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Grayson Rodriguez impresses in MLB debut but Orioles lose series finale, 5-2, to Jacob deGrom, Rangers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:25 GMT

Since Grayson Rodriguez was selected in the first round of the 2018 MLB draft, the right-handed pitcher, the organization and Baltimore fans have spent the past four and a half years envisioning what the 6-foot-5 hurler would look like in an Orioles uniform.His major league debut wasn’t supposed to take this long. He was primed for a call-up last season as he dominated Triple-A batters, but a lat muscle injury sidelined the consensus top 10 prospect for three months. Rodriguez was then expected to make the Orioles’ opening day roster, but the team chose instead to start him in Norfolk after his uneven spring training.Nevertheless, Rodriguez’s big league debut Wednesday was well worth the wait.The 23-year-old impressed in his first big league start against the Texas Rangers in the Orioles’ 5-2 loss. After struggling in the first inning and giving up two runs, Rodriguez pitched four scoreless frames and looked every bit worthy of the hype.Rodriguez, a Nacogdoch...

Massachusetts AP scores highest in the nation for second year

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:25 GMT

Massachusetts again led the nation with the highest percentage of 2022 graduating students who scored a 3 or higher on AP exams during high school, according to CollegeBoard reports released Wednesday.“I’m proud of the students and educators who worked hard to make sure Massachusetts remains a leader in student participation and success,” Governor Maura Healey said in a DESE release, expressing a commitment “to expanding access to AP courses for all students.”In the state, 30.5% of students who graduated in 2022 scored a 3 or higher on Advanced Placement exams during high school — generally considered a passing grade to obtain college credit in the course — far outpacing the national percentage, 21.6%.The continued upswing in AP scores comes even as 2022 MCAS across the board took a whopping pandemic-hit, plunging to their lowest levels in decades.Massachusetts previously held the top spot for AP scores in 2021, 2019 and 2017, and the percen...

FBI says Department of Defense agents detained the wrong person in a Boston hotel room

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:25 GMT

Department of Defense agents reportedly detained the wrong person in a Boston hotel room during a training exercise Tuesday night, according to FBI Boston.The local FBI division was assisting the Pentagon in a Department of Defense training exercise at the Revere Hotel to “simulate a situation their personnel might encounter in a deployed environment.”“Based on inaccurate information, they were mistakenly sent to the wrong room and detained an individual, not the intended role player,” the FBI Boston spokesperson added. “Thankfully nobody was injured. The Boston Police Department was called and responded to the scene to confirm that this was indeed a training exercise.”The person who was detained might be a Delta crew member.“Safety is always a priority of the FBI, and our law enforcement partners, and we take these incidents very seriously,” the FBI Boston spokesperson said. “The Boston Division is reviewing the incident with DO...

Pitch clock transforming Red Sox viewing experience

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:25 GMT

It’s long been the worst part about following the Red Sox. The games finish too darn late.For the past two decades the Red Sox have perennially averaged among the longest game times in baseball; in recent years, often well over three hours. Since 2003, the club has led the league in 10 of 20 seasons and never ranked lower than fourth.That’s meant games regularly stretching deep into the night, often well past 10 p.m., sometimes even until almost 11.For fans who have work or school the next day, or for parents of young children, that’s a lot to ask. Yet intractable as the problem seemed, MLB’s new pace-of-play rules appear to have finally provided a solution.Tuesday night, Red Sox fans got their first taste of what a difference the pitch clock could really make. After a couple of long games to open the season, the Red Sox and Pirates played a quick 2:36 affair, which moved along at a brisk pace and wrapped up at around 9:45 p.m.Wednesday afternoon’s series finale was even faster, wit...

Dave Hyde: Stop the clock! Marlins beat Twins and time as baseball finds answer to endless problem

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:25 GMT

Hello, and welcome to loanDepot park for the first pitch between — oh, there’s one out! — the Miami Marlins and Minnesota Twins on — that’s two outs! — Wednesday afternoon as we time baseball’s new rule change to … stop the clock!Three minutes, three outs!Fast and foremost, the top of the first inning Wednesday still felt like the top of the morning one week into a new baseball era. Who hasn’t fallen in love with the pitch clock?It’s safe to watch baseball again without packing an overnight bag. The seventh-inning stretch isn’t a wake-up call to various body parts.Take me out to the ball game.Take me out to the cro—Well, OK, there were 8,981 fans at Wednesday’s series-closer for the Marlins. Some things don’t change quickly. The disaster of Derek Jeter (he made people actually miss Jeffrey Loria) and the lack of Marlins payroll (the New York Mets pay more for their luxury tax) this opening, 3-4 homes...

Wall Street slips following latest signs of slowing economy

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:25 GMT

By STAN CHOE (AP Business Writer)NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks on Wall Street mostly slipped Wednesday following the latest signals that the U.S. economy is slowing under the weight of much higher interest rates.The S&P 500 dipped 10.22 points, or 0.2%, to 4,090.38, a day after it broke a four-day winning streak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 80.34, or 0.2%, to 33,482.72, and the Nasdaq composite dropped 129.47, or 1.1%, to 11,996.86. Yields also fell in the bond market following weaker-than-expected reports on the health of U.S. services industries and the job market. They’re the latest signs that the economy is losing momentum following a feverish set of hikes to interest rates by the Federal Reserve meant to get inflation under control.One report from the Institute for Supply Management said that growth in the U.S. services sector slowed last month by more than economists expected, as the pace of new orders cooled. A separate report suggested private employers a...

Yankees Notebook: Bombers top Phillies behind Gerrit Cole’s strong start, Michael King and Aaron Hicks face adversity

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:25 GMT

After a strong 2023 debut, Gerrit Cole shoved again. Gleyber Torres, meanwhile, continued his hot start to the season. But it was catcher Jose Trevino who put the nail in the Phillies’ coffin as the Bombers beat Philadelphia, 4-2, in a series-deciding game on Wednesday afternoon.With the Yankees already up 2-1 in the seventh inning, Trevino lined a two-run homer to left field, his first longball of the season. The shot, which came off Phillies reliever Gregory Soto, gave the Yankees a desirable cushion after the Phillies found their way onto the scoreboard earlier in the frame.Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber hit a solo homer in the eighth, but that was the most Philadelphia’s offense could muster.Prior to Trevino’s home run, Torres picked up a pair of RBI singles in the first and sixth innings. He added a double in the eighth, and he also stole two bases on the day. Torres is now hitting .421 with two dingers, six RBI and five swipes over six games to start the yea...

Johns Hopkins surgeons get $21.4 million to study pig-to-human organ transplants

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:25 GMT

Angela Roberts | (TNS) The Baltimore SunBALTIMORE — Two Johns Hopkins Medicine surgeons will receive $21.4 million over the next two years to advance research needed to successfully transplant living cells, tissues and organs from animals to humans.The scientists, Dr. Kazuhiko Yamada and Dr. Andrew Cameron, will receive the funding under two research agreements with the United Therapeutics Corp., a biotechnology company that focuses on projects meant to expand the availability of transplantable organs, Johns Hopkins Medicine said last week in a news release.Over the next two years, Yamada and Cameron plan to advance the use of genetically modified pigs in human organ transplants, improving techniques already used in the approach to reduce the risk of organ rejection and failure and to increase the likelihood of a patient’s long-term survival.The funding will help Yamada and Cameron complete the necessary studies in animals requested by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration before th...

Body discovered at Otay Lakes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:25 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- An unidentified body was found at Otay Lakes on Wednesday, the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department confirmed.The body was discovered sometime Wednesday in the City of San Diego reservoir and authorities entered the incident into the dispatch system at 12:07 p.m, according to SDFD. Supervisors address Fletcher scandal in first meeting since resignation announcement The cause of death is not known at this time. The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office will be working to identify if foul play is involved.SDFD lifeguards will be searching the lake for any additional people in the water, a spokesperson for the department said.This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Ontario NDP, ATU Canada increase calls for funding, staffing for transit safety

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:25 GMT

Toronto mayoral candidates, labour leaders and Ontario’s Opposition NDP all urged various solutions Wednesday to a wave of violence on transit, including more operational funding, a task force, social supports, and physical barriers on platforms.Amalgamated Transit Union Canada president John Di Nino said at a news conference with the NDP that his union is renewing its calls for a national task force led by the provinces, adding it should be a priority for the Ontario government.“Front-line transit workers are getting assaulted with deadly weapons. Passengers are getting murdered on platforms and subway cars. And the provincial government just doesn’t give a damn,” said Di Nino.The union initially called for a national transit safety task force in late January, and said it must include transit agencies from across Canada and representatives from all levels of government.Di Nino said transit safety issues are “a national crisis” that is particularl...