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SALT LAKE CITY — This is the best time of the year to be a sports fan. Football is in full swing, basketball is starting and fall baseball is here (yes, soccer and hockey are there too). And on Wednesday night, fans of baseball were thoroughly entertained with the American League matchups.
New York Yankees vs. Baltimore Orioles
Coming into Wednesday night's game in New York, the series was tied 1-1. One of the major storylines going into the game was the struggles of Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez and his spot in the batting lineup. Following A-Rod's strike out at the end of game two, Yankees fans questioned his position in the lineup and his abilities in the postseason.
In game three, Yankees fans were cautiously optimistic as A-Rod stepped up to the plate for the first time. Fans gingerly cheered, almost as if they were forced to. But the result was the same: no hit. After A-Rod's next two at-bats, fans booed after he struck out, clearly indicating their displeasure with his performance given his incredible price tag — $29 million this year.
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Down 2-1 in the bottom of the ninth inning, Yankees manager Joe Girardi pulled the trigger and put in 40-year-old Raul Ibanez. It was quickly observed that Girardi made the right call as Ibanez hit a solo home run to tie the game. The game would go into the 12th inning before Ibanez got up to plate again, hitting another solo home run to win the game.
Ibanez was instrumental in the Yankees game one victory, and will likely be a go-to hitter for remaining games. A-Rod's spot with the team is still unknown. It's not likely the Yankees will sit him in the postseason, but production is key for postseason wins.
Oakland Athletics vs. Detroit Tigers
Down in the series 2-1, the A's needed a strong performance Wednesday night to keep their postseason hopes alive. The A's were down two runs in the ninth inning, and their chances were slipping away.
Oakland did not give up, however. Seth Smith hit a double, which sent two runners home to tie the game. Facing two outs, Coco Crisp stepped up to the plate and hit an RBI single for the win, saving the A's postseason. The ninth inning rally was an impressive team effort to keep the series alive for at least one more game.
Magicians and golf
Magicians and golf are not generally something that go together. However, maybe there should be more of it. As part of the European Tour Every Shot Imaginable campaign, magician DMC teamed up with several golfers to test their respective skills.
Best trick: picking off a golfers shot after watching him hit the ball twice. You just have to watch.
Dirk Nowitzki to have knee surgery?
In Spain, the Dallas Mavericks took on FC Barcelona Tuesday night, losing 99-85. And while the score was not the outcome the Mavericks were hoping for, it's the news that forward Dirk Nowitzki may need knee surgery that really hurts.
Nowitzki's knee was too swollen to play against FC Barcelona, and is now worried he may need surgery to correct the issue.
"We'll see how it responds," Nowitzki told The Dallas Morning News. "But the longer we wait, obviously the worse it is. If we have to do something, it'd be better to do it quick.
"But we're still hopeful that this is a temporary thing. If we relax and rest it for a week and see how it goes, then we'll have a better idea."
Nowitzki has been instrumental in the team's success over the years, and will be a major absence if knee surgery is required.
