MONDAY, JULY 24, 2017 SPORTS Kyle Busch’s closing qualifying flurry lands Indy pole INDIANAPOLIS: Less than an hour after had to say.” Cup practices, qualified for the NASCAR place where you can overdrive the entry driver in the series, qualified 13th for watching one winning streak end He couldn’t quibble with the results. Xfinity Series race in the early afternoon and make up for something. The prob- his final Indianapolis start. The 42-year- Saturday, Kyle Busch started working on Harvick’s No. 4 Ford was second at and watched his four-race Indy winning lems compound fast here, but it’s good old driver announced in April that he another. 186.332 and Jamie McMurray, in the No. streak snapped after a late pit stop to have that speed.” will retire at the end of the season. But Now the two-time defending 1 Chevrolet, wound up third at 186.274. dropped him from first to 21st. Busch before he goes, Earnhardt hopes to Brickyard 400 champion is in the best Nobody else topped 185. If the 2015 finished 12th. GOING TO THE BACK join Al Unser and Al Unser Jr. as the possible position for an unprecedented Cup champion wins Sunday, he will join After about a 30-minute break, he For the second consecutive week, only two father-son winning tandems three-peat at Indianapolis. former Formula One star Michael was back in the car for three more quali- series officials threw out a qualifying in Indy history. Busch became the first Cup driver in Schumacher as the only drivers with fying rounds. His last lap allowed him to speed. This time, it was BJ McLeod who “Considering how our season has nearly two decades to win back-to-back three straight Indy wins in the premier join Jeff Gordon (1995-96) and Ernie drew the penalty after a post-qualifying gone, winning here would right all the Indy poles by saving his fastest lap for series of their respective leagues. Irvan (1997-98) as the race’s only back- inspection showed the No. 51 car had wrongs,” Earnhardt said. Chase Elliott, the final one of the day. His speed of Schumacher won the U.S. Grand Prix to-back pole winners. taped shut a cooling aqueduct. It was who qualified 16th, also has a chance to 187.301 mph was almost a mph faster four consecutive times on the road It certainly wasn’t strategy. “When supposed to remain open and the join the father-son winner’s list Sunday. than second-place Kevin Harvick and course. Nobody has ever won three you’re in such a short window, five min- penalty cost McLeod five spots on the was the second-fastest pole-winning straight races on Indy’s oval. utes, you couldn’t come back and get starting gird. HARD LESSON speed in the race’s 24-year history. “We’ve just got to keep it there, stay the tires cooled in time to make another He will start from the back of the 40- One of Harvick’s spotters, Tim “Obviously, we’ve had a really fast up front and, of course, lead the last lap,” lap,” he said. But it was good enough. car starting grid after initially qualifying Fedewa, had his credential taken away car,” Busch said after winning his fourth Busch said as his 2-year-old son, Harvick, meanwhile, found the consis- 35th with a speed of 176.294. Kyle briefly Saturday after dropping a sand- pole of the season. “We’ve been focused Brexton, giggled into a microphone. For tency he was seeking but avoided going Larson’s pole-winning run was disal- wich from the spotter’s stand. NASCAR on race trim and I felt like we did a pret- Busch, it was another marathon session too hard to get into trouble. lowed last week at New Hampshire. spokesman Matt Humphrey said the ty good job with that. But I wasn’t sure on another hot, humid midsummer “I think that was the right approach,” hard card was returned following a about qualifying. So, obviously, they afternoon in the No. 18 Toyota. Harvick said. “I’ve tried to get too much JUNIOR’S FINALE short investigation. Fedewa is a former were listened to what our teammates He drove in both of the morning’s in the last round and this is just not the Dale Earnhardt Jr., the most popular driver in the series. — AP ANAHEIM: Kole Calhoun #56 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim is safe at second as second baseman Dustin Pedroia #13 of the Boston Red Sox can’t reach the ball on a throwing error by shortstop Xander Bogaerts #2 on an attemped force play in the fifth inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on Saturday in Anaheim, California. — AFP BASEBALL Simmons slugs Angels to win over Red Sox ANAHEIM: Andrelton Simmons drove in three Wainwright allowed two runs on four hits in 7 (2-2), Robinson Cano was intentionally walked gle that sent Zimmerman home. longest losing streak in two years to eight runs, including a go-ahead two-run homer 2/3 innings, retiring 14 straight at one point. and Cruz lined a pitch to left for his AL-leading games. Mike Pelfrey took a two-hitter into the and Albert Pujols went 3 for 4 with two RBIs as 75th RBI. Tony Zych (4-2) pitched a perfect ROCKIES 7, PIRATES 3 sixth, but put leadoff man Lorenzo Cain on with the Los Angeles Angels rallied for a 7-3 victory GIANTS 5, PADRES 4, 12 innings 10th, throwing called third strikes past Clint Colorado’s German Marquez matched a his sixth walk. David Holmberg (1-3) relieved over the Boston Red Sox in Major League Backup catcher Nick Hundley singled in Frazier and Judge. career best with nine strikeouts in seven solid and gave up three homers in an eight-pitch Baseball on Saturday. Simmons hit his 10th Kelby Tomlinson with two outs in the 12th for innings and also had a wayward pitch that span. Perez’s two-run homer tied the score, homer of the season to left and put the Angels San Francisco. It was Hundley’s fifth game- BREWERS 9, PHILLIES 8 fueled a near brawl. Mark Reynolds added a pair Moustakas homered two pitches later, and ahead 4-3 in the third inning after falling ending hit of his career and his first since July Domingo Santana singled home the go- of run-scoring singles and Charlie Blackmon Moss then homered for a 4-2 lead. behind early. Pujols doubled to score Yunel 11, 2014, with Baltimore. One day after the ahead run in the ninth inning after the scored after doubling in the third and tripling in Escobar and Mike Trout to start the four -run teams played 11 innings in a game that lasted Brewers blew a big lead, and Milwaukee end- the eighth. Marquez (8-4) hit Andrew ASTROS 8, ORIOLES 4 burst. Pujols became the 26th player to score nearly 5 hours, the Giants and Padres had ed a season-worst six-game losing streak. McCutchen with a pitch in the sixth inning, and Marwin Gonzalez stepped in for injured 1,700 runs when he touched home plate after another extended battle. Eduardo Nunez had Ryan Braun homered and drove in four runs, the Pirates outfielder strode toward the mound Colin Moran and delivered a pinch-hit, three- Simmons went deep. Pujols joins Barry Bonds, three hits and two RBIs, Hundley singled twice and Travis Shaw also homered for the Brewers, before being headed off by the home plate run homer in the sixth inning to propel Houston Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Alex Rodriguez and and San Francisco took advantage of an error who maintained a one-game lead over the umpire and taking his base. Pittsburgh’s Chad past Baltimore. Moran fouled a ball off his left Willie Mays in amassing at least 600 home runs by San Diego shortstop Allen Cordoba that led Cubs in the NL Central division. Milwaukee led Kuhl then threw an inside pitch in the sixth that eye and had difficulty standing before being and 1,700 runs. JC Ramirez (9-8) recorded his to three unearned runs. Will Myers hit his sec- 8-1 after batting in the seventh and manager narrowly missed Carlos Gonzalez. Players and carted from the field. An update on his condi- second win at home in 11 starts, striking out ond homer in two days as part of San Diego’s Craig Counsell removed Braun, who had coaches from both teams streamed onto the tion was not immediately available. Gonzalez six while allowing one earned run and five hits four-run fourth. Josh Osich (3-1) retired five missed the past three games with a wrist field and though there were some heated subsequently ended a nine-pitch at-bat by driv- in six innings. David Price (5-3) gave up five batters and struck out three in getting the win. injury. The Phillies rallied to tie it with four runs exchanges, no punches were thrown. Greg ing a 2-2 offering from Darren O’Day (1-3) over earned runs and seven hits in five innings, in the seventh and three in the eighth. Holland got four outs for his major league-lead- the right-field wall. It was Houston’s first pinch- allowing more than three earned runs for only MARINERS 6, YANKEES 5, 10 INNINGS Santana came through with a one-out single ing 31st save in 32 chances.