Minnesota 58 72 .446 14 Chicago Cubs 58 72 .446 14.5 walk. The right-hander entered leading the Western Division Western Division majors in walks with 76. Tanner Roark (12-8) gave LA Angels 77 53 .592 - LA Dodgers 74 58 .561 - up two runs on five hits in six innings and lost for Oakland 77 53 .592 - San Francisco 68 62 .523 5 just the second time in his last nine starts. Roark Seattle 71 59 .546 6 San Diego 60 70 .462 13 has a 2.25 ERA over that stretch. Houston 55 77 .417 23 Arizona 55 76 .420 18.5 Texas 51 79 .392 26 Colorado 53 77 .408 20 RED SOX 4, BLUE JAYS 3, 10 innings Yoenis Cespedes singled home the go-ahead run in the 10th inning and the Red Sox survived a ninth-inning collapse to beat the Blue Jays 4-3, MOTOR RACING snapping their losing streak at eight games. Cespedes has 19 RBIs in 22 games since being Rosberg questions Hamilton’s traded to Boston on July 31. Seven of those 19 RBIs have given the Red Sox a lead. Brock Holt hit version of events on collision a one-out single off Aaron Sanchez (2-1) in the 10th and stole second as Dustin Pedroia struck LONDON: Nico Rosberg has questioned the Italian Grand Prix at Monza next week. out, with the steal confirmed by video review. Lewis Hamilton’s version of events after the “Now we need to look forward. There will be Holt stole third before Cespedes drove him in Mercedes team mates collided while con- another discussion for sure because we with a single up the middle. Boston won for the testing the lead on the second lap of the need to see if we need to change our first time since August 16 against Houston and Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday. Hamilton approach in the future, as we did in snapped a six-game skid against the stumbling told reporters at Spa on Sunday that the Hungary. And we will do that,” said the driv- Blue Jays, who dropped to 6-15 in August. Koji Formula One championship leader had told er. “I’m confident that as always we are Uehara (6-4) got the win despite blowing his a team meeting after the race that he did it going to find back to our way. And then on purpose ‘to make a point’. Rosberg, who keep fighting in Monza and on we go.” fourth save in 30 chances, and Craig Breslow fin- has dismissed the collision as a racing inci- Rosberg was blamed by team bosses after ished for his first save in two chances. dent, said on a video blog from Hamburg the race for causing what was an avoidable that he saw it differently. “Definitely one of collision, although stewards took no action ROCKIES 3, GIANTS 2 the more difficult video blogs today,” said and the governing body is unlikely to take it Tyler Matzek struck out seven in seven the German. “I’ve been told what Lewis said further. innings to end a five-start losing streak, and in the press and the way he has stated his Jenson Button, the 2009 world champion Colorado capitalized on San Francisco’s mistakes. version of the events. All I can say is that my and Hamilton’s former team mate at The Rockies have won four straight in San view of the events are very different. McLaren, was also critical of Rosberg. “I Francisco for the first time in club history. In his “The thing is it’s just better that I don’t think any driver would look at it (the inci- 14th major league start and first against the now give all the details of my opinion and dent) now, and I’m sure Nico will look at it, Giants, Matzek (3-9) won for the first time since things like that. I hope you respect that,” and say ‘I don’t know what I was thinking’,” beating Pittsburgh on July 26. The rookie left- added the German. “I prefer to just keep it the Briton told reporters. “You should be hander also won for the first time in eight road internal.” Rosberg left Spa with a 29 point able to judge situations like that a bit better. appearances and seven starts after beginning 0- lead over Hamilton, who retired from the Button said he sympathized for Hamilton 5. Matzek outdueled Jake Peavy (2-4), who won race with a damaged floor to his car after and felt the incident had robbed the fans of his previous two starts following three straight picking up a puncture as a result of his team a great battle between the two. “It is a losses after he was acquired in a trade with mate’s front wing hitting his rear tyre. shame it’s not a cleaner fight,” said Button. Boston on July 26. Justin Morneau and Corey Mercedes motorsport head Toto Wolff said “I’ve always said the person who wins the Dickerson hit sacrifice flies for the Rockies, who on Sunday the post-race meeting with driv- world championship this year is the person earned their fourth road win in 27 games since ers had been heated and explained that who does the best job on the circuit, but Rosberg had wanted to show he was not that does not seem the way it is at the sweeping a three-game series at AT&T Park from going to back off but had not intended to moment. “They (Mercedes) will still win the June 13-15. San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy collide. championships but what has happened def- was ejected in the eighth by plate umpire Doug PITTSBURGH: St Louis Cardinals first baseman Matt Adams (right) and second baseman Rosberg said there had been an “impor- initely adds spice to what is already a pretty Eddings for arguing a called third strike on Kolten Wong collide as they chase a fly ball by Pittsburgh Pirates’ Josh Harrison in the fifth tant discussion” with more to come before spicy relationship.” — Reuters Buster Posey. LaTroy Hawkins finished for his inning of a baseball game on Monday, Aug 25, 2014, in Pittsburgh. Adams fell on the play, 21st save in 22 opportunities. but stayed in the game. — AP