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Pablo López masterful but Twins fall 2-0 in series finale to Mets

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:40:08 GMT

Pablo López has thrown a handful of gems since arriving in Minneapolis. Put Sunday’s masterful performance somewhere near the top of the list.The Twins starting pitcher did everything in his power to lead the team to victory in eight dominant innings Sunday. But he had no offensive backing, and after his departure, the New York Mets tagged reliever Griffin Jax for a pair of runs, sending the Twins to a 2-0 loss in the series finale at Target Field.Jax was greeted by Francisco Lindor, who doubled to lead off the ninth inning. Jax hit the very next batter, Jeff McNeil, with a pitch, and after striking out the Mets’ biggest home run threat, Pete Alonso, right fielder DJ Stewart broke the game open with a two-run double. The Twins threatened in the bottom of the ninth, putting a pair of runners on base, but couldn’t convert on the opportunity.That spoiled a game in which López was near his best.López began his start by allowing a hit to Brandon Nimmo. But hits would be few and far...

Report: Angels would trade Mike Trout if he wants it 

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:40:08 GMT

The Mike Trout era might be coming to an end soon, new reports say. According to USA Today, the Los Angeles Angels “perhaps for the first time” are open to trading the All-Star outfielder if he indicates to them that he wants to leave. Trout, 32, does have exclusive no-trade rights and recently said that he wanted to sit down with the Angels’ front office and ownership and discuss his future with the team, per USA Today. The three-time MVP still has seven years and more than $248 million left on the 12-year, $430 million contract he signed in 2019.   Little League World Series-winning El Segundo 12U All-Stars being honored with championship parade Trout has spent his entire 13-year career with the Angels, but despite incredible individual success, the team has only made the postseason just once in his career, in 2014. The Angels have not had a winning record since 2015, and Trout is putting up career-low numbers in batting average (.263), on-base percentage (.367) and slugging pe...

Record-setting California Powerball jackpot still unclaimed: What if it stays that way?

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:40:08 GMT

This summer was marked by not one, but two record-setting lottery jackpots that ballooned at the same time. The first to pop was a $1.08 billion Powerball jackpot won in California, and the other a $1.602 billion Mega Millions jackpot hit in Florida.Yet we still don’t know who the winners are. Will we ever? The short answer is yes, but it could be a while. It’s most likely the Powerball winner we’ll get to know first. A ticket matching all six winning numbers drawn on July 19 — 7, 10, 11, 13, and 24, and red Powerball 24 — was sold at the Las Palmitas Mini Market in downtown Los Angeles.  Can a lottery jackpot winner remain anonymous? Not in these states Initially, it was believed the lucky winner was spotted at the store just days after the drawing. But the granddaughter of the store’s co-owner later told Daily Mail that woman wasn’t the winner. The real winner has yet to be confirmed. In California, winners of such large payouts have one full year from the da...

What the 49ers are saying after thrashing the Steelers

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:40:08 GMT

The 49ers opened their season impressively Sunday in Pittsburgh, blasting the Steelers 30-7.Brock Purdy found Brandon Aiyuk for two touchdowns in the first half, Christian McCaffrey ran for a long score to open the second half and the defense shut down the Steelers.Purdy finished with 220 yards on 19-for-29 passing, 129 of which went to Aiyuk on eight connections. McCaffrey totaled 151 yards on 22 carries. Charvarius Ward and Talanoa Hufanga each intercepted Kenny Pickett, and Drake Jackson sacked him three times as the defense allowed just 41 rushing yards.Here’s what coach Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers had to say after the win:Kyle ShanahanOn getting up early:It opened up as good as you could hope for. I thought it was about 28 minutes of really good football and then two minutes of really bad football.On fast start:We always try to get off fast. That’s always our goal and was glad that we did it.On Jake Moody’s day:We felt so good about him in practice every day. ...

Messi to travel with Argentina but uncertain for game against Bolivia in World Cup qualifying

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:40:08 GMT

BUENOS AIRES (AP) — Lionel Messi will travel with the Argentina squad to Bolivia for its South American World Cup qualifier on Tuesday, but his presence on the field remains uncertain.Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said he hopes to make a decision on Monday over whether to play the Inter Miami star.The world champions started their qualifying campaign with a 1-0 victory against Ecuador, thanks to Messi’s goal. The 36-year-old Argentina captain scored with a free kick.Messi was okay to travel, Scaloni said Sunday at a news conference. He did not rule out making a decision about the striker’s presence in La Paz on the same day of the match. “Leo was tired the other day and asked to be substituted,” Scaloni said. “But it’s not needed that we speak to him before matches. We see as it goes.”Scaloni said he would like to play the same team that beat Ecuador in Buenos Aires, but changes might be required for Argentina to play more than 3,000 meters above sea l...

Wales barely holds off Fiji to win in another classic Rugby World Cup meeting

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:40:08 GMT

BORDEAUX, France (AP) — The tryline was right there in front of Semi Radradra. All he needed to do was gather a long pass out to the vacant left wing and Fiji could have pulled off one of the great Rugby World Cup comebacks.Alas, the center spilled the ball, Wales players breathed a huge sigh of relief and they celebrated a breathless 32-26 win in the latest instalment of their gripping World Cup rivalry on Sunday.In the game of the tournament so far, Wales struggled to hold off the entertainers from the Pacific Islands, who started explosively and finished like a train at Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux.It was the hour in the middle that cost them dear as Wales just about doused the threat of the dangerous Fijians, even claiming an attacking bonus point for going over for four tries. Josh Adams, the top try-scorer in the 2019 World Cup, got off the mark four years later with the first of them.This was the fifth straight World Cup where these two teams have met in the pool stage and Fiji’...

Loyd wins scoring title, but late run lifts Sparks over Storm 91-89

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:40:08 GMT

SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle’s Jewell Loyd scored 28 points, setting a league record on her way to the scoring title, but the Los Angeles Sparks closed out the regular season with a 12-2 run to pull out a 91-89 victory over the Storm on Sunday.Loyd sank 9 of 22 shots for the Storm (11-29), who end the season on a four-game losing streak. She hit 4 of 9 from 3-point range and finishes the season with a record 939 points. Former teammate Breanna Stewart, now playing for the New York Liberty, was second with 919 as the league expanded its regular season to 40 games. Loyd led the league with an average of 24.6 points per game. Stewart averaged 23.0. Loyd scored 25 or more points 21 times this season. No other player had more than 15.Nneka Ogwumike had 22 points to pace the Sparks (17-23), who trailed most of the game before outscoring the Storm 20-11 in the final period.Ezi Magbegor pitched in with 16 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for Seattle. Magbegor grabbed a team-record 3...

Stewart hits 2-run double in 9th, Mets beat Twins 2-0 despite 14 Ks by López

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:40:08 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — DJ Stewart hit a two-run double in the ninth inning and the New York Mets overcame a career-high 14 strikeouts by Minnesota starter Pablo López to beat the Twins 2-0 on Sunday and avoid a three-game sweep.López went eight innings for the Twins, who began the day with a 7 1/2-game lead in the AL Central over Cleveland.Stewart doubled to right-center off reliever Griffin Jax (6-9), who took over for López in the ninth. Francisco Lindor led off with a bloop double and Jeff McNeil was hit by a pitch — the third time a Mets batter was plunked in the game. Stewart connected on a full count two batters later.New York left-hander Brooks Raley (1-2) struck out a pair of Twins in the eighth to earn the win. Adam Ottavino allowed a leadoff double in the ninth to Carlos Correa but held on for his ninth save.López was brilliant, getting his 200th strikeout of the season when he fanned Lindor in the first. The right-hander became the ninth Twins pitcher to accomplish that feat,...

Washington’s defense takes over to help the Commanders rally past the Cardinals 20-16

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:40:08 GMT

Washington Commanders safety Darrick Forrest (22) takes the field before the start of an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals at FedEx Field in Landover, Md., Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)(AP/Susan Walsh) Washington Commanders safety Darrick Forrest (22) takes the field before the start of an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals at FedEx Field in Landover, Md., Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)(AP/Susan Walsh) LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Throughout the second half, Montez Sweat looked around at his defensive teammates and asked who was going to be the closer the Washington Commanders needed.Turned out it was Sweat getting the job done.The edge rusher strip-sacked Joshua...

Moroccans sleep in the streets for 3rd night following an earthquake that took more than 2,100 lives

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:40:08 GMT

AMIZMIZ, Morocco (AP) — People in Morocco slept in the streets of Marrakech for a third straight night as soldiers and international aid teams in trucks and helicopters began to fan into remote mountain towns hit hardest by a historic earthquake.The disaster killed more than 2,100 people — a number that is expected to rise — and the United Nations estimated that 300,000 people were affected by Friday night’s magnitude 6.8 quake.Amid offers from several countries, including the United States and France, Moroccan officials said Sunday that they are accepting international aid from just four countries: Spain, Qatar, Britain and the United Arab Emirates.“The Moroccan authorities have carefully assessed the needs on the ground, bearing in mind that a lack of coordination in such cases would be counterproductive,” the Interior Ministry said in a statement.While some foreign search-and-rescue teams arrived on Sunday as an aftershock rattled Moroccans already in mourning and shock, other ai...