[theo_luddite]

In the Fat Blokes Rounders, the Championship Series come to a close this weekend with the Divisional winners going neck and neck so far. Best of 7 in these games.

In the American League, Toronto and Seattle started with two games in Toronto and Seattle managed to keep the Jays bats quiet as they won 3-1 and spanking 10-3. The Blow Jays blowing it again? Over to Seattle with the Mariners hoping for a sweep from their two home games, but they couldn't keep those Jays quiet this time. A 13-4 win on Wednesday and an 8-2 win last night has the series tied at 2-2 with the 5th game tonight ensuring they'll be back in Toronto on Sunday and if required Monday for the 6th & 7th games. Nobody selected either side but the conspiracy theorists are all pointing fingers about possible financial irregularities after the Jays stunk the place out last season.

In the National League, the games started a day behind the AL (TV money of course) a similar storyline was emerging. The LA Dodgers beat Milwaukee Brewers away, 2-1 and 5-1 then back over on the West Coast they went on to win again 3-1. As a result they lead the sries 3-0 and can do a clean sweep if they win again tonight. The Brewers bats just can't get onto the arms of The Dodgers but they now also need to win the next 4 to meat the winners of the AL Championship in the (cough, cough) World Series. Myself and SCO are riding the West Coast wave with the Dodgers.

Either way it all still has at least another week to run.

While we're still on that side of the pond, The CFL (Grey Cup) Egg Chasing still has two more weekends of League Fixtures before we know who is in the play-off's.

Nothing happening in the F1 this weekend other than Norris has been told by McLaren that he's not the Messiah, he's just a very naughty boy and there will be repercussions after he played dodgems with his team mate in Riga. We won't know what that will mean on the track until they go racing again - or just play follow the leader. They couldn't be daft enough to hand the title to Crash while they are trying to be very polite with each other could they? Keep a close eye on the skid marks in the pit lane and the chicanery on the track.

[theo_luddite]

Correction, the F1 guys are in Texas but otherwise nothing much will happen..... or could it?

[theo_luddite]

The F1 boys had a fun filled weekend in Texas. Extra points were on offer on Saturday in the form of a sprint race. After being right, royaly miffed at being poked from behind in the last race by his team mate in Riga, you'd have thought a calm head was order of the day for Oscar Piasri. So on the first bend in the Sprint he trid to cut behind his team mate only to discover there were other drivers on the track. Oo'd a thunk eh? He got himself pretty much t-boned by Hulkenburg who lauched him into Norris, taking them both out. McLaren spun that as Piestri getting hit from behind, when it was clearly his own dumb fault. Crash laughed all the way to banking another 8 points with nowt being scored by the two above him.

He also qualified first for Sundays race and whilst most of the fun and games went on further down the pack he once again went lights to flag to pick up a full house for the weekend. Norris eventually got 2nd after passing Leclerc twice with Piastri 4th in front of The Hamster, who apparently picked up a puncture on the last lap. A few more points eaten into Piastri's lead. If Piastri was hoping for an easy ride I think he just blew it. On to Meccico next weekend.

Result



Standings



Whilst we're on that side of the pond, the Fat Boys of Summer Rounders inched closer to the World Series. I left you on Friday with a cliff hanger and what was looking like a banger. Well the cliff hangar in the AL continues. Seattle became the first side to win a home game when they made it 3-2 on Friday with a 6-2 defeat of the Blow Jays. Back to tornto last night and Da Jays bounced back with a 6-2 home win of their own. Fingernail shredding starts around 20:10 EDT or well past bed time over here unless you're on happy pills. Tickets if you want one "2nd hand" are more expensive than a flight over there so stay at home.

The witches broomsticks and yard brooms in the hands of the LA Dogers fans (you'd never get them into a stadium over here) will tell you that they swept The Brewers 4-0 with a 5-1 win in the final game. Sweeps in the play-off's are rare. They are putting their feet up watching tonight's decider.

The NHL Egg chasers aren't far enough into their season to be bothered, unless you're Taylor Swift apparently, and their Canadian counterparts sort out thier play-off teams next weekend. The peach basket guys get going on Tuesday, we'll pick up on that for next season when we have to along with the skater boys.

There's cricket that we aren't really interested in going on in hot wet countries and some wet and mild countries. When England tun up in Aus we'll start to show some real interest. Still no more points for a while yet.

[theo_luddite]

The Blow Jays made it through a tight AL Series decider against Seattle Mariners for the first time since 1993. Leaving Seattle last Friday trailing 3-2 they won 6-2 on Sunday to set up the deciding fixture on Monday night. The score was tied 1-1 after the first innings. Seattle scored unanswered runs in the 3rd and 5th innings to take a 3-1 lead. Then in the bottom of the 7th innings with two runners on base, this happened .....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fys6Zhl8gPM

That took the wind out of the Mariners sails and 3-4 was how it finished.
Da Jays go up against LA Dodgers starting tonight with 2 games in Toronto under AL rules (designated hitter) Friday and Saturday, then 3 in LA under NL rules (pitchers also bat) Monday to Wednesday then back to Toronto for the final 2 games, if required next Friday and Saturday. LA have only lost one game getting to the World Series. For you insomniacs it all starts around 01:00 UK time.



F1 heads South of the Border, Down Meccicco way this weekend for a blast around the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in the rarified atmosphere of Mexico City. This includes running the track through a former baseball stadium which provides probably the most unusual grandstand views in the sport.



No sprint race this weekend.

In the CFL Egg Chasing, it's the final weekend of the regular season, with the play-off teams already known, it's just a case of who plays who and where still to be sorted out. The only known is that Saskkatchewan are through to the West Division Final which they'll play at home on 8th November. We'll know by Monday morning (or late Sunday evening if you're that side of the pond and keen to watch) how it all shakes out.

England's cricketers are currently in New Zealand playing T-20's and One-Day games prior to hopping over "the ditch" for The Ashes series that starts in about 4 weeks time.

[St Charles Owl]

The Blow Jays made it through a tight AL Series decider against Seattle Mariners for the first time since 1993. Leaving Seattle last Friday trailing 3-2 they won 6-2 on Sunday to set up the deciding fixture on Monday night. The score was tied 1-1 after the first innings. Seattle scored unanswered runs in the 3rd and 5th innings to take a 3-1 lead. Then in the bottom of the 7th innings with two runners on base, this happened .....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fys6Zhl8gPM

That took the wind out of the Mariners sails and 3-4 was how it finished.
Da Jays go up against LA Dodgers starting tonight with 2 games in Toronto under AL rules (designated hitter) Friday and Saturday, then 3 in LA under NL rules (pitchers also bat) Monday to Wednesday then back to Toronto for the final 2 games, if required next Friday and Saturday. LA have only lost one game getting to the World Series. For you insomniacs it all starts around 01:00 UK time.

The designated hitter rule was adopted by the NL a couple of seasons ago, so pitchers no longer bat in any MLB games. All rules for the AL and NL are now the same.

[theo_luddite]

Cheers SCO. I missed that one, not watched it on the tellybox very often to be honest as when it's on it's normally well passed snooze time over here and when I'm over there it's wall to wall Jays. In that case, other than erm, "tradition" and the Pennants, why have separate Leagues anymore as there are plenty of cross-over games anyway.

[theo_luddite]

Much to my embarrassment, I missed the RL Egg Chasing Ashes Test today between England and The Aussies. The first Test is at Wemberlee, with the 2nd at Everon's new stadium and the 3rd Test at Headingley. These are played on consecutive weekends. tTickets available at the Wemberlee box office if you're stuck for something to do this afternoon, given Town might not turn up again a few stops further up the Chiltern Line.

[theo_luddite]

Can someone please tell Colin Murray (Radio 5 Live, Sunday morning and other times as and when he's needed, if you need the link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Murray) to come home and watch 'The World Series' from over here? He's been to Toronto twice in the play-off's to support the Blow Jays and they've lost all 3 games when he has had tickets for their games. He missed Friday's opener, which Da Jays won 11-4, knocking in 9 runs in another record 6th innings, he was there for Saturday's game, which they lost 1-5. Take the hint Colin, I want them to win as much as you do, but does the word "jinx" mean anything to you? One run each going into the 7th, LA Scored 2 runs in each of the 7th and 8th Innings as their pitchers managed to keep Da Jays bats quiet.

Yes I know I get a point if LA win but I've also got time invested in shucking peanut shells and downing beers in the nosebleed 500's (occasionally in the 100's and somewhere in between when I got lucky) in The Skydome, or Rogers Centre as they now like to call it. Add a few Stones/Springsteen concerts to the mix too and not to mention 30 years of friendships in that city and beyond that I have. You think I care about that point for LA right now? Get your ass back over the pond please. Games 3 & 4 are played in LA tonight and tomorrow, depending on which time zone you are in.

Don't suppose he reads this forum for a minute to be honest.

Anyway, F1 in Meccicco, Lando Norris won the Qualifying on Saturday, followed by the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. Crash could only manage 5th at a track that Red Bull have a habit of winning on and Norris's team mate was 7th but shunted down to 8th after his erratic driving last weekend. Come Sunday and nobody was getting in front of Norris. Leclerc hung on to 2nd while The Hamster dropped down to 8th. Crash got himself up to 3rd and Piastri to 5th but Oli Bearman had his best ever result by hauling his Haas up to 4th.

That all means Norris has now caught his team mate, who continues to have a disastrous 2nd half of the season, and leads by a point. Crash continues to catch up, he was over 100 points behind Piastri a few races back, he's now only a few botched pit stops behind both McLaren drivers. A few of us could be in the points after all. Next stop Brazil in 2 weeks.




The CFL Canadian Egg Chasing playoffs schedule was sorted this weekend. All the teams in the West Division won more games than Toronto and Ottowa in the East. That means Winnipeg take Toronto's place in the play-off's and will be heading to Montreal, who they beat at the weekend, for the Eastern Semi. The winners will play Hamilton who topped the Eastern Division. Calgary go over The Rockies to Vancouver to play British Columbia in the Western Division Semi, with a game lined up with Saskatchewan for that Division Final. The Grey Cup final takes place on the 16th November.




England got battered in the First Test by the Aussies in the RL Egg Chasing at Wemberlee. Nuff said.