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St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds play in game 2 of series

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:30:39 GMT

St. Louis Cardinals (62-79, fifth in the NL Central) vs. Cincinnati Reds (73-70, third in the NL Central)Cincinnati; Saturday, 6:40 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Cardinals: Zack Thompson (4-5, 3.91 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 53 strikeouts); Reds: Carson Spiers (0-0, 6.75 ERA, 1.75 WHIP, seven strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Cardinals -134, Reds +113; over/under is 10 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The St. Louis Cardinals lead 1-0 in a three-game series with the Cincinnati Reds.Cincinnati has gone 35-38 in home games and 73-70 overall. The Reds are eighth in the NL with 165 total home runs, averaging 1.2 per game.St. Louis has a 31-39 record in road games and a 62-79 record overall. Cardinals hitters have a collective .429 slugging percentage to rank fourth in the NL.The teams match up Saturday for the ninth time this season. The season series is tied 4-4.TOP PERFORMERS: TJ Friedl leads the Reds with a .268 batting average, and has 20 doubles, six triples, 12 home runs, 35 walks and 51 RBI. Christi...

Marlins try to extend road win streak in matchup with the Phillies

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:30:39 GMT

Miami Marlins (73-68, third in the NL East) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (77-63, second in the NL East)Philadelphia; Saturday, 6:05 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Marlins: Johnny Cueto (1-3, 5.54 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 30 strikeouts); Phillies: Aaron Nola (12-9, 4.55 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 179 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Phillies -188, Marlins +158; over/under is 9 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Miami Marlins will try to keep a five-game road win streak going when they take on the Philadelphia Phillies.Philadelphia has a 77-63 record overall and a 41-27 record in home games. The Phillies have the fourth-ranked team ERA in the NL at 4.01.Miami has a 33-36 record on the road and a 73-68 record overall. The Marlins have gone 29-12 in games decided by one run.The teams play Saturday for the 12th time this season. The Marlins are ahead 6-5 in the season series.TOP PERFORMERS: Kyle Schwarber has 16 doubles, a triple, 41 home runs and 90 RBI for the Phillies. Trea Turner is 18-for-42 with two doubles, a tri...

New speed humps coming to roads near 3 Arlington schools aim to combat speeding

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:30:39 GMT

Speed humps will be installed this fall near three Arlington, Virginia, schools where county officials say a lower speed limit in school zones hasn’t deterred drivers from speeding.The speed humps will be installed on South Lang Street near Gunston Middle School, South Queen Street near Hoffman Boston Elementary School and 19th Street North near Cardinal Elementary School.The measure is part of a pilot program, according to Dan Nabors, the county’s transportation, engineering and operations manager.ARLNow first reported details of the program.In an effort to make streets near schools safer, Arlington started lowering school zone speed limits last year. It introduced school slow zones, which have permanent 20 mph speed limits on neighborhood streets within 600 feet of a “key” school access point.The 20 mph zones were adopted around 13 schools last year, and will be used near 14 schools this year and 19 more next year. Previously, school zone speed limits were ...

Braves face the Pirates leading series 1-0

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:30:39 GMT

Pittsburgh Pirates (65-76, fourth in the NL Central) vs. Atlanta Braves (92-48, first in the NL East)Atlanta; Saturday, 7:20 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Pirates: Johan Oviedo (8-14, 4.27 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 136 strikeouts); Braves: Dylan Dodd (0-0)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Braves -232, Pirates +189; over/under is 10 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Atlanta Braves lead 1-0 in a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.Atlanta has a 46-24 record at home and a 92-48 record overall. The Braves have hit 272 total home runs to lead MLB.Pittsburgh has a 65-76 record overall and a 31-39 record on the road. The Pirates have gone 46-21 in games when they record eight or more hits.Saturday’s game is the sixth time these teams match up this season. The Braves have a 3-2 advantage in the season series.TOP PERFORMERS: Matt Olson leads Atlanta with 47 home runs while slugging .599. Ronald Acuna Jr. is 15-for-46 with six home runs and 11 RBI over the last 10 games.Bryan Reynolds has 19 home runs, ...

San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies play in game 2 of series

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:30:39 GMT

Colorado Rockies (51-89, fifth in the NL West) vs. San Francisco Giants (71-70, third in the NL West)San Francisco; Saturday, 9:05 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Rockies: Chase Anderson (0-4, 5.98 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 47 strikeouts); Giants: Logan Webb (9-12, 3.66 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 173 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Giants -253, Rockies +206; over/under is 8 runsBOTTOM LINE: The San Francisco Giants play the Colorado Rockies, leading the series 1-0.San Francisco is 39-31 at home and 71-70 overall. The Giants have a 42-13 record in games when they scored five or more runs.Colorado has a 51-89 record overall and a 22-51 record in road games. The Rockies have a 23-11 record in games when they did not allow a home run.Saturday’s game is the eighth time these teams square off this season. The Giants are ahead 6-1 in the season series.TOP PERFORMERS: Wilmer Flores has 22 doubles and 22 home runs for the Giants. Thairo Estrada is 11-for-40 with two doubles over the past 10 games.Elias...

Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Nationals play in game 2 of series

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:30:39 GMT

Los Angeles Dodgers (86-54, first in the NL West) vs. Washington Nationals (63-78, fifth in the NL East)Washington; Saturday, 4:05 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Dodgers: Bobby Miller (9-3, 3.80 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 84 strikeouts); Nationals: Jake Irvin (3-5, 4.43 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 88 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Dodgers -217, Nationals +179; over/under is 9 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Los Angeles Dodgers face the Washington Nationals with a 1-0 series lead.Washington has a 63-78 record overall and a 30-42 record in home games. The Nationals have the fifth-ranked team batting average in the NL at .256.Los Angeles is 39-30 on the road and 86-54 overall. The Dodgers have gone 69-18 in games when they scored at least five runs.The matchup Saturday is the fifth time these teams square off this season. The Dodgers have a 3-1 advantage in the season series.TOP PERFORMERS: Lane Thomas has 32 doubles, three triples and 23 home runs for the Nationals. Jacob Young is 11-for-34 with five doubles...

Diamondbacks bring 3-game win streak into game against the Cubs

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:30:39 GMT

Arizona Diamondbacks (74-68, second in the NL West) vs. Chicago Cubs (76-66, second in the NL Central)Chicago; Saturday, 2:20 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Diamondbacks: Merrill Kelly (11-6, 3.34 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 159 strikeouts); Cubs: Justin Steele (16-3, 2.90 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 153 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Cubs -141, Diamondbacks +120; over/under is 7 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Arizona Diamondbacks are looking to build upon a three-game win streak with a victory over the Chicago Cubs.Chicago has a 40-33 record in home games and a 76-66 record overall. Cubs hitters have a collective .328 on-base percentage, the ninth-best percentage in MLB play.Arizona has a 36-33 record in road games and a 74-68 record overall. The Diamondbacks have the fifth-ranked team slugging percentage in the NL at .418.The matchup Saturday is the third time these teams meet this season.TOP PERFORMERS: Cody Bellinger ranks third on the Cubs with 49 extra base hits (24 doubles, a triple and 24 home runs). S...

With sexism in Spanish soccer being scrutinized, female players strike for higher league wages

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:30:39 GMT

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — First, Spain’s Women’s World Cup winners said they would no longer play for their country as they fight sexism in the nation’s soccer federation. Now, Spain’s women’s league players are on strike and calling for what they call a dignified minimum wage.The Liga F — Spain’s women’s league — was supposed to kick off its second season on Friday, but instead its players are striking for the first two rounds of games.The strike comes with the nation immersed in the scandal caused by soccer federation president Luis Rubiales when he kissed a Spain player on the lips without her consent during the Aug. 20 awards ceremony in Sydney, Australia after Spain had beaten England in the final.Rubiales’ conduct caused outrage in Spain. It also has drawn attention away from the greatest achievement in the history of Spanish women’s soccer, which has undergone spectacular growth over the last decade but still is fighting for a pay raise that, if granted, would...

Putin hopes for closer ties with North Korea in message to Kim Jong Un

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:30:39 GMT

Russian President Vladimir Putin is calling for Russia and North Korea to intensify their ties amid rumors that he could meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the coming days.“I am convinced that thanks to our joint efforts we will continue to strengthen … bilateral ties on all fronts,” Putin said in a letter addressed to Kim on Friday, quoted by AFP and North-Korean media. The message came as North Korea celebrated the 75th anniversary of its foundation with a parade in Pyongyang which was reportedly attended by Russian and Chinese representatives.A U.S. official earlier this week said that Kim may travel to Russia to meet Putin by the end of September as Russia is looking for military equipment for its invasion of Ukraine. The North Korean leader might travel for 20 hours in a luxury armored train. U.S. intelligence gatherings have indicated that Russia and North Korea are in talks on arms supplies, with Russian officials repeatedly visiting North Kor...

Powerful quake in Morocco kills more than 800 people and damages historic buildings in Marrakech

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:30:39 GMT

MARRAKECH, Morocco (AP) — A rare, powerful earthquake struck Morocco late Friday night, killing more than 800 people and damaging buildings from villages in the Atlas Mountains to the historic city of Marrakech. The toll was expected to rise as rescuers struggled to reach the remote areas hit hardest.People woken by the quake ran into the streets in terror and disbelief. State television showed people clustered in the streets of Marrakech late at night, afraid to go back inside buildings that might still be unstable. A man said he was visiting a nearby apartment when dishes and wall hangings began raining down, and people were knocked off their feet and chairs. A woman described fleeing her house after an “intense vibration.’’ A man holding a child said he was jarred awake in bed by the shaking. Emergency workers looked for survivors in the rubble of buildings, their reflective yellow vests glowing in the dark. A hole gaped in the side of a home, and a car was nearly buried by the c...