Connect with us

Published

on

CHICAGO — Pete Alonso and Jesse Winker hit back-to-back home runs in the first inning and the New York Mets beat the skidding White Sox 5-3 on Saturday night, handing Chicago its 106th loss to tie a franchise record.

The White Sox (31-106) dropped their ninth straight to match their mark, set in 1970, for most defeats in a season. Chicago is 4-35 since the All-Star break and on track to break the modern major league record for most losses — 120 by the expansion 1962 Mets.

According to ESPN Stats & Information, the White Sox’s winning percentage of just .226 also puts them on pace to finish with the worst winning percentage in American League history, which would beat out the 1916 Philadelphia Athletics’ record-low .235 winning percentage.

“A lot of things have been going against us,” White Sox interim manager Grady Sizemore said. “We need that break just to kind of help the morale in that clubhouse.”

The Mets (72-64) won their third straight and moved within two games of Atlanta for the final NL wild card. New York has won eight of 12 to climb eight games over .500 for the first time this season.

Alonso’s two-run drive off Davis Martin was his 30th homer, giving him 30 or more in five of his six major league seasons, all with the Mets. The four-time All-Star finished with 16 in 57 games during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

Alonso, 29, is third on the Mets’ career list with 222 homers.

Winker had three hits for the second straight game and two RBIs. Alonso added a single and scored twice.

Andrew Benintendi had two hits for Chicago, and Gavin Sheets, Miguel Vargas and Corey Julks drove in runs.

Jose Butto, who worked a shaky ninth in place of Mets closer Edwin Diaz, yielded a double by Vargas and singles by Jacob Amaya and Luis Robert Jr. while giving up a run. With two runners aboard, the right-hander retired Benintendi on a comebacker for his third save.

“They are not quitting. They are not folding,” Sizemore said about his team. “But it would be nice to have some of those balls fall, to get some bleeders or something.”

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Continue Reading

Sports

Rich Rod bans Mountaineers from TikTok dancing

Published

on

By

Rich Rod bans Mountaineers from TikTok dancing

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez, like all football coaches, wants his players to show up on time, work hard and play their best.

Oh, and another thing: Don’t dance on TikTok.

“They’re going to be on it, so I’m not banning them from it,” he said Monday. “I’m just banning them from dancing on it. It’s like, look, we try to have a hard edge or whatever, and you’re in there in your tights dancing on TikTok, ain’t quite the image of our program that I want.”

Making TikTok dance videos is a popular activity among high school- and college-age users of the social media platform. Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, Boise State star Ashton Jeanty and Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola are among college football players who have posted dance videos.

Rodriguez is beginning his second stint as Mountaineers coach. He said he has talked to his players about the tendency in society to emphasize the individual rather than the team and that banning TikTok dancing is something he can do to put the focus where he thinks it belongs.

“I’m allowed to do that. I can have rules,” he said. “Twenty years from now, if they want to be sitting in their pajamas in the basement eating Cheetos and watching TikTok or whatever the hell, they can go at it, smoking cannabis, whatever. Knock yourself out.”

As for now, he said: “I hope our focus can be on winning football games. How about let’s win the football game and not worry about winning the TikTok?”

Continue Reading

Sports

Battle, DB star at USC and former Jet, dies at 78

Published

on

By

Battle, DB star at USC and former Jet, dies at 78

LOS ANGELES — Mike Battle, an All-American defensive back and a member of USC‘s 1967 national championship team who later played two seasons for the New York Jets, has died. He was 78.

He died of natural causes on March 6 in Nellysford, Virginia, the school said Tuesday.

In 1967, Battle led a USC defense that allowed only 87 points all season. The Trojans were 26-6-1 and won three conference titles during his three-year career. Battle played in the 1967, 1968 and 1969 Rose Bowl games, all won by the Trojans.

Battle was USC’s annual punt return leader in each of his three seasons and still owns the school record for most punts returned in a season. He was the NCAA statistical champion in 1967, when he had 49 returns for 608 yards, a 12.4-yard average. He also holds the school mark for most punts returned, with 99 during his three years.

He was chosen in the 12th round of the 1969 NFL draft by the Jets and played for two seasons in 1969 and 1970.

Battle appeared in the 1970 film “C.C. and Company,” a biker film starring Jets teammate Joe Namath and actor Ann-Margret.

He is survived by his wife Laura and children Christian Michael, Hunter, Frank, Michael, Kathleen, Murphy and Annie.

Continue Reading

Sports

Stars forward Hintz out a week with facial injury

Published

on

By

Stars forward Hintz out a week with facial injury

Dallas Stars forward Roope Hintz will be sidelined for a week with a facial injury but avoided a fracture.

General manager Jim Nill said Tuesday that Hintz has to keep his heart rate down for 5-7 days to avoid pressure or swelling.

Hintz, 28, was struck in the face by a puck midway through the second period in Saturday’s 5-4 loss at Edmonton. He did not return.

Hintz is tied for second on the Stars in goals (25) and is fourth in points (52) through 59 games this season.

He has 362 points (172 goals, 190 assists) in 451 career games in seven NHL seasons. Dallas drafted him in the second round in 2015.

Continue Reading

Trending