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Brandon Belt hits solo home run, adds go-ahead single in Toronto’s 5-4 win over Boston

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:46:56 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — Brandon Belt hit a solo homer over the Green Monster and had a go-ahead single, George Springer went 4 for 4 and the Toronto Blue Jays held off the Boston Red Sox 5-4 on Saturday for the second straight day after losing their first seven against them this season.The game ended on a double play when Connor Wong hit a drive that Kevin Kiermaier caught at the base of the left-center field wall and fired to second to double up Reese McGuire, who had raced toward home and was standing at third, thinking the ball would be off the wall.It was the eighth win in 13 games for the Blue Jays, who hold the AL’s third and final wild-card spot.“The way the ball’s been flying the last few days, you think that’s kind of off the wall at the very least, but you never underestimate the power of Kevin Kiermaier in the outfield,” Toronto manager John Schneider said, smiling. “It definitely wasn’t easy, a little stressful, but at the end of the day you have the right guys a...

New lawsuit against Harvard in wake of body part trafficking allegations puts victims first in complaint

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:46:56 GMT

Yet another lawsuit filed against Harvard in the wake of allegations that a worker in its Anatomical Gifts program morgue was selling body parts online has taken a different approach: placing the people whose bodies were sold front and center.“I was reading about cadaver this and cadaver that reading the coverage and it’s been freakish horrors” leading the complaints, attorney Kathryn Barnett, of national law firm Morgan & Morgan, told the Herald Friday. “I have a deep empathy for the families. I have sat with the families and heard their stories.”It’s not just that empathy that leads the stories of Glenn Wilder Sr., Marshall Jolotta, Joseph Gangne, Doreen Gordon, Donna Pratt, Patricia Sergio, Billie Flanagan and Mickey Maxwell Cohen — all of whom “generously entrusted the remains” to Harvard’s Anatomical Gifts program so that future doctors could learn from them — taking up a full third of the 31-page complaint, but also a bit of strategy.“We want to include a lot of families i...

Yankees spoil Justin Verlander’s Astros return with 3-1 win as Nestor Cortes looks sharp

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:46:56 GMT

The Yankees did just enough Saturday afternoon to spoil longtime foe Justin Verlander’s first game back with Houston — and got a huge boost from their own returning starting pitcher.Jake Bauers mashed a tie-breaking fifth-inning home run against Verlander in the Yankees’ 3-1 win in the Bronx, while starter Nestor Cortes struck out eight Astros in his first outing in more than two months.Verlander, who pitched for Houston from 2017-22, left in the offseason for a two-year, $86.6 million contract with the Mets, who traded him back to the Astros last Tuesday amid their disappointing season.The right-hander entered Saturday with a 1.49 ERA over his previous seven starts and mostly held the Yankees in check, working around seven hits and two walks to allow two runs over seven innings.“The at-bats have been better,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said afterward. “It’s not always results in a big number or a big score, but you want to feel like you...

With eyes on the future, the Chicago White Sox are getting a closer look at pitching depth with recent call-ups

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:46:56 GMT

Lane Ramsey was rooming with fellow pitcher Declan Cronin in Durham, N.C., when there was a knock on the door.Cronin found out moments later that he had been promoted from Triple-A Charlotte to the majors with the Chicago White Sox.Ramsey got to live out the situation himself Friday night in Norfolk, Va.“It was kind of funny, I got to experience it with Declan last week and a week later I got to experience it,” Ramsey said Saturday afternoon at Progressive Field. “It was awesome.”Ramsey joined the Sox ahead of Saturday’s game against the Cleveland Guardians.The 6-foot-9 right-hander is the latest pitcher to get an opportunity after the Sox called up Cronin on July 28 and right-hander Edgar Navarro the next day.“The reports (on Ramsey) are good,” Sox manager Pedro Grifol said. “He caught my eye in the spring, (a) big kid (who) throws hard, has a good slider, not afraid (and has) made some adjustments. Made some adjustments even in the s...

With a little help from his boss, David Ross is making all the right moves in the Chicago Cubs’ resurgence

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:46:56 GMT

Before the Chicago Cubs’ 8-6 win against the Atlanta Braves on Saturday at Wrigley Field, manager David Ross discussed his decision to sit slumping right fielder Seiya Suzuki, one of President Jed Hoyer’s biggest free-agent signings of the last two years.The talking points weren’t surprising.Ross wanted Suzuki to work on his approach, which he described as “in-between,” adding the Cubs were trying to get him a plan to “think the right thoughts” at the plate.“He knows he has to work on some things,” Ross said. “It’s hard to do that in-game. We’ll give him some time, and he’ll be back in there when we feel like he can help us win games.”When that would be was a question Ross couldn’t answer, but he admitted he was “fortunate” to have enough players in a groove that he could afford to sit one of his starters.Ross has endured much criticism this season over his lineups and pitching move...

Officials decry increased assaults on, disrespect to Boston Police officers

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:46:56 GMT

It’s getting hard out there for men and women wearing a badge in Boston, local officials and the police union say, and it’s only getting harder.“Boston police officers have experienced an increased level of physical and verbal assaults as they respond to emergency calls and patrol our neighborhoods. This violence against police and first responders is unacceptable, and needs to be condemned,” City Council President Ed Flynn said in a statement earlier in the week, soon after well-reported incidents in the Mass and Cass area and the South Bay Mall.“Boston police officers deserve to be treated with respect and dignity, and we must all work together towards the common goal of public safety for all.”Flynn’s not alone in the concern, as state Sen. Nick Collins, who represents the area of the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard, the center of the area’s opioid crisis, told the Herald Friday evening that police departments “need more support, period. They need mo...

Cora benching Verdugo overshadows frustrating 5-4 Red Sox loss

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:46:56 GMT

“This is probably one of my worst days here in this organization,” Alex Cora said on Saturday evening.It was a moment of candor that was about something much bigger than his team’s frustrating 5-4 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.Alex Verdugo was a late scratch from Saturday afternoon’s lineup, and even when the game ended, his manager wouldn’t say why.“We have to make sure everybody’s available every single day here for us to get wherever we’re going to go, and that wasn’t the case,” Cora said. “As a manager, I gotta take charge of this, and I decided he wasn’t going to play.”Did something happen? Was he late? The visibly-frustrated manager answered those initial follow-up questions, “I decided he’s not going to play.”“I’m just taking care of the 26 guys (on the roster), and he wasn’t gonna play,” Cora added. When asked if it was accurate to describe the situation as disciplinary reasons, he would only answer “Manager’s decision.”Lineup changes happen all the time (the Blue Jays swapp...

This new Gaslamp diner is serving up French-inspired classics

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:46:56 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- When you walk through the doors of Saint James French Diner in San Diego's historic Gaslamp Quarter, you may get a hint of classic American vibes with booth seating options.However, the candlelight and fare may have you saying “oui, oui" when a friendly staffer offers to pour you a glass of French champagne to bubble your mouth as you weigh your dining options.Located below the Palihotel on Sixth Avenue, Saint James French Diner is serving up French-inspired classics for both brunch and dinner, while also becoming a bistro during the morning hours with latte specials and plenty of espresso. This San Diego wine festival is the best in the country: USA Today When it comes to the food, there are variety of bar snacks to choose from if you're just stopping in for some cocktails and conversation. There's the fried oysters, poutine, croquettes, and even some padron peppers with bottarga and lemon. For those who love appetizers, you can start with the French onion soup, stea...

Residents get their first look at new changes to High Park

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:46:56 GMT

Known for its hiking trails, lakefront and diverse vegetation, High Park is a popular greenspace for residents and visitors. Its popularity has sparked a lot of debate on how to access it. On Saturday some major changes went into effect, including making some parts of the greenspace permanently car-free.“It’s an exciting time, these changes have been a long time coming, other cities are way ahead of us: New York City, Montreal, London,” says Faraz Gholizadeh who is with the group Car Free High Park and welcomes the changes.“Cars don’t make parks more accessible, in fact they limit accessibility for the majority of people. You’re not inhaling exhaust fumes, you’re not hearing the noise of cars. It’s just such a nice quiet space.” The changes are part of the City’s ‘High Park Movement Strategy’ that was launched in 2021 and approved by city council back in May. Those changes include: Moving the main vehicle entrance from Bloor Street Wes...

Washington and Oregon leave behind heritage — and rivals — for stability in the Big Ten

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:46:56 GMT

SEATTLE (AP) — A day after leaving behind more than a century as a tenant to the premier athletic conference on the West Coast, Washington’s leadership said stability was at the forefront of its decision to join the Big Ten Conference.“It was about having a future that we could count on and build toward,” Washington President Ana Mari Cauce said Saturday.Cauce said there were several concerns that led to Washington and Oregon saying goodbye to their collective heritage to become the 17th and 18th members of the Big Ten beginning in 2024.The Ducks and Huskies were two of the founding members of the Pacific Coast Conference in 1916 that eventually morphed into the Pac-12. The decision by those founding members to leave in lockstep was the first of two crippling blows to the Pac-12 on Friday that left the conference on the precipice of collapse. Utah, Arizona and Arizona State accpeted offers from the Big 12 later Friday, following Colorado’s move late last month.It leaves Califo...