DOH: Virus death toll rises to 45; confirmed cases now over 700
Actor Menggie Cobarrubias also died due to COVID-19 symptoms but has yet to be known if he is positive, while former University of Santo Tomas head coach Januario “Aric” del Rosario also showed symptoms of virus before dying due to cardiac arrest. Duque added that the “artificial rise” of confirmed COVID-19 cases continues as it climbed to 707 on Thursday. There were also two recovered patients bringing the total count to 28. “Confirmed cases are bound to increase as the government expands its testing efforts,” Duque said. “Also there are now five government laboratories which can test COVID-19 samples.” To prevent the spread of the virus, authorities are urging people to practice regular hand washing, cover their mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, and avoid close contact with those who exhibit virus symptoms./PN Worldwide, COVID-19 has killed more than 21,300 people, mostly in Italy, although the outbreak began in Wuhan, China in December last year. Over 472,000 people have been infected, according to the Johns Hopkins University’s COVID-19 global tracker. Gatchalian’s sister, TV host actress Ruby Rodriguez, confirmed the news on Thursday morning. The fallen doctor, the ninth frontliner to succumb to the virus, also serves as assistant director at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM). DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III announced at a virtual press briefing on Thursday afternoon they have recorded seven more COVID-19 casualties, bringing the total count to 45. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III MANILA – The casualty count of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the country continues to pile up as the number of confirmed cases also keeps on increasing, the Department of Health (DOH) said. On Thursday morning, another COVID-19 frontliner has lost her battle to the deadly disease following the passing of Philippine Pediatric Society president Dr. Sally Gatchalian.
By Dave PanskeSEYMOUR, Wis. (Aug. 9) – Rod Snellenberger snapped Travis Van Straten’s winning streak and started one of his own Sunday at Seymour Speedway.Snellenberger wound up in the infield following contact late in the Coors Light IMCA Stock Car main. The other driver involved was called for the incident and Snellenberger was put back in front of the field.The battle continued for the final two laps with Snellenberger able to hold off Van Straten to capture his third feature win of the season and also end Van Straten’s string of three straight.Jay Matthias worked his way to the front of the Budweiser IMCA Modified field on the 17th circuit and drove to his first Seymour checkers since Aug. 18 of 2013.Championship contender Mike Wedelstadt was kayoed in an early six-car melee.Jeremy Cota was the O’Reilly Auto Parts IMCA Northern SportMod winner.All feature winners were presented with the five-foot tall tall, Kim Parsons Memorial trophy, to promote organ and tissue donation.
Statewide—On Friday, Governor Eric Holcomb announced as part of the Back on Track Indiana plan, that $300 million dollars coming from the State would be distributed to the counties and cities across the state from money received from the Care Act. Chris Johnston, Director of the Office of Management and Budget stated his office is reviewing all the guidelines and frequently asked questions on how the funds can be used to prepare the applications for the localities. The federal government released some of this information on Monday. The CARES Act requires that the payments from the Coronavirus Relief Fund only be used to cover expenses that are necessary expenditures incurred due to the public health emergency with respect to the Coronavirus Disease 2019, were not accounted for in the budget most recently approved as of March 27, 2020 (the date of enactment of the CARES Act) for the State or government; and were incurred during the period that begins on March 1, 2020, and ends on December 30, 2020.The guidance states that the Fund may support a “broad range of uses” including payroll expenses for several classes of employees whose services are “substantially dedicated to mitigating or responding to the COVID-19 public health emergency.” These classes of employees include public safety, public health, health care, human services, and similar employees whose services are substantially dedicated to mitigating or responding to the COVID-19 public health emergency. Payroll and benefit costs associated with public employees who could have been furloughed or otherwise laid off but who were instead repurposed to perform previously unbudgeted functions substantially dedicated to mitigating or responding to the COVID-19 public health emergency are also covered. Other eligible expenditures include payroll and benefit costs of educational support staff or faculty responsible for developing online learning capabilities necessary to continue educational instruction in response to COVID-19-related school closures.The State also plans to use this funding to pay for testing and contact tracing.
Eight years after his false start with Everton, David Moyes steps into the glare of Champions League combat on Tuesday night as Manchester United open their campaign against Bayer Leverkusen at Old Trafford. Moyes has been desperate to experience the pinnacle of European club football, so much so it was assumed he would leave Goodison Park in the summer before United made their move. Finally, 15 years after stepping into management with Preston, the Scot gets his chance. “He was an incredibly humble man and he explained what it is like to be at Manchester United and what a Manchester United manager should be like. “I will keep what he said to myself but there is a way to do things at this club. I understand that and I will try to uphold those traditions.” Moyes has already revealed Ferguson told him a group containing Shakhtar Donetsk and Real Sociedad, in addition to Tuesday’s opponents, is one of the toughest he can imagine. And whilst Moyes pointed out his opposite number, former Liverpool defender Sami Hyypia, is also a rookie in the competition, it is an indication of the leap he has made that the man he will be most keen to stop on Tuesday, last season’s Bundesliga top scorer Stefan Kiessling, was someone he looked at but knew he could never afford whilst he remained at Everton. “He has a great goalscoring record,” said Moyes. “He has a smell for getting on the end of chances and is someone we will need to watch very closely. I didn’t try to sign him though. I never had that much money.” Amazingly, Moyes walks into a woeful European record for United at Old Trafford. The Red Devils have lost four of their last six games on home turf, most recently last season’s controversial defeat to Real Madrid. Romanian minnows CFR Cluj are also on that list, as are Athletic Bilbao and Ajax. Moyes accepts if meaningful progress is going to be made this year, that record has to improve. “I have been to Old Trafford for the Champions League games and I am always amazed by the atmosphere,” he said. “With the crowd, under the lights I am hoping that alone will give the supporters something to shout about. “The players are already motivated because of the level of game it is and the competition it is. We will go in there and try and put on a good show and try and improve on that record.” Wayne Rooney is expected to start, although Moyes revealed the striker will require the special headband he wore on Saturday. Rafael and Phil Jones also trained to varying degrees as did Shinji Kagawa, although he is yet to fully shake off the flu virus that kept him out of the weekend win over Crystal Palace. One player who will definitely be absent is Adnan Januzaj, the 18-year-old Belgian who made such an eye-catching debut against Palace. Moyes confirmed that the complicated UEFA eligibility criteria means if United wait to register him until October 7, by which time he will have been with the Red Devils for two years, he can go on the B list of youth players. It means Januzaj will sit out both Tuesday’s game and the trip to Shakhtar Donetsk next month. Evidently though, the winger has a bright future, with Moyes confirming he expects Januzaj to sign a long-term contract extension at some point in the future. “I am confident he will sign a new contract,” said Moyes. “I am really looking forward to the Champions League,” said Moyes. “I have been there with Everton but we didn’t quite make the group stages. “This is something different. I’m now managing a club which is used to getting close to the final stages and I will try and do that again.” United’s European history stands comparison with the very best clubs in the world. The Red Devils may not have won the trophy as many times as Real Madrid, AC Milan or even Liverpool, but through the Munich disaster to last season’s controversial exit, European combat is woven right into the entire construction of United as a club. And if Moyes needed any reminding, he took a visit from Sir Bobby Charlton in the early days of his reign. “It was a really important moment for me when Sir Bobby said he wanted to see me in my office,” he said. “Everybody, when they see Bobby Charlton, is in awe of him. Press Association
Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini has not ruled out making new signings in the January transfer window. The champions look to have a serious fight on their hands to retain their Barclays Premier League crown with leaders Chelsea currently setting a ferocious pace. That might tempt City back into the transfer market at the campaign’s halfway stage, as might continued involvement in the Champions League. There has been speculation City might seek to extend the deal to compensate for Yaya Toure’s likely involvement in the African Nations Cup, but that might not stretch to the resumption of the Champions League. Pellegrini maintains that a decision on Lampard will not be taken until some time next month. “When we have to make a decision, we will make a decision,” said the Chilean. One obvious area City might wish to strengthen is up front, despite the prolific output of Sergio Aguero. Aguero has scored 17 goals this season but fellow strikers Edin Dzeko and Stevan Jovetic have netted just seven between them. The sale of Alvaro Negredo, forced partly for Financial Fair Play reasons, has also taken away an extra option. But Pellegrini, speaking at a press conference to preview this weekend’s trip to Southampton, would not be drawn on that matter. He said: “In this moment if I say I think that maybe we are not scoring too many goals, then everyone will think that we need more players. “But maybe we need to improve the performance of our players, the performance of the team, and that is for a lot of different reasons.” City, who face Roma early next month, still have a chance of reaching the knockout stages of the European competition following Tuesday’s stunning defeat of Bayern Munich. “It’s a thing that maybe we will talk in a few weeks more,” said Pellegrini. “But not in this moment. We are just focused on the Premier League, focused on the game in Rome. “If we continue in the Champions League we will have a lot of things to think about, but you must remember we have restrictions this year – restrictions that we cannot bring in important players because we must leave them out of the squad for the Champions League. “So we will see but I repeat that at this moment it is not the first priority to talk about. We are not thinking about that because I think it’s important to trust in the squad that we have.” The restrictions Pellegrini refers to are those imposed by UEFA last summer after the club breached the European governing body’s Financial Fair Play regulations. City were limited to a net spend of £49million in the last transfer window and also had to limit their Champions League squad to 21 players, as opposed to the regular 25. Fear of further sanctions will limit the amount the club are prepared to spend while the squad cap leaves little room for manoeuvre. One player the club would be able to replace, however, is former England midfielder Frank Lampard, whose loan from sister club New York City is due to expire at the end of December. Press Association
Press Association Two weeks ago, all 20 Premier League clubs bowed to public pressure in the wake of the record £5.136billion TV deal and agreed to introduce the living wage to all their full-time workers by the start of the 2016-17 season. The living wage is based on the amount an individual needs to earn to cover the basic costs of living. “Since May 2013 Manchester City Football Club has paid the Living Wage to all directly employed staff,” a spokesperson said. “The club also has a robust sustainable procurement policy for capital works that includes a requirement that suppliers already pay the living wage or are working towards it, and whether suppliers pay the living wage is part of the selection process for all new contracts. “City engages employment and procurement practices that are robust and socially aware. These take into account of the need for affordable living, best care in welfare, training and skills development, and local opportunity including apprenticeships and new skills programmes. “There is a huge amount being undertaken to ensure there is a positive impact of any club investment for local people and the local economy overall, with sustainable outputs and outcomes.” The living wage is now set at £9.15 an hour in London and £7.85 an hour in the rest of the United Kingdom, whereas the national minimum wage is significantly lower at £6.50 an hour. Rather than wait until the summer of 2016 to pay all their full-time staff the increased wage, United have decided to bring the new pay rates in a year earlier. A club statement read: “During last month’s Premier League shareholders’ meeting, the clubs agreed to adopt the Living Wage for all full-time employees by the start of the 2016/17 season. “Manchester United is fully supportive of this initiative and will be implementing this policy from 1st July 2015, a year earlier than agreed.” Unlike Chelsea, United’s sub-contracted staff will not be paid the living wage. That is the case at City also. Protesters have been campaigning outside Old Trafford this week ahead of Sunday’s Manchester derby. They are demanding both clubs pay their full-time employees and sub-contracted staff the living wage. City confirmed later in the day that they too are committed to paying their full-time staff the living wage. Manchester United have vowed to introduce the living wage to all their full-time staff by July – a year earlier than many of their Premier League counterparts. 
Update on the latest sports — St. Louis Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester has been ruled out from returning to play in the regular season or in the playoffs. Bouwmeester spoke to reporters for the first time since he collapsed on the bench in the first period during a game at the Anaheim Ducks on Feb. 11. The 36-year-old Edmonton native was hospitalized and spent five nights in the hospital.— Montreal Canadiens defenseman Victor Mete will miss the rest of the season with a broken foot. Mete suffered the injury during the game in Detroit on Feb. 18. The 21-year-old Mete had four goals and 11 assists in 51 games this season.— Peter Laviolette (lah-vee-uh-LET’) is returning to the bench after being selected as the coach of the United States men’s national team competing at the world hockey championships in May. The move was announced by USA Hockey on Wednesday, seven weeks after Laviolette was fired by the Nashville Predators. Laviolette ranks 16th in NHL wins with 637 covering four teams over 18 seasons, including the 2006 Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes. He also coached the New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers.MLB-STANTON, VERLANDER TO MISS OPENING DAYStanton, Verlander will likely miss opening day Monk suspendedUNDATED (AP) — Hornets guard Malik Monk has been suspended without pay for violating the terms of the NBA/NBPA’s anti-drug program. Monk’s suspension will begin with Wednesday’s game against the New York Knicks and continue until he is determined to be in full compliance with the program.In other NBA news:— The NBA fined Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (joh-EHL’ ehm-BEED’) $25,000 Wednesday, two days after he made an obscene gesture on the court and used profane language during a live television interview. The gesture occurred with 17 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter of the Sixers’ 129-112 victory over the Hawks on Monday night. With the clock winding down, Atlanta’s Kevin Huerter came from behind and swiped the ball from Embiid, who was trying to dribble it out. Embiid responded by flashing a middle finger at Huerter. He later apologized.MEN’S T25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL Share This StoryFacebookTwitteremailPrintLinkedinRedditWhatsappNBA-SCHEDULECavs route 76ers 108-94, Embiid left with sprained shoulderWASHINGTON (AP) — Collin Sexton scored 28 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers routed Philadelphia 108-94 on Wednesday night after 76ers center Joel Embiid (joh-EHL’ ehm-BEED’) left in the first quarter because of a sprained left shoulder. SPORTS-VIRUS OUTBREAKJapan baseball will play in empty stadiums, Irelands rugby match, Asian soccer postponedUNDATED(AP) — Japan’s professional baseball league says it will play its 72 remaining preseason games in empty stadiums because of the threat of the spreading coronavirus. The regular season is to open on March 20. The virus that began in China is disrupting all of the country’s sports schedules and has raised concerns about the Tokyo Olympics. They are to open on July 24. Representatives of the baseball league’s 12 teams made the move at a special meeting.Meanwhile, Ireland’s Six Nations rugby match against Italy in Dublin has been postponed because of concerns about the spreading virus in Europe. The Italians were scheduled to play at Ireland on March 7, part of annual rugby competition that also includes England, France, Scotland and Wales. A women’s game the following day was also postponed.And Asian soccer leaders have postponed two key meetings because of the outbreak.,Tampa Bay Lightning advance to face Dallas Stars in Stanley Cup finals, beating New York Islanders 2-1 in OT in Game 6 Associated Press February 27, 2020 NHL-SCHEDULECompher, Francouz lead Avalanche to 3-2 win over SabresDENVER (AP) — JT. Compher broke a tie on a wrist shot with 8:06 remaining, Martin Kaut scored his first NHL goal and the banged-up Colorado Avalanche won their fourth straight by beating the Buffalo Sabres 3-2. Gabriel Landeskog (LAN’-dehs-kahg) also scored to help the Avalanche vault into second place in the Central Division. Pavel Francouz was sharp in stopping 31 shots. Zemgus Girgensons (ZEHM’-guhz GEER’-gehn-suhnz) and Curtis Lazar scored for the Sabres. They’ve dropped five straight to Colorado. In other action:— The Los Angeles Kings spoiled Patrick Marleau’s debut with Pittsburgh in a 2-1 victory over the Penguins. Blake Lizotte had a power-play goal and an assist, Cal Petersen made 36 saves and Trevor Lewis also scored in the last-place Kings’ fourth win in seven games. Tristan Jarry stopped 20 shots in Pittsburgh’s fourth consecutive regulation loss, matching their total regulation defeats in their previous 22 games since Christmas. Bryan Rust scored with 13:18 to play for the Penguins with an assist from Evgeni Malkin, who played his 900th career game. The 76ers, already playing without All-Star guard Ben Simmons, never led against the team with the worst record in the Eastern Conference and fell to 9-21 on the road.Embiid collided with Cavaliers center Ante Zizic while being fouled late in the first quarter. The 7-footer held his shoulder in obvious pain but stayed in the game and missed both free throws.The Sixers pulled Embiid at the next time stoppage and he walked to the locker room while rubbing his shoulder. He briefly returned to the bench in the second quarter but went back for more evaluation and treatment. At halftime, Embiid rejoined his teammates on the bench with a wrap on his injured shoulder.Tristan Thompson had 14 points and 13 rebounds, and Larry Nance Jr. had 13 points for Cleveland.Shake Milton, who replaced Simmons in the starting lineup, scored 20 points.
Player reps send new CBA to union members for approvalUNDATED (AP) — The NFL and its players are closer to a new collective bargaining agreement and the next decade of labor peace that would come with it. There’s still work to be done to get the deal into the end zone, however. Following a late-night vote on the slim majority approval of the 32 team representatives, the NFL Players Association was preparing to send the current CBA proposal to the full union membership for potential ratification. Last week, owners gave their majority-vote approval. Negotiations have been gone on for the past 10 months. The 17-game regular season is the most significant change.In other NFL news:— Former TCU and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Trevone Boykin has been sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to charges from the 2018 beating of his girlfriend. Boykin and prosecutors agreed to the sentence in return for his guilty plea Wednesday to aggravated assault and witness tampering charges. Boykin’s attorney says his client will be eligible for parole in less than a year. Shabrika Bailey alleged that Boykin broke her jaw in two places in the March 2018 beating. The Seahawks cut Boykin in the wake of the allegation.— The New York Giants have released linebackers Alec Ogletree and Kareem Martin, clearing significant salary cap space with the departure of their two most expensive defensive players. The Giants, rebuilding under rookie head coach Joe Judge, gained more than $13 million in salary cap savings by jettisoning the two. Ogletree was twice elected a team captain and accumulated a team-high 173 tackles as the starter at inside linebacker over two seasons with the Giants. Maryland squeaks past Minnesota 74-73UNDATED (AP) — Darryl Morsell drained the go-ahead 3-pointer with 1.9 seconds left for No. 9 Maryland to cap a comeback from a 16-point halftime deficit and beat Minnesota 74-73. Jalen Smith had 16 points and 12 rebounds, including a soaring rebound and slam with 14.5 seconds remaining that pulled the Terrapins within 73-71. Anthony Cowan Jr. had 10 points, nine assists and six rebounds for Maryland, which maintained a two-game lead for first place in the Big Ten with three games left. Daniel Oturu had 28 points and 11 rebounds for Minnesota, which missed three foul shots in the final 39 seconds. Then the Terrapins hustled the ball up to find Morsell, who had 13 points and nine rebounds, for the winner from NBA range.In other T25 action:— Myles Dread hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 28 seconds left to lift No. 16 Penn State over Rutgers 65-64 after the Nittany Lions blew a 21-point lead. Trailing 40-19 late in the first half, the Scarlet Knights tied the game at 62 with 1:32 left in the game on Geo Baker’s layup. His jumper gave Rutgers a two-point lead with 42 seconds remaining. Dread hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 28 seconds left to lift Penn State over Rutgers 65-64 after the Nittany Lions blew a 21-point lead. Akwasi Yeboah missed a 3-pointer the other way and Dread was swarmed by his teammates who snapped a two-game losing streak.— Saddiq Bey scored 23 points and Justin Moore had 21 to lead No. 12 Villanova past St. John’s 71-60 on Wednesday night. Moore hit eight 3-pointers and Bey had seven. The Wildcats honored former Wildcats star Kyle Lowry. Lowry played two seasons for Villanova before he became a five-time NBA All-Star with the defending champion Toronto Raptors. St. John’s were 12 1/2-point underdogs but kept it close until Moore got on a hot streak down the stretch to seal the win. UNDATED (AP) — Oft-injured New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton will likely miss opening day because of a strained right calf. Manager Aaron Boone says Stanton was injured near the end of defensive drills yesterday. Yankees star pitcher Luis Severino needs Tommy John surgery and will miss the entire season. The AL East champion Yankees open on March 26 at Baltimore.The Yankees put a major league-record 30 players on the injured list last year, with Stanton missing most of the season.Meanwhile, Justin Verlander’s spring training debut will be postponed at least a few more days while the Houston Astros ace deals with tightness in his groin. Verlander had been scheduled to start Thursday against Washington. Instead, he will throw a simulated game at the Astros’ complex prior to that exhibition. Houston manager Dusty Baker said the tightness first appeared a couple of days ago. Baker says he isn’t worried about the injury lingering. Verlander won his second Cy Young Award last season by going 21-6 with a 2.52 ERA.Elsewhere in the majors:— 31-year-old left-hander South Korean star Kwang Hyun Kim retired all six Miami batters he faced in his first Grapefruit League start for the St. Louis Cardinals. It came after he threw one shutout inning of relief against the New York Mets on Saturday. Kim struggled with control of his off-speed pitches in the first inning, but he found his rhythm in the second. He kept batters off balance mixing a fastball that touched 95 mph with his curve. The Marlins didn’t get a ball out of the infield against Kim. — Nick Cousins scored in his Vegas debut and the Golden Knights beat the Edmonton Oilers 3-0 in a matchup between two of the top teams in the Pacific Division. Max Pacioretty and Shea Theodore also scored as Vegas won its seventh straight game. Marc-Andre Fleury made 29 saves to earn his 61st career shutout to tie Turk Broda for 17th all-time. The 16-year-veteran netminder is now 5-0-0 in his last five starts. Vegas improved to 11-3-2 under Peter DeBoer. Edmonton lost for the first time when playing on the second of back-to-back nights, dropping to 6-1-0.NHL-NEWSMuzzin outUNDATED (AP) — The Toronto Maple Leafs have suffered another setback on defense with the loss of Jake Muzzin to a broken hand. The Leafs announced that Muzzin will be out about four weeks after suffering the injury during a win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday. Toronto also is missing defensemen Morgan Rielly and Cody Ceci because of injuries.In other NHL news: — Evan Fournier (FOHR’-nee-ay) scored 28 points, Aaron Gordon added 25 and the Orlando Magic pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 130-120 victory over the Atlanta Hawks. The Magic solidified their hold on the final playoff spot in the East, putting the Hawks away with a 14-5 spurt. Fournier scored nine points in the game-clinching run, and Gordon finished it off with a 3-pointer. The Hawks lost despite a 37-point effort from Trae Young. John Collins added 26 points but was blocked twice in the fourth quarter to stymie any hopes of an Atlanta comeback.— Jerome Robinson’s 3-pointer with 8.4 seconds left lifted the Washington Wizards to a 110-106 win over the Brooklyn Nets to snap a three-game losing streak. After Robinson gave Washington a 108-106 lead with his 3, Brooklyn’s Spencer Dinwiddie missed a 3-point attempt and Robinson added two free throws as Washington won a game in which it squandered an 18-point lead. The ninth-place Wizards trail the seventh-place Nets by five games in the Eastern Conference.— — Jordan McLaughlin’s layup with just under nine seconds left put Minnesota ahead for good, D’Angelo Russell led all scorers with 27 points and the Timberwolves added to Miami’s late-season stagger and the Timberwolves beat the Heat 129-126. Malik Beasley scored 21 points, Juancho Hernangomez tied a season-high with 17 and McLaughlin added 13 for Minnesota. The Timberwolves were down by 12 with 3:59 left, then closed on a 20-5 run to get just their second victory in 20 games. Kendrick Nunn led Miami with 24 points. Bam Adebayo had 22 points and 10 rebounds.— Terry Rozier scored 26 points, and the Charlotte Hornets handed the New York Knicks their fifth straight loss 107-101. The slumping Devonte Graham returned from a team-mandated night off and scored 21 points. P.J. Washington and Bismack Biyombo each scored 12 points for the Hornets, who snapped a two-game losing skid. Julius Randle finished with 18 points and nine rebounds for the Knicks.NBA-NEWS — Ubaldo Jimenez took another step in his comeback attempt with the Colorado Rockies, pitching two innings against the Texas Rangers. The 36-year-old threw 21 pitches, 14 for strikes. He gave up two hits and one run, with no walks or strikeouts. He last pitched in the majors in 2017 for Baltimore.— Miguel Sano has volunteered to move across the diamond to accommodate Twins newcomer Josh Donaldson. Sano gave up his regular spot at third base, moving to first base, and let Donaldson take his place at third. Sano bounced back from a winter injury last season and hit a career-high 34 home runs. His power helped the Twins set a major league record with 307 homers and win the AL Central.— Houston’s Alex Bregman was hit on the back by a breaking ball from St. Louis reliever Ramon Santos, the seventh Astros player plunked in five spring training games. Some opposing players have called for retaliation against the Astros following Major League Baseball’s finding that Houston broke rules against electronic sign-stealing en route to its 2017 World Series title and again in 2018. Dustin Garneau was hit Sunday against Washington, and José Altuve was grazed Monday against Detroit, when Osvaldo Duarte and Alex De Goti also were hit. Aledmys Díaz and Jake Meyers were hit Tuesday by Miami.— The Houston Astros continued to get booed on the road in spring training as they visited the home of the New York Mets. Former World Series MVP George Springer was heckled as part of Houston’s split squad. Fans are calling the Astros cheaters, and doing it loudly in the wake of their sign-stealing scam. Springer had to hear it for a bit longer on Wednesday. The star leadoff man stepped into the batter’s box a minute before the game was scheduled to begin, giving the crowd extra time to boo him.NFL-NEWS In other NBA action:— Jayson Tatum had 33 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Boston Celtics over the skidding Utah Jazz 114-103. Jaylen Brown added 20 points and Marcus Smart had 17 for Boston. All five starters scored in double figures to help the Celtics finish 3-1 on a road trip out West. Donovan Mitchell scored 37 points to lead the Jazz, who lost their fourth straight game — all at home.— Russell Westbrook and James Harden combined for 63 points as the Houston Rockets sailed to their fifth straight win, 140-112 over the Memphis Grizzlies. Harden piled up 30 points without playing in the fourth quarter and Westbrook, who had 33, sat down for good with about six minutes left. The duo had 46 points by halftime as Houston built a 73-47 lead. Dillon Brooks had 22 points for the Grizzlies, who finished 0-4 on their longest road trip of the season.— Kawhi Leonard scored 24 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, Marcus Morris added 18 points and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Phoenix Suns 102-92. Los Angeles won its second straight game, bouncing back from a tough stretch that included its only three-game losing streak of the season. Deandre Ayton led the Suns with 25 points and 17 rebounds. All-Star guard Devin Booker had a rough night, scoring 14 points on 5-of-19 shooting.— Luka Doncic had 26 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds for his 13th triple-double of the season, helping Dallas beat San Antonio 109-103. Kristaps Porzingis added 28 points and 12 rebounds for Dallas. 
Update on the latest sports ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh is pushing for a change that would allow football players to enter the NFL draft after their freshman or sophomore seasons in college.Harbaugh shared that idea among others in an open letter to the football community Thursday. Currently, players are not eligible for the NFL draft until they have been out of high school for at least three years. It is a policy in the collective bargaining agreement that runs through the 2030 season.The league and the union have shown no inclination of revising the rule that was unsuccessfully challenged by Maurice Clarett (kluh-REHT’).,Tampa Bay Lightning advance to face Dallas Stars in Stanley Cup finals, beating New York Islanders 2-1 in OT in Game 6 — The NFL has set protocols for reopening team facilities and has told the 32 teams to have them in place by May 15. Commissioner Roger Goodell mapped out several phases of protocols in a memo obtained by The Associated Press. The first phase to deal with the coronavirus pandemic would involve a limited number of non-player personnel. The individual clubs would decide which employees could return to the facility and when, once the buildings reopen. No players would be permitted in the facility except to continue therapy and rehabilitation for injuries that were underway when facilities were ordered closed in late March.— The Cleveland Cavaliers are one of a handful of NBA teams planning to reopen their training facilities Friday for individual player workouts. Coach J.B. Bickerstaff said the team has worked with health officials to ensure players and coaches are safe. Bickerstaff said the league has advised coaches to wear masks and gloves. The team says no one will be allowed to enter the building without having their temperature taken. The NBA is allowing players to voluntarily work out at their team practice facilities under some very specific conditions, and only in places where local and state governments have signed off on such openings.— NBA teams have been asked to help the Mayo Clinic with a study that could help researchers come closer to finding a solution to the coronavirus problem. The NBA and its players are partnering with Mayo Clinic officials who need volunteers for a study largely centered around antibodies. Teams were told that the study would help doctors understand the prevalence of COVID-19 among infected individuals who were asymptomatic or experienced only mild symptoms. Additional goals of the study include being able to identify more patients who could donate plasma and improve care for patients who are dealing with the coronavirus, plus potentially move researchers closer to a vaccine.— Fans will be allowed to enter baseball stadiums Friday for games in Taiwan for the first time this season. It is part of a gradual easing of restrictions amid the pandemic. The China Professional Baseball League said up to 1,000 people would be permitted to enter ballparks after an agreement between the league and Taiwan’s Central Epidemic Command Center.— New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio doesn’t see games returning to Yankee Stadium or Citi Field very quickly, at least not with fans. De Blasio says bigger events are going to be one of the last things that will really fit the equation as the country restarts. He says the perfect time to reopen big events is when the new coronavirus has been “beaten back to next to nothing” because of the danger that big gatherings “could be one of the things that propels the disease back.” Opening day was scheduled for March 26 but has been postponed indefinitely because of the disease. May 7, 2020 — Germany’s Bundesliga (BOON’-dehsh-lee-guh) has been given the go-ahead to resume its top two soccer divisions this month. German soccer league managing director Christian Seifert announced Thursday that the Bundesliga season will resume on May 16 with matches played in empty stadiums. The announcement comes one day after Chancellor Angela Merkel (AHN’-geh-lah MEHR’-kuhl) and the country’s 16 state governors agreed the season could resume. The Bundesliga was suspended on March 13 with nine rounds remaining. Seifert says the league will begin again where it left off.— One top-tier Italian soccer team is resisting moves to restart the season. Brescia’s (BREH’-shuhz) captain says his entire squad opposes resuming the soccer season amid the coronavirus pandemic. He tells an Italian newspaper that “we don’t feel safe.” Most clubs in the top Italian league are resuming training on an individual basis this week but last-place Brescia is one of the holdouts.— The Kontinental Hockey League says it won’t name a champion after it stopped the season part-way through the playoffs because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Russia-based league shut down in March but didn’t immediately decide how the final standings would be determined. The KHL says the eight teams still in the playoffs at the time the season ended will be ruled as jointly finishing in the top eight positions. The league is widely considered— WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman expects professional boxing to return without spectators and with judges officiating by video from home. Sulaiman said the World Boxing Council has produced a protocol for fights during the coronavirus pandemic that limit, for instance, a four-fight card to about 40-50 people at a venue. Those numbers include one handler for each fighter, boxing commission supervisors, media and TV production crews.— The French Tennis Federation says it will refund tickets purchased for the French Open because of uncertainty related to the coronavirus pandemic. The clay-court tournament at Roland Garros was initially slated to be held May 24-June 7 but has been rescheduled for Sept. 20-Oct. 4. The FFT says it “has taken the decision to cancel and refund all tickets purchased for the original dates of Roland Garros.” Refunds will be received by end of May and a new ticketing procedure will be opened if the tournament goes ahead. Associated Press 
Share This StoryFacebookTwitteremailPrintLinkedinRedditVIRUS OUTBREAK-SPORTSIndyCar to open delayed season in TexasUNDATED (AP) — IndyCar has gotten the green flag to finally start its season in Texas. The race will be run June 6 without spectators at Texas Motor Speedway. That was the next race on the series schedule that hadn’t been postponed or canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.IndyCar President Jay Frye says IndyCar worked closely with TMS President Eddie Gossage, his track and public health officials on a plan to “ensure the safety of our event participants.”The June season opener will be on a condensed schedule with practice, qualifying and the race taking place on the same day. There will be strict access guidelines limiting the number of personnel on site, with health screening system administered to all participants and personal protection equipment provided to everyone entering the facility. Social distancing protocols will be in place.In other developments related to the coronavirus pandemic:— Sporting events in Oregon are likely to be without large crowds likely through at least the end of September because of the new coronavirus. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announced steps the state is taking in its reopening next week. Brown asked those planning large gatherings to cancel or significantly modify plans for anything scheduled in September. That’s likely to impact the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers, the Portland Timbers of the MLS, and Oregon and Oregon State college football. While the NBA and MLS have no firm plans of a restart, Oregon and Oregon State both have three home games scheduled. Republican Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi sent 20 questions to each Power Five conference, dozens of colleges and universities and committees at each of the NCAA’s three divisions. Wicker’s letter comes a day after Democratic Senators Chris Murphy and Cory Booker released a letter to NCAA President Mark Emmert urging the association take further action on name, image and likeness compensation for college athletes.Wicker’s letter comes a day after Sens. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and Cory Booker, D-N.J., released a letter to NCAA President Mark Emmert urging the association to take further action on name, image and likeness compensation for college athletes.Last week, the NCAA Board of Governors signed off on recommendations to allow college athletes that opportunity to make money from personal endorsement deals and for activities like autograph signings and personal appearances.HARBAUGH’S DRAFT PROPOSALSJim Harbaugh proposes one-and-done rule change for NFL draft — More than 30 workers have accepted voluntary severance packages from the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee. It’s part of the organization’s attempt to trim up to 20% of its expenses in response to shortfalls caused by COVID-19. Furloughs and involuntary layoffs are expected to begin next week. CEO Sarah Hirshland told the staff of plans to make all the cuts by the end of May. Employees were offered severance packages that gave two weeks’ pay for every year of service, along with a cash payment to cover health insurance over the span of the severance period. — The televised match involving Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and two of the NFL’s greatest quarterbacks is raising $10 million for COVID-19 relief. Turner Sports is producing the May 24 event that will be simulcast on its networks, including TNT and TBS. Woods and Peyton Manning will take on Mickelson and Tom Brady at Medalist Golf Club. The match is the second time live golf will be on TV since the coronavirus pandemic shut down the PGA Tour and other tours around the world. Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson are part of a charity match May 17 at nearby Seminole.NCAA-COMPENSATING ATHLETESSenators send letters to NCAA leaders with NIL questionsWASHINGTON (AP) — The chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee has sent a letter to NCAA leaders, conferences and schools requesting details about how college athletes can be compensated for their names, images and likenesses.
ROUND ONE of the 5th annual Guyana Cricket Board (GCB)/Dave West Indian Imports 2020 U-15 Inter-county tournament bowls off this Sunday, with a number of mouthwatering encounters.At the Lusignan ground on the East Coast of Demerara, Demerara, led by Josh Alves, will battle the Benny Persaud-led Essequibo team. The President’s XI will face Rampertab Ramnauth and his Berbice team at Bourda Cricket Ground with both matches set to bowl off at 09:30hrs.Round 2 will see Essequibo tackle the President’s XI at Everest, while Demerara and archrivals Berbice will take their fight to the Lusignan ground all on Tuesday, February 18.The third round is set to bowl off on February 20, featuring a clash between Demerara and the President’s XI at Bourda. The Cinderella County boys will then lock horns with Berbice at Lusignan as the teams vie for a position in the final. The two teams with the highest aggregate points battle for the title at GCC.ESSEQUIBOBenny Persaud (capt.), Shazif Mohamed, Ragindra Ramblin, Bruce Vincent, Ijihad Kadir, Gladwin Henry, Mohandas Ali, Akeem John, Gulcharran Chulai, Tekeshwar Nankoo, Adesh Dass, Ramesh Seeram, Davendra Lall, Kehav Deonarine, Coach: Anthony Adams, Manager: Vickram Ramnarine.Berbice Rampertab Ramnauth (capt.) Avishkar Persaud, Zadeem Larose, Sanjay Algoo, Rashaad Gafur, Nyron Hicks, Damion Cecil, Kevin Kisten, Salim Khan, Matthew Pottaya vice-capt., Kumar Deopersaud, Lyndon Simon, Aaron Craig, Shiv Harripersaud, Ameer Rahaman – Manager, Leslie Solomon – CoachDEMERARARomeo Deonarine, Riyad Latif, Josh Alves (capt.), Sachin Balgobin, Joshua Alves, Nityanand Matura (vice-capt.), Reziekel Renee, Reyad latif, Dhanesh Persaud, Wayvell Allen, Bramanand Rabindranauth, Alex Datterdeen, Nicholas Sheopersaud, Hemraj Harriprashad, Coach Latchman Yadram, Manager Omar Hussain.PRESIDENT’S XIStephon Sankar (capt.), Tulsiram Ramkarran (vice- capt.), Arun Gainda, Sohail Gangaram, Tularam Chitamani, Yodesh Sumitra, Deonarine Dindyal, Andrew De Santos, Afazul Kadir, Aftrz Ali Budhoo, Jeremiah Singh, Tariq Walters, John Persaud, Manager Yeuraj Khemraj, Coach Ryan Hercules.
BALTIMORE — With Randy Staats sidelined due to an injury for the second straight game, senior Derek Maltz was again reinserted into the starting attack alongside Kevin Rice and Dylan Donahue.But after playing almost all of the game in Staats’ absence against St. John’s, Maltz returned to the bench in spurts against Johns Hopkins on Saturday to give way to his younger brother.“They had put a short stick on (Dylan’s) brother Derek, so that left just one short stick to attack in the midfield,” SU head coach John Desko said. “So we thought, ‘They probably are not gonna know who Dylan is because he hasn’t played much this year.’”Sitting two seats down from Desko at the postgame press conference was Dylan Donahue — SU’s leading goal scorer — and his head turned when the head coach said Johns Hopkins probably wouldn’t know who Dylan is.Desko then quipped that they definitely knew Dylan Donahue before describing the effect that the younger, lesser-known Dylan had on the game.AdvertisementThis is placeholder textMaltz turned in the most impressive performance of his short collegiate career that was highlighted by an acrobatic goal late in the first quarter. With Staats out and Jordan Evans still recovering from an ankle injury, there have been opportunities for other players to step in. And in Syracuse’s (4-2, 0-2 Atlantic Coast) 12-10 win over Johns Hopkins (5-1) at Homewood Field, Maltz seized his.“Dylan’s a great player,” Donahue said. “I think our offense is a team effort and he brings a new dimension with his dodging. He doesn’t make too many mistakes.”Along with Maltz, freshman Nick Weston — who scored a pivotal goal in the fourth quarter — junior Nicky Galasso and senior captain Billy Ward all saw a kick in playing time with Desko’s looser rotation.Maltz was subbed in when Johns Hopkins used a short-stick defender against Derek Maltz in the second quarter. Dylan, the smaller of the two by a good margin, is more of a dodger where Derek thrives off ball, and Dylan used that skill set behind the net which allowed Rice to operate from the wing.And while he was brought into the game to match up against a short stick, it was against a long-stick defender that he scored his goal.Maltz came from behind the net with the ball away from his body with his right hand. He then spun back to his left, making the defender fall before slotting a shot past JHU goalie Eric Schneider while falling onto his stomach.He jumped up and slowly walked toward the midfield before his teammates mobbed him in his tracks. The goal came in the middle of a 3–0 run by the Orange that finished off a strong half that spurred an eventual victory.And as the Orange moves deeper into its ACC schedule, Maltz proved to be an option that doesn’t just rest legs, but provides a fresh and quick complexion to an already dynamic Syracuse attack.Said Desko: “It was good to get his feet wet in a game like this.” Comments Published on March 15, 2014 at 6:21 pm Contact Jesse: jcdoug01@syr.edu | @dougherty_jesse Facebook Twitter Google+