Oracle Fall 2019

Yankees Set Sights on the Series The Major League Baseball regular season has ended and the New York Yankees ended up being one of the best teams in the majors with a record of 103-59. In fact, the Yankees earned the second-best record in the league, only behind the Houston Astros, who finished with a record of 107-55. The Yankees’ lineup features a number of big stars, including Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Gary San- chez, Didi Gregorious and others. While the Yankees have made the playoffs a number of times in recent years, they haven’t won a champion- ship since 2010. Many people, includ- ing myself, think the Yankees have a shot at beating the Astros if they match up in the playoffs, even though Houston is the odds-on favorite to reach the World Series. Right now the Yankees are set to take on the Minnesota Twins, whom they have beaten a number of times in the past. While the Yankees are highly favored to win against the Twins in this Divisional Series matchup, any- thing can happen in the playoffs. The Twins were equally dominant in the regular season, ending with a record of 101-63. While the Yankees have more superstars on their roster, the Twins do have some very good players like Max Kepler, Nelson Cruz and Taylor Rogers. Last year the Red Sox beat the Yankees in four games on their way to a World Series win. However, with the Red Sox out of the playoff picture in 2019, their curse against the Yan- kees in recent years could be over. If they get past the Twins, a series against the Astros might be next. Two years ago, when the Yankees got to the ALCS, the Astros ended up beating them in seven games; hope- fully the Yankees can come up in the clutch this time and give New York the championship it needs. P A G E 1 8 , T H E A D E L P H I O R A C L E , F A L L 2 0 1 9 By: Matthew Corhan, Grade 12 The 2019-2020 NBA season tipped off on October 22nd basketball fans everywhere celebrated. The two games that kicked off the season were the New Orleans Pelicans at the To- ronto Raptors and the Los Angeles Lakers at the Los Angeles Clippers. Both of these games were highly an- ticipated and both lived up to expecta- tions, coming down to the wire. In the first game, the Raptors ended up getting the win, beating the Pelicans in overtime by a score of 130-122. While the Raptors played well overall, the three players who really shined were Kyle Lowry (22 points, 6 assists, 5 re- bounds), Fred Vanvleet (34-7-5) and Pascal Siakim (34-5-18). The Pelicans got strong efforts from former Lakers Brandon Ingram (22-5-5) and Josh Hart (15-1-10). The game was definitely exciting, but it would have been even better had Zion Williamson, the most hyped rookie since Lebron James, played. However, he suffered a tear in his knee and he will be out at least eight weeks after surgery. The second game was close until the final few minutes, when the Clippers pulled ahead to win by a final of 112- 102. The Lakers and Clippers are two of the most hyped teams coming into this season because of their offseason trans- actions. The Lakers acquired the best power forward in the game in Anthony Davis, while the Clippers acquired Paul George — a top-five small forward — and Kawhi Leonard, arguably the best player in the game. In this season opener, Leonard shined with 30 points, 5 assists and 6 rebounds. Three-time Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams (21-7-5) chipped in, as did Montrezl Harrell (17-4-7). While these two games were both great, there are many, many more games to come for fans to enjoy in the months ahead. All four of these teams will definitely be in contention to make the 2019-2020 playoffs, and some of them may be in contention to even make the 2019-2020 NBA Fi- nals. There will be ups, downs and surprises throughout the season, but it will be an exciting ride for fans of all teams, including the hometown New York Knicks. By: Matthew Corhan, Grade 12 Sports Talk Aaron Judge has the Yankees primed for another deep playoff run. NBA Action Takes Center Court! Kyle Lowry led the Raptors to a win on NBA 2019-2020 Opening Night.