Waiting On Hurricane Earl…

As the calendar turned toward September, folks in this neck of the woods had one eye on the weather forecast and the other on whatever else occupied their lives as a bad-ass hurricane was barreling up the Eastern Seaboard. In the days leading up to the storm, it was H-O-T hot around these parts, 95-100°. The last time I can recall a week leading up to Labor Day Weekend being this hot was my senior year at the local high, doing two-a-days in the brutal heat, and that was like almost forty years ago.

The Sox were off on Monday, but the Yanks and Rays both played and won, so the Sox are now seven games back with 30 games remaining.

Prior to Tuesday night’s opener, the Sox shipped Manny Delcarmen to the Colorado Rockies for Single-A RHP Chris Balcom-Miller. Manny’s time for his hometown team had run its course. He’d been in the Sox system since getting drafted in 2000 and was part of a World Series winner in ’07. He was a regular in the bullpen since 2005 and posted really good numbers through 2008. The last two years, not so good. Maybe all he needs is a change of scenery to recapture his really good stuff. Best of luck to a hometown kid who made good. As far as Balcom-Miller, we don’t know if he’s a warm body or a live arm. The people who get paid to scout the minors should know and hopefully the trade will pay dividends down the line.

On a 92° night in Baltimore, Josh Beckett (4-3, 6.50) got the start against lefty Brian Matusz (6-12, 4.79), who was widely considered one of the top young arms making his way up the Orioles’ chain. The Orioles recently hired Buck Showalter as their new skipper and he’s had the team playing much better ball since taking over. He’s been successful in his three prior stops (Yanks, D-Backs, Rangers), so why not with the O’s? Provided they give him a long enough rope… Nick Markakis doubled to the left-center gap with one out in the first. He regularly tortures Red Sox pitching. Ty Wigginton followed with a base hit into the hole in short that Scuturo held onto. Luke Scott (who’s hitting .444 against Beckett) singled to right, scoring Markakis. In the third, the O’s scored two more as Brian Roberts singled and went to second on a wild pitch. With two outs, Scott walked and Adam Jones followed with a grounder to short. Scutaro, trying to get a force at second, threw wildly to second allowing two runs to score. (sigh) The Sox made it close in the fifth when Jed Lowrie smacked a long two-run homer to left. In the sixth, the Sox loaded the bases with two outs before getting caught looking at a low third strike. Lowell was hopping mad and the replay indicated that he had a beef. In the seventh, Drew walked and Lowrie singled to right. After Matusz was replaced by Johnson, Hall bunted both runners into scoring position. Scutaro then hit a weak grounder to third preventing the runners from advancing and Nava struck out looking (oh, the pain…). VMart singled to open up the eighth and Johnson was relieved by Mike Gonzalez. Ortiz hit a nasty liner that was tracked down by Felix Pie in left and Gonzalez’ night was over after two pitches. Koji Uehara came on and retired the next two batters, so that’s 6 LOB in the last three innings. Felix Doubront came on in relief of Beckett in the bottom of the eighth and surrendered a bomb to Luke Scott with one out that carried over the stands in right and onto the walkway. With two outs, Pie rocked another blast over the wall to make it 5-2. Get ready for a long September, kids, ‘cause things are going to get pretty ugly here on out…

The media has already thrown in the towel for this year, and they may have a good point after last night’s most disheartening loss. Fans can’t reasonably point the finger at Beckett, especially since the offense left so many runners on base. In Tuesday’s middle game, Jon Lester (14-8, 3.12) got the call against Jake Arrieta (4-6, 5.10). It turns out that Felix Doubront was suffering from a mild strain of the upper pectoral muscle, ah, so that explains last night’s dreadful outing. The Sox also recalled Eric Patterson, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and pitcher Dustin Richardson as the September callups begin to filter in from Pawtucket.

It was another scorcher at Camden Yards on Wednesday, as the Sox looked to rebound after a dreadful loss to—the worst team in the American League. Scutaro singled leading off and scored on Ortiz’ double off the wall in right to give the Sox an early 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the first, Lugo and Markakis both singled with one out. Lester then hit Wigginton to load the bases. Adam Jones and Felix Pie followed with back-to-back doubles and it was quickly 4-1. The Sox picked up another run in the second as Nava singled with two outs and scored on Kalish’s double. In the bottom of the second, Lester ran into more two-out trouble as Lugo singled, Markakis walked and Wigginton doubled in another run. He was able to strike out Jones swinging, but was already up to 60 pitches in two innings. The Sox made it 5-3 in the fifth on Drew’s solo homer and Arrieta’s night was over by then. Through five, Lester had struck out eight, but gave up six hits. By the sixth, he was really worn down as Wieters and Reimold both singled with one out. With two outs, Brian Roberts walked but Lester came back to whiff Lugo (which is the least he ought to do considering the Red Sox are still paying him $9M this year). In the seventh, with Hendrickson pitching for the O’s, Darnell McDonald (pinch hitting for Nava) singled and then Scutaro tied the score with one out by taking a fastball over the wall in left. Drew walked and Hendrickson was replaced by Alfredo Simon. VMart then drove a double that rolled all the way to the wall and Drew scored from first. After Ortiz received a free pass, Beltre took a Simon fastball over the wall in left and it was 9-5 Sox. The O’s got a run back in the eighth on Reimold’s sacrifice fly, though Bard pitched well in his two innings of work. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, home plate umpire took a nasty foul tip either on the knee or somewhere very sensitive and went down in a heap. After the O’s trainer came out, Hallion was helped to his feet and had to leave the game. The second base umpire, Lance Barksdale had to go into the dressing room and put on the tools before the game could continue. A few pitches later, Papelbon disposed of the last batter for his 34th save and the Sox came away with nice comeback win.

Prior to the game, the American League awarded Clay Buchholz as Pitcher of the Month for August, so that was a nice way to close out the road trip. In the finale, Daisuke (8-4, 4.19) squared off against Brad Bergesen (6-9, 5.55). Camden Yards has not been particularly kind to Daisuke. Beltre led off the second with a long homer to left to put the Sox up 1-0. Lowrie followed with a single and Lowell walked. Nava reached on Wigginton’s muff, scoring Lowrie, and then Kalish doubled, bringing in Lowell with the third run. With two outs, Scutaro walked and Ortiz lined a base hit to left-center, scoring Nava and Kalish to make it 5-0, Sox. Markakis broke up Daisuke’s no-hitter with one out in the fourth with a double to right, but Luke Scott popped out to third to end the inning. The O’s got some bodies in motion as Bell singled, Roberts doubled and Markakis followed with a base hit to drive in the O’s first run of the game. Wigginton then bounced out to Daisuke and Roberts scored to make it 5-2. Scott then walked. With two outs, Wieters banged a double scoring two more runs and the manager elected to hand things over to Oh No Atchison, who struck out Reimold looking. In the seventh, Ortiz led off with a walk and Beltre was hit by a pitch. Lowell bounced into a force and Ortiz came in the back door to make it 6-4. Atchison pitched two clean innings before Okajima was brought in to face Luke Scott, who fouled out to third. Papelbon entered in the bottom of the ninth and allowed back-to-back singles to Pie and Wieters. Corey Patterson bunted both runners into scoring position. But Pap came back to strike out Izturis and Bell and the Sox came away with the win and a split on the road trip.

The ChiSox (and Manny) come to town:

After the “Hurricane” (such as it was) forced the cancellation of Friday night’s game, the teams played two on Saturday. After a week of unusually hot weather, Saturday was a pitcture perfect day, in the mid-70’s. In the opener, Clay Buchholz (15-5, 2.21) stared against tough lefty John Danks (12-9, 3.65). After Konerko singled to lead off the second, Manny stepped to plate and did not receive a “warm” welcome from the Fenway crowd. Manny lined an inside fastball to right, putting runners on the corners. Pierzynski grounded into a 4-6-3 twin killing and Konerko came in the back door with the first run of the game. Andruw Jones followed with a ground-rule double that one-hopped the low wall in right, but Buchholz was able to avoid further trouble by striking out Alexei Ramirez. Beltre singled to right leading off the the bottom of the second and made it to third on Lowell’s long double that bounced off the wall in the triangle. Lowrie then walked to load the bases but Hall grounded into a force play. Konerko led off the fourth with a long ground-rule double to right and scored on Pierzynski’s pop single that dropped in centerfield. The Sox got on the board in the fifth when Hall singled to left, McDonald walked and Scutaro followed with a line drive single up the middle. Buchholz (who had already thrown 95 pitches) was finished after five as Atchison came on in relief. With two outs, Atchison surrendered back-to-back singles to Konerko and Manny but was able to get out of the jam on a ground out. Andruw Jones doubled off the wall leading off the seventh, but was cut down at third when Ramirez bunted the ball right back to Atchison. Beckham doubled down the line in left and the speedy Ramirez came all the way around from first to make it 3-1. Wake entered in the top of the eighth and quickly retired the side in order. John Danks entered in the bottom of the ninth and slammed the door shut, giving the White Sox the victory in the opener.

On to the nightcap, where Lackey (12-8, 4.60) got the call against Gavin Floyd (9-11, 3.86). Carlos Quentin led off the top of the third by ripping a gap shot that rolled into the triangle for a three-bagger. With one out, Quentin scored when he knocked the ball out of Saltalamacchia’s glove on Beckham’s routine 3-2 force. It was a heady play, as Quentin barged into Saltalamacchia with the intent of popping the ball loose. In the fourth, Konerko walked with one out, Teahen followed with a two-out single to right and Quentin was hit by a pitch, no doubt in retaliation for his crashing the plate earlier. Both benches were warned, prompting a mild objection from Ozzie. Castro was then caught looking at a third strike and Lackey was able to get out of the jam. The Sox tied the score in the bottom of the fifth when Kalish led off with a walk and Hall and Scutaro followed with back-to-back singles. Chicago went ahead 2-1 in the seventh as Teahen singled and Quentin doubled off the wall. Kalish’s throw back to the infield was way wild. Teahen scored and Quentin took third. Castro followed with a sacrifice fly to left and Quentin scored to make it 3-1. Scott Linebrink relieved Floyd in the bottom of the seventh. With two outs, rookie Chris Sale (who was just drafted by Chicago in June) stepped to the mound. He walked Drew but Drew was wiped out on a force to end the inning. Sale stayed on for the bottom of the ninth, but ran into trouble as Beltre singled and Saltalamacchia walked, so Ozzie called on Danks to shut the door. Darnell McDonald flew out to center and Chicago took both ends of the doubleheader by identical 3-1 finals.

Want to know why the Sox lost both ends of the doubleheader yesterday? 19 LOB pretty much tells the story. In Sunday afternoon’s finale, Josh Beckett (4-4, 6.21) got the call against Chicago’s ace lefty Mark Buehrle (12-10, 3.95). Marco Scutaro was held out of the lineup as he will undergo an MRI for his ailing shoulder. Manny was given the day off by White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. Quentin doubled leading off the second and went to third on Pierzynski’s single to left. Alexei Ramirez followed with a line drive single to right, driving in the first run. Beckett then struck out the next two batters before retiring Pierre on a comebacker to the mound. In the third, Vizquel singled and Rios doubled but Konerko bounced into a 5-2 force. After a wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position, Beckett came back to strike out Quentin and Pierzynski, who each barked at the home plate ump when he delivered the news. In the bottom of the third, the Sox came right back as McDonald and Lowrie reached on back-to-back singles with one out. With two outs, Ortiz delivered by ripping a double into the gap in right center, driving in both runners. Beckett ran into two-out trouble in the fourth as Beckham and Pierre singled but Vizquel struck out looking to kill that threat. With Beckett now over 100 pitches, Pierre led off the seventh with a walk and stole second. Martinez’ throw appeared as if it arrived on time but popped out of Navarro’s glove. With one out, Pierre went to third on an errant pickoff throw by Beckett and Rios walked. That was the afternoon for Beckett. With Bard now pitching, Rios stole second but Konerko struck out swinging at a high fastball. Quentin then lined a hard single that bounced off the face of the mound and took a funny hop. Bard went out to retrieve the ball but threw wildly, scoring Pierre and Rios to give the White Sox a 3-2 lead. The Sox regained the lead in the bottom of the seventh when Victor Martinez whacked a two-run bomb over everything in left. Okajima entered in the eighth and allowed a single to Pierzynski. With one out, Manny came on to pinch hit and the manager called for Papelbon. Manny was grazed by a pitch, but Papelbon got Beckham on a called third strike and Pierre on a short pop to left. With Linebrink now pitching, Beltre hammered a long shot that hit on top of the Wall in center for a double. He moved to third on a wild pitch and came in the back door on Hall’s grounder to short. The ninth inning was like having root canal work without anasthesia. Vizquel worked Papelbon long and hard on the count. Rios did the same thing before walking. Papelbon went over 40 pitches (a season-high) before Quentin hit a pop double that scored Rios. Castro then singled, bringing in pinch runner Lillebridge with the tying run. After Alexei Ramirez walked, the manager had wisely lifted Papelbon. The manager called upon Dustin Richardson, who promptly walked Teahen to load the bases and was promptly removed. Robert Manuel entered and walked Beckham, bringing in Castro with the go-ahead run. This is the result of the manager having no reliable seventh-inning arms in the bullpen. Ramirez then walked and it was 7-5. The White Sox brought out reliable lefty/set-up guy Matt Thornton to close things out. He struck out Kalish, McDonald and got Scutaro to pop out to end a miserable afternoon for the Hometown Nine. Well, at least the weather was beautiful.

To the Gridiron:

Brandon Spikes: What…on…earth…were…you…thinking? Or were you thinking at all? (Apparently not at the moment in question) The privilege of being blessed to wear the uniform of a National Football League team also brings a corresponding responsibility to conduct your personal affairs with the knowledge that certain actions (such as posting your “private activities” on the internet) will undoubtedly find their way into the public domain and cause you and your employer serious embarrassment. What people choose to do in their private places is none of anyone’s business. Why film them? Please note that the public is getting exceedingly tired of knuckle-dragging cretins who misbehave like this.

The Patriots’ defense received another serious blow after it was revealed that Leigh Bodden was placed on season-ending IR with a shoulder injury. First Ty Warren was done for the year with a hip injury, and now this.

Patriots Exhibition Game 4 at NY Giants (9/2/10):

Usually the final exhibition game is a tune up for the second stringers and a final opportunity for the bubble guys to win a roster spot. Rosters will be cut from 75 to the final 53 and for a lot of young men, this game represents the last time they will play competitive football again. Based on the Patriots’ lackluster performance last week, there were rumors bandied about in the media that Coach Belichick was going to play some of the starters. After Bodden went out with rotator cuff surgery, the Patriots’ secondary is now the youngest in the NFL and these guys need all the reps they can get prior to the opener with the Bengals.

The first opportunity we had to see the New Meadowlands Stadium was at the USA-Brazil friendly last month. The PSL’s cost a small fortune and many long-time Jets and Giants season-ticket holders won’t be able to pay the freight. The co-tenants will rely on the corporate crowd to pick up the tab. It’s simply more evidence that the NFL is forgetting its roots.

The game time temperature was well over 90° at game time and the stadium was about 60% full. The Patriots kicked off and Sergio Brown made a great tackle at the 14.
Eli Manning came out to start for the G-Men. Ahmad Bradshaw had two good runs, moving the ball to the 30. From there, Manning hit Kevin Boss over the middle for 23. After a penalty against the Pats, Manning connected with Bradshaw inside the 20. So far, the Pats first-team D has put up only token resistance. From the 13, Manning hit Boss on the left side and Boss rumbled in for the touchdown. The point after was no good and the G-Men took an early 6-0 lead. Thomas Clayton had a great return, bringing the ball back to the Giants’ 45. After a Giant penalty, Brady connected with Crumpler on the right to the 20. From there, Brady hung a fastball that Randy Moss grabbed at the 6. On third-and-goal, Brady hit Gronkowski on a cross route at the goal line, and he carried in for the score. With the point after, the Pats went up 7-6. After a touchback, the G-Men started out at the 20. Hakeem Nicks ran a nice reverse right for 15. Manning then connected with Hicks for another 19. The G-Men then attempted a flea-flicker but Manning batted the ball out of bounds, resulting in a 10-yard penalty. On third down, Manning through a long bomb intended for Nicks down the right sideline, but it was broken up nicely by McCourty. Manning whined for a pass interference call, but they’ll probably give it to him come regular season. The Pats started out their next drive at the 3, where Brady connected with Welker over the middle at the 17. Brady then went for a deep ball intended for Moss, but was intercepted by Antrel Rolle, who returned the ball back to the Giants’ 30. Moss was wide open but Brady’s pass was considerably short. Rhett Bomar came on to relieve Manning, and he completed a couple of passes bringing the ball into Pats’ territory as the first quarter ended.

Bomar connected with UMass’ Victor Cruz to the 7. Once more, the secondary was out to lunch on the play. On third down, the Pats brought the heat and Bomar folded up his tent. Tynes hit a 25-yarder and the G-Men went back ahead 9-7. Brady’s night ended as Brian Hoyer replaced him at quarterback. The Pats started out at the 20, where Laurence Maroney made his first appearance in a dog’s age. He tip-toed for 2, and the Pats had to punt away. Mario Manningham had a nice return out to the 45. Sergio Brown made a nice tackle and nearly blocked a punt, so he was making a strong statement to stay. On third down, Hoyer connected with Rob Myers over the middle for 26, but the drive ran out of steam at midfield and Mosko’s punt pinned the Giants inside the 10. From there, DJ Ware went off right tackle for 20. But an incomplete pass (challenged) caused the Giants to punt away. In the final minute of the quarter, Hoyer was able to move the ball to the Giants’ 40. From there, Hoyer connected with Aiken at the 28. Three incompletions later, Gostkowski banged a 45-yarder off the right upright, but the ball fell through the goalposts and the Pats went ahead with 27 seconds left.

The Pats opened the third quarter inside the 20. Hoyer and Maroney stayed out there, but it was second teamers that filled both teams’ interior lines. Maroney had two carries in the opening sequence but didn’t gain much. Hoyer had much more success with the passing game as Price made a couple of nice gains. Hoyer was then intercepted by Goff on a pass he had no business throwing. He was facing heavy pressure and instead of throwing the ball away (or eating it), he threw blindly into the spot where Goff was standing. Bomar was then sacked by Ninkovich for a five-yard loss. On fourth-and-1 at the 40, the G-Men went for it and picked up four. The Giants eventually settled for a short field goal by Tynes to take a 12-10 lead. The Pats started out at the 13, where Hoyer completed a long pass to Owens, who broke a couple of tackles and was hauled down at the Giants’ 12. He then hit Carson Butler down to the 2. Clayton carried to the goal line but was stopped cold on both second and third downs. Belichick elected to go for it from the one-foot line on fourth down as time in the quarter ran out.

Green-Ellis went off right tackle and…was hauled down short by Brian Keel from the back side. The Giants’ goal line D did a nice job out there. The Pats ended up sacking Bomar inside the 10 and Price returned the ball out to the 40. It was time to let the clock roll as the scrubs were going to take care of business for the rest of the game. Mosko had another decent punt inside the 10. After marching the Giant offense all the way to the Pats’ 30, Bomar’s pass intended for Calhoun was tipped and intercepted by Willingham, who returned the ball to the 26. Hoyer stayed out there and hit Jenkins on a sideline pass and Jenkins took it to the house! It was a nice play, as Jenkins went in motion to the right, took the pass and waited for his blockers to get out front and then blew past the Giants secondary all the way to the end zone. Late in the game, Hoyer was sacked and took a hard hit on the bridge of his nose. He was removed from the game and was attended by the training staff. At two-minute warning, Bomar connected with Calhoun on an inside slant and he took it 60 yards for the go-ahead score. The Giants went for two and Johnson took it up the gut to give them a 20-17 lead with 1:49 left in the game. On fourth and 10 with Zac Robinson now quarterbacking, Price made a circus catch but it was ruled that he had one foot out of bounds. The Giants took over on downs and killed the clock from there, winning an utterly meaningless game 20-17.

Saskatchewan Roughriders Game 9 v. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (9/4/10)

"Labour Day Kickoff Classic Weekend"

It was simply a magnificent Sunday afternoon for football in the Prairies as the Riders met their long time Labour Day rivals from Winnipeg. The Riders had won the previous five Classics and a packed and crazy house, all decorated in green wildly cheered on their beloved team.

After the Riders won the toss, the initial drive went two n’ out but Eddie Johnson’s 68-yard punt soared into the end zone and was not returned, giving the Riders an early 1-0 lead. On the Riders’ next series, they were able to move the ball but their forward advance was helped significantly by two roughing the passer calls on Winnipeg’s Willis. Eventually, they were able to push the ball near the goal line but had to settle for a field goal by Congi to make the score 4-0. On first down, Bombers executed a perfect reverse/pitch out and Buck Pierce hit Bowman downfield for a down to the Riders’ 17 but the drive fizzled and the Bombers had to settle for a Palardy field goal to make it 4-3. Starting out their next drive, the Bombers’ Pierce hit Bowman again and the Bombers were at the Riders’ 40 as the quarter expired.

Pierce took a shot down the right sideline, but his pass was tipped by Chris McKenzie and intercepted by James Patrick, who returned the ball back to the Bombers’ 44. From the 30, Durant connected with Fantuz on the right sideline and he fell out of bounds at the 2. Two plays later, Wes Cates took it right up the middle and the Riders were ahead 11-3. On first down, the Bombers’ Davis made a tremendous one-handed grab for a 12-yard gain. Patrick then went down with a knee injury. The Bombers ended up punting away from midfield and Dorsey was able to return the ball to the 22. The drive went two n’ out and the Bombers took over at the 45. Jerrell Freeman made a key stop, hauling down Pierce short of the first down. At the three-minute warning, the Bombers were knocking on the door at the Riders’ 20, thanks to two successful attempts on third down to pick up a first. From there, Palardy knocked in a 36-yard field goal to make it 11-6. Durant was then intercepted by Brandon Stewart, who returned the ball back to midfield. On second and 7 from the 37, Pierce hit Fred Reid out of the backfield, who rumbled down to the 17. On second and goal from the 5, Pierce rolled right while attempting to find a target and was hauled down at the 2. The Bombers then went for the smart move and Palardy kicked a chip shot to make it 11-9. Truth be told, the Bombers out hit the Riders at the line of scrimmage and Durant did not play especially well.

Winnipeg had first crack to open the second half and quickly moved the ball into Riders’ territory. The Bombers then successfully executed a third-and-inches as Pierce pushed ahead on the keeper. Justin Palardy’s field goal went wide right, so the Bombers had to settle for the single to make it 11-10. On the Bombers’ next drive, Pierce attempted to escape a heavy rush but was hit and fumbled. Barrin Simpson scooped up the ball and the Riders were in good position. On first-and-20, Durant connected with Rodriguez, who went down the left sideline for 17. From the 15, Durant found Getzlaf over the middle and he stumbled to the 2. From there, Cates banged it in off left tackle and Congi’s point after made it 18-10, Riders. After shutting down the Bombers’ next drive, Dorsey fumbled Renaud’s punt and Winnipeg recovered at the 21. Two plays later, Fred Reid went up the middle from the 2. With the point after, it was back to a one-point game at 18-17. The Bombers then brought the heat on the Riders’ next possession so Johnson was forced to punt away. It was then the Riders’ turn to rush Pierce and he was decked by Simpson on the final play of the quarter and was slow to get back up.

On second down Durant’s pass was wrestled out of Stewart’s hands by Dressler for a first down. Then Durant was whacked hard by Hopkins. He fumbled and the refs ruled that Winnipeg recovered. The Riders Coach Miller challenged the ruling, claiming Durant’s arm position was not in the act of throwing. The ball actually slipped away from Durant while being sacked it was the correct call. On second and 8 from the 43, Pierce was sacked by Freeman and Simpson as the Riders dodged a bullet. Durant was able to scramble for a first down out to the 31 and Cates was able to carry for another at the 42. Durant then found Cates out of the backfield, Cates leaped to make the catch at midfield. Durant connected with Getzlaf, who bounced out of bounds at the 11. From there, Durant took it right on a quarterback draw for a touchdown that put the Riders ahead, 25-17 with less than seven minutes remaining. The Bombers then conceded a single, as Eddie Johnson's kickoff boomed deep into the end zone. The Bombers were then pinned deep in their end after another terrific punt. After a couple of penalties against Winnipeg nearly back to the goal line, Pierce completed a short pass, but suffered an arm injury when his pocket broke down. He was immediately sent to the dressing room for treatment as it looked like a serious injury. On the Riders’ next possession, Durant threw a long pass that Fantuz bobbled with a defender on his back and carried into the end zone. A review indicated that Fantuz never had possession upon crossing the plane and the call was overturned. It didn’t matter as there was less than a minute left. Johnson’s punt went into the end zone and the Riders were up 27-17. Steven Jyles entered in relief of Pierce and was quickly able to complere a series of passes bringing the ball to the 15. Jyles hit Bowman with a 3-yard touchdown pass, but the point after was no good as the holder bobbled the snap and a desperation toss by Renaud was deflected away. Renaud’s on-side kick was tipped out of bounds by Rodriguez and all Durant needed to do was to take a quick knee and this one was over. This game had everything you could ask for from a physicality point of view. Winnipeg really hit hard, moreso in the first half but the Riders came back in the second to match the intensity level.

Soccer Time:

There was great news regarding the US Men's National Team, as the US Soccer Federation has extended Bob Bradley's contract as coach through the 2014 World Cup. USMNT has made good strides under Bradley's leadership and it was a wise move to lock him up through the next round of qualifiers and the big tournament.

Piacenza Calcio 2010-2011:

Not to be neglectful, but the “crack reporting staff” of this publication has been so busy tending to “serious and important stuff” that we completely forgot about the opening of the Serie B calcio season and the start of our favorite team, Piacenza. Last year, their performance was mediocrity defined, going 14-15-13-55, good for 15th spot on the 22-team table (five spots down from the year before). In July, they replaced the last manager (a seemingly annual event) with former Piacenza star midfielder Armando Madonna (hat tip to the surname). He was formerly the head man at AlbinoLeffe (where he nearly led them to promotion) before being shown the door. Many of the familiar players have returned along with former star Daniele Cacia, who had been working in Serie A for the past few seasons. They’ve also brought in long-time Serie A midfielder Sergio Volpi to bolster the middle of the attack. Is this the year they’ll contend for promotion, or will they be satisfied with floating around the middle of the table? Well, it’s too early in the season to say for sure…but we’ll be taking note of names and number until next spring.

They lost the opener at Modena 1-0 on August 22nd on Cristian Pasquato’s goal in extra time, but rebounded on the 28th for a 1-1 draw with Frosinone at the Garilli. Cacia scored in the third but Francesco Lodi equalized for Frosinone in the 9th. On Sunday, the 5th, biancorossi traveled to Oreste Granillo to face Reggina, where they lost 2-0 on goals by Antonino Barilla (3) and Francesco Cosenza (27), so needless to say, they have not begun the new campaign in resounding fashion…

Superliga Final New England Revolution vs. Monarcas Morelia (9/1/10)

Revs tried to give some meaning to an otherwise lost season by picking up some hardware at this tournament. They’re not going to make the playoffs and this match is the highlight of their season. Since it was not publicized ay all in the anglo media, one was left to speculate whether only the die hards trekked to Gillette to watch…and that’s all who were there.

Revs came out in all white while Morelia appeared in their gold, red and blue kits. Matt Reis and Kevin Alston returned to the lineup after having missed Saturday’s match. The bad news was that Kenny Mansally and Sammy Nyassi were called away for international duty with Gambia and were unavailable. The loss of both players’ speed on the edges may hurt Revs’ chances tonight. In the opening moments, Alston was badly beaten on a play down the left side by Hugo Droguett, but the assistant referree had the flag up. Revs had their first set piece in the seventh as Salazar fouled Stolica, but Perovic’s free kick never made it past the wall. Neither side really pressed the action in the first 10 minutes as it was still stiflingly hot out there on the Field Turf. In the 13th, Monarcas had their first corner but Hernandez’ kick was deflected out of danger. In the 19th, Reis was tested as Luis Gabriel Rey broke into the box through traffic and Reis came out of position to kick the ball away. In the 22nd, Fernando Salazar fouled Stolica and Perovic’s resulting free kick curled just wide right. In the 25th, Ismael Pineda’s mid-range rocket smacked off the bar. In the 29th, Miguel Sabah broke into the box to Reis’ left and rocked a shot that went just wide. Reis fully extended himself to grab the ball but was too late. Monarcas came back with a corner and Romero’s header hit the bar. Monarcas definitely had the better of the play in the first half hour. Alston and Rey had a disagreement after Rey kicked Osei from behind in the Revs’ end. Sabah was booked in the 39th for a reckless tackle on Osei. Just before the half ended, Stolica and Romero tangled while going up for a ball. Stolica was elbowed in the throat and he picked up the foul, go figure. Scoreless at the half, but the Revs picked up their play considerably over the last 10 minutes.

Revs started out with a set piece early on, but Stolica’s shot from in tight was saved by Federico Vilar. That was as close as Revs have gotten so far tonight. A minute later, Droguett put one on goal that Reis turned aside. In the 54th, Rey rocked a left-footed blast that Reis leaped to knock away. Revs had their best chance so far in the 57th, as Dube broke in from Tierney’s header but it was blocked by Vilar, and then Stolica’s rebound went wide right. Things got chaotic in the Revs’ end at the hour mark, as Reis was way out of position as a cross came dangerously close. Darius Barnes fouled Rey in the box in the 62nd, and a penalty was awarded and Sabah banged in the penalty kick to put Monarcas ahead, 1-0. The foul was the result of Alston’s inability to clear the ball out of danger. His pass ended up at Barnes’ feet, who was already tangled up with Rey. What a bonehead move! Khano Smith entered for Tierney in the 70th and then Schliawski came on for Osei as well as Roberto Linck entering for Dube as Nicol needed to get fresh legs out for the final 20. Monarcas made it 2-0 in the 75th as Sabah picked up a rebound from a header directly in front of the box and let go a left footed blast that went high and behind Reis. Now, that was a big league goal. Revs finally scored in the 79th, as Alston took a nice feed from Schilawski, wheeled into the box and slid a low ball into the left corner of the goal. In the 86th, Alston took a nasty spikes-high kick from Lozano on what appeared to be his head on a 50/50 ball. Lozano was booked and Phelan took exception to the play and gave Lozano a rough shove. In the 89th, Reis made a nice stop of Lugo’s shot from the right. Sabah received a red card in stoppage time after colliding with Reis after the goalie came out of the box to retrieve the ball. Revs had a desperation corner but Joseph’s header went over the net. At the very end, Gibbs placed a hard shot on goal that was blocked by Vilar. They fought to the end, but no cigar. So, Morelia es el campéon de Superliga2010. Penalty kick or no, they played a much better match and deserve the trophy. Congratulations.

New England Revolution Match 22 v. Seattle Sounders: (9/4/10):

The 6-12-3-21 Revs returned to the MLS calendar looking to build a little momentum heading into the final stretch of the season with a home date against the 9-8-5-32 Seattle Sounders. In their second year, Sounders have not taken the soccer world by storm as they did in 2009, but have posted a respectable record with a chance of making the playoffs in October. The storm clouds had cleared by kickoff time and it was a beautiful night for the beautiful game in Foxboro.

Revs started attacking right away, as Ilija Stolica drove a ball just seconds in from the penalty area that was scooped up by Kasey Keller. In the 7th, Kheli Dube fired a long-distance blast that Keller turned aside. Dube came back in the 11th with a shot from the penalty area that went wide. Reis was tested in the 14th as Mike Seamon shot from the left corner of the penalty area was stopped. Roger Levesque free kick in the 24th resulting from Seth Sinovic’s foul on Álvaro Fernández was snared by Reis. Both sides traded chances throughout the remainder of the half, though none were serious.

Moving into the second half, Seth Sinovic’s shot in the 54th from just outside the box went just wide. Sounders regrouped and scored the first goal of the match in the 58th as Steve Zakuani took a beautiful feed from Álvaro Fernández in the right side of the penalty area and drove the ball past Reis. Seattle’s Fredy Montero was booked in the 65th for a hard tackle on Kevin Alston. Dube’s free kick from the border of the penalty area was stopped by Keller. Chris Tierney equalized in the 70th when he took a nice ball from Shalrie Joseph and stuffed it past Keller. The Revs weren’t finished, as three minutes later, Marko Perovic drove a ball from inside the box behind Keller to put the Revs ahead 2-1. In the 81st, Revs went up 3-1 on Dube’s goal in tight, from a feed by Stolica. Perovic was booked three minutes later for a knock on Patrick Ianni. In a lengthy period of extra time, Sounders had a couple of chances though no serious tests upon Reis. All in all, it was a highly entertaining match as well as a satisfying win against a better team. At this point, Revs should just go out and have fun with the balance of the schedule.

Wrexham Match 7 at Newport County (9/5/10):

Dragons traveled to a rain-soaked Newport Stadium for a date with Newport County, looking to grab some points and remain in the playoff hunt. In the 12th, NC’s Craig Reid had a nice shot inside the box from the right that went wide. Christian Smith’s header from in close in the 20th went wide. Dragons went ahead 1-0 in the 23rd as Andrew Morrell cleanly picked Curtis Obeng’s throw in and fired a low left-footed shot into the lower left corner of the goal from about 12 yards out. In the 29th, Jay Harris followed up with a good try from outside the box that was blocked by NC’s Jamie Collins. Just before the half, Nathaniel Knight-Percival’s shot from the left corner of the box went wide right.

Wrexham’s Neil Ashton was sent off in the 48th with a red card for a tackle on Charlie Henry just as he broke into the box. NC was awarded a penalty, but Craig Reid’s kick hit the crossbar. Dragons dodged a bullet there, but would have to play a man down thereafter. NC’s Chris Todd had a shot from in close that went wide. Knight-Percival was booked in the 69th for a rough tackle on NC’s Paul Bignot. On the ensuing free kick, Daniel Rose’s cross was knocked away by Scott Shearer. In the 73rd, NC’s Eddie Anaclet’s shot from outside the box was stopped by Shearer. At this point, NC’s man advantage loomed large. Dragons needed fresh legs as Andrew Magnan replaced Morrell. In the 76th, Sam Foley’s blast from the left side of the box was tipped over the bar by Shearer. Charlie Henry’s ensuing corner was knocked out of danger. In the final 10 minutes, NC really pressed the action with the man advantage. In the 80th, Harris fouled Daniel Rose and Todd’s header from Rose’s free kick was snatched away by Shearer. Three minutes later, Tony Taggart’s header was caught by Shearer. In the 84th, Jamie Collins’ header from Rose’s cross went wide left. In the 88th, Harris fouled NC’s Taggart, and on Foley’s free kick into the box, Darryl Knights was at the right place (6 yards out) and knocked in the equalizer. Moving into extra time, Reid’s blast went over the bar. Christian Smith was booked for a handball and NC’s Rose had one last chance on goal before the referee whistled full time. Dragons were indeed fortunate to walk away from this match with a point.