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SPORTS Wednesday 12 June 2019

A year after demotion, Voit lifts Yanks over Mets 12-5

By RONALD BLUM ter Friday and the rainout,
AP Baseball Writer Tanaka allowed five runs —
NEW YORK (AP) — A year four earned — and seven
ago this week, Luke Voit hits in 6 2/3 innings. He had
was demoted to Double-A been 0-2 in four starts since
by the St. Louis Cardinals. winning May 12 at Tampa
Now he’s vying for an All- Bay. The Mets have lost 18
Star selection and a spot in of their last 22 road games,
the Home Run Derby. At 32-34, they have not
“It’s crazy, man,” he said been over .500 since May
after his tiebreaking three- 3.
run homer off Zack Wheel- Wheeler (5-4) gave up a
er in a five-run fourth inning career-high nine runs —
led the New York Yankees five earned — and 10 hits
over the Mets 12-5 Tuesday in 4 2/3 innings. Coming
in the opener of a day- off a five-hit shutout of San
night Subway Series dou- Francisco, he has not won
bleheader. consecutive starts this year,
Voit has 30 home runs in and his 13 home runs al-
102 games since the Yan- lowed are one shy of his
kees acquired him from St. 2018 total.
Louis last July 28 for pitch- “My slider wasn’t very
ers Chasen Shreve and good today. The change-
Giovanny Gallegos. The up wasn’t really working,”
28-year-old took over at New York Yankees’ Luke Voit runs the bases after hitting a three-run home run against the New Wheeler said. “The fastball
first base from the repeat- York Mets during the fourth inning in the first baseball game of a doubleheader, Tuesday, June 11, was about the only thing
edly injured Greg Bird and 2019, in New York. going for me.”
has 16 homers this year. He Associated Press DOUBLE TROUBLE
is the leader at his position worse than when you’re lead with his 20th home run, crowd buzz for the match- This was the fifth double-
in the first results of fan vot- in the minor leagues and a two-run drive against Tim up of New York rivals was header between the
ing for All-Star starters. you’re hitting good, too, Peterson in the eighth. absent. “There was a lot of teams. The Yankees swept
“This team is giving me a and you’re just stuck,” he Masahiro Tanaka (4-5) Mets fans here,” Voit said. the first three before a split
lot of confidence to go out said. “There’s been multi- gave up a three-run homer “You could hear the guys in in 2008.
and do my job every day,” ple guys throughout the his- to Jeff McNeil that put the the stands giving us trouble. WEB GEM
he said. “It’s just having fun tory of baseball that have Mets ahead 4-1 in the third It was entertaining.” Yankees left fielder Brett
in the locker room. I never been in that same situation, but rebounded to win for Third baseman Todd Frazier Gardner made a sprawling
feel like I’m a deadbeat.” and for me to finally get a the first time in a month. made a throwing error on backhand catch on Mc-
He made his big league chance, you don’t want James Paxton (3-2) was set a two-out grounder in the Neil leading off the game.
debut with St. Louis in 2017 to ever look back on it and to start the second game fourth. After a walk, Voit’s TRAINER’S ROOM
but was stuck behind Matt you want to roll with it.” for the Yankees and Jason homer on a slider put the Mets: 2B Robinson Canó
Carpenter and then José Gio Urshela hit a tying, two- Vargas (2-3) for the Mets in Yankees ahead. The Yan- (left quadriceps), OF Bran-
Martinez. Voit spent parts run homer in the fourth, a matchup of left-handers. kees made three errors and don Nimmo (neck) and LHP
of five seasons in the Car- had four RBIs and was a tri- Less than one-quarter of the Mets two. Justin Wilson (left elbow)
dinals minor league sea- ple short of the cycle, end- the seats were filled for the “It’s on me. The end of that were to play for Triple-A
son but had just five home ing a stretch of 15 at-bats start of the makeup of Mon- inning is on me,” Frazier Syracuse against Charlotte.
runs in 70 games in the big without a hit. day night’s rainout. Despite said. ... RHP Noah Syndergaard
leagues at the time of the Gary Sánchez had three brilliant sunshine on the late Pitching on six days’ rest left before the opener be-
trade. “There’s nothing RBIs and tied for the AL spring afternoon, the usual after the birth of his daugh- cause of strep throat.q

Indians manager Francona: Ortiz ‘a very special person’

By STEVE HERRICK Ortiz was flown to Boston in room at ease with his smile,
Associated Press an air ambulance Monday but I also got to see a side
CLEVELAND (AP) — Cleve- night. Once in Boston, he of him, how he prepared to
land Indians manager Terry underwent two hours of ex- hit and how dangerous he
Francona knows how much ploratory surgery. was at the plate and what
David Ortiz means to base- “I know he’s in great hands. a leader he was. He was a
ball. He couldn’t be in a bet- guy that I could go to.”
“He’s a very special per- ter place or with better Francona recalled a sea-
son, not to just to me, to a people,” Francona said. son when Ortiz was dealing
lot of people,” said Fran- “He’s in a great place, with with a wrist injury, which led
cona, who managed Ortiz people that obviously care to a reduction in playing
with the Red Sox from 2004- about him but also are ex- time. “We had our times
2011, a stretch that includ- tremely good at what they where it was not easy,”
ed two of the three World do.” The veteran manager Francona said. “He was
Series titles Ortiz won with said Ortiz was more than coming back from that
Boston. just the charismatic face of wrist. We were platooning
In this Oct. 10, 2016, file photo, Boston Red Sox’s David Ortiz Ortiz was shot in the torso the Red Sox. a little bit. We fought our
waves from the field at Fenway Park after Game 3 of baseball’s
American League Division Series against the Cleveland Indians Sunday night in his native “Extremely endearing,” way through it and got to a
in Boston. Dominican Republic. Doc- Francona said. “He could better place, but that hap-
Associated Press tors performed surgery and light up a room or put a pens in this game.” q