BASEBALL
Bob Welch dies at 57
Former Cy Young Award-winning pitcher Bob Welch has died at the age of 57, the Oakland Athletics said on Tuesday. The Athletics said Welch died in Seal Beach, California, in the Los Angeles area, but a cause of death was not immediately known. Welch pitched for the Athletics from 1988 to 1994 after spending 10 seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was a member of three American League pennant winners with Oakland from 1988 to 1990 and won a World Series title with the A’s in 1989. He won the Cy Young Award as the league’s outstanding pitcher after a 1990 season that included a record of 27-6. No pitcher has reached as many as 25 wins in a season since. In 17 major league seasons, starting in 1978, Welch compiled a record of 211-146 with a 3.47 ERA.
BASEBALL
Machado gets five-game ban
Baltimore third baseman Manny Machado was banned for five games and fined an undisclosed amount on Tuesday for actions that sparked a benchclearing brawl in a game against Oakland. Machado insisted it was unintentional, but he was ejected from the game on Sunday when his bat slipped from his hands and sailed down the third-base line close to Alberto Callaspo, after Machado had swung and missed on a pitch from Fernando Abad with two outs in the eighth inning. Abad’s previous pitch had been an inside brush-back that angered Machado. Players from both teams flooded onto the field and both Machado and Abad were tossed from the game. Abad was fined an undisclosed amount on Tuesday for intentionally throwing at Machado. Machado was listed in the starting lineup for Tuesday’s game against the Boston Red Sox, likely indicating he plans to appeal the suspension.
RUGBY UNION
Wales win warmup match
Uncapped scrumhalf Gareth Davies scored on his debut as Wales ran in five tries to beat South African provincial side the Eastern Province Kings 34-12 in a tour match on Tuesday. The Scarlets’ No. 9 notched the fifth and final try to add to earlier efforts from flanker Josh Turnbull, center Cory Allen, flyhalf James Hook and wing Alex Cuthbert. Hook also kicked three conversions and a penalty. The Kings, who are to return to Super Rugby in 2016 after a one-season stint last year, scored tries through wing Shakes Soyizwapi and prop Simon Kerrod. Flyhalf George Whitehead added a conversion. The match was the only warmup for Wales ahead of the first Test against South Africa in Durban on Saturday.
RUGBY UNION
Steyn withdraws from ’Boks
Springbok fullback Frans Steyn will not play in the forthcoming Tests against Wales after he withdrew from the squad to consider his career in international rugby, the South African Rugby Union (SARU) said on Tuesday. “He has asked for some time to consider his international playing future and we must respect that,” SARU CEO Jurie Roux said in a statement. “Let me make it clear that he has not retired from international rugby, but he has requested a break from it.” The 27-year-old is expected to sign a contract in Japan after finishing play for South African side the Coastal Sharks later this year. “The environment in the Springbok squad is fantastic and I would like to state categorically that my relationship with Heyneke Meyer, the rest of the management and my teammates is very good,” Steyn said.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two