Sports

Orioles, Red Sox contribute to unpredictable first round of MLB draft

Published

4 years ago

June 11, 2020

Baseball fans anxious for intrigue from their favourite sport got a small dose of it Wednesday night during an unpredictable first round of the 2020 MLB Draft. While the Toronto Blue Jays added to an already-strong position player core by selecting highly-regarded infielder Austin Martin, here’s how things played out around the rest of the league.

Unforeseen beginnings

Spencer Torkelson and his power bat were always going to go first overall to the Detroit Tigers, but pre-draft expectations went out the window when the Baltimore Orioles selected outfielder Heston Kjerstad with the second-overall pick. It could prove to be a shrewd bit of maneuvering, as the Orioles also held the No. 30 and 39 selections. Now, they can redirect the bonus pool money they presumably save cutting an under-slot deal with Kjerstad towards higher-upside talent later in the draft.

By the third pick of the night, every mock draft across the internet was blown up as the Miami Marlins took right-hander Max Meyer off the board. Industry consensus was that the Marlins were all over big left-hander Asa Lacy and would make him the first pitcher selected. But they went with Meyer’s electric two-pitch mix instead, which dropped Lacy into Kansas City’s lap at No. 4.

The Blue Jays were more than happy to take advantage of all the commotion up top and select the versatile, polished Martin at No. 5. Baseball America graded Martin as the best college hitter in the draft. FanGraphs ranked him as the second-best position player behind Torkelson. The majority of mock drafts had him going second overall and no later than third. Really, the draft couldn’t have broken any better for the Blue Jays.

“Obviously we’re keeping an eye on the mock drafts as they come out throughout the week and aware of industry consensus. But I think it really started to shake up at picks two and three,” said Blue Jays amateur scouting director Shane Ferrell. “We were surprised a little bit. But certainly prepared to make that selection. And we’re ecstatic to have the chance to pick Austin.”

Similarly, the Pittsburgh Pirates had to be thrilled to scoop up Nick Gonzales’ contact and power combination at No. 7, while the Colorado Rockies have to love the huge upside they acquired at No. 9 in Zac Veen, who was widely considered the top high school hitter in the draft. The Philadelphia Phillies may have also come away with a steal, selecting the hard-throwing, immensely projectable prep right-hander Mick Abel at No. 15. And the Brewers were likely ecstatic to see toolsy outfielder Garrett Mitchell still available at No. 20.

Prospect analysts across the industry have a strong track record of accurately predicting how things will play out on draft night. Their mock boards are very well-sourced, as club executives have little to gain from being coy with their intentions under a system in which teams can’t trade picks and bonus deals are often agreed to well in advance. But 2020’s widely inaccurate mock drafts have provided the exception to the rule.

“I don’t know if that’s to say that the industry was off the mark. There’s a lot that goes into making these selections, that factor into this. Like signability and things like that,” Farrell said. “So, we monitor [mock drafts] just for public opinion. But, ultimately, we’re relying on our own internal rankings and our internal scouts to build our lists and go from there.”

Around the AL East

The Orioles certainly threw a curveball into the draft by selecting Kjerstad second overall, and will presumably use the money they’re positioned to save there to add more high upside talent to the organization’s early-stages rebuild. But it’s unlikely that Jordan Westburg, the college shortstop the Orioles selected with the No. 30 overall pick, will be the beneficiary. There should be some high-ceiling pitchers available when the draft’s second night begins on Thursday, and it’ll be interesting to monitor whether Baltimore takes a flier at signing one to an above-slot deal.

And what about Toronto’s other rivals around the American League East? The Boston Red Sox had the next highest pick at No. 17 and went way off the board selecting high school infielder Nick Yorke, who was somewhere in the mid-100s on most draft boards. The Red Sox have only four picks in the draft, having lost their second-round selection as part of MLB’s punishment for sign stealing during the 2018 season.

Evidently, the Red Sox are high on Yorke’s bat and feel he was undervalued. “We feel if the spring had gotten a chance to play out, the public perception of him would be a lot different,” GM Chaim Bloom told reporters. Of course, it’s also possible Yorke is a pick Boston believes it can sign for well below slot value, saving money to take big swings on tough signs with their three remaining picks later in the draft.

Don’t forget, Bloom came to Boston from the Tampa Bay Rays, one of the leagues shrewdest organizations on draft day and one with an excellent track record of selecting and developing big league talent. It’s safe to say Bloom has a plan.

Speaking of the Rays, one must always pay close attention to their draft-day decisions — particularly when they select a big-armed high school pitcher scouts haven’t been closely following. That describes Nick Bitsko, a 17-year-old who was originally eligible for the 2021 draft but graduated high school early and entered this year’s instead only to have his senior season wiped out by a pandemic.

It is a classic Rays pick. Bitsko is super projectable at six-foot-four, 225 pounds and already throws a fastball in the mid-to-high 90s with a solid curveball and a developing change-up. He could’ve been one of the first names off the board next June, but a combination of clubs not being honed in on him ahead of this year’s draft and COVID-19 shutting down high school baseball this spring let him fall into Tampa’s lap towards the back of the first round a year earlier.

Profiles like Bitsko’s out of high school are inherently risky. But if you had to bet on any club’s development system maximizing his potential, wouldn’t it be the Rays? The organization also selected college shortstop Alika Williams with the No. 37 overall pick in the first competitive balance round.

Meanwhile, the New York Yankees used the No. 28 selection on Austin Wells, a college catcher with a promising left-handed bat. The organization clearly feels highly about him as this is the second time they’ve drafted Wells, and even if his so-so defence moves him out from behind the plate someday, it appears the Yankees have added another potent offensive player to their system.

Source: – Sportsnet.ca

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Ravens win fifth straight game by beating Bucs 41-31

Published

11 hours ago

October 22, 2024

Anne Joseph

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Lamar Jackson threw for 281 yards and five touchdowns, helping the Baltimore Ravens overcome an early double-digit deficit and extend their National Football League winning streak to five games with a 41-31 victory Monday night over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who lost their top two receivers to injuries.

The two-time NFL MVP improved to 23-1 against NFC teams, the best mark by a quarterback against an opposing conference in NFL history. He’s 3-0 against the Bucs (4-3), who faded after taking a 10-0 lead with help from the 100th TD reception of Mike Evans’ career.

Evans departed with a hamstring injury after Baker Mayfield tried to connect with him in the end zone again, and late in the fourth quarter with the game out of reach, leading Bucs receiver Chris Godwin was carted off the field with a left ankle injury. ESPN declined to show replays of Godwin’s injury, which appeared to be severe.

Jackson completed 17 of 22 passes without an interception, including TD throws of nine and four yards to Mark Andrews. He also tossed scoring passes of 49 yards to Rashod Bateman, 18 yards to Justice Hill and 11 yards to Derrick Henry, who rushed for 169 yards on 15 carries. Bateman had four catches for 121 yards.

The Ravens (5-2) rebounded from a slow start on defence, with cornerback Marlon Humphrey turning the game around with a pair of second-quarter interceptions — one of them in the Baltimore end zone. Jackson led a four-play, 80-yard TD drive after the first pick, and the second interception set up Justin Tucker’s 28-yard field goal for a 17-10 halftime lead.

Elsewhere in the NFL:

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CARDINALS 17 CHARGERS 15

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Kyler Murray ran for a 44-yard touchdown and led the Cardinals on a drive that set up Chad Ryland’s 32-yard field goal as time expired, and Arizona rallied for a win over Los Angeles.

Cameron Dicker kicked his fifth field goal of the night — this one from 40 yards — to give the Chargers a 15-14 lead with 1:54 left. But the Cardinals (3-4) quickly moved into field goal range, aided by an unnecessary roughness call on Cam Hart that cost Los Angeles (3-3) 15 yards.

Arizona followed that with a bruising 33-yard run by James Conner, who finished with 101 yards on the ground. That eventually set up Ryland’s short field goal and a Cardinals celebration.

It was a frustrating night for the Chargers’ offence, which gained 395 yards but couldn’t find the end zone. Justin Herbert completed 27 of 39 passes for 349 yards.

Dicker booted field goals of 59, 50, 28, 47 and 40 yards, the first of which tied a franchise record for distance.

Murray ran for a spectacular touchdown early in the fourth quarter, rolling to his left before turning on the jets, beating safety Junior Colston to the sideline and then coasting into the end zone for a 14-9 lead.

It was Murray’s second long touchdown run in three weeks after he scored on a 50-yard sprint against San Francisco. It was also Murray’s 20th career game with a touchdown pass and run.

Murray completed 14 of 26 passes for 145 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

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Struggling Whitecaps, Timbers set to meet in MLS wild-card matchup

Published

11 hours ago

October 22, 2024

Anne Joseph

VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Whitecaps have been here before — literally and figuratively.

With the season hanging in the balance, the ‘Caps were dealt a blow last week when the club learned it wouldn’t be able to play a post-season wild-card game in its home stadium, B.C. Place, due to a scheduling conflict.

The Whitecaps ceded home field advantage to their regional rival, the Portland Timbers. The two clubs will battle for the final playoff spot in Major League Soccer’s Western Conference in Oregon on Wednesday.

The winner will face No. 1-seed Los Angeles FC in a best-of-three first-round series, starting Sunday.

An unforeseen hurdle like a change of venues is nothing new for the ‘Caps, said defender Ranko Veselinovic, who was part of the team that was forced to relocate first to Portland, then Utah during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It feels that always something happens for us, but it is what it is. So far, we’ve managed to always find solutions for those situations,” said the Serbian centre back. “But I hope this team can find it one more time, because we need it this time. And it will be a really nice feeling in those circumstances to go in, win and go face L.A. in the next round.”

Vancouver (13-13-8) heads into the post-season winless in its last seven MLS games and with losses in four straight after dropping a 2-1 road decision to Real Salt Lake on Saturday.

The skid followed a run that saw the club go 4-1-3 across all competitions between late August and late September.

There’s just one way to return to that level, said Whitecaps head coach Vanni Sartini.

“The work is the only way to do it. Try to put the work in and try to put the team in a way that they’re going to regain the form and the way that they were in the past,” he said.

Despite the final score, Sartini has seen positives in the way his team played in its two most recent losses.

“I think already we turned the corner,” he said. “And we start from there to build and build and build.”

Facing challenges together can help a team build, whether it’s a winless skid or an unexpected hurdle, said Vancouver’s captain Ryan Gauld.

“When you’re going through adversity, that’s when people start to raise their voice a little bit. You get good when the problems arise, you get a lot of people coming together to make sure we get out of it,” said the Scottish attacking midfielder.

“And we’ve had a tough time the last few games, but everyone’s aware of the fact that we’re a much better team than we’ve shown, and we need to find a way to get back to doing what we’re good at.”

The ‘Caps face a familiar foe in the Timbers (12-11-11).

The two sides have already met three times this season, with each coming out of the series with a win, a loss and a draw.

Portland has also struggled in recent weeks and are winless in their last five MLS outings (0-1-4).

The Timbers boast one of the league’s top offensive units, though, with threats such as Evander. The Brazilian midfielder notched 15 goals and 19 assists during the regular season.

To earn a win on Wednesday, the Whitecaps must be solid defensively, Gauld said.

“They must be one of the best attacks in the league. They have a lot of good players, and they can hurt you if you switch off,” he said. “So just being concentrated from the first whistle, and just being hard to beat, being stuffy. Just being on it for the full 90 minutes.”

A victory in the wild-card match would guarantee Vancouver at least one home playoff game, a factor that Sartini said would be a big reward for his group.

The entire team relished the experience of playing post-season soccer in front of more than 30,000 fans last year, the coach said, and the desire to repeat the feat is high as the club heads to Portland.

“Everyone is happy to be in the playoffs. So we don’t have to be moody to be in the playoff. And we go in there, we’re play one of our rivals. So it’s gonna be a nice game to show up and to play our best game possible.”

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS (13-13-8) AT PORTLAND TIMBERS (12-11-11)

Wednesday, Providence Park

HISTORY BOOKS: This will mark the seventh all-time post-season meeting between the Timbers and ‘Caps, dating back to 1975. The last time the two clubs squared off in a playoff game was during the Western Conference semifinal in 2015. Portland won the two-game aggregate series and went on to hoist the MLS Cup.

ROAD WARRIORS: The ‘Caps boasted a 7-6-4 record on the road during regular-season play — better than the 6-7-4 showing they posted at B.C. Place.

POST-SEASON PARTY: Wednesday will mark the first time the Timbers have hosted a post-season game since 2021.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2024.

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No rugby, field hockey, badminton, triathlon or cricket at leaner 2026 Commonwealth Games

Published

11 hours ago

October 22, 2024

Anne Joseph

GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Scotland conceived rugby sevens in the 1880s yet it will not feature in the scaled-back 2026 Commonwealth Games hosted by Glasgow.

Other sports that have also been dropped include field hockey, triathlon, badminton, Twenty20 cricket, squash, and diving.

The Games will have a 10-sport program in four venues. Athletics and swimming are compulsory while there will also be track cycling, gymnastics, netball, weightlifting, boxing, judo, bowls and 3×3 basketball.

There will also be integrated para events in six of those sports: Athletics, swimming, track cycling, weightlifting, bowls and basketball.

The Games will take place from July 23-Aug. 2 after Glasgow stepped in when the Australian state of Victoria withdrew last year because of rising costs.

It was not easy to decide which sports to include, Commonwealth Games Scotland chairman Ian Reid told the BBC on Tuesday.

“I think everybody recognises that these events need to be more affordable, lighter and we would have loved to have all of our sports and all of our athletes competing but unfortunately it’s just not deliverable or affordable for this time frame,” Reid said.

Athletes and support staff will be housed in hotels. Around 3,000 athletes are expected to compete from up to 74 Commonwealth nations and territories representing a combined total of 2.5 billion people, a third of the world’s entire population.

More than 500,000 tickets made available for spectators.

The Commonwealth Games Federation chief executive Katie Sadleir said: “The 2026 Games will be a bridge to the Commonwealth Games of tomorrow, an exciting first step in our journey to reset and redefine the Games as a truly collaborative, flexible and sustainable model for the future that minimises costs, reduces the environmental footprint, and enhances social impact. In doing so, increasing the scope of countries capable of hosting.”

Glasgow hosted the event in 2014 at a cost of more than 540 million pounds.

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AP sports:

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