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A23
SPORTS Tuesday 5 November 2019
Mexico beats U.S.

8-2 in Olympic

baseball qualifying

By The Associated Press against the Dutch on
Noah Perio scored the Tuesday.
go-ahead run on a With the score 2-2 in
passed ball by the New the fifth, Perio and Ja-
York Yankees' Erik Kratz vier Salazar singled off
in the fifth inning, Ali Solis Boston prospect Tanner
added a three-run hom- Houck, and Kansas City's
er in the eighth and host Daniel Tillo's relieved with
Mexico beat the United one out and runners at
States 8-2 on Sunday the corners. Juan Per-
night at Guadalajara in ez struck out and Perio
a qualifier for next year's came home on the first
Olympic baseball tour- pitch to Esteban Quiroz. Kevin Harvick (4) crosses the finish line to win a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Texas Motor
nament. Efren Navarro, who Speedway, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2019, in Fort Worth, Texas.
Mexico is assured of fin- played four games for Associated Press
ishing among the top the 2018 Chicago Cubs, Cup title
two teams in Group A of hit a two-run single off
Premier12 tournament, Atlanta's Caleb Thiel-
who advance to a super bar for a 5-2 lead in the Continued from Page 17 Elliott, had accidents that to win. ... There's no doubt
round in Japan. eighth. Solis, who played put them deep in the field. in my mind that we can go
The U.S. needs a victory four games with San Di- He had gotten to Texas fifth Hamlin's 28th-place finish, there and win. In these cir-
Monday over the Do- ego in 2012 and eight for in points, below the cutline six laps behind Harvick, cumstances, I like the chal-
minican Republic to ad- Tampa in 2014, followed for a championship run. dropped him from second lenge."
vance. with a home run. "It's a scenario that takes to fifth in the standings. He CONTENDING WITH TROU-
The top finisher from Felipe Gonzalez got the a lot of pressure off next is 20 points behind Logano, BLE
the Americas qualifies win with 1 1/3 innings of week," car owner Tony and only three ahead of Elliott was in the eighth and
for next year's Olympic two-hit relief, and Jesus Stewart said. "It does take both Larson and Blaney. El- final playoff spot coming
baseball tournament Cruz, Brennan Bernardi- that edge off. ... It's big for liott is 78 points outside the into the race, and stayed
in Japan. Second- and no and Carlos Busta- the organization." final four. there after getting into
third-place finishers from mante combined for 4 Harvick led six times in the Harvick's fourth win this year trouble early. He will have
the Americas go to a 1/3 innings of one-hit re- No. 4 Ford, including the was the 49th of his career, to win at Phoenix to get in
final qualifying tourna- lief. Houck was the loser. final 21 laps and 73 of the matching Stewart for 14th the final four.
ment in March or April. Christian Villanueva, last 80, and finished 1 1/2 on NASCAR's career list. On the ninth lap Sunday, El-
The U.S., managed by who left the Padres for seconds ahead of team- Harvick's only champion- liott got loose and slammed
former big leaguer Scott the Japanese Central mate Aric Almirola. Daniel ship in his 19 Cup seasons hard into the wall. After an
Borsius, opened Satur- League's Yomirui Giants Suarez, the Stewart-Haas came after a win in the extended time on pit road
day with a 9-0 win over after the 2018 season, driver still unsigned for next finale at Miami five years for repairs, he got back on
the Netherlands, and hit a two-run single in season, was third. ago. the track and finished the
Mexico with a 6-1 vic- the first. The U.S. tied the "It is going to be a good "I think every year is dif- race. He finished 22 laps
tory over the Domini- score on home runs by battle for sure," said Lo- ferent. For me, I would tell behind in 32nd place.
can Republic in a game Kratz in the third and Bos- gano, the defending Cup you that I don't think we've "I made a mistake, got
shortened to six innings ton's Bobby Dalbec in champion who remained run as well as we probably loose and crashed. I really
because of rain. The Do- the fourth, both off start- in fourth in points after fin- wanted to run week in and hate that happened," El-
minicans beat the Dutch er Horacio Ramirez, who ishing fourth in the No. 22 week out compared to the liott said.
14-4 in Sunday's earlier last played in the major Team Penske Ford at Texas. things that we expect," Har- Elliott was the runner-up at
game. leagues for the Los An- "We are definitely racing vick said. "But this particular Kansas last month but fin-
Mexico closes Group A geles Angels in 2011.q for that last spot just in case year has been neat for me ished 36th at Martinsville
someone behind us outside to sit back and watch the last week after a mechani-
of the top four wins. ... It's evolution of how we pro- cal failure. There was also
going to be fun." gressed with the race cars, his last-place finish among
Kyle Busch is third in the how the conversations 38 cars at Dover, where his
standings, only two points have progressed, how my engine gave out after only
ahead of Logano. theories and things I think eight laps.
"We all know one guy is are right and wrong have FLASHBACK AT FRONT
going to move through on changed." Seven-time Cup champion
points and we have to do Hamlin got loose coming Jimmie Johnson has gone
whatever we have to do out the fourth turn on the a career-long 93 races
in order to be that guy," 81st lap and slid off the without winning, but he led
Busch said. track and through the in- nearly half of the second
Truex finished sixth at Texas, field. The No. 11 Joe Gibbs stage at Texas.
a week after clinching his Racing Toyota was dam- Johnson led 40 laps in the
title chance with a win at aged after slamming hard second 85-lap segment at
Martinsville. Playoff con- across the grass and over Texas, where he has won a
tenders Busch and Ryan asphalt. record seven times. His last
Blaney were seventh and "Just lost control. That's all win there came in the 2017
eighth, with Kyle Larson there is to it," Hamlin said. spring race, about two
12th. The other contenders, "Did the best we could, and months before his last Cup
Denny Hamlin and Chase we'll go to Phoenix and try win at Dover.q