Wednesday, July 25, 2018
Baseball, Basketball and Junior Hockey
The Toronto
Blue Jays wrapped up a weekend of baseball on Sunday afternoon with a
win over the Philadelphia Phillies. They won the series two games to
one, to begin a 7 game road trip. They headed to Boston to play an
afternoon game on Memorial Day.
Americans
recognize Memorial Day in a variety of ways, much as we do
Remembrance Day. One traditional event that captures the imagination
of many Americans is the running of the Indianapolis 500, always very
exciting. This year's winner, Will Power, crossed the finish line
four seconds in front of the rest of the racers.
For the
Jays, the series win was their first since April. They have not had a
good May, and have slipped in the standings to rest above the
Baltimore Orioles, who are securely located in last place. The Jays
have not played consistently good baseball, and have failed to find
players to play well at certain positions, especially at shortstop.
Middle infielders are critical to the game. A team always likes to
have a great combination of shortstop and second baseman to work
together, especially for double plays. Sometimes, it takes years to
develop the magic.
That has not
happened for the Jays, as they have recently resorted to using their
catcher, Russell Martin, to play shortstop. He is the seventh player
they have used at the position this year. The gap, of course, is due
to the injuries to Troy Tulowitzki. He has been missing since last
July, and he is not yet ready to step into the lineup. Gift Ngoepe,
Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Yangervis Solarte, Aldemys, Diaz, Richard Urena,
and Gio Urshela have been given a shot at the job.
The Red Sox
hammered the Jays Monday afternoon. Even Donaldson came up lame at
one point in the game. That would be a bitter pill at this point in
the season.
The National
Basketball Association Championships begin this week in
. The Boston Celtics fell to the Cleveland Cavaliers in game
seven on Sunday night. LeBron James again provided the impetus for
the victory. He player all 48 minutes in the game. He was grabbed,
punched, twisted and fouled repeatedly in the game, but managed to
score 35 points, including key baskets in the final minutes. He left
no doubt that he is the best player in the game today.
On Monday
night, the Golden State Warriors came from behind to win game seven
against the Houston Rockets. They now face the Cavaliers, once again.
Fourth time in four years.
The Memorial
Cup wrapped up last weekend in Regina. The host Pats faced the
Acadie-Bathurst Titan in the final game with a potent lineup, leading
the tournament in most offensive categories. The Titan goalie came up
big, as they say, in the final game to shut out the Pats 3-0. It was
the 100th Memorial Cup. Many of the players in the
tournament will end up in the NHL in the next few years.
On Monday
night, the (Las) Vegas Golden Knights and the Washington Capitals
began their battle for supremacy in the hockey world. They were the
most unlikely competitors, and the odds makers will dole out big
bucks to those of you who chose that match up at the beginning of the
season. The Knights drew first blood with a 6-4 win at home.
Busy time,
in the sports world!
James Hurst
# posted by James Hurst @ 8:40 AM 
