TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2015 SPORTS

Adebayor welcome at Villa Close dies aged 84 Aguero out of City game LONDON: Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood would jump at the chance to sign LONDON: Brian Close, England’s youngest ever test cricketer and LONDON: Sergio Aguero will miss Manchester City’s opening Champions League Emmanuel Adebayor if he showed the right attitude and desire but fears the Togo for- the man who had the courage to take blows from the fearsome game against Juventus today because of a knee injury but David Silva and Raheem ward may now be frozen out of football until January after leaving Tottenham Hotspur. West Indies fast bowlers on his body, has died at the age of 84 on Sterling are fit to take part. Argentina striker Aguero limped off in the first half of the Spurs said on Sunday that Adebayor had been released from his contract by mutual Sunday. The left-handed batting all-rounder made his debut at the 1-0 Premier League win over Crystal Palace on Saturday as City maintained their agreement. The 31-year-old has not played for Spurs this season and was left out of both unbeaten start to the season. Silva, who has recovered from an ankle problem, and their Premier League and Europa League squads. Adebayor will need to get special per- age of 18 against New Zealand at Old Trafford in 1949 and went on Sterling, who had a hamstring complaint, are available after missing out against mission for any move to materialise before January, as FIFA rules state that a player who to play 22 tests, out of which he captained England in seven. Palace while Samir Nasri and Fernandinho could also feature. does not have a club, can only be signed outside of the transfer window if they are free The former Yorkshire skipper, who also played three one-day “Sergio is not fit for tomorrow but David Silva and Raheem Sterling are fit for the agents when the window closes. Adebayor effectively only became a free agent when internationals, had a highest score of 70 to go alongside his 18 squad,” manager Manuel Pellegrini told a news conference on Monday. his contract was mutually ended on Sunday, 12 days after the window closed in England. wickets in the longer format. Aguero suffered knee ligament damage in December that sidelined Adebayor reportedly rejected moves to Villa and West Ham United Also a daredevil fielder at short leg, such was Close’s reputa- him for seven matches. He came back strongly with a flurry of goals during the recent transfer window but was told late last week by tion for bravery that he received a call back to the national team towards the end of the season to finish the top scorer in the Spurs’ boss Mauricio Pochettino he had no future at the club. The Premier League with 26 goals. at the age of 45, after a nine-year gap, to face the Caribbean pace He has only scored once this season though, in the 3-0 win over player has also fallen out of favour with Togo coach Tom Saintfiet, battery at home in 1976. His last innings, in the third test of the who likened him to a bad date and said recently that Adebayor Chelsea a month ago. City will also be without Fabian Delph (ham- series against West Indies at Manchester, when he went out to string), Pablo Zabaleta (knee) and Gael Clichy (ankle). had failed to respond to a call-up for an African Nations Cup qual- open the batting with ageing John Edrich, has become part of “When you choose your squad for the season it is impor- ifier. However, Sherwood enjoyed a fruitful relationship with cricket folk lore. The tall left-hander made 20 off 108 balls, fend- tant to have two players in each position,” said Pellegrini. Adebayor during his time in charge of the North London side and ing off bouncers with his body to deny the West Indies bowlers “All clubs get a lot of injuries throughout the year said he would be keen to bring him to Villa if the player came with because of the amount of games and the intensity of the right attitude. “I would not hesitate if he had the desire to early success with a opening partnership of 54 with Edrich against the likes of Andy Roberts and Michael Holding. Close is the Premier League. “In this case we have a lot of want to come and play football,” Sherwood told reporters problems but I have 100 percent trust in the when asked if he would try to sign Adebayor. —Reuters survived by his widow, and a son and daughter. — Reuters squad we have chosen.” —Reuters Astros stun Angels, Rangers roll

ANAHEIM: Pinch-hitter Jed Lowrie hit a three- run homer to complete an astounding five-run rally off Huston Street with two outs in the ninth inning as the Houston Astros stunned the Los Angeles Angels 5-3 Sunday. The Astros have a 1 1-2 game lead over the Rangers in the AL West and open a four-game series at Texas late yesterday. Preston Tucker started the rally with a two- strike solo homer for the Astros, who got five consecutive hits off Street (3-3), the AL saves leader. George Springer tripled and scored on Jose Altuve’s single before Carlos Correa got an infield single when his hard-hit grounder got stuck in the webbing of second baseman Taylor Featherston’s glove. Lowrie then hit a high fly ball into the short right-field corner, and Kole Calhoun appeared to be inches away from making the catch. The right fielder reached into the crowd and came up empty, sending the Houston dugout into a wild celebration.

RANGERS 12, ATHLETICS 4 Adrian Beltre homered twice to drive in five runs and Choo Shin-soo also went deep as Texas kept pace in the AL West. Choo put the Rangers (75-67) ahead with his 18th homer, a solo drive onto the hill beyond center in the first. He was on base for both of Beltre’s homers, a two-run shot in the fourth and a three-run blast in the fifth. Chi Chi Gonzalez (3-5) allowed three runs, one earned, in 5 1-3 innings. Felix Doubront (3-2) took the loss.

YANKEES 5, BLUES JAYS 0 Masahiro Tanaka allowed four hits over sev- en innings to lead New York over Toronto and stop the Yankees’ five-game losing streak. Dustin Ackley homered and had three RBIs for the Yankees, who closed back within 3 1/2 games of the AL East-leading Blue Jays with 20 games left. Toronto had won the first three ANAHEIM: Houston Astros left fielder Colby Rasmus dives as he misreads a pop up fly hit by Los Angeles Angels catcher Carlos Perez (not pictured) during the seventh inning of a base- games of the four-game series, but the ball game. — AP Yankees sent R.A. Dickey (10-11) to his first loss since before the All-Star break. Tanaka (12-6) inning after colliding with Marlins second Chicago still has a comfortable lead over San DODGERS 4, DIAMONDBACKS 3 Arenado, the leader in RBIs, struck out seven, walked none and threw 76 of baseman Derek Dietrich while running the Francisco for the second NL wild-card spot. Zack Greinke won his fourth straight game capped a third inning when the Rockies 108 pitches for strikes. He is 3-0 with a 2.54 bases. Harper’s replacement, , Aaron Altherr scored the go-ahead run in and pitched eight scoreless innings to lower scored without a base hit. ERA in his last four starts. hit a solo . Brad Hand (4-6) allowed the seventh on a wild pitch by Clayton Richard his major league-leading ERA to 1.61 to help Kyle Kendrick (6-12) allowed two runs over three runs, five hits and four walks in 3 1-3 (3-2) with two outs. Altherr hit a triple to left- Los Angeles beat Arizona. five innings to pick up his second straight vic- TIGERS 9, INDIANS 2; GAME 2 innings. He is 0-3 with a 13.97 ERA in his last center and scored one out later when Greinke (17-3) won his fourth straight game tory. (5-9) took the loss. JD Martinez drove in three runs as the three starts. Richard’s fastball bounced in front of the plate and eighth in the past nine starts, striking out Detroit Tigers scored four times in the fourth and skipped to the backstop. eight and walking two. Of his 24 outs record- ORIOLES 8, ROYALS 2 inning to defeat the Cleveland Indians 9-2 and CARDINALS 9, REDS 2 Dalier Hinojosa (1-0) gave up one unearned ed, only one was a fly ball. Patrick Corbin (5-4) Chris Davis hit his league-leading 42nd split a doubleheader Sunday. Tommy Pham hit a tiebreaking, two-run run in one inning to earn his first major league was charged with both runs and gave up eight home run, Jonathan Schoop added two solo Rookie Cody Anderson out-pitched Justin homer in the sixth inning and pinch-hitter win, and Ken Giles pitched the ninth for his hits in six innings, striking out four. shots and Baltimore won for the fourth time Verlander for the second time in a week as Matt Adams added a two-run drive in a five- 13th straight save since replacing Jonathan in five games to preserve its playoff hopes. Cleveland won the first game 7-2. The Game 1 run eighth for his first home run since July 5 as Papelbon after the All-Star closer was traded GIANTS 10, PADRES 3 The Royals lost seven of nine and dropped to Washington. Mike Leake pitched six strong innings and their third straight series for the first time this hit a three-run homer to help San Francisco season. Orioles left-hander Wei-Yin Chen (9-7) RED SOX 2, RAYS 0 complete a three-game sweep. Buster Posey kept the Royals off-balance with his slider Rusney Castillo had a go-ahead two-run drove in two runs for the Giants, who have and changeup. He allowed two runs on six single in the 13th inning off Andrew Bellatti won six of eight. hits with two over seven innings. after Boston loaded the bases against Enny Leake (10-8) allowed three runs and four Schoop had three hits and has 14 home Romero (0-1). Heath Hembree (1-0) worked hits over six-plus innings. He walked two and runs on the season. Adam Jones had two out of a two-on, one-out jam in the 12th, and struck out two. Odrisamer Despaigne (5-9) hits, including his 27th homer, with four Robbie Ross Jr. allowed a single in the 13th en lasted 3 1-3 innings and gave up four runs on RBIs. Royals right-hander Johnny Cueto (2- route to his second save. Tampa Bay had just five hits. 6) lost his fifth straight start, allowing a sea- three hits and extended its team record extra- son-high eight runs and 11 hits with three inning losing streak to 11 games. Rich Hill ROCKIES 3, MARINERS 2 strikeouts and one walk over 6 1/3 innings. allowed an infield single in seven innings and Nolan Arenado hit a sacrifice fly for his He tied a career-high by allowing four struck out 10 for Boston in his first start since 110th RBI of the season as Colorado scored a homers and has given up 28 runs over his August 2009. pair of runs on Kyle Seager’s throwing error. past 26 1/3 innings. — AP

METS 10, BRAVES 7 Daniel Murphy hit a tying three-run homer in the ninth against Ryan Kelly and Kirk Nieuwenhuis scored the tiebreaking run on third baseman Hector Olivera’s throwing error. New York swept a four-game series from the Braves for the first time since 1989, won its seventh straight game and maintained a 91/2- game lead over second-place Washington with 19 games left. Atlanta dropped to 14-46 since July 8 and has lost 12 straight at Turner Field, the longest franchise home skid since the 1931 Boston Braves. Bobby Parnell (2-3) allowed one hit in 1 1-3 innings, and Addison Reed got his fourth save. Edwin Jackson (2-3) was the loser.

TWINS 7, WHITE SOX 0 Torii Hunter hit a three-run homer and an ABK concludes annual RBI single for Minnesota, which improved to 13-6 against Chicago this season with four shutouts. Kyle Gibson (10-10) gave up five hits football tournament ARLINGTON: shortstop Elvis Andrus (top) jumps over a sliding ’ in 7 2-3 innings, struck out seven and walked Marcus Semien, turning a double play, during the first inning of a game. — AP one, and Casey Fien and Michael Tonkin fol- KUWAIT: Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait (ABK) yester- stantially in popularity year on year and this victory moved the Indians back to .500 for the lowed with hitless relief. day announced the conclusion of the 4th year attracted a wide range of teams and sup- first time since the fourth game of the season, St. Louis rallied from a 2-0 deficit to avoid get- Sale (12-9) lasted three innings and annual five-a-side football tournament, which porters. but Cleveland (70-71) fell 4 1-2 games behind ting swept in the four-game series. dropped to 1-4 with a 7.36 ERA in six starts was held at ‘The Corner’ soccer field in Kuwait Fawzy Al Thunayan, General Manager, Board Texas in the AL wild-card race after Game 2. The Cardinals, on their worst stretch this against the Twins this year. He allowed six runs City, opposite Kuwait Towers. The exciting day- Affairs at ABK alongside Ali Al Baghli, Corporate Drew VerHagen (1-0) worked two scoreless season, had lost eight of 10 going into the and nine hits and struck out three, raising his long event took place on 9th September 2015, Communications Manager, were present on the innings for his first major league win. Trevor series finale and has been outscored 20-3 in AL-leading total to 250. from 4pm until 9pm and was open to the pub- day to present winning teams with their prizes. Bauer (11-12) allowed six runs in three-plus the first three games of the series. Michael lic. A total of 32 teams participated in the tour- ‘Team 28’ consisting of players Ahmed Fayyadh, innings. Wacha (16-5) allowed two runs, three hits and PIRATES 7, BREWERS 6 nament which was open to ABK and non ABK Jamal Ezzat, Nawaf Hakam, Shaker Farraj, Falah four walks in six innings. Sam LeCure (0-1) was Josh Harrison hit a winning single in the 11th customers and teams consisted of five players Al Beraiki and Abdulaziz Musaad won first place NATIONALS 5, MARLINS 0 the loser. inning off Tyler Thornburg (0-1) as Pittsburgh and one substitute player. with each team member receiving KD 250, (12-11) won for the first time opened a four-game margin for the NL wild- The ABK five-a-side football tournament is while second place was taken by ‘ Team 9’ con- since July 30 at Miami, allowing five hits in PHILLIES 7, CUBS 4 card lead over the Chicago Cubs, who start a part of ABK’s annual social program which aims sisting of players Hasan Kadhum, Mohammed eight innings with no walks and six strikeouts. Ryan Howard homered and drove in three four-game series at the Pirates today. Jared to engage with the public by encouraging Farid, Shamseddine Hussain, Haider Eidan, Scherzer, who lowered his ERA to 2.91, has runs. Chris Coghlan hit a homer and two Hughes (3-1) induced Scooter Gennett to hit sport and a healthy lifestyle. The tournament, Hamad Kadhum and Ali Hussain with each been 0-3 in his seven previous outings. triples for the Cubs, who lost two straight to into an inning-ending double play in the 11th which was launched in 2011 has grown sub- receiving KD 100 per player. Nationals star Bryce Harper left in the first the team with the worst record in the majors. after the Brewers put runners at the corners.