ARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, MAY 7-8, 2021 SPORTS 14

Bernal to spearhead strong Ineos Means throws no-hitter as Nibali & Evenepoel among Giro favorites after injury comebacks MILAN, May 6, (AP): Two of the the crash, and I’ll also need a lot of contenders for this year’s Giro d’Italia caution pedaling in the peloton. But title are returning from injury and they now, finally, I can only think about the Orioles demolish Mariners are very much at opposite ends of their competition that, now more than ever, cycling careers. will be to experience day by day.” Two-time winner In the absence of last year’s winner was given the all-clear on Monday to Tao Geoghegan Hart, compete following a training crash last will spearhead a strong Ineos month. At the age of 36, it is likely to Grenadiers team. However, his form is be his last chance of a third Giro unclear after a back injury which crown. forced him to abandon his Tour de In contrast, 21-year-old Remco France defense last year. Evenepoel will be riding in his first Another top favorite is Tour of the and hasn’t raced in nine Alps champion Simon Yates, who led months after a bad crash in last year’s the race for 13 days in 2018, the same Tour of Lombardy. year he won the Spanish Vuelta. Yates The 104th edition of the Giro runs had to abandon last year’s Giro after from May 8-30 and consists of 21 days testing positive of racing, totaling 3,479.9 kilometers for COVID-19. (2,162.3 miles) between the start in Evenepoel’s Torino and the finish in Milan. teammate João Here are some key things to know Almeida was one about the race: of the revelations of last year’s Giro, which he led CYCLING for 15 days. He is is likely to chal- lenge again this Evenepoel is widely regarded as one year, along with of the most promising talents of his Evenepoel last year’s runner- generation and the Belgian was talked up , about as a favorite for last year’s Giro, who was pipped by just 39 seconds by which was postponed until October because of the coronavirus pandemic. Geoghegan Hart. But Evenepoel hasn’t raced since The 2021 Giro will include just two August after a crash which saw the time trials, at either end of an arduous youngster a bridge wall and go over route from Turin to Milan that also it into a ravine, leaving the Deceuninck- crosses briefly into Slovenia and Quick-Step rider with a fractured pel- Switzerland. vis and a damaged right lung. There are six stages for the sprinters “I think you cannot prepare 100% in the three weeks of racing that also for a race without racing but that is the features six mountain finishes, seven risk that we took,” Evenepoel said other hilly stages, and almost 47,000 Wednesday. “I’m just happy to be at meters of climbing. the start finally again almost 10 The general classification will get starting throws to a during the ninth inning of a game, on May 5, in Seattle. (AP) months after the crash. its first real shake-up on stage 14 with “So it’s almost one year without the steepest finish of the race, with the racing so my goal here is just to do climb up the Monte Zoncolan ending Votto breaks thumb, Reds blank White Sox 1-0 in 10 innings well in the bunch again, (have) a lot of in double digit gradients. fun with the guys because I’ve missed That comes just two days before the racing for too long.” Giro’s toughest leg, the so-called SEATTLE, May 6, (AP): John Means At the other end of the spectrum, queen stage, which includes nearly Nibali is looking to become the oldest 6,000 meters of climbing over the threw the major leagues’ third no- MLB Results/Standings winner of the Giro. Passo Fedaia, the Passo Pordoi and the hitter this season and came within a In possibly his last season of racing, Passo Giau in the Dolomites before the wild pitch on a third strike of a per- Nibali did not want to miss his home descent to the finish in Cortina Grand Tour despite undergoing sur- d’Ampezzo. At 2,239 meters, the fect game, pitching the Baltimore WASHINGTON, May 6, (AP): Results and standings from the MLB games on Wednesday. gery on his wrist just three weeks ago. Passo Pordoi is also the race’s highest Orioles over the Seattle Mariners 6-0. Cincinnati 1 Chic. Wht. Sox (10 inn) 0 Colorado 6 San Francisco 5 point. Baltimore 6 Seattle 0 St Louis 4 NY Mets (7 inn) 1st game 1 “It was a race against time and I’m Means (4-0) struck out 12. Seattle’s Sam NY Yankees 6 Houston 3 Miami 8 Arizona 0 very happy that I’ve won it,” said the After the final rest day, there are Haggerty raced to first after he struck out Texas 3 Minnesota 1 Atlanta 5 Washington 3 2013 and 2016 winner. “Since the day three more mountain stages including Detroit 6 Boston (10 inn) 5 Philadelphia 5 Milwaukee 4 of the crash, April 14, I’ve done noth- the penultimate leg, which has also swinging on a in the dirt on a 1-2 Cleveland 5 Kansas City 4 NY Mets 7 St Louis (7 inn) 2nd game 2 count with one outs in the third inning that Toronto 9 Oakland 4 San Diego 4 Pittsburgh 2 ing but think about recovering in order been given the maximum difficulty bounced away from . Tampa Bay 3 LA Angels 1 Cubs 6 LA Dodgers (11 innings) 5 to be at the Giro. rating of five stars. The race’s longest Haggerty wasn’t on base long, getting thrown out National League “I don’t have the top condition, route comes on stage 18: 231 kilome- East Division East Division which I had hoped to achieve without ters from Rovereto to Stradella. attempting to steal second. W L Pct GB W L Pct GB Means threw 79 strikes among 113 pitches, includ- Boston 18 13 .581 _ Philadelphia 16 15 .516 _ ing first-pitch strikes to 26 of 27 batters. When New York 16 14 .533 1-1/2 New York 12 13 .480 1 Tampa Bay 17 15 .531 1-1/2 Atlanta 14 16 .467 1-1/2 Seattle did make contact against the 28-year-old left- Toronto 15 14 .517 2 Washington 12 14 .462 1-1/2 hander, it was weak and there were no threats to fall Baltimore 15 16 .484 3 Miami 13 16 .448 2 in for a hit. Central Division Central Division W L Pct GB W L Pct GB Means lowered his ERA to 1.37 and became the Chicago 16 13 .552 _ St Louis 18 13 .581 _ first individual Orioles pitcher to toss a no-hitter Cleveland 16 13 .552 _ Milwaukee 17 14 .548 1 since against Oakland on Aug 13, 1969. Kansas City 16 13 .552 _ Chicago 15 16 .484 3 It was the 10th no-hitter in franchise history – six in Minnesota 11 18 .379 5 Cincinnati 14 15 .483 3 Detroit 9 22 .290 8 Pittsburgh 13 17 .433 4-1/2 Baltimore after four as the St Louis Browns. West Division West Division Means joined a no-hit club that includes gems by W L Pct GB W L Pct GB San Diego right-hander at Texas on Oakland 19 13 .594 _ San Francisco 18 13 .581 _ April 9 and by left-hander Carlos Seattle 17 15 .531 2 San Diego 18 14 .563 -1/2 Houston 15 15 .500 3 Los Angeles 17 15 .531 1-1/2 Rodón against Cleveland on April 14. In addition, Texas 15 17 .469 4 Arizona 15 15 .500 2-1/2 Arizona left-hander Madison Bumgarner pitched a Los Angeles 13 16 .448 4-1/2 Colorado 12 19 .387 6 seven-inning no-hitter against Atlanta on April 25, but that is not recognized as an official no-hitter because the game did not go at least nine innings, St. Louis won the opener 4-1 as Paul DeJong hit a dent and worked a scoreless ninth for his second shortened under pandemic rules in effect for a second two- homer and Paul Goldschmidt had a solo . straight season. homer off (3-3). Kwang Hyun Kim Rays 3, Angels 1 pitched four innings, combining with Ryan Hemsley In Anaheim, California, Brandon Lowe hit a three- (3-0), Giovanny Gallegos and Alex Reyes (ninth run homer and Tampa Bay overcame five scoreless In this July 19, 2018 filer, Colombia’s Egan Arley Bernal Gomez, right, pulls BASEBALL save in nine chances) on a two-hitter. innings from Los Angeles’ to beat the Britain’s , wearing the overall leader’s yellow jersey, up the Braves 5, Nationals 3 Angels. Alpe d’Huez during the twelfth stage of the Tour de France cycling race. In Washington, Marcell Ozuna hit Atlanta’s third Lowe went deep to center off Junior Guerra (2-1) (AP) Baltimore’s previous no-hitter came on July 13, grand slam in four games, Max Fried pitched five in the seventh after Brett Phillips led off the inning 1991, when , , Mark strong innings in his return from the injured list and with a walk and Willy Adames flared a single to left. Williamson and combined for a 2-0 the Braves beat Washington. Ryan Yarbrough (2-3) allowed one run on five hits victory at Oakland, Fried (1-1) allowed one run and four hits, struck in four-plus innings to help the Rays win their fourth Means had plenty of offensive support. D.J. out six and walked one, lowering his ERA from straight. The Angels have dropped four straight and Stewart and Ramón Urias both had RBI singles 11.45 to 8.44. He had been sidelined since April 14 10 of their last 14. against Yusei Kikuchi in the third inning. with a strained right hamstring. Tigers 6, Red Sox 5, 10 Innings hit a solo off Kikuchi (1-2) in the sixth and Rookie William Contreras hit his first career In Boston, Jeimer Candelario hit a tiebreaking provided a three-run shot off reliever homer for the Braves in his third start, replacing the three-run homer in the 10th inning, and Detroit held Aaron Fletcher in the eighth inning. injured Travis d’Arnaud at catcher. off Boston. Reds 1, White Sox 0, 10 Innings Rockies 6, Giants 5 Robbie Grossman began the Detroit 10th on sec- In Cincinnati, Cincinnati’s Joey Votto fractured In Denver, Jon Gray tossed six strong innings and ond and advanced to third on ’s his left thumb in the Reds’ victory over Chicago. helped himself with an RBI single in Colorado’s vic- leadoff single. Candelario then went deep against Votto was hit by Dallas Keuchel’s pitch in the tory over San Francisco. Garrett Whitlock (0-1), sending a drive to right for fourth inning. Votto remained in the game, but in the Gray (4-2) allowed two runs and four hits. The his third homer. sixth was replaced at first base by Kyle Farmer. right-hander struck out eight and walked two while Boston got two back in the bottom half. Marwin Votto is not expected to need surgery, but could miss improving to 4-0 in five home starts. Daniel Bard Gonzalez singled in Xander Bogaerts and eventually up to a month. worked a shaky ninth for his third save. came around to score on an error on second baseman Yankees 6, Astros 3 Brandon Crawford continued his hot hitting Willi Castro. In New York, Giancarlo Stanton homered again against the Rockies with a two-run homer in the Marlins 8, Diamondbacks 0 and knocked in four runs, Aaron Hicks hit a tiebreak- second inning. Crawford is 10 for 23 with four hom- In Miami, Adam Duvall hit his fifth home run and ing single in the eighth inning and New York beat ers, six walks and 10 RBIs in eight games against finished with four RBIs, Miguel Rojas scored three Houston for its fifth straight victory. Colorado this season. times and five Miami scattered five hits to In this Aug 2, 2016 file photo, Canada’s Mandy Bujold, left, knocks down With fans in the Bronx chanting curses at José Phillies 5, Brewers 4 lead the Marlins over Arizona. Uzbekistan’s Yodgoroy Mirzaeva during a women’s flyweight 51-kg pre- Altuve and several other Astros for the second con- In Philadelphia, Didi Gregorius hit his eighth Duvall connected for a three-run homer in a four- liminary boxing match at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. secutive night, the Yankees (16-14) got three innings career grand slam and Philadelphia beat Milwaukee run second off Luke Weaver (1-3), Duvall’s first (AP) of scoreless relief from their major league-best bull- for its third straight victory. home run in 19 games. pen and won for the 10th time in 13 games to move The Phillies won three straight games for the first Rojas was 2 for 3 and drove in two runs for Miami, ‘I had been hopeful’ two games above .500 for the first time this season. time since opening 4-0. which remained under .500 at 13-16 but is the only Cubs 6, Dodgers 5, 11 Innings Enyel De Los Santos left two runners stranded to team in the NL East to have outscored opponents. Of In Chicago, Anthony Rizzo capped Chicago’s end the eighth. José Alvarado returned from a two- the Marlins’ plus-18 differential, 14 was in the two two-run 11th inning with an RBI single, and the Cubs game suspension for triggering a bench-clearing inci- games of this series, which began with 9-3 victory. Canadian boxer Mandy Bujold beat struggling Los Angeles to complete a three- Indians 5, Royals 4 game sweep. In Kansas City, Mo., Josh Naylor homered in the Chicago’s Matt Duffy tied it when he drove in ninth inning, sending Cleveland past Kansas City. fighting for Tokyo Games berth Willson Contreras with a two-out single against Naylor greeted Wade Davis (0-1) with a leadoff TORONTO, May 6, (AP): Mandy After a competitive year erased by Garrett Cleavinger (0-3). Duffy stole third and pinch- drive to right for his second homer. Nick Wittgren Bujold would have preferred fighting COVID-19, the 11-time national fly- hitter Tony Wolters walked before Rizzo singled on (2-1) struck out the side in the eighth for the win, and this battle in the ring. weight champion had been confident a sharp grounder to left. James Karinchak worked the ninth for his third save. Instead, the Tokyo Olympics fate she’d clinch a berth at the qualifying He was mobbed by teammates as he ran off the Cleveland trailed 4-0 after five innings. It has ral- for Canada’s best boxer lies in the tournament this month in Buenos field following the Cubs’ second game-ending hit in lied to win in the first three games of the four-game hands of the Court of Arbitration for Aires. The event was recently canceled as many days. David Bote hit a winning single in the set. Sport after her qualifying tournament Padres 4, Pirates 2 amid coronavirus cases in Argentina. ninth the previous day in the nightcap of a double- was scrapped due to the pandemic. header. In San Diego, Jake Cronenworth hit a go-ahead, two-run single in the sixth inning and San Diego beat Bujold and her lawyer, Sylvie Blue Jays 9, Athletics 4 Rodrigue, lost their appeal to the BOXING In Oakland, California, Teoscar Hernández hit a Pittsburgh. tiebreaking RBI single during Toronto’s five-run Mark Melancon pitched the ninth for his big International Olympic Committee ear- lier this week, leaving CAS as her last eighth inning, and the Blue Jays beat Oakland. league-leading 11th save in 11 chances. Craig With no remaining international Stammen (2-1) got the final out of the sixth for the chance to box in what would be her Hernández also had an earlier run-scoring single competitions for boxers from the before coming through against Lou Trivino (1-1), win in relief of Yu Darvish. final Olympics. who was tagged for five earned runs after allowing a Cronenworth’s go-ahead hit came a half inning “I had been hopeful (about the Americas, athletes were selected on a total of three in his first 15 appearances this year. after Darvish surrendered a two-run lead and was IOC’s decision),” Bujold told The revised ranking system using three Ramón Laureano and Matt Chapman homered for chased with the score tied at 2. Canadian Press on Wednesday. “But events between 2018 and 2019 - events Oakland, and Sean Murphy had two hits and two Rangers 3, Twins 1 they did not even address the issues in Bujold didn’t compete in because they RBIs. In Minneapolis, Hyeon-Jong Yang made his first our letter, which is really unfortunate, conflicted with her maternity leave. Cardinals 4, Mets 1,1st Game major league start after 14 years in the Korea Baseball right? You think of the Olympics and Bujold’s daughter Kate was born on Mets 7, Cardinals 2, 2nd Game Organization, getting Texas off to a strong start in a the principles of Olympism, you think Nov. 5, 2018. In St. Louis, Tomás Nido hit a two-run homer and victory over Minnesota, about fairness, you think about sports- Rodrigue calls Bujold’s situation a Jonathan Villar added a solo shot and an RBI single, Yang, the former KBO MVP, struck out seven of manship, you think about all these human rights violation and discrimina- powering New York over St. Louis for a double- ’ Matt Chapman hits a solo the first nine batters he faced and eight overall in things that make the Olympics what tion case. In the Olympic Boxing Task header split. home run against the during 3-1/3 innings. Making a spot start after two relief they are, and make me proud to be an Force’s revised ranking system for The loss ended a six-game winning streak for the the fourth inning of a baseball game in Oakland, appearances earlier this season, Yang gave up four Olympian and to get this response was Tokyo, “it’s like Mandy has never been NL Central-leading Cardinals (19-13). California, on May 5. (AP) hits. really tough.” ranked in the world,” Rodrigue said.