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 National League 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, Matt den Dekker, 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 home run. 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. Odrisamer Despaigne (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.