SPORTS
THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2016
Sports shorts
Blazers fi re TV,
radio broadcasters
PORTLAND (AP) —
Longtime Trail Blazers
television broadcasters Mike
Barrett and Mike Rice will
not return to
the team next
season.
Team
President
and Chief
Executive
Offi cer Chris McGowan
announced the changes on
Wednesday. The Blazers
also let go of radio analyst
Antonio Harvey.
Barrett, a native
Oregonian, had been with
the Blazers for 17 seasons,
13 as the lead play-by-play
announcer. Rice spent 11
years of his 26 years with
the team as a color commen-
tator. Fans referred to the
duo as “Mike and Mike.”
Harvey was the radio
analyst for 11 seasons. His
play-by-play partner, Brian
Wheeler, will return for his
19th season.
No replacements were
named. It is expected that
Wheeler will work without
an analyst.
Braves’ Freeman
hits for the cycle
ATLANTA (AP) —
Freddie Freeman hit for
the cycle, Chase d’Arnaud
had a bases-loaded single
in the 13th inning to cap
a three-run rally and the
Atlanta
FACES Braves beat
the Cincinnati
Reds 9-8 on
Wednesday
night.
The Reds
took an 8-6 lead
in the 13th on
Freeman
Jose Peraza’s
bases-loaded walk with
two outs and Joey Votto’s
run-scoring single off Alexi
Ogando (2-1), the Braves’
ninth pitcher.
Alfredo Simon (2-7)
gave up fi ve hits and a walk
in the 13th. Adonis Garcia
and Nick Markakis opened
the inning with singles, Jace
Peterson hit a run-scoring
double and Tyler Flowers
added a tying single. An
intentional walk to Erick
Aybar loaded the bases
before d’Arnaud’s fl y ball
fell in center fi eld.
Freeman became the fi rst
Brave to hit for the cycle
since Mark Kotsay against
the Cubs on Aug. 14, 2008.
He is also the fi rst to do it in
the majors this season.
“Two of the best
words ever.
Game 7.“
— LeBron James
Cleveland Cavaliers
forward to reporters on
Wednesday. The Cavs
must win Game 6 of
the NBA Finals tonight
to keep Golden State
from clinching the title in
Cleveland for the second
straight season.
THIS DATE IN SPORTS
1946 — Lloyd Mangrum
edges Byron Nelson and Vic
Ghezzi to win the U.S. Open
by one stroke in a 36-hole
playoff.
1968 — Lee Trevino
becomes the fi rst golfer to
play all four rounds of the
U.S. Open under par as he
beats Jack Nicklaus by four
strokes.
1993 — Michael Jordan
scores 55 points to lead the
Chicago Bulls to a 111-105
victory and a 3-1 lead over
the Phoenix Suns in the
NBA Finals. Jordan is the
fi fth player to score 50 in the
fi nals and the fi rst since Jerry
West in 1969.
Contact us at 541-966-0838 or
sports@eastoregonian.com
1B
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Ichiro hits No. 4,257
College National Finals Rodeo
MORE INSIDE
Parke rallies
in steer
wrestling
BMCC cowboy posts second
fastest time in performance
East Oregonian
AP Photo/Gregory Bull
An image of Miami Marlins Ichiro Suzuki is displayed on a giant screen after hitting a
double in the ninth inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres Wednes-
day, June 15, 2016, in San Diego. With the hit, Suzuki’s combined career hits in Japan
and the major leagues surpassed Pete Rose’s major league record of 4,256 career hits.
PENDLETON — It was a slow day for the Blue
Mountain Community College rodeo team as just
six competitors performed at the College National
Finals Rodeo on Wednesday
evening at the Casper (Wyo.)
Events Center.
Jared Parke turned in an
up-and-down day with a disap-
pointing no score in tie-down
roping before storming back
with a 4.3 second time in steer
wrestling which was good
enough for second place in the
Parke
See CNFR/2B
PENDLETON
Straily fi nds stride in Cincinnati
AP Photo/John Minchillo
Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Dan Straily throws in the fi rst inning of baseball game against the Oakland Athletics, Saturday, June 11,
2016, in Cincinnati.
Former Buckaroo reaping the benefi ts of offseason work
By ERIC SINGER
East Oregonian
The year 2016 has been the
defi nition of a roller coaster for
Pendleton native Dan Straily.
The 27-year-old started out the
year in spring training with his third
club, the Houston Astros, looking
to get his career heading back in
the right direction. But after two
months of solid showings at spring
training, Straily was traded away
to San Diego on Mar. 28 and then
was subsequently designated for
assignment and placed on waivers
just four days later.
Then on June 1, Straily was on
the move again as he was claimed
on waivers by the Cincinnati Reds,
a team at the start of a rebuild that
was looking for some experienced
pitchers to contribute out of the
bullpen. It was a different role for
Straily, who had 45 major league
starts under his belt before the
season, but one he was willing to
accept.
Just a few weeks into the season,
however, the injury bug attacked the
NBA Finals
Love still seeking his rhythm
Lake Oswego product
coming off 2-point game
MILTON-FREEWATER
Quest for World
Series set to begin
District tournaments open
Little League all-star season
By TIM REYNOLDS
Associated Press
CLEVELAND — Numbers may
not necessarily lie, though they can
deceive.
On one hand, Cleveland’s “Big
Three” of LeBron James, Kyrie
Irving and Kevin Love combined
for 84 points in Game 5 of the NBA
Finals — the triumvirate’s highest
such total this postseason.
Of course, Love scored two of
them. Irving and James, they each
had 41.
If Cleveland is to complete an
NBA Finals comeback unlike any
other — the Cavaliers pushed the
series to Game 6 with a win at
See LOVE/2B
Reds starting rotation and opened
up a spot for Straily. He made his
fi rst start of the season on Apr. 18
against the Colorado Rockies and
had a solid showing, pitching fi ve
innings with two hits and one run
allowed with four strikeouts. And
as the starts kept coming, the results
got better and better.
See STRAILY/2B
East Oregonian
AP Photo/Tony Dejak
Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue, left, talks
with Kevin Love during practice for Game 6 of the NBA
basketball Finals, Wednesday, June 15, 2016, in Cleve-
land. The Cavaliers will play the Golden State Warriors
Thursday night in Cleveland.
All around the globe, young baseball and
softball players begin the path to the Little
League World Series this month.
Locally, the District 3 Softball Tour-
nament will kick off the all-star season on
Saturday with games in four age brackets.
The District 3 Baseball Tournament will
begin the following week on Friday, June 24
in Burns.
Teams from Hermiston, Pendleton,
Milton-Freewater, Pilot Rock, Columbia
and Triangle will be representing Umatilla
and Morrow County communities in the
softball brackets.
See LITTLE LEAGUE/2B