In case you were too busy moshing, rocking, or slowly nodding your head at POP Montreal, here’s what you missed this past weekend in the world of sports …
BASEBALL — With just about a week remaining in the regular season, things are heating up. The National League is fairly well-decided with Washington (keeping it together without Strasburg … gasp), Cincinnati, and San Francisco holding the divisional crowns, while Atlanta and St. Louis are looking good for the two wild card spots. In the AL, the New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles are in a tight division battle, as each team is vying to top the mighty AL East, with the Yanks currently holding a one game advantage. Regardless of who takes it, both will likely make the postseason courtesy of the top wild card spot. In the AL Central, Chicago and Detroit are battling for first, engaged in a tight half-game race with the White Sox currently holding the advantage.
For those who have given up on this MLB season (notably Blue Jays and Red Sox fans), this week has provided a bit of a respite, with qualifiers taking place for the 2013 World Baseball Classic. With a win against Great Britian and two against Germany, Canada qualified for their third Classic. The story of the week, however, was the Israeli team that came up just short in a five-hour, extra-inning thriller in the final game against Spain. Two more qualifying pools will play in November to round out the field for the third installment of the WBC in March.
SOCCER — In the sport that everyone loves outside of North America, Chelsea currently tops the table with 13 points over five matches, holding a slight advantage over Manchester United’s 12 points in as many matches. Last year’s champions, Manchester City, are struggling to get going, but have thus far averted disaster, holding nine points—good for a share of fifth place. Rather hilariously, once-powerful Liverpool is sifting in the cellar with an abysmal two points. When asked about its slow start to the season, Liverpool admitted to being quite distracted by Wayne Rooney’s now fully grown hair plugs and have therefore found it difficult to focus on the pitch.
FORMULA 1 — In another sport popular across the pond, a revitalized Sebastian Vettel claimed his second race of the year last Sunday, winning the Grand Prix Singapore. The victory placed him second overall for the World Championship with 165 points. Spanish Ferrari racer, Fernando Alonso, still sits atop with 194 points. The boys will push the pedal to the medal again on Oct.7 in the Land of the Rising Sun for Grand Prix Japan.
