Page 22 - aruba-today-20181110

A22 SPORTS
Saturday 10 November 2018

All Japan's Yuki Yanagita, right, rounds third base as he is wel-
comed by teammates at home after hitting a walk-off two-run
home-run off MLB All-Star closer Kirby Yates of the San Diego Pa-
dres in the ninth inning of Game 1 of their All-Stars Series base-
ball at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Friday, Nov. 9, 2018.
Associated Press
Seattle Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei, right, can't get to a goal kicked by Portland Timbers mid-
fielder Dairon Asprilla, left, during extra time in a second-leg MLS playoff soccer match, Thursday, Yanagita hits
Nov. 8, 2018, in Seattle.
Associated Press
Timbers oust rival Sounders 'sayonara' HR to

4-2 on PKs in West semifinals lift Japan over MLB

By JIM ARMSTRONG Santana hit a three-run
By TIM BOOTH Eventually, the sides de- ning the MLS Cup in 2015. AP Sports Writer homer in the fifth inning to
AP Sports Writer cided the winner via pen- "The end result was not TOKYO (AP) — Yuki Yanag- give his team a 4-1 lead but
SEATTLE (AP) — The first bit alties, although Portland good. But certainly, there ita hit a two-run walkoff Japan tied the game on a
of celebrating by the Port- initially believed it had won were moments of joy and home run in the bottom of bases-clearing double by
land Timbers was prema- at the end of extra time af- euphoria, happiness. Think- the ninth inning Friday to lift Shogo Akiyama in the bot-
ture. The confusing MLS ter scoring a second road ing you had the game in Japan to a 7-6 win over the tom of the frame.
playoff rules created a mo- goal in the match. control," Seattle coach MLB All-Stars in the opening Soto restored the lead for
ment of misunderstanding The Timbers claimed the Brian Schmetzer said. "And game of a six-game exhibi- the MLB players in the sixth
at the end of extra time celebration at the end of then that gets snatched tion series. with an opposite-field two-
and a wild 120 minutes. extra time was due to pride out away from you." Juan Soto, Carlos Santana run shot to left.
The second celebration, and exhaustion for taking Portland held a 2-1 lead af- and Amed Rosario had all Rosario hit a solo homer in
after Dairon Asprilla de- the match to penalties. It ter the first leg at home and homered to give the MLB the third inning.
posited his winning penalty ultimately didn't matter be- the match reached penal- squad a 6-4 lead but re- "Before the game, we
past Seattle Sounders goal- cause the Timbers finished ties only because of a wild liever Kirby Yates couldn't talked about getting off
keeper Stefan Frei, was the job in the shootout. final 25 minutes of regula- close out the game. to a good start to build up
pure elation for the Timbers Asprilla, Lucas Melano, Di- tion and a beginning to "No matter how you look at some confidence for the
as they advanced to the ego Valeri and Sebastian extra time that was equally it, it's tough to lose a game rest of the series," Akiyama
Western Conference finals Blanco scored penalties crazy. like that," MLB manager said. "We never felt like we
and ended the season for for Portland. Seattle's goals Seattle took a 1-0 lead in Don Mattingly said. "You were out of it and knew if
their Cascadia rivals to the came from Raul Ruidiaz the match and pulled even feel like you played well we stayed close we'd have
north. and Handwalla Bwana, at 2-2 on aggregate — with enough to win ... other than a chance to win."
"I thought it didn't disap- but Will Bruin hit the post the road goal tiebreaker — that last inning I thought we The series continues this
point. Seattle and Port- and Osvaldo Alonso's shot when Ruidiaz scored in the played well." weekend with two more
land brought the rivalry to was saved by Portland 68th minute after Attinella Tsubasa Aizawa singled in games in Tokyo followed by
this match and it was in- goalkeeper Jeff Attinella, mishandled a cross into a run to cut the lead to 6-5 one game in Hiroshima on
credible," Timbers coach atoning for an earlier mis- the penalty area. Less than before Yanagita's dramat- Tuesday and two games
Giovanni Savarese said. take that led to Seattle's 10 minutes later, Blanco ic blast to deep center be- in Nagoya on Wednesday
Asprilla's kick sent the Tim- first goal. scored to put the Timbers fore 44,943 at Tokyo Dome. and Thursday.q
bers past Seattle 4-2 in a "Being a goalkeeper, you ahead 3-2 on aggregate
penalty shootout Thursday have to shake that off be- and even in the match at
night after an emotion- cause you always know 1-all.
ally exhausting second half another one is coming," At- It appeared that would be
and extra time that saw tinella said. "All the credit to enough for the Timbers to
the teams combine for five the guys — they respond- advance, but Ruidiaz had
goals and wild swings of ed so well for me. I'm just another special moment
elation and desperation. very grateful for the way it waiting. With Seattle fran-
Seattle won the second leg turned out." tically scrambling for one
of the semifinal matchup Portland will face Sport- more goal that would take
3-2, scoring late in regu- ing Kansas City or Real Salt the match to extra time,
lation to force extra time Lake in the West finals. It's Ruidiaz scored in the third
before both teams scored the Timbers' first trip to the minute of stoppage time.
early in the extra session. conference finals since win- q