Sports briefs

BASEBALL

Heroes ready for their new Gocheok home

The Nexen Heroes and the Seoul Metropolitan Government signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Monday to allow the professional baseball club to use Gocheok Sky Dome as its home stadium until 2017.

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon and Heroes President Lee Jang-seok signed the MOU which allows the Heroes, who finished fourth in the Korea Baseball Organization League this season, to use Korea’s first full-dome baseball stadium for the next two seasons.

LA Dodger Kershaw records 300 strikeouts

LOS ANGELES - Clayton Kershaw struck out seven batters in an abbreviated start to become the first pitcher in 13 years to reach 300 strikeouts, as NL West champion Los Angeles closed the regular season on a five-game winning streak.

Kershaw finished with 301 strikeouts and joined former Arizona teammates Randy Johnson (2000-02) and Curt Schilling (2002) as the only pitchers since 2000 to reach 300 strikeouts in a season. Kershaw became the second to do so in Dodgers history; his mentor Sandy Koufax accomplished the feat three times in the mid-1960s.

Kershaw allowed two hits and no walks on 60 pitches over 3 2/3 scoreless innings.

FOOTBALL

Rodgers fired as

Liverpool manager

LIVERPOOL, England - Brendan Rodgers was fired as Liverpool manager on Sunday, paying the price for the club’s 18-month slump.

Liverpool’s American owners, Fenway Sports Group, chose the day of the Merseyside derby against fierce rival Everton to announce that Rodgers’ three-year stint at Anfield was over. About three hours after the 1-1 draw at Goodison Park, Rodgers had his contract terminated.

Liverpool said the search for Rodgers’ replacement was underway, with much of the media speculation centering on Juergen Klopp, who is on a break from football after leaving German side Borussia Dortmund at the end of last season.

AP