Mets Block Rays, Yankees Stumble
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SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2015 SPORTS Gonzales grabs lead Furyk seeks Firestone title Bouchard splits with coach BARRACUDA: American Andreas Gonzales fired 11 birdies and a single bogey to AKRON: PGA Tour veteran Jim Furyk has twice come agonis- TORONTO: Eugenie Bouchard’s coaching merry-go-round will take another turn after grab a share of the 36-hole lead in the Barracuda Championship at the Montreux ingly close to victory at Firestone and on Friday he put him- the Canadian announced on Friday she had split with Sam Sumyk following a six Golf and Country Club on Friday. Gonzales, who joined countryman Brendan Steele self in a good position to finally cross the finish line here in months blighted by injury and a succession of early exits from tournaments. at the top of the leaderboard, posted a record 21-points in the modified Stableford top spot. The 45-year-old American fired a four-under-par 66 The 21-year-old will be coached temporarily by Serbian Marko Dragic at the scoring system, beating the old single-round mark of 19 set by John Mallinger in the for a second day in a row at the WGC-Bridgestone Roger’s Cup in Toronto as she seeks to rebound from her first-round loss at third round last year. Gonzales and Steele, who earned 18 points on Friday, are tied Invitational to establish a commanding four-stroke halfway Wimbledon. Bouchard parted ways with long-time coach Nick Saviano in November, on 26, two points ahead of 2012 winner J.J. Henry and Swede Jonas Blixt. The tour- lead. Although he still has 36 holes left at the World Golf ending a partnership which saw her reach the semi-finals of three of the four grand nament scoring format awards players eight points for double eagle, five for eagle, Championships (WGC) event, Furyk has an extra bounce in slams during last year’s break-out season, including a maiden final appearance at two for birdie, none for par, minus-one for bogey and minus-three for double bogey his step after ending a five-year title drought on the PGA Wimbledon. But since a run to the quarter-finals at this year’s Australian Open, the for- or worse. Gonzales bogeyed No. 10, his first hole, and then played the remaining Tour in April. “It’s nice to get some confidence,” Furyk told mer world number five’s ranking has slumped to 25 and she has been beaten holes in 11-under par for a stroke-play score of 62. He credited his caddie for calcu- reporters as he reflected on his playoff victory four months in opening matches at eight tournaments, including the French Open. “I lating the right yardages in the high altitude. “Today was a lot of fun,” Gonzales said. ago at the RBC Heritage. He had finished runner-up seven just feel like I haven’t been quite myself, my confident, aggressive game “I wouldn’t have been able to do it without my caddie, Brandon DeStefano. times since his previous win at the 2010 Tour Championship. lately and that’s something that I’ve been working on very hard in “He did a lot of number figuring here. Playing at altitude here in Reno, “It had been so long since I’d won. Had I not won at Hilton practice,” Bouchard told reporters at a pre-tournament media confer- early in the morning it can play a little bit less and then get to the after- Head, we’d be talking about how many leads I took into ence. “I have the belief and I know my skills are still there and nothing noon and it can play a little bit more. “I went off what he said and hit Sunday and didn’t work out and how long it’s been since I’ve can just vanish ... It’s just about working hard to getting back on track.” a lot of good putts.” The 32-year-old Gonzales is winless in 69 PGA won and why haven’t I? It helps any time you get over the Bouchard said she had no plans in place for a permanent coaching Tour starts, but does have a pair of top 10s in 25 events this sea- hump and go ahead and win. appointment. “I’m looking for someone who can help me improve all son. Steele, who holed out from a bunker at the par-5 2nd “Hopefully I’ll play well tomorrow and get myself in posi- areas of my game,” she said. “I think it’s very important to be able to hole, has not won since his lone victory at the tion for Sunday. If I do, I’ll look back on that round and what I address the technical side, the tactical side, the mental side and 2011 Texas Open.—Reuters did right and try to do those things again.”—Reuters the physical side.” —Reuters Mets block Rays, Yankees stumble ST. PETERSBURG: Michael Conforto hit a ager Don Mattingly moved an outfielder into tying double and Wilmer Flores had a go- the infield but the left-handed hitting Alvarez ahead single in the ninth inning to help the singled into right field. surging New York Mets beat the Tampa Bay The Pirates won for the 13th time in their Rays 4-3 on Friday night for their seventh con- last 16 home games and improved to 37-18 at secutive victory. PNC Park this season. They are 12-2 against NL Juan Uribe and Daniel Murphy homered West teams. late for the NL East leaders. They improved to Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw had his 4-0 on a six-game road trip and moved 2 1/2 streak of 37 consecutive scoreless innings end games ahead of second-place Washington. when Gregory Polanco hit his first pitch of the Lucas Duda reached first base to start the game for a home run. Antonio Bastardo (4-1) ninth on a throwing error by reliever Brad pitched a scoreless 10th for his second win in Boxberger (4-8). Duda went to second on a two games. wild pitch and came home on Conforto’s liner to left-center. The rookie scored to make it 4-3 CARDINALS 6, BREWERS 0 when Flores blooped a two-out single to Randal Grichuk hit a three-run homer to right. cap a six-run fifth inning, and Lance Lynn Tyler Clippard (1-0) was the winner, and pitched St. Louis past Milwaukee. Lynn (9-6) Jeurys Familia got three outs for his 30th save. stranded nine runners in six innings as the NL The Mets said it was the first time in franchise Central leaders became the first major league history they overcame three different deficits team to reach 70 wins this season. in each of the last three innings to win. Evan He allowed six hits and four walks while Longoria, James Loney and Grady Sizemore throwing 109 pitches. It was the second con- homered for the Rays. secutive shutout and 12th this season for the Cardinals (70-39), who beat Cincinnati 3-0 on BLUE JAYS 2, YANKEES 1 Thursday behind All-Star Michael Wacha. Jose Bautista homered with one out in the Carlos Villanueva pitched three perfect 10th inning after two of the top slugging innings for his second save.Brewers rookie teams in the major leagues engaged in a Tyler Cravy (0-3) was the loser. pitchers’ duel, lifting surging Toronto past New York for its sixth straight victory. CUBS 7, GIANTS 3 Bautista connected off Branden Pinder (0- Rookie Kyle Schwarber had two hits and 1) to pull Toronto within 3 1/2 games of the two RBIs to back Jon Lester, and Chicago beat AL East-leading Yankees. Brett Cecil (3-4) got San Francisco for its eighth victory in nine the win, and Roberto Osuna pitched a perfect games. 10th for his ninth save. Schwarber, who homered the previous two The first of 13 games remaining between games, also scored two runs to help put the the division rivals started as most expected, Cubs 1 1/2 games ahead of San Francisco for with a slugfest. Josh Donaldson hit his 30th the second wild card. They also moved 12 for Toronto in the first and Mark Teixeira con- games over .500 for the first time since the nected for his 30th an inning later - after a 2008 NL Central championship season. replay reversal - giving the Yankees a homer in Schwarber doubled and scored in the first, 13 straight games. then drove in two and came around in the fifth. The Cubs scored five in that inning to ROCKIES 5, NATIONALS 4 break open a 1-1 game. Dexter Fowler home- ST. PETERSBURG: New York Mets short stop Wilmer Flores (right) forces out Tampa Bay Rays’ Kevin Kiermaier (39) at second base and relays Drew Storen allowed Carlos Gonzalez’s red and had three of Chicago’s 12 hits. Lester the throw to first base in time to turn double play against Rays’ John Jaso during the third inning of an interleague baseball ame.g —AP eighth-inning grand slam, and Washington (7-8) gave up two runs and six hits over seven blew a four-run lead in the loss to Colorado. innings. Hector Rondon worked the final 1 2-3 go-ahead run in the sixth to help Kansas City Keuchel (13-6) gave up three runs and 10 hits secutive home runs off Cole Hamels to start When Storen entered with six outs to go and innings for his 18th save in 21 chances.