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.
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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.
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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:
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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
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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
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as a whole.
The question was a bit amusing
because Canada was the only
country that bid. Zimbabwe with-
drew.
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nament after whatever happened
last week is the Women’s World
Cup. Because women’s football
is a very pure form of football.
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shine some light in the dark clouds
that are hanging over the game,”
Montagliani said.
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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
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TURF WARS: The event is the
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turf.
That hasn’t gone over well with
many players, who believe that
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and changes the way the ball
moves.
Wambach led a group of
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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
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fake turf.
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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
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there’s a score, a signal is trans-
mitted to a watch worn by each
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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
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stars have announced that this will
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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
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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
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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.
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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,.
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relief, Venditte was 1-0 with a 1.36
ERA and held opponents to a .167
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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
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of a career in which he appeared in
703, and he is the only pitcher in the
modern era to do that.
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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
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good both ways,” Vogt said. “When
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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
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Venditte has the matchup edge,
throwing left-handed to lefties and
right-handed to righties, except when
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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
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Concerned players watched.
The crowd went quiet.
Everything that followed meant
little Friday night — Oakland’s
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
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looked around, saw some blood
and looked away.”
Boston police spokesman
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hit the fan and said her injuries
were life threatening. She was
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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.
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single to Marc Canha in the
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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.
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starts of the season and he’s gotten
back to attacking the strike zone
down.”
Lawrie led off the seventh with
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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.