Page 21 - aruba-today-20190709

A21
SPORTS Tuesday 9 July 2019
AL’s Verlander, NL’s Ryu starting pitchers in All-Star Game

By RONALD BLUM 35-pitch inning. jor League Baseball,” Ryu
AP Baseball Writer “I don’t quite throw 100 said through a translator. “I
CLEVELAND (AP) — Sitting anymore. Maybe I’ll try to- wasn’t necessarily thinking
next to Justin Verlander, morrow,” he said. “The goal about pitching in an All-Star
American League man- is to get guys out. That’s it.” Game. But like I said be-
ager Alex Cora cheekily All-Star starters were open- fore, this is all surreal to me.”
declared “we’ve got the ers before the term was Roberts envisions the Dodg-
opener” as he described coined. No starter has ers’ Clayton Kershaw fol-
his pitching plans. pitched more than two in- lowing Ryu and then the
Touché! nings since Greg Maddux New York Mets’ Jacob de-
Houston’s ace has been threw three in 1994, ac- Grom. Cora plans to have
among the players most cording to the Elias Sports the Yankees’ Masahiro
critical of some teams’ Bureau. Tanaka pitch second and
practice of using relief “This game has 120-plus then decided to go back-
pitchers as ersatz starters for years of history, and I think ward: New York’s Aroldis Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu, of South
an inning or two. we’re riding this little wave Chapman would pitch the Korea, above, throws during the first inning of the team’s
Verlander will be making of things that are a little dif- ninth if the AL is ahead, baseball game against the San Diego Padres on Thursday, July
his second All-Star start on ferent right now,” he said. Cleveland’s Brad Hand the 4, 2019, in Los Angeles; and
Tuesday night. Los Angeles “But I think it will come back eighth and Houston’s Ryan Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander, below, throws
Dodgers manager Dave around.” Pressly the seventh. against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning of a
Roberts selected Hyun-Jin Verlander also is not a fan “We’ve got the opener. baseball game Friday, July 5, 2019, in Houston.
Ryu from his own staff to of the dominance of pow- We’ve got the close, and Associated Press
make his first start for the er and strikeouts — even the setup guys,” Cora said.
National League. though he has 2,859. “It should be fun.”
A 36-year-old right-hander, “The game goes in cycles. Houston’s George Springer
Verlander is 10-4 with a 2.98 I think at a certain point I leads off and plays right field
ERA this year for the Hous- think analytics will catch for the AL. He is followed in
ton Astros, striking out 153 in up to things where it’s hard the batting order by New
126 2/3 innings. right now,” he said. “I think York Yankees second base-
He allowed five runs in the the ability to put the ball in man DJ LeMahieu, Los An-
first inning during the 2012 play will come back in a geles Angels center fielder
All-Star Game at Kansas big way and probably in Mike Trout, Cleveland first
City, including the first bas- the not-too-distant future.” baseman Carlos Santana,
es-loaded triple in All-Star Ryu, a 32-year-old left- Boston designated hitter by Atlanta first baseman hieu’s success against the
history, to Pablo Sandoval. hander from South Korea, J.D. Martinez, Houston third Freddie Freeman, Los An- Red Sox in his first season
“I kind of halfway blame is 10-2 with a major league- baseman Alex Bregman, geles Dodgers right fielder after leaving the Rockies
it on Prince Fielder,” Ver- leading 1.73 ERA for the NL Yankees catcher Gary Cody Bellinger, Colorado for New York — especially
lander said. “He was at first champion Dodgers. He is Sánchez, Astros left fielder third baseman Nolan Are- when Boston played the
base, and he kept whisper- the second Asian All-Star Michael Brantley and Min- nado, Pittsburgh’s Josh Bell Yankees in London last
ing at me, ‘Ver, Ver, Ver, starter after Dodgers rookie nesota shortstop Jorge Po- at designated hitter, Cubs month.
throw 100.’ OK, Prince, here Hideo Nomo of Japan in lanco. catcher Willson Contreras, “People in the offseason
we go. So that was back 1995. Milwaukee’s Christian Arizona second baseman thought that he wasn’t go-
then.” Verlander, then with “When I signed with the Yelich tops the NL order Ketel Marte and Atlanta ing to be able to hit outside
Detroit, threw five pitches Dodgers, all I wanted was and plays left field. Chica- center fielder Ronald Acu- of Colorado. Well, he hits
clocked at 100 mph and to get a chance to com- go Cubs shortstop Javier ña Jr. outside of Colorado and in
another at 101 during a pete with the best in Ma- Báez hits second, followed Cora joked about LeMa- Europe, too,” Cora said.q

Breeders’ Cup to add to safety measures at Santa Anita

By BETH HARRIS tive of the sentiment in the Group to improve safety.
AP Racing Writer room.” Santa Anita will host Those include a reduction
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The for a record 10th time on in the use of race-day Lasix,
Breeders’ Cup will increase Nov. 1-2. an anti-bleeding medi-
the number of veterinar- Besides the 14 vets on- cation. Fravel said there
ians on site during its world site during Breeders’ Cup wasn’t one factor that
championships this fall at week, there will be 20 on swayed the Breeders’ Cup
Santa Anita, where 30 hors- hand during the two days board to keep the event at
es died during the racing of racing, Fravel said. Santa Anita.
meet that recently con- “Every horse gets exam- “We’ve been following the
cluded. ined two times, probably situation since it began to
That’s according to Craig more,” he said. “We have evolve in January, Febru-
Fravel, president and chief the strictest medication ary, March,” he said. “It was
executive of the Breeders’ rules. We’ll be looking at a combination of things:
Cup, who said reaction to In this June 23, 2019 file photo Eddie Haskell, right, with jockey horses throughout the sum- medication reforms, track
the board of directors’ de- Kent Desormeaux aboard, win the third race during the last day mer and fall before we get surface improvements and
cision to keep the two-day of the winter/spring meet at the Santa Anita Park race track in to the Breeders’ Cup. We changes in management.”
event at the historic South- Arcadia, Calif. certainly don’t mind peo- Belinda Stronach, president
ern California track has Associated Press ple asking those questions.” and chief executive of TSG,
been “very supportive.” facts are before they de- San Diego to Los Ange- The event will be run under addressed the board at last
“People had every oppor- cided,” he said by phone les. “The fact that it was a the house rules adopted by month’s meeting in Lexing-
tunity to know what the Monday while driving from unanimous vote is reflec- track owner The Stronach ton, Kentucky. q