LOS ANGELES, USA – The Houston Astros defeated the New York Yankees 4-0 on Saturday, October 21 (Sunday Manila time) to book a Major League Baseball World Series showdown with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

After fending off elimination in game six on Friday, the Astros won the best-of-seven American League Championship Series four-games-to-three to reach the World Series for the second time in club history.

Evan Gattis and Jose Altuve homered for the Astros, who had won the first two games of the series at home before dropping three straight in New York.

Charlie Morton pitched five strong innings for the Astros, who were swept by the Chicago White Sox in their only prior World Series appearance, back in 2005 when they played in the National League.

Gattis opened the scoring with a solo homer off Yankees starter CC Sabathia in the fourth inning.

Altuve's homer in the bottom of the fifth sparked a three-run frame against Yankees relief pitcher Tommy Kahnle, who also surrendered a two-run double to Astros catcher – and former Yankee – Brian McCann.

Relief pitcher Lance McCullers pitched the final 4 innings and kept the Yankees at bay to seal the victory.

Morton gave up only two hits with one walk and 5 strikeouts.

After taking the loss in game three in New York, Morton attacked the strike zone early, needing only 28 pitches over the first three innings. That included 22 strikes.

He retired the side in order in the top of the fourth.

But after Gattis' homer in the bottom of the fourth, Morton needed some help preserving the one-run margin in the top of the fifth – when the Yankees' Greg Bird led off with a double.

Bird reached third on a wild pitch walk to Aaron Hicks. He tried to score on Todd Frazier's ground ball to third, but Astros third baseman Alex Bregman charged to collect the ball and delivered a spot-on throw to McCann, who made the tag to retire Bird.

Sabathia, who pitched 6 scoreless innings in the Yankees' Game 3 triumph, stranded 5 base runners over the first 3 innings and didn't make it out of the fourth. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – The National University (NU) Bulldogs defeated the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers, 91-83, on Sunday, October 22 at the Filoil Flying V Arena. 

The Bulldogs trailed the Growling Tigers by one point at the half, but they took back the lead immediately and never looked back until the game closed out.

This win improves the Bulldogs' record to 4-6 in the UAAP Season 80 men's basketball tournament. For UST, the loss leaves them hopeless for a final four playoff as they remain winless with a 0-10 record. 

The Bulldogs were without their head coach Jamike Jarin due to suspension from his ejection in the game versus Ateneo. Danny Ildefonso assumed Jarin's role as the head coach of the Bulldogs. 

The Bulldogs tipped off to a strong start and stretched the lead to 8 points with Issa Gaye's bucket from the 18-footer, 22-17. Marvin Lee's triple ignited a 7-2 run by the Growling Tigers to stay within 3 points of the Bulldogs. 

The Growling Tigers continued to trail the Bulldogs until Zach Huang's midrange jumper at the last 24 seconds of the second quarter allowed UST to get ahead of NU by one point. 

The Growling Tigers did not hold onto the lead for long as both teams traded leads until Gaye's jumper nabbed the lead and Matt Salem's dunk pushed it further with 2:54 left in the third quarter. 

UST was in foul trouble late in the third quarter, where Lee picked up a technical foul and Oliver de Guzman was called for an unsportsmanlike foul. This gave NU addiitional chances to score from the line, which allowed them to outscore the Growling Tigers, 29-18 in the third. 

Rookie player Gaye attained his career high of 22 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists, while coming up big on defense with 6 blocks. Salem also scored 22 points, as he made 4/9 from beyond the arc and he recorded a double-double by grabbing 10 boards.

Steve Akomo registered a double-double as well for the Growling Tigers as he scored 16 points and collected 12 rebounds.

The Scores

NU (91) – Gaye 22, Salem 22, Alejandro 10, Abatayo 10, Joson 7, Mosqueda 5, Bartlett 5, Yu 5, Diputado 3, Aquino 2, Tibayan 0, Morido 0, Cauilan 0.

UST (83) – Akomo 16, Lee 15, De Guzman 14, Caunan 11, Faundo 8, Sta. Ana 6, Huang 6, Escalambre 3, Basibas 2, Soriano 2, Romero 0, Macasaet 0.

Quarter Scores: 24-21, 40-43, 69-61, 91-83

– Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Jeffrey Claro, a Filipino pro boxer based in Makati City, died on Sunday, October 22, after falling into a coma following a sparring session. He had just turned 20 on October 18.

Claro, whose pro record was 1-4, had been sparring at X-Con Boxing Gym in Mandaluyong City on Friday, October 20, when he collapsed. He was taken to Mandaluyong Medical Center before being transferred by private ambulance to the Ospital ng Maynila in Malate, which has a neurosurgeon on staff. He remained in a comatose state until Sunday, when Games and Amusements Board (GAB) Chairman Abraham "Baham" Mitra said he passed away at 11 am.

At the time of his death, Claro was surrounded by his father, sister, and girlfriend. His mother, two-year-old daughter, and the mother of his daughter arrived from their hometown of Coron, Palawan just minutes after he died, said Jen Javellana, a boxing patron who had been helping Claro.

Claro had been among the dozens of boxers whose CT scans were deemed fakes following a GAB investigation that discovered several scans with identical tracking numbers emanating from a clinic in Batangas and other sources. Claro's license was not revoked, but he was not allowed to fight until turning in a new one.  

According to Mitra, Claro had submitted a new scan on September 9 and was scheduled to fight on November 19 in Tarlac. Javellana said that though they had not signed a contract together, she had welcomed him into the gym as he sought to get his career on track, and had helped him get a new CT scan from Olivarez General Hospital in Parañaque City to have him removed from the GAB blacklist. 

She said the scan submitted from Olivarez General Hospital showed no abnormalities, but a scan taken after the sparring incident showed evidence of a new cerebral hemorrhage, and an older one too. 

"The people in Mandaluyong Medical Center said that there was an old bleed already. About how old that bleed was, they couldn't say, if it was weeks, months, or days," said Javellana.

She added that they had hoped Claro's condition would improve so he could be fit for surgery but that never occurred. 

"We don't know if the previous scan is correct or if it's not. One thing that's for certain is that the CT scan made in Mandaluyong showed a different result from the one made in Olivarez."

Lorence Rosas, a pro boxer who trained with Claro at Empire Boxing Gym, was with Claro and their trainer Remus Arsula when the sparring occurred. He said the sparring was scheduled for two rounds against a smaller boxer named Diego. No one asked had known the surname of that boxer, though only one active pro boxer from the Philippines carries that given name.

"When we were going there at 7 am in the morning, he said, 'Brother Lorence, I'm so excited because this is the first sparring [of training camp],'" Rosas recalled. He said Claro looked sharp early on, but with about 45 seconds remaining in the second round, Claro went down from a seemingly innocuous punch, offered a reassuring smile and asked to finish the round, but the sparring was stopped.

Rosas said there were no rabbit punches, or illegal blows to the back of the head which carry with them an elevated risk for head injury. He estimated about 10 minutes passed before Claro showed signs of distress.

"After the sparring he's smiling, he picked up his gloves and then he's laughing because of the knockdown in sparring. He's smiling, he says he's good, then after that his legs were shaking, he holds onto the ring, we carried him on the chair. After that he went to sleep." 

Rosas had known Claro since 2015, when they trained together at JMC Gym in Makati Cinema Square. He said Claro confided that his first 4 defeats, all 4-round decisions in the strawweight and junior flyweight divisions, were due to taking fights without proper training. He had earned his first win in his last bout, a decision over Oscar Lim in Antipolo City in the junior bantamweight division, and had transferred to Empire Boxing two months ago to join Rosas, but Claro had not yet fought for Javellana's stable because two fights had fallen through, due to a tooth extraction on one occasion and a urinary tract infection in the other. 

Angel Aurelio, a boxer who had trained with Claro previously in Makati City, remembers him as "a funny and a good person not only to me, but to the whole gym. He loves to smile, he is talkative."

Claro's wake will be at the Veronica Memorial Chapel in Pasay City for the next 3 days before being transported to Palawan for burial. 

The GAB together with the Singwancha Foundation have made arrangements for financial assistance for mortuary and funeral services, plus transportation to the province. Mitra said  he will make arrangements with the family to avail of further assistance through the GAB's Boxers Welfare Fund.

The last professional boxer to die in the Philippines due to injuries sustained in the ring was Karlo Maquinto, an unbeaten boxer who died in 2012 after lapsing into a coma following an 8-round bout. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – “I just [enjoyed] the game and let the game come to me. That’s the only thing I did.”

Even after his best game yet, NU Bulldogs rookie center Issa Gaye looked at the bigger picture, denying the upset-minded UST Growling Tigers with a 91-83 victory. After all, the former Season 77 champions were still stuck at 6^th place with a 4-6 record after sending the helpless Tigers to their 10th straight loss.

Still, the fact remains that Gaye balled out, ending with career-highs of 22 points and 6 big rejections to go along with 6 rebounds. NU captain Matt Salem joined him at the top with 22 points and 10 rebounds of his own. All it took was an improbable 43-40 UST lead at halftime.

With head coach Jamike Jarin serving a one-game suspension after getting ejected in the previous game, San Miguel Beermen legend Danny Ildefonso took over coaching duties. Despite his mythical status in basketball, he admitted he panicked after UST grabbed the lead heading into intermission.

“Kanina nung first half, natataranta ako,” said the former two-time PBA MVP. “Ibang-ibang talaga yung [pagiging] player sa [pagiging] coach eh. Kasi pag player, pag binigay sa akin yung bola, alam ko na gagawin ko, pero dito [sa coaching] ang daming players na kailangan alalahanin.”

(“Earlier in the first half, I was panicking. Being a player is really different to being a coach. If I’m a player and the ball is given to me, I know what to do with it but as a coach, you have to take care of so many players.”)

Luckily for “Danny I,” Gaye and Salem channeled their inner Danny Ildefonso and bullied their way to regaining the lead in the third frame. The two bigs fired off mid-range jumpers and treys and outscored the entire UST team for the quarter, 19-18. NU as a team dropped 29 in the third and never looked back.

When asked how he would rate his coaching debut, Ildefenso softly said, “Mababa pa. Mababa pa.” (“It’s still low. It’s still low.”)

It just shows that in the world of basketball, even a legend still has a lot to learn. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The University of the East (UE) Red Warriors emerged with another win in the season, but this time against the the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons, 73-64, on Sunday, October 22 at the Filoil Flying V Arena. 

The Red Warriors improve their record to 3-7 in the UAAP Season 80 men's basketball tournament.

On the other hand, this loss for UP decreases the Fighting Maroons' chances to edge out the FEU Tamaraws for a final four berth.

The Red Warriors drew first blood and earned an early 13-point lead, but Javi Gomez de Liano lifted the Fighting Maroons from the deficit with back-to-back threes. 

His brother, Juan Gomez de Liano, continued his hot scoring with a triple to open second period, and Manzo brought the game to its first tie at 21-all. The Fighting Maroons went on a 10-0 run and did a good job locking down the Red Warriors' until there was 4:04 left in the first half. 

After the timeout, the Red Warriors fired a 15-5 run in response to the early domination of the Fighting Maroons in the second quarter. This allowed the Red Warriors to take back the lead and hold it at the half, 36-28. 

The Fighting Maroons continued to fight for the lead in the third. It was only at the 55.8 second mark of the third when Javi Gomez de Liano was able to make back-to-back buckets and a bonus FT that saw UP get ahead by one point, 47-46. 

Jason Varilla's midrange jumper kept the Red Warriors afloat as it gave the lead back to the Red Warriors at the end of the third quarter, 48-47.

The intensity of the game fired up as UP's starting center Ibrahim Outtara fouled out in the fourth. Although Juan Gomez de Liano's heroics tried to salvage the Maroons, the Red Warriors continued their hot offense as the game closed out.

Pasaol recorded a double-double of 32 points and 13 rebounds, while making 2 assists to lead the Red Warriors. Mark Olayon almost registered a triple-double as his stat line showed 11 points, 10 boards and 8 assists.

The Gomez de Liano brothers came off the bench to lead the scoring for the Fighting Maroons. Juan scored 22 points, while Javi also reached a double-double of 17 points and 11 boards.

The Scores

UE (73) – Pasaol 32, Olayon 11, Derige 9, Manalang 7, Maloles 5, Varilla 4, Acuno 3, Bartolome 2, Connner 0, Gagate 0.

UP (64) – Juan Gomez de Liano 22, Javi Gomez de Liano 17, Desiderio 8, Manzo 7, Vito 4, Romero 4, Ouattara 2, Lim 0, Webb 0, Ricafort 0, Jaboneta 0.

Quarter Scores: 21-13, 36-28, 48-47, 73-64.

– Rappler.com  

PHILLIP ISLAND, Australia - Marc Marquez extended his world championship lead to 33 points with a commanding victory in a feisty Australian MotoGP at Phillip Island on Sunday, October 22.

Marquez fought off the leading group of 8 riders to clear out and win the race by 1.799 seconds from Yamaha duo Valentino Rossi and Maverick Vinales.

The victory extended Marquez's lead on the world standings by a further 22 points over Andrea Dovizioso with two races remaining in Malaysia and Spain.

It was the 24-year-old Spaniard's 35th MotoGP win from 88 starts after he claimed his 44th premier class pole on Saturday.

Italian Ducati racer Dovizioso paid for an early run off and was only able to claw back some lost ground from 20th to 13th to hand the world championship ascendancy firmly to Marquez.

"I went out quietly and tried to warm the tires and to be calm, but by the second or third lap I got my first contact from Johann Zarco," Marquez said.

"I could see that this was going to be tough, it was a big group and I started to realize in the middle of the race that I needed to attack or they will overtake me.

"So it was a little bit dangerous at times but with eight or nine laps to go I decided it was time to attack, time to open up a small gap that made my life a little bit easier." 

It was Marquez's sixth win of the season and he was starting off the pole for the fourth successive year in Australia.

'A great race'

It was one of the most aggressive and hard-fought scraps of the season with continual passes as the lead chopped and changed in a nerve-tingling five-way jostle.

It was the second MotoGP win for Marquez at Phillip Island after his victory in 2015, while he has crashed out twice when leading the race.

"With a 33-point lead I am feeling really good with the bike, I even have extra confidence, but now is not the time to do something stupid and plan with my team to organize myself for the last two races," Marquez said.

Dovizioso was disconsolate over his weekend at Phillip Island.

"Today’s race was a big disappointment and we really lost a lot of points in the championship," he said.

"For sure my mistake in the early stages of the race complicated things and maybe even the choice of rear tyre was not the best one, but on this track our bike is still struggling a lot.

Dovizioso added: "This year we’ve managed to improve many aspects and be competitive throughout the season but when you come to tracks like this, where you don’t brake very much and where there are lots of long fast corners, some of our limits are magnified."

Marquez took charge of the race seven laps from the checkered flag and steadily pulled away from the pack, leaving Rossi, Vinales and Zarco to fight for the other podium places.

Vinales dived past Frenchman Zarco in the home straight to snatch third place.

His team-mate Rossi, who has six wins in the premier class at Phillip Island, used all of his guile and experience to take the runner-up spot.

The legendary Italian only resumed racing last month just 3 weeks after double leg fracture surgery.

"The level of aggression and contact during the race raised a lot, either you get angry but that changes nothing so this is the game if you want to play," 38-year-old Rossi said.

"It's a bit more dangerous, but this is way you have to stay on top. I enjoyed it very much. It was a great race." 

Last year's race winner Cal Crutchlow was fifth with Italian Suzuki racer Andrea Iannone sixth and Australian Honda rider Jack Miller in the points in seventh place after leading for the opening 3 laps. – Rappler.com

BOCAUE, Philippines (UPDATED) - The Barangay Ginebra San Miguel clamped down on defense down the stretch to pull off an 85-74 win over the Meralco Bolts in Game 5 and go up 3-2 in the 2017 PBA Governors’ Cup best-of-7 finals series at the Philippine Arena Sunday, October 22.

With Meralco in striking distance with 6 minutes left in the game, 70-74, the Gin Kings tightened it up on the defensive end and rode on a game-clinching 11-4 run powered by Greg Slaughter’s 5 points.

After Chris Newsome buried a jumper at the 6:30 mark in the fourth quarter, the Bolts failed to score a field goal until Anjo Caram sank his jump shot with 1:03 left in the game. 

"Meralco has done a really good job of grinding out wins against us and that's really what we've always tried to be about, the grind out defensive type team and so we talked about getting back to our identity and really going after people defensively and I thought we did," said Ginebra coach Tim Cone.

Proof of Ginebra's stifling defense is Meralco having more turnovers (20), which the Gin Kings converted to 23 points, than assists (19). 

Four Ginebra players finished in double figures with Justin Brownlee leading the way with 20 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals.

Slaughter poured in 17 points, 16 rebounds and 6 blocks while LA Tenorio, who was scoreless in Ginebra’ Game 4 loss, had a bounce back game of 17 markers, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals.

Ginebra is now 3-0 when playing at the Philippine Arena while Meralco loses its first game at the venue. 

Allen Durham paced the Bolts with 27 points, 19 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks while Garvo Lanete was the only other Meralco player to score in double digits with 11. 

Game 6 of the finals will be on Wednesday, October 25, at the same venue. 

Scores:  

Ginebra (85): Brownlee 20, Slaughter 17, Tenorio 17, Devance 12, Aguilar 8, Thompson 5, Caguioa 4, Ferrer 2, 

Meralco (74): Durham 27, Lanete 11, Hugnatan 8, Caram 7, Dillinger 6, Hodge 6, Newsome 5, Amer 4, Faundo 0, Sedurifa 0, Tolomia 0 

Quarter scores: 21-15, 42-35, 66-62, 85-74. – Rappler.com

BOCAUE, Philippines - LA Tenorio lived up to his “Ironman” moniker by playing through a bummed elbow in more than 40 minutes of play as Barangay Ginebra outclassed the Meralco Bolts in Game 5 of the Governors’ Cup finals. 

After going scoreless in Ginebra’s Game 4 loss despite playing for more than 31 minutes, Tenorio made the most out of his minutes this time as he racked up 17 points, rebounds assists, 4 assists and 3 steals, wowing the Philippine Arena crowd of 36,445 in the 85-74 win on Sunday, October 22.

“The General,” who averaged just around 33 minutes in the last 4 games, played more than his usual number of minutes that Ginebra coach Tim Cone apologized to him.

“Actually, coach Tim is apologizing to me because for the extended minutes,” said Tenorio. 

But the veteran playmaker said he did not mind the extended playing time, especially since the Gin Kings lost Sol Mercado to an ankle sprain late in Game 4.  

“This is the championship, I’ll just rest after the series. If I have to play for 48 minutes, I told him, I’m ready. Even in the next game.”

Ginebra is only a win away from defending their title and Tenorio wants his teammates to keep the aggressiveness that won them Game 5.

“We have to be aggressive for 48 minutes. We can’t be aggressive for 3 quarters or 3 and a half quarters.  We did it the whole game, we ended up winning the game. I think that’s really the key.” 

“When we’re aggressive defensively, offensively automatically we’ll be offensive,” added Tenorio.

Ginebra will try to end the series in Game 6 on Wednesday, October 25, at the same venue. – Rappler.com

AUSTIN, USA – A happy and victorious Lewis Hamilton bounced with joy on Sunday, October 22, but said he was surprised that title rival Sebastian Vettel did not put up a tougher fight in the United States Grand Prix.

The 32-year-old Briton, who started from a record 72nd pole position, recovered after losing his advantage at the start to regain the lead and steer his Mercedes to his ninth win this year, his fifth in Texas and the 62nd of his career.

With 3 races remaining, Hamilton leads Vettel by 66 points and can take the championship by winning, or finishing in the top 5, at next weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix.

“That was one of the fun races I’ve had in a while,” said Hamilton. “But I was expecting it to be more of a tough fight with Sebastian.

“Maybe it will come next weekend in Mexico. I didn't get away to a great start. Seb got a great start, but I was chilled about it as I know you can overtake here.

“So I stayed cool and then it was great having that battle, trying to keep up, stay close, get within DRS.

“For me, it was very reminiscent of 2012 here, seeing Seb up ahead and wanting to have that real battle.

“That is what I looked for and that is what I enjoyed the most.

“But as I said, I was a bit surprised Seb didn't defend more, but it was still fair.”

Hamilton added that he was delighted to play his part in the Mercedes team’s victory in the constructors’ championship for a 4th consecutive season.

"I want to say a big congrats to everyone in the team and everyone back at the factory," said Hamilton.

“There has been an incredible push for this kind of performance this year and we have really pulled together more than I have experienced and seen over the last five years to really get something quite special.

“Especially to go from one car – and one set of rules – to another, which has never been done and I am proud to be a part of it.”

Vettel, now 66 points behind Hamilton with only 75 remaining, said: "At the start it was looking good. We got past Lewis, but then we realised we could not match his pace today.

"Towards the end we decided to pit again so the last laps were especially exciting, but overall it was not the result we wanted."

Hamilton revelled in his podium interview with multiple Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt, who he had taken as a passenger for a few laps of the Circuit of the Americas before the race

“I’m still feeling nervous,” said the Jamaican runner. “That was a fantastic experience.” – Rappler.com

MARSEILLE, France – Paris Saint Germain coach Unai Emery has called for referees to better protect marquee players after Brazilian superstar Neymar was sent off in a 2-2 draw in their bitter grudge match with Marseille on Sunday, October 22.

Neymar was not only constantly harried and niggled by a series of fouls in the game, but also pelted by Stade Velodrome fans with coins and even lighters whilst taking corners.

The former Barcelona star eventually lost his cool and was sent off for two yellow cards late on, both for retaliation with him appearing to aim a headbutt at Marseille's Argentine striker Lucas Ocampos.

"We are a bit disappointed by the sending off because he was fouled a great deal during the game," said Emery.

"He suffered 4 serious fouls from our opponents which continued and continued and continued," said Emery, insisting the world's most expensive player had been provoked throughout the match.

Neymar had been excellent for PSG scoring a cool-headed equaliser and looking every inch a big game player until his rush of blood to the head and the red card with his side 2-1 down in the 88th minute.

"I believe the referee should have had a good think about it. We need to protect the great players," said Emery.

"Those yellow cards were not fair on Neymar, he's a man who wants to play."

"He hasn't been battered here, but if he gets that treatment every game..." Emery said of the 25-year-old who joined PSG for a world-record 222 million euros ($261.5 million) in the close season.

"It's up to all of us to protect the big players, on both sides, because (Dimitri) Payet is also a good player," said Emery in reference to the Marseille playmaker. – Rappler.com

LOS ANGELES, USA – Los Angeles ace Clayton Kershaw and Houston hurler Justin Verlander lead the Dodgers and Astros into the 113th World Series here Tuesday, October 24, seeking to capture a first Major League Baseball crown.

Kershaw and Verlander, perhaps the two greatest pitchers of their generation, boast a wealth individual honors, but neither has captured the ultimate prize.

Kershaw, the southpaw from Texas whose resume includes one National League Most Valuable Player award, 3 NL Cy Young awards, and 7 All-Star selections, gets his first chance after helping the Dodgers reach the World Series for the first time since they last won it all in 1988.

Verlander, a former American League Rookie of the Year, MVP, and Cy Young award-winner, has pitched in two World Series, as a rookie with the Tigers in 2006 and again with Detroit in 2012 when they were swept by San Francisco.

He's 0-3 in World Series starts – a record he aims to change with the Astros, the team he joined in a trade from Detroit on August 31 just in time to be included on their post-season roster.

"Obviously he's a premier performer at the highest times, the most intense times," Astros manager AJ Hinch said. "And you can't teach that. And you can't buy it. You have to have it or you don't. And Verlander has it."

Verlander is coming off two sensational starts that earned him MVP honors in the American League Championship Series triumph over the New York Yankees.

He held the Yankees to one run over 16 innings, notching 21 strikeouts.

"Verlander, if that dude wasn't a first-ballot Hall of Famer before this post-season, he is now," Astros pitcher Lance McCullers said. "The impact he's brought on this team, the way that he goes about his business after all these years, you cannot say enough about what he's done for us and how he's built his legacy."

Kershaw, who was long unable to translate his regular-season dominance into post-season success, allowed just one run on 3 hits with 5 strikeouts in 6 innings in the final game of the Dodgers' National League Championship Series triumph over the defending champion Chicago Cubs.

4 more wins

He was promptly slated to pitch game one of the World Series on Tuesday by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who says there was no sign that the back trouble that sidelined Kershaw for 5 weeks would be a problem.

"Physically, Clayton feels good," Roberts said. "Obviously, you saw the emotion after [the clinch]. He'll be ready to go game one."

Kershaw called reaching the World Series "an incredibly special moment" but made it clear it wasn't "mission accomplished."

"You know, we have 4 more wins to go," he said. "We've 1988 so long in LA, it feels good to say that we're getting to the World Series in 2017, and with 4 more wins, hopefully get to get one home."

The Dodgers are seeking a 7th World Series title while the Astros, in the Fall Classic for just the second time, are in pursuit of their first.

The Dodgers led the major leagues with 104 regular-season wins while the Astros notched 101. 

The Dodgers disposed of the Cubs in 5 games in the NLCS while the Astros were pushed to the brink by the Yankees in the ALCS, falling behind 3-2 in the series before winning the last two games at home to deny New York a 41st World Series berth.

While Houston may not provide the glamor that would have surrounded a Dodgers-Yankees match-up, the Astros' game one starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel believes they'll bring plenty of game.

"Quality ballclub," Keuchel, the 2015 AL Cy Young award-winner said of the Dodgers. "They led the Major Leagues in wins for a reason. They're not to be taken lightly – but we're not to be either."

Two teams standing

The teams do have some post-season history, dating back to the days before realignment landed the Astros in the American League in 2013.

Houston eliminated the Dodgers in a one-game NL West division tiebreaker in 1980, and Los Angeles downed Houston en route to a World Series title in the strike-disrupted 1981 season.

This clash will see the Astros' explosive offense – which led the majors in runs scored with the second-highest number of home runs – challenging a formidable Dodgers pitching staff that was beefed up in the wake of last season's playoff loss to the Cubs.

"There's two teams standing," Hinch said. "It's a race to 4 wins now."– Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – After more than a year of mulling whether to join the PBA Draft, Kiefer Ravena knows there is no turning back this time. 

After his graduation from the Ateneo de Manila University in 2016, “The Phenom” suited up for Mighty Sports in the PCBL, where he won the Most Valuable Player award, in hopes of developing his skills before entering the PBA. 

Instead of joining the draft, the 23-year-old went overseas and signed with the NBA D-League team Texas Legends as a developmental player. 

Ravena also played for Alab Pilipinas in the ABL before starring for the Chooks-To-Go team in the 2017 FIBA Asia Champions Cup in China this past September, averaging a team-high 20.6 points per game. 

Considering himself ripe for competition, Ravena finally decided to make the big leap. 

“Napag-isipan ko na lang din talaga with my family and it’s a decision that really took so much time. Kasi ‘yung mga ganitong desisyon hindi naman basta bastang mag-decide on impulse as once you decide on it na, it can be your future na, it’s the thing that I’ll be doing for the rest of my life hopefully,” said Ravena. 

(I decided this with my family and it’s a decision that really took so much time. These kind of decisions are not things you decide on impulse since once you decide on it, it will already be your future, and hopefully, it’s the thing I’ll be doing for the rest of my life.) 

“Once I passed my form sa draft, I knew na ito na ‘yun, wala nang atrasan.” 

(Once I passed my form in the draft, I knew this is it, there is no turning back.) 

Ravena made the wait worth it for PBA scouts and coaches as he topped 3 of the 5 drills in the 2017 PBA Draft Combine. 

The former two-time UAAP MVP bested the other 43 applicants by being the fastest in the 3/4 court sprint (2.78 seconds) and agility lane (10.72 seconds) and having the highest mark in the max vertical leap (39.5 inches). 

“Super excited kasi lahat kami siguro nagsimula mag-basketball para sa araw na ito eh. Ito ‘yung mga araw na nilo-look forward mo ever since na magpakita and at the same time give ourselves a chance to make it into the pros,” said Ravena. 

(I’m super excited since maybe all of us started to play basketball for this day. These are one of the moments you look forward to ever since to show how we play and at the same time give ourselves a chance of making it into the pros.) 

Ravena is expected to go either first or second overall in the draft but said he does not mind what team picks him in the draft on Sunday, October 29. 

“As long as we get our foot sa PBA, iko-control namin ‘yung pwede namin ma-control which is the way we play.” 

(As long as we get our foot in the PBA, we will control the thing we can control, which is the way we play.) – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Gilas standout Christian Standhardinger cleared the air about his eligibility for the 2017 PBA Draft after reports surfaced that his absence at the Draft Combine Monday, October 23, could disqualify him. 

Standhardinger, who is the consensus top pick this year, was the only player among the 44 candidates who was absent in the Draft Combine where players participate in drills and scrimmages before PBA coaches and scouts. 

On his Twitter account @CStandhardinger, the Filipino-German said that he cannot come to the Combine since he is under contract with the Hong Kong team that participates in the ASEAN Basketball League. 

“Hi guys, everything is good! It is understood that I am officially under contract in Hong Kong, so I could not be at the PBA Draft Combine,” Standhardinger tweeted. 

{source} 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Hi guys,<br>Everything is good! It is understood that I am officially under contract in Hong Kong, so I could not be at the PBA Draft Combine.</p>&mdash; Chris Standhardinger (@CStandhardinger) <a href="https://twitter.com/CStandhardinger/status/922380163509207040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
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“My agent has already informed PBA officials in advance. Looking forward to seeing you all at Draft Day!” he added. 

{source} 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">My agent has already informed PBA officials in advance. <br>Looking forward to seeing you all at Draft Day!</p>&mdash; Chris Standhardinger (@CStandhardinger) <a href="https://twitter.com/CStandhardinger/status/922380249844793344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The PBA Draft is on Sunday, October 29, at the Robinsons Place Manila. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – It's true. It's damn true.

Over 11 years after his last match for World Wrestling Entertainment, the Olympic Hero was back in a WWE ring, not as an on-screen authority figure but as an active competitor. It had been painfully obvious how much Kurt Angle would prefer to be tossing other wrestlers instead of holding a microphone, and a sweeping outbreak of an unspecified viral infection that left several members of the WWE roster out of action was the opening to do so, according to an ESPN report.

Angle teamed up with RAW tag team champions Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose, taking the place of third Shield member Roman Reigns to face a 5-man team of Braun Strowman, Miz, Sheamus, Cesaro, plus Big Red Machine and Knox County mayoral candidate Kane at WWE's TLC event at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Sunday, October 22 (Monday, Manila time). 

(WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW)

Angle, donning The Shield's SWAT team outfits instead of his trademark red, white, and blue singlet, did not take too many serious bumps outside of being put through a table by a Strowman running powerslam. The match's agent probably had to work hard to talk Angle out of an insane moonsault spot off a ladder, almost certainly. 

It wouldn't be an Angle nostalgia-fest without plenty of Angle Slams, German suplexes and ankle locks, and even a Shield Bomb as a hat tip to the recovering Reigns. It was all the more appropriate that Angle was the one who made the pinfall on The Miz. 

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"I never thought it would feel this good. It's been 11 years since the WWE Universe has seen me wrestle," Angle said afterwards on WWE RAW Talk.

Angle, who was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in March, has been the commissioner of the RAW brand since April, doing his best to get over goofy storylines like Jason Jordan being his son.

The match was the first for Angle since August 2006 when he wrestled Sabu on the now-defunct ECW. Angle had cited recurring injuries as his reason for leaving the WWE, but he's also gone through public battles with addiction, telling ESPN in 2016 that he was taking 65 Vicodin pills per day at one point, and had been arrested numerous times for driving under the influence.

He said in a September 29 article on Fox Sports that he had not at that point taken the physical exam for in-ring action and was in the process of proving to WWE CEO Vince McMahon that he could be trusted again.

Any questions about whether he can still put on a classic match would be easily dismissed by watching his series of matches against Cody Rhodes a year ago which were perhaps the best wrestling in the world during that period. 

Amazingly, despite his time away from the company, the 48-year-old Angle was not the youngest man in the match. That designation belonged to Kane, the 50-year-old Ron Paul acolyte who returned to the WWE after a 10-month absence just a week ago.

And if Angle making his in-ring return isn't enough to get you to watch a replay of TLC, there was also a first-ever one-on-one match between former Bullet Club leaders AJ Styles and Finn Balor that was just too sweet.

Who knew viruses could book pay-per-views so well? – Rappler.com

SINGAPORE – World no. 1 Simona Halep kicks out her maiden WTA Finals title campaign by edging out Caroline Garcia. Halep ends Garcia's 11-match winning streak in straight sets 6-4, 6-2. 

Check out the match in photos below:

– Rappler.com

LONDON, United Kingdom – Cristiano Ronaldo has set his sights on a "lucky seventh" piece of FIFA silverware after collecting his 5th Men's Player of the Year award on Monday, October 23.

Ronaldo's Real Madrid side, who won both La Liga and the Champions League last season, dominated the 2017 Best FIFA football awards at a star-studded ceremony in London. 

The Portuguese ace has scored 44 goals in just 48 games for his club and country so far this calendar year, including two in a 4-1 Champions League final win over Juventus in Cardiff in June.

Ronaldo faced competition from longstanding Barcelona rival Lionel Messi and Paris Saint-Germain's Neymar, the world's most expensive player.

But, typical of a footballer who has enjoyed huge success at both Manchester United and Real, Ronaldo was not satisfied.

"I want 7. Five is good but 7 is my lucky number so 7 would be great."

Real boss Zinedine Zidane took the corresponding manager of the year award, with the Spanish giants providing 5 players in the FIFPro team of the year.

Ronaldo won the inaugural Best FIFA men's player of the year award last year following the end of a 6-year merger between the FIFA honor and France Football's Ballon D'Or.

The 32 year-old previously won the FIFA World Player of the Year award, the precursor to the Best FIFA award, in 2008.

He has now won the last two FIFA men's trophies as well as 3 out of the last 4 Ballon D'Or awards.

"Thanks a lot for voting for me," said Ronaldo after receiving his trophy from Argentina great Diego Maradona and Brazil's Ronaldo at the London Palladium theater.

"I mention Leo and Neymar, great to be here. Real Madrid supporters, my team mates, my coach, they all support me all year. We are in England for the first time and I win consecutive awards. This is a great moment for me. I have fans all over the world," he added.

Zidane won out ahead of Chelsea's Antonio Conte and Juventus's Massimiliano Allegri to be crowned men's coach of the year after becoming the first man to oversee a successful defense of the European Cup in the Champions League era.

"I'd like to thank all of the players for making this possible," said Zidane. "This is a very special prize."

Real's superb campaign was recognized in a FIFPro team that featured Ronaldo and club mates Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Marcelo, and Sergio Ramos.

The XI also included FIFA's goalkeeper of the year, Gianluigi Buffon. 

AC Milan's Leonardo Bonucci and PSG's Dani Alves were in the defense, with Barcelona playmaker Andres Iniesta in a side also featuring Messi and Neymar.

Giroud wins best goal

Juventus and Italian shot-stopper Buffon topped a 3-strong shortlist for the goalkeeper award ahead of Real's Keylor Navas and Bayern Munich's Manuel Neuer.

The Puskas Award for the best goal of 2017 went to Arsenal's Olivier Giroud.

The French striker received the award named in honor of Hungary great Ferenc Puskas for a spectacular "scorpion-kick" against Crystal Palace in January.

The Frenchman's flicked volley with his left foot that went in off the crossbar won ahead of goals from Venezuela's Deyna Castellanos, 18; and South African goalkeeper Oscarine Masuluke.

{source} <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yH85k6uEcHc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> {/source}

Meanwhile tournament hosts the Netherlands' achievement in winning its first major female football title, the 2017 Women's European Championship, was recognized with Women's Coach of the Year and Player of the Year awards for Sarina Wiegman and Lieke Martens respectively.

Supporters of Celtic won the Fan Award for the way they marked the 50th anniversary of the Glasgow club's European Cup triumph.

The Fair Play award went to Francis Kone for saving the life of goalkeeper Martin Berkovec, who nearly suffocated as a result of swallowing his tongue during a Czech league match in February.

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Voting for the bulk of the awards was equally weighted between national team captains and coaches, media, and fans. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philiipines – Will we see a do-or-die game, or will a champion be crowned?

The Barangay Ginebra San Miguel aims to retain the Governors Cup title in Game 6 of the 2017 PBA Governors' Cup Finals on Wednesday, October 25, at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.

Game starts at 7 pm.

The Meralco Bolts are dertermined to extend the series to a deciding Game 7 and a chance to win the franchise's first PBA championship. Down 0-2 in the best-of-7 playoffs, the Bolts managed to tie the series before Barangay Ginebra took the lead back in Game 5. (READ: Ginebra's defense clamps down on Meralco in Game 5 win)

See the full schedule of the PBA Finals below:

Follow all the action via Rappler's live blog here:

{source}<a class="twitter-timeline" data-width="100%" data-height="1500" data-partner="tweetdeck" data-link-color="#E95F28" href="https://twitter.com/RapplerSports/lists/pba-updates?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">A Twitter List by RapplerSports</a> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}

– Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The San Sebastian College-Recoletos (SSC-R) Golden Stags defeated the Colegio de San Juan de Letran (CSJL) Knights, 74-69, in the battle for 4th seed on Tuesday, October 24, at the Mall of Asia Arena. 

The intense final frame saw both teams fight tooth and nail for the right to complete the top 4 teams of the NCAA. But Ryan Costelo shot the runner with 44.9 seconds left in the game that nailed the lead for the Golden Stags. 

Michael Calisaan then pulled off a dagger 3 to close out the game with a 5-point cushion and he reset his career-high to 36 points in this game. 

The Golden Stags started strong, as  Calisaan buried two triples to tally 12 points in the first quarter alone and give the SSC-R a 9-point lead (16-7).

At the two-minute mark of the first, Letran was limited to zero perimeter points. Jeremiah Taladua then came off the bench to lead the Knights and immediately put up a 9-0 run to tie the score at 16-all.

The second period rocked back and forth as the quarter alone had 4 lead changes. Taladua's hot shooting saw him end the first half with 11 points and a 100% field goal percentage, including 3/3 from the deep. 

Things were looking up for Knights early in the 3rd quarter as John Calvo sank a triple that pinned down the lead. The Golden Stags rallied back late in the third and took the lead, but the Letran's charities in dying seconds of quarter allowed them to head into the 4th leading by one. 

The Golden Stags will face the 3rd seeded Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers on Friday, October 27, in the first game of the stepladder play-offs of the NCAA Season 93 men's basketball tournament.

The Scores

SSC-R (74) – Calisaan 36, Costelo 13, Ilagan 6, Navarro 6, Valdez 4, David 3, Gayosa 3, Bulanadi 2, Baetiong 1, Calma 0, Capobres 0, Mercado 0.

CSJL (69) – Taladua 16, Quinto 15, Calvo 11, Nambatac 11, Vacaro 8, Ambohot 3, Balanza 3, Balagasay 2, Mandreza 0, Gedaria 0.

Quarter Scores: 18-16, 32-30, 53-54, 74-69.

– Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Kiefer Ravena made a statement in the 2017 PBA Draft Combine after winning MVP and at the same time anchoring his A2 team to reign as champions in the mini basketball tournament on Tuesday, October 24 at the Gatorade Hoops Center.

Ravena, together with Jason Perkins, Robbie Herndon, Chris de Chavez, Mykiel Cabahug, Lervin Flores, and Christian Geronimo toppled the B3 squad of Jeron Teng, Dan Sara, Ervin Grospe, Gian Abrigo, Kyle Neypes, Andreas Cahilig and Zach Nicholls, 83-72, in the finals. 

Team A2 took home P75,000 in cash. 

The former two-time UAAP MVP, who topped 3 of the 5 performance tests in the Combine’s first day, was also named to the tournament’s Mythical Five with Perkins, Herndon, Teng, and Raymar Jose. 

Jose’s A1 team, featuring  Felix Apreku, JK Casiño, Gab Dagangon, Dave Moralde, and Jett Manuel bested the B2 squad of Thomas Torres, Louie Vigil, Jhon Rey Sumido, Julian Sargent, Renz Palma, John Gabriel, and Wilson Baltazar for 3rd place. 

Torres, for his part, triumphed in the Three-Point Contest earlier in the day and registered 12 points in the final round, edging Casiño who had 10. 

The PBA Draft will be held on Sunday, October 29, at Robinsons Place Manila. 

The Scores

Finals

A2 (83): Perkins 20, Herndon 18, De Chavez 17, Flores 13, Ravena 12, Geronimo 0, Cabahug 0.

B3 (72): Teng 23, Grospe 18, Sara 10, Neypes 8, Abrigo 7, Nicholls 0.

Battle for third

A1 (59): Dagangon 20, Manuel 13, Jose 12, Casiño 7, Moralde 5, Apreku 2.

B2 (55): Palma 14, Torres 14, Vigil 12, Gabriel 7, Baltazar 5, Sumido 3, Sargent 0.

– Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Christian Geronimo is probably the most unheralded among the 44 PBA rookie aspirants but he is not one to stop pursuing the dream he has been chasing since 2004.

Unlike his fellow PBA hopefuls who have set foot in the UAAP, NCAA, NAASCU, CESAFI and the D-League, Geronimo has not played in any major basketball tournament in the country.

But that fact did not stop him from joining the draft.

"Gusto ko talaga maglaro sa PBA, gusto ko rin magbigay inspirasyon sa mga nangangarap na makarating sa PBA," said Geronimo.

(I really want to play in the PBA. I also want to be an inspiration for those who are dreaming of reaching the PBA.)

The 5-foot-11 cager has already attended 4 colleges in more than a decade in hopes of finding a team to play for.

Geronimo was part of the Team B in Letran where he studied from 2004 to 2007 but failed to crack the Team A.

The Pasay City-native transferred to Adamson University but studied there for only a semester before enrolling at the Perpetual Help University under the Marketing Management program.

Geronimo transferred again, this time majoring in Broadcast Communication under the Open University program of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. But things still did not turn out well for Geronimo, as he was not included in the lineup that participated in the State Colleges and Universities Athletic Association even if he was part of the Team A.

His education and basketball careers were both not going into the direction Geronimo envisioned for himself that his mother told him to stop already.

"Minsan dumaan sa, ‘Anak, tigil mo na iyang paglalaro mo’ kasi nga financial problem tapos pabagsak-bagsak pa ako."

(It came to a point when Mama told me, ‘Stop playing basketball’ since we were also facing financial problems and I was failing in school.)

But for someone who has lived and breathed basketball his entire life, Geronimo knew that he could not just give up on the sport.

So when his coach at PUP told him to join this year’s draft, he immediately followed suit.

For family and lifetime dream

Admittedly a “bulakbol” (truant) earlier in his life, the 29 year-old credits basketball for giving him a direction.

"Kung hindi sa pangarap kong mag-PBA, hindi ako magpapakatino." (If it were not for my dream of reaching the PBA, I probably will still be like my old self.)

Geronimo worked as a sales agent for Mazda but left his job to prepare for the upcoming draft.

Now without a job, he is thankful that his 60-year-old grand3mother, who still works as an insurance agent, has been supportive of him since he decided to join the draft. He hopes he can give back to her if he gets picked by any of the 12 PBA teams.

"Sabi ko sa lola ko, ‘Lola, ako na sasagot sa gamot mo,’” said Geronimo. “Kung kaya ko na siyang (Mama) buhayin, patitigilin ko na siya, makabawi bawi man lang ako sa kanila." (I told my grandmother, ‘Lola, I will take care of your medication.’ If I can already provide for my mother, I will get her to retire from her job and that will be my way of giving back to them.)

During the two-day PBA Draft Combine, Geronimo, together with Kiefer Ravena, Jason Perkins, Robbie Herndon, Lervin Flores, Chris de Chavez and Mykiel Cabahug, was part of the team that reigned as champions in the mini-basketball tournament.

Their team received P75,000 in cash for winning the title and Geronimo plans to give his share to his mother and grandmother.

"Ang dami kong natutunan sa mga teammates ko, sa mga coaches, sa mga naging kaibigan ko dito. Day 1 pa lang, talagang hindi ko naramdaman na kahit mga sikat na sila, pinapalakas nila yung loob ko, binabati nila ako." (I learned a lot from my teammates, my coaches and from all the friends I made in this event. Even if it was only the first day, I never felt that I was different from them even if they are famous. They boosted my confidence and they were always greeting me.)

Days before the PBA’s annual rite of passage, Geronimo is satisfied even if he gets drafted or not. 

"Kung walang kukuha sa akin sa PBA, D-League. Talagang basketball, ball is life. Basketball lang ‘yung alam kong gawin." (If no one will get me in the PBA, then I will go to the D-League. Ball is life. Basketball is the only thing I know.)

“Ang dami ko nang pinagdaanan sa basketball na ito, bakit pa ako susuko, 'di ba?” (I went through so much for basketball, why would I give up now?)

The PBA Draft is on Sunday, October 29 at the Robinsons Place Manila. – Rappler.com