SPORTS
THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 2017
1B
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NFL
MLB
Seahawks’
next phase
begins
with draft
Paxton leads M’s to shutout
Seattle
Mariners
pitcher
James
Paxton
throws
against
the Detroit
Tigers in
the sec-
ond inning
of a base-
ball game
in Detroit,
Wednes-
day, April
26, 2017.
Offensive line,
reloading defense two
priorities for Seattle
AP Photo/Paul
Sancya
By TIM BOOTH
Associated Press
RENTON, Wash. — General
manager John Schneider and coach
Pete Carroll built the Seattle Seahawks
into champions in part by thoroughly
dominating the NFL draft in the early
years of their tenure.
It took a mere four drafts for the
duo to build the foundation of a roster
that was strong enough to reach back-
to-back Super Bowls with only a little
augmentation through trades and free
agency. They were drafts fi lled with
immediate starters, some of whom
have become All-Pro-caliber players
at different points in their careers.
But the draft classes that followed
have not come close to giving Seattle
the same depth or caliber of players.
There have been more misses than
hits, leaving Seattle at a crossroads
entering this week’s NFL draft.
“How come that doesn’t happen
anymore?” Schneider deadpanned
earlier this week, his voice heavy with
sarcasm when discussing the lack of
stars from recent drafts. “What’s your
problem dude?”
Seattle has just seven picks, but
fi ve of those come in the fi rst three
rounds, beginning with the No. 26
overall selection. The expectation is
that Schneider will likely deal one of
those early-round picks to get more
selections later on since Seattle has no
picks in the fourth or fi fth rounds.
Having more picks gives Schneider
and Carroll a better chance of replen-
ishing a team in transition. They are
See DRAFT/2B
2017 NFL Draft
• First Round - Tonight
• When: 5 p.m.
• TV: ESPN, NFL Network
• Livestream: NFL.com
• Seahawks pick: No. 26 overall
Seattle pitcher throws seven scoreless
scored a run when reliever Shane Greene
walked Ben Gamel with the bases loaded.
Cruz’s two-run shot made it 6-0 in the sixth.
Paxton was in a bit of a jam in the fourth
DETROIT — James Paxton struck
out nine in seven outstanding innings, after Victor Martinez struck out but reached
fi rst base on a passed ball. After
and Nelson Cruz and Guillermo
a single by Justin Upton, Detroit
Heredia homered to lift the Seattle
had two on with one out, but the
Mariners to an 8-0 victory over the
Seattle left-hander struck out John
Detroit Tigers on Wednesday night.
Seattle
Hicks and James McCann to end
Paxton (3-0) allowed four hits
the threat.
and a walk in a dominant perfor-
Paxton fanned the fi rst two
mance against a Detroit team that
Detroit hitters in the fi fth as well.
had scored 32 runs over its previous
TRAINER’S ROOM
two games. It was just what the
Tigers: Detroit had been
Mariners needed after losing 19-9
Detroit
scoring a lot of runs lately, but
on Tuesday and putting right-hander
the Tigers have not been at full
Felix Hernandez on the disabled list
strength. Miguel Cabrera (groin),
before Wednesday’s game.
J.D. Martinez (foot), Jose Iglesias
Paxton has held the opposition
scoreless in four of his fi ve starts this (concussion) and JaCoby Jones (lip) are on
the DL.
season. He lowered his ERA to 1.39.
UP NEXT
Daniel Norris (1-2) allowed four runs
Mariners: RHP Hisashi Iwakuma (0-2,
and nine hits in four-plus innings. It was his
second straight game allowing at least four 5.31 ERA) pitches Thursday in the fi nale
earned runs after he went 21 consecutive of this three-game series. He allowed three
runs in 5 1/3 innings in a loss to Oakland
starts yielding three or fewer.
Seattle opened the scoring with three his last time out.
Tigers: RHP Justin Verlander (1-2) tries
runs in the second, including a two-run
homer by Heredia that made it 3-0. The to bounce back after a couple of poor starts
Mariners chased Norris in the fi fth and that pushed his ERA to 6.04.
By NOAH TRISTER
Associated Press
8
0
From Tuesday
Bulldogs pick up fi rst league win
East Oregonian
HERMISTON — After a
tough two weeks, the Herm-
iston softball team fi nally
earned its way back into the
win column.
The Bulldogs snapped
a seven game losing streak
with an 8-3 win over The
Dalles on Tuesday afternoon.
It was the fi rst league win
for the Bulldogs (7-12, 1-5
CRC), beating the same
Riverhawks team that swept
them on Saturday 8-1 and
9-8.
Julissa Almaguer pitched a
dandy for Hermiston, giving
up eight hits, one walk and
three runs with fi ve strikeouts
in seven innings. She was
backed up on offense led by
Sam Atilano (2 for 3, RBI),
Sydney Stefani (2 for 4, 2
runs), Bailee Noland (2 for 2,
2 runs, RBI).
UP NEXT
Hermiston hosts Pend-
leton for a doubleheader on
See PREPS/2B
DETROIT — The struggling Seattle
Mariners will be without ace Felix Hernandez
for at least a little while.
The Mariners placed
Hernandez on the 10-day
disabled list Wednesday with
right shoulder infl ammation
after he lasted just two
innings in his start at Detroit
the previous night. Seattle
also put outfi elder Mitch
Hernandez Haniger on the DL with a
strained right oblique.
Hernandez came out of
the 19-9 loss to the Tigers
after allowing four runs in
two innings.
Haniger left the game in
the third inning.
The
31-year-old
Haniger
Hernandez is 2-2 with a 4.73
ERA in fi ve starts this season. Seattle entered
Wednesday night’s game at Detroit in last
place in the AL West.
Hernandez threw only 48 pitches Tuesday
before Servais pulled him.
It’s offi cial: Beastmode is back
By JOSH DUBOW
Associated Press
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Associated Press
NFL
Marshawn Lynch
agrees to deal with
Oakland Raiders
Hermiston’s Ellery Jones rounds fi rst base in the Bull-
dogs’ 8-3 win against The Dalles on Tuesday.
Mariners put Felix,
Haniger on DL
ALAMEDA,
Calif.
— Marshawn Lynch is
coming out of retirement
after agreeing on a two-year
deal with the Raiders that
paved the way for a trade
to his hometown team in
Oakland.
Lynch passed a physical
Wednesday and agreed to
a restructured two-year
contract. Those were the
fi nal steps needed before
Lynch
Seattle
could trade
his rights
along with
a
2018
sixth-round
pick to the
Raiders
for a 2018
f i f t h -
rounder.
NFL Network said
Lynch would get a $3
million base deal this
season, with a chance to
make an additional $2
million if he rushes for at
least 1,000 yards.
Lynch had been slated to
make $9 million this season
if he came out of retirement.
With Seattle unwilling to
pay that amount and Lynch
only wanting to play for the
Raiders, fi nalizing a trade
was simple once Oakland
was able to re-do Lynch’s
contract.
Lynch also must apply
to the NFL for reinstate-
ment from the retired list
before he can play with the
Raiders.
Lynch retired following
the 2015 season but decided
he wanted to come back and
play with his hometown
team. The Raiders met
with him early this month
to gauge his interest and
wanted to get a deal done
before the draft.
The Raiders have a need
for a power running back
See LYNCH/2B
Sports shorts
Canucks hire 3rd coach in 3 years
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) —
The Vancouver Canucks have named Travis
Green their new coach.
The team announced Green’s hiring in a
statement. He is scheduled to be introduced at
a news conference later Wednesday at Rogers
Arena.
Green spent the last four
seasons coaching the Canucks’ top
farm team, the Utica Comets of the
American Hockey League.
Before that, he coached the
Portland Winterhawks to a
Green
2012-13 Western Hockey League
title and an appearance in the 2013 Memorial
Cup fi nal.
He replaces Willie Desjardins, who spent the
last three seasons in Vancouver.
Desjardins was fi red this month less than 24
hours after the Canucks fi nished the season 29th
in the overall standings.
“It’s a dream come true
for me because it’s been
my dream since I was a
10-year-old boy, but it
also means so much to the
people of South Africa.
Baseball is still very much
in the development stages
[in Africa], and hopefully
this gets more people
interested.“
— Gift Ngoepe
The Pittsburgh Pirates rookie be-
came the fi rst player from Africa
to play in MLB on Wednesday. The
27-year-old South Africa native
singled up the middle in his fi rst
career at-bat against the Cubs.
Gavin Burt resigns as BMCC
men’s basketball head coach
PENDLETON — After just one season
as head coach of the Blue Mountain men’s
basketball program, Gavin Burt has resigned
due to personal reasons the school announced
in a press release on Wednesday.
Burt has spent the past four
seasons on the coaching staff at
BMCC, three as an asssistant
under Adam Ellis and then last
season as head coach. He led
the Timberwolves to a 5-21
Burt
overall record and a 3-13 mark
in NWAC East region play.
The Washington native also played two
seasons at BMCC from 2010-2012 and
stayed on as a coach after his playing days
were done. Burt was tabbed as the interim
coach when Ellis departed in July, and had
the interim tag removed in September.
THIS DATE IN SPORTS
1956 — Rocky Marciano
retires as the undefeated heavy-
weight boxing champion. He
fi nished with a 49-0 record,
including six title defenses and
43 knockouts.
1960 — The Minneapolis
Lakers announce that they will
relocate to Los Angeles.
2008 — Ashley Force
becomes the fi rst woman to
win a national Funny Car
race. The 25-year-old beats
her father, drag racing icon
John Force, in the fi nal round
of the 28th annual Summit
Racing Equipment Southern
Nationals to deny him his
1,000 winning round in his
500th NHRA tour event.
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