Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.
Baseball-Game Three of World Series postponed due to inclement weather
Game Three of the World Series between the host Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros originally scheduled for Monday was postponed due to inclement weather and a forecast for sustained rainfall throughout the evening. The third game of Major League Baseball’s best-of-seven championship series, which is tied at 1-1, will now be played on Tuesday with the remainder of the games and the travel day back to Houston, if necessary, also pushed back by a day.
NHL roundup: Tage Thompson’s 6 points help Sabres blast Wings
Tage Thompson recorded his second career hat trick and had three assists while Jeff Skinner scored the 300th goal of his career as the Buffalo Sabres beat the visiting Detroit Red Wings 8-3 on Monday night. Thompson is one of six players in franchise history to tally six points in a game, becoming the first to accomplish the feat since Pat LaFontaine did so on Feb. 10, 1993. The franchise record is seven points, set by Gilbert Perreault on Feb. 1, 1976. Skinner also had two assists while Rasmus Dahlin added a goal and an assist for Buffalo during its highest-scoring game since a 9-2 win over the Ottawa Senators on Nov. 3, 2018. Jack Quinn also found the net, and Kyle Okposo notched two assists.
Horse racing-Gold Trip wins the Melbourne Cup
Gold Trip won the Melbourne Cup at Flemington Racecourse on Tuesday, thundering home in the final straight to win Australia’s “race that stops the nation” by a length and a half from Emissary. The six-year-old stallion trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, rated an 18/1 chance by bookmakers, charged in front at the 300m mark to win a thrilling sprint to the final post in the gruelling two-mile handicap.
NBA roundup: LeBron James, Anthony Davis lead Lakers to first win
LeBron James scored 26 points, Anthony Davis added 23 to go with 15 rebounds and the host Los Angeles Lakers beat the Denver Nuggets 121-110 on Sunday night for their first win in six games this season. Lonnie Walker IV scored 18 points, as did reserve Russell Westbrook, who also had eight rebounds and eight assists for Los Angeles.
NFL roundup: Bill Belichick makes history as Pats overpower Jets
Bill Belichick became the second-winningest coach in NFL history and Nick Folk kicked five field goals as the New England Patriots pulled off a 22-17 victory over the New York Jets on Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J. Belichick earned his 325th win (regular and postseason) to pass George Halas (324) on the all-time list. New England (4-4) also won its 13th straight game against the Jets (5-3).
Soccer-Qatar World Cup pays fans’ flights and hotels for good PR
The organisers of the World Cup in Qatar are paying groups of soccer fans to travel to the tournament next month, saying on Monday they are asking them for positive comments on social media in return. The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) confirmed the policy of inviting groups of supporters to the finals as guests after reports by Dutch public broadcaster NOS, who said on Sunday that Qatar was paying for flights and hotels for a group of 50 Dutch fans.
Soccer-France’s Pogba to miss World Cup after failing to recover from surgery – agent
Frane midfielder Paul Pogba will miss their World Cup title defence after failing to recover from knee surgery in time for next month’s tournament in Qatar, his agent said on Monday. Pogba had an operation on a damaged meniscus in September but his agent said that, following a medical review, he would not be able to return to the Juventus squad or join up with France before the Nov. 20-Dec. 18 World Cup.
Tennis-Fritz leads American quartet into Paris Masters second round
Ninth seed Taylor Fritz kept his hopes of qualifying for the season-ending ATP Finals alive when he was among four Americans to record straight sets victories at the Paris Masters on Monday to move into the second round. Fritz, the highest-seeded American in the draw beat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 7-5 6-2 on the back of a decent first serve despite trailing by a break in the opening set.
Soccer-PFA asks UEFA to add concussion substitution rule as ‘bare minimum’
UEFA must play a leading role in efforts to minimise the risk of head injuries in soccer by introducing concussion substitutes, the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) said. IFAB, the game’s rule-making body, gave the go-ahead for trials of permanent concussion substitutes in 2020, following which the Premier League and the Women’s Super League introduced the system in England last year.
Motor racing-Verstappen deserves more plaudits, says Horner
Max Verstappen is enjoying the most dominant of Formula One seasons but Red Bull team boss Christian Horner reckons the double world champion still deserves more recognition. The 25-year-old took a record 14th win of the season in Mexico City on Sunday and has now scored more points in a single campaign (416) than anyone ever, breaking Lewis Hamilton’s 2019 record of 413.
(With inputs from agencies.)
