Must See Sports 2012 record: 45-29
The last Must See Sports was brought to you in March. It has been a few months, but in an effort to keep you, the reader, better informed, Must See is back by popular demand! Hooray!
Thursday, July 5
Tennis
Wimbledon - The Championships: Semifinal round
Ladies' Singles Semifinals
(3) Agniszka Radwanska vs (8) Angelique Kerber
Radwanska had the opposite experience as the men's top guns. She did not lose a set until the quarterfinal round, besting Maria Kirilenko in three sets. The same applies to Kerber, who nipped fellow German Sabine Lisicki in three sets, two of which required her to win seven games. I have not followed either of these ladies closely during the tournament, so to bring a very American expression to the tournament in jolly old England, I will go with the chalk.
Advantage: Radwanska
(2) Victoria Azarenka vs (6) Serena Williams
Williams is and has been the last hope for the United States in either gender bracket since the early rounds of Wimbledon. Much like Bennateau's effect on Federer, China's Jie Zheng pushed Williams to the limit in the second round and Williams responded in kind. Williams beat higher-ranked Petra Kvitova in straight sets in the quarterfinal round and, frankly, has this dialed-in, glazed over look in her eye that says, "Now I am hungry again."
Azarenka has not been challenged at all. She has mowed the grass at Wimbledon with all of her opponents, thus far, in straight sets. She was forced into a set tiebreaker for the first time in the tournament only once, in the second set of the quarterfinal round against Tamira Paszek. Azarenka is going to be in for some Fourth of July fireworks when she faces Williams.
Advantage: Williams
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| Williams vs Azarenka may be the highlight of the Ladies' singles. 1 |
Friday, July 6
MLB
New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox
Hiroki Kuroda (8-7, 3.17 ERA) - Yankees vs Josh Beckett (4-7, 4.06 ERA) - Red Sox
The cream always rises to the top. After being in a five way dogfight in the American League East all season, the Yankees have put some distance between themselves and the Tampa Bay Rays and the Baltimore Orioles. The Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays are in danger of falling out of the division race before the All-Star break, in spite of every team in the division, including the last place Blue Jays, having a record greater than .500.
Hiroki Kuroda has been on fire, with a sub-2.00 ERA in the month of June. This will be his first outing against the free swinging Red Sox in 2012. Josh Beckett has also pitched well in June, but his team has not been providing the run support and getting the victories for Beckett. The game and the series may come down to the contributions of the ageless, 36 year-old David Ortiz (.302, 22 HR - 400 career HR, 55 RBI). Big Papi continues to be the anchor in this lineup and could be the decider of how much ground the Sox will need to gain after the All-Star break.
Advantages: Game - Yankees, Series - Yankees
Tennis
Wimbledon - The Championships: Semifinal round
Gentlemen's Singles Semifinals
Saturday, July 7
MLB
Los Angeles Dodgers at Arizona Diamondbacks
Chad Billlingsly (4-7, 4.18 ERA) - Dodgers vs Trevor Cahill (6-6, 3.67 ERA)
The Dodgers are the feel good story of MLB for a number of reasons. This historic franchise, the franchise of Jackie Robinson, was headed into a tailspin with the messy McCourt divorce and subsequent bankruptcy. In step a real Los Angeles hero, Magic Johnson, and his cronies with their $2.2 billion to save the day and the franchise.
Chavez Ravine is filled again. Manager Don Mattingly had the team out to a fast start, with a comfortable lead in the National League West heading into the month of June. While I would not say that this Cinderella met the stroke of midnight, the cold, hard facts are that, from a talent standpoint, the San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks are as good as the Dodgers. The Dodgers leveled off in June, and suddenly they are in a dogfight with the Giants, with the Snakes in hot pursuit in the West.
This third game of a four game series is crucial for both teams. For the D-Backs, it represents an opportunity to gain ground on the division leaders. For the Dodgers, they need to stop the hemorrhaging of their once comfortable lead. Chad Billingsley was shelled in his only prior start against the Snakes. His June starts were no more than pedestrian. On the other hand, Diamondbacks starter Trevor Cahill earned a win in his only start against L.A. this year.
Dodgers slugger Matt Kemp (.355, 12 HR, 28 RBI) is still expected to be out until after the All-Star break. That doesn't bode well for a team struggling in the power department against a surging division rival with a hot pitcher.
Advantages: Game - Diamondbacks, Series - Dodgers
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| Magic Johnson (left) and former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt (right). Clearly McCourt had the same effect on Johnson's facial expression as he did on that of Dodger Fan. 1 |
Tennis
Wimbledon - The Championships: Finals
Sunday, July 8
Tennis
Wimbledon - The Championships: Finals
MLB
Atlanta Braves at Philadelphia Phillies
Jair Jurrjens (1-2, 6.07 ERA) - Braves vs Vance Worley (4-4, 2.82 ERA) - Phillies
It is gut check time for the Phillies. The (seemingly regular) favorite to win the National League is on ICU, 12 games back of first place in the National League East. When your best hitter is your catcher, Carlos Ruiz (.357, 13 HR, 46 RBI), and your lineup stars, second baseman Jimmy Rollins (.255, 8 HR, 29 RBI) and first baseman Ryan Howard (DNP in 2012, Achilles) have been figuratively and literally invisible (respectively), AND your seemingly elite and bulletproof pitching staff turned to mediocre and porous, you've got a serious problem.
Howard is due to return to the lineup as soon as next week, but so much damage has been done that it may be to no avail. Meanwhile, Braves Fan would have been thrilled to hear, in April, that the Phillies and free agent laden Miami Marlins would be in the bottom of the division in July. Then he would laugh dismissively to hear the the perennial cellar dwelling Washington Nationals and perennially dysfunctional New York Mets were in first and second. As it stands, the Braves are in third place trying to maintain ground in the East.
Jair Jurrjens looks like new money since coming off of the disabled list. While Vance Worley of the Phils has been the lone spot of consistency in the rotation, I simply do not expect him to get the run support he needs. In addition, Braves hitting leader Martin Prado (.325, 5 HR, 35 RBI) has not failed to reach base since June 18.
Advantages: Game - Braves, Series - Braves
Tuesday, July 10
MLB
83rd Edition of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game
National League vs American League
And in yet another example of MLB Commissioner Bud Selig getting it wrong, dead wrong, the winner of this (no so) exhibition game will decide which league has home field advantage in the World Series. I have my own idea, but I refuse to dignify the infinite shortsightedness of Selig with a prediction.
Disadvantages: Baseball, Baseball Fans
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| Bud Selig in is trademark leadership position: clueless with his hands thrown up in the air. 3 |
Don't forget to vote in the fan polls!
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1) Image from http://www.zimbio.com/
2) Image from http://www.wewititla.com/
3) Image from http://www.bloguin.com/
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