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Saints’ Funderburk working his way onto Twins’ radar

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:40:18 GMT

Due to COVID, 2020 will always be known as minor-league baseball’s lost season. But Saints left-handed reliever Cody Funderburk will remember it as the year he found himself as a pitcher.Three years later, a 25-pound weight loss, a commitment to fitness and two new effective pitches have pushed the former 15th-round draft pick very much into the Twins’ plans.“He’s an under-the-radar guy who is getting more on the radar this year,” Saints pitching coach Pete Larson said prior to the Saints’ 4-2 win over the Durham Bulls on Saturday at CHS Field.The 6-foot-4 Funderburk was a 250-pound power-hitting first baseman/pitcher at Dallas Baptist University when the Twins drafted him in 2018 as a pitcher. He had a lackluster 2019 season at Cedar Rapids (1-3, 4.68 ERA) before word came that the 2020 minor-league season would be canceled.“I was really nervous about the whole year because no one really knew what was going on,” the 26-year-old Funderburk said. “I knew that it was a year where I co...

Twins blow six-run lead but hold on to beat A’s, 10-7

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:40:18 GMT

OAKLAND, Calif. — A funny thing happened on the way to an easy Twins victory on Saturday. But only because, for the Twins anyway — well, all’s well that ends well.Minnesota blew a third-inning, 6-0 lead to an A’s team that started the game with the worst record in baseball, but Kyle Farmer saved the day with a solo home run in the seventh inning off rookie right-hander Freddy Tarnok as the Twins held on for a 9-7 victory at Oakland Coliseum.Farmer was 3 for 5 with a single, two-run double and solo home run, and Byron Buxton drew a two-out, bases-loaded walk off Tarnok (0-1) for an insurance run in the eighth inning as the Twins moved back over .500 and to two games above second-place Cleveland in the American League Central.Jovani Moran (2-2), Griffin Jax and Oliver Ortega combined to throw three scoreless innings, a Jhoan Duran pitched a 1-2-3 ninth, striking out two, for his 14th save.Willi Castro stole home on a fifth-inning double steal to become the first Twins player to steal ...

Southern California couple charged nearly $30,000 for Uber ride on vacation

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:40:18 GMT

It was supposed to be a romantic vacation of a lifetime to renew their vows, but one Riverside couple was left trapped in a real-life nightmare.Douglas Ordonez and Dominique Adams were excited to celebrate their five-year wedding anniversary in Guatemala, but an Uber charge for nearly $30,000 left them without money while they were in a foreign country. “We’ve been planning it for like a year now,” Ordonez said of the special trip.“We were both really looking forward to the trip,” Adams said.It all started when Adams was in Costa Rica and took an Uber to the airport so she could fly to Guatemala to meet her husband."I took an Uber, everything was fine,” Adams recalled. “It was like a 30-minute ride. I didn't think twice about it.”As soon as she arrived at the Costa Rice airport, her husband called her saying his card got declined while he was trying to purchase a cup of coffee.It turns out, that 30-minute ride ended up costing nearly $30,000.“I sat down and looked at what the heck w...

Oakland A’s mash Twins All-Star, but pitching woes lead to sixth straight loss

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:40:18 GMT

OAKLAND – Oakland could not take advantage of a poor outing by Minnesota’s All-Star pitcher Pablo Lopez as the Twins defeated the A’s 10-7 on Saturday afternoon. Oakland (25-69) pounded an ace that entered the game with a 3.89 ERA. Seth Brown and Ryan Noda, perhaps assisted by the warm air brought into the Bay Area by a heat wave, hit their ninth and 10th home runs of the season. Top prospect Tyler Soderstrom got the at catcher for the A’s and collected the first hits of his career during a 2-4 day at the plate. Fellow rookie Zack Gelof hit a triple and scored two runs.Lopez (5-5) finished the day with a final stat line of a season-high seven earned runs allowed off eight hits and three walks with seven strikeouts. Jovani Moran (2-2) earned the win and Oakland’s Freddy Tarnok (0-1) was saddled with a loss. Minnesota (47-46) scored two runs in each of the first three innings to jump out to a 6-0 lead. Carlos Correa had an RBI single and Michael Taylor hit his 11th h...

SF Giants scratch out two runs in eighth to beat Pirates

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:40:18 GMT

Flailing away offensively into the eighth inning, the Giants broke up a pitcher’s duel courtesy of Michael Conforto and beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-1 Saturday at PNC Park.The game was a 1-1 tie going into the eighth, with the lone runs coming on solo home runs by the Giants Mike Yasztrzemski, his 11th, in the top of the second inning, and the Pirates’ Henry Davis, his second, in the bottom of the second.It was the second straight win on a crucial 11-game road trip and improved the Giants’ record to 51-41 and 40-25 since May 1, with only the Atlanta Braves having a better record since the close of April.Pittsburgh, which was as good early on as the Giants were bad, fell to 41-51. The Pirates started the season 20-8 but have since had a record of 21-43 and are 41-51.The Giants scored twice in the eighth against relievers Carmon Mlodzinski and All-Star closer David Bednar for a 3-1 lead, with Conforto reaching Bednar for a run-scoring single and Joc Pederson racing home w...

NHRA Mile-High Nationals Pairings

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:40:18 GMT

SaturdayAt Bandimere SpeedwayMorrison, Colo.Sunday’s PairingsTop Fuel1. Brittany Force, 3.724 seconds, 337.33 mph vs. 16. Rob Passey, 4.426, 245.49; 2. Doug Kalitta, 3.779, 322.42 vs. 15. Terry Totten, 4.254, 258.37; 3.Antron Brown, 3.783, 327.90 vs. 14. Buddy Hull, 3.977, 285.29; 4. Mike Salinas, 3.791, 322.34 vs. 13. Austin Prock, 3.952, 311.56; 5. Clay Millican,3.793, 314.90 vs. 12. Tony Schumacher, 3.897, 307.93; 6. Steve Torrence, 3.800, 324.59 vs. 11. Justin Ashley, 3.883, 313.95; 7. Leah Pruett, 3.812,323.89 vs. 10. Josh Hart, 3.848, 319.60; 8. Greg Carrillo, 3.832, 324.75 vs. 9. Shawn Langdon, 3.837, 317.87.Funny Car1. Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.895, 324.59 vs. 14. Chris King, Charger, 4.608, 270.32; 2. John Force, Chevy Camaro, 3.920, 323.74 vs. 13. StevenDensham, Ford Mustang, 4.352, 215.00; 3. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 3.943, 315.12 vs. 12. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 4.207, 283.91; 4. Robert Hight, Camaro,3.944, 311.56 vs. 11. Alex Laughlin, Charger, 4.206, 287.05; 5. ...

Harper ends home run drought, Phillies sweep doubleheader from Padres 6-4 and 9-4

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:40:18 GMT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bryce Harper ended the longest homerless streak of his major league career in the second game, and the Philadelphia Phillies swept a doubleheader from the San Diego Padres 6-4 and 9-4 on Saturday.Harper connected on a curveball from left-hander Ryan Weathers (1-6), tying the score 1-1 in the fourth inning. The ball was caught barehanded in the Philadelphia bullpen in center field by closer Craig Kimbrel.It was the fourth homer of the season for Harper, who made his season debut May 2 after recovering from Tommy John surgery. The home run was Harper’s first since May 25 at Atlanta against Dylan Dodd. He had gone 166 plate appearances without going deep.After San Diego took a 2-1 lead in the fifth, Kyle Schwarber put Philadelphia in front for good with a three-run homer in the bottom half. Schwarber hit a tying home run in the seventh inning of the opener, a 440-foot drive, and drove in the go-ahead run with a single in the eighth off Tim Hill (1-3).Johan Rojas had...

WNBA All-Star Game MVPs

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:40:18 GMT

2023 — Jewell Loyd, Seattle2022 — Kelsey Plum, Las Vegas2021 — Arike Ogunbowale, Dallas2020 — Canceled2019 — Erica Wheeler, Indiana2018 — Maya Moore, Minnesota2017 — Maya Moore, Minnesota2016 — None2015 — Maya Moore, Minnesota2014 — Shoni Schimmel, Atlanta2013 — Candace Parker, Los Angeles2012 — None2011 — Swin Cash, Seattle2010 — None2009 — Swin Cash, Seattle2008 — None2007 — Cheryl Ford, Detroit2006 — Katie Douglas, Connecticut2005 — Sheryl Swoopes, Houston2004 — None2003 — Nikki Teasley, Los Angeles2002 — Lisa Leslie, Los Angeles2001 — Lisa Leslie, Los Angeles2000 — Tina Thompson, Houston1999 — Lisa Leslie, Los AngelesSource

Brittney Griner makes emotional and dominant return to the WNBA All-Star Game

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:40:18 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Brittney Griner made an emphatic and emotional return to the WNBA’s mid-season showcase event.She scored her team’s first six points, put down two dunks and finished with 18 points in the league’s All-Star Game on Saturday night.The sellout crowd roared when Griner was introduced, and clearly moved by the ovation, she tapped her heart with her right hand. There was no doubt, a year after forcefully being absent from this event, that Griner was the star of the show.Oh, and Team Stewart, captained by the New York Liberty’s Breanna Stewart, won 143-127 over Team Wilson, led by the Aces’ A’ja Wilson.Team Stewart’s Jewell Loyd of the Seattle Storm broke the All-Star Game scoring record with 31 points, setting the mark on a pass from Griner. Maya Moore and Kelsey Plum each had the previous record with 30 points. Loyd earned MVP honors for the game.Plum actually tied her own record with 30 points, one of four Aces competing for Team Wilson, wh...

Farmer leads Twins offense in 10-7 win over Athletics

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:40:18 GMT

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Kyle Farmer had three hits including a go-ahead home run in the seventh inning, and the Minnesota Twins held off the Oakland Athletics 10-7 on Saturday night.Michael A. Taylor hit his 11th home run for the Twins and made a catch at the wall in center field to rob pinch-hitter Brent Rooker of extra bases in the sixth.Ryan Jeffers walked twice, scored three runs and drove in one for Minnesota, which has won two straight after losing three consecutive games before the All-Star break. Minnesota (47-46) leads the Central Division, the only team in the division with a winning record.Ryan Noda and Seth Brown homered for Oakland. The last-place A’s (25-69) have lost six straight and are on pace for 119 losses, which would be the most in baseball since the 2003 Detroit Tigers finished 43-119.The game drew a crowd of 10,534, the 26th time in 45 games at the Coliseum this season that the attendance has been below 11,000.Farmer had an RBI double in the first and singled l...