Wimbledon
There has been a lot going on in sports over the last few weeks, so its completely understandable if you haven’t had the time to keep up with tennis. For those who did have the opportunity to watch this weekend, you got one hell of a treat.
Friday, we saw Kevin Anderson (not the former UMD Athletic Director) and John Isner play in one of the most grueling matches anyone has ever seen. It took six and a half hours for Anderson to advance in the Gentlemen’s Semi-Finals. The match lasted so long that the Nadal/Djokovic battle that everyone assumed would be the “must see match” had to be cut short and finished the next morning. After everything was said and done, Djokovic defeated Anderson in the Finals.
"How is this guy still doing this!?"
Six hours deep, @KAndersonATP turned on the style 👌#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/quqghWzM6C
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 13, 2018
The most inspiring story out of England had to be Serena Williams’s journey to the Wimbledon Finals only 10 months after giving birth. Legend has it that Williams was unable to walk to her mailbox after giving birth in September.
These past 2 weeks was a sound for all moms stay home and working you can do it you really can! I’m not any better or diff than any of you all. Your support has ment so much to me. Let’s keep making noise everyday in everything we do. #roadtoUSOpen pic.twitter.com/5OLYk1a6cK
— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) July 16, 2018
Unfortunetly for Williams and her fans, she was defeated in straight sets in the Finals by Angelique Kerber. All glory to the winner, but it’s insane that Williams was able to play in this tournament, let alone reach the finals. Serena dedicated her Wimbledon run to all the moms out there who face challenges after giving birth.
"Winning here is forever"
A unique look at the ladies' singles final, and @AngeliqueKerber's crowning glory…#TakeOnHistory#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/1wBVvYx7qd
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 16, 2018
World Cup
I joke around about soccer and it’s relevancy in the United States, but this final was impressive. So impressive that I was willing to miss the first few innings of this Sunday’s Orioles game (and probably Manny Machado’s last home run as an Oriole) to watch.
I saw a France team that put the world on notice with their youth and poise as they broke records and made history for their country.
Kylian Mbappe became the first teenager to score in a #WorldCupFinal since Pele in 1958 and was named FIFA Young Player of the Tournamnet after France's win over Croatia. pic.twitter.com/EzCKUtnk6K
— SuperSport ⚽️🏆 (@SuperSportTV) July 16, 2018
I saw a Croatian team that had absolutely no business being in the finals a month ago steal the hearts of the entire world as they left theirs out on the field. Then I saw something that restored my faith in sports and the world altogether.
The president of Croatia showing what sports are all about as she stood at the podium, nothing but her countries colors and a smile on her face, embrace her countrymen and congratulate them for their amazing World Cup run. She beamed with pride as she embraced Golden Ball (MVP for my American friends) Award winner Luka Modric. After all was said and done, France triumphed over Croatia 4-2, but honestly, there were no losers in this year’s World Cup.
If 'Hug' had a face it would be #Kolinda_Grabar_Kitarović #Respect#Cro #WorldCupFinal #FifaWorldCup2018 pic.twitter.com/ltfMQbjrqD
— Niraag® S 🏏 (@niraag69) July 15, 2018
Except for Neymar. He definitely lost.
MLB
Orioles (28-69)
Holy Crap the Orioles didn’t lose a series all week long! The O’s managed to take two of four from the Yankees this week and beat the Rangers Saturday and Sunday to secure their first win streak since May.
Everyone is sure that this was the last home game for All-Star 3B Manny Machado, and those premonitions seemed true when Manny was benched after a 30-minute rain delay.
Luckily Brittany Ghiroli had our backs.
MANNY IS STILL HERE EVERYONE CALM DOWN.
— Brittany Ghiroli (@Britt_Ghiroli) July 15, 2018
Bless you, Brittany.
Nationals (48-48)
The Nationals enter the All-Star Break at .500 and in third place in the NL East. It’s not ideal, but fans should be very comfortable with the fact that they aren’t living the nightmare their friends up I-95 in Baltimore are dealing with.
Unfortunately, the Bryce Harper situation isn’t getting any better. The former NL MVP is batting a disheartening .214.
Bryce Harper hit .214 in the first half and will be starting the All-Star Game for the NL in the outfield on Tuesday.
The last time a position player started the All-Star Game after batting below .220 in the first half was Terry Steinbach in 1988 (.217).
h/t @EliasSports pic.twitter.com/v3rD13HGtG
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) July 16, 2018
That’s even worse when you learn that in the last seven games, he’s batting .154, .176 in the last 15 games, and .186 in the last 30 games. It all came to a head on Friday when Harper refused to even leave the batter’s box after hitting into a 6-4-3 double play.
New Nationals manager Dave Martinez admitted to having words with Harper the next day. “I’ve spoken to Bryce and that’s a conversation that will stay between Bryce and I,” Martinez said. “He wants to win, that’s all he cares about,” Martinez said. “Regardless of his average, he has 23 home runs and 53 RBI. I believe that he’s going to hit 40 and drive in 100. I’m a big fan of Bryce. I love the kid because of what he brings every day. He’s a good kid, that’s all I can say.”
With the All-Star break here and the festivities taking place in D.C., maybe the festivities will be the spark that Nat’s fans are looking for in their team to help them with their second-half push to the postseason.
Categories: Featured, Nationals, Orioles
This Week in Sports
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