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A14 sports
Monday 7 noveMber 2022
Astros' Peña 1st rookie hitter to win

World Series MVP

Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena celebrates with the trophy after their 4-1 World Series win
against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 6 on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022, in Houston.
Associated press
Gemma Dryburgh of Scotland kisses the trophy after winning
the LPGA Tour’s Toto Japan Classic at the Seta Golf Club in By RONALD BLUM AP Baseball Writer Peña's 18th-inning homer completed a Di-
Shiga, Japan, Sunday, Nov. 6, 2022. HOUSTON (AP) — Jeremy Peña's key to vision Series sweep at Seattle and he hit a
Associated Press success was keeping his head dry. go-ahead drive off Noah Syndergaard in
Capping a freshman season like no other, Game 5 of the World Series. His Game 2
Gemma Dryburgh wins first he became the first rookie position player jersey is headed to the Hall of Fame.

LPGA title with victory in Japan to win a World Series MVP award Saturday "You have to make tough decisions in this
night after hitting .400 in the Houston As-
job, and Jeremy's making it look like it was
tros' six-game victory over the Philadelphia an easy decision, and it wasn't," Houston
SHIGA, Japan (AP) — ning this week, and it hap- Phillies. general manager James Click said. "Car-
Gemma Dryburgh of Scot- pened. "The hardest part was just blocking every- los is a great player, and he's been a huge
land won her first LPGA "I was in Korea last week thing that's not part of the game," Peña part of this franchise. But to do what Jere-
Tour title with a final-round with friends and I said to said. "There's a saying that you can't sink a my did, to step in and elevate his game in
7-under 65 on Sunday to them: 'I'll mention you in ship with water around. It sinks if water gets the playoffs, it just speaks to his hard work,
take the Toto Classic by my speech'," she said. "Just inside. So I just try to stay strong and keep his character and the talent that he has.
four shots ahead of Ja- as a joke. It's overwhelm- the water outside my head." There's not that many special guys on the
pan's Kana Nagai. Nagai ing to be honest. This is a Peña also won a Gold Glove and was the planet that can do what he just did."
also closed with a 65. dream of mine for a long AL Championship Series MVP. The 25-year- Peña became the ninth player to win MVP
Linn Grant was a third, five time." old shortstop became the first hitter to win of a League Championship Series and the
shots off the pace after a Dryburgh, who played golf those three prizes in a career, according World Series in the same season. He bat-
67. at Tulane University in New to OptaSTATS — and he did it all in his rook- ted .353 with two homers and four RBIs
Dryburgh, who also card- Orleans — she's still a seri- ie season. against the Yankees in the ALCS.
ed a 65 in the third round, ous Manchester United "It has a lot to do with my family, my up- The only other player to win an LCS MVP
finished 20-under 268 at soccer fan — said she was bringing," he said. award, World Series MVP and a Gold
the Seta Golf Club in west- relaxed despite the pres- Peña praised Dusty Baker, the Astros' Glove during their career was pitcher Orel
ern Japan. Japanese Mo- sure. 73-year-old manager. When Baker made Hershiser, who took all three prizes with the
moko Ueda, who led af- "I was nervous. I'm not go- his major league managerial debut for Dodgers in 1988.
ter the second and third ing to lie," she said. "But San Francisco on April 6, 1993, the leadoff Peña hit .291 with 22 homers and 63 RBIs
rounds, finished eight shots I was incredibly calm to hitter for the other team was Peña's fa- during the regular season and likely will
behind after a 74. Ueda be honest and kind of fo- ther, St. Louis Cardinals second baseman finish high in AL Rookie of the Year voting.
had won the event twice. cused on my breathing." Gerónimo Peña. Seattle outfielder Julio Rodríguez is the fa-
Dryburgh started the final Dryburgh is the first Scot to Peña singled to chase Phillies starter Zack vorite.
round a shot behind Ueda win on the LPGA tour since Wheeler in Game 6, giving the Astros two Others to win LCS and World Series MVP
and made the first of her Catriona Matthew in 2011 baserunners for the first time. Yordan Alva- in one year were Pittsburgh's Willie Stargell
seven birdies at No. 4 with at the Lorena Ochoa Invi- rez followed with a go-ahead, three-run (1979), St. Louis' Darrell Porter (1982), Her-
a 20-foot putt. She added tational. homer that sent Houston to a 4-1 victory. shiser (1988), Hernández (2003), Philadel-
another at No. 7 and took Atthaya Thitikul, the Peña finished the postseason with a .345 phia's Cole Hamels (2008), the Cardinals'
the lead at the turn when 19-year-old from Thailand batting average, four homers, eight RBIs David Freese (2011), San Francisco's Madi-
Ueda bogeyed No. 9. At who has climbed to No. 1 and a 1.005 OPS. He also became the first son Bumgarner (2014) and the Dodgers'
No. 11, Ueda made a dou- in the LPGA rankings, fin- rookie shortstop to win a Gold Glove, as Corey Seager (2020).
ble bogey while Dryburgh ished with a 67 and was 10 well as the first to homer in the World Series. Only four other rookies were LCS MVPs:
notched another birdie. shots back of Dryburgh. Just 24 when he was handed the starting Baltimore right-hander Mike Boddicker in
The 29-year-old Dryburgh She was asked what she job at the beginning of the season after 1983, Hernández in 1997, St. Louis right-
finished with four birdies in does next. Carlos Correa left as a free agent, Peña hander Michael Wacha in 2013 and
her last six holes, including "There's a lot of work to became the third rookie at any position Tampa Bay outfielder Randy Arozarena in
at the 18th, for a bogey- do," she said. "I think I am to earn World Series MVP, joining a pair 2020.
free day. Dryburgh had still working and getting of right-handed pitchers: the Los Angeles Peña thought back to last year's Game 6
a premonition about win- better, improving."q Dodgers' Larry Sherry in 1959 and Miami's loss to Atlanta at Minute Maid Park, where
Liván Hernández in 1997. he joined the Astros but was inactive.q