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Live Report - India v New Zealand

Published in Cricket
Thursday, 13 June 2019 01:32

All the live action, analyses and chatter from the India v New Zealand game. You can also follow our ball-by-ball commentary here. Please refresh if the blog doesn't appear below for you

Sources: Pats file tampering charges vs. Texans

Published in Breaking News
Wednesday, 12 June 2019 15:26

The New England Patriots filed tampering charges Wednesday against the Houston Texans for the attempted general manager hire of Nick Caserio, league sources told ESPN.

The league now is expected to gather relevant information to open its investigation against Houston, sources said.

Houston fired general manager Brian Gaine the night after New England's Super Bowl ring ceremony on June 6 at Robert Kraft's house. The Texans finished in first place in the AFC South with an 11-5 record last season.

Former Patriots team chaplain and current Texans executive vice president of team development Jack Easterby attended that party, as did Caserio, New England's director of player personnel since 2008. Easterby and Caserio are represented by the same agent, Bob LaMonte.

The Texans have requested permission to interview Caserio for their GM job but have not been granted permission to date, per sources.

The NFL's anti-tampering policy states, "Any interference by a member club with the employer-employee relationship of another club or any attempt by a club to impermissibly induce a person to seek employment with that club or with the NFL" is impermissible.

Blues lean on 'cool customer' Binnington in G7 win

Published in Breaking News
Wednesday, 12 June 2019 23:00

BOSTON -- Jordan Binnington stayed in his crease as wave after wave of celebratory St. Louis Blues players crashed onto him Wednesday night, their Stanley Cup party starting on the Boston Bruins' home ice. When the final buzzer sounded on the Blues' 4-1 victory in Game 7, the rookie goalie was engulfed by his teammates -- a fitting image, given that he was at the center of their victory, delivering the first Cup in franchise history to St. Louis.

"I'm so proud of this group, and I'm so excited to celebrate the city of St. Louis," Binnington said.

It was the end of one of the most unlikely journeys for both a team and its goaltender. The Blues were in last place in the NHL in early January. Binnington started the season as he had in every year of his pro career: in the minor leagues, with the San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League. He had been buried on the Blues' depth chart since being drafted No. 88 overall in 2011. But his confidence in his abilities never wavered.

His message after hoisting the Stanley Cup as a 25-year-old rookie couldn't have conveyed the emotions behind that wait any more starkly.

"Man. F--- everyone. You just got to believe in yourself and work hard and just keep believing," Binnington said as the Blues celebrated with the Cup. "I work pretty hard. Obviously, the group was incredible, we meshed well, and everyone was playing hard for each other, so I'm really happy with where I'm at right now."

Where Binnington was at the end of Game 7 was in rare company. His 32 saves was the most by a rookie goalie to clinch the Stanley Cup Final since the league began tracking shots in 1955. He joins a list that includes Ken Dryden, Patrick Roy and Cam Ward as rookie goalies who led their teams to the Stanley Cup.

Those four won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. Binnington watched teammate Ryan O'Reilly collect that award. But there was no question who the most valuable player in Game 7 was.

"I think Binner really set the tone for us early," St. Louis center Tyler Bozak said. "They came out really hard. They got a lot of good scoring chances. And he shut the door. He made incredible saves and gave us that confidence that he was dialed in, like he was all year."

No save was better, or will be better remembered, than his sprawling stop on Joakim Nordstrom with 11 minutes, 8 seconds left in the third period, not long before Brayden Schenn made it 3-0.

"That save that he made, early in the third? Oh, my God. Right after that, we scored our third goal," said Larry Robinson, the Blues' senior consultant to hockey operations. "You gotta have your goalie."

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1:45

Binnington: I'm so excited to celebrate this with St. Louis

Blues rookie goaltender Jordan Binnington talks about capturing the Stanley Cup and how it feels to achieve this in his first season in the NHL.

The Blues also had him in Game 5, when Binnington made 38 saves to win in Boston and give them a chance to clinch in St. Louis. The Blues lost that game. But that's OK, because if there's one thing that has defined Jordan Binnington during this journey from the bottom of the depth chart to raising the Stanley Cup, it's winning after losing.

Binnington is now 14-2 after losses, including 8-2 in the Stanley Cup playoffs, with a 1.78 goals-against average and .936 save percentage in such situations.

He was everything the Blues needed to find their confidence and put away the Bruins.

"You could just see our bench getting motivated by it," St. Louis general manager Doug Armstrong said.

How did this rookie pull it off?

"His demeanor," Armstrong said. "Even now, in the celebration, it doesn't look like it's too much for him. He's just one cool customer."

Raptors relishing opportunity: 'This is awesome'

Published in Basketball
Wednesday, 12 June 2019 17:34

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Toronto Raptors came about as close as a team can to winning an NBA title Monday night.

Up by six points with three minutes to go against the Golden State Warriors, and then having multiple chances to tie or win the game in the final minute, the Raptors came within a couple Draymond Green fingertips of a shot to win a championship at the buzzer of Game 5 of the NBA Finals at Scotiabank Arena.

But rather than being upset about the opportunity it let slip away, Toronto is instead excited to have two more cracks at winning this series -- beginning with Game 6 on Thursday night here at Oracle Arena.

"Did it hit me any harder? Not really," Raptors coach Nick Nurse said during his news conference before his team practiced Wednesday afternoon. "They all hit you hard. Listen, I'm like anybody that was there that understands the outcome of that one changes things a little bit.

"But I'll say this: I'm absolutely thrilled to be coaching in another Finals game. This is awesome, right? All these things when you look back on them, every single thing you do, if it doesn't turn out, you wish you would have called another play or had somebody else in or got somebody else a shot. ... I think if you remove that from it and you watch it, we ran a great play out of the timeout where [Marc] Gasol absolutely got clobbered for a no-call. Kyle [Lowry] had a wide-open 3 with a minute to go. We ran some nice stuff and got exactly what we wanted."

Even after letting Game 5 slip away, Toronto has a 3-2 series lead and still has to be considered the strong favorite to find a way to close these Finals out, beginning with the fact the Raptors can win either Thursday or in Game 7 back home Sunday night.

Beyond that, though, Golden State is riddled with injuries. Forward Kevin Durant underwent surgery Wednesday to repair his ruptured Achilles tendon. Center Kevon Looney is questionable after aggravating the chest injury he suffered in Game 2 in the second half of Game 5. Forward Andre Iguodala and swingman Klay Thompson are playing in the wake of leg injuries earlier in these playoffs and this series, respectively.

Still, Toronto knows it is facing the two-time defending champions, and injuries or not, the Warriors are going to need to be taken out of the series if they are going to lose. The Raptors know the title won't be handed to them.

"Just go out there and do our job," Raptors guard Lowry said. "We're a professional basketball team. We have been in the same situation. We have been the same team all year.

"We don't get too up. We don't get too down. We live in the moment. We understand that today is today and tomorrow will be another test of who our group will be on the road. We'll be against a team that will be ready to go, but we'll be ready to play too."

Oracle will undoubtedly be rocking Thursday night, as the Warriors try to keep their season -- and their chances for a three-peat -- alive with a win in what will be the final game the arena ever hosts. Next season, Golden State will be moving across the Bay and into the palace that will be the Chase Center in San Francisco.

Still, Toronto became the first team since the Seattle SuperSonics in 1995 to win three games here in a single season (regular and postseason) by sweeping Games 3 and 4, and will have a chance to go a perfect 4-0 in at Oracle this season with another victory Thursday.

All Toronto is focused on, however, is getting the final win it needs to secure the franchise's first NBA title, and the city's first championship since the Toronto Blue Jays won a second consecutive World Series 26 years ago.

"Get there when we get there," Lowry said. "Right now, we're just focusing on how we continue to get better. Tomorrow will be a tough task, and we'll be ready to go."

Sources: Kyrie splits with agent, eyes Roc Nation

Published in Basketball
Wednesday, 12 June 2019 19:04

Boston Celtics star Kyrie Irving is changing representation and is expected to partner with Roc Nation Sports, league sources told ESPN.

Irving parted ways with longtime agent Jeff Wechsler on Wednesday, clearing the way for him to ultimately work with Jay-Z's Roc Nation prior to the start of NBA free agency on June 30, sources said.

Irving, a six-time All-Star, will become an unrestricted free agent, and league sources say he remains intensely interested in the Brooklyn Nets. The New York Knicks are expected to remain competitive for Irving, too, sources tell ESPN.

The Nets and Knicks have both hoped to sign Irving and Kevin Durant together into max salary slots. Durant's free agency has been complicated by a ruptured right Achilles tendon that will keep him out of the entire 2019-20 season. The Knicks and Nets are both still interested in signing Durant and Irving together, league sources said.

Wechsler had represented Irving since he was the No. 1 overall pick out of Duke in 2011, negotiating multiple national marketing campaigns and helping to launch his Uncle Drew soft-drink commercial and movie character. Wechsler helped Irving navigate his way out of Cleveland and into a trade to the Celtics in 2017.

Wechsler also represents Celtics star Jayson Tatum. He previously represented Alonzo Mourning and Penny Hardaway.

Roc Nation represents several top NBA players, including Nets guard Caris LeVert. One of the draws of Roc Nation to players has been its close connections to the entertainment industry.

Durant undergoes surgery for ruptured Achilles

Published in Basketball
Wednesday, 12 June 2019 22:19

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Golden State Warriors star forward Kevin Durant suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon during Monday's victory over the Toronto Raptors in Game 5 of the NBA Finals and underwent surgery Wednesday in New York City.

"What's good everybody I wanted to update you all: I did rupture my Achilles. Surgery was today and it was a success," Durant wrote in an Instagram post, which accompanied a picture of him in a hospital.

View this post on Instagram

What's good everybody I wanted to update you all: I did rupture my Achilles. Surgery was today and it was a success, EASY MONEY My road back starts now! I got my family and my loved ones by my side and we truly appreciate all the messages and support people have sent our way. Like I said Monday, I'm hurting deeply, but I'm OK. Basketball is my biggest love and I wanted to be out there that night because that's what I do. I wanted to help my teammates on our quest for the three peat. Its just the way things go in this game and I'm proud that I gave it all I physically could, and I'm proud my brothers got the W. It's going to be a journey but I'm built for this. I'm a hooper I know my brothers can get this Game 6, and I will be cheering  with dub nation while they do it.

A post shared by 35 (@easymoneysniper) on

The Warriors said the surgery was done at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York and performed by Dr. Martin O'Malley.

Durant injured his right Achilles in the second quarter of Game 5. He had not played since injuring his right calf May 8 against the Houston Rockets in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after Wednesday's practice that Durant's Achilles tear came as a "complete shock" to the organization.

"I completely understand the world we live in," Kerr said. "As [Warriors general manager] Bob [Myers] mentioned the other night, there's going to be blame. There's going to be finger-pointing, and we understand that. And we accept that. This is kind of what you sign up for when you get into coaching, general management in the NBA. There's all kinds of coverage, judgment, criticism, and it's all part of it, so we accept that. The main thing is our concern for Kevin and these last couple of days just checking on him. Obviously, everybody feels horrible for what happened.

"As Bob mentioned the other night, this last month was a cumulative, collaborative, effort in his rehabilitation. And that collaboration included Kevin and his business partner Rich Kleiman, our medical staff, his own outside opinion, second opinion, doctor outside of our organization. Kevin checked all the boxes, and he was cleared to play by everybody involved."

Kerr made it clear that the organization did not feel it was putting Durant, 30, at risk for further injury, despite the fact he hadn't played in over a month and was still recovering from a strained calf on the same leg.

"Now, would we go back and do it over again? Damn right," Kerr said. "But that's easy to say after the results. When we gathered all the information, our feeling was the worst thing that could happen would be a reinjury of the calf. That was the advice and the information that we had. At that point, once Kevin was cleared to play, he was comfortable with that, we were comfortable with that. So the Achilles came as a complete shock.

"I don't know what else to add to that, other than had we known that this was a possibility, that this was even in the realm of possibility, there's no way we ever would have allowed Kevin to come back."

Warriors guard Stephen Curry defended Myers and the organization's decision to clear Durant for Game 5. Durant, the two-time reigning NBA Finals MVP, holds a $31.5 million player option for 2019-20.

"I trust our medical staff and know Bob Myers has our best interests," Curry said. "In terms of not just what we can do in this series, but long term in our overall health. You see how hard he took it, talking to you guys after the game. And that's really genuine and authentic. So you can waste time talking about the what-ifs and this and that. Injuries are tough and they suck. They're a part of our game, and they're going to continue to be a part of our game. But everybody putting their collective brains together to make the sound, smart decisions, you kind of just live with that, because that's what's a part of our game."

Kerr and several of his players acknowledged the shock and sadness that still exists within the organization following Durant's injury. The coach specifically mentioned Rick Celebrini, the team's director of sports medicine and performance.

"So it's devastating, mostly for Kevin, obviously," Kerr said. "But I feel horribly for Rick Celebrini, as well, who is one of the best people I've ever been around and one of the smartest, brightest minds that I've ever been around. He's devastated. Bob, the team, we all are. But we made the decision collaboratively with all the information that we had and we thought it was the right one."

Warriors swingman Klay Thompson said it was "stupid" for fans to question the fact that Durant wanted to be back on the floor before his injury.

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1:10

Windhorst: Kerr, Durant and Warriors were all on the same page with injury

Brian Windhorst and Sage Steele react to comments by Kevin Durant and Steve Kerr on Durant playing in Game 5, which ended with an Achilles tendon injury for the Warriors star.

"That's just the nature of the game these days," Thompson said Wednesday. "It happens to the greatest athletes to ever play. Every athlete at his level has gone through it, whether it's been Kevin, Muhammad Ali, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, baseball players, Wayne Gretzky. They have all been questioned, especially in this day and age with the media and the 24-hour news cycle. There's going to be talking heads talking about his game and whatnot. That just comes with the territory.

"But we know who he is. We have won championships with him. I've played in international games with him. I've seen him every day in the gym. You don't need to question someone's heart or desire to play when you see their daily work and their résumé. This man has won every accolade there is. So for these people to say that, it's really just irresponsible and stupid, because this man has been a basketball prodigy since he was 15, and his skill level is not attained unless you put the work in."

As the Warriors, trailing 3-2 in the Finals, prepare for Thursday's Game 6 -- which also marks their final game at Oracle Arena before moving to San Francisco next season -- they do so with the belief that Golden State fans will show even more support than usual in the wake of Durant's injury.

"I expect us obviously to come out and play as hard as we can," Thompson said. "We're not even thinking about the future. We're just thinking about enjoying this last show at Oracle we're about to give our fans. And I expect our fans to be the loudest they have ever been, especially in the name of Kevin and bringing his type of spirit he would bring to the fight and the competitiveness.

"I know our fans will do that because we deserve it, but more importantly, Kevin does for what he gave this team, this organization. There wouldn't be banners if it wasn't for his presence. So we expect our crowd to be loud for him."

Cubs, Rockies get testy; 4 batters hit by pitches

Published in Baseball
Wednesday, 12 June 2019 18:50

DENVER -- Despite the bumps and bruises after four players -- two on each side -- got hit by pitches in the Chicago Cubs' 10-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday, both teams played it cool afterward.

Rockies star Nolan Arenado was the first to get nailed, as veteran Cubs starter Cole Hamels hit him in the left forearm in the bottom of the third inning.

"I kind of had a feeling it was going to happen," Arenado said after the game. "I don't have to explain what's going on. You saw the games in Chicago. You saw them here. It's baseball. I just thought it was a little high. If you were here for the series you saw what was going on."

Arenado is referring to several Cubs players being hit by pitches last week, most notably third baseman Kris Bryant. Bryant was hit by German Marquez in Chicago and was then plunked two more times Tuesday night by rookie Peter Lambert. Marquez also hit Bryant in the helmet last year at Coors Field. Hamels was asked if hitting Arenado was part of any retaliation.

"Not that I know of, no," Hamels said with a straight face. "I'm trying to get guys out. You don't want to see that and you don't want guys to get injured."

After getting hit, Arenado yelled over at the Cubs dugout about the high pitch and jawed with Hamels as well. He left in the fifth inning with a contusion.

"It's just baseball," Hamels said nonchalantly. "People yell at me all the time, good and bad."

X-rays on Arenado's forearm were negative and he's day-to-day. Hamels should also be fine after getting hit in the ankle by Bryan Shaw in the top of the seventh inning. He was walking gingerly in the Cubs clubhouse afterward.

"Those balls are hard," Hamels said. "They don't feel too good."

The back and forth wasn't over. In the eighth inning, Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo was hit by rookie Phillip Diehl, who was making his second career outing. That finally drew warnings from the umpires.

"I don't think that was on purpose," Arenado said. "We're not asking some second-appearance young kid to go throw at Rizzo."

Finally, Rockies catcher Tony Wolters was hit by struggling Cubs reliever Brad Brach in the bottom of the ninth with the game well in hand for the visitors. Colorado manager Bud Black argued that Brach should have been tossed since warnings had already been given. The umpires disagreed.

"I'm not trying to hit anyone, especially with the way I've been pitching," Brach said.

So as is the trend when these things occur, all the parties involved -- save perhaps Arenado -- denied there was anything nefarious going on. Cubs manager Joe Maddon also dismissed most of the extracurricular activity, urging those inflicted to simply make a quick decision.

"I've always had a rule among my guys," Maddon explained. "You have two options: Go to the mound or go to first base. But don't sit there and jabber. Make up your mind and do one or the other -- and either one is fine."

The two teams can only meet in the playoffs now as the season series is over after they played each other six times in eight days, with each team winning three games. Arenado was asked what he thought of more games against the Cubs.

"It would be a spicy series," he responded.

Verlander K's career-best 15 but Astros lose

Published in Baseball
Wednesday, 12 June 2019 23:04

HOUSTON -- On a night when the Milwaukee Brewers struck out again and again, piling up a season-high 24 K's against the Houston Astros, one big swing by Mike Moustakas made all those whiffs way easier to swallow.

Moustakas hit a two-run homer during Milwaukee's three-run 14th inning, and the Brewers struck out 15 times against Houston ace Justin Verlander before rallying for a 6-3 victory over the Astros on Wednesday.

Christian Yelich started the 14th with a single against rookie Cionel Perez (1-1) for Milwaukee's first hit since the ninth. After Ryan Braun lined out, Moustakas hit a drive to right for his 21st homer.

"Obviously, 24 punchouts isn't what we were looking for, but ... we got a W so we turned a negative into a positive and found a way to win against a great ballclub over there," Moustakas said.

Jesus Aguilar added a pinch-hit RBI single as Milwaukee won for the fifth time in six games. Braun, Yasmani Grandal and Eric Thames also went deep for the Brewers, and Adrian Houser (2-1) pitched two scoreless innings for the victory. "I bet you there's not too many times a team struck out 24 times and won the game," Yelich said. "All those weird baseball things happen and that's another example of it. Honestly, it's just a really good win and a hard-fought win."

Verlander set a career high for K's while allowing three runs in seven innings. The 2011 American League Cy Young Award winner led the way as Houston set a franchise record for strikeouts, surpassing its previous record of 23 during a 15-inning game on May 31, 2003, against the Chicago Cubs.

Verlander joined Randy Johnson as the only pitchers in Astros history with at least 15 strikeouts and no walks in a game, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. (Johnson had 16 strikeouts against the Pittsburgh Pirates on August 28, 1998.)

"It would feel a lot better if we won," Verlander said. "Yeah, cool, great, but we didn't win the baseball game."

Houston had a 3-2 lead before Thames connected in the seventh inning for Milwaukee's third homer off Verlander. It was Thames' ninth of the season.

Each team had late chances to go in front.

Jake Marisnick singled off Houser with one out in the 13th. Marisnick stole second base, but Houser retired Josh Reddick and Alex Bregman to end the threat.

Pinch hitter Myles Straw walked leading off the Houston 10th, but was caught trying to steal second base. He was initially called safe, but the Brewers challenged the call and it was overturned. Josh Hader walked Tyler White, but Marisnick grounded into a double play to end the inning.

"Hitting is hard. They threw some pretty good arms at us," Astros manager AJ Hinch said. "They're a good team, and yes, it doesn't feel good when you go quietly like that."

Singles by Yelich and Moustakas left runners at first and third with one out in the ninth. But Roberto Osuna struck out Grandal and Thames to escape the jam.

Verlander surrendered solo drives to Braun in the first and Grandal in the second before settling into a groove. He retired 17 of 18 after Grandal's 15th homer, with Milwaukee's only baserunner coming on a double by Thames to start the fifth.

Verlander, who had fanned 14 four times in his career, struck out eight of his final 10 batters, including the side in the sixth.

Milwaukee's Brandon Woodruff also yielded three runs and four hits in seven innings.

The Brewers led 2-0 before the Astros scored three times in the fourth. Robinson Chirinos singled in Yuli Gurriel before Tony Kemp doubled in two runs.

ANNIVERSARY

Verlander got the start on the 12th anniversary of his first career no-hitter, a 4-0 victory over Milwaukee. Brewers manager Craig Counsell led off in that one and finished 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Brewers: RHP Jhoulys Chacin (lower back strain) will come off the injured list to start against San Diego on Monday.

Astros: 2B Jose Altuve (leg fatigue) and OF George Springer (hamstring) are both improving, and Hinch said they could start rehabilitation assignments sometime this weekend. ... C Max Stassi (knee soreness) is scheduled to begin a rehabilitation assignment Thursday.

DYNAMIC DUO

Yelich and Moustakas each had two hits. Yelich extended his hitting streak to 10 games, which is the longest streak for the Brewers this season, and Moustakas has hit safely in 10 of the past 11 games.

UP NEXT

Brewers: Milwaukee is off Thursday before Zach Davies (7-0, 2.41 ERA) starts Friday night in the opener of a three-game series at San Francisco. Davies allowed three runs in five innings in a 5-3 win over Pittsburgh in his most recent start.

Astros: Following an off day, Houston hosts Toronto on Friday in the first of three games. Gerrit Cole (5-5, 3.72 ERA) is scheduled to start. Cole yielded three runs -- one earned -- and struck out a season-high 14 in seven innings but did not factor in the decision in a 4-3 win over the Orioles in his previous start.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Nunez talks with Ortiz, 'embarrassed' by shooting

Published in Baseball
Wednesday, 12 June 2019 14:08

Boston Red Sox infielder Eduardo Nunez lamented the fact that David Ortiz was shot in their native Dominican Republic, calling the incident an "international shame."

Nunez, who is friends with Ortiz and shares an agent with the former Red Sox star, told ESPN's Marly Rivera that he spoke with Ortiz on the phone Tuesday, less than two days after the shooting at a club in Santo Domingo.

Although Nunez said he was happy to hear that Ortiz is recovering, he said Dominican players feel "embarrassed" that a "legend" like Ortiz was shot in their homeland.

"Just thinking about the fact that this happened to him in the Dominican Republic, it is unimaginable," Nunez told Rivera on Wednesday. "For us, as Dominican players, it's a very bad image. It is an international shame.

"We feel very embarrassed about what happened to him because he is a legend from our homeland, and this happened to him in our homeland."

Nunez said he was happy to have had the opportunity to speak with Ortiz.

"I'm very pleased that he's already recovering. ... [Ortiz] said to me, 'How are you, homie? How are you doing?'" Nunez said. "I replied, 'Hey, it's not about how am I doing, it's about how you're doing! You tell me!'

"It was just a brief greeting, but it felt good to have the opportunity to talk to him over the phone."

Ortiz's wife, Tiffany, announced earlier Wednesday that Ortiz will remain in the intensive care unit at Boston's Massachusetts General Hospital "for the coming days."

Ortiz underwent emergency surgery Sunday night in the Dominican Republic to repair damage to his intestines and his liver. He was stabilized and then flown to Boston and taken to Mass General, where a second surgery was performed late Monday night.

Authorities say Ortiz was ambushed by a man who got off a motorcycle and shot him in the back at nearly point-blank range around 8:50 p.m. local time at the Dial Bar and Lounge.

The Dominican Republic's chief prosecutor on Wednesday said police have five people in custody, including the alleged gunman, and that others also are being pursued.

Witnesses said the attack was carried out by two men on a motorcycle and two other groups of people in cars, and authorities said the coordinator of the shooting was offered 400,000 pesos (about $7,800) to carry out the crime.

Nunez, who spoke with Rivera before Boston's game Wednesday afternoon against the Texas Rangers, called Ortiz a "very special person" for all Dominican players.

"I feel terrible," Nunez said. "He is an international figure, an icon of our sport. He's someone who's opened so many doors for younger Dominican players and Latinos in general. He always advocates for the best for the Dominican Republic. For young Latinos, he's always there offering you advice. He's a very special person for all of us."

Cops: Suspect in Ortiz shooting was offered $7.8K

Published in Baseball
Wednesday, 12 June 2019 14:58

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic -- Six suspects, including the alleged gunman, have been detained in the shooting of former Boston Red Sox star David Ortiz, the Dominican Republic's chief prosecutor said Wednesday.

Other suspects also were being pursued in the shooting, which witnesses said was carried out by two men on a motorcycle and two other groups of people in cars.

"At this moment, they are being interrogated, and we will continue deepening the investigation to get to the truth about what happened," chief prosecutor Jean Alain Rodriguez said.

"Nobody involved in this lamentable episode will remain in impunity, not even the material or intellectual author" of the crime, he said.

Authorities have declined to give a motive for the shooting at a popular Santo Domingo bar Sunday night.

Among the suspects in custody is the alleged shooter, identified by authorities as Rolfy Ferreyra, aka Sandy.

Police Maj. Gen. Ney Aldrin Bautista Almonte said the alleged coordinator of the attack was offered 400,000 Dominican pesos, or about $7,800, to carry out the shooting. He said the alleged coordinator also is among those in custody.

Among the other suspects still at large were Luis Alfredo Rivas Clase, aka The Surgeon, as well as a woman known as The Venezuelan, or Red, and two other men, prosecutors said in a statement.

Meanwhile, in Boston, Ortiz's wife said in a statement that the former Red Sox slugger was able to sit up and take some steps as he recuperates in the intensive care unit at Massachusetts General Hospital.

"His condition is guarded, and he will remain in the ICU for the coming days, but he is making good progress toward recovery," Tiffany Ortiz said in the statement.

Prosecutors have said the two men on the motorcycle were seen on security camera footage talking with other people in a gray Hyundai Accent and in another Hyundai on a nearby street before the shooting.

One of the suspects, Oliver Moises Mirabal Acosta, was seen driving the Accent before mounting a motorcycle driven by 25-year-old Eddy Vladimir Feliz Garcia, the prosecutors said in a court document.

"In one of the videos, it was possible to observe both the accused and the shooter planning the commission of the incident right on Octavio Mejia Ricart Street, which is parallel to the place where the event took place," the prosecutors said.

The document also revealed ineptitude, saying the motorcycle driver, Feliz Garcia, was captured after he skidded and fell off his bike as the pair tried to flee. Enraged onlookers captured Feliz Garcia and beat him bloody before handing him over to police.

Mirabal Acosta was captured Tuesday night in the town of Mao in the northern Dominican Republic.

Feliz Garcia's lawyer said his client, who has been charged with being an accomplice to attempted murder, is an innocent motorcycle taxi driver who had no idea his passenger was going to commit a crime.

"He didn't know what they were going to do. He's a fan of David's," the attorney, Deivi Solano, said Tuesday.

The 43-year-old Ortiz frequently travels to Santo Domingo, where his father and a sister live. He was active in the social scene there, hitting nightspots with friends who included TV personalities and Dominican reggaeton musicians.

Beloved in his hometown, Ortiz traveled the dangerous streets of the Dominican capital with little or no security, trusting his fans to protect him, according to friends.

The Dominican Republic is one of the world's most dangerous countries. The murder rate stands at 12.5 killings per 100,000 people, placing the Dominican Republic in the top 10% to 15% of the most violent countries in the world, according to U.S. State Department data.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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2028 LOS ANGELES OLYMPIC

UEFA

2024 PARIS OLYMPIC


Basketball

Embiid: Win over C's shows Sixers' 'high ceiling'

Embiid: Win over C's shows Sixers' 'high ceiling'

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsBOSTON -- A month ago, the Philadelphia 76ers seemed like a team he...

Warriors still searching after players-only meeting

Warriors still searching after players-only meeting

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsSAN FRANCISCO -- Stephen Curry started off his Christmas Day at Cha...

Baseball

Red Sox acquire Morán from Twins for Gasper

Red Sox acquire Morán from Twins for Gasper

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThe Boston Red Sox continued to rebuild their pitching staff, acqui...

Trading for a superstar -- and then dealing away an MVP? What to make of Cubs' confusing offseason

Trading for a superstar -- and then dealing away an MVP? What to make of Cubs' confusing offseason

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsCHICAGO -- For consecutive offseasons, the Chicago Cubs have given...

Sports Leagues

  • FIFA

    Fédération Internationale de Football Association
  • NBA

    National Basketball Association
  • ATP

    Association of Tennis Professionals
  • MLB

    Major League Baseball
  • ITTF

    International Table Tennis Federation
  • NFL

    Nactional Football Leagues
  • FISB

    Federation Internationale de Speedball

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