AMERICAN LEAGUE
REUTERS AND AP, NEW YORK
Colin Curtis was an unlikely hero for the New York Yankees as the cancer survivor took over an at-bat and slugged his first career homer to clinch a win over the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday.
The three-run blast by the 25-year-old rookie, cancer free for 10 years since having a tumor removed, pushed New York’s lead to 10-5 in an eventual 10-6 victory for the American League East leaders.
Curtis was summoned to the plate by manager Joe Girardi after left-fielder Brett Gardner was ejected for complaining about a called strike in the seventh inning.
Curtis put down his cup of Gatorade and picked up a bat, took over an 0-2 count and worked it to 3-2, before pulling a fastball from Scot Shields into the right-field bleachers.
“The first one of your career, in a big situation,” beamed Curtis as he faced a horde of reporters at his locker and talked about his 27th career at-bat. “You’re really excited running around the bases and hold back a big smile.”
The line-drive that iced the game for the Major League-best Yankees (59-34) brought Curtis another first — a maiden curtain call demanded by the roaring Yankee Stadium crowd.
“I had no idea what to do,” he said. “Someone said: ‘Hey you got to go out,’ and they pushed me out. It was the thrill of a lifetime. You see all the Yankees’ history and guys taking curtain calls. To get an opportunity to do it was amazing.”
Curtis’ homer followed a solo shot by designated hitter Juan Miranda, another little-known Yankees youngster, earlier in the seventh that padded New York’s lead to 7-5.
The Yanks had stormed out to a 6-0 lead after four innings, boosted by a four-run outburst in the third thanks to a two-run homer by Robinson Cano and a two-run single from Mark Teixeira off Angels starter and loser Joel Pineiro (10-7).
Los Angeles battled back with three runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth on a two-run blast by former Yankee Hideki Matsui to make it an uncomfortably close at 6-5.
Then long-ball lightning struck for the Bronx Bombers.
As Curtis talked about his big moment, Reggie Jackson came over and handed him a ball with an inscription from the Hall of Famer to commemorate the special day.
Curtis said he had talked with Jackson, who slugged 563 career roundtrippers, after hitting the homer.
“He said: ‘I’m proud of you, Bud.’ I said: ‘Yeah, I’m a little bit behind you.’ [He said:] ‘Yeah, but you’re one closer,’” Curtis said.
Curtis found a glittery, mock professional wrestling title belt placed in his locker after the game. His playing time since being called up by the Yankees last month has been limited.
“I think it reminds you about the ups and and downs in life,” Curtis said about being a survivor of testicular cancer. “It gives you a little better perspective dealing with a lot of failures in baseball. It helps you get over them, just be thankful you’re playing. It helps you move on. There’s another game tomorrow.”
He said the ball would remain a special memento.
“It’s going to be something I cherish,” he said. “I sent them up there to get the ball and they asked for a [Derek] Jeter and A-Rod autograph [in return]. I had to track those down.”
TIGERS 4, RANGERS 1
In Detroit, Michigan, Max Scherzer threw seven scoreless innings to guide Detroit to a win over Texas that snapped a seven-game losing skid.
Scherzer (7-7) threw a career-high 123 pitches.
Gerald Laird hit a two-run homer for the Tigers.
Colby Lewis (9-6) allowed four runs over seven innings for the American League West-leading Rangers, who lost their first game in four.
Detroit stranded eight runners and Texas left six on base.
Wednesday’s other results:
• Athletics 6, Red Sox 4
• Twins 6, Indians 0
• Royals 5, Blue Jays 2
• Mariners 2, White Sox 1, 11 inns
• Rays 5, Orioles 4
NATIONAL LEAGUE
REUTERS AND AP, CINCINNATI, OHIO
Stephen Strasburg tamed the National League’s top offense as the Washington National’s came around behind Cristian Guzman’s homer to beat the Cincinnati Reds 8-5.
A day after he turned 22, Strasburg (5-2) pitched beyond his years again, passing one of his toughest tests.
The Reds lead the league in batting average, hits and RBIs. They can manhandle pitchers at homer-friendly Great American Ball Park, where even a tiny mistake often ends up in the seats.
Strasburg struck out seven, while giving up three runs and seven hits in five-and-a-third innings, outdueling Bronson Arroyo (10-5), who had allowed only three runs in his last three starts, winning them all.
Guzman’s two-run homer put the Nationals up 3-1 in the fifth and Nyjer Morgan added a two-run single for a 7-1 lead.
DODGERS 2, GIANTS 0
The Los Angeles Dodgers snapped a six-game losing streak with a win over the San Francisco Giants.
Third baseman Casey Blake drove in both runs for the Dodgers — a second-inning home run and an eighth-inning single.
Chad Billingsley pitched a complete-game shutout for the Dodgers, holding the Giants to five hits.
“I tried to stick to my game plan,” he said. “Everything was good today. That last inning felt good.”
Dodgers manager Joe Torre watched the game from a private box with general manager Ned Colletti after he was hit with a one-game suspension resulting from Tuesday’s heated game between the two clubs.
Los Angeles pitcher Clayton Kershaw is appealing a five-game suspension for deliberately hitting a Giants batter.
Wednesday’s other results:
• Padres 6, Braves 4, 12 innings
• Astros 4, Cubs 3, 12 innings
• Pirates 15, Brewers 3
• Marlins 5, Rockies 2
• Cardinals 5, Phillies 1
• Diamondbacks 4, Mets 3
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was