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Pirates bring road skid into matchup with the Diamondbacks

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 18:08:30 GMT

Pittsburgh Pirates (40-48, fourth in the NL Central) vs. Arizona Diamondbacks (51-38, first in the NL West)Phoenix; Saturday, 4:10 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Pirates: Mitch Keller (0-0); Diamondbacks: TBDFANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Diamondbacks -217, Pirates +180; over/under is 8 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Pittsburgh Pirates travel to the Arizona Diamondbacks looking to break a three-game road skid.Arizona is 51-38 overall and 25-23 at home. Diamondbacks hitters are batting a collective .260, the sixth-best team batting average in MLB play.Pittsburgh has a 40-48 record overall and an 18-27 record on the road. The Pirates have a 30-3 record in games when they out-hit their opponents.The matchup Saturday is the fifth time these teams match up this season. The Diamondbacks hold a 3-1 advantage in the season series.TOP PERFORMERS: Corbin Carroll leads the Diamondbacks with 18 home runs while slugging .560. Jake McCarthy is 9-for-28 with two triples and two RBI over the past 10 games.Jac...

Phillies look to prolong win streak, take on the Marlins

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 18:08:30 GMT

Philadelphia Phillies (48-39, third in the NL East) vs. Miami Marlins (51-39, second in the NL East)Miami; Saturday, 4:10 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Phillies: Ranger Suarez (2-3, 3.67 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 55 strikeouts); Marlins: Braxton Garrett (4-2, 3.61 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 98 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Marlins -110, Phillies -110; over/under is 8 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Philadelphia Phillies will try to prolong a four-game win streak with a victory against the Miami Marlins.Miami is 28-18 in home games and 51-39 overall. The Marlins have the third-best team batting average in MLB play at .263.Philadelphia has a 48-39 record overall and a 26-23 record on the road. The Phillies have the third-ranked team batting average in the NL at .260.The matchup Saturday is the fifth meeting between these teams this season. The season series is tied 2-2.TOP PERFORMERS: Luis Arraez has 18 doubles, a triple and three home runs for the Marlins. Garrett Cooper is 12-for-38 with two doubles and th...

US disciplinary panel calls for Rudy Giuliani’s disbarment

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 18:08:30 GMT

A Washington, D.C.-based bar discipline committee concluded Friday that Rudy Giuliani should be disbarred for “frivolous” and “destructive” efforts to derail the 2020 presidential election in support of former President Donald Trump.“He claimed massive election fraud but had no evidence of it,” the three-member panel declared in a 38-page decision. “By prosecuting that destructive case Mr. Giuliani, a sworn officer of the Court, forfeited his right to practice law.”The committee tasked with reviewing Giuliani’s conduct consisted of two D.C. attorneys and one D.C. resident who is not a lawyer. The members deliberated for months after a weekslong series of hearings that featured testimony from Giuliani and several of his close associates. Trump waived attorney-client privilege to permit Giuliani to discuss the matters as well.Giuliani plans to challenge the panel’s findings and recommended sanction in front of a larger bar-discipline board. His ultimate disbarment or other penalty wou...

Andover’s Yandel Morales serves notice on world wrestling stage

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 18:08:30 GMT

Yandel Morales’ international wrestling debut didn’t quite go the way he hoped, but his performance was good enough that it won’t be his last international competition.Morales, who will be a sophomore at Andover High School this fall, represented Puerto Rico at the U17 Pan American Championships in Mexico City June 21-25 and claimed the Silver medal in the 51-kilogram (112 pounds) freestyle division. In the finals, Morales dropped a 12-11 decision to the United States representative, Czar Quintanilla of Spokane, Washington.“I did all right,” Morales said. “I could have done better. I always want to win every tournament I enter. I just made a few little mistakes.”With his second-place finish in Mexico, Morales earned the right to compete in the U17 world championships in Istanbul, Turkey from July 31-Aug. 6. Morales was eligible to represent Puerto Rico because his father, Andover High assistant coach Osvaldo Morales, was born in Puerto Rico.“I have family living in Puerto Rico,” Mor...

The Dutch prime minister is handing his resignation to the king after his coalition collapsed

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 18:08:30 GMT

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is visiting the king to turn in the resignation of his four-party coalition and set the deeply divided Netherlands on track for a general election later this year.King Willem-Alexander flew back from a family vacation in Greece to meet with Rutte on Saturday.The vexed issue of reining in migration that has troubled countries across Europe for years was the final stumbling block that brought down Rutte’s government Friday night, exposing the deep ideological differences between the four parties that made up the uneasy coalition.Now it is likely to dominate campaigning for an election that is still months away.“We are the party that can ensure a majority to significantly restrict the flow of asylum seekers,” said Geert Wilders, leader of the anti-immigration Party for Freedom, who supported Rutte’s first minority coalition 13 years ago, but also ultimately brought it down.Opposition parties on the left also want...

4 militants attack a police station and kill 2 security forces in southeast Iran, state TV says

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 18:08:30 GMT

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Four militants attacked a police station and killed two security forces in southeastern Iran, state TV reported on Saturday.The armed group attacked a police station in Zahedan, a city in Iran’s Sistan and Baluchistan province, about 30 kilometers (18.64 miles) from the border with Pakistan, triggering a shootout. Two security forces were killed, the report said.Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard said in a statement that the four militants were killed. The report quoted Alireza Marhamati, the province’s deputy governor, as saying the militants were trying to gain access to the police station and were equipped with grenades, but did not elaborate further.State-run IRNA news agency also reported that authorities on Saturday hanged two men involved in the October 26 deadly attack on Shah Cheragh mosque in the city of Shiraz, the second holiest site in Iran.The report said the two were members of the extremist Islamic State group and were behind the deadly att...

Texas police find 8 people injured by shooting at El Paso party, news report says

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 18:08:30 GMT

EL PASO, Texas (AP) — A shooting at a party in Texas wounded eight people on Friday night, according to a news report.Police in El Paso said the shooting happened on Swan Drive near the El Paso Country Club in the city’s Upper Valley area around 9:45 p.m., KVIA-TV reported.No information was immediately available about the victims but KVIA reported that police said they were transported to a hospital.An El Paso Fire Department dispatcher told the station that three victims suffered serious injuries and three others suffered minor injuries, while the conditions of the other two were not immediately known.Police did not say if any arrests had been made, KVIA reported.The combined communications division of the El Paso Police Department and fire department did not immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press seeking additional information.The Associated Press

Bridge: July 8, 2023

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 18:08:30 GMT

“Simple Saturday” columns treat basic technique and logical thinking.Learning players are introduced to the finesse early. But some finesses are better than others: A “bad” finesse can’t win or gains nothing if it does win; a “good” finesse may gain even if it loses.At four hearts, South won the first diamond with the king and led a trump. West won and led another diamond to dummy’s ace. South drew trumps and led the queen of spades to finesse, but West won and cashed a diamond. Later, South lost a finesse in clubs also. Down one.FOUR LOSERSSouth has four possible losers but an extra winner in spades he can use to pitch a diamond from his hand. After he wins the first trick, he can lead the ace and ten of spades. No finesse. South wins West’s diamond return and discards his last diamond on the queen of spades. Then he can lead trumps.Note that South is unlikely to gain, and may lose as the cards lie, if he wins the first diamond ...

Ask Amy: I put in a lot of work to be the fun neighbor, and these women ruin my plans

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 18:08:30 GMT

Dear Amy: I started two different progressive-dinner groups with other couples in our neighborhood.These dinners happen about three times a year for each group. It has been going on for six years.I call to coordinate our open Saturdays and let the other pick the course they are willing to make (we trade off making the main course). This is a walking progressive dinner because we all live near each other and we want to drink safely.My pet peeve is that some couples occasionally ask if they can ask a couple that I don’t know to join us (these people don’t live in the area).Including an extra couple means this “new couple” would provide a portion of the meal but bring it to one of the other couple’s houses instead of offering their own home, because they live out of town.I always say no with a gentle explanation but end up in a fight with these women who are my good friends.This has happened three times now. I caved twice; the third time I stood my ground, and it turned into a frosty e...

Harriette Cole: Is it a red flag that he wants me to ride a bus to our first date?

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 18:08:30 GMT

DEAR HARRIETTE: I recently started talking to a guy I met on a dating website. He seems really sweet, and we’ve had great conversations.Related ArticlesAdvice | Harriette Cole: People are saying my friend’s bad news is just a scam to get money Advice | Harriette Cole: She fought my sentimental claim to my mom’s table. Now we don’t speak. Advice | Harriette Cole: I’m starting to believe the rumor about my ex Advice | Harriette Cole: We posted a vacation TikTok, and this guy flipped out Advice | Harriette Cole: My family isn’t happy about my peanut brittle obsession He lives one town over from me; I don’t have a car, but he does. When we discussed meeting up, he suggested that I take the bus to his city. While I appreciate his eagerness to meet, I can’t help but feel a little insulted that he would suggest I take public transportation instead of just offering...