Brno hosted tens of thousands of spectators — and many more on international television — for a fantastic MotoGP race won by Italian Andrea Dovizioso. Photo credit: Automotodrom Brno.
Brno, Aug 8 (BD) — Draci defend winning streak in two tough games in Prague, Zbrojovka sends its fans home happy, and the Brno sports schedule.
MOTOR SPORTS
Podium Finish Is Third Closest in MotoGP Era
It takes the human eye between 3/10ths and 4/10ths of a second to blink. On Sunday, at the Masaryk circuit, Automotodrom Brno, it took that much time for the first three motorcycle racers of the Monster Energy Grand Prix to cross the finish line.
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) won the race in 41m 07.728s. Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati) was 0.178s back in second. And Marc Márquez (Honda), the 2017 winner, was 0.368s behind the winner.
Blink, and you missed the third closest podium finish in MotoGP era.
Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) trailed by 2.902s in fourth. Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda), who won this race in 2016, was 2.958s back in fifth.
Dovizioso led for most of the 21-lap race and rode masterfully through the final circuit. His average speed was 165.5 kmh. Lorzeno and Marquez traded positions behind Dovizioso but neither was able was able to catch the winner.
“I did not really expect to have such a great result on the circuit that was most difficult in the series,” said Dovizioso, who has finished second in Brno four times.
Márquez, who won the 2017 riding title, maintained his sizeable lead in this season’s overall standings with 181 points. Rossi, who became the first to pass the 6,000-point mark in a MotoGP career, is second with 132. Dovizioso now has 113 in third.
“It was a battle to the last moment,” said Marquez of his 100th MotoGP start. “I have mixed feelings. Perhaps just to defend the (season) title I can smile at least a bit.”
Earlier in the day, the local fans got another thrilling finish in the Moto3 race when the top six riders finished within 0.9 seconds of each other. To add to the excitement, 25-year-old Czech Jakub Kornfeil was in the mix, often taking the lead in the final three laps.
In the end, Fabio di Giannantonio (Italy, Honda) won the race in 39m 09.124s. Kornfeil (KTM) was 0.339s back in third. His podium finish was the first for a local rider in 11 years.
BASEBALL
Draci Pushed in Prague, Still Win
Draci Brno guaranteed that they would advance into the playoffs when they beat the Tempo Titans, 11-6, in Brno on Friday.
Then things got interesting when the same teams met in Prague for two games. On Saturday, the Draci came from behind with two runs in the top of the eighth inning for an eventual 2-5 win.
On Sunday, a pitcher’s duel between Draci Radim Chroust and Titan Jake Rabinowitz took the game into extra frames with no score. Both teams scored in the 11th inning to force another inning, and that is when the Draci offense came alive with three runs. The final score was 2-4, although only one of the game’s six runs was earned on the hot afternoon.
The Draci are now 9-0 through the Playoff Bracket.
Cardion Hroši Brno split a double header with Kotlářka, 5-4 and 0-3, in Brno on Saturday, then lost to Kotlářka, 12-5, in Prague on Sunday.
Technika stayed perfect in the Playout Bracket by scoring 28 runs in winning both parts of a double header against Hluboká on Saturday. They are 6-0 and atop the standings.
MEN’S FOOTBALL
Bariš Scores Twice As Zbrojovka Wins
For the first time since a cold February night, the fans of FC Zbrojovka Brno were able to enjoy a victory at Srbska Stadium on Sunday.
Zbrojovka beat MFK Chrudim, 3-0, and they are now 1-1-1 through three rounds of the Fortuna:Narodni Liga. The Brno offense was effective throughout the game, moving the ball around well and finding the open player for the three goals and several decent scoring opportunities.
Damián Bariš, a Slovak midfielder who arrived over the summer, scored the first and third goals. The first goal — at the 39-minute mark — was a team effort set up with passes from Jakub Šural and Antonin Růsek that Bariš sent on the ground into the left corner of the goal. All three players, with a reverse order for the setup passes, teamed for the third goal of the game at the 83rd minute.
Lukáš Magera scored the middle goal at the hour mark. The 195-cm, 35-year-old striker has a goal in each of Zbrojovka’s games so far this season.
Captain Dušan Melichárek notched his first shutout of the season. Robert Bartolomeu, a new player from Zlin who appeared in his first Zbrojovka home game, and Peter Štepanovský were both effective, with several nice chances.
The next game is at Žižkov at 1:45 p.m. on Sunday. The next home game is against Česky Budějovice at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 17. That game will be televised by CT Sport.
In a change to the schedule, Zbrojovka has a first-round Czech Football Cup game at Žďár n. Sázavou on Wednesday, Aug. 22, at 5 p.m.
Their previous Zbrojovka home success was a 1-0 victory over Olomouc on Feb. 24, 2018.
BRNO SPORTS RESULTS
Quick results for various Brno professional and recreational sports for the past week. Home team listed first (when applicable).
Friday, Aug. 3, 2018
— Baseball: Draci 11, Tempo 6
Saturday, Aug. 4, 2018
— Baseball, Game 1: Hroši 5, Kotlářka 4
— Baseball, Game 1: Technika 18, Hluboká 3
— Baseball: Tempo 2, Draci 5
— Baseball, Game 2: Hroši 0, Kotlářka 3
— Baseball, Game 2: Hluboká 8, Technika 10
Sunday, Aug. 5, 2018
— Motorcycle Racing: Grand Prix of the Czech Republic 2018: 1, Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) 41m 07.728s; 2, Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati) – 0.178s back; 3, Marc Márquez (Honda) – 0.368s.
— Baseball: Tempo 2, Draci 4
— Baseball: Kotlářka 12, Hroši 5
— Men’s Football: Zbrojovka Brno 3, Chrudim 0
BRNO SPORTS SCHEDULE
The schedule for various Brno professional and recreational sports for the next two weeks. All dates and times subject to change. Home team listed first (when applicable).
Friday, Aug. 10, 2018
— Baseball: Draci X Kotlářka, 7 p.m.
— Baseball: Eagles X Hroši, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018
— Baseball: Hroši X Eagles, 1 p.m.
— Baseball: Hroši X Eagles, 4 p.m.
— Baseball: Kotlářka X Draci, 2 p.m.
— Men’s Football: Žižkov X Zbrojovka Brno, 13:45 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 12, 2018
— Baseball: Kotlářka X Draci, 2 p.m.
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Friday, Aug. 17, 2018
— Men’s Football: Zbrojovka Brno X Č. Budějovice, 6:30 p.m.
— Baseball: Eagles X Draci, 7 p.m.
— Baseball: Arrows X Hroši, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018
— Baseball: Draci X Eagles, 1 p.m.
— Baseball: Hroši X Arrows, 4 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 19, 2018
— Baseball: Hroši X Arrows, 1 p.m.
— Baseball: Draci X Eagles, 2 p.m.
— Women’s Football: AC Sparta Praha X Lokomotiva Brno H. H., 1 p.m.
The Brno Sports Report is published every Wednesday. All dates and times are subject to change. Most of the stories are about the traditional “English-speaking” team sports — football, hockey, baseball, basketball, American football, rugby, etc. — but it is also about the interesting local spectator and participation sports — tennis, badminton, running, horse racing, swimming, rock climbing, biking, etc. If you have any suggestions for what should be included, please comment below or send an email to brnosports@gmail.com.
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