For the first time since 2003, the World Series is now a best-of-three series, as the Texas Rangers held the St. Louis Cardinals scoreless last night. This, after a record setting Game-3 where Albert Pujoles homered three at bats in-a-row, tying a World Series Record with Babe Ruth (twice) and Reggie Jackson. Derek Holland was nearly unhittable for Texas, as was former President Bush with the opening pitch. Edwin Jackson was able to hold Texas to a single-run, despite being walk-happy; but those walks came back to haunt the Cardinals in the bottom-of-the-6th, when Tony Larussa brought-in Mitchell Boggs with two runners on and Mike Napoli in the batter’s box. Mitchell’s first pitch was up, and Napoli crushed it – driving in three runs with the reliever’s first pitch of the night – FINAL: Texas 4, Cardinals 0.
While all eyes are on Game-5 of the World Series tonight in Arlington, with a winner to be determined back in St. Louis at Busch Stadium…the tennis world is gearing up for the WTA Championships in Turkey!
The top-8 competing for the 2011 title: Caroline Wozniacki (1), Maria Sharapova (2), Petra Kvitova (3), Victoria Azarenka (4), Li Na (5), Vera Zvonareva (6), Samantha Stosur (7), and Agnieszka Radwanska (8).
Azarenka is coming off a win at Luxembourg over the weekend, and congratulations to Dominika Cibulkova, who won the Kremlin Cup in Moscow!
The WTA Championships start tomorrow with Petra Kvitova vs. Vera Zvonareva.
Something to keep in mind, southeast Turkey just suffered a devastating earthquke Sunday that has killed at least 270 people, as I write this post. Needless to say, Istanbul starts this event with a heavy heart…
The guys’ year-end championship doesn’t hit until November 20th in London – Congratulations to Janko Tipsarevic who won the Kremlin Cup in an all-Serbian final with Viktor Troicki over the weekend. Gael Monfils hoisted the trophy in Stockholm, his first victory of 2011.
This week, the guys are in Vienna and St. Petersburg, looking forward to the ATP-500 events Halloween week in Spain and in Roger Federer’s hometown in Switzerland.
We have to congratulate some young Americans after their performance at the Pan American Games last week in Guadalajara…Irina Falconi won gold in the women’s singles event, while Christina McHale won Bronze. The two also teamed up to win Silver in women’s doubles. Congratulations as well to Nicholas Munroe and Greg Oulette who won Bronze in men’s doubles.
A congratulations to Todd Noonan – I hear rumor that he will be the Director of Ceremonies and Entertainment in Worcester, Massachusetts for the US Fed Cup Tie in February versus Belarus. Dieter Ruhle, the most talented D.J. and organist in the NBA, NHL and Tennis will be on-hand as well to see Serena Williams play at the DCU Center on Super Bowl Weekend.
I look forward to being back up in Massachusetts to spend some time with family, watch the U.S. work its way back to the World Group…and watch the Patriots win “The Big Game.” Yes, as they say in New Hampshire, I guess I am just another Mass Hole…despite now living in Missouri.
Enjoy the WTA Championships this week. Let’s talk tennis again on Halloween…I’ll have a tennis ball in my throat. Can you guess the costume?
