World Series to remember
Washington’s victory in seven-game series delivered first-class entertainment, but bonehead decisions cost Astros
The City of Washington celebrated its first World Series victory with a nail-biting 6-2 victory over the Houston Astros in Game 7 after trailing 2-0 entering the top of the seventh inning.
Cy Young-winning pitcher Zack Greinke had silenced Washington bats with just one hit until the seventh. Anthony Rendon smacked a home run off Greinke with one out, the first ball that was hit hard all night, and that was followed by a walk to Juan Soto.
Houston manager A.J. Hinch pulled Greinke, who looked strong and in command – as he should have been since he threw just 80 pitches. Hinch should have left Greinke in the game and called the bullpen to have ace Gerrit Cole continue throwing in case he was needed. Hinch brought in Will Harris, who served up a two-run home run to Howie Kendrick and that was the ball game.
The Astros had plenty of chances early to put the game away but stranded nine runners in the first five innings. The lack of clutch hitting and a bonehead decision to try a sacrifice bunt in the second inning with the first two runners on and nobody out cost them.
Sacrifice bunting in the first three innings is one of the dumbest plays in baseball. It ranks right next to stealing when behind. One would think that it’s a tactic a major league manager would understand. I see it done here in the Maritimes by guys that just wouldn’t know any better but shouldn’t see it in the World Series.
The Washington franchise was the old Montreal Expos club that relocated in 2002. Washington manager Dave Martinez played for the Expos from 19881991 and shared centre-field duties with Marquis Grissom. Baseball fans in the Maritimes, and throughout Canada, are hoping Major League Baseball returns to Montreal via the Tampa Bay franchise.
LOCAL LOOK
Lots of action on the local sports front this weekend.
The Hunter’s Ale House Mudmen are in Halifax today for the Nova Scotia division one rugby championship against the archrival Halifax Tars.
Luke Beck and his assistant coaches Jason MacDonald, Ben MacDonald and Parker Ronahan and Chris Gallant pulled off two big wins against Nova Scotia major midget teams last
weekend as their very young club is the surprise of the New Brunswick-Prince Edward Island circuit. They hosted Moncton Friday night and head to Fredericton, N.B., on Sunday.
The UPEI Panthers men’s hockey team played Friday night in Moncton and is at UNB tonight before visiting Saint Mary’s Tuesday in a game cancelled in October.
The Charlottetown Islanders hosted Rimouski Friday night,
head to Acadie-Bathurst on Saturday before entertaining Drummondville on Thursday. Centre Jack Campbell from Souris will be in Drummondville’s line-up. The 16-year-old, who played for the Kensington Monaghan Farms Wild last season, has a goal in 13 games in the Q.
On the golf scene, I’ve put my golf clubs away for the season, but fanatics are still playing. Jim MacDougall, the ex-Port Hawkesbury, N.S.,-based Strait
Pirate from the late 1960s, was singing the blues last Saturday at the track. He and Glen MacGonnell were drubbed at Stanhope in a skins game losing to Rob Vessey and Will Johnson.
My condolences to Corey Doucette, a familiar and popular sports figure on the baseball and hockey scene, on the death of his dad Walter Doucette. The race game as well lost another former owner with the death of Gary Cummings, who owned
Armbro Vortex in the Gold Cup and Saucer Trials years ago. My condolences to all connected to this gentleman.
HARNESS RACING
Live harness racing continued today and Sunday at 12:30 p.m. at Red Shores at the Charlottetown Driving Parks with two top cards.
This afternoon Jordies Hope and Collective Wisdom look like the best of the open mares but they’re on the outside of the starting gate with six rivals inside. Sunday, the $2,900 Race 12 top class has Rose Run Quest on the outside Post 7, Veradero Hanover from the rail and five others in between.
At Flamboro Wednesday, Buttermilk Hanover took the top class for driver Robert Shepherd in 1:56, beating Filly Forty Seven and Sodwana Bay.
Former Charlottetown topclass pacer Lisburn was fifth beaten by a length last Saturday in 1:52 on the Breeders Crown Mohawk card and he’s in to go tonight in the opener, same class for $16,000, where he can win.
Mohawk is now contested some races at a distance of 1 3/8 miles with a field of 11. It will be worth watching and is sure to increase the handle.
The Harrisburg Horse Sale gets underway on Monday and continues throughout the week with almost 2,000 horses, yearlings and racehorses, going through the sales ring. Prices at the London Yearling Sale were extremely high as Dr. Ian Moore signed the slip on Marlboro Seelster, a Bettors Delight colt, for $270,000. Local trainer Tom Weatherbie brought home a Sunshine Beach ($18,000) and a Shadow Play ($4,000) while Alex Sobey collared a Control the Moment colt for $15,000.
Jeff Lilley took home a State Treasurer filly for $8,000 while Dave Ratchford from Sydney, N.S., purchased a Sunshine Beach colt for $28,000. Everything Dave touches in recent years has turned to gold so we’ll see with this fella. I was surprised that the State Treasurers sold low, but maybe size had something to do with it. Time will tell whether he’ll be a top sire or not.