penalty to rescue a point against Bologna.Bologn

CLEVELAND -- Kris Bryant started to smile even before he fielded the ball. And with his throw to first for the final out, the agonizing wait `til next year was over at last.No more Billy Goat, no more Bartman, no more black-cat curses.For a legion of fans who waited a lifetime, fly that W: Your Chicago Cubs are World Series champions.Ending more than a century of flops, futility and frustration, the Cubs won their first title since 1908, outlasting the Cleveland Indians 8-7 in 10 innings of a Game 7 thriller early Thursday.They even had to endure an extra-inning rain delay to end the drought.It happened. It happened. Chicago, it happened, first baseman Anthony Rizzo said after gloving the ball for the final out. We did it. Were world champions. I tell ya, were world champions. I cant believe it.Rizzo put that final ball in his pocket as the Cubs piled up in the middle of the diamond, David Ross got carried off the field by his teammates and Bill Murray partied in the clubhouse.And the whole time, blue-clad fans who traveled from Wrigley Field filled nearly the entire lower deck behind the Chicago dugout at Progressive Field, singing Go, Cubs, Go! in rain. They held up those white flags with the large blue W on a night many of their forebears had waited for in vain.Lovable losers for generations, the Cubs nearly let this one get away, too. All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman blew a 6-3 lead with two outs in the eighth when Rajai Davis hit a tying, two-run homer.But the Cubs, after tormenting their fans one more time, came right back after a 17-minute rain delay before the top of the 10th.Series MVP Ben Zobrist hit an RBI double and Miguel Montero singled home a run to make it 8-6. Davis delivered an RBI single with two outs in the bottom half, but Mike Montgomery closed it out at 12:47 a.m., and the celebration was on.I think about so many millions of people giving so much love and support to this team for so many years, said owner Tom Ricketts, who family bought the team in 2009.Manager Joe Maddons team halted the longest stretch without a title in baseball, becoming the first club to overcome a 3-1 Series deficit since the 1985 Kansas City Royals.This is an epic game. Its epic. I cant believe we were able to do it -- 108 years in the making, Zobrist said. We did it.They never quit, either, Zobrist said. They kept coming at us.Cleveland was trying to win its first crown since 1948, but manager Terry Franconas club lost the last two games at home.World Series favorites since spring training, Chicago led the majors with 103 wins this season.The Cubs then ended more than a century of misery for their loyal fans -- barely. Bryant, one of Chicagos young stars, began to celebrate even before fielding a grounder by Michael Martinez to third base and throwing it across to Rizzo for the last out.Its the best rain delay of all-time, Rizzo said.Zobrist got a Series-high 10 hits, a year after he helped the Royals win the championship. Zobrist was among the players brought to the Cubs by Theo Epstein, the baseball guru who added another crown to his collection. He also assembled the Red Sox team that broke Bostons 86-year drought by winning in 2004.From Curse of the Bambino to the Billy Goat Curse, he ended another jinx.We dont need a plane to fly home, Epstein said. Its fitting its got to be done with one of the best games of all time.Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward had called a meeting during the rain delay, talking to his teammates in the weight room.I just had to remind everybody who we are, what weve overcome to get here, he said.While Cubs fans hugged with delight, there was only despair for the Indians, who now have gone longer than anyone without a crown. In the Indians previous World Series appearance, they were a double-play grounder from winning the 1997 title before losing Game 7 in 11 innings to the Marlins.Its going to hurt. It hurts because we care, but they need to walk with their head held high because they left nothing on the field, Francona said.Earlier this year, LeBron James and the Cavaliers ended Clevelands 52-year championship drought by overcoming a 3-1 deficit to beat Golden State for the NBA title. James and teammates were in a suite, rooting hard, as the Indians absorbed the same blow as the Warriors.After defeating San Francisco and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the playoffs, Chicago became the first team to earn a title by winning Games 6 and 7 on the road since the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates.Dexter Fowler homered on Corey Klubers fourth pitch of the game, 23-year-old Javier Baez and the 39-year-old Ross -- set to now retire -- also went deep for the Cubs, who led 5-1 in the fifth inning and 6-3 in the eighth.Chapman wound up with the win, and Montgomery got one out for his first save in the majors.Bryan Shaw, who gave up a leadoff single to Kyle Schwarber in the 10th, took the loss in just the fourth Game 7 that went to extra innings.Albert Almora Jr., pinch-running for Schwarber, alertly took second on Bryants long fly to center. Rizzo was intentionally walked, and Zobrist slapped an opposite-field double past a diving third baseman Jose Ramirez. Montero singled to make it a two-run lead.Then in the bottom half, Carl Edwards Jr. struck out Mike Napoli, Ramirez grounded out, Brandon Guyer walked and Davis hit an RBI single. Montgomery took over, and helped set off a wild celebration on Chicagos North Side.Even a dedicated White Sox fan could appreciate the victory.It happened: (at)Cubs win World Series. Thats change even this South Sider can believe in. Want to come to the White House before I leave? President Barack Obama tweeted.Twenty-one other teams had won the World Series since Cubs last were champions. They reached the top again on the 39,466th day after Orval Overalls three-hit shutout won the 1908 finale at Detroit in a game that took 1 hour, 24 minutes -- this latest Game 7 lasted 4:24, not including the rain delay.Back then, Theodore Roosevelt was president, New Mexico, Arizona, Alaska and Hawaii were not yet states, and the first Ford Model T car was two weeks old.The Cubs were last champions when Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers and Frank Chance won consecutive titles in 1907-08, until now the only ones in team history. The Cubbies had not even reached the Series since 1945.This one was for Ernie Banks, Ferguson Jenkins, Ron Santo and Billy Williams, who never reached the postseason.For Gabby Hartnett, Ryne Sandberg and Greg Maddux, whose October runs fell short.For Lee Elia and the nickle-dime people who spent so many wind-swept afternoons in the Friendly Confines watching loss after loss.For Bill Veeck, who planted ivy vines against Wrigley Fields outfield walls.For William Sianis, the Billy Goat Tavern owner said to have proclaimed when he was asked to leave Wrigley with his pet during the `45 Series: Them Cubs, they aint gonna win no more.For Steve Bartman, whose life was upended when he tried to catch a foul ball as the Cubs came apart in the 2003 playoffs.And for Harry Caray, who promised viewers after the 1991 finale that sure as God made green apples, someday the Chicago Cubs are going to be in the World Series.Maddon, hired before the 2015 season, won his first Series title after establishing a loose clubhouse that featured at times Warren the pink flamingo, Simon the magician and the motto: Try not to suck.It was just an epic battle, Zobrist said. Just blow for blow, everybody playing their heart out. The Indians never gave up, either, and I cant believe were finally standing, after 108 years, finally able to hoist the trophy.PEN PALSThis was the first World Series in which no starting pitcher got at least one out in the seventh inning, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The only other in which no starter finished at least seven innings was in 2002, when San Franciscos Russ Ortiz threw 6 1/3 innings in Game 6.UP NEXTClevelands spring training opener is scheduled for Feb. 26 against the Cubs in Mesa, Arizona. Shohei Ohtani Angels Jersey . Clarkson had been dealing with an elbow injury in early January and will be out of action for at least one week. He has three goals and five assists through 36 games with the Leafs this season. Andrelton Simmons Jersey .Y. - New York City has been selected to host the NBA All-Star weekend in 2015, with the game played at Madison Square Garden and the slam dunk contest and other skills events held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. http://www.baseballangelslockroom.com/j-c-ramirez-angels-jersey/ . Robredo, ranked No. 16, bounced back from an upset loss to Leonardo Mayer in the second round of the Royal Guard Open in Chile last week to down Carreno Busta in 1 hour, 25 minutes. On a day filled mostly with qualifying matches, fifth-seeded Marcel Granollers of Spain also entered the second with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 win over Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia, while Guido Pella of Argentina defeated Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain 7-6 (6), 6-4 to advance. Brian Goodwin Angels Jersey . World champions Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov of Russia won the gold medal with 237.71 points, Moore-Towers and Moscovitch followed at 208.45 and Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov of Russia were third at 187. Brian Goodwin Jersey . The judges scored it 48-47, 48-47, 49-46 for Jones (19-1). It was the champions closest call. Despite the loss, it was a remarkable show by the confident Swedish challenger, who had the best of the early rounds and then hung on in the fourth and fifth. MILAN -- Inter Milan captain Mauro Icardi can do no right, it seems, and a missed penalty in a 2-1 defeat by Cagliari in Serie A on Sunday wont help at all.Icardi had a fantastic start to the season, with six goals in seven matches, but angered a section of fans known as Ultras at Inter with comments in his autobiography, which the supporters called lies in a lengthy statement.The Argentina forward attempted to placate the fans with a statement of his own on social media but he was jeered as he walked out ahead of the match, and was greeted in the San Siro by banners insulting the player.A threatening banner was also left outside Icardis house.Inter vice-president and club great Javier Zanetti has hinted Icardi could even lose the captaincy.The situation has got so bad that Inter fans even cheered after Icardi sent his penalty woefully wide of the right post in the 26th minute after he had been pushed over by Bruno Alves.Well talk about it tomorrow, calmly, with respect to the footballer and respect to the fans, Inter coach Frank De Boer said. We have to find a solution because this situation is not good.Its the most difficult moment since Ive been in Italy. Its not a question of bad luck. I didnt expect this defeat. In the first 70 minutes we controlled the match. Then, after scoring, we forgot to play. With respect to Cagliari, we have to win against teams like them. Today instead I saw a team which didnt want to win and I think its a mental matter.Joao Mario gave Inter the lead 10 minutes after halftime, finding Ivan Perisic and then racing into the box to collect the return pass. Cagliari goalkeeper Marco Storari saved his initial effort but Joao Mario tapped in the rebound.However, Federico Melchiorri equalized in the 71st and had a hand in the second, five minutes from time, as his deflected cross was turned in by Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic.Melchiorri has now scored two goals in his only two Serie A matches after a difficult few years that saw him undergo brain surgery and also return from a serious knee injury.Cagliari, which won the second division last season, moved above midtable Inter to seventh place. midtable.---CHIEVO VERONA 1, AC MILAN 3The match in Verona was a fight for third spot in Serie A.And two stunning strikes saw AC Milans young team -- which included two teenagers in the starting lineup -- move level with second-place Roma, below the capital side on goal difference alone.Next up is the visit of Serie A leader Juventus but Milan coach Vincenzo Montella played down talk of a title fight with the five-time defending champion.Talk of that doesnt belong to us because we have to keep a low prrofile, Montella said.dddddddddddd Last year Inter was top until January, it seemed as if it had already won the title and then we know how it ended.Our aim is to get back into Europe, its been too long that this team, with all its talent, has been out of European competition. These lads need confidence and the results help the players express themselves better and increase self-awareness. The team has to always have this desire to aim to get back into Europe.Juraj Kucka broke the deadlock on the stroke of halftime with an unstoppable effort into the top left corner from 25 yards.MBaye Niang doubled Milans lead immediately after the break with another long-range shot, which flew into the far side of the net.The 21-year-old celebrated his goal by holding up and kissing a shirt with Riccardo Montolivos name on it. The Milan captain is sidelined for six months with another injury.Chievo got back into the match in the 76th with a magnificent goal of its own, a free-kick from former Milan winger Valter Birsa.Milan sealed the match with a slice of luck as Chievo defender Dario Dainelli tried to block Carlos Baccas effort, which looked as if it was going wide, but only succeeded in turning it into his own net.It was Chievos first defeat at home since January.---LAZIO 1, BOLOGNA 1Lazio could have moved second in Serie A, instead it needed a controversial last-gasp penalty to rescue a point against Bologna.Bologna took the lead in the 10th minute when Simone Verdi whipped in a free kick from the right flank and Filip Helander stretched out a leg to poke it past Federico Marchetti at the far post.Lazio, which also hit the woodwork, thought it had leveled in the 69th but goalline technology showed the ball had not crossed the line -- sparing the blushes of Erick Pulgar, whose backpass set up the chance.The capital club did level in the sixth minute of stoppage time when Ciro Immobile converted from the spot with the last kick of the game.However, television replays showed it was a harsh decision against Bologna defender Marios Oikonomou because Lazio defender Wallace appeared to dive.---OTHER MATCHESBottom club Crotone appeared to be heading for its first-ever Serie A win after on-loan forward Diego Falcinelli gave it a second-minute lead against his parent club Sassuolo.However, substitutes Stefano Sensi and Pietro Iemmello scored in the final seven minutes to pull out a 2-1 win.Both teams also hit the woodwork twice.Elsewhere, 10-man Genoa drew 0-0 against Empoli, as did Fiorentina against Atalanta. 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