July 31, 2022 8:25 pm
WASHINGTON, PA — On paper, North America Cup winner Pebble Beach and Meadowlands Pace champion Beach Glass looked many lengths better than the rest of the field in Saturday’s $350,000 final of the Delvin Miller Adios Pace for the Orchids at The Meadows. Bythemissal reminded everyone that a premier test for 3-year-old pacers is not contested on paper. The local gelding moved powerfully first over to defeat Beach Glass by 1-1/4 lengths, springing an 8-1 odds upset for driver Chris Page and trainer Ron Burke. Bythemissal had lost only once in his six-race career, but it was that 5-3/4-length pasting by Pebble Beach in last week’s Adios eliminations that sent bettors looking elsewhere. Page indicated that race served as a sort of an introduction to top-level competition for Bythemissal. “Last week was the prep race,” said Page, in only his second Adios. “I was really confident in how he came out of the race and how he finished. Ronnie said he had a great week this week, so I just needed to make sure I kept him out of trouble. I got him in play a little bit but away from the 53.4 half.”
“We wanted to race him a little more aggressively, but it didn’t work out,” Burke said. “But you don’t make the move he made last week to finish second and not be good. You can’t be three deep and make up ground against real good horses. Chris had him double wrapped up at the wire. Chris is never confident, and he was supremely confident with this horse. At the half today, I thought, if Chris can get wheeled up by the three-quarters, it’ll be on. My horse has the will to win. You get him close, he’s gonna get ya.”
It’s the second blanket of orchids for Burke, whose massive stable is based at The Meadows, as he also prevailed with Dorsoduro Hanover–still active and a double millionaire. He also was assistant trainer for his father Mickey when the elder Burke won the Adios with May June Character–the final win of that horse’s career.
ADIOS NOTES: Handle for the 16-race Adios Day card surged to $1,294,602, highest total in recent memory. Bythemissal’s time matched the track record for geldings established by Alsace Hanover.
July 31, 2022 7:51 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Michael Chavis made the right call. He just didn’t make the right throw. Didi Gregorious and the surging Philadelphia Phillies were only too happy to take advantage. Gregorious raced home when Chavis’ attempt to cut down Gregorious at third sailed wide of the target, helping the Phillies edge the sliding Pittsburgh Pirates 2-1 on Saturday night. Philadelphia’s Rhys Hoskins led off the 10th with a sharp grounder to Chavis at first base. Rather than try to beat Hoskins to the bag for an out, Chavis tried to surprise Gregorious he ran from second to third. The throw handcuffed Pittsburgh third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes and rolled into foul territory, allowing the sliding Gregorious to pop up and sprint across the plate to lead the Phillies to their fourth straight win. Chavis put part of the blame on the grip. He essentially threw a two-seam fastball to Hayes, leading it to dip as it neared third. Corey Knebel (3-5) earned the win by working two scoreless innings, his 14th straight scoreless appearance. Knebel began the bottom of the 10th by picking off Pirates rookie Oneil Cruz at second base, then retired the final two batters as Philadelphia matched a season-high by moving seven games over .500 (54-47). The baserunning mistake marked the second in as many nights for Cruz. The 6-foot-7 shortstop was doubled off of first base in a loss on Friday night when he partially crossed second base and then neglected to touch it while returning to first on a fly out by a teammate. J.T. Realmuto had two of Philadelphia’s six hits, including his 10th home run of the season leading off the sixth. Pittsburgh’s Cal Mitchell tied the game in the seventh with his fourth home run, turning on a 99 mph fastball from Jose Alvardo and sending it into the right-field seats. Chavis had two singles for the Pirates, who were limited to four hits. Yerry De Los Santos took the loss (0-3). The Pirates have dropped six consecutive games, all by two runs or less.
July 31, 2022 7:52 am
DETROIT (AP) — Tony Finau and Taylor Pendrith are in a Detroit duel. Finau shot a 7-under 65 on Saturday to match Pendrith at 21-under 195 with a round left in the Rocket Mortgage Classic. The 3M Open winner last week in Minnesota, Finau is trying to become the first to win consecutive regular-season tournaments in three years. Pendrith had third-round lead by three shots last October at the Bermuda Championship before closing with a 76 and finishing a career-high fifth. In March, he was 13th at the Players Championship and came away with a career-best $327,222 payday — and a broken rib. Rookie of the year front-runner Cameron Young (65) was four strokes back. He matched the Detroit Golf Club record with a 63 on Friday.
July 30, 2022 4:09 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Rhys Hoskins drilled a go-ahead two-run homer in the top of the 10th to lift the Philadelphia Phillies past the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-2. Hoskins finished off a four-hit night by taking the third pitch he saw from Duane Underwood Jr. (0-3) and sending it to the grassy area beyond the center field wall for his 20th home run of the season. The Phillies have won three straight. Nick Castellanos, Alec Bohm and Matt Vierling had two hits apiece for Philadelphia. Ke’Bryan Hayes hit his fifth home run of the season. Pittsburgh has dropped five consecutive games.
July 30, 2022 4:04 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates have signed top pick Termarr Johnson. Pittsburgh used a $7,219,000 bonus to lock down the 18-year-old infielder, going a little over slot value to make sure they inked what they consider the best hitter in the draft. Johnson hit .417 during his senior year at Mays High in Georgia and spent a few minutes smashing balls over the wall at PNC Park shortly after signing. Johnson says if he had his way he’d be in the majors as soon as possible but is confident the Pirates have the right plan in place to make sure he’s ready down the line.
July 30, 2022 4:06 am
SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Mariners have acquired perhaps the top starting pitcher on the trade market, getting All-Star Luis Castillo from the payroll-paring Cincinnati Reds for four minor league prospects. Cincinnati obtained infielders Noelvi Marte and Edwin Arroyo, and right-handers Levi Stoudt and Andrew Moore. Marte was the Mariners’ top-rated prospect, Arroyo was third and Stoudt fifth. Seattle has not been to the playoffs since 2001, the longest postseason drought in the four major North American pro sports.
July 29, 2022 3:51 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Kyle Schwarber hit his NL-leading 32nd home run and Zack Wheeler pitched seven strong innings as the Philadelphia Phillies built a large lead and then held on for an 8-7 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Schwarber’s three-run blast to right-center field off Zach Thompson in the sixth inning gave the Phillies a 7-0 lead. In the seventh, rookie Cal Mitchell ended Wheeler’s shutout bid with a two-run homer. The Pirates scored five times in the ninth inning. Tyler Heineman doubled in two runs and Kevin Newman followed with a two-run triple off Jeurys Familia. Seranthony Dominguez closed it out for his sixth save as Philadelphia won for the third time in four games.
July 29, 2022 3:52 am
NEW YORK (AP) – The first-place New York Mets have acquired outfielder Tyler Naquin and left-handed reliever Phillip Diehl from the Cincinnati Reds in a trade for two teenage minor leaguers. Cincinnati receives 18-year-old outfielder Hector Rodriguez and right-hander Jose Acuna. Naquin, a first-round draft pick 10 years ago, was batting .246 with seven homers and 33 RBIs in 56 games for the Reds, who are last in the NL Central. He homered and drove in two runs Thursday in a 7-6 loss to Miami. As the NL East leaders look to add offense, he provides another left-handed bat and depth in the outfield.
July 29, 2022 3:54 am
Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder testified for more than 10 hours Thursday before a congressional committee investigating the NFL team’s history of workplace misconduct. Snyder gave a deposition to the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform conducted virtually and in private. Snyder is in Israel and agreed to testify voluntarily rather than under the terms of a subpoena. The committee has the discretion to decide what, if any, information it releases from Snyder’s deposition. A transcript is expected to be available rather than any type of video.
July 28, 2022 3:43 am
BEREA, Ohio (AP) – Cleveland quarterback Deshaun Watson practiced on Day 1 of training camp as the Browns began preparing for the upcoming season still not knowing if he will be suspended by the NFL for violating its personal conduct policy. Watson has been accused by more than two dozen massage therapists in Texas of sexual misconduct. The three-time Pro Bowler faces possible punishment from league disciplinary officer Sue L. Robinson. The retired judge who was jointly appointed by the league and NFL Players Association to handle player penalties has been weighing his case for weeks. There had been an expectation that Robinson would render her decision before camp. That didn’t happen.
