Weekend national sports wrap-up
BASEBALL
NEW YORK (AP) — They worked all season to take one more step in the World Series. Eric Hosmer wouldn’t wait any longer.
Hosmer’s daring dash forced extra innings, and those bound-and-determined Kansas City Royals rallied yet again to beat the New York Mets 7-2 in 12 innings for their first championship since 1985.
One agonizing win from ecstasy last season, this time the Royals reign after their latest incredible comeback and a go-ahead hit in Game 5 from Christian Colon, maybe the most unlikely player in uniform.
So go ahead and crown ‘em, Kansas City! The job is finally done.
Down 2-0 in the ninth, Kansas City fought back against two of the top arms on the pitching-rich Mets: Matt Harvey and Jeurys Familia. And the Royals did it not with home run power but instead an aggressive sprint home by Hosmer on a groundout, a three-run double from Lorenzo Cain, a couple of crucial steals.
Consistent contact, keep the line moving.
NEW YORK (AP) — Salvador Perez took foul balls off his mask, collarbone and fingers, and the Kansas City catcher kept on bouncing back, like some indestructible test dummy.
No bruise was too painful.
No ache was too much to overcome.
Not only did he anchor the pitching staff, he hit .364 (8 for 22) and was voted the Most Valuable Player in the Royals’ five-game World Series win over the New York Mets that culminated in a 7-2, 12-inning victory.
NFL
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Drew Brees has heard his critics getting louder this season.
The talk might be about the 36-year-old quarterback’s advancing age. Or his ability to bounce back from a Week 2 throwing-shoulder injury. Or his $20 million annual salary causing the Saints undue salary-cap pressure.
Yet Brees contends he can play as well as ever, and on Sunday against the New York Giants, he sure did.
Brees passed for career highs of 511 yards and an NFL record-tying seven touchdowns, and recently signed Kai Forbath kicked a 50-yard field goal as time ran out, giving the Saints a 52-49 victory in a game with a record 13 scoring passes.
The 101 points tied for third most in an NFL game. Both offenses combined for 1,030 yards.
MARATHON
NEW YORK (AP) — Mary Keitany once tried to win a New York City Marathon by surging to a huge lead from the start. By staying patient Sunday, she ensured she’d be far ahead at the end.
The 33-year-old Kenyan became the first woman to repeat in New York since world-record holder Paula Radcliffe in 2008. Her margin of victory of 67 seconds was also the largest since Radcliffe that year.
Stanley Biwott won his first major marathon title to complete the Kenyan sweep. He finished second in London last year and had been upping his mileage in training to ensure he didn’t fade over the final stages of races as he had in the past.
He certainly needed that late speed against countryman Geoffrey Kamworor, who’s more a track star than a marathoner. Kamworor won the silver medal in the 10,000 meters at the world championships in August.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
NEW YORK (AP) — Ohio State, Baylor, Clemson and LSU remain the top four teams in The Associated Press Top 25 as the College Football Playoff selection committee prepares its first rankings.
There was little change in the poll released Sunday with five of top 10 teams having an open date.
The first selection committee top 25 will be released Tuesday night. The pairings for the four-team College Football Playoff will be revealed Dec. 6.
Things held mostly steady in the AP poll. Ohio State, which suspended quarterback J.T. Barrett for this week’s game against Minnesota for being cited for operating a vehicle while impaired, was off Saturday and retained all 39 of its first-place votes.
Baylor has six first-place votes after losing one this week but remains a solid No. 2. No. 3 Clemson also has six first-votes, No. 4 LSU has five and No. 5 TCU has four after picking up the vote Baylor lost.
There’s a sizeable divide between the top five and the rest, with No. 6 Michigan State trailing the Horned Frogs by 87 points.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Frank Beamer has decided this will be his last season as Virginia Tech’s coach, ending a 29-year run in Blacksburg, Virginia, that made Beamer Ball synonymous with winning.
Beamer announced Sunday he would retire after this season.
The 69-year-old is the winningest active major college football coach with 277 victories. He is 235-120-2 since taking over at Virginia Tech in 1987, when he drew laughter by saying the Hokies could win a national championship by focusing on recruiting in Virginia.
Beamer led the Hokies to seven conference titles, four in the Atlantic Coast Conference and three in the Big East, plus eight BCS bowl games. During his tenure, the program has also vastly expanded Lane Stadium to its current capacity of 65,632, built a new locker room, weight room and lounge area for the football team and, this year, opened an indoor practice facility.
HONOLULU (AP) — Norm Chow was fired as Hawaii’s football coach Sunday, a day after the Rainbow Warriors dropped to 2-7 with a 58-7 home loss to Air Force.
Athletic director David Matlin said Chris Naeole will finish the season as interim head coach.
The 69-year-old Chow was 10-36 overall and 4-25 in the Mountain West Conference in four seasons at Hawaii. The Rainbow Warriors are 0-5 this season in the Mountain West.