LENIN MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2014 SPORTS Williams confirm Bottas and Massa for 2015 MONZA: Finland’s Valtteri Bottas and Brazilian of the grid on Saturday. successful in terms of constructors’ titles after Ferrari, championship it’s a whole different piece of work,” Felipe Massa will stay at Williams in 2015 after the “The team is having a much improved 2014 sea- with nine between 1980 and 1997, and last won a she said. “I think we’ve still got work to do and a lot resurgent Formula One team announced yesterday son and the skill of our drivers and their feedback to grand prix with Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado in of it inevitably depends on where the competition what had to be one of their easiest decisions of the our engineers has proved crucial in this,” said team 2012. Their last drivers’ title was with Canadian is. Mercedes this year have done a great job, I think season. “It was easy to make that choice,” acknowl- founder Frank Williams, who described Bottas as an Jacques Villeneuve in 1997. we are closing the gap, probably you can see that edged deputy principal Claire Williams ahead of the ‘investment’ for the future. “We want stability at Williams,” said Claire here this weekend.” Italian Grand Prix at Monza. “I think they have both “This announcement gives us excellent stability Williams, when asked whether other drivers had The new contract is likely to mean a substantial shown they can deliver what we need them to.” for 2015, but of course we are very much focusing been considered. “We went into this season wanting pay rise for Bottas, even if Williams would not dis- Massa joined Williams from Ferrari at the end of our attention on maximising the full potential of the stability into the long term and that’s what we have close any financial details, with the Finn already firm- 2013 while Bottas has been with the team for five FW36 in the remaining seven races of this season.” now. “I think we’ve got one of the strongest lineups ly on the radar of rival teams. years, making his race debut last season, and on the grid, they’ve got really complementary tal- Massa, runner-up in the 2008 championship, emerged as a standout performer in a champi- Championship challenge ents - Felipe with all his experience and having brings with him important backing and has been onship that has seen Williams back among the lead- Claire, his daughter, felt the drivers were capable worked in a big team and Valtteri who’s got this reinvigorated after years at Ferrari largely in the ers. The former champions were fourth overall in the of mounting a championship challenge if Mercedes- amazing natural talent.” shadow of world champions Michael Schumacher, championship ahead of yesterday’s race with 150 powered Williams could provide a car good enough. The deputy principal said the objective, as ever, Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso. points after scoring just five last year. “One hundred percent,” she said. “That is the goal, was to get back to the top and that remained a “They are an amazing team, fantastic people, it’s Bottas, 25, is fifth in the drivers’ standings and has to win that championship and of course you are tough challenge. “It’s relatively easy to turn around a like a family as well,” he said on Sunday. “We are mak- finished on the podium in four of the last five races. going to put the drivers in your cockpits that you team that’s ninth and take it up to fourth but when ing this team stronger and stronger and bigger and He and Massa qualified together on the second row believe can do that.” The team are the second most you are in fourth and want to start challenging for a bigger.” — Reuters Seager leads Mariners in 4-2 win over Rangers ARLINGTON: Kyle Seager had three hits, their second straight. Pirates left-handed including a home run, to lead the Seattle starter Francisco Liriano (4-10) won for the Mariners to a 4-2 victory over the Texas first time since July 29 at San Francisco. He Rangers on Saturday night. Seager hit a two- was lifted for a pinch hitter in the seventh run homer in the sixth inning to tie the score inning after allowing no runs on three hits, 2-2, and singled and scored in the Mariners’ walking two and striking out nine. two-run eighth against Neal Cotts (2-9). Seager is hitting .362 with five home runs and Reds 2, Mets 1 16 RBIs in 69 at-bats against the Rangers this Chris Heisey hit a go-ahead, pinch-hit season. home run in the seventh and Johnny Cueto Danny Farquhar (2-1) worked two scoreless pitched seven strong innings, lifting the innings to earn the victory, and Fernando Cincinnati Reds to a victory over the New York Rodney got the last three outs for his Mets. First baseman Todd Frazier also home- American League-leading 43rd save.Seattle red for Cincinnati (67-75), which snapped a shortstop Brad Miller, who came in with a .205 four-game losing streak. Catcher Travis batting average, had a career-high four hits to d’Arnaud went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles help the Mariners move 1 1/2 games ahead of for New York (67-75), which saw its three- Detroit for the league’s second wild card. game win streak end. Texas lost its eighth straight. The game started following a rain delay of Indians 3, White Sox 1 3 hours, 13 minutes. Ryan Rua had an RBI Corey Kluber pitched his third complete double and scored on Michael Choice’s sacri- game of the season and Jose Ramirez and fice fly to put the Rangers up 2-0 in the fourth Michael Brantley had RBI hits in the seventh inning. inning as the Cleveland Indians beat the It was the second game for Texas interim Chicago White Sox. The right-handed Kluber manager Tim Bogar, who took over after Ron (14-9) pitched a five-hitter, striking out eight Washington resiged Friday afternoon. Texas with no walks. Cleveland also got a home run went 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position, from designated hitter Carlos Santana. including 0 for 9 during the first three innings. Braves 4, Marlins 3 (10 innings) Rockies 7, Padres 6 (12 innings) Evan Gattis hit a 10th-inning solo home The Colorado Rockies blew a four-run lead run that at first was ruled a triple but ultimate- but beat the San Diego Padres in 12 innings ly gave the Atlanta Braves a win over the on a single by Drew Stubbs. Second baseman Miami Marlins. Gattis’ homer, his 22nd of the DJ LeMahieu led off the 12th with a double, season, stayed in the ballpark but went over rifling the first pitch from Jesse Hahn (7-4) the yellow line in left-center field that equals a down the right-field line. The Padres (66-75) DENVER: Shortstop Charlie Culberson #23 of the Colorado Rockies throws to first base to complete the double play for the first otw outs home run. Gattis legged out a triple, but, after trailed 4-0 and 6-2, but scored in five succes- of the 11th inning as Will Venable #25 of the San Diego Padres slides in at Coors Field on Saturday in Denver, Colorado. The Rockies a review, he was allowed to walk the final 90 sive innings beginning with the fourth. defeated the Padres 7-6 in 12 innings. — AFP feet. The win went to reliever David Carpenter the first time this season. The Giants (78-64) it 5-4 in the eighth with an RBI triple ahead of Washington (79-61) began the day seven (6-3). Closer Craig Kimbrel earned his 43rd Giants 5, Tigers 4 pulled to within 1.5 games of the Dodgers in shortstop Erick Aybar, The Angels (86-55) games ahead of the Atlanta Braves but the save. Buster Posey continued his hot streak with the N.L. West while the Tigers (77-65) stayed maintained a six-game lead over the Oakland Nationals have now lost their last five games three hits, including a solo home run, and two games behind Kansas City in the Athletics for first place in the American to Philadelphia. Yankees 6, Royals 2 Madison Bumgarner tied for the Major League American League Central. League West standings. Brandon McCarthy pitched effectively into lead in victories to lift the San Francisco Giants Rays 3, Orioles 2 the seventh inning and second baseman to a win over the Detroit Tigers. Posey, who Angels 8, Twins 5 Athletics 4, Astros 3 A passed ball by catcher Nick Hundley with Martin Prado had three hits in his return to the played first base, scored twice and walked in The Los Angeles Angels staged yet another The Oakland A’s rallied for three runs in the two outs in the bottom of the ninth allowed lineup, leading the Yankees to a victory over his other plate appearance. He is hitting .508 late rally in a win over the Minnesota Twins. bottom of the ninth inning to beat the the winning run to score as the Tampa Bay the Kansas City Royals. McCarthy was with seven home runs in his last 15 games. Trailing by two runs entering the eighth Houston Astros on shortstop Jed Lowrie’s sin- Rays edged the American League East-lead- acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks on Bumgarner (17-9) pulled even with the Los inning, the Angels scored two runs to tie it in gle with one out.