The perilous plight of 12 Thai youth soccer players and their coach trapped in a flooded cave for more than two weeks concluded with smiles Tuesday when divers pulled the last of five remaining team members from the darkness.
The remarkable mission that claimed the life of one rescue diver but defied the odds otherwise found all 13 members of the Wild Boars soccer team pulled from Tham Luang Cave in relative good health.
With the World Cup reaching its climax, FIFA invited the Wild Boars to attend Sunday's final in Moscow between France and Croatia.
Sadly, the boys and their coach had to decline under orders from their doctors to remain in the hospital for seven days for monitoring.
The soccer world, however, has reached out in other ways to the rescued boys.
French midfielder Paul Pogba dedicated his side's semifinal win over Belgium on Tuesday to the rescued team.
England defender Kyle Walker sought out the boys' contact information to send them jerseys.
Meanwhile, Manchester United invited the boys to a game at their home stadium Old Trafford next season, while Portugese team Benfica invited the Wild Boars to an expenses-paid week at its training academy.
"We believe this simple gesture can help these faces recover the joy and smiles that no child should ever lose," club president Luis Filipe Vieira wrote to the Thai ambassador to Portugal.
Lack of communication
The Cleveland Indians' bullpen collapse Tuesday night can be chalked up to a case of mistaken identity.
After Cleveland starting pitcher Trevor Bauer dominated the Cincinnati Reds with 12 strikeouts over eight scoreless innings, the Reds scored seven runs off Cody Allen and Dan Otero -- all with two outs -- en route to a 7-4 road victory.
Allen hit a batter to lead off the ninth, then allowed two singles and a double that pulled the Reds within 4-3.
With two outs and the bases loaded after two more walks, Indians Manager Terry Francona wanted a new reliever to close the game.
There was just one problem. Francona said afterward there was a miscommunication. He requested "OP" -- Oliver Perez -- and it was understood as "OT," Otero's nickname, and Otero was told to warm up in the bullpen.
When the pitching change was made, Francona realized something had gone wrong.
"When I saw OT coming through the gate, it was not the guy I was expecting," Francona told reporters.
Otero gave up a double to Reds slugger Joey Votto that cleared the bases and put the Reds up 6-4. Another single brought in the final run.
Pitching coach Carl Willis said he was responsible for calling the bullpen to warm up Otero instead of Perez.
Francona said that, ultimately, the mistake was his.
"That one lands squarely on me," Francona said. "There's no getting around it. I've got to be responsible for that."
Sports on 07/12/2018