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COMICS Tuesday 26 april 2022
Cabrera could be the last for a while to reach 3,000 hits

By NOAH TRISTER It may be a lot to ask for
AP Baseball Writer Scherzer to get to 4,000 —
Miguel Cabrera reached which only four pitchers
the 3,000-hit mark on a have ever done — but
weekend afternoon in front 3,500 could be realistic,
of an adoring crowd at his and that would put him in
home ballpark in Detroit. It the top 10 all-time.
was a moment worthy of TRIVIA TIME
the milestone. Who are the four pitchers
It could also be the last who have reached 4,000
time it happens for a while. strikeouts?
In an era of high strikeout LINE OF THE WEEK
totals and low batting Ty France of the Seattle
averages, there aren't any Mariners had five hits,
other players who seem including a three-run
likely to reach 3,000 hits any homer, in a 13-7 rout of
time soon. In fact, the first Kansas City on Saturday
few weeks of this season are night. France, who drove in
a reminder of how current five runs, had the first five-hit
trends in baseball could game for a Mariners player
affect which milestones since 2018.
remain in reach for the COMEBACK OF THE WEEK
game's top players. The Rays and Red Sox went
Among active players, the through some wild swings
next man on the career hits of emotion Saturday night.
list is Robinson Canó with Tampa Bay no-hit Boston
2,631. Canó had a good Detroit Tigers designated hitter Miguel Cabrera greets his family after his 3,000th career hit during for nine innings, but the
the first inning of the first baseball game of a doubleheader against the Rockies, Saturday, April
season for the New York 23, 2022, in Detroit. game remained scoreless
Mets in the shortened 2020 Associated Press into the 10th, when Bobby
campaign, but he missed Dalbec led off with an RBI
the whole 2021 season Part of what helped for a power mark like 500 plateau feels like a pipe triple for the Red Sox and
serving a drug suspension. Cabrera to the milestone homers. Nelson Cruz has dream these days, and scored on a sacrifice fly.
Canó turns 40 in October. was that he reached the 451, and although he's off even strikeout milestones After two straight strikeouts
Among players closer to big leagues at age 20. The to a slow start this year, are no sure thing, since the by the Rays to start the
their primes, 31-year-old same was true of Tampa don't write off the 41-year- top starters don't throw as bottom of the inning, Trevor
Jose Altuve (1,783 hits) Bay star Wander Franco old Washington Nationals many innings as in the past. Story's throwing error gave
could have a shot, but the last year. slugger. When the 2008 Max Scherzer of the Mets Tampa Bay a run and kept
Houston Astros star hasn't He has 103 hits in his first 85 season ended, Cruz was and Justin Verlander of the game going. Kevin
even reached 170 in a games, but even if Franco 28 and had only 22 home the Astros, however, have Kiermaier followed with a
season since 2017. That was goes on to have a Hall of runs in his career, so the already surpassed 3,000 two-run homer to give the
also the last time he played Fame career, it'll obviously fact that he's this close to strikeouts. Scherzer, 37, is Rays a 3-2 win.
more than 146 games, and be a while before has 500 shows how well he has the younger of those two. TRIVIA ANSWER
Altuve just went on the a chance to threaten a kept hitting them at an He struck out 236 last year Nolan Ryan, Randy
injured list with a hamstring milestone like 3,000 hits. advanced age. for the Dodgers, and he's Johnson, Roger Clemens
problem. The outlook is a little better For pitchers, the 300-win now at 3,043 for his career. and Steve Carlton.q

Biden avoids politics in honoring hockey champion Lightning

By STEPHEN WHYNO onship in an empty building after playing at the Florida
AP Hockey Writer in a quarantined bubble Panthers and were set to
WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe and another in a packed return home before facing
Biden avoided politics house at home in Tampa. the Columbus Blue Jackets
Monday while honoring the Russian players Andrei Vasi- on Tuesday in one of their
NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning levskiy, Nikita Kucherov final games of the regular
for winning the Stanley Cup and Mikhail Sergachev at- season before the playoffs
in each of the past two tended the White House begin next week.
seasons. and shared photos on so- Despite the Lightning win-
In a rare sports break cial media. There were no ning the Stanley Cup three
amid his administration's noticeable absences and times — in 2004, 2020 and
response to Russia's war a handful of players from 2021 — it was the orga-
in Ukraine, the president the Lightning's 2020 cham- nization's first time visiting
cracked jokes about cap- pionship team who had a sitting president at the
tain Steven Stamkos and departed or retired made White House. The 2004-05
referenced first lady Jill appearances. NHL lockout prevented President Joe Biden poses for a photo after speaking during an
event to celebrate the Tampa Bay Lightning's 2020 and 2021
Biden's attendance at a Just for this occasion, the that year's team from go- Stanley Cup championships at the White House, Monday, April
vaccination effort at the team made a third trip to ing, and the pandemic de- 25, 2022, in Washington.
Lightning's home arena the nation's capital in eight layed this opportunity until Associated Press
last year. Biden made little months after already visit- nine months after the sec-
mention of other players ing the Washington Capi- ond of these back-to-back said it was "a long time com- Minnesota native, to speak
while talking about the tals twice this season. The championships. ing." He deferred to Ameri- on behalf of the team at
team winning one champi- Lightning flew Sunday night Stamkos, who is Canadian, can Ryan McDonagh, a the ceremony.q