SUNDAY SPORTS
The San Francisco Giants have stretched their post-season unbeaten streak to 10 games. All it took were 18 innings, nearly 6 1/2 hours and one huge homer.
Brandon Belt launched a tiebreaking, solo shot in the 18th inning before Hunter Strickland recorded the last three outs in the Giants’ 2-1 win over the Nationals in Washington. The Giants have a 2-0 lead in the National League Division Series following a game that lasted a playoff-record 6:23 and tied for the most innings ever in a post-season contest.
The marathon was almost avoided by both teams. Nationals starter Jordan Zimmermann gave up just three hits over 8 2/3 innings. He retired 20 straight batters and enjoyed a 1-0 lead before issuing a two-out walk to Joe Panik in the ninth, prompting manager Matt Williams to lift Zimmermann. Drew Storen came on and quickly gave up a single to Buster Posey before Pablo Sandoval laced a game-tying double. Posey almost scored on Sandoval’s hit, but he was tagged out by catcher Wilson Ramos to end the inning and create a marathon.
The Giants’ bullpen was outstanding, allowing just two hits in 10 2/3 innings. The bulk of that work was performed by winning pitcher Yusmeiro Petit, who limited the Nationals to one hit while striking out seven in six innings.
Tanner Roark served up Belt’s tiebreaking homer and took the loss, allowing just that one hit in two innings.
The Giants will look to sweep the Nats Monday in San Francisco.
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Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Dodgers are trying to even their NL Division Series with St. Louis at a game apiece. The Dodgers had a 2-0 lead over the Redbirds in the eighth inning.
Zack Greinke was superb over the first seven innings for Los Angeles, yielding just two hits and two walks while striking out seven. Cardinals starter Lance Lynn wasn’t too bad, either, giving up seven hits while striking out eight in six innings. But Lynn was nicked for two runs in the third on Dee Gordon’s RBI grounder and an RBI single by Adrian Gonzalez.
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Week 5 of the NFL season continues today with a full slate of games. Denver quarterback Peyton Manning tries for his 500th career touchdown pass as the Broncos host the Arizona Cardinals. Manning enters the game with 499 T-D strikes. Brett Favre is the only N-F-L quarterback to reach 500.
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The Jacksonville Jaguars have activated receiver Ace Sanders and waived tight end Mickey Shuler.
The move had been expected and means Sanders will play Sunday against Pittsburgh. The fourth-year pro from South Carolina was suspended the first four games for games for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy.
Sanders caught 51 passes for 484 yards and a touchdown last season, becoming one of 42 rookies over the last 20 years to catch at least 50 passes.
The 0-4 Jaguars need him to play against the Steelers because veteran Cecil Shorts III and rookie Marqise Lee are sidelined with nagging hamstring injuries.
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Radim Vrbata scored the eventual winner and Henrik Sedin had two assists as the Vancouver Canucks closed out their pre-season with a 3-2 victory against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Arena. Chris Higgins and Daniel Sedin also scored for the Canucks. Nail Yakupov and Will Acton replied for the Oilers. Earlier, Ottawa topped Montreal 4-2, and Winnipeg downed Calgary 4-1.
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The New York Islanders and Chicago Blackhawks have engineered a multi-player deal with the NHL season about to begin. The Islanders get defenceman Nick Leddy and goaltender Kent Simpson for defencemen T.J. Brennan and Ville Pokka and the rights to restricted free-agent goaltender Anders Nilsson. Leddy had seven goals and 24 assists in 82 games for Chicago last season.
The Islanders also acquired defenceman Johnny Boychuk from the Bruins for 2015 and 2016 second-round draft picks and a conditional third-round pick.
And the Blackhawks signed Daniel Carcillo to a one-year deal.
(The Associated Press)
