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Belt hits tiebreaking homer in 7th, Blue Jays sweep Mets 6-4

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:28:44 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Brandon Belt broke a seventh-inning tie with a two-run homer and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the New York Mets 6-4 on Sunday for a three-game sweep.Vladimir Guerrero Jr. also went deep for the Blue Jays, who blew a four-run lead but quickly recovered. Toronto has won four straight and six of seven.Tommy Pham hit two of New York’s four solo homers. Pete Alonso and Starling Marte also connected for the Mets (30-30), who completed a 3-3 homestand that started with a three-game sweep of Philadelphia.Nate Pearson (3-0) gave up Alonso’s major league-leading 21st homer and Marte’s tying drive in the sixth before Toronto regained the lead against Dominic Leone (0-2). Alonso’s 72nd homer at Citi Field made him the career leader at the ballpark.Guerrero, who homered in the third off Kodai Senga, ripped a single to center field in the seventh. Belt followed by hitting a slider off the protective wall surrounding the home run apple in center.It was Belt’s third homer ...

Al Ahly beats Wydad 2-1 in 1st leg of African Champions League final for slim advantage

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:28:44 GMT

CAIRO (AP) — Goals from Percy Tau and Mahmoud Kahraba gave Al Ahly a 2-1 win over defending champion Wydad in the first leg of the African Champions League final on Sunday.It’s only a slim advantage for the Egyptian club to take to Morocco for the decisive second leg next Sunday.Wydad boosted its hopes of retaining the title, and denying Al Ahly a record-extending 11th Champions League crown, when substitute Saifeddine Bouhra swept in a shot from near the penalty spot for Wydad’s crucial away goal to make it 2-1. Bouhra had come on just four minutes earlier.The goal changed the picture for Al Ahly and its 60,000 red-shirted fans at Cairo International Stadium. The Al Ahly players left the field looking downcast, with Kahraba covering his face with his jersey.In contrast, Wydad players applauded themselves, knowing how strong they are at home at their Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca, where they beat Al Ahly 2-0 to win last year’s African Champions League in a one-off...

Former Nuggets star signs autographs during NBA Finals

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:28:44 GMT

LONE TREE, Colo. (KDVR) -- Denver Nuggets fans gathered at DICK'S Sporting Goods at Park Meadows to pick up Nuggets Finals gear and meet former player Dan Issel. “I've been involved with this organization for a long long time,” Issel said. Issel, who retired from basketball after the 1984-85 season, was able to head to Ball Arena on Thursday for Game 1 of the NBA Finals. “I was at the game Thursday night. I took my five grandkids with me," Issel said. Kroenke bought Nuggets, kept team in Denver, now hoping to deliver an NBA title Issel is planning on watching Sunday night's game at home. He said he believes the Nuggets will win it all. “The Nuggets this year are the best team and that is why I think they will win," Issel said. Several fans lined up in the back of the store with gear and photos for Issel to sign. One of those fans, Kyle, was excited to meet the former player. “I grew up in Highlands Ranch. It's nice to represent a Colorado team and making it to the finals is nice,...

DJ Khaled shares pictures, video of 6-year-old son’s graduation day

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:28:44 GMT

DJ Khaled showed his son some real star power at the boy’s graduation.The South Florida rapper on Friday shared several pictures, as well as video, on social media where he is seen giving 6-year-old Asahd a bunch of hugs and kisses.It didn’t stop there. During the ceremony, Khaled could be heard screaming from the crowd while his son proudly displayed his certificate of completion.

MBTA to submit report to address worker safety

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:28:44 GMT

The MBTA is set to submit a plan to federal regulators on Monday detailing ways it plans to address worker safety issues.They say a plan submitted by the MBTA earlier this month needs to be redone immediately because it includes fixes not scheduled to be complete until late this year, or next year. Federal officials say worker safety needs to be addressed within the next 60 days and longer-term actions can come later. If they can’t come up with a plan and comply with the federal requirements officials say they won’t allow workers onto the tracks.In a separate letter, federal authorities approve of the T’s restructuring plan to focus on train safety issues but write, “FTA remains concerned about the staffing levels within the Safety Department.”They say MBTA officials need to fast-track their efforts to staff it, and provide weekly updates to federal officials.Riders are waiting to see what it means for them.

Díaz’s RBI single turns into Little League homer, MLB-best Rays beat sloppy Red Sox 6-2

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:28:44 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — Yandy Díaz’s sixth-inning RBI single turned into a two-run Little League homer, and the major league-best Tampa Bay Rays beat the sloppy Boston Red Sox 6-2 on Sunday.Josh Lowe, Luke Raley and Díaz each had two hits for the Rays (42-19), who are 6-1 against AL East rival Boston this season.Alex Verdugo had two doubles, a triple and scored twice for the last-place Red Sox.With the Rays leading 4-2 in the sixth and Manuel Margot running on the pitch from first base, Díaz singled through a vacant second-base position — with Enmanuel Valdez heading over to cover the bag — and into right-center.Margot raced around to score and Díaz headed for second on the throw to the plate. Boston catcher Connor Wong fired wide of second, and the ball sailed into an open area in center field with all three Red Sox outfielders scampering to get it. By the time Verdugo retrieved it and fired toward the plate, Díaz scored standing up to make it 6-2.“Put pressure on the defense. Took a little ...

Nets forward Mikal Bridges commits to play for Team USA at FIBA World Cup: report

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:28:44 GMT

Brooklyn Nets forward Mikal Bridges has committed to play for Team USA at this summer’s FIBA World Cup, according to reports.The Athletic first reported Bridges’ addition to the team.Bridges, 26, saw his scoring more than double after joining Brooklyn as part of the Kevin Durant trade, averaging 26.1 points in his 27 games with the Nets and quickly becoming one of the team’s leaders. The 6-foot-6 wing also averaged 23.5 points a game in the team’s first-round playoff loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves, Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton and Milwaukee Bucks’ forward Bobby Portis have also pledged to play for Team USA.Edwards, 21, averaged 24.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists in his first All-Star season. Reaves, 25, broke out this season, becoming a consistent contributor in the Lakers’ run from the play-in game to the Western Conference Finals. Haliburton, 23...

Boston Shootout: BABC squads dominate

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:28:44 GMT

QUINCY — It became THE question during the 2023 Boston Shootout at Quincy’s YMCA.It was not whether the BABC 16-and-under team was better than its competition. And, similarly, if the club’s 17-and-under squad had any peers there.No, it was more like this: what would happen if the BABC’s 16s and 17s played each other, because those were clearly the best teams on Sunday.In two romps, the 16s beat the New York Jayhawks, 82-23, and the 17s beat the same Jayhawks program, 98-51.The man most qualified to give an accurate response is head of the BABC, Leo Papile.“The older guys would outfox them because of experience,” Papile said. “The little guys would go down swinging. We run the same stuff, so it would be really physical, up on each other, knowing what’s going to happen. It would become like a football game. The older guys would win the line of scrimmage battle and end up beating them by 20.”Maybe, but it is hard to imagine the 16s losing...

Jacinda Ardern given a top New Zealand honor for her service during shooting, pandemic

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:28:44 GMT

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday received one of New Zealand’s highest honors for her service leading the country through a mass shooting and pandemic.Ardern was made a Dame Grand Companion, the second-highest honor in New Zealand, as part of King Charles III’s Birthday Honors. It means people will now call her Dame Jacinda. Royal honorees are typically chosen twice a year in New Zealand by the prime minister and signed off by Charles, the British king who is also recognized as New Zealand’s king. Ardern was just 37 when she became prime minister in 2017, and was seen as a global icon of the left.She shocked New Zealanders in January when she said she was stepping down as leader after more than five years because she no longer had “enough in the tank” to do it justice.She was facing mounting political pressures at home, including for her handling of COVID-19, which was initially widely lauded but later criticized by thos...

Unresponsive small plane over Washington causes military jet to scramble, later crashes in Virginia

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:28:44 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A wayward and unresponsive business plane that flew over the nation’s capital Sunday afternoon caused the military to scramble a fighter jet before the plane crashed in Virginia, officials said. The fighter jet caused a loud sonic boom that was heard across the capital region.The Federal Aviation Administration says the Cessna Citation took off from Elizabethtown, Tennessee, on Sunday and was headed for Long Island’s MacArthur Airport. Inexplicably, the plane turned around over New York’s Long Island and flew a straight path down over D.C. before it crashed over mountainous terrain near Montebello, Virginia, around 3:30 p.m.It was not immediately clear why the plane was nonresponsive, why it crashed or how many people were on board.A U.S. official confirmed to The Associated Press that the military jet had scrambled to respond to the small plane, which later crashed. The official was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the military operation and spo...