Scoreboard roundup — 8/16/21

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(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Monday’s sports events:
 
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

AMERICAN LEAGUE
NY Yankees 2, LA Angels 1
Tampa Bay 9, Baltimore 2
Kansas City 7, Houston 6
Chi White Sox 5, Oakland 2
Minnesota 5, Cleveland 4

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Atlanta 12, Miami 2
Cincinnati 14, Chi Cubs 5
Colorado 6, San Diego 5
LA Dodgers 2, Pittsburgh 1
San Francisco 7, NY Mets 5

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Astros reach settlement with parents of toddler hit by foul ball in 2019, family attorney says

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(HOUSTON) — The parents of a toddler who was hit by a foul ball during a 2019 Houston Astros game, fracturing her skull, have reached a settlement with the team, according to the family’s lawyer.

In a petition filed Thursday, parents Jonathan David Scott and Alexandra Colchado claimed that “acts and omissions constituting negligence” caused their daughter to sustain “injuries and damages” during a game at Minute Maid Stadium in Houston on May 29, 2019.

During the fourth inning of the game, their daughter, who was 2 years old at the time, was hit by a ball off the bat of Cubs center fielder Albert Almora Jr. She suffered a fractured skull and has a permanent brain injury, the family’s lawyer, Richard Mithoff, told ABC News.

Because the lawsuit involves a minor, the settlement has to be formally approved by a judge, according to Mithoff. The court will appoint a neutral lawyer to make a recommendation to the judge “about the fairness of the settlement,” which will be confidential, he said.

Details of the settlement were not made public.

The Astros’ lawyers did not respond to emails seeking comment.

Almora, who now plays for the New York Mets, was seen crying on the field after the ball went into the stands.

Mithoff said they waited until two years after the incident to seek damages to have a better understanding of any lasting medical issues.

“It was a serious injury, a permanent injury to that part of the brain,” Mithoff said. “The primary focus has been on seizures.”

The girl, who is now 4, has been on anti-seizure medication since the incident, Mithoff said. Her last seizure was 22 months ago, he said.

Mithoff said he plans to ask for a hearing date on Monday and hopes the settlement will be fully approved “in a matter of weeks.”

At the time of the 2019 game, Minute Maid Park’s netting reached from the end of one dugout to the other, however, the child was sitting farther down the left-field line. Several months after the incident, the team extended its netting farther down the baselines.

The Astros released a statement to The Washington Post a month after the incident, saying: “The Astros continue to send our thoughts and prayers to the young girl and her family. We continue to respect the family’s request for privacy and have no further comment at this time.”

In January 2020, MLB announced that every team would have extended netting for the upcoming season, following reports of fans getting injured and even killed by foul balls.

The Astros have faced lawsuits over other injuries sustained during games. In 2019, a woman sued the team after she was injured by a T-shirt fired into the crowd. She claimed her left index finger was irreparably damaged. A confidential settlement was reached last year, the Houston Chronicle reported.

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Scoreboard roundup — 8/15/21

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(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Sunday’s sports events:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

INTERLEAGUE
St. Louis 7, Kansas City 2

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Cleveland 11, Detroit 0
Boston 6, Baltimore 2
Texas 7, Oakland 4
Minnesota 5, Tampa Bay 4
NY Yankees 5, Chi White Sox 3
LA Angels 3, Houston 1
Toronto 8, Seattle 3

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Milwaukee 2, Pittsburgh 1
Atlanta 6, Washington 5
Miami 4, Chi Cubs 1
Cincinnati 7, Philadelphia 4
San Francisco 5, Colorado 2
San Diego 8, Arizona 2
LA Dodgers 14, NY Mets 4

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE PRESEASON
Indianapolis 21, Carolina 18

WOMEN’S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Connecticut 80, Dallas 59
Chicago 87, Seattle 85 (OT)
Phoenix 92, Atlanta 81
Las Vegas 84, Washington 83
Minnesota 88, New York 78
Los Angeles 75, Indiana 70

MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
Atlanta 1, Los Angeles FC 0
Chicago 1, Columbus 0
Nashville 5, D.C. United 2
Seattle 6, Portland 2

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Scoreboard roundup — 8/13

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(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Friday’s sports events:

INTERLEAGUE BASEBALL
Final  St. Louis   6  Kansas City   0

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final  Cleveland   7  Detroit       4
Final  Boston      8  Baltimore     1
Final  Texas       8  Oakland       6
Final  Tampa Bay  10  Minnesota     4
Final  Houston     4  L.A. Angels   1
Final  Seattle     3  Toronto       2

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final  Cincinnati      6  Philadelphia   1
Final  Atlanta         4  Washington     2
Final  Miami          14  Chicago Cubs  10
Final  L.A. Dodgers    6  N.Y. Mets      5
Final  Arizona         3  San Diego      2
Final  San Francisco   5  Colorado       4
Milwaukee  at  Pittsburgh  2:30 p.m.  (Postponed)

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE PRESEASON
Final  Buffalo    16  Detroit  15
Final  Tennessee  23  Atlanta   3
Final  Arizona    19  Dallas   16

MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
Final tie  Vancouver   0  San Jose   0

 

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Scoreboard roundup — 8/12/21

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(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Thursday’s sports events:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Oakland 17, Cleveland 0
Seattle 3, Texas 1
Detroit 6, Baltimore 4
Tampa Bay 8, Boston 1
Chi White Sox 9, NY Yankees 8
LA Angels 6, Toronto 3

NATIONAL LEAGUE
NY Mets 4, Washington 1
NY Mets 5, Washington 4
St. Louis 7, Pittsburgh 6
Philadelphia 2,LA Dodgers 1
Milwaukee 17, Chi Cubs 4
Cincinnati 12, Atlanta 3
San Francisco 7, Colorado 0
Arizona 12, San Diego 3

WOMEN’S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Seattle 79, Connecticut 57

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MLB heaven in Iowa: Yankees, White Sox set to square off in “Field of Dreams” game

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(DYERSVILLE, Iowa) — It was built, and on Thursday night the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees are coming to Dyersville, Iowa to play a historic game.

The ballpark, newly constructed for this event, is located on the Lansing Family Farm, the filming site for the movie Field of Dreams. It features a corn maze behind the right field fence, and a manually operated scoreboard and bullpens behind the center-field wall, meant to resemble old Comiskey Park, where the White Sox played.

The stage is set. #MLBatFieldofDreams pic.twitter.com/0EGFq8McHT

The game will be the first MLB game ever in the state of Iowa.

Tickets to the game were sold via a public lottery. Winners of that lottery were informed earlier this month, and were given the chance to buy up to two tickets and one parking pass.

On ticket resale site StubHub, the cheapest ticket available for the game as of Thursday morning was selling for $1,100.

First pitch on Thursday is scheduled for 7pm ET.

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Detroit Tigers’ Miguel Cabrera nearing milestone, hits 499th home run

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(BALTIMORE) — Detroit Tigers star Miguel Cabrera moved one step closer to a major milestone on Wednesday night, bashing the 499th home run of his big league career.

Cabrera launched the homer off of Baltimore Orioles starter Matt Harvey, giving the Tigers a 1-0 lead on Wednesday. Detroit would go on to win the game 5-2.

With just 12 home runs this season, Cabrera’s run to 500 had slowed considerably. He hadn’t hit a home run in over a week.

While there was some expectation that Cabrera would sit out Thursday’s game, the team’s last on their current road trip, so that he could attempt to reach the mark at home, the team says it has decided against that.

“He’s playing,” manager A.J. Hinch said Wednesday night before being asked. “I’ve talked to him, and we’re not going to test baseball fate. We really want him to hit it whenever he’s supposed to hit it. Maybe it’s [Thursday], maybe it’s not.”

Cabrera would become the 28th player in major league history to reach 500 home runs, and the first from his native country of Venezuela.

A two-time MVP and 11-time All-Star, Cabrera’s production has dipped in recent years. Still, he continues to chase multiple milestones. In addition to 500 home runs, Cabrera is also just 50 hits away from 3,000 for his career.

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USMNT jumps into top ten of FIFA World Rankings

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(NEW YORK) — Fresh off a run of success in North American competitions, the United States Men’s National Soccer Team earned the number ten spot in FIFA’s latest world rankings.

The U.S. beat Mexico 1-0 in the final of CONCACAF’s Gold Cup earlier this month, leading to a ten-place rise on the official list.

The squad conceded just one goal in six matches in the Gold Cup, winning all six. They also won five of six games in the CONCACAF Nations League.

FIFA’s World Rankings will play a key role in next year’s World Cup. If the U.S. remains in the top 10, it would have a chance of being seeded, getting a more favorable draw, and avoid having to play other nations within the top 10.

The U.S. has not been among the top 10 in FIFA’s rankings since the 2006 World Cup.

Just above the U.S. in the rankings, Mexico placed number nine. They have been the top-ranked team in CONCACAF since February 2017.

Atop the rankings, FIFA identifies Belgium as the best team. Following them, Copa America runners up Brazil rank second, France sits third, and Euro Champs Italy is in fifth. Euro runners up England sit one spot ahead of Italy in fourth.

The next update to the rankings will be published in September.

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Scoreboard roundup — 8/11/21

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(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Wednesday’s sports events:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

INTERLEAGUE
Houston 5, Colorado 1

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Minnesota 1, Chi White Sox 0
NY Yankees 5, Kansas City 2
Detroit 5, Baltimore 2
Oakland 6, Cleveland 3
Boston 20, Tampa Bay 8
Toronto 10, LA Angels 2
Seattle 2, Texas 1

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Miami 7, San Diego 0
NY Mets 8 Washington 7
St. Louis 4, Pittsburgh 0
LA Dodgers 8, Philadelphia 2
Milwaukee 10, Chi Cubs 0
Atlanta 8, Cincinnati 6
San Francisco 7, Arizona 2

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Plea deal for 1 of 2 defendants in horse doping scandal includes $25 million in restitution

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(NEW YORK) — Two defendants indicted in a massive racehorse doping scandal in New York have have pleaded guilty.

Thoroughbred trainer Jorge Navarro and the head of a New York veterinary clinic, Kristian Rhein, were among more than two dozen people charged in a widespread scheme that prosecutors have alleged endangered horses, cheated bettors at tracks across the country and upended thoroughbred racing.

The scheme, which allegedly began in 2017, was designed to deceive regulators and horse racing officials regarding the use of performance-enhancing drugs, prosecutors said, after the indictment was filed in the Southern District of New York in March 2020.

The plot allegedly was orchestrated by veterinarian Louis Grasso, who “manufactured, purchased, sold, shipped, delivered, received and administered at least thousands of units of PEDs issues by pharmacies pursuant to invalid prescriptions provided by veterinarians participating in the scheme,” according to court documents. At least one horse died as a result.

Navarro and Rhein pleaded guilty to their roles in the distribution of adulterated and misbranded drugs. They will be sentenced in December.

Navarro has agreed to pay more than $25 million in restitution, reflecting winnings obtained through his fraudulent doping scheme, and Rhein has agreed to pay restitution of more than $700,000 in connection with fraud committed through a false billing practice.

“Kristian Rhein and Jorge Navarro represent the supply side and the customer side of the market in performance enhancing substances that have corrupted much of the horse racing industry,” said U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss. “As he admitted today, Navarro, a licensed trainer and the purported ‘winner’ of major races across the world, was in fact a reckless fraudster whose veneer of success relied on the systematic abuse of the animals under his control.”

Rhein also “flouted his oath as a veterinarian” to profit through the sale and administration of unregulated substances used by trainers engaged in fraud and animal abuse, prosecutors said.

Navarro operated his doping scheme covertly, importing misbranded “clenbuterol” that he both used and distributed to others, avoiding explicit discussion of performance-enhancing drugs during telephone calls and worked with others to coordinate the administration of PEDs at times that racing officials would not detect such cheating, according to the indictment.

Among the horses that Navarro trained and doped was XY Jet, a thoroughbred that won the 2019 Golden Shaheen race in Dubai. Navarro’s preferred PEDs included various “blood building” drugs, which, when administered before intense physical exertion, can lead to cardiac issues or death, the indictment said.

Navarro also assisted in doping Maximum Security, briefly the winner of the 2019 Kentucky Derby before being disqualified. On June 5, 2019, New Jersey racing regulators tested Maximum Security for performance enhancing drugs a short time after the horse had received a shot of SGF-1000, one of the misbranded or adulterated drugs, according to prosecutors.

In an intercepted call following that test, Rhein said, “[t]hey don’t even have a test for [SGF-1000],” according to court documents. “… There’s no test for it in America.”

Jason Kreiss, an attorney for Navarro, said in an emailed statement to ABC News that he “has accepted responsibility for his actions and looks forward to moving on with his life.” A lawyer for Rhein didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

A former sales representative for a Kentucky company that marketed SGF-1000 pleaded guilty last month to drug adulteration and misbranding of drugs charges related to the scheme.

SGF-1000 was not approved, was mislabeled and distributed without a valid prescription, assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Mortazavi said in a plea hearing for Michael Kegley.

Federal investigators intercepted calls during which Kegley acknowledged he did not know the precise contents of SGF-1000, according to the indictment. Kegley also was overheard explaining that trainers could be charged with felonies in the U.S. for doping horses.

Kegley conspired with trainers, veterinarians and others to make misbranded drugs, secretly administer them to racehorses and cheat bettors in the $100 billion global racehorse industry, prosecutors said.

When asked by a judge whether he knew that trainers intended to use the drugs on thoroughbred racehorses last month, Kegley replied, “Yes, your honor.”

Kegley has agreed to forfeit more than $3 million and faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison.

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