Armchair Weekend in Review (June 8-10, 2007)

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by user JB82

MLB Interleague highlights

The New York Yankees had a successful weekend in the Bronx. On Friday night, Derek Jeter was the hero with a game-winning walk-off...infield single that capped a 10-inning see-saw 5-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. The following afternoon, Roger Clemens returned to the Bronx and held the Pirates to three earned runs in an 8-3 victory. This was the Rocket's first Yankee start since Game 5 of the 2003 World Series. Sunday was Alex Rodriguez's turn in the spotlight as he clubbed two home runs (he's up to 24 on the year) in a 13-6 rout and series sweep. Between the offense and pitching, it looks as though things are finally coming around in the Bronx...

Back last month, Barry Zito visited his old buddies from the Oakland Athletics, and they weren't the best of hosts. This time, the A's payed the San Francisco Giants pitcher a visit to AT&T Park, and Zito was a more than gracious host, allowing three earned runs and nine hits in a 6-0 A's shutout

Two days before A-Rod's two taters, Chicago Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano pulled a Bobby Abreu (and then some) with three dingers in his first three at-bats, leading the FIghting Sweet Lous to a 9-1 rout of the Atlanta Braves. The Cubbies would eventually get a split, thanks to the Braves taking the last two games of a four-game split.

Josh Beckett's amazing season continued with a 10-3 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night. Even though they won the series in the desert two games to one, the Yanks are starting to nip at their heels with a 9 1/2 game lead in the AL East.

With the visiting New York Mets taking the first game of a three-game series against the defending AL champion Detroit Tigers, the next two games saw bird infestations at Comerica Park. Maybe the seagulls who flew onto the field on Saturday and Sunday helped the Tigers, as they won 8-6 and 15-6, respectively.

French Open

Roger Federer's rivalry with Rafael Nadal (which I termed last year as Generation Y's version of Borg-MacEnroe) seems to be a little one-sided. Nadal continued his dominance on clay with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 win to deny Federer the French Open for the third year in a row. On the women's side, Belgian Justine Henin-Hardenne held her own against Serbian Ana Ivanovic, getting her three-peat in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2.

Score one for the ladies (and Todd Pletcher)

Todd Pletcher went into Saturday's 139th Belmont Stakes 0-for-life in Triple Crown races. Who knew it would take a filly to break the streak? Rags to Riches, with jockey John Velasquez up, became only the third of her gender to win the Belmont, beating Curlin by a head to end Pletcher's 0-for-28 skid.

No argument here

Who had the most dissapointing ending: The Sopranos season finale or Game 2 of the 2007 NBA Finals (both on the same night; NBA blew it again)? Well, it's no debate that the latter had the more blah finish, as the San Antonio Spurs' Big Three of Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili combined for 78 points – 78 POINTS, JERRY!!! – and all but shut down Lebron James and a Cleveland Cavaliers fourth-quarter rally, 103-92, to take a 2-0 lead in the series.

Whole lotta racin' goin' on

This was a big weekend for motorsports as far as the number of series in action were concerened.

Some Formula 1 pundits said that Englishman Lewis Hamilton was a lock for the 2007 World Drivers Championship as the season began. The first black driver in F1 history took a step toward that prophesy Sunday in Montreal, taking his first ever checkered flag in the Canadian Grand Prix and assuming the points lead from Spaniard Fernando Alonso in the process. This race alsi featured a horrific wreck involving Polish driver Robert Kubica, who escaped from slamming into a retaining wall with only a concussion and a sprained ankle. Here's hoping for a speedy recovery...

Meanwhile, back Stateside, NASCAR had its Nextel Cup Series Pocono 500 shortened due to rain. It didn't matter to Hendrick Motorsports, who had Jeff Gordon take the win and continued HM's dominance of the series.

A bit of vindication for a female IRL IndyCar Series driver. Hours after a filly won the Belmont Stakes and six days after a post-race confrontation with Dan Wheldon, Danica Patrick finished third while the former retired early from the Bombardier LearJet 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. In the midst of all this, Sam Hornish Jr. became the first American to win in the series this year.

Other winners included Casey Stoner (his fourth win came at MotoGP's Catalonian GP) and Sébastien Bourdais (third Champ Car win of the year came at Portland, Oregon).