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Thursday 21 sepTember 2017
Alex Gordon hits MLB’s record-setting 5,694th HR of season

By IAN HARRISON 1992, then started rising
Associated Press during the second half of
TORONTO (AP) — Kansas the 2015 season.
City’s Alex Gordon broke “My biggest take on it is
Major League Baseball’s that players are trying to
season home run record hit more home runs,” San
with 12 days to spare, hit- Francisco manager Bruce
ting the 5,694th long ball of Bochy said. “Their philoso-
2017 on Tuesday night. phy overall, a lot of these
Gordon’s home run off To- position players, is to get
ronto reliever Ryan Tepera the ball in the air and also
broke a mark set in 2000 at pull the ball and get the
the height of the Steroids ball in the air and hit it as
Era. The drive, which drove far as you can. So you’re
in the last run in the Royals’ increasing the launch an-
5-2 loss, was his eighth this gle, whatever you want
season and the 159th of his to call this, stay away from
11-year big league career. the groundballs. And so
“A pretty cool thing to be they’re sacrificing a little bit
a part of,” Gordon said. “I more contact to do a little
didn’t hit many this year, bit more damage.”
but I guess I made one When the previous record
count.” of 5,693 was set in 2000,
It was the 17th home run Sammy Sosa led the major
of the night in the major leagues with 50 home runs
leagues and came just and Barry Bonds hit 49.
after Detroit’s Alex Pres- Miami’s Giancarlo Stanton
ley tied the record when leads the major leagues
he connected at home with 55 home runs this year,
against Oakland’s Daniel followed by New York Yan-
Gossett. In this Tuesday, April 18, 2017 file photo, Kansas City Royals’ Alex Gordon advances to third base kees rookie Aaron Judge
Gordon said he heard on a fly out by Lorenzo Cain during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco with 44.
talk of the record on a Giants in Kansas City, Mo. Yost said he doesn’t be-
clubhouse television after Associated Press lieve more players are
Toronto’s Darwin Barney swinging for the fences
homered in the sixth. “I’m going to give it to Coo- 2.31 per game, and this being hit.” than in years past.
“I was kind of aware that perstown,” Gordon said . year’s average of 2.53 Blue Jays manager John “You’re always looking
we were getting close to “I figured they’d probably entering Tuesday’s ac- Gibbons has noticed the to elevate,” Yost said.
it,” he said. “After I walked have much more reason tion projects to 6,139. That surge in homers but doesn’t “You’re not going to make
back to the dugout. I kind to have it than I do. I don’t would be up 47 percent have an explanation. a whole lot of money hit-
of forgot about it.” really want to remember from 4,186 in 2014. “It really looks like the ball is ting the ball on the ground
Holding the ball he hit over too much about this sea- “I don’t know what to make flying,” he said. in this league because the
the right-field wall, Gor- son, so I’ll probably just give of it,” Royals manager Ned Power subsided after the defenders are so quick
don said he didn’t plan to it away and let them take Yost said. “Guys are bigger start of drug testing with and athletic. You’ve got
keep the historic memento care of it.” and guys are stronger. but penalties in 2004. The home to get the ball in the air, I
or anything else from the There were 5,610 homers so are the pitchers. There run average dropped in think, if you’re going to be
game. last year, an average of sure are a lot of home runs 2014 to its lowest level since successful.”q

Dumoulin tops Roglic, Froome for cycling time trial title

BERGEN, Norway (AP) — I felt really, really good.” here and get a bronze
Giro d’ Italia champion Tom It started to rain for Dumou- than be at home wonder-
Dumoulin won the time trial lin’s ride, but that hardly ing, ‘What if?’” he said.
world title on Wednesday, slowed him down. He fin- “The question has been an-
beating runner-up Primoz ished 58 seconds ahead of swered and now it’s time to
Roglic and Tour de France Slovenian star Roglic and put my feet up.”
and Vuelta de Espana win- 1:21 ahead of Froome, who Dumoulin, who earned the
ner Chris Froome to cap a added a bronze medal to bronze medal at the world
remarkable season. a historic summer for the championships three years
Dumoulin covered the Brit that included back-to- ago, was also part of Team
31-kilometer route featur- back Grand Tour triumphs. Sunweb’s gold medal-
ing the grueling climb of “A massive congratulations winning effort in Sunday’s
Mount Floyen in 44 min- to Tom. team trial.
utes, 41 seconds. His ride I’m just glad I’ve got no “Doing the double is amaz-
was so dominant that he Tom Dumoulin of The Netherlands competes in the UCI Cycling regrets,” said Froome, who ing. Last Sunday it was a bit
was the fastest at every Road World Championships men elite individual time trial in Ber- decided to race the world of a surprise that we won
checkpoint and nearly gen, Norway, Wednesday Sept. 20, 2017. championships despite with the team,” he said.
caught Froome, who is one Associated Press coming off the three-week “Today is less surprising
of the world’s best against “I can’t believe it,” said Du- Tour. “I thought my power Vuelta. — I was one of the favor-
the clock and had started moulin, who also won the meter was off because it “I gave it everything I had ites. But in some ways that
90 seconds ahead of him. overall at the BinckBank was so high. and I’d much rather be makes it harder.” q