when Kieschnick led off the fifth with a single and scored

LAS VEGAS -- Unified light heavyweight titleholder Sergey Kovalev and challenger Andre Ward, the former super middleweight world champion, stood face to face and icily stared at each other, seemingly ready to fight right there moments after making weight Friday inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena.?Kovalev, set to make his ninth title defense, and Ward, in his third fight since moving up to the light heavyweight division, both weighed in at the division limit of 175 pounds.The largely pro-Ward crowd cheered wildly in anticipation of the impending fisticuffs, which will take place Saturday (HBO PPV, 9 p.m. ET) at T-Mobile Arena.The 33-year-old Kovalev (30-0-1, 26 KOs), a Russia native living in Los Angeles, and Ward (30-0, 15 KOs), 32, of Oakland, California, are universally ranked among the top five boxers in the world pound-for-pound, and many believe the winner will be worthy of taking over the No. 1 position from junior bantamweight titlist Roman Chocolatito Gonzalez.I am very happy to be here. I will disappoint you, Kovalev said on an open mic to the Ward fans, eliciting booing. [Saturday] will be a really great fight.Nicknamed Krusher for his lights-out power, Kovalev said he did not care that he is the betting underdog in the fight, which will mark the first appearance on pay-per-view for both of them.I dont care at all, Kovalev said. [Saturday] we will find out whos the best. I will crush him. I will knock him out. Thats my goal.The fighters have sniped at each other throughout the buildup, and Kovalev promoter Main Events and Ward promoter Roc Nation Sports do not get along at all, making it a difficult promotion.Its simple. He dont like me, and I dont like him, Ward said. Hes the champion, so I respect him as a champion. Im trying to become a two-division world champion, and Im not leaving Las Vegas without those [three] belts. I believe [Saturday] night will be the best performance youve ever seen from me. I believe great fighters rise to the occasion, and thats what Ill do.Dallas junior welterweight Maurice Hooker (21-0-2, 16 KOs) and former lightweight titleholder Darleys Perez (33-2-1, 21 KOs), of Colombia, who meet in the co-feature, both came in under the 140-pound limit for their 10-round bout. Hooker was 139 pounds; Perez was 137.5.Former light heavyweight title challenger Isaac Chilemba (24-4-2, 10 KOs), a Malawi native who lost a decision to Kovalev in July, and 2012 Ukrainian Olympic bronze medalist Oleksandr Gvozdyk (11-0, 9 KOs) both weighed in at 174.75 pounds, a quarter-pound under the limit, for their 10-rounder.Former middleweight title challenger Curtis Stevens (28-5, 21 KOs), of Brooklyn, New York, weighed 157.5 pounds, and James De La Rosa (23-4, 13 KOs), of Harlingen, Texas, was 159.75 for their 10-round fight at the middleweight limit of 160 pounds.Super middleweight Claressa Shields, the 21-year-old from Flint, Michigan, who won her second consecutive Olympic gold medal in August at the Rio Games, weighed in at 167 pounds for her four-round pro debut against Franchon Crews, 29, of Baltimore. Crews, a standout amateur despite losing multiple times to Shields, weighed in at the division limit of 168 pounds for what also will be her professional debut.Also, the Nevada State Athletic Commission released the purses for the card. Ward will earn a career high -- by far -- of $5 million. Kovalevs minimum purse is $2 million, but he stands to make millions more because his deal with Main Events gives him a percentage of the profits from the event.Hookers purse is $75,000; Perezs $25,000. Chilemba will make $150,000; Gvozdyk $100,000. Stevens will be paid $42,500; De La Rosa will get $22,500. Shields will earn $50,000; Crews is being paid $10,000. Clearance Soccer Jerseys . Brad Jacobs and his Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., team took control of the game early. Soccer Jerseys Outlet . Perez, 35, posted a 1-2 record with a 3.69 earned-run average in 19 relief appearances last season. His season ended Aug. 9 due to a torn ligament in his left elbow. Perez joins infielder Andy LaRoche and catcher Mike Nickeas with minor-league agreements for 2014 that include invitations to attend spring training. https://www.soccerjerseyschina.us/ . -- Ryan Blaney provided more evidence that Penske Racings No. Stitched Soccer Jerseys . PAUL, Minn. Wholesale Soccer Jerseys China . The scientists believe the small earthquake during a Marshawn Lynch touchdown was likely greater than Lynchs famous "beast quake" touchdown run three years ago, which also came against New Orleans during a playoff game. SAN FRANCISCO -- Unable to produce a clutch hit, the San Francisco Giants still found a way to win. Brayan Villarreal walked Marco Scutaro with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth, handing the Giants a 3-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night. The Giants squandered numerous opportunities early in the game, going 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position, but they tied it in the eighth inning on a sacrifice fly in foul territory and used two walks and a hit batsman to win it. "We have been on the other end of these games," manager Bruce Bochy said. "You take it any way you can get it. This was a good one." Roger Kieschnick started the winning rally with a one-out single against Franklin Morales (2-1) for his third hit of the game. The Giants loaded the bases with two outs when Morales walked Andres Torres and hit pinch-hitter Hector Sanchez on the left wrist. "We started out the inning in pretty good shape and then seemingly in a matter of about seven or eight pitches it looked like Franklin lost the strike zone a little bit and leaves us in a tough spot with two outs," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. With Brandon Workman having pitched the past two days, Farrell gave Villarreal his first appearance with the Red Sox. Villarreal was acquired in a deal last month from Detroit and called up from Triple-A Pawtucket on Monday. He made a poor first impression, throwing four straight balls to Scutaro. Giants hitting coach Hensley Meulens told Scutaro that Villarreal had control problems before the at-bat and that proved true. Villarreal has walked nine of 29 batters he has faced this season, including two with the bases loaded. "When he told me that, I wanted to make sure I looked for my pitch and not be too aggressive," Scutaro said. He did just that, giving the defending World Series champion Giants a rare reason to celebrate. "Its nice to win one like this because we have been on the other side of them," said starter Ryan Vogelsong, who allowed two runs in seven innings. "When you play a tough game like that and things arent going your way ... its good to come out on the winning end of it." The Red Sox couldnt hold a 2-0 lead and lost for the fifth time in seven games to fall percentage points behind Tampa Bay for the lead in the AL East. Sergio Romo (4-6) pitched a perfect ninth for the win. After twice faailing to get a runner in from third with no outs, the Giants finally delivered in the eighth inning to tie the game.dddddddddddd Scutaro reached on a one-out single and went to third on Brandon Belts single against Junichi Tazawa. Buster Posey then hit a high fly down the right-field line that Shane Victorino caught in foul territory. Scutaro scored easily on the sacrifice fly but Tazawa escaped without any further damage to keep the score tied at 2. "No second-guessing guys. I let that ball fall and he hits a three-run homer then what are you guys going to say?" Victorino said. "When I was on the move over there I told myself catch the ball and try and get in the best position I could to make the throw." Victorino helped give Boston the lead when he hit a rare right-handed homer off a righty pitcher. The switch-hitting Victorino is unable to bat left-handed because of an injured left leg. But that did not bother him when he led off the third inning with a drive to left that made it 2-0. It was just the second time Victorino had hit a right-handed homer against a righty in his career, also doing it against knuckleballer R.A. Dickey on Sept. 24, 2010, according to STATS LLC. It looked as if that 2-0 lead would stand up when Jake Peavy escaped jams in the fourth and fifth innings. Belt, who had three hits, was stranded after a leadoff triple in the fourth when Posey grounded out and Peavy struck out Hunter Pence and Brandon Crawford. The Giants scored their first run of the series when Kieschnick led off the fifth with a single and scored on Joaquin Arias triple. But San Francisco couldnt get the equalizer when Vogelsong, Gregor Blanco and Scutaro followed with groundouts. NOTES: SS Xander Bogaerts (20 years, 323 days) became the youngest position player to appear in a game for Boston since Dwight Evans (20, 318) in 1972. He went 0 for 3 and stranded five runners. ... San Francisco 3B Pablo Sandoval was scratched because of a sore back. ... Boston RHP Clay Buchholz (neck and shoulder) threw 46 pitches in a simulated game and is set to make a rehab start Sunday. Farrell said he would like Buchholz to get three rehab starts but he might only get two depending on the minor league schedule. ... LHP Barry Zito (4-8) makes his first start of the month for the Giants in the series finale Wednesday after Chad Gaudin was placed on the DL. Felix Doubront (8-6) goes for Boston. ' ' '