![[SPORTS] MUNCY’S HOME RUN BLAST LIFTS DODGERS TO GAME 3 WIN](https://i0.wp.com/sloppyvinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/img_8356-1-1.jpg?resize=1080%2C675&ssl=1)
by sloppyvinyl | Oct 27, 2018 | SPORTS
About Time! Dodgers Win In Longest Postseason Game Ever
The Dodgers needed a hero or a miracle, anything to assure them that an 0-3 deficit was not in their near future in the 2018 World Series.
Max Muncy gave them one with most of America tucked away in their beds.
The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Boston Red Sox 3-2 in the 18th inning on Friday night at Dodger Stadium to make it a 2-1 series.
Max Muncy, who hit a near home run in the 15th inning but the ball just went foul down the right field foul pole, delivered a walk-off home run in a historic marathon contest to breath life into the Dodgers in the World Series.
Muncy took a 3-2 pitch from Nathan Eovaldi in his eighth plate appearance of the night and took it to opposite field to end the game where a Gatorade bath would ensue after rounding the bases.
It was a game that hurt the eyes as people at Dodger Stadium fought to stay awake at the ball park, but Dodgers fans were sent home happy.
The Los Angeles Dodgers got an early lead in Game 3 with a home run by Joc Pederson in the third inning and it would be their only run until 13th inning as a error by Red Sox second baseman Ian Kinsler tied the game at 2-2 with two outs as Yasiel Puig beat out a throw at first.
The Los Angeles Dodgers rookie right-hander Walker Buehler brought his A-game in his first World Series start of his career.
Buehler dominated the Boston Red Sox offense over seven shutout innings as he allowed only two hits while striking out seven.
Buehler threw 72 of his 108 pitches for strikes on the night, good for 67 percent as he pounded the strike-zone with high 90s fastball all night long.
With the Game 3 victory, the Los Angeles Dodgers avoided having their season fall into the darkest of times as no team in MLB history has ever come back from a 0-3 deficit.
The game on Friday night that went into Saturday morning was the longest postseason game in MLB history as it lasted seven hours and 23 minutes.
It was easily their worst hitting performance here in the postseason, but the Boston Red Sox won’t be deflated by losing a wildly long and wacky Game 3 to the Dodgers.
The length of the game forced red-hot right-hander Nathan Eovaldi into playing what amounted to a start in extra innings.
Eovaldi was outstanding despite taking the loss on the walk-off blast by Muncy. The flamethrower went six innings allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits and a walk while striking out five in a 93 pitch effort.
Rick Porcello, who got the start, would allow one run on three hits and a walk while striking out five over four and two-thirds innings.
Boston lost their first game on the road in the postseason as they had went 5-0 in their first five in the playoffs.
Boston hit .122 as a team and went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
Jackie Bradley Jr.’s home run on a 2-0 fastball by Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen tied the game with two outs in the eighth inning.
In the 13th inning, they took the lead on a error by Dodgers reliever Scott Alexander on a throw to first base, but it was not meant to be.
Ian Kinsler found himself on the wrong side of MLB history twice as he was gunned down by Cody Bellinger from center field on a throw to home and then committed the crucial error in the 13th to allow Max Muncy to score from third base.
Because of it, the Boston Red Sox now have work to do in order to keep this World Series from going back to Boston, and there’s great uncertainty as to who will start Game 4 for Boston.
For the Los Angeles Dodgers, it’s their most triumphant win of the postseason to date as this one puts them in a precarious situation of now needing to win four straight games to win the World Series.
The look on Dave Roberts’ face as he watched one of the few opportunities go by the wayside for the Dodgers offense in the game during the ninth inning said it all about the heightened level of importance in this game.
From Cody Bellinger getting caught stealing on a 3-2 count with one out in the ninth inning, Manny Machado coming up small in big moments and Kenley Jansen being able to hold a late lead, all of Los Angeles’ nightmares were formed into one in a edge of your seat affair.
Luckily for the Dodgers, the power of their bullpen and power of their bats continued to surface here as their bullpen shut down the Red Sox sans a home run allowed by Kenley Jansen in the eighth inning.
Now, after a wild Game 3, the question is this: Can the Dodgers tie the series?
Left-hander Rich Hill will take the mound for Los Angeles on Saturday night vs a pitcher yet to be named for the Boston Red Sox in Game 4.
What are your thoughts on the Dodgers Game 3 victory? Leave your comments below!
![[SPORTS] COSTLY TURNOVER, HOLIDAY’S WINNER SINK NETS](https://i0.wp.com/sloppyvinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/img_8353.jpg?resize=1080%2C675&ssl=1)
by sloppyvinyl | Oct 27, 2018 | SPORTS
Nets Blow Game Late To Fall To 2-3
After an easy victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in their previous game, the Brooklyn Nets knew they would have their hands full with a high-octane Pelicans team anchored by Anthony Davis.
In crushing fashion, the Brooklyn Nets let a win slip through their finger tips and into the hands of their foes.
The New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Brooklyn Nets 117-115 on Friday night at the Smoothie King Center as they denied Brooklyn of a second consecutive win.
Jrue Holiday would sink a game-winning jumper with 2.0 seconds to go in the fourth quarter.
Holiday finished the game with a game-high 26 points to go along with five assists, one steal and one block on Friday night.
D’Angelo Russell, looking for Caris LeVert, would throw the ball away out of bounds on a careless turnover with 7.5 seconds to play as the Pelicans elected to not foul immediately with 21.9 seconds remaining.
Controversy would arise after Holiday’s game-winning basket as Brooklyn Nets forward Ed Davis would shove Pelicans forward Solomon Hill, who appeared to try to sneak into the Nets huddle during the timeout.
Davis would be assessed a technical foul that allowed Jrue Holiday to attempt and make a free throw to make it a 117-115 game.
Looking for a 3-pointer, a potential game-winning shot would not come into fruition as Anthony Davis would steal Joe Harris’ inbounds before throwing it ahead as time ran out.
D’Angelo Russell’s 24 points, five rebounds and four assists guided the Nets on the night, but it’s his turnover late that will be the talk of the game.
Russell was not looking at Caris LeVert during the time of his crucial turnover as the Nets were attempting to play keep away. In that situation, the only thing Russell had to do during that moment was execute a normal pass, but instead opted to try to be flashy as it cost the Nets.
The Brooklyn Nets shooting from beyond the arc kept them ahead of the Pelicans for much of the game as Brooklyn hit 19 3-pointers on the night, a new season-high.
The Nets held the edge throughout, albeit a slight one for much of the second half. Kenny Atkinson’s team built a 13-point lead in the second quarter, but couldn’t hold off Alvin Gentry’s team from getting back into the game in the third quarter.
The Pelicans came into action averaging an NBA-high 132 PPG as they had a 15.3 +/- differential in their three wins as they looked for a 4-0 start Friday night.
Brooklyn, however, had other ideas, as they limited the New Orleans Pelicans to 45 percent shooting.
Jarrett Allen and the Nets did a solid job on Pelicans Star Anthony Davis, who finished with only 18 points on the night on 31 percent shooting.
With their offensive depth, however, the Pelicans have shown they can win without their superstar having a great night as six Pelicans finished with double-digit scoring.
This is a loss that stings for Brooklyn as it’s one they led 115-108 with under two minutes to play before allowing New Orleans to go on a 9-0 run to end the game.
The Brooklyn Nets will have to lick their wounds and regroup quickly as they’ll host the Golden State Warriors late Sunday afternoon at the Barclays Center.
What do you make of Brooklyn’s tough defeat on Friday night in New Orleans? Leave your comments below!
![[SPORTS] KNICKS FALL PREY TO DURANT’S 41 POINTS, WARRIORS DOMINANT FOURTH](https://i0.wp.com/sloppyvinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/img_8354.jpg?resize=680%2C440&ssl=1)
by sloppyvinyl | Oct 27, 2018 | SPORTS
Durant Puts On A Show At MSG
Knicks fans were given a reason to cheer for all four quarters at the Garden on Friday in what was a surprise to many.
In the fourth quarter, though, it was Kevin Durant giving the New York crowd all of the reasons to stand from their seats.
The Golden State Warriors defeated the New York Knicks 128-100 on Friday night at Madison Square Garden to extend New York’s skid to five games.
A Knicks fan prior to Friday night posted a Billboard in New York City that served as a pitch to Kevin Durant coming to the Big Apple next summer.
While that may not be the case, Durant reminded everyone at the Garden why he’s to be coveted by many this upcoming offseason.
Kevin Durant scorched the New York Knicks for 41 points on Friday night as he led the charge to a furious fourth quarter by Golden State.
Durant exploded for 25 points in the fourth quarter as he went 10-for-13 from the floor, with his last two baskets being deep range 3-pointers that thrilled the fans at the Garden.
Not uncharacteristic of Golden State to overlook an opponent like the Knicks early in the season, the NBA’s gold standard kicked it into high gear in the fourth quarter vs the young Knicks.
Golden State outscored New York 47-16 in a earth shattering fourth quarter display for the defending champs.
Golden State shot 58 percent from the field while hitting 16 of their 33 3-pointers on the night. New York would shoot 43 percent from the field while hitting 13 of their 39 3-pointers.
The New York Knicks held a 84-81 lead over the Golden State Warriors as they had taken advantage of a sloppy third quarter showing by Golden State.
In that same quarter they held a 78-69 lead as they had Knicks fans at Madison Square Garden partying like it was 1973.
Knicks coach David Fizdale made notable moves to New York’s starting lineup as he went with Noah Vonleh, Mitchell Robinson and Damyean Dotson as Trey Burke, Lance Thomas and Enes Kanter came off the bench.
New York’s much improved effort and on-court performance was a win for David Fizdale and the Knicks considering the matchup vs an NBA juggernaut.
Expected to be blown off the floor by Golden State, the Knicks can take tonight’s loss as a positive despite the margin of defeat and loss meaning their regular-season record now sits at 1-5.
Fizdale and the Knicks got a scare after Tim Hardaway Jr. injured his knee after bumping knees with Kevin Durant late in the second quarter and had to remain down out of bounds for a while.
Hardaway Jr. would luckily be able to finish the game as he led the Knicks with 24 points on the night.
The New York Knicks will get two days off before hosting the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night as they look to end their five-game skid.
What is your take on the Knicks loss tonight? Leave your comments below!
![[SPORTS] UFC MONCTON WEIGH-IN RESULTS: JOHNSON MISSES WEIGHT](https://i0.wp.com/sloppyvinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/img_8336-1-3.jpg?resize=1080%2C630&ssl=1)
by sloppyvinyl | Oct 26, 2018 | SPORTS
Main Event Set For UFC Moncton
The UFC returns after a two-week hiatus as UFC light heavyweight contenders Volkan Oezdemir and Anthony Smith meet in the main event of UFC Fight Night 138 in Moncton, Canada.
Before then, the fighters scheduled to compete at the Fight Night event took to the scales Friday morning. The main event tilt was cleared as Volkan Oezdemir and Anthony Smith were on point.
Volkan Oezdemir, who last competed at UFC 220 vs Daniel Cormier in a UFC light heavyweight title fight, weighed in at 205.5 pounds as he looks to bounce back from his first UFC loss.
Anthony Smith, who will look to extend his winning streak to three, weighed in at 205.5 pounds.
Michael Johnson, who is looking to make it two wins in a row in the 145-pound weight class, missed weight by a pound as he weighed in at 147 pounds ahead of his co-main event matchup with Artem Lobov.
Here are the full weigh-in results below.
UFC Fight Night 138 Weigh-in Results:
Volkan Oezdemir (205.5) vs. Anthony Smith (205.5)
Michael Johnson (*147) vs. Artem Lobov (145.5)
Misha Cirkunov (205) vs. Patrick Cummins (205.5)
Jonathan Martinez (135) vs. Andre Soukhamthath (136)
Ed Herman (205.5) vs. Gian Villante (205.5)
Alex Garcia (170.5) vs. Court McGee (170.5)
Sean Strickland (170.5) vs. Nordine Taleb (170.5)
Thibault Gouti (155.5) vs. Nasrat Haqparast (156)
Chris Fishgold (146) vs. Calvin Kattar (146)
Talita Bernardo (133) vs. Sarah Moras (135.5)
Te’Jovan Edwards (156) vs. Don Madge (154)
Arjan Singh Bhullar (242) vs. Marcelo Golm (255.5)
Jessin Ayari (155) vs. Stevie Ray (155.5)
What are your thoughts on UFC Fight Night 138? Leave your comments below!
![[SPORTS] DESHAUN WATSON SHINES AS TEXANS FLY PAST DOLPHINS](https://i0.wp.com/sloppyvinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/img_8335-1.jpg?resize=1080%2C675&ssl=1)
by sloppyvinyl | Oct 26, 2018 | SPORTS
Texans Win Fifth Consecutive Game
The Texans offense was hopeful heading into 2018 with the return of Deshaun Watson.
Seven games into the season, Bill O’Brien had yet to see his offensive unit put it all together in a game to this point.
That changed on Thursday night.
The Houston Texans defeated the Miami Dolphins 42-23 on Thursday night at NRG Stadium to win their fifth straight game.
Deshaun Watson tied his career-high with five touchdown passes to go along with 239 passing yards in the Houston Texans rout at home.
The Texans quarterback tossed four of his five touchdowns in the second half as the Texans offense as a whole could do no wrong vs the fading Miami Dolphins.
Will Fuller IV led the team with 124 receiving yards, which included a 73-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
Pro Bowl receiver DeAndre Hopkins added to his touchdown total with two more touchdown grabs on Thursday night as he finished with six receptions and 82 receiving yards to go along with it.
Lamar Miller had his second consecutive 100-yard day as he finished with 133 rushing yards and one touchdown.
The Houston Texans (5-3) racked up 427 yards of offense as they went 4-for-4 in the red zone vs Miami’s defense.
While a valiant effort to stay in the game until the fourth quarter as they trailed 28-20 to begin the fourth, Miami was facing an uphill battle for much of the second half.
Brock Osweiler, who made his third consecutive start for the Miami Dolphins in place of Ryan Tannehill, finished the game with 241 passing yards and one INT as he completed only 56 percent of his passes.
Miami got a strong performance out of wide receiver Devante Parker, who finished with a career-high 134 receiving yards on the night.
J.J. Watt and the Texans defense got after Brock Osweiler early, forcing him to rush the clock in his head to make decisions because of it.
Watt recorded his eighth sack of the season as the Texans defense limited the Dolphins to 4-for-13 (30%) on third down.
Coming into the night Houston averaged 22.1 PPG, good for 21st in the NFL. The offensive problems for Houston was a mix of a offensive line unable to run or pass block effectively.
The problems also extended to Deshaun Watson, who in essence is still a rookie quarterback after having his season cut short by an ACL injury last season.
For a night at least and maybe a prelude to the rest of the season, the Texans fired on all cylinders to further put an 0-3 start to the season in the rear view mirror.
In the first six games of the season Deshaun Watson was sacked 25 times behind a porous Texans offensive line. Over the past two games he has been sacked once, with tonight being a clean night for the 23-year-old quarterback.
An emphasis on running the ball is one of the reasons for the decrease in hits on Watson over the past two games. Houston has run the ball 30+ times while Watson has thrown under 25 passes in each of the games.
Tonight he completed 80 percent of his passes as he went 16-for-20 vs the Miami Dolphins.
It took nearly two months into the season, but it appears as if Bill O’Brien’s Houston Texans, up and down on offense, have found their identity.
For Miami, it’s the fourth loss in their last five games as a 3-0 start seems ages ago. As Houston built momentum after a close and competitive first half, Miami abandoned the run.
That’s something that coach Adam Gase should consider a personal coaching failure on his part as there was no way Miami would be able to keep this game close relying on Osweiler to throw the ball 30+ times.
Kenyan Drake (58 rushing yards on 12 carries) and Frank Gore (53 rushing yards on 12 carries) both averaged well over four yards per carry, but were mostly nonexistent in the second half in terms of touches.
Miami used a nice trick play in the third quarter to draw closer as Danny Amendola threw a 28-yard touchdown to Kenyan Drake, but success on offense through the air was few and far between.
Now in desperation mode, Miami will look to rebound at home in a Week 9 matchup with the New York Jets at Hard Rock Stadium.
Meanwhile, the Houston Texans will prepare for a trip to the Mile High City as they take on the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field.
What are your thoughts on the Houston Texans win Thursday night? Leave your comments below!
![[SPORTS] NFL WEEK 8 PICKS: RAMS HAMMER PACKERS IN L.A.](https://i0.wp.com/sloppyvinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/img_8330-1-1.jpg?resize=600%2C400&ssl=1)
by sloppyvinyl | Oct 25, 2018 | SPORTS
Rams Won’t Struggle Much With Rested Pack
Week 7 Results: 9-5
Record this season: 64-43
I have some good news and bad news for you guys.
The good news is that the NFL season to this point has been f****** incredible and we’ve already seen just about every type of wild and wacky thing happen.
From two ties in consecutive weeks, the Browns winning a game, Kansas City’s offense, Philadelphia’s stumbles, upsets, and the emergence of new contenders. There’s been little more you could’ve asked for as a fan of the NFL.
The bad news? We’re nearly halfway through the season …. Already!!!
That’s something that always seems to suck about the NFL is that it comes and goes. Whilst our attention at times is turned away to the end of the MLB season and beginning of the NBA and NHL season, the NFL on Thursdays, Sundays and Mondays just doesn’t feel like enough sometimes.
The Week 8 slate features a London calling for Blake Bortles, who just might get left in London if he continues to reincarnate “Bad Blake” vs the Philadelphia Eagles.
Elsewhere, the Baltimore Ravens and Carolina Panthers hook up in a hard-hitting matchup in Carolina while the New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings rematch of their classic NFC Divisional round game from a season.
The premier matchup in Week 8 is a NFC showdown in Los Angeles as the undefeated Los Angeles Rams host California native Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.
It’s sure to be a fun week of games across the NFL. Here are my picks for Week 8 of the NFL season.
Miami Dolphins at Houston Texans
The Miami Dolphins are hurting at wide receiver with injuries which makes the defensive gameplan for defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel simple: Stack the box and make Brock Osweiler — who’s actually playing good football — beat you. Consider it done.
Prediction: Houston Texans 27 Miami Dolphins 16
Philadelphia Eagles vs Jacksonville Jaguars
The Philadelphia Eagles have yet to win two consecutive games this season. That’s something their counterparts this Sunday in London can’t attest to, but they’ve fallen on hard times losing four out of their last five. With Blake Bortles going against this front four, expect that trend to continue.
Prediction: Philadelphia Eagles 22 Jacksonville Jaguars 16
New York Jets at Chicago Bears
Take out the 333 passing yards, three total touchdowns and 81 rushing yards, Mitch Trubisky was awful vs New England last Sunday in a 38-31 loss. That may be unfair, but when you’re completing 52 percent of your passes and was lucky to end the game with only two interceptions thrown, that’s an issue. What’s not an issue? The Bears defense facing a quarterback in Sam Darnold who is tied for the most turnovers in the NFL with 11 this season.
Prediction: Chicago Bears 27 New York Jets 17
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals each week look more and more like the team we expected rather than a 4-1 team they were just a few weeks ago. After facing two high-powered offenses, they face another that has a propensity to be turnover prone. Tampa Bay has not won a road game since Week 1 and have surrendered 41 PPG in their last two road games.
Prediction: Cincinnati Bengals 34 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 28
Seattle Seahawks at Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions face a Seattle Seahawks team that has more than recovered from an 0-2 start. Stafford historically has struggled vs the Seahawks, but something that should help him in this one is the emergence of running back Kerryon Johnson. Johnson exploded for 158 rushing yards last Sunday and now faces a Seahawks defense 4.7 yards per carry.
Prediction: Detroit Lions 23 Seattle Seahawks 21
Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs
The Denver Broncos are the only team in the NFL to slow down the Kansas City Chiefs offense as they represent the only team to not surrender at least 30 points to Kansas City this season. That’s something that won’t be lost on Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense, who without crowd noise being a factor should decisively dominate this matchup at Arrowhead.
Prediction: Kansas City Chiefs 36 Denver Broncos 16
Washington Redskins at New York Giants
The New York Giants are awful, but there are obvious reasons this game at MetLife Stadium can be close. Washington is devoid of playmakers on the outside to exploit New York’s weaknesses in the secondary. Add in that Odell Beckham Jr. loves playing against Josh Norman and you have the recipe for…a Giants loss, next.
Prediction: Washington Redskins 24 New York Giants 14
Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers may have had a bye week, but that doesn’t mean nail-biting times won’t be on the docket at the Big Ketchup Bottle this Sunday. Cleveland’s defensive scheme is a problem for the Steelers offense, but Cleveland’s banged up some on that side of the ball. That and James Connor are enough to sway me to the home team.
Prediction: Pittsburgh Steelers 29 Cleveland Browns 26
Baltimore Ravens at Carolina Panthers
When looking at this matchup, what concerns you if you’re the Carolina Panthers defense is speedster John Brown on the outside. After that, you like your chances. If Baltimore Ravens’ running back Alex Collins can’t improve on his 3.6 yards per carry output, it’ll be a long day for Joe Flacco vs this defense.
Prediction: Carolina Panthers 17 Baltimore Ravens 13
Indianapolis Colts at Oakland Raiders
The Indianapolis Colts supported Andrew Luck with a newfound rushing attack in a 37-5 win over Buffalo last week. That would appear to be music to Frank Reich’s ears as the Oakland Raiders are surrendering 4.7 yards per carry and can’t pressure the quarterback.
Prediction: Indianapolis Colts 27 Oakland Raiders 23
Green Bay Packers at Los Angeles Rams
The Green Bay Packers had a bye week to prepare for this nearly unstoppable machine in the Los Angeles Rams. Still, it’s hard to feel confident about Green Bay’s chances. I’m not in love with Green Bay’s offensive line nor their ability to not get beat deep by the best deep-ball team in the NFL.
Prediction: Los Angeles Rams 42 Green Bay Packers 27
San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers represent the battle of nowhere as in nowhere but up from here. Both of these teams are a combined 2-12 with Arizona’s lone win coming vs San Francisco in Week 5. Beathard is a turnover machine, something that will factor in once again on the road.
Prediction: Arizona Cardinals 20 San Francisco 49ers 16
New Orleans Saints at Minnesota Vikings
It’s true that the Minnesota Vikings are on a three-game winning streak. It’s also true that those wins came against teams that aren’t in the same playing field as New Orleans. The Vikings defense is rounding into form, but they haven’t faced an offense as complete as this one since Week 4 when they allowed 38 points to the Los Angeles Rams.
Prediction: New Orleans Saints 27 Minnesota Vikings 23
New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills
The New England Patriots give up a lot of points and the Buffalo Bills are on pace to be one of the worst offenses in NFL history. It doesn’t matter who plays quarterback for Buffalo, Tom Brady’s track record vs the Buffalo Bills and the Patriots red-hot offense will be enough here on the road.
Prediction: New England Patriots 30 Buffalo Bills 13
What are your thoughts on this week’s predictions? Leave your comments below!
