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Coast Guard: 2 dead, 10 missing after boat overturns in Keys

KEY WEST, Fla. — Two people are dead and 10 others are missing after their boat overturned Thursday near the Florida Keys, officials said.

The U.S. Coast Guard responded to a location several miles off Key West around 1 p.m. Crews rescued eight people and pulled two bodies from the water, Petty Officer Jose Hernandez said.

Two Coast Guard cutters and several small boats continued to search the area Thursday evening for the missing passengers, Hernandez said. There was no immediate sign of the overturned boat.

Officials didn’t immediately know what type of boat the people had been traveling in or where they had come from.

This Date in Baseball

May 28

1918 — Boston’s Joe Bush pitched a 1-0 one-hitter against the Chicago White Sox and drove in the lone run. The only Chicago hit was by Happy Felsch. It occurred when he threw his bat at the ball on a hit and run.

1939 — Philadelphia pitcher Robert Joyce was victimized two straight days by New York’s George Selkirk. Joyce gave up two homers to Selkirk a day earlier. Joyce came on in relief on this day and gave up two more homers to Selkirk. Selkirk ended with four homers in four at-bats against the same pitcher over two successive games. The Yankees won 9-5.

1946 — The Washington Senators beat New York 2-1 in the first night game at Yankee Stadium. The first ball was thrown out by General Electric president Charles E. Wilson.

1951 — After going 0-for-12 in his first three major league games, Willie Mays of the New York Giants hit a home run off Warren Spahn in a 4-1 loss to the Boston Braves.

1956 — Dale Long of the Pittsburgh Pirates hit a home run in his eighth consecutive game, a major league record. Long connected off Brooklyn’s Carl Erskine at Forbes Field.

1968 — The American League announced the league will be split into two divisions. The East division will consist of Baltimore, Boston, Cleveland, Detroit, New York and Washington. California, Chicago, Kansas City, Minnesota, Oakland and Seattle will make up the West.

1979 — George Brett of the Kansas City Royals hit for the cycle and added another home run to beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-4 in 16 innings.

1986 — Joe Cowley of the Chicago White Sox set a major league record by striking out the first seven batters he faced. He lasted 4 2-3 innings in a 6-3 loss to the Texas Rangers.

1995 — The White Sox and Tigers set a major league record with 12 homers, and combined for an American League-record 21 extra-base hits in Chicago’s 14-12 victory in Detroit.

1998 — Arizona manager Buck Showalter intentionally walked Barry Bonds with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth, and the Diamondbacks held on to beat San Francisco 8-7.

2003 — Atlanta became the second team in major league history to start a game with three straight homers in its 15-3 win over the Reds. Rafael Furcal, Mark DeRosa and Gary Sheffield hit consecutive home runs off Jeff Austin in the bottom of the first. The Padres did it against the Giants on April 13, 1987.

2006 — Barry Bonds hit his 715th home run during the San Francisco Giants’ 6-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies to slip past Babe Ruth and pull in behind Hank Aaron and his long-standing record of 755.

2007 — Adrian Beltre tied a franchise record with four extra-base hits, including two homers, as Seattle pounded the Los Angeles Angels 12-5.

2010 — Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera hit three homers in a 5-4 loss to Oakland. Oakland’s Ben Sheets gave up three runs — on Cabrera’s first two homers — worked seven innings in his longest start of the season.

2010 — Matt Cain pitched a one-hitter to match a career best, giving up only a two-out double in the second to Mark Reynolds, and San Francisco beat Arizona 5-0.

Today’s birthdays: Craig Kimbrel 33; Huascar Ynoa 23.

This Date in Baseball

May 28

1918 — Boston’s Joe Bush pitched a 1-0 one-hitter against the Chicago White Sox and drove in the lone run. The only Chicago hit was by Happy Felsch. It occurred when he threw his bat at the ball on a hit and run.

1939 — Philadelphia pitcher Robert Joyce was victimized two straight days by New York’s George Selkirk. Joyce gave up two homers to Selkirk a day earlier. Joyce came on in relief on this day and gave up two more homers to Selkirk. Selkirk ended with four homers in four at-bats against the same pitcher over two successive games. The Yankees won 9-5.

1946 — The Washington Senators beat New York 2-1 in the first night game at Yankee Stadium. The first ball was thrown out by General Electric president Charles E. Wilson.

1951 — After going 0-for-12 in his first three major league games, Willie Mays of the New York Giants hit a home run off Warren Spahn in a 4-1 loss to the Boston Braves.

1956 — Dale Long of the Pittsburgh Pirates hit a home run in his eighth consecutive game, a major league record. Long connected off Brooklyn’s Carl Erskine at Forbes Field.

1968 — The American League announced the league will be split into two divisions. The East division will consist of Baltimore, Boston, Cleveland, Detroit, New York and Washington. California, Chicago, Kansas City, Minnesota, Oakland and Seattle will make up the West.

1979 — George Brett of the Kansas City Royals hit for the cycle and added another home run to beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-4 in 16 innings.

1986 — Joe Cowley of the Chicago White Sox set a major league record by striking out the first seven batters he faced. He lasted 4 2-3 innings in a 6-3 loss to the Texas Rangers.

1995 — The White Sox and Tigers set a major league record with 12 homers, and combined for an American League-record 21 extra-base hits in Chicago’s 14-12 victory in Detroit.

1998 — Arizona manager Buck Showalter intentionally walked Barry Bonds with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth, and the Diamondbacks held on to beat San Francisco 8-7.

2003 — Atlanta became the second team in major league history to start a game with three straight homers in its 15-3 win over the Reds. Rafael Furcal, Mark DeRosa and Gary Sheffield hit consecutive home runs off Jeff Austin in the bottom of the first. The Padres did it against the Giants on April 13, 1987.

2006 — Barry Bonds hit his 715th home run during the San Francisco Giants’ 6-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies to slip past Babe Ruth and pull in behind Hank Aaron and his long-standing record of 755.

2007 — Adrian Beltre tied a franchise record with four extra-base hits, including two homers, as Seattle pounded the Los Angeles Angels 12-5.

2010 — Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera hit three homers in a 5-4 loss to Oakland. Oakland’s Ben Sheets gave up three runs — on Cabrera’s first two homers — worked seven innings in his longest start of the season.

2010 — Matt Cain pitched a one-hitter to match a career best, giving up only a two-out double in the second to Mark Reynolds, and San Francisco beat Arizona 5-0.

Today’s birthdays: Craig Kimbrel 33; Huascar Ynoa 23.

May 29

1916 — Christy Mathewson defeated the Boston Braves 3-0 for the New York Giants’ 17th consecutive road win.

1922 — The U.S. Supreme Court ruled organized baseball was primarily a sport and not a business, and therefore not subject to antitrust laws and interstate commerce regulations. The suit had been brought by the Federal League’s Baltimore franchise.

1928 — Bill Terry hit for the cycle to lead the New York Giants to a 12-5 win over Brooklyn at Ebbets Field. Terry became the first player in major league history to include a grand slam as part of the cycle.

1942 — New York’s Lefty Gomez, self-described as the worst-hitting pitcher in baseball, banged out four hits while pitching a 16-1 four-hitter against Washington.

1946 — In a reverse integration role, Edward Klep became the first white to play in the Negro leagues in a game played in Grand Rapids. Klep pitched seven innings for the Cleveland Buckeyes against the American Giants in his debut with the Negro American League team.

1956 — Dale Long went hitless for the Pirates, ending his major league record streak of home runs in eight consecutive games. The Brooklyn Dodgers beat Pittsburgh, 10-1.

1965 — Philadelphia’s Richie Allen hit a 529-foot home run over the roof of Connie Mack Stadium off Chicago’s Larry Jackson in the Phillies’ 4-2 victory.

1976 — Houston’s Joe Niekro was the winning pitcher and hit a home run off his brother, Phil Niekro. The Astros beat the Atlanta Braves 4-1. It was the only home run hit by Joe in his 22-year major league career.

1990 — Oakland’s Rickey Henderson broke Ty Cobb’s 62-year-old American League stolen base record, but the Toronto Blue Jays still beat the Athletics 2-1. Henderson’s 893rd steal came in the sixth inning.

2000 — Oakland second baseman Randy Velarde turned the 10th unassisted triple play in regular-season history during a 4-1 loss to the New York Yankees. With runners on first and second in motion, Shane Spencer hit a line drive to Velarde who caught the ball, tagged out Jorge Posada (running from first) and stepped on second to beat Tino Martinez.

2002 — Roger Clemens recorded the 100th double-digit strikeout game of his career, fanning 11 in seven innings against Chicago. Nolan Ryan (215) and Randy Johnson (175) were the others to have 100 double-digit strikeout games.

2002 — In an article in Sports Illustrated former NL MVP Ken Caminiti stated that about 50 percent of current major league players used some form of steroids.

2003 — Colorado, behind Todd Helton’s three home runs and Ron Belliard’s five hits beat the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers 12-5. Helton added a single and drove in six runs.

2010 — Philadelphia’s Roy Halladay threw the 20th perfect game in major league history, beating the Florida Marlins 1-0. It was the first time in the modern era that there were a pair of perfect games in the same season. Halladay faced three Marlins pinch-hitters in the ninth. Mike Lamb led off with a long fly ball, Wes Helms struck out, and Ronny Paulino to hit a grounder to third for the 27th out. Halladay struck out 11 and went to either 3-1 or 3-2 counts seven times, twice in the game’s first three batters alone.

2013 — Chris Davis went 4 for 4 with two home runs, and the Baltimore Orioles overcame three homers by Ryan Zimmerman to beat the Washington Nationals 9-6.

2013 — Dioner Navarro had the first three-homer game of his career, connecting from both sides of the plate at Wrigley Field to lead the Chicago Cubs to a 9-3 win over the Chicago White Sox. Navarro drove in a career-high six runs and scored four times.

Today’s birthdays: Trevor Rosenthal 31; Jerry Hairston Jr. 45.

May 30

1894 — Boston’s Robert Lowe became the first player in Major League history to hit four home runs in a game, leading the Beaneaters to a 20-11 win over Cincinnati. After hitting four straight homers, all line drives far over the fence, Lowe added a single to set a major league record with 17 total bases.

1922 — Between the morning and afternoon games of a Memorial Day twin bill, Max Flack of the Chicago Cubs was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for Cliff Heathcote. They played one game for each team.

1927 — In the fourth inning of a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, shortstop Jim Cooney of the Chicago Cubs caught Paul Waner’s liner, stepped on second to double Lloyd Waner and then tagged Clyde Barnhart coming from first for an unassisted triple play.

1935 — Babe Ruth made his last major league appearance. He played one inning for the Boston Braves against the Philadelphia Phillies. Jim Bivin retired Babe Ruth on an infield grounder in the Babe’s final major league at-bat.

1940 — Carl Hubbell of the New York Giants threw 87 pitches in a 7-0 one-hitter against the Brooklyn Dodgers. He faced the minimum 27 batters. Johnny Hudson, who singled, was caught stealing.

1956 — Mickey Mantle hit a home run that came within a foot-and-a-half of leaving Yankee Stadium. It hit the face of the upper deck in right field, 370 feet from home plate and 117 feet in the air. Mantle became the first player to hit 20 home runs by the end of May as the Yankees beat the Washington Senators 4-3.

1961 — Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris and Bill Skowron each hit two homers to lead the New York Yankees to a 12-3 rout of the Boston Red Sox. Yogi Berra also added a homer.

1962 — Pedro Ramos of the Cleveland Indians tossed a three-hitter and hit two home runs, including a grand slam, for a 7-0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.

1977 — Cleveland’s Dennis Eckersley pitched a 1-0 no-hitter against the California Angels.

1982 — Baltimore’s Cal Ripken Jr. began his record consecutive games streak by starting at third base against the Toronto Blue Jays.

1987 — Eric Davis hit a grand slam in the third inning, breaking two National League records and leading the Cincinnati Reds to a 6-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Davis became the first NL player to hit three grand slams in a month and his major league leading 19 homers broke the NL record for most homers in April and May.

1992 — Scott Sanderson became the ninth pitcher to beat all 26 major league teams as New York defeated Milwaukee 8-1. Sanderson joined Nolan Ryan, Tommy John, Don Sutton, Mike Torrez, Rick Wise, Gaylord Perry, Doyle Alexander and Rich Gossage as those who have defeated every club.

2001 — Barry Bonds hit two home runs, moving past Willie McCovey and Ted Williams into 11th place on the career list with 522. Bonds with 17 home runs in May, surpassed the mark set by Mark McGwire in 1998 and Mickey Mantle in 1956.

2003 — Ken Griffey Jr. hit a game-tying home run in the ninth and a go-ahead homer in the top of the 11th to lead Cincinnati over Florida 4-3.

2006 — Vernon Wells hit three home runs and Troy Glaus added two more in Toronto’s 8-5 victory over Boston.

2009 — Travis Tucker hit an RBI single with one out in the top of the 25th inning, leading Texas to a 3-2 victory over Boston College in the longest game in NCAA history. The game eclipsed the previous record of 23 innings, set in 1971 when Louisiana-Lafayette defeated McNeese State 6-5.

2010 — Albert Pujols hit three long home runs to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 9-1 win over the Chicago Cubs. Pujols homered in the first, fifth and ninth innings for his fourth career three-homer game.

2011 — Jo-Jo Reyes won for the first time in 29 starts by throwing his first career complete game to lead Toronto to an 11-1 rout of Cleveland. Reyes avoided becoming the first pitcher to go winless in 29 starts. Oakland’s Matt Keough went 28 starts between wins in 1978 and 1979, matching the dubious mark first set by Boston’s Cliff Curtis in 1910 and 1911. The left-hander went 0-13 with a 6.59 ERA in his 28 starts between wins.

2011 — Arizona’s Kelly Johnson became the second player in the majors this year to have four extra-base hits in a game as the Diamondbacks beat the Florida Marlins 15-4. Johnson hit solo home runs in the third and sixth, doubled in the fourth and tripled in the seventh.

Today’s birthdays: Zack Wheeler 31; Tony Watson 36; Fernando Salas 36.

May 31

1914 — Joseph Benz of the White Sox pitched a no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians for a 6-1 victory.

1927 — Detroit first baseman Johnny Neun made an unassisted triple play against Cleveland. He caught Homer Summa’s liner, tagged Charlie Jamieson between first and second and then touched second base before Glenn Myatt could return. The Tigers beat the Indians 1-0.

1937 — Carl Hubbell’s 24-game winning streak ended with a 10-3 loss to the Brooklyn Dodgers. Hubbell’s last defeat came on July 13, 1936, 1-0 to the Chicago Cubs.

1944 — Al Unser’s only home run of the year, a pinch-hit grand slam with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, helped the Detroit Tigers beat the New York Yankees 6-2.

1964 — The New York Mets and the San Francisco Giants played the longest doubleheader in major league history — 9 hours, 52 minutes — with the help of a 23-inning game in the nightcap that was won by the visiting Giants 8-6 on run-scoring hits by Del Crandall and Felipe Alou against Galen Cisco. The second game took 7:23 to play.

1970 — Chicago’s Luis Aparicio and Walt Williams each collect five hits in a 22-13 rout of the Boston Red Sox. Williams also scored five times. The two teams collected 40 hits, one short of the AL record set in 1950.

1980 — Ken Landreaux went 0-for-4 in Minnesota’s 11-1 loss to Baltimore, ending his hitting streak at 31 consecutive games. It was the longest streak in the American League since Dom DiMaggio’s 34-game streak in 1949.

1997 — Ila Borders became the first woman to pitch in a regular-season professional game, in the sixth inning of the St. Paul Saints’ Northern League game against Sioux Falls. She gave up three earned runs without getting an out.

1999 — Umpire Frank Pulli used TV replay to take away a home run from Florida’s Cliff Floyd in the fifth inning of the Marlins’ 5-2 loss to St. Louis.

2008 — Manny Ramirez of the Boston Red Sox hit career homer No. 500, a drive off Baltimore right-hander Chad Bradford to become the 24th major leaguer to reach the milestone.

2009 — Stephen Cardullo set a tournament record with seven hits, including three of Florida State’s NCAA-record 15 doubles, as the Seminoles routed Ohio State 37-6 advanced to the super regionals. Florida State set NCAA postseason records with 37 runs, 38 hits and 66 total bases, while Cardullo set the school mark for hits.

Today’s birthday: David Fletcher 27, Jake Peavy 40, Dave Roberts 49.

June 1

1923 — The New York Giants scored in every inning to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 22-8 at the Baker Bowl.

1925 — Lou Gehrig batted for Pee Wee Wanninger in the eighth and replaced Wally Pipp at first base to start his streak of 2,130 consecutive games. The Washington Senators beat the New York Yankees 5-3.

1937 — Bill Dietrich of the Chicago White Sox pitched a no-hitter against the St. Louis Browns in an 8-0 win.

1975 — Nolan Ryan of the California Angels pitched his fourth no-hitter, striking out nine. Ryan tied Sandy Koufax’s record by beating the Baltimore Orioles 1-0. It was Ryan’s 100th major league victory.

1977 — Seattle’s Ruppert Jones homered off Cleveland’s Dennis Eckersley in the fifth inning to snap Eckersley’s no-hit string of 22 1-3 innings, just two outs short of Cy Young’s major league record. The Indians went on to win, 7-1.

1987 — Cleveland’s Phil Niekro pitched the Indians to a 9-6 victory, his 314th, over the Detroit Tigers. The win gave himself and his brother, Joe, a major league record 530 combined victories, surpassing Gaylord and Jim Perry.

2000 — Pawtucket’s Tomo Ohka became the third pitcher in the 117-year history of the International League to throw a nine-inning perfect game when he beat the Charlotte Knights 2-0.

2005 — Miguel Tejada hit a homer, three doubles and scored three runs in Baltimore’s 9-3 victory over Boston.

2009 — The New York Yankees played error free for the 18th straight game in a 5-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians, surpassing Boston’s major league mark of 17 set in 2006. New York’s last error came on May 13 at Toronto when shortstop Ramiro Pena misplayed a groundball.

2011 — Cincinnati’s Francisco Cordero got his 300th career save, securing the Reds’ 4-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. Cordero pitched a perfect ninth, becoming the 22nd reliever to achieve 300 saves, tying Bruce Sutter at the mark.

2012 — Johan Santana pitched the first no-hitter in New York Mets’ history. Santana was helped by an umpire’s missed call and an outstanding catch in left field in an 8-0 victory over St. Louis Cardinals. Carlos Beltran, back at Citi Field for the first time since the Mets traded him last July, hit a line drive over third base in the sixth inning that hit the foul line and should have been called fair. But third base umpire Adrian Johnson ruled it foul and the no-hitter was intact. Mike Baxter made a tremendous catch in left field to rob Yadier Molina of extra bases in the seventh, getting injured in the process.

2012 — Jonathan Crawford threw the seventh no-hitter in NCAA tournament history, shutting down Bethune-Cookman in a 4-0 victory in the opener of the Gainesville Regional. Crawford, a sophomore, was nearly perfect and faced the minimum 27 batters. The only player to reach base was Bethune-Cookman’s Jake Welch on a walk in the third inning, and Florida catcher Mike Zunino threw him out trying to steal.

2012 — Alex Miklos hit a go-ahead RBI triple in the 21st inning as Kent State outlasted Kentucky 7-6 in the second-longest game in NCAA tournament history. The Golden Flashes held the lead in the ninth and 18th innings, but the Wildcats answered both times to extend the game. It was the longest game in the NCAA tournament since Texas beat Boston College 3-2 in 25 innings on May 30, 2009.

Today’s birthday: Andrew Stevenson 27, Carlos Zambrano 40.

June 2

1928 — Les Bell of the Boston Braves hit three home runs and a triple at Braves Field, but the Cincinnati Reds came away with a 20-12 triumph.

1928 — The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 2-1. All the runs came from three pinch-hit home runs.

1941 — Lou Gehrig died in New York at age 37.

1949 — The Philadelphia Phillies hit five homers in the eighth inning against the Cincinnati Reds. Andy Seminick hit two and Del Ennis, Willie Jones, and Schoolboy Rowe hit one apiece. Seminick had homered earlier in the game.

1959 — The Baltimore Orioles-Chicago White Sox game at Comiskey Park was delayed for nearly half an hour as a swarm of gnats overcame the field. Groundskeepers tried using bug sprays and torches, but the gnats wouldn’t budge. A postgame fireworks display was brought in from center field and a smoke bomb was attached to the framework. The gnats left and the Orioles defeated the White Sox, 3-2.

1990 — Randy Johnson pitched the first no-hitter in the Seattle Mariners’ history as he beat the Detroit Tigers 2-0. The 6-foot-10 left-hander, walked six and struck out eight while pitching the first no-hitter at the Kingdome, which opened for baseball in 1977.

1996 — Houston starter Darryl Kile tied the modern major league record by hitting four batters in a 2-0 loss at St. Louis, and the first to do it in the NL since Moe Drabowsky in 1957.

2000 — Tampa Bay’s Fred McGriff hit his 400th career home run, but the Devil Rays lost to the Mets 5-3.

2000 — Rick Aguilera of the Chicago Cubs became the 13th pitcher with 300 saves in a 2-0 win over Detroit. Aguilera reached the mark in 614 career appearances, third quickest.

2002 — Philadelphia pitcher Robert Person drove in seven runs with a grand slam and a three-run homer in an 18-3 win over Montreal. Person had just come off the disabled list and collected his first win of the season.

2005 — Kansas City completed a sweep of the New York Yankees with a 5-2 victory. The Royals, who have the worst record and second-lowest payroll in the major leagues, finished their first three-game sweep of the Yankees at home in 15 years.

2009 — Dan Uggla of the Marlins became the fastest second baseman to 100 homers in Florida’s 10-3 win over Milwaukee. Uggla’s two-run shot in the bottom of the second came in his 502nd game as a second baseman, beating Alfonso Soriano to 100 by 34 games.

2010 — Armando Galarraga of the Detroit Tigers lost his bid for a perfect game with two outs in the ninth inning on a call that first base umpire Jim Joyce later admitted he blew. First baseman Miguel Cabrera cleanly fielded Jason Donald’s grounder to his right and made an accurate throw to Galarraga covering the bag. The ball was there in time, and all of Comerica Park was ready to celebrate the 3-0 win over Cleveland, until Joyce emphatically signaled safe.

2011 — Aubrey Huff hit three home runs and matched his career best with six RBIs and the San Francisco Giants posted a 12-7 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. Huff hit two-run homers in the fourth and ninth and a solo shot in the seventh.

Today’s birthdays: Tim Stauffer 39; Neifi Perez 48; Raul Ibanez 49.

June 3

1918 — Dutch Leonard of the Boston Red Sox pitched his second no-hitter, blanking the Detroit Tigers 5-0.

1932 — Lou Gehrig became the first American League player to hit four home runs in a game, helping the New York Yankees beat the Philadelphia A’s 20-13. The event was overshadowed by the resignation of John McGraw as manager of the New York Giants.

1954 — Henry Thompson of the New York Giants hit three home runs and drove in eight runs in a 13-8 win against the St. Louis Cardinals. Willie Mays drove in the other five runs with two homers.

1971 — Ken Holtzman of the Chicago Cubs pitched his second no-hitter, beating the Cincinnati Reds 1-0.

1978 — Dave Johnson became the first major leaguer to hit two pinch-hit grand slams in a season. His grand slam in the ninth inning gave the Philadelphia Phillies a 5-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

1989 — Los Angeles and Houston played 22 innings at the Astrodome in the longest night game in National League history — 7 hours and 14 minutes. The Astros won the game on Rafael Ramirez’s RBI single off Jeff Hamilton, normally the Dodgers’ third baseman. When the game ended, Fernando Valenzuela was playing first and Eddie Murray was at third.

1989 — Nolan Ryan pitched his 11th career one-hitter and struck out 11 as Texas beat Seattle 6-1. It was Ryan’s 16th low-hit game (no-hitter or one-hitter), breaking Bob Feller’s record of 15.

1995 — Pedro Martinez of Montreal pitched nine perfect innings against San Diego before giving up a leadoff double to Bip Roberts in the 10th inning of the Expos 1-0 win.

2003 — Sammy Sosa was ejected in the first inning of Chicago’s 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays after umpires found cork in his shattered bat.

2006 — Damion Easley hit three homers and had seven RBIs in Arizona’s 13-9 victory over Atlanta.

2008 — Randy Johnson took sole possession of second place on baseball’s career strikeout list after getting the Milwaukee Brewers’ Mike Cameron to go down swinging in the first inning. It was Johnson’s 4,673rd career strikeout, breaking a tie with Roger Clemens and leaving the Arizona Diamondbacks’ veteran ace behind only Nolan Ryan, who had 5,714 strikeouts in his career.

Today’s birthdays: Harrison Bader 27, Travis Hafner 44, Jose Molina 46, Carl Everett 50.

Feds: Semi driver who killed 5 kids lied on health forms

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A fiery 2019 Florida interstate crash that killed five children from a Louisiana church headed to Walt Disney World was caused by a truck driver who hid his long medical history becoming incapacitated and losing control of his semi, investigators said in a report released Thursday.

The National Transportation Safety Board said Steve Holland, 59, had heart disease and other medical conditions when his truck slammed through the center divider on Interstate 75 near Gainesville on Jan. 3, 2019, and into the church van, but for years had failed to report them when he received the health certificate needed to renew his license.

The report said Holland’s medical history probably would not have prevented him from getting his certificate, but it probably would have been for less than the maximum two years that he received.

In the month before the crash, Holland had been treated by doctors for a persistent cough and weakness and had told another driver he had been suffering from chest pains, but he kept driving, the report said. His autopsy said heart disease was a contributing factor to his death, but the report says it is uncertain what medical issue caused him to lose control.

Holland was heading north, carrying mail from South Florida to Georgia for Eagle Express when he lost control about 3:40 p.m. on a clear, dry highway. His truck veered to the left, smashing into a car and pushing both through the center guardrail.

The truck then smashed into a southbound van carrying 12 adults and children from the Avoyelles House of Mercy, a Pentecostal church in Marksville, Louisiana. The children were on winter break and were less than two hours from Disney World. Holland’s truck then smashed head on into another truck, also killing that driver. Several children and Holland were thrown from their vehicles, with the trucks erupting in flames.

A fifth car, unable to avoid the chaos, sped through and hit people who were thrown from the van, the highway patrol said. In addition to the seven deaths, at least eight others were injured, some seriously.

Authorities identified the dead children as Joel Cloud and Jeremiah Warren, both 14; Cara Descant, 13; Briena Descant, 10; and Cierra Bordelan, 9. Church officials did not immediately respond late Thursday to a call and Facebook message seeking comment.

The report says Holland had suffered a heart attack and had undergone bypass surgery in 2010, had high blood pressure and numerous other conditions.

But after receiving only one-year certificates in 2012 and 2013 because of his mounting health issues, Holland in 2014 began falsifying that information on the questionnaire drivers fill out during their health examinations, answering “no” to specific questions about those conditions, investigators said. He also started seeing different doctors who were not familiar with his history. His last examination was 11 months before the crash.

Investigators said there were no mechanical defects to his truck, a 2016 Freightliner, that would have caused the crash. Eagle Express is a division of 10 Roads Express. The Carter Lake, Iowa, company did not immediately respond to an email message late Thursday.

Court records show Holland received numerous tickets between 2000 and 2014 in Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Virginia for violations such as speeding, driving an unsafe vehicle, driving an overloaded vehicle and not carrying proof of insurance.

GOP donor, investor, philanthropist Foster Friess dies at 81

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Republican political donor, investor and philanthropist Foster Friess died Thursday. He was 81.

A multimillionaire who lived in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Friess was a GOP kingmaker who donated lavishly to candidates and charitable causes over four decades.

Friess directly gave almost $7 million to hundreds of candidates since the early 1980s, federal campaign finance records show, and was perhaps best known for supporting former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum’s presidential run in 2012.

“Foster was just larger than life. He filled up the room when he came in,” Santorum said. “And when he left the room, you felt somehow impacted.”

Friess campaigned for Santorum and came through with badly needed funds for television advertising ahead of his Iowa caucuses win, Santorum recalled.

“He had an amazing gift for encouraging people, not just by giving to them but by believing in them,” Santorum added.

Friess entered politics as a candidate only recently, running for Wyoming governor in 2018.

In a six-way Republican primary, Friess finished with 25% to Mark Gordon’s 33%, prompting Friess to complain that Democrats registering as Republicans had cost him critical votes. Gordon went on to be elected governor of the GOP-dominated state.

Friess grew up in Rice Lake, Wisconsin, and got a degree in business administration from the University of Wisconsin.

Friess became an investor after serving in the U.S. Army as an intelligence officer in the 1960s. In 1974, he founded Friess Associates and in 1985 launched the firm’s flagship Brandywine Fund.

He donated over $500 million to charitable causes over his lifetime, according to his Foster’s Outriders political and philanthropic organization.

Diagnosed in September with myelodysplasia, a bone marrow disease, Friess’ staff said in an automated email reply in recent months that he struggled to keep his weight up but was sustaining himself on “a pizza, spaghetti and oatmeal cookie diet.”

Friess nonetheless kept in contact with reporters, weighing in on political news when asked.

He died surrounded by family in Scottsdale, Arizona, according to a Foster’s Outriders statement.

Friess is survived by his wife, Lynnette, four children and 15 grandchildren. Services are planned in Scottsdale, Jackson and Rice Lake.

FirstEnergy fires another executive over consulting contract

CLEVELAND — A FirstEnergy senior vice president was fired Thursday for her “inaction” regarding a 2015 amendment to a “purported” consulting contract with someone who was later appointed as Ohio’s top utility regulator, the company announced in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing.

Eileen Mikkelsen’s dismissal makes her the sixth high-ranking FirstEnergy executive fired since the U.S. Department of Justice alleged last July that the company had secretly funded a $60 million bribery scheme aimed at winning legislative approval of a bailout of two nuclear power plants operated at the time by a wholly-owned FirstEnergy subsidiary.

CEO Chuck Jones and two other vice presidents were fired in October for what FirstEnergy said were violations of company policies and its code of conduct. Two of the company’s top attorneys were fired the following month. FirstEnergy did not specify the reason for their dismissals.

Jones was appointed CEO in 2015.

A message seeking comment was left for Mikkelsen on Thursday. A FirstEnergy spokesperson declined to comment about the firing.

While FirstEnergy has not named the regulator in question, it has not been disputed that it was Samuel Randazzo, appointed by Republican Gov. Mike DeWine in early 2019 as chair of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. Randazzo resigned last November after the FBI searched his Columbus townhome and FirstEnergy disclosed it had paid him $4.3 million before his appointment to end a consulting contract in place since 2013.

“FirstEnergy continues to believe that payments under the consulting agreement may have been for purposes other than those represented within the consulting agreement,” according to Thursday’s SEC filing.

FirstEnergy has been engaged in damage control over the last year as it tries to restore is corporate reputation, emphasizing efforts the company has made to strengthen its internal controls. FirstEnergy officials have said the company is cooperating with investigations by the DOJ, SEC and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and that it has discussed a deferred prosecution agreement with DOJ attorneys.

The Legislature earlier this year repealed the $1 billion bailout in the wake of the scandal and the plants’ new owner, Energy Harbor, indicating it did not want the subsidy worth about $150 million a year. Energy Harbor took control of the plants and other assets of the FirstEnergy subsidiary in February 2020 as part of a deal struck in U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

Two sets of lawsuits seeking certification as class action complaints have been filed against FirstEnergy since July. Outside attorneys representing the company have said in recent motions to dismiss the lawsuits that FirstEnergy’s actions regarding its contributions to dark money groups controlled by former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder were legal.

Householder and four others were indicted on racketeering charges shortly after the DOJ unveiled criminal complaints against them in July. Householder has pleaded not guilty.

UN authorizes monitors for Iraq’s elections in October

UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. Security Council on Thursday unanimously approved an Iraqi request for a U.N. team to monitor parliamentary elections in October.

A resolution adopted by the council authorized the U.N. political mission in Iraq and U.N. special representative Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert to “provide a strengthened, robust and visible U.N. team, with additional staff, in advance of Iraq’s forthcoming election, to monitor Iraq’s election day with as broad a geographic coverage as possible.”

Earlier this month, Hennis-Plasschaert told the council that the Iraqi people demanded these elections during mass protests in which some paid with their lives, and “now is not the time to let them down.” She urged Iraqis to uphold the integrity of the elections, saying the world will be watching to see that voting is free and transparent and without political pressure or interference.

Anti-government demonstrators took to the streets by the tens of thousands last year to demand political change and an end to rampant corruption and poor services in the country. More than 500 people were killed in the protests as security forces used live rounds and tear gas to disperse crowds.

Last July, Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi announced that early elections would be held to meet their demands. But Iraq’s Cabinet voted in January to postpone the balloting for four months, until October, after the electoral commission sought the delay for technical reasons.

The elections, scheduled for Oct. 10, will decide the 328 members of the Council of Representatives, who in turn elect the president and prime minister.

Responding to the Iraqi foreign minister’s letter on Feb. 11 requesting the U.N. send observers ahead of the elections, the Security Council not only gave a green light for U.N. monitors but also authorized the U.N. mission in Iraq to provide logistical and security support to international and regional observers invited by the Iraqi government.

The council also authorized the mission and the U.N. envoy to “launch a U.N. strategic messaging campaign to educate, inform, and update Iraqi voters on election preparations, and U.N. activities in support of elections in advance of and on election day.”

The resolution , which extended the Iraq mission’s mandate until May 27, 2022, requested Hennis-Plasschaert to provide advice, support and assistance to the government and the Independent High Electoral Commission on planning and executing “genuinely free and fair Iraqi-led, Iraqi-owned elections.”

U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the council on May 11 that al-Kadhimi’s administration has worked “to fulfill its promise of credible early elections, and to maximize turnout at a critical moment in Iraq’s history.”

She called the elections “a top priority” for the U.S. and the U.N. and said the Biden administration wants “a U.N. team sizable enough to deter fraud, increase turnout, and rebuild trust in Iraq’s democracy.”

The resolution does not state how many U.N. election monitors will be sent to Iraq, and Thomas-Greenfield gave no number either.

The U.S. ambassador said a robust monitoring team is needed because “violence by armed actors against citizens, security forces, and journalists threaten to undermine the election.” She cited reports that militias are harassing activists, protesters, and people who criticize armed groups operating outside state control.

Rookie Jones fitting in with Pats during offseason workouts

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Wearing No. 50, Patriots rookie Mac Jones may not look like a guy who belongs in the quarterbacks room at Gillette Stadium.

According to one of the team’s receivers, though, Jones carries himself like a quarterback who truly belongs there.

“Mac, good energy, awesome guy,” wide receiver Kendrick Bourne said as the Patriots continued their organized team activities on Thursday. “You can tell he’s happy to be here. He comes to work. You just can feel his energy, his leadership already.

“He has a swag to him that I didn’t know that he had at first,” Bourne, a veteran free-agent acquisition from San Francisco, said. “He’s out there confident, and that’s what you need in a quarterback and in all our players. You’ve got to have confidence. He’s come in with that.”

The Patriots’ first-round pick in this year’s draft, Jones arrives with an impressive college resume. The 6-foot-3, 214-pounder was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy in 2020, a season in which he quarterbacked Alabama to the national championship.

But gone is the No. 10 Jones wore for the Crimson Tide. Now he wears No. 50, a number traditionally worn by linebackers and linemen.

The temporary change is all a part of a tradition for Patriots rookies who play under coach Bill Belichick, the message being that the youngsters aren’t given, but must earn, their true numbers.

Jones has plenty of company on Belichick’s depth chart. Cam Newton, the 2015 MVP with Carolina, is coming off a disappointing season as Tom Brady’s successor at quarterback. Backups Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer also return to a team that went 7-9 in 2020.

While Belichick made Jones the 15th overall pick in the draft, he was quick to make it clear that very night that Newton remains the team’s starter.

“Cam’s our quarterback,” Belichick said at the time.

While the four QBs the Patriots are currently carrying makes for a crowded situation on the practice field, Belichick said the situation is no different from other positions.

“That’s really a situation at every position,” said Belichick. “It doesn’t matter whether you’re talking about 13 offensive linemen or eight defensive tackles or four quarterbacks or nine receivers, it’s hard to get everybody the right amount of work or get them the high volume, but I think you just try to balance that out and give everybody the opportunity, try to spread the reps out, and it’s very important for players at every position to learn from the guy who’s taking the reps. So even though they’re not in there taking it, mentally they can still take it and go through the process.

“In the quarterback’s case it’s pre-snap keys and real-time timing rather than watching it on film and that kind of thing, but real-time timing of here’s what happens when the ball’s snapped, here’s what I see, here’s where I go with the ball.

“But again, that’s true of every position. That’s what a good player will do, that’s what good professionals will go, they’ll take advantage of every rep whether they’re in there or not and take advantage of the ones that they are in there, on the field for.”

According to tight end Hunter Henry, Jones is making the most of his opportunities.

“Mac’s doing a great job,” said Henry, a veteran free-agent addition from the Los Angeles Chargers. “He’s obviously new and I’m new so we’re just all going through (it) together and him being even new to the whole atmosphere of this next level. He’s doing a great job. Good to have him here. We’re all excited for him.”


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Meadows homers and has 4 RBIs, Rays beat Royals 7-2

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Austin Meadows homered and had four RBIs, Shane McClanahan went five scoreless innings, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Kansas City Royals 7-2 on Thursday.

Tampa Bay has won two straight after Kansas City stopped the Rays’ 11-game winning streak in the series opener Tuesday night.

Meadows had a two-run triple in the first and connected on a third-inning two-run homer.

McClanahan (2-0) scattered three hits and struck out six.

Joey Wendle, Taylor Walls, Randy Arozarena also had RBIs for the Rays, who have scored six runs or more in 10 of their last 14 games,

Kansas City got a two-run homer from Ryan O’Hearn.

Meadows had the lone hit, a two-run triple, during a three-run first off Brady Singer (2-4). Brandon Lowe was hit by a pitch and Ji-Man Choi walked with one out before scoring on Meadows’ hit.

Meadows got Tampa Bay’s second hit, a two-run drive during a three-run third that made it 6-0. He has three homers and 16 RBIs in his last 13 games.

In the first two games of the series, Kansas City pitchers allowed three runs — two earned — and seven hits over 18 1/3 innings.

Singer gave up six runs and four hits in 2 2/3 innings.

Meadows came up with the bases loaded and one out in the fourth but grounded into a double play against Jakob Junis.

O’Hearn entered defensively in the fifth and went deep one inning later off Michael Wacha.

The Royals scored five runs with 19 hits, 36 strikeouts and three walks in the three-game series. Five of the hits came off the Tampa Bay bullpen Thursday.

WHIFF WEEKEND

The Rays begin a two-game series with the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday in a matchup of two of the first three teams to surpass striking out 500 times this season. Tampa Bay, leading the majors with 549, is on pace for around 1,700, which would easily break Detroit’s big league record of 1,595 set in 2019. The Phillies have fanned 513 times.

NUMBERS

The Rays have allowed three runs or fewer an AL-best 30 times. … Royals RF Jorge Soler went 0 for 4 and is hitless in his last 21 at-bats. … Tampa Bay is 13-13 at home, compared to 19-7 on the road.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: Manager Mike Matheny said LHP Danny Duffy (left forearm flexor strain) continues to be in the resting phase of his rehab program.

Rays: RHP Luis Patiño (right middle finger laceration) could return this weekend.

UP NEXT

Royals: LHP Kris Bubic (0-0) and Minnesota RHP Randy Dobnak (1-3) are Friday night’s starters.

Rays: LHP Ryan Yarbrough (2-3) will look to end a 23-start winless streak as starting pitcher Saturday against Philadelphia. It’s the longest stretch for a traditional starter since Atlanta’s Shelby Miller (24) from May 23–Sep 27, 2015. The lefty, who often follows an opener, is 25-5 as a reliever. RH Zack Wheeler (4-2) will start for the Phillies.


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Safety ratings yanked after Tesla pulls radar from 2 models

DETROIT — Two key groups that offer automobile safety ratings have yanked their top endorsements of some Tesla vehicles because the company has stopped using radar on its safety systems.

Consumer Reports pulled its “Top Pick” status for Tesla’s Model 3 and Y vehicles built after April 27, while the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety plans to remove the vehicles’ “Top Safety Pick Plus” designation.

The U.S. government’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is no longer giving the Models 3 and Y check marks on its website for having forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning and emergency brake support.

Consumer Reports says that removing radar and relying solely on cameras means the safety features may not be there when needed.

A message was left Thursday seeking comment from Tesla, which has disbanded its media relations department.