Genuine Devotion went wire-to-wire for a 2 3/4 -length victory Sunday in the $105,700 Xtra Heat Stakes at Belmont Park. Trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, the 3-year-old bay filly went right to the lead, opened a 5-length advantage entering the stretch and was never threatened by runner-up Trouble Maker. Genuine Devotion ran 6 furlongs on the turf course in 1:08.55.
There was a time not too long ago when Jeff Gordon wondered if he’d ever win another race.
By hiring Dusty Baker as their next manager, the Cincinnati Reds have made a pronounced change in philosophy, turning to an outsider to run the team for the first time in 18 years. The last time they did it, they won a championship. The Reds confirmed on Sunday that Baker will become their next manager.
Trot Nixon spent 13 years in the Red Sox organization trying to prove he could hit lefties. That ought to be pretty clear to everyone now. The longtime Boston outfielder snapped an extra-inning tie with a pinch-hit single, and the Cleveland Indians scored a record-setting seven runs in the 11th to beat the Red Sox 13-6 early Sunday and even the AL championship series at a game apiece.
The Cleveland Indians’ bullpen finally figured out how to stop Boston’s big boppers. David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez went 1-for-6 against Cleveland’s relievers and the Tribe scored seven runs in the 11th inning early Sunday morning, beating the Red Sox 13-6 in Game 2 of the AL championship series. “Our bullpen did a fantastic job,” Indians manager Eric Wedge said.
Eric Gagne’s decline from super closer to struggling reliever reached a new low. He was charged with the first two runs in Cleveland’s seven-run 11th inning as the Indians beat Boston 13-6 early Sunday morning to tie the AL championship series 1-1. Javier Lopez and Jon Lester followed Gagne to the mound and did even worse, with Lopez allowing three runs and Lester two.
Long known for their big bats, the Colorado Rockies have suddenly become masters of small ball. Several sluggers have vanished in the playoffs. The Rockies have just one extra-base hit in the NL championship series, and that was a double by speedy leadoff man Willy Taveras that nobody else could have legged out.
Livan Hernandez might be pitching his last game for the Arizona Diamondbacks, and they’ve never needed him more. Hernandez will get the ball Sunday night with the Diamondbacks down 0-2 to Colorado in the NL championship series. The rolling Rockies are back at Coors Field but the Diamondbacks will have their most experienced postseason pitcher on the mound.
Baseball commissioner Bud Selig, a staunch opponent of instant replay, is willing to let major league general managers examine whether it should be used. “I don’t like instant replay because I don’t like all the delays. I think it sometimes creates as many problems or more than it solves,” Selig said Friday night during Game of the NL championship series.
Baseball investigator George Mitchell likely will issue his long-awaited report on steroids use in baseball by the end of the year, and there is a strong possibility he will identify individual players. A lawyer for the firm representing Major League Baseball in the investigation updated representatives for the 30 teams during a conference call Friday and told them Mitchell’s report likely would…
