Super spike: Chiefs’ Kelce bounces first pitch before opener

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:37:16 GMT

Super spike: Chiefs’ Kelce bounces first pitch before opener CLEVELAND (AP) — Travis Kelce showed why he’s best known for catching passes from Patrick Mahomes.Kansas City’s star tight end threw a comically wild ceremonial first pitch Friday before the Guardians’ season opener against the Seattle Mariners.After unbuttoning his jersey to unveil an “I’m From Cleveland” T-shirt, Kelce wound up and then bounced his pitch halfway to the plate. Guardians pitcher Shane Bieber jumped out of the way to avoid injury as the ball rolled to the backstop.Kelce ran down from the mound as if he was about to cover home plate and hugged Bieber to make sure he was OK.Guardians manager Terry Francona was asked if he had any trepidation about putting his ace in such a precarious position.“There would be the next time,” Francona said. “I’m glad he didn’t tackle him.”Kelce joked that his baseball skills were a little rusty.“Been spiking a football for the past 10 years,” Kelce wrote on Twitter. “Can you tell?”Kelce immediately joined the pant...

‘I would rather rot in hell:’ Utah man who fatally shot his wife, 5 kids detailed anger toward her in suicide note

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:37:16 GMT

‘I would rather rot in hell:’ Utah man who fatally shot his wife, 5 kids detailed anger toward her in suicide note SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — ‘I would rather rot in hell:’ Utah man who fatally shot his wife, 5 kids detailed anger toward her in suicide note.Source

Rodríguez homers as Mariners wreck Guardians’ home opener

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:37:16 GMT

Rodríguez homers as Mariners wreck Guardians’ home opener CLEVELAND (AP) — Julio Rodríguez lifted weights following Friday’s game. He flexed during it.The 2022 AL Rookie of the Year hit a tiebreaking two-run homer into the teeth of a strong wind as the Seattle Mariners spoiled Cleveland’s home opener, rallying for a 5-3 win over the Guardians.Rodríguez connected in the sixth inning for the Mariners, who rallied from a 3-0 deficit in their first road game. The 22-year-old Rodríguez hit 28 homers last season while helping Seattle end its 20-year playoff drought.It was just another big moment for Rodríguez, who has been stacking them in two seasons.“I don’t think any expectations are unrealistic on Julio,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “He’s a unique player. He likes to play. Yeah, he may have a bad at-bat here or there, but he squares it up with that kind of power and the wind’s blowing, he can hit it out of the ballpark.”J.P. Crawford hit a pair of RBI doubles off Aaron Civale (1-1) for Seattle, which dropped three of fou...

Dozens of vehicles damaged in fire in Attleboro tow lot 

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:37:16 GMT

Dozens of vehicles damaged in fire in Attleboro tow lot  Dozens of vehicles were damaged Friday as a fire burned through a towing facility on the Massachusetts/Rhode Island state line in Attleboro.Officials said the first call reporting the fire came in shortly after 5 p.m. Friday afternoon. Firefighters from Attleboro and Pawtucket, Rhode Island responded. Flames ultimately burned through nearly 50 vehicles. Roughly 75 vehicles parked in the back of Sterry Street Towing and Auto Transport’s facility were damaged. “It wasn’t easy to get back and forth between Pawtucket and Attleboro,” Pawtucket Fire Chief David Cairrao said, noting fences, hills and cars blocking the way in the area. “The companies did an amazing job keeping it from getting into the individual homes,” Cairrao said. SKY7-HD was over the scene Friday, showing burned out vehicles and debris. Speaking later Friday evening, Cairrao said the amount of plastic in the cars involved in this fire, as well as the vehicles’ tires, created “an incredible amoun...

NBA play-in tournament: Chicago Bulls head to Toronto to play the Raptors on Wednesday

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:37:16 GMT

NBA play-in tournament: Chicago Bulls head to Toronto to play the Raptors on Wednesday The Chicago Bulls will face the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday in the NBA play-in tournament.The Raptors lost to the Boston Celtics on Friday to settle for the No. 9 seed in the Eastern Conference.The Bulls clinched their play-in position earlier this week, with losses to the Hawks and the Milwaukee Bucks preventing them from climbing above the 10 seed.If the Bulls win Wednesday, they would have a road game Friday against the loser of the play-in game between the No. 7 seed Miami Heat and No. 8 Atlanta Hawks. Winning both would give the Bulls the No. 8 seed in the East, and they would face the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the NBA playoffs.The Bulls went 1-2 against Raptors this season, winning the Nov. 7 meeting. The Raptors won the last matchup 104-98 on Feb. 28 after the Bulls collapsed in the fourth quarter, allowing an eight-point swing down the stretch.The play-in game will be a homecoming for Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan, who spent the first nine seasons of hi...

Shorthanded Celtics handle Raptors again, will face Heat or Hawks in first round of playoffs

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:37:16 GMT

Shorthanded Celtics handle Raptors again, will face Heat or Hawks in first round of playoffs As they finish out the regular season this weekend, the Celtics have nothing to play for in the standings. They’re locked in to the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.But they still don’t want to lose.“Regardless of who’s playing, I want to win,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said before Friday’s game against the Raptors.A few inexcusable losses to inferior teams cost the Celtics the No. 1 seed, but Mazzulla has otherwise praised the Celtics’ professionalism throughout the season. No matter who’s on the floor – even Friday’s shorthanded edition – he feels like the Celtics always have a great chance to win, a testament to their depth. Even as they do their best to give their regulars proper rest before the most important games, the Celtics are deep enough to win every night.Friday was the latest example. Without Marcus Smart, Malcolm Brogdon, and at the last moment, Jaylen Brown, the Celtics weren’t the least bit worried. They still had Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, Al Horford, R...

Winderman’s view: Zeller is Heat’s X factor in Y-Z race against Yurtseven

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:37:16 GMT

Winderman’s view: Zeller is Heat’s X factor in Y-Z race against Yurtseven Observations and other notes of interest from Friday night’s 114-108 loss to the Washington Wizards:– No, not a game with much in the way of meaning or context.– Not with Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Kyle Lowry and Kevin Love given the night off.– But it did clarify one element that likely did not need much in the way of clarifying:– If the Heat need to go three deep in their power rotation in the playoffs beyond Adebayo and Love, it will be Cody Zeller.– It was Zeller who kept the Heat afloat early.– While it was Omer Yurtseven who again was hampered by early foul trouble.– Zeller’s experiences matters.– He is quality insurance.– Yurtseven figures to see mop-up postseason duty, at best.– As was the case at the end Friday.– And then it will get interesting.– With both to be free agents in the offseason.– So the potential of 24-year-old Yurtseven or the known quantity of 30-year-old Z...

Heat rest regulars, fall 114-108 to Wizards to lock in Tuesday home play-in game

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:37:16 GMT

Heat rest regulars, fall 114-108 to Wizards to lock in Tuesday home play-in game There wasn’t much to be learned from this game for the Miami Heat, with Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Kyle Lowry and Kevin Love given the night off.Except for what comes next.With Friday night’s 114-108 loss to the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena, the Heat were locked into a seventh-place finish in the Eastern Conference, regardless of the result of Sunday’s home finale against the Orlando Magic. That means a Tuesday night home play-in game at the Kaseya Center, the new name for their arena.Win that, and it’s on to the playoffs. Lose, and there is a second-chance all-or-nothing home game next Friday night.Virtually eliminated from any chance of moving up in the standings in light of the Brooklyn Nets’ tiebreaker for the No. 6 seed in the East, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra opted for prudence with his leading men, who assuredly also will sit out Sunday’s regular-season finale against the visiting Orlando Magic.Against that backdrop, t...

Chicago White Sox pitching gets pummeled again in a 13-9 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates: ‘It’s just one of those stretches’

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:37:16 GMT

Chicago White Sox pitching gets pummeled again in a 13-9 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates: ‘It’s just one of those stretches’ Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. thought he had drawn a walk.But Pittsburgh Pirates starter Rich Hill got a called strike, running the count full in a fifth-inning matchup. Robert drove the next pitch just over the right-field wall for his second two-run homer of the game Friday.The Sox had plenty of offense, but a rough week continued for the pitching staff in a wild 13-9 loss in front of a sellout crowd of 39,167 at PNC Park.Bryan Reynolds came within a double of the cycle while driving in six to lead the Pirates in their home opener. It’s the third time in four games the Sox have allowed at least 12 runs.“I don’t have concern with the pitching, I really don’t,” Sox manager Pedro Grifol said. “These guys have done it before, they’ve done it for a while now. It’s just one of those stretches.“Obviously there are adjustments to be made. They’re working on it. But concerns? I don’t.”The Sox (3-5) l...

Home showcase: Updated Colonial in Newton

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:37:16 GMT

Home showcase: Updated Colonial in Newton Sited along the cutest circular cul-de–sac in Newton, 8 Bunny Circle is a completely transformed 10-room Colonial. After receiving a major facelift and expansion in 2022, the home’s inviting footprint features a whopping 3,099 square feet across three floors, as well as gently sloping outdoor living space.A cheerful, covered front door lands you in the semi-open dining, kitchen, and living room space on the first floor. It’s an ideal compromise between an open floor plan and closed-off rooms with the just-right flow for gathering and conversation. The dining area enjoys a mantled gas fireplace and opens to the newer kitchen. Here, an eat-in island with a granite countertop and cherry cabinets frame the space which opens to a deck overlooking the backyard. Trendy barn doors and walls of windows surround the living room where you’ll find another fireplace.Setting 8 Bunny Circle apart is a first-floor guest suite with private access and its own kitchenette and bath. Three bedrooms and ...