In case you spent your week preparing to jump back to Earth from space, here’s what you missed this week in the world of sports…
BASEBALL — Is there anything like October baseball? All four Division Series this year went the distance, and every night featured a different dramatic finish. San Francisco went into Cincinnati facing three elimination games at the Great American Ballpark, but channeled its memories of 2010 to take all three games in Ohio and eliminate the Reds. Speaking of recent champions, the Cardinals brought everyone back to 2011, erasing a 6-0 deficit to win the fifth and deciding game of their series against the Washington Nationals (who really shouldn’t have shut down Stephen Strasburg). In the junior circuit, the Yankees-Orioles series was headlined by the struggles of Alex Rodriguez and his replacement Raul Ibanez. Finally, the Oakland A’s’ magical run came to an end at the hands of the Detroit Tigers. The last three World Series champions will all take part in the League Championship Series, so if you want to root for an underdog, cheer for Detroit.
MEN’S SOCCER — Canada’s quest for the 2014 World Cup in Rio de Janeiro continues on Tuesday night as the Red and White play their final game of the third round of CONCACAF qualifying. A win or a draw against Honduras will be enough for the Canadians to progress to the final six or “hexagonal” round for the first time since 1997. Canada is positioned to qualify after a 3-0 victory over Cuba on Friday night at Toronto’s BMO Field. The Cuban team only fielded a squad of 11 players after four players went missing, three of whom were reported to be defecting to the United States.
BOXING — Orlando Cruz, a Puerto Rican featherweight boxer came out last week. The announcement made waves throughout the sporting world as Cruz is the first boxer to come out, and is one of the highest profile athletes ever to do so. Cruz’s announcement is significant, as he is still an active fighter. Other athletes, like former NBA player John Amaechi, have only revealed they were gay after retiring from competition. Cruz fights Jorge Pazos in Florida next week, and a win in the bout could give him a shot at the world title.
BASKETBALL — The NBA’s preseason got up and running this week with teams playing in the United States, Europe, and Japan. The Brooklyn Nets played their first game in the borough, debuting their new uniforms and logos. Of note for Montreal basketball fans: the Toronto Raptors will play the New York Knicks in a preseason game at the Bell Centre on Friday night for the second time in three years. Last time the Knicks came to Montreal, they practiced at McGill’s Love Competition Hall with the Redmen and Martlet basketball teams. Tickets for the game are still available and start from $25.
