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SPORTS Friday 9 March 2018

Ex-All-Star pitcher Esteban Loaiza faces federal drug charge

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Former drug dealing saw the Mer- for numerous teams be-
All-Star pitcher Esteban cedes enter the garage tween 1995 and 2008, in-
Loaiza, who last month and leave again on Feb. cluding the Pittsburgh Pi-
pleaded not guilty to drug 9, according to the com- rates, New York Yankees,
charges in California, had plaint. Los Angeles Dodgers and
his case moved to federal A San Diego County sher- Chicago White Sox. He had
court Wednesday. iff's deputy pulled over the a 21-9 record with the Chi-
Loaiza was charged with Mercedes for a traffic viola- cago White Sox in 2003 and
possessing cocaine intend- tion and a drug-sniffing dog started in the All-Star Game
ed for sale and transferred led authorities to a hidden that year.
to federal custody, the compartment, according He last appeared in the
U.S. attorney's office an- to prosecutors. There were majors in 2008 with the
nounced. no drugs in the car, but au- White Sox.
The state charges were thorities got a search war- Two years later, he married
dismissed, the San Diego rant to an address that was Mexican-American singer
Union-Tribune reported. on Loaiza, who had been Jenni Rivera. The "Diva de
Loaiza, 46, was arrested driving the SUV. la Banda" was considered
last month after about 44 Investigators searched the In this Friday, March 14, 2008, file photo, Los Angeles Dodgers to be the most successful
starting pitcher Esteban Loaiza winds up during the first inning of
pounds (22 kilograms) of townhouse and saw that it a spring training baseball game in Vero Beach, Fla. female singer in grupero,
cocaine were found inside didn't contain any furniture Associated Press a male-dominated Mexico
a minivan parked in the ga- or personal belongings, regional style, selling more
rage of his leased Imperial prosecutors said. Authori- name on it, the complaint the state case, Janice De- than 15 million records, and
Beach townhouse, accord- ties searched a Nissan mini- said. aton, was not immediately acting in reality television
ing to the federal criminal van parked in the garage Loaiza had crossed the returned. before she was killed in a
complaint. and discovered 20 pack- Mexican border earlier Born in Tijuana, across the plane crash in 2012.
Law enforcement agents ages of cocaine hidden in that same day, prosecutors border from San Diego, She filed for divorce shortly
who had been keeping an floor panels under several have said. Loaiza became a star ath- before her death, ending
eye on an SUV suspected in baseball bags with Loaiza's An email to his attorney in lete in the U.S. He played their two-year marriage.q
Kittel wins 2nd stage as

Bevin takes overall lead

FOLLONICA, Italy (AP) — Caruso as race leader. The
Marcel Kittel claimed his duo have the same time,
first win of 2018 by sprint- along with Greg Van Aver-
ing to victory in a crash- maet and Rohan Dennis,
marred Tirreno-Adriatico after the team's victory in
second stage on Thursday Wednesday's opening time
while Patrick Bevin took the trial.
overall lead. German rider "It's a really weird feeling to
Kittel was helped by his Ka- take a jersey off a team-
tusha-Alpecin team before mate, especially one that's
he edged out Peter Sagan here to lead the race," Bev-
and Giacomo Nizzolo in in said. "I don't mind baby-
a bunch sprint following a sitting it for a day."
mostly flat, 167-kilometer The crash in the peloton,
(103.8-mile) journey from which held up all bar 30 or
Camaiore to Follonica. so riders, came with seven
"I've been waiting a long kilometers remaining. All of
time for this victory," Kittel the race favorites emerged Marcel Kittel, of Germany, cleft, sprints ahead of Peter Sagan to win the 2nd stage of the Tirreno-
said. "The team did a very unscathed to finish in the Adriatico cycling race, from Camaiore to Follonica, Italy, Thursday, March 8, 2018.
good job today. front group. Associated Press
I have to say a big, big Mark Cavendish did not
thank you to everyone for start after a crash the pre- returned after being con- to have crashed...but I'm Follonica to Trevi.
helping me." vious day led to the British cussed following a similar just pleased there's no ma- The race ends on Tuesday
New Zealand rider Bevin rider sustaining facial inju- incident on the opening jor damage done," he said. with an individual time
finished fifth to replace ries and a broken rib. stage of last month's Abu Friday's stage is a hilly, trial in San Benedetto del
BMC colleague Damiano Cavendish had only just Dhabi Tour. "It's frustrating 239-kilometer route from Tronto.q