FC Barcelona are Champions, More Top Women Lose in France and Plenty of MLB Action

Saturday was busy for a few reasons, the biggest was the UEFA Champions League Final at Wembley Stadium in London, England where FC Barcelona played Manchester United. Barcelona features one the of soccer or football’s( as it is known across the world) premier players in Lionel Messi. Messi is an Argentine wiz with the ball had scored his 54^th goal of the year in the 54^th minute to propel Barcelona over the Red Devils of the English Premier League 3-1. Pedro Rodriguez led off the scoring before Wayne Rooney of Man U equalized it in the 34^th minute before Messi’s goal put Barca ahead for good while David Villa curled in a shot to make it the 2 goal difference in the 69^th minute. Barcelona failed to win its domestic cup since Real Madrid defeated them in the Copa del Rey but they completed the double by winning the Spanish La Liga season and winning the Champions League. Manchester United ended a great season that saw them once again win the English Premier League but they lost in the semifinals of the FA Cup to crosstown rivals Manchester City and of course this Champions League Final. I myself have been extremely enthralled by soccer this year and have really followed the Champions League and the English Premier League more than ever before and even chose a team to root for. (Chelsea) I look forward to watching next season very much and hope it is equally as exciting.

Tennis was also on display in France early Sunday, as Roger Federer (3^rd seed) and Novak Djokovic (2^nd seed) both advanced in 3 sets while the match between David Ferrer (7^th seed) and Gael Monfils (9^th seed) will have to be completed Monday as they suspended the match with the Frenchmen Monfils winning 6-4, 2-6, 7-5, 0-2. On the women’s side 3^rd seeded  Vera Zvonareva was the latest highest seeded woman to lose at Roland Garros as she lost to fellow countrywoman Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-7, 6-2, 2-6. Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli advanced as did defending champion Francesca Schiavone who defeated Jelena Jankovic in 3 sets 6-3, 2-6, 6-4.

Baseball per usual had a very entertaining Saturday as it saw a plethora of entertaining games. The most fascinating was the Minnesota Twins who took on the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Target Field in Minneapolis. Francisco Liriano was the scheduled starter for the Twins but was a late scratch so Anthony Swarzak stepped in and was brilliant as he matched zeros with Jered Weaver for 8 innings while giving up 1 hit and 2 walks while striking out 4 but got the no decision as it took the Twins 10 innings before finally breaking the scoreless tie to win 1-0. Weaver threw 9 innings of 2 hit, 2 walk ball while striking out 7 in a no decision like Swarzak. Elsewhere once again the Blue Jays were in another extra inning affair and defeated the Chicago White Sox 9-8 in 14 innings behind Corey Patterson’s walk-off home run. (Jose Bautista hit his league leading 20^th home run as well in this game.) Pirates continued to roll whipping the Cubs 10-0 at Wrigley, and the Brewers won on a suicide squeeze by catcher Jonathan Lucroy 3-2 over the San Francisco Giants. The best part was it was a pinch-hit suicide squeeze as well.

Biggest Winner of the Night: Chris Iannetta, catcher for the Colorado Rockies who had a huge hand in the 15-4 rout of the St. Louis Cardinals by going 4 for 5 while hitting two home runs and driving in 6 runs.

Biggest Loser of the Night: From the same game, Jaime Garcia who only lasted 3 1/3 innings while giving up 11 hits, 12 runs, 11 earned runs while walking 4 and striking out 6 in the blowout 15-4 loss. He threw 106 pitches in this beat-down and saw his ERA rise from 1.93 to 3.28 just from this outting.