Sergey Kovalev and what needs to be done to beat him and to get those belts. | Forum

CHICAGO -- So much for October closer. Wholesale Adidas Ultra Boost Shoes . With his Dodgers desperate for a win, Clayton Kershaw delivered the best start of his checkered playoff career.The ace left-hander pitched seven sparkling innings, Adrian Gonzalez homered and Los Angeles beat the Chicago Cubs 1-0 Sunday night to tie the NL Championship Series at a game apiece.Kershaw retired his first 14 batters and allowed just two hits in first outing since he pitched three times in the NL Division Series, including a two-out save in Game 5 on Thursday night in Washington. The three-time NL Cy Young Award winner struck out six and walked one while throwing just 84 pitches in a brisk outing that could help when he returns later in the NLCS.It was one of those games where one pitch could have been the deciding factor, Kershaw said. So, really just kind of couldnt look up for a minute for air and just kind of kept going through it and fortunate to get through it tonight.Kenley Jansen then struck out four in two perfect innings for his third save of the playoffs. The teams combined for just five hits for the lowest total in a playoff game since the Cardinals and Pirates had four in Game 4 of their 2013 NL Division Series.I think that you couldnt have scripted it any better, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. And it was just another fun ballgame.Roberts almost went to Jansen with a runner on first and two out in the seventh, but Kershaw argued successfully to stay in the game. Javier Baez then hit a drive to the warning track in deep center, but Joc Pederson was there for the catch.He hit it pretty good, Kershaw said. And yeah, after Dave came out and that, I kind of talked my way into it. I really wanted to -- he was probably not going to trust me again after that, but, fortunately, he hit it at somebody, so it was good.Baezs drive was one of a precious few hard-hit balls for the Cubs. Kershaw was that good.The Dodgers needed a clutch pitching performance after their heartbreaking 8-4 loss in the series opener. And Kershaw responded with a gem that continued his reputation repair after a handful of playoff duds over the years. He was just 3-6 with a 4.79 ERA in 16 career postseason games coming into this series.I feel like every start he has the chance to be great, catcher Yasmani Grandal said. Its just unbelievable to see him pitch, its unbelievable to see him compete.Game 3 is Tuesday night in Los Angeles. Cubs right-hander Jake Arrieta, who pitched a no-hitter at Dodger Stadium last August, faces left-hander Rich Hill.The Cubs lost a 1-0 game in the postseason for the first time since Babe Ruth and the Boston Red Sox blanked them in the 1918 World Series opener.Playoffs is always about pitching and defense, said Miguel Montero, the Game 1 star for the Cubs. Tonight we played great defense as well and we couldnt score.Chicago, trying for its first pennant in 71 years, wasted a solid start by major league ERA leader Kyle Hendricks, who pitched 5 1/3 innings of three-hit ball in his first outing since he left his Division Series start against San Francisco with a bruised right forearm.Hendricks only mistake was a second-inning fastball that Gonzalez drove over the wall in left-center for his second homer of the playoffs. Gonzalez also had a tying two-run single in the eighth inning of the series opener, but Monteros pinch-hit grand slam was the big blow in a dramatic win for Chicago.A day later, the Cubs couldnt get anything going against Kershaw.He kept the ball off the fat part of our bat, manager Joe Maddon said. He threw strikes like he normally does. So despite not having rest, his command and velocity were still good.Slumping slugger Anthony Rizzo just missed a home run with a foul drive in the fourth, and then bounced out. Baez and Willson Contreras hit consecutive two-out singles in the fifth for Chicagos first baserunners, but Jason Heyward fouled out to third.Nothing seemed to bother Kershaw on a muggy night at Wrigley Field. After Grandal dropped a foul popup in the seventh, Kershaw responded with a wry grin, and then struck out Ben Zobrist.I honestly thought with him pitching with a couple of days rest, he wasnt going to be that nasty, Baez said, but obviously he came ready for us and he just did his job.Jansen backed Kershaw with flawless relief. The big right-hander struck out Dexter Fowler and Kris Bryant before Rizzo lined meekly to second for the final out.ABOUT GONZALEZGonzalez became the seventh player in major league history to homer in at least six consecutive playoff series, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. It was the third go-ahead homer of his postseason career.WHAT A RELIEFWhile the Cubs struggled against Jansen and Kershaw, Hendricks and their bullpen gave them a chance. Carl Edwards Jr., Mike Montgomery, Pedro Strop and Aroldis Chapman combined for 3 2/3 innings of hitless relief.Josh Reddick got Los Angeles last hit of the night in the sixth, putting runners on first and second. Edwards then came in and got Pederson to hit a soft liner to second that Baez let drop before starting a heady inning-ending double play .UP NEXTThe Cubs and Dodgers work out in Los Angeles on Monday, and then Arrieta and Hill return to the mound for the first time since the Division Series. Arrieta made one start against Los Angeles this season, pitching seven scoreless innings in a no-decision at Wrigley on May 31. Hill, a fourth-round draft pick by the Cubs in 2002, has made one appearance against his first major league team, recording two outs in relief for Boston on May 21, 2011.---Jay Cohen can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jcohenap White Adidas Ultra Boost . After Mondays hard-fought loss, the wait seemed longer than usual. Getting set to go their separate ways for a short Christmas break, the Raptors coach credited his team for their effort on a seemingly impossible three-game road trip, urging them to build on that success when they get back to work at the end of the week. Green Adidas Ultra Boost 2018 . The team said Saturday that Lopez was hurt during its 121-120 overtime loss at Philadelphia on Friday. The Nets said they would issue another update next week after consultation with their doctors. http://www.cheapultraboostdiscount.com/ . -- Lou Brocks shoulder-to-shoulder collision with Bill Freehan during the 1968 World Series and Pete Roses bruising hit on Ray Fosse in the 1970 All-Star game could become relics of baseball history, like the dead-ball era. On July 11, unified light heavyweight titleholder Sergey Kovalev dropped contender Isaac Chilemba in the seventh round en route to a unanimous decision win in his homecoming defense in Russia. Kovalev retained his title for the eighth time and took care of the business necessary to punch his way into a huge fall fight.Now it is Andre Wards turn to do the same.Ward, the former super middleweight world champion, must defeat gargantuan underdog Alexander Brand in their 12-round light heavyweight fight on Saturday night (HBO, 10:35 ET/PT) at Oracle Arena in Wards hometown of Oakland, California, to preserve the long-awaited showdown with Kovalev.The fight was signed months ago but is contingent on each fighter getting through interim bouts, mainly because Ward was shaking off a lengthy layoff and also wanted a couple of fights to get used to fighting at 175 pounds after a career spent boxing at 168. But if Ward wins, the big one is on. It will headline an HBO PPV card on Nov. 19 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.But first things first, as far as Ward is concerned.Sergey Kovalev is not on my mind at all, Ward said. Ive got a job to do. I havent even talked about Kovalev. We can talk about Kovalev on [Sunday]. Thats what I told my team.Ward claims he did not even take a peek at Kovalevs fight against Chilemba last month.I didnt watch his last fight, Ward said. Hes not my next opponent, but I know what happened and what people are saying about it. It is obviously the end game and what were trying to get but I didnt watch it. I have to compartmentalize what I have to do right now.Thats just kind of how I operate and how I stay focused. I dont want to juggle two opponents right now. I have to focus on one guy and thats Alexander Brand. I will not take him lightly. If Im not successful [on Saturday], there is no fight down the road with me and Kovalev.The 32-year-old Ward (29-0, 15 KO) doesnt want to just beat Brand, either. He wants to make a statement ahead of the showdown with Kovalev (30-0-1, 26 KOs), the fearsome Russian puncher, = a fight that could propel the winner to the top of the pound-for-pound list.Its very important for me to look good (against Brand), to my standard and to my teams standard, said Ward, who won Olympic gold in 2004 and is the last American man to do so in boxing. I have a certain amount of pressure on myself to go out there, perform and, hopefully, look good doing it. So my team has looked at [Kovalev-Chilemba]. They are doing their due diligence but, no, I personally have not looked at it.Ward was supposed to face Brand last November on the Canelo Alvarez-Miguel Cotto undercard, but Ward withdrew because of a knee injury. When he made his 175-pound debut on March 26, he easily outpointed former Cuban amateur star Sullivan Barrera.With Ward wanting another tuneup fight before facing Kovalev, Brand (25-1, 19 KOs), the fourth choice, got the call again when other matches did not work out, includinng proposed fights with unbeaten Long Island brawler Seanie Monaghan, former light heavyweight titlist Nathan Cleverly of Wales and unbeaten Swedish fighter Erik Skoglund. Cheap Adidas Ultra Boost 2018. ut when Brand was tapped, he was happy to accept the fight as he did for the November bout that was scratched.It has?been a long road for Alexander Brand, said Alex Camponovo, Brands manager. He has worked very hard to get where he is today. This is a great opponent, one of the greatest of all time in Andre Ward. We know that this champion probably has never lost a round inside the ring, and that is what Brand is here to do, to prove himself and to show that if you try and work hard, you can go very far.Most view Brand, however, as having virtually no chance against the gifted Ward. Brand is 39 years old, fought more than 400 amateur fights and did not turn pro until he was 32 -- and got knocked down in his last fight in December.His record is also bereft of any meaningful opponents except Badou Jack, who defeated him by eight-round split decision in 2012 and went on to win a super middleweight world title in 2015. But Brand said he is confident -- although what else is he supposed to say?Its a privilege to fight one of the best, if not the best, Brand said. I dont know if I will come out attacking or if I will counter more. It depends on how Ward will be fighting. But I will be ready. I will capitalize on his mistakes and make him pay.Im here to put on the best show possible on television and in the arena. This is going to be my toughest test to date and what could be better than try to beat Andre in his backyard?That is one of the reasons Ward said he refuses to take the man lightly.I want to be the lightweight champion of the world, a two-division champion, Ward said. Everyone knows that, but its impossible for me to overlook this man. Im not built like that. I wasnt raised like that. I wasnt groomed like that. I dont operate like that. This man is coming. This is his Super Bowl. Because this is his Super Bowl, it has to be my Super Bowl. He has got everything to gain and nothing to lose. He swings for the fences with every punch. Hes a dangerous guy to fight.Ward added: I have not given myself any time to think about Kovalev. I have plenty of time to get ready for Kovalev. That is where you have slip-ups. That is where you have upsets. That is where you have bad performances, when you start to look ahead and you say, I am not looking ahead, but then mentally, you are. So I just try to block it out. Im really good at doing that. Come [Sunday], I will begin to think about Sergey Kovalev and what needs to be done to beat him and to get those belts.But not if Brand, as unlikely as it may be, has his way.Ward still has 12 rounds to fight before he can think about Kovalev, Brand said. Im here to ruin his party. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '