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SPORTS Saturday, June 6, 2015 East Oregonian Page 3B Belmont Stakes Distance, rivals challenge American Pharoah’s Triple try chance for American Pharoah to make history and goose the strug- gling sport or become just another NEW YORK — All that miss. “There’s a lot of anxiety,” said separates American Pharoah from ending the longest drought in horse Bob Baffert, the only trainer to lose racing history — 37 years without the Belmont three times with horses a Triple Crown winner — is 1 1/2 WKDW KDG ZRQ WKH ¿UVW WZR OHJV ³, miles and seven rivals determined don’t even think about the history.” American Pharoah and seven to make him earn a victory in the rivals will run the longest race of Belmont Stakes. Twelve horses before him WKHLU OLYHV 6DWXUGD\ ,I WKHUH¶V UDLQ in the forecast, have tried to give the edge complete the to American sweep of the Pharoah, who Kentucky romped to a D e r b y , seven-length Preakness and win in the Belmont and Preakness failed since after a massive 1978. Now downpour it’s American occurred as Pharoah’s turn the horses Saturday. were going The bay to the starting colt with the gate. unusually The colt’s grand-sire, Empire short tail appears to have come through the Derby and Preakness Maker, won the 2003 Belmont, with energy to spare, and he’ll need spoiling Funny Cide’s Triple Crown it in the longest and most grueling bid. This time, the competition of the three-race series. American Pharoah galloped seems committed to sticking closer around the big Belmont oval to American Pharoah, whose Thursday before visiting the preferred running style is at the paddock where he will be saddled front, although he’s shown he on race day. He will take to the track can sit off the early pace and win. DJDLQ)ULGD\IRUKLV¿QDOWXQHXS+H How many of the horses press the early pace will determine who has is the heavy 3-5 early favorite. %HIRUH $I¿UPHG VZHSW WKH enough gas left for the 1,097-yard 1978 Kentucky Derby, Preakness run down the stretch. ³, ZDQW KLP WR EUHDN FOHDQO\ and Belmont, 25 years had passed between Triple Crown winners and freely,” Baffert said, “and Citation in 1948 and Secretariat have Victor put him in the mode in 1973. Now it’s 37 years, with a ZKHUH KH¶V FRPIRUWDEOH ,¶P VXUH By BETH HARRIS AP Racing Writer AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File In this May 15 file photo, jockey Victor Espinoza, celebrates aboard American Pharoah, after winning the 140th Preakness Stakes horse race at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. American Pharoah will try for the Triple Crown when he runs in Saturday’s 147th running of the Belmont Stakes. they’re all going to be pretty close together.” Just as horses aren’t used to running 1 1/2 miles, jockeys aren’t used to riding races that long, either. The Belmont has undone some who have moved too soon and burned out their horses. Others have moved too late and let the leaders get away. The track’s deep, sandy surface can prove tiring to run on, the turns are sweeping, and the poles used by jockeys to judge their location are placed differently than at the mile tracks where most of them ride. American Pharoah’s Califor- nia-based jockey, Victor Espinoza, has experience in the Belmont, having lost two other Triple tries, with California Chrome last year and War Emblem in 2002. Women’s Soccer Host Canada opens Women’s World Cup against China Group D opens with a match between the United States and Australia in Winnipeg on Monday, EDMONTON, Alberta — but probably the most anticipated Canada coach John Herdman match of the group stage is the pretty much summed up the showdown between the U.S. and prevailing sentiment when he was 6ZHGHQQH[W)ULGD\,WSLWV6XQG- asked what he was looking forward hage against former assistant Jill to most about the Women’s World Ellis, who took over the U.S. team last spring. Cup. The players, many of whom “Winning,” Herdman said. played for Sundhage, were Join the crowd, coach. Canada, ranked No. 8 in the keeping perspective on the match. ³,W¶V MXVW DQRWKHU JDPH IRU world, opens women’s soccer’s premier tournament with a group- us, it’s just another in the group stage match against No. 16 China round,” said U.S. defender Meghan on Saturday in Edmonton, one of Klingenberg. “We’re not looking the six Canadian cities hosting the at is as the ‘Group of Death’ or PRQWKORQJHYHQW7KH¿QDOLV-XO\ the easiest group, or whatever it is. 5 in Vancouver, British Columbia. We’re just looking at it as a game Twenty-four teams are we have to win because we want competing this year, up from to be on the podium at the end of 16 that took part in the 2011 this tournament.” Some things to watch as the tournament in Germany. Japan won that one on penalty kicks tournament gets underway: THE SHOW MUST GO ON: LQ D PHPRUDEOH ¿QDO DJDLQVW WKH The women’s game and the World United States. The Americans, ranked No. 2, Cup have not really been touched are among the favorites, along with all that much by the scandal top-ranked Germany and third- URFNLQJ),)$WKHVSRUW¶VLQWHUQD- ranked France. The U.S. women tional governing body. The only telltale sign of its are in Group D, the so-called “Group of Death” that includes LPSDFWFDPHZKHQ),)$6HFUHWDU\ upstart Australia, Sweden and General Jerome Valcke withdrew former U.S. coach Pia Sundhage, from the tournament’s opening and perennial African champion news conference in Vancouver. He was replaced by Tatjana Haenni, Nigeria. By ANNE M. PETERSON Associated Press ),)$¶V GHSXW\ GLUHFWRU RI WKH competitions division and head of women’s soccer. At the news conference, Cana- dian Soccer Association President Victor Montagliani was asked if there were any improprieties associated with Canada’s bid for WKH HYHQW ² D UHÀHFWLRQ RI WKH FRUUXSWLRQDOOHJDWLRQVIDFLQJ),)$ as a whole. The question was a bit amusing because Canada was the only country that bid. Zimbabwe with- drew. ³, DFWXDOO\ WKLQN WKDW LW¶V D SRVLWLYH WKLQJ WKDW WKH ¿UVW WRXU- nament after whatever happened last week is the Women’s World Cup. Because women’s football is a very pure form of football. $QG,WKLQNZRPHQ¶VIRRWEDOOFDQ shine some light in the dark clouds that are hanging over the game,” Montagliani said. $66(66,1* 7+( 81,7(' STATES: There have been mixed reviews of the U.S. team in the matches leading up to the World Cup, starting with an uncharacter- istic loss to France in Lorient in February and ending with a listless 0-0 draw against South Korea in New Jersey last Saturday. The players themselves say they are unconcerned, trusting a process. “Everybody, don’t freak out,” forward Abby Wambach VDLG³:H¶UHJRLQJWREH¿QH´ TURF WARS: The event is the ¿UVWVHQLRU:RUOG&XSIRUWKHPHQ RUZRPHQWREHKHOGRQDUWL¿FLDO turf. That hasn’t gone over well with many players, who believe that DUWL¿FLDO WXUI H[DFHUEDWHV LQMXULHV and changes the way the ball moves. Wambach led a group of SOD\HUVZKR¿OHGDOHJDOFKDOOHQJH last fall, alleging gender discrimi- nation — because the men’s World Cup is always played on real grass. The players withdrew their action earlier this year when it became clear it wouldn’t be considered before the event. All six stadiums and 18 practice ¿HOGVLQ&DQDGDDUHRXW¿WWHGZLWK fake turf. *2$//,1(7(&+12/2*< 7KLV LV WKH ¿UVW :RPHQ¶V :RUOG Cup that will use goal-line technology aimed at taking the guesswork out of the ref’s hands when it comes to those critical goal/not-goal questions. The Hawk-Eye system trains VHYHQ FDPHUDV RQ HDFK JRDO ,I there’s a score, a signal is trans- mitted to a watch worn by each PDWFKRI¿FLDO Goal-line technology was also used in the men’s World Cup last year in Brazil. That system was provided by the German company GoalControl. So what spurred technology’s intrusion into the Beautiful Game? The 2010 World Cup. A shot by England’s Frank Lampard in the second round against Germany was clearly over the line, but disal- lowed. That goal would have tied LW,QVWHDG*HUPDQ\ZRQ 6$<,1* *22'%<( 6HYHUDO stars have announced that this will EHWKHLU¿QDO:RUOG&XSLQFOXGLQJ Japan’s Homare Sawa, who is playing in her sixth — a record among women and men. German goalkeeper Nadine Angerer also said she is retiring after this year. And Wambach will likely to hang up her cleats — although she may stick around for the 2016 Olympics. “We have stars like Alex Morgan and Sydney Leroux and Megan Rapinoe who are going to continue on for many years on this WHDP$QGKRSHIXOO\,¶PJRLQJWR be riding out off into the sunset with a World Cup championship,” Wambach said. “For me it would be an amazing thing to be able to leave this team on a high note and know that it’s in good hands with those players.” MLB Amphibious pitcher makes debut 9HQGLWWHEHFRPHV¿UVW pitcher in 20 years to pitch with both arms in MLB game By HOWARD ULMAN Associated Press BOSTON — Pat Venditte took his warmup pitches in his major league debut with his right arm. And his left. The ambidextrous pitcher entered the game against the Boston Red Sox at the start of the seventh inning after being called up Friday by the Oakland Athletics. Wearing a specially designed glove, he threw warmup pitches with his right hand then switched to his left to face lefty Brock Holt. $IWHU +ROW JURXQGHG RXW WR ¿UVW Venditte put his glove on his left hand and pitched to righty Hanley Ramirez, who singled on the second pitch. Then, still pitching with his right arm, he got righty Mike Napoli to ground into an inning-ending double play. Fans may stare when Venditte switches his glove from one hand to the other, but the Athletics promoted him because he pitched very well this season at Triple-A Nashville. “There’s a little bit of a sideshow to it for good reason,” Melvin said. “But the reason he’s here is because he’s performed.” Venditte took the mound to the song “Both Sides, Now,” performed by Joni Mitchell. AP Photo/Charles Krupa In this two image combination, Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Pat Venditte (29) delivers with his left and right hand to separate Boston Red Sox batters during the seventh inning at Fenway Park in Boston, Friday,. ,Q RXWLQJV WKLV VHDVRQ LQ relief, Venditte was 1-0 with a 1.36 ERA and held opponents to a .167 EDWWLQJDYHUDJH,QHLJKWPLQRUOHDJXH VHDVRQV WKH ¿UVW VHYHQ LQ WKH 1HZ York Yankees organization, he has a 2.37 ERA with 52 saves and nine starts. The last time a pitcher threw with both hands in a major league game was on Sept. 28, 1995, when Greg Harris did it with the Montreal ([SRV ,W ZDV WKH QH[WWRODVW JDPH of a career in which he appeared in 703, and he is the only pitcher in the modern era to do that. ,Q RWKHU PRYHV WKH $WKOHWLFV optioned right-hander Dan Otero to Nashville and moved Coco Crisp to the 60-day disabled list with a neck injury. Oakland catcher Stephen Vogt faced Venditte in the minors about ¿YH\HDUVDJR ³,W¶V D VLJKW WR VHH DQG KH¶V YHU\ good both ways,” Vogt said. “When ZHVLJQHGKLP,ZDVH[FLWHGEHFDXVH , ZDQW WR VHH ZKDW LW¶V OLNH WR FDWFK a guy like that. He’s kind of got the same stuff from both sides. So whether it’s a right-handed hitter or a left-handed hitter, you call the game DFFRUGLQJO\,W¶VIXQWRVHH´ Venditte has the matchup edge, throwing left-handed to lefties and right-handed to righties, except when KH¶V IDFLQJ D VZLWFKKLWWHU ,Q WKDW case, the rule states he must decide which arm he’s throwing with and the batter adjusts to that. He rarely, if Fan badly injured at Fenway BOSTON (AP) — The Athletics and Red Sox came to a stop while a woman was treated for life-threatening injuries after she was struck by a broken bat that ÀHZLQWRWKHVWDQGV Concerned players watched. The crowd went quiet. Everything that followed meant little Friday night — Oakland’s 3DW 9HQGLWWH EHFRPLQJ WKH ¿UVW pitcher in 20 years to throw with both arms in the same game, Wade Miley pitching impressively for Boston, the Red Sox beating the Athletics 4-2. “Any time anybody’s taken off WKH ¿HOG RQ D VWUHWFKHU \RX KDYH \RXU ¿QJHUV FURVVHG´ 2DNODQG manager Bob Melvin said. “You realize that that’s a lot more important than a baseball game.” With one out in the top of the second inning, Oakland’s Brett Lawrie’s bat broke on his JURXQGRXW WR VHFRQG DQG ÀHZ into the stands between home plate and third base. Medical personnel rushed to the box seat where the woman, whose head was bloodied, was sitting. There’s no netting in front of the seats in that area. -RVK 5HGGLFN ¿QLVKHG WKH inning with another groundout to second. Then, with Mookie Betts waiting to lead off the bottom of the second for Boston, play was delayed for several minutes while the woman was treated, placed on a stretcher and wheeled away for more treatment. ³, KHDUG KHU´ %HWWV VDLG ³, looked around, saw some blood and looked away.” Boston police spokesman 'DYLG (VWUDGD FRQ¿UPHG WKH EDW hit the fan and said her injuries were life threatening. She was WDNHQ WR %HWK ,VUDHO 'HDFRQHVV Medical Center. “There was just some bad luck,” Lawrie said. “There’s really no time (for fans) to react behind the dish. ... Unfortunately, every- thing’s so close behind there. “Hopefully, everything’s all right,” he added. Dustin Pedroia had three hits for Boston, which led 3-0 after four innings and ended Oakland’s four-game winning streak. 0LOH\ DOORZHG DQ 5%, single to Marc Canha in the ¿IWKEXW%RVWRQPDGHLWRQD run-scoring single by Brock Holt in the bottom of the inning off Scott Kazmir (2-4). “He’s settled in to the type of pitcher he was for three years in Arizona,” before Boston traded for him before this season, Red Sox manager John Farrell said. ³7DNH DZD\ WKH ¿UVW WKUHH IRXU starts of the season and he’s gotten back to attacking the strike zone down.” Lawrie led off the seventh with KLV¿IWKKRPHURIWKH\HDU Miley allowed two runs on six hits in 7 1-3 innings. Junichi Tazawa got the last two outs in the eighth and Koji Uehara escaped a second-and-third jam in the ninth for his 12th save in 14 opportuni- ties.
