Home

Chapman gets his first victory for Texas as the Rays allow the winning run on a wild pitch in 9th

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:37:55 GMT

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Aroldis Chapman’s first win since being traded to Texas came after the hard-throwing Cuban unleashed the two fastest pitches of the Statcast era for the Rangers.A 100 mph fastball from Pete Fairbanks sank the Tampa Bay Rays in the opener of a series matching AL division leaders. Pinch-runner Josh Smith scored on Fairbanks’ wild pitch with two outs in the ninth inning, giving the Rangers a 3-2 victory Monday night.Chapman (5-2), acquired from Kansas City in a trade late last month, threw a pair of 102.8 mph sinkers while striking out the side in the ninth. The 35-year-old left-hander’s first win with Texas came two days after his first save for the Rangers, when he threw the previous fastest Statcast pitch for the club at 102.5 mph in a 2-0 victory over Cleveland. The longtime closer still isn’t in that role for Texas — lefty Will Smith has it — but Chapman was manager Bruce Bochy’s choice in the top of the ninth with the score ti...

Josh Naylor’s 3 RBIs lead Guardians over Pirates 11-0 to end 4-game skid

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:37:55 GMT

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Josh Naylor had three RBIs with a home run and a double, helping the Cleveland Guardians rout the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-0 on Monday night to end a four-game losing streak.Naylor’s sixth-inning RBI double extended his hitting streak to eight games and gave Cleveland a 5-0 lead. He drove a Yohan Ramirez sinker over the left-field wall in the seventh for a nine-run lead, the last of the Guardians’ trio of two-run homers.“When he drives the ball the other way, he’s so dangerous,” Guardians manager Terry Francona said. “That’s why I don’t think we haven’t seen yet the best of him. I just think there’s more in there. I’m not saying he’s not doing great. I’m just saying there’s more in there.”Steven Kwan added an RBI single in the eighth and Myles Straw had a run-scoring infield single in the ninth. Cleveland had totaled 10 runs during its four losses.Michael Kelly (1-0) struck out two and allowed two hits ...

Nolan Arenado drives in 4, Miles Mikolas solid as Cardinals beat skidding Marlins 6-4

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:37:55 GMT

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Nolan Arenado drove in four runs, Miles Mikolas threw six solid innings on two days’ rest, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat Miami 6-4 on Monday night, extending the Marlins’ skid to four games.Mikolas (6-5) gave up three runs on seven hits in six innings. He threw three perfect innings Friday night against Washington in a game that was halted by rain.Dylan Carlson drove in the other two runs and scored three for the underachieving Cardinals, who have won six of eight but remain last in the NL Central, tied with Pittsburgh. Before the game, President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak said change was coming to St. Louis, suggesting the team may trade veterans for prospects ahead of the Aug. 1 deadline.Pinch-hitter Nolan Gorman doubled with two outs in the sixth against reliever Dylan Floro (3-5). Carlson broke a 3-3 tie with an RBI single, and Arenado followed with a two-run double. Arenado is batting .340 (17-for-50) with 14 RBIs in his last 14 games.J...

State evaluation on Arapahoe County child services sparks controversy

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:37:55 GMT

ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo (KDVR) -- Leaders with Arapahoe County are speaking out after a yearlong state investigation into the county’s Department of Human Services found no systemic problems within the agency.  This comes after a former case worker made false child abuse claims about Aurora City Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky, launching a third-party review of the entire agency.  Arapahoe County Commissioner Carrie Warren-Gully said the findings highlight the dedication of her current staff and is a positive step forward while Jurinsky told FOX31 there’s a larger systemic issue at play.   “It’s absolutely a whitewash,” Jurinsky said during a press conference on Monday. “I do believe there are good people doing good work, but I think that they’re probably overrun. All it takes is a couple bad apples to ruin everything and start tearing families apart.”  Jurinsky is referring to former case worker Robin Niceta, now facing charges for attempt to influence a publi...

John Boyega taken by surprises of ‘They Cloned Tyrone’

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:37:55 GMT

For John Boyega, the fact that “They Cloned Tyrone,” his new, offbeat sci-fi mystery comedy, is a true original was reason enough to jump aboard.“It has some elements of a mystery movie, of Blaxploitation movies. At the same time it’s kind of slapped by fire with some social commentary in there as well. All of that’s what really attracted me to it,” Boyega, 31, explained in a phone interview from Miami where the Netflix entry was being screened.“Just a mesh of genres set in a world that is familiar-unfamiliar at the same time.  It kind of plays with a modern narrative and modern references.”“They Cloned Tyrone,” written by Juel Taylor (who also directs) and Tony Rettenmaier, was immediately recognized in Hollywood when it landed on the prestigious Black List, the industry list of each year’s “most liked” unproduced scripts.“Reading the script,” Boyega recalled, “there’s a type of excitement that builds in you. Especially when it’s really, really good. On top of that, you...

Dear Abby: Woman tries to get closer to new DIL

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:37:55 GMT

Dear Abby: Twelve years ago, my son “Will” married “Mara.” They dated in high school, wound up at the same college and eloped during their freshman year (way too young). In spite of their somewhat rocky relationship over the years, Mara and I always got along well. She became the daughter I never had, and she referred to me as “my other mom” when introducing me to her friends.Through her, I also became close friends with her mother, “Ivy,” a relationship that continues to this day. When the marriage was ending, I grieved not only for the marriage but also for what I thought would be the end of my relationship with both Mara and Ivy. It didn’t happen. Mara and I are still in contact. We email, text and call each other often.Happily, Will is fine with us being in touch and with my friendship with Ivy. He and Mara had what must be the most amicable divorce in history. The two of them (and their new spouses) are all great friends and...

Climate envoy John Kerry meets with Chinese officials amid US push to stabilize rocky relations

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:37:55 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — U.S. climate envoy John Kerry told China’s top diplomat on Tuesday that President Joe Biden’s administration is “very committed” to stabilizing relations between the world’s two biggest economies.On his second day of talks in Beijing, Kerry met with the ruling Communist Party’s head of foreign relations Wang Yi, telling him Biden hoped the two countries could “achieve efforts together that can make a significant difference to the world.”Ties between the countries have hit a historic low amid disputes over tariffs, access to technology, human rights and China’s threats against self-governing Taiwan.In his opening remarks, Wang said the sides had suffered from a lack of communication, but that China believes through renewed dialogue “we can find a proper solution to any problems.”“Sometimes, small problems can become big problems,” Wang said, adding that dialogue must be conducted on an “equal basis.”That was an apparent reference to U.S. criticism of China’s aggr...

Bilateral South Korea-US consulting group meets in response to North Korean nuclear threats

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:37:55 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A bilateral consulting group of South Korean and U.S. officials met Tuesday in Seoul to discuss strengthening their nations’ deterrence capabilities against North Korea’s evolving nuclear threats. The Nuclear Consultative Group was established as part of agreements Presidents Joe Biden and Yoon Suk Yeol made when they met in April.Seoul officials say the body is tasked with sharing information on nuclear and strategic weapons operation plans and discussing joint operations. The U.S. would retain operational control of U.S. nuclear weapons, and Washington officials say the group’s establishment and other steps announced in April were meant to ease South Korean worries about North Korean provocations while keeping Seoul from pursuing its own nuclear program.The group’s inaugural meeting “will serve as an important starting point to establish powerful, effective Korea-U.S. extended deterrence,” Yoon said during a televised Cabinet Council meeting, referr...

Wind-fanned wildfires force thousands to flee seaside resorts outside Greek capital

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:37:55 GMT

LOUTRAKI, Greece (AP) — Wildfires outside Athens forced thousands to flee seaside resorts, closed highways and gutted vacation homes Monday, as high winds pushed flames through hillside scrub and pine forests parched by days of extreme heat. Authorities issued evacuation orders for at least six seaside communities as two major wildfires edged closer to summer resort towns and gusts of wind hit 70 kph (45 mph). The army, police special forces and volunteer rescuers freed retirees from their homes, rescued horses from a stable, and helped monks flee a monastery threatened by the flames. Before nightfall, water-dropping planes and helicopters tackled the flames near Lagonisi, some 40 kilometers (25 miles) southeast of the capital. The second large wildfire broke out in a wooded area near the resort town of Loutraki, some 90 kilometers (55 miles) west of Athens, where a children’s summer camp and rehabilitation center for seniors were evacuated, local officials said.Fire Service s...

Stock market today: Asian shares extend losses after China reports lower growth than expected

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:37:55 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Shares were mostly lower Tuesday in Asia as optimism over a Wall Street rally was countered by worries about the Chinese economy. Shares edged higher in Tokyo but fell in most other regional markets. Hong Kong’s benchmark lost 2% as it reopened after a weather related closure on Monday. On Monday, China reported weaker economic growth for the spring than most economists had expected. Its recovery following the removal of anti-COVID restrictions has fallen short of forecasts. That has helped to limit inflation globally but it also is hindering a main engine of growth for the world economy. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 0.2% to 32,438.27. Markets in Tokyo also were closed Monday, for a holiday. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 shed 0.5% to 7,264.90. South Korea’s Kospi lost 0.3% to 2,611.96. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gave up more than 400 points, falling to 19,008.06, while the Shanghai Composite dropped 0.4% to 3,196.86. On Wall Street, the S&P 500...