6B
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY OCTOBER 4,2007
Diamondbacks slide by Cubs, 3-1
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Chicagouubs' Ryan Theriot. left.applies a late tan to a Arizona Diamondbacks' Chris Young as Young steals second base in the first inning in Game 1 of a National League Division Series playoff baseball game Wednesday at Chase Field in Phoenix.
MLB
》 MLB
Royals hold ceremony for
"What a great day this is," said David Glass, who will put $25 million toward the project. "We've waited a long time to get here."
The majority of the renovation, which also will feature new restaurants and a plaza beyond the famous outfield fountains, will be financed through a sales tax approved by Jackson County voters in April 2006.
Red Sox shut out Angels
Owner David Glass, team president Dan Glass and Royals legend George Brett joined other team and local officials to launch the renovation, turning over shovels of dirt near home plate while a few fans watched from the seats in the lower bowl.
JIMMY GOLEN ASSOCIATED PRESS
HOK Sport, based in Kansas City, has designed 14 new professional ballparks in the last 25 years and has four more in the works. The redesign of Kauffman Stadium offers the unique opportunity for employees to enjoy their work.
BOSTON, Josh Beckett is Mr.
Zero when October rolls around.
The MVP of the 2003 World Series pitched his second consecutive postseason shutout and, backed
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals broke ground Wednesday on a $250 million renovation of Kauffman Stadium, which will include a new scoreboard, widened concourses and a team hall of fame.
Kauffman renovations
"We believe it will be the greatest ballpark in America," HOK principal architect Earl Santee said. "It's our ballpark and our team."
Beckett retired 19 consecutive batters after a leadoff single, allowed just four hits and ran his postseason scoreless streak to 18 innings.
by a home run from David Ortiz,
led the Boston Red Sox over the
Los Angeles Angels 4-0 Wednesday
night in their AL playoff opener.
Associated Press
The last pitcher with consecutive postseason shutouts was current teammate Curt Schilling, who threw one for the Phillies in 1993 and Arizona in 2001. Christy Mathewson is the only pitcher with four postseason shutouts; Beckett tied Whitey Ford and Mordecai Brown with three.
The victory was Boston's seventh straight in the postseason over the California-Anaheim-Los Angeles Angels, having come back from a 3-1 deficit to win in the 1986 AL playoffs and then sweeping them in the 2005 best-of-five first round.
The only 20-game winner in the majors this year, Beckett struck out eight and walked none.
Lackey allowed four runs, nine hits and two walks, striking out four in six innings.
"That guy was very impressive. He's been like that all year," Ortiz said.
Game 2 will be Friday, with rookie Daisuke Matsuzaka facing the Angels' Kelim Escobar.
Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz (34) is congratulated by shortstop Julio Lugo after hitting a two-run home run in the third inning in Game 1 of an American League Division series playoff baseball game Wednesday in Boston.
The Red Sox sell out every night these days, and their fans tend to treat every game like the postseason even if the Yankees are involved, during spring training. So the ballpark didn't seem any different, except for the red, white and blue bunting hanging from the upper deck and the temporary photographers' boxes in front of the first row.
In his first postseason appearance since coming back on three days' rest to shut out the Yankees, Beckett gave up a leadoff single to Chone Figgins and then retired the next 19 batters.
That, and the fact that Beckett was on top of his game.
Just like last time.
Howie Kendrick singled in the seventh and Guerrero had another hit with two outs in the ninth. But Beckett got Garret Anderson to fly out to center field, and the Red Sox were celebrating another playoff victory over the Angels.
Lackey had some October success of his own, winning Game 7 of the '02 Series to clinch the title for the Angels. But this right-handed Texan also had a more ominous history to live down: He is 1-7 against the Red Sox and 1-5 at Fenway Park, and on
He gave up a single to Vladimir Guerrero with one out in the seventh and the crowd applauded politely, as if a no-hitter had been broken up.
Wednesday his struggles continued.
Youkilis, who was 0- for-2 as a backup during Boston's '04 World Series run, hit Lackey's sixth pitch over the Green Monster in left-center to make it 1-0. In the third inning, Youkilis doubled, and Ortiz followed with a line drive down the right-field line and into the stands for a 3-0 lead.
It was the ninth career postseason homer for Ortiz, tying Jason Varitek for the franchise record. Lackey walked Manny Ramirez and put him on second with a wild pitch before Mike Lowell's single put the Red Sox up 4-0.