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A20    SPORTS
                Saturday 20 OctOber 2018

            Red Sox sail into World Series, set for ace Sale’s return




            HOUSTON  (AP)  —  David                                                                                             the  numbers  are  there,  I
            Price, at last, looked like a                                                                                       know,  but  he  was  saying
            postseason ace. Craig Kim-                                                                                          this — he didn’t hesitate. It
            brel pitched a lockdown in-                                                                                         was  a  bad  matchup,  one
            ning.  And  much-maligned                                                                                           of the greatest against the
            Jackie Bradley Jr. became                                                                                           worst and all that.”
            an MVP.                                                                                                             “I don’t listen too much to
            Most everything went right                                                                                          what’s  going  on  outside,
            for  the  Red  Sox  as  they                                                                                        but  that  one  got  me,”  he
            sailed  into  the  World  Se-                                                                                       added.  “But  you  know
            ries.  Now  the  big  question                                                                                      what?  I’m  happy  that  Da-
            for Boston: Is everything all                                                                                       vid showed up today. And
            right with ace Chris Sale?                                                                                          tomorrow we can turn the
            “We’re  not  perfect.  That’s                                                                                       page and move on to the
            the  cool  thing  about  this                                                                                       World  Series  with  David
            team. We feel that we can                                                                                           Price.”  Kimbrel,  who’s  had
            keep  improving.  And  we                                                                                           some  shaky  outings  lately,
            have  one  more  series  to                                                                                         threw  a  hitless  ninth  for  his
            go,”  triumphant  manager                                                                                           fifth  save  this  postseason.
            Alex  Cora  said  Thursday                                                                                          Boston  slugger  J.D.  Marti-
            night.                                                                                                              nez homered and star out-
            On his 43rd birthday, Cora   The Boston Red Sox pose for a picture after winning the baseball American League Championship   fielders  Mookie  Betts  and
            became  the  first  manager   Series against the Houston Astros on Thursday, Oct. 18, 2018, in Houston. Red Sox won 4-1.   Andrew  Benintendi  made
            from Puerto Rico to take a                                                                                          running  catches  in  the
            team  to  the  World  Series.  World  Series  trip  since  win-  Astros.               out nine.                    clincher. Bradley, stuck in a
            The club that led the majors  ning it all in 2013.        Sale  went  12-4  with  a  2.11  The  2012  AL  Cy  Young  slump for much of the sea-
            with  108  wins  this  season  Those  extra  days  off  at  ERA  this  season,  but  was  Award  winner  was  thrilled  son,  batted  just  .200  and
            eliminated  the  defending  home  will  give  Sale  even  limited  down  the  stretch  he  won’t  be  asked  again  his three hits were the few-
            champion  Houston  Astros  more time to rest up.          because  of  shoulder  trou-  about  that  zero  in  the  win  est  for  any  position  player
            with  a  4-1  victory,  taking  The seven-time All-Star has  ble.  His  velocity  dipped  in  column.               to  win  MVP  of  a  league
            the  AL  Championship  Se-   been  regaining  strength  the playoffs, where he won  “That’s  awesome,”  Price  championship series.
            ries 4-1.                    since  his  release  Monday  the AL Division Series open-  said.  “I  don’t  have  to  pre-  But  he  did  plenty  of  dam-
            After the Red Sox surround-  from Massachusetts Gener-    er  against  the  New  York  pare  myself  for  it  in  spring  age  with  a  grand  slam,
            ed  Cora  in  the  clubhouse  al Hospital, where he spent  Yankees  and  also  relieved  training on Feb. 20 or Sep-  two-run  homer  and  a
            and  sang  “happy  birth-    Sunday  night  for  observa-  in the clinching Game 4.    tember  when  I’ve  still  got  three-run  double.  “There’s
            day!” to their rookie skipper,  tion  because  of  a  stom-  Sale  lost  the  ALCS  opener  five  regular-season  starts.  I  nobody  on  this  team  that
            they began turning their at-  ach illness. The club hasn’t  to Houston, working four un-  don’t have to answer that  I  can  think  of  in  baseball
            tention to next week.        specified  Sale’s  ailment  or  even innings. After recently  question  anymore.  And  that deserves it more than
            Game 1 of the World Series  treatment.                    losing weight, he threw on  man, it feels good.”          Jackie,” Price said.
            is Tuesday night at Fenway  Cora  said  before  Thursday  flat ground Thursday, lead-  Cora felt equally good af-   “He  continues  to  push  for-
            Park against the Los Ange-   night’s game that the lefty  ing  Cora  to  say  Sale  was  ter watching Price outpitch  ward  through  everything
            les  Dodgers  or  Milwaukee  ace  was  prepared  for  his  ready.                      October  star  Justin  Ver-  that he has to go through.
            Brewers.  The  Dodgers  hold  next  start  —  either  in  the  The rest of the Red Sox look  lander for the victory.  Watching  him  line  out,  hit-
            a 3-2 lead in the NLCS go-   ALCS  or  the  World  Series  locked in.                  “There was a lot of noise,”  ting balls 100-plus miles an
            ing into Game 6 on Friday  opener.                        Price  had  been  0-9  with  a  Cora  said.  “I  heard  some-  hour routinely this year and
            night at Miller Park.        “We  knew  the  skinny  guy  6.16 ERA in 11 career post-  body today on TV just blast-  last year, to see him get that
            The Red Sox will try to bring  was  ready  for  Game  6,”  season  starts  before  hold-  ing  David,  blasting  him,  MVP  award,  to  get  those
            Boston  its  fourth  crown  in  Cora  said  after  Price  and  ing Houston to three hits in  calling him the worst pitch-  big hits, I’m so pumped for
            15  years  —  this  is  their  first  the Red Sox finished off the  six  shutout  innings,  striking  er in the postseason. Yeah,  him.”q


            Red Sox ace Sale feeling better, set to start in Series



                                                                      HOUSTON  (AP)  —  Chris  pionship Series.                 lined up to start a Game 6
                                                                      Sale is set to make his next  Boston’s  4-1  victory  over  back home on Saturday.
                                                                      scheduled  start  for  the  the Houston Astros put the  Instead,  his  teammates
                                                                      Boston Red Sox. And now,  Red Sox in the World Series  closed out the series, and
                                                                      he knows that will be in the  for the first time since 2013.  the  lefty  ace  gets  more
                                                                      World Series.                Sale  is  expected  to  start  time to rest and recover.
                                                                      Red  Sox  manager  Alex  the opener Tuesday night  Sale  has  been  regaining
                                                                      Cora  said  Thursday  that  at  Fenway  Park  against  strength  since  his  release
                                                                      Sale  threw  on  flat  ground  the  Los  Angeles  Dodgers  Monday  from  Massachu-
                                                                      again  earlier  in  the  day  or Milwaukee Brewers.       setts   General   Hospital,
                                                                      and  was  feeling  better  Sale  was  initially  slated  to  where  he  spent  Sunday
                                                                      since a stomach illness led  pitch Game 5 of the ALCS  night for observation.
                                                                      to him spending a night in  on Thursday, but was ruled  The  club  hasn’t  speci-
            Boston  Red  Sox  starting  pitcher  Chris  Sale  warms  up  during   the hospital.    out because the illness left  fied  Sale’s  ailment  or
            batting practice before Game 4 of a baseball American League   “So he’s ready for his next  him weak.               treatment,  though  Cora
            Championship Series against the Houston Astros on Wednesday,   start,”  Cora  said  before  If  the  Red  Sox  had  lost,  has  said  it  was  nothing
            Oct. 17, 2018, in Houston.                                Game 5 of the AL Cham-       Sale  would  have  been  serious.q
                                                     Associated Press
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