B2 | WEDNESDAY, JULY 28, 2021 SPORTS CASPER STAR-TRIBUNE AMERICAN LEAGUE NATIONAL LEAGUE MLB East W L Pct GB East W L Pct GB Boston 62 39 .614 — New York 53 45 .541 — Tampa Bay 60 40 .600 1½ Philadelphia 50 49 .505 3½ Kinsler’s road to Olympics began in Israel New York 51 47 .520 9½ Atlanta 49 51 .490 5 EVAN GRANT tournament by upsetting Toronto 49 47 .510 10½ Washington 45 54 .454 8½ Dallas Morning News Baltimore 34 64 .347 26½ Miami 43 57 .430 11 Cuba in the first game. Two Central W L Pct GB Central W L Pct GB For the record, it’s about years later, the Israeli’s qual- Chicago 59 41 .590 — Milwaukee 58 42 .580 — 8,000 miles from Dallas to ified for the 2020 Olympics Cleveland 49 48 .505 8½ Cincinnati 51 49 .510 7 Tokyo, if, by chance, you by winning the six-team decide to stop on the East Detroit 47 55 .461 13 St. Louis 50 50 .500 8 Africa-European qualifier. Coast along the way. Kansas City 43 55 .439 15 Chicago 50 51 .495 8½ That’s when Kinsler en- But Ian Kinsler’s journey Minnesota 43 58 .426 16½ Pittsburgh 38 61 .384 19½ tered the picture. He’d just West W L Pct GB West W L Pct GB to the Israeli Olympic base- finished his playing career. Houston 61 39 .610 — San Francisco 62 37 .626 — ball team can’t be measured Oakland 56 45 .554 5½ Los Angeles 61 40 .604 2 in miles. He’d already won a WBC Seattle 54 46 .540 7 San Diego 58 44 .569 5½ It goes so much further title with the U.S. in 2017. Los Angeles 50 49 .505 10½ Colorado 43 57 .430 19½ than that. He won a World Series with Texas 35 65 .350 26 Arizona 31 70 .307 32 It took him back to his MATT YORK, ASSOCIATED PRESS Boston the following year. own playing days and fi- Ian Kinsler and the Israeli baseball team open play at the With no regular season to Monday’s results Monday’s results nally understanding how Olympics on Thursday. worry about in 2020 as a Boston 5, Toronto 4 Atlanta 2, N.Y. Mets 0 (7), 1st Jewish children and adults newly-retired player, the Kansas City 4, Chicago White Sox 3 N.Y. Mets 1, Atlanta 0 (7), 2nd expressed an immediate baseball,” said Kinsler, 39, triumph. But until Thursday Olympics offered him one Minnesota 6, Detroit 5 (10) Philadelphia 6, Washington 5 whose last game in a 14-sea- evening — 5 a.m. in Dallas — L.A. Angels 6, Colorado 2 Chicago Cubs 6, Cincinnati 5 bond with him, even if the last opportunity. Seattle 11, Houston 8 L.A. Angels 6, Colorado 2 former Ranger never cel- son major league career it has never included an offi- A month after retiring, he was in August, 2019. “But I cial Olympic baseball team. Tuesday’s results Tuesday’s results ebrated Jewish holidays, agreed and made the trip to Miami at Baltimore (n) Miami at Baltimore (n) needed to get my citizenship The Israelis will face South never went to synagogue Israel. He saw the Old City of N.Y. Yankees at Tampa Bay (n) Milwaukee at Pittsburgh (n) and that meant diving into Korea in their first game and and still doesn’t consider Jerusalem and toured an ex- St. Louis at Cleveland (n) Washington at Philadelphia (n) my family tree and going to the U.S. on Friday as the six- Toronto at Boston (n) Atlanta at N.Y. Mets (n) himself religious. It took cavation site beneath it. He Arizona at Texas (n) St. Louis at Cleveland (n) him back to his father How- Israel. Going through the team tournament kicks off. whole process, going to Tel It’s the first Olympic base- floated in the Dead Sea. He Chi. White Sox at Kansas City (n) Arizona at Texas (n) ard’s childhood in The Bronx saw the complex at the Bap- Detroit at Minnesota (n) Cincinnati at Chicago Cubs (n) and stories about how he’d Aviv and Jerusalem, really ball tournament since 2008. tist Village. All of it spoke to Colorado at L.A. Angels (n) Colorado at L.A. Angels (n) occasionally have to fight understanding my heritage, The Israeli team — much Houston at Seattle (n) L.A. Dodgers at San Francisco (n) it’s made it such a really cool like Jews, themselves — is him. Even as the COVID-19 Oakland at San Diego (n) Oakland at San Diego (n) his way back to the fami- ly’s apartment. It took him journey. It’s something I’m something of a miracle. pandemic was descending on the world around them, Wednesday’s games Wednesday’s games back to his grandparents a lot prouder to represent The only baseball complex Detroit (Peralta 3-2) at Minnesota St. Louis (Kim 6-5) at Cleveland and their parents, who emi- than when I first committed. in Israel is in Baptist Vil- Kinsler and his wife, Tess, (Happ 5-5), 11:10 a.m. (Plesac 5-3), 11:10 a.m. grated from Eastern Europe. Tapping into my history has lage in Petah Tikva, near were awed by what they saw. St. Louis (Kim 6-5) at Cleveland Oakland (Manaea 7-6) at San Diego And, of course, it eventually really been special.” Tel Aviv. The Israelis made They have indicated a desire (Plesac 5-3), 11:10 a.m. (Snell 4-3), 2:10 p.m. to help increase the presence Houston (Odorizzi 3-5) at Seattle Miami (TBD) at Baltimore (López took him even deeper, to Is- The history of Jews — and their World Baseball Classic (Kikuchi 6-5), 1:40 p.m. 2-12), 5:05 p.m. rael, and his heritage. the link to the land of Israel debut in 2017. Using a roster of the sport in the country Oakland (Manaea 7-6) at San Diego Milwaukee (Lauer 3-4) at Pitts- “At the time, I agreed to — dates back nearly 6,000 primarily of Jewish Ameri- and have become involved (Snell 4-3), 2:10 p.m. burgh (TBD), 5:05 p.m. do this, it just meant the years. It includes plenty of cans with dual citizenship, with the Jewish National Miami (TBD) at Baltimore (López Washington (Corbin 6-9) at Phila- opportunity to play more tumult, tragedy, sorrow and the Israelis shocked the Fund-USA Project Baseball. 2-12), 5:05 p.m. delphia (Wheeler 8-5), 5:05 p.m. N.Y. Yankees (Cortes Jr. 0-0) at Atlanta (Fried 7-6) at N.Y. Mets Tampa Bay (Wacha 2-2), 5:10 p.m. (Megill 1-0), 5:10 p.m. Toronto (Matz 8-5) at Boston Arizona (Bumgarner 4-6) at Texas AROUND THE MAJORS (Houck 0-2), 5:10 p.m. (Lyles 5-7), 6:05 p.m. Arizona (Bumgarner 4-6) at Texas Cincinnati (Mahle 7-3) at Chicago Yelich lands test and Peterson will miss Strasburg to miss Dallas on Wednesday, Mar- (Lyles 5-7), 6:05 p.m. Cubs (Davies 6-6), 6:05 p.m. at least seven days, Stearns tinez said. Chicago White Sox (Giolito 8-7) at Colorado (González 3-6) at L.A. on COVID list said. rest of season Injuries have limited Kansas City (Bubic 3-4), 6:10 p.m. Angels (Heaney 6-7), 7:38 p.m. “Clearly disappoint- Colorado (González 3-6) at L.A. L.A. Dodgers (Buehler 10-1) at PITTSBURGH — Mil- PHILADELPHIA — Ste- Strasburg to seven starts Angels (Heaney 6-7), 7:38 p.m. San Francisco (DeSclafani 10-4), waukee Brewers outfielder ing news for Christian,” phen Strasburg will have since he was named MVP 7:45 p.m. Christian Yelich has tested Stearns said. “The most season-ending neck sur- of Washington’s World Se- positive for the coronavirus important thing is for him gery, Nationals manager ries win over Houston two and is showing mild symp- to feel better. He has mild Dave Martinez said Tuesday, years ago. He last pitched STAT OF THE DAY toms. symptoms. I talked to him ending another frustrating on June 1. Yelich and utilityman this morning. He’s in good year for Washington’s 2019 BRIEFLY On this spirits. He’s resting and it’s Jace Peterson were placed World Series hero. BAUER: Trevor Bauer’s ad- 27date in certainly our hope that he on the COVID-19 injured The three-time All-Star ministrative leave was ex- 1991, pitcher list, Brewers president of can knock this out quickly right-hander felt discom- Dennis tended by 10 days through baseball operations David and feel better quickly.” fort after a 27-pitch bullpen Martinez Aug. 6 on Tuesday by Ma- Stearns said Tuesday, add- The Brewers activated session last week and saw jor League Baseball and the tossed a perfect ing that Peterson was side- outfielder Lorenzo Cain from a specialist on Monday. game for the lined due to contact tracing the injured list and called up Strasburg, who is 1-2 with players’ association while Montreal Expos, and hasn’t tested positive. infielder Pablo Reyes from a 4.57 ERA in five starts this the sport’s investigators who topped Los Yelich — who has been Triple-A Nashville to fill the season, was diagnosed with check into allegations of Angeles 2-0 at vaccinated against the virus open roster spots as they neurogenic thoracic outlet sexual misconduct against Dodger Stadium.