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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 21, 2017)
SPORTS WEEKEND, OCTOBER 21-22, 2017 1B FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @EOSPORTS Astros force Game 7 with Yankees By KRISTIE RIEKEN AP Sports Writer HOUSTON — Justin Verlander stayed perfect with the Houston Astros when they couldn’t afford anything else. The ace right-hander pitched seven shutout innings and Jose Altuve homered and drove in three runs during a 7-1 victory over the New York Yankees on Friday night that extended the AL Championship Series to a decisive Game 7. Acquired in an Aug. 31 trade, Verlander has won all nine of his outings for the Astros. ALCS And with his new club facing playoff elimination in Game 6 Yankees against the Yankees, he delivered again. Game 7 is Saturday night in Houston, with the winner advancing to the World Series against Astros the NL champion Los Angeles Dodgers. CC Sabathia is scheduled to start for Game 7: New York against Saturday, Charlie Morton in 5 p.m., FS1 a rematch of Game 3, won 8-1 by the Yankees. The home team has taken every game in the series. “It’s going to be a crazy night,” Altuve said. “I know both teams are going to go out there and leave everything they have.” After striking out 13 for a complete- game victory in Game 2, Verlander threw another gem. The 2011 AL MVP and Cy Young Award winner scattered fi ve hits and struck out eight to improve to 9-0 with 67 strikeouts since agreeing to a trade from Detroit that was completed only seconds before the midnight deadline for postseason eligibility. For the Astros, it was Just-in time. “I literally love Justin Verlander,” Altuve said. “The way he goes out there makes me feel like I have to out there and play the same way he’s doing it.” George Springer helped Verlander out of a jam in the seventh, leaping to make a catch at the center-fi eld wall that robbed Todd Frazier of extra bases with two on and the Astros up 3-0. “I thought homer,” Verlander said. “That was obviously one of the big turning moments in the game.” Brian McCann’s RBI ground-rule double in the fi fth ended an 0-for-20 slump before Altuve snapped an 0-for-12 skid with a two-run single later in the inning. Altuve hit his fourth homer of the postseason when he connected on a solo shot off David Robertson with no outs in the eighth. 1 7 Staff photo by E.J. Harris Hermiston’s Andrew James (8) leaps over Redmond’s John Crivellone (33) while running the ball in the Bulldogs’ 62-14 win against the Panthers on Friday in Hermiston. BULLDOGS DOMINATE Hermiston’s home fi nale biggest win all season “It’s just all a perfect moment,” he said. “It’s what you dream of.” Gutierrez was one of fi ve Bulldogs to score, and it was his touchdown that brought the running clock rule By ALEXIS MANSANAREZ East Oregonian into effect. If a team is leading by 45 or more points, the clock does not HERMISTON — For a handful stop except for touchdowns and time- off Bulldogs, Friday night’s game had outs. Gutierrez’s two-yard rush up a special meaning. For one Bulldog Hermiston up 55-7 half way through the third quarter, but by in particular, the 62-14 Prep football that point the Bulldogs’ win over Redmond on fate was sealed. senior night was a little The fi rst 20 seconds bit sweeter. After Hermiston Redmond Hermiston of Hermiston’s home fi nale was a good indi- participated in its cator of what was to tradition of walking come. Junior Youbani the length of Kennison Field arm-in-arm one MORE INSIDE: Pendleton Razon opened the last time with the Class wins on the road at Bend game with a 82-yard punt return, and put of 2018, the friends Prep Roundup, 3B fellow junior Andrew and family of Joey Gutierrez were waiting near the end James and the rest of Hermiston’s zone. Minutes later, the small crowd offense in the red zone for their fi rst broke out signing “Happy Birthday” See DAWGS/3B as Gutierrez celebrated turning 18. 14 62 Staff photo by E.J. Harris Hermiston’s Jonathan Hinkle rushes the ball chased by Redmond’s Cooper Browning in the Bulldogs’ 62- 14 win against the Panthers on Friday in Hermiston. Mustangs take back league title from defending champs Heppner beats Stanfi eld at home, earns playoff spot By ERIC SINGER East Oregonian Staff photo by Kathy Aney Coby Dougherty, of Heppner, gains yardage during Fri- day’s game against the Tigers in Stanfi eld. STANFIELD — After a one year absence, the Columbia Basin Conference championship is back in the possession of the Heppner Mustangs. Heppner wore out and beat down the defending CBC champion Stanfi eld Tigers on a cold and windy October evening for a 44-15 victory. It’s the fourth straight victory for the Mustangs on Prep football Heppner Stanfi eld 44 15 the season, and one that offi - cially clinched the school’s 21st consecutive state playoff berth. “It’s surreal,” Heppner senior Coby Dougherty said after the game, smiling ear-to-ear. “From the beginning of the season we were doubted quite a bit, and coming into this game and being here and having a playoff spot, this is just amazing.” “I’m really happy for my kids,” Heppner coach Greg Grant added. “They’ve gone through a lot, they’ve worked really hard, and I’ve been hard on them because I know what they’re capable of and they’re really starting to come together and they showed what they’re capable of tonight at times.” The Mustangs established their presence at the line of the scrimmage early and often on both sides of the ball and took control of the game. Heppner ran for 303 yards in the game led by Dougherty with 128 yards on 20 carries with three total touchdowns. Heppner picked up 20 fi rst downs, held the ball for 24 minutes of game time and was a combined 6 of 10 on third and fourth downs, thanks to a big effort from its offensive line. “The guys on the line of scrimmage really did dig in and work hard,” Grant said. “I thought everybody blocked well tonight, I really did. I thought we all blocked for each other, with each other and that’s a beauty of football.” Quarterback Jayden Wilson has utilized his legs more in the last few games for the Mustangs and he continued that trend Friday as he ran for 115 yards and See MUSTANGS/3B Sports shorts Baker out as Nationals manager WASHINGTON (AP) — Dusty Baker’s time as the manager of the Washington Nationals is over after two seasons, two NL East titles and zero playoff series victories. The Nationals announced Friday that they would not be bringing Baker back. His two-year deal with the club is expiring. The moves come the week after Washington was eliminated from its NL Division Series against the Chicago Cubs with a 9-8 loss at home in Game 5. The Nationals Baker also were bounced from the postseason in the NLDS round in 2016 also with a Game 5 loss at home by one run, that time against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Despite a host of injuries to key players, the Nationals went 97-65 this season, fi nishing 20 games out in front in their division. In 2016, Baker’s fi rst in Washington, the club was 95-67. “By no means was I trying to injure or take out Aaron Rodgers. He’s one of, if not the best, player in this league. I’m not a dirty player. I don’t play dirty. We don’t preach that around here.” — Anthony Barr Minnesota Vikings lineback- er who was fi ned $9,115 for head-butting Green Bay’s Da- vante Adams but faced no pun- ishment for a tackle that broke the collarbone of QB Rodgers. Lynch suspended one game for unsportsmanlike conduct NEW YORK (AP) — Oakland running back Marshawn Lynch was suspended for one game without pay by the NFL on Friday for shoving a game offi cial during the Raiders’ victory over Kansas City on Thursday night. Lynch was ejected from the game after he shoved line judge Julian Mapp. The scuffl e started when Oakland quarterback Derek Carr was hit late on a run by Kansas Lynch City’s Marcus Peters midway through the second quarter. Raiders offensive linemen Kelechi Osemele and Donald Penn immediately confronted Peters, and Lynch sprinted onto the fi eld from the bench to join the fray. Mapp tried to break up the fi ght, but Lynch pushed him and grabbed his jersey. Lynch also got a personal foul. THIS DATE IN SPORTS 1975 — Carlton Fisk breaks up a thrilling contest with a homer in the 12th inning to give the Boston Red Sox a 7-6 victory over the Cincinnati Reds and force a seventh game in the World Series. 2007 — Rob Bironas kicks an NFL-record eight fi eld goals, the last a 29-yarder with no time left to give Tennessee a 38-36 win over Houston. Bironas adds two extra points to set the NFL record for most points by a kicker, with 26. 2012 — Tamika Catchings scores 25 points to help the Indiana Fever win their fi rst WNBA title with a victory over the Minnesota Lynx. Contact us at 541-966-0838 or sports@eastoregonian.com
