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Dodgers Back in it with Win Over Cardinals in NLCS

Published

11 years ago

October 15, 2013

Los Angeles, CA – Being back in front of their home crowd, they did what they knew best, and that’s to win. The Dodgers got back in this series with a 3-0 shutout win over the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Championship Series.

After going down 2-0 in St. Louis, L.A. made some adjustments to avoid any kind of sweep on their home field. Injured players Hanley Ramirez and Andre Either were back in the lineup. Desperate for a win, the Dodgers played their game despite a fractured rib and micro-fractured leg that hobbles both Ramirez and Either.

L.A. manager Don Mattingly said he didn’t know if both players will be in the lineup on Tuesday but hopes so because even when they are hurting, their presence changes opposing pitcher’s game plans. Hanley is one of many Dodgers that consistently gets on base and he did that last night scoring in Carl Crawford to secure their victory.

“Oh yeah. You know I’ll be ready to go tomorrow, for our fans, for our team and for our city,” said Ramirez. “I’m a gamer. I’ve been saying all year I’m a gamer and I’m going to die on the field.”

“It was better than I thought,” Andre said. “We’ll come out [Tuesday] and see how everything feels. I want to play. We will see. We won’t know until tomorrow.”

In the meantime, it was the Cardinals who walked away baffled after being shutout in game 3. With their ace on the mound, Adam Wainwright St. Louis didn’t provide the defense to back his outing. Simple errors and miscues were the reason the same team that dominated in the first two games, fell apart tonight and let the fourth get away from them.

Mark Ellis leadoff the frame with a double, with the ball dropping in the outfield between center fielder Jon Jay and right-fielder Carlos Beltran. Hanley’s sacrifice fly moved Ellis to third with one out with the scoring run already in place. Adrian Gonzalez hit a RBI single. Yasiel Puig followed with a triple to right field and the Dodgers went up 2-0.

“I’m the center-fielder,” said Jay. “That’s my ball. I have to catch the ball. I have to take charge and catch the ball.”

“I think he hesitated,” Carlos Beltran said. “It’s a play that, as a center fielder, and I was a center fielder before. You have to take charge and he knows that.”

That was the momentum they needed behind a stellar night of pitching from Hyun-Jin Ryu. After questionable concerns on his elbow in the National League Division series against the Atlanta Braves. Ryu was more dominant hitting 95mph with his fastball and changeup. The offense finally came alive after going 1-for-16 with runners in scoring position in the first two games of the NLCS.

“All I was thinking about was the fact that we were down 2-0, and I told myself this could potentially be the last start I pitch here this year,” said Hyun-Rin. “So, I focused from the very first pitch, I just zoned in and I was able to get a good result.”

St. Louis suffered a huge loss when David Freese left the game with a strained right calf. He provided the first hit in the fifth when he leadoff the frame with a single to right-fielder Puig who almost caught the ball on a diving catch. Matt Adams followed with single to right field past second baseman Mark Ellis.

This was the best position the Cardinals had been all night. They had two on with no outs but the Dodgers turned the double play, which was crucial. Daniel Descalso pinched run for Freese who was injured while at-bat and got doubled off second base after Jon’s fly ball to left field. Pete Kozma grounded out to third baseman Juan Uribe to second baseman Ellis to end the threat.

“That was big,” said Mark. “You don’t want to give them any momentum at all. We got a break, a smart baseball player made a mistake and I don’t think he’ll do that again.”

Crucial mistakes by St. Louis led to an effortless performance by the Dodgers offense. Descalso was the last base runner to reach scoring position for the remainder of the game. The Cardinals have struggled in producing runs, they’ve only scored more than three runs in just two of eight playoff games.

“We made a few mistakes we don’t normally make, and when you do that you’re going to lose,” said Daniel. “They had momentum there, scored two runs in that inning. Runs have been hard to come by in this series, and they got the momentum, go the crowd behind them, and we couldn’t answer.”

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Rajah Caruth: Young Trailblazer of NASCAR

Imagine you’re only 22 years old and already making a name for yourself in NASCAR, one of the most thrilling sports in the US. That is the life of Rajah Kirby Caruth, an American professional stock car racing driver.

Published

6 days ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Rajah Kirby Caruth, an American professional stock car racing driver. (File Photo)

By Tamara Shiloh

Born June 11, 2002, in Washington, DC, he was drawn to the sport as a child after seeing the Disney Pixar film “Cars.”

Caruth dreamed of tooling around the track like the main character in “Cars,” Lightning McQueen. His enthusiasm grew when his parents surprised him with a trip to the NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway when he was 12.

In 2018, while keeping busy with school, sports and a summer job, Caruth and his family held fundraisers so that he could buy an iRacing simulator. Then, at age 16, he traded a real driver’s license to race virtually in the eNASCAR Ignite Series, which led to him being recruited by the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Program.

His first big opportunity came in 2019 when he competed in a “Legends” car at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the Bojangles’ Southern Shootout and recorded two top-third in the semi-pro points.

People began to recognize Caruth’s talents. In 2020, he stepped up to the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series and became the first African American to win at Greenville-Pickens Speedway in a late model race. The next year, he won at Tri-County Motor Speedway and picked up his fourth overall late model victory.

Then, he became the first person of color to win at the South Carolina track.

In 2021, Caruth announced he would compete full-time in the ARCA Menards Series East for Rev Racing, where he finished third in the standings, including a series of top-five finishes. He made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut on a bigger stage as well.

Then, in 2022, thing really took off. A new chapter found Caruth at NASCAR’s unofficial Triple A league with GMS Racing, where he drives full-time for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, with a sponsorship from The Wendell Scott Foundation. After a few setbacks, he broke into the top 10 several times, finishing at a career-high 6th at Darlington Raceway.

Fast-forward to 2024, and Caruth’s took the third major step in his career. He is now driving full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for Spire Motorsports and has been making the news for putting on stellar performances. Oh, and he won at Las Vegas: his first career victory.

From an impressionable young racing fan to a professional NASCAR driver, Caruth is charting a new path, creating history, and inspiring people to always remember that if you have the talent, the drive, and most of all, the heart, anything can be achieved.

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Salesian Coach Knew Angel Jackson Could Play in WNBA

Back in 2019, Salesian Girls Basketball Head Coach Stephen Pezzola made a bold prediction about one of his players, Angel Jackson. “If she keeps putting in the work like she did for us, she could be in the WNBA,” the coach said. That turned out to be very true. Last month, the Las Vegas Aces selected Jackson with the 36th overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. She is the second player from an Historically Black College or University, or HCBU, to be selected in the draft in 20 years.

Published

6 days ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Angel Jackson. Photo courtesy of Jackston State.

The Richmond Standard

Back in 2019, Salesian Girls Basketball Head Coach Stephen Pezzola made a bold prediction about one of his players, Angel Jackson.

“If she keeps putting in the work like she did for us, she could be in the WNBA,” the coach said.

That turned out to be very true. Last month, the Las Vegas Aces selected Jackson with the 36th overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. She is the second player from an Historically Black College or University, or HCBU, to be selected in the draft in 20 years.

Jackson’s success came as little surprise to Pezzola, who last year led the Pride to their 8th North Coast Section championship since he took over the program in 2008-2009. In 2019, Pezzola commended Jackson as “a very coachable kid” from the time she arrived at Salesian.

Tomekia Reed, her coach at Jackson State, shared similar sentiments, noting Jackson worked “very hard” to reach this moment.

“She came into our program doing great things and never looked back,” Reed told the Clarion Ledger. “She has trusted our leadership as we were able to develop her into an amazing player. I have watched her improve tremendously over the years.”

The 6’-6” Jackson played three seasons at the University of Southern California before transferring to Jackson State. She was ranked 10th in the NCAA in blocked shots and averaged 10 points per game in her final college season.

She finished her collegiate career with 1,047 points and was twice named Southwestern Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year.

As the 36th pick, Jackson was the final pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. In a television interview, Jackson said she didn’t expect to be picked, and called the moment “surreal.”

“It made me feel so appreciative that HBCU is getting back on the map again,” she said.

All she could do in that moment was cry.

“I called my mom immediately, and she started crying,” Jackson said. “It was the best moment you can feel as a young lady.”

There’s no stopping Jackson now. “The sky is the limit,” she said.

Her high school coach agrees.

“I knew that Angel could do it,” Coach Pezzola told the Richmond Standard this week. “We are so proud of Angel and what she has accomplished. It was an honor and joy to coach Angel at Salesian.”

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Oakland WNBA Player to be Inducted Into Hall of Fame

The Multi-Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame (MESHOF) announced that it will induct Dr. Alexis Gray-Lawson, a former WNBA player and Oakland Technical High School graduate at its inaugural Curt Flood Platinum Award Ceremony in February. Gray-Lawson’s Platinum Award is part of the Hall of Fame’s 24th Annual Bay Area induction and award ceremony, where four other retired professional athletes will be honored.

Published

3 weeks ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

Photo Courtesy of Alexis Gray Lawson.

By Post staff

The Multi-Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame (MESHOF) announced that it will induct Dr. Alexis Gray-Lawson, a former WNBA player and Oakland Technical High School graduate at its inaugural Curt Flood Platinum Award Ceremony in February.

Gray-Lawson’s Platinum Award is part of the Hall of Fame’s 24th Annual Bay Area induction and award ceremony, where four other retired professional athletes will be honored.

The banquet and ceremony will be held from 5:45 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 24, at the George P. Scotlan Convention Center at Oakland’s Marriott Civic Center Hotel.

“I am truly honored to receive this incredible nomination,” said Dr. Alexis Gray-Lawson, who, along with college teammate Devanei Hampton, lead Oakland Tech to its second consecutive state title in 2005. “It took a village to raise me and get me here, and I truly am excited to continue the legacy.”

Gray-Lawson, a “second team” Parade All-American and an All-State honoree, as a senior in ’05, was chosen for the California Interscholastic Federation sportsmanship award. She only lost one game throughout her four-year career in high school. Her jersey was retired at Oakland Tech and placed in the National High School Hall of Fame as a four-time All-City recipient, averaging 17.2 points per game during her career.

Gray-Lawson received scholarships in volleyball, softball, and basketball before deciding to travel up College Avenue to the University of California, Berkeley. There, she played in more basketball games (143) than any other player in Golden Bears’ history. She finished her career as the Bears all-time 3-point leader (211), and she is ranked third in scoring with 1,982 points.

An All-Pac 10 and honorable mention All-American in 2010, Gray-Lawson also was the top player at 5’8” or under for the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award. Later that year, she was a third-round pick of the Washington Mystics in 2010 and played with the Phoenix Mercury of the Women’s National Basketball Association in 2011 and 2012. She also played professionally overseas in Turkey and Israel.

Other inductees are Clifford Ray (Basketball); Lee Lacy (Baseball); Spencer Haywood (Basketball); and Mohinder Singh Gil (Track & Field).

Organizers say the event promises to be a “historic and celebratory evening,” and iconic personalities from across the professional sports industry and its various disciplines will attend.

The no-host cocktail hour begins at 5:45 p.m.; dinner at 6:45 p.m.; and the ceremony at 7:45 p.m. All times are prompt. General tickets are $250.00; Seniors (65 and older) $150.00, and students $50. This includes dinner and the ceremony. Tables of 10 are available as well, and early purchase is recommended.

MESHOF is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring athletes from all corners of the globe who have made significant contributions to the world of sports and broadening the public’s understanding of the contributions people of color have made to professional sports; and to provide educational life skills and mentorship opportunities for deserving youth. Proceeds will help maintain the City of Oakland’s Curt Flood Field, Oakland Parks & Recreation, and MESHOF’s after school and mental health initiatives.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.multiethnicsportshof.com. For additional information, please contact: Arif Khatlib @ afrosportshall@aol.com or India Alston @ india@beamcreativehouse.com