Sports Radio 1400 WSJM @wsjmsports wsjmsports.com Wednesday, October 29, 2014
MLB – 2014 World Series
Last Night
Kansas City Royals 10, San Francisco Giants 0 (Series tied 3-3)
Royals 10, Giants 0 – World Series needs game 7
The Kansas City Royals put together a seven-run second inning and forced a seventh game in the World Series by crushing the San Francisco Giants 10-0. Lorenzo Cain had three RBIs, including a two-run single during the big rally. Yordano Ventura held the Giants to three hits in seven innings for the victory.
Tonight – Game 7
San Francisco (Hudson 9-13) at Kansas City (Guthrie 13-11), 8:07 p.m. (Series tied 3-3)
NFL – Lions won’t offer timetable on injured DT Fairley
Detroit Lions coach Jim Caldwell did not disclose a timetable for Nick Fairley’s return after the defensive tackle injured his right knee in a win over Atlanta on Sunday. Caldwell says he’s aware of a report that Fairley could miss around a month, but says the Lions haven’t come to that conclusion yet. He says he’s received no indication that the injury is season-ending. Fairley was injured as he hit Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan on a pass play. Lions teammate Ndamukong Suh, rushing Ryan from the other side, crashed into Fairley. After falling awkwardly, Fairley clutched his right knee and was noticeably limping as he was helped off the field. Detroit has an open date this weekend, then hosts Miami.
NHL – National Hockey League
Last Night
Anaheim Ducks 1, Chicago Blackhawks 0
Ducks 1, Blackhawks 0 – Gibson leads Ducks past Blackhawks 1-0
John Gibson made 37 saves and Devante Smith-Pelly scored on a short-handed breakaway, leading the surging Anaheim Ducks to a 1-0 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night. Smith-Pelly grabbed a loose puck when Chicago defenseman Brent Seabrook fell while retrieving a pass at the Anaheim blue line, and he beat rookie goaltender Scott Darling between the legs on a backhand after skating the length of the ice. Smith-Pelly’s third goal came with 8:28 left in regulation, and with 2 seconds remaining on Chicago’s power play. Gibson got his first shutout of the season as Anaheim won for the eighth time in nine games.
Tonight
Detroit Red Wings at Washington Capitals, 7:30 p.m.
NHL – Hockey great Gordie Howe resting after stroke
Hockey great Gordie Howe has lost some function on the right side of his body after having a stroke Sunday in Texas. Howe’s daughter Cathy says the 86-year-old Detroit Red Wings legend has lost much use of his right arm and right leg. Howe suffered the stroke in Lubbock, Texas, where his daughter lives. Howe’s daughter said Tuesday night his speech is slurred, but he’s been looking at family pictures and pictures from his playing days, and he’s able to recognize and identify people he played with. She said his three sons were on the way there to see him.
NBA – National Basketball Association – Regular Season Start
Last Night
San Antonio Spurs 101, Dallas Mavericks 100
New Orleans Pelicans 101, Orlando Magic 84
Houston Rockets 108, Los Angeles Lakers 90
Tonight
Chicago Bulls at New York Knicks, 8:00 p.m.
Detroit Pistons at Denver Nuggets, 9:00 p.m.
NCAA Football – Playoff – Bulldogs, `Noles, Tigers and Rebels get top 4 nods
The College Football Playoff selection committee has unveiled the first of seven top 25 rankings. There’s good news for three SEC teams, none of which is Alabama. Mississippi State and ACC powerhouse Florida State are 1-2 in the ranking. The Bulldogs and Seminoles are two of the last three unbeaten teams left in the FBS. Auburn is third, followed by SEC rival Mississippi to round out the current projected semifinalists for the first FBS playoff. Oregon is on the outside looking in at No. 5. Alabama is sixth in the ranking after moving up to third in the AP poll. TCU is seventh, followed by Michigan State, Kansas State and Notre Dame. The final rankings will be released Dec. 7, the day after the most of the conference championships are decided.
NCAA Football – 1 game likely to decide B10 East; West is a mess
Two things are apparent in the Big Ten as November approaches. The Ohio State-Michigan State game in two weeks will decide the winner of the East Division unless both teams inexplicably hit the skids. The West is a jumbled mess with no clear favorite among the four top contenders. Ohio State-Michigan State for months has been looked at as the conference’s marquee regular-season game. No. 13 Ohio State hosts Illinois on Saturday. The No. 8 Spartans are off. Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer said he and his players know the big game is looming. Meyer said some of “luster” will be lost from that game if Ohio State doesn’t win this week. In the West, Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa and Wisconsin each have one conference loss.
NCAA Basketball – Men’s – Spartans still a threat after losing Harris, Payne
Tom Izzo is still lamenting an opportunity that slipped away last season. “Not many times I felt like we had a chance to do something special _ last year I did,” the Michigan State coach said. “I really believed it was a year to not only get back to a Final Four but I thought a legitimate chance to win a national championship.” After an injury-plagued regular season, the Spartans entered the NCAA tournament as one of the trendy picks to make a deep run, but they were eliminated in the Elite Eight by eventual champion Connecticut. Michigan State must replace Gary Harris, Adreian Payne and Keith Appling from that team. If nothing else, the Spartans don’t have to feel burdened by the weight of any outsized expectations right now. “We still have pieces,” guard Denzel Valentine said. “We’ve still got weapons that people don’t know about yet, and I think that’s going to help us this year with extra motivation and have that chip on our shoulder.” Valentine started 33 games last season, and his solid all-around game was a big asset. The Spartans also will expect a lot from Branden Dawson, who enters his senior season as the team’s top returning scorer.
NCAA Basketball – Men’s – Michigan must overcome more NBA departures
After winning the Big Ten and nearly reaching a second straight Final Four, John Beilein’s Michigan team lost a few early entrants to the NBA draft. That’s become common for the Wolverines, but the departures, Nik Stauskas, Glenn Robinson III and Mitch McGary, may be a bit harder to deal with this season. The Wolverines have withstood some significant departures in the past. Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. left after taking Michigan to the Final Four in 2013, yet the Wolverines still made it back to the Elite Eight last season. But Michigan lost more than just Stauskas, Robinson and McGary; Jordan Morgan was a senior, and solid role player Jon Horford transferred. Returning is talented guard Caris LeVert, who averaged 12.9 points per game as a sophomore. Spike Albrecht, Derrick Walton and Zak Irvin also have been solid on the perimeter, giving the Wolverines an experienced core to build around.
AHL – American Hockey League
Tonight
Rockford Ice Hogs at Grand Rapids Griffins, 7:00 p.m.
MHSAA – High School Sports
Last Night
Girls Volleyball
Lake Michigan Catholic 3, River Valley 1
Centreville 3, Bridgman 1
