Here’s a look at what’s happening around the majors today:
RECOVERING ACE
Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw goes for his first win in 2 1/2 months when he faces Pittsburgh in the middle game of the teams’ three-game series in Los Angeles. Kershaw (1-4 http://www.jaguarsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-ronnie-harrison-jersey , 2.84 ERA) has no decisions with a 2.77 ERA in three starts since going on the disabled list in early May with biceps tendinitis. He returned to start against Philadelphia on May 31, but then went right back on the DL with a lower back injury. Kershaw, whose only win this season was against Arizona on April 15, gave up one run and four hits with no walks and six strikeouts in five innings against Chicago in his second start back last Thursday.
REALMUTO ON A ROLL
Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto looks to get a base hit in his 11th straight game as Miami continues its interleague series against Tampa Bay. He is 15 for 42 (.357 average) with two homers and 10 RBIs over his last 10 contests, a stretch broken up by him sitting out four straight games last week. Realmuto is hitting .311 with 11 homers and 36 RBIs on the season.
BIEBERMANIA
Cleveland rookie right-hander Shane Bieber looks to remain unbeaten as he faces the struggling Royals. The 23-year-old is 3-0 with a 2.22 ERA in four starts since making his major league debut against Minnesota on May 31. Kansas City has lost 23 of its last 28 games and is tied with Baltimore for the most losses in the majors with 54. The Royals have scored four runs or fewer in 23 of their last 24 games.
THROWING SIX
Michael Fulmer (3-7, 4.20 ERA) tries to extend the Detroit’s streak of starters working at least six innings to seven games in the opener of a two-game series against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. The Tigers‘ current stretch of sidx straight is the team’s longest since last July 28 to Aug. 2.
STRUGGLING
Chris Davis looks to keep up his recent hitting surge as the Baltimore Orioles open a two-game series at Philadelphia. Davis is 5 for 20 with two homers and four RBIs in his last five games. Since sitting out a stretch of 10 of 12 games last month to try to snap out a season-long hitting funk, he is 7 for 38 with three HRs and nine RBIs over the last 10 games. That has improved his totals to a .156 average with seven homers and 24 RBIs while striking out 99 times.
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The season-long battle between slalom rivals Marcel Hirscher and Henrik Kristoffersen became a snowball fight for once.
Shortly before Hirscher won a World Cup night race on Tuesday, his Norwegian rival had snowballs thrown at him by spectators during his final run.
None of the projectiles hit Kristoffersen but the Norwegian was furious as he reacted with wild arm gestures after crossing the finish.
”That was disrespectful. That was not cool at all http://www.jaguarsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-logan-cooke-jersey ,” said Kristoffersen, adding the incident distracted him but did not cost him the victory.
Hirscher, the Austrian six-time overall champion, built on his first-run lead to win by 0.39 seconds. In the final slalom before the Pyeongchang Olympics, he and Kristoffersen were far ahead of the field as third-place Daniel Yule of Switzerland was 2.13 seconds behind.
”I would not have beaten him even if there were no snowballs. Marcel was better today. We are in a league of our own, this battle is really great,” said the Norwegian, who beat Hirscher in a slalom in Kitzbuehel two days ago. Together they have won seven of the season’s eight World Cups in the discipline.
”One time I am ahead by a few hundredths http://www.chiefsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-armani-watts-jersey , the next time Marcel is ahead by a few hundredths. Let’s see what happens at the Olympics,” Kristoffersen said.
Hirscher, who didn’t see the incident from the starting gate, apologized to Kristoffersen immediately after the race.
”I feel very sorry for Henrik,” said Hirscher, adding that ”99.9 percent” of the 41,000 spectators were great fans. ”But it’s a little bit of a shame that we also have such spectators who do this.”
The incident sparked an outcry on social media, and women’s overall champion Mikaela Shiffrin said on Twitter that ”throwing snowballs or any other kind of obstruction AT racers WHILE they are skiing to throw them off is not only disgusting http://www.chargersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-justin-jones-jersey , but dangerous. Get a life.”
Hirscher got his ninth win of the season and 54th overall, matching Austrian great Hermann Maier’s career total. Only Swedish standout Ingemar Stenmark (86) has won more races.
”It’s unbelievable and a dream has come true. Wow,” said Hirscher, who won slalom gold at the world championships on the same hill five years ago. ”I have never skied in Schladming with so many emotions. The feelings are a bit like the worlds in 2013.”
Hirscher got the record despite breaking his ankle in the offseason and missing his entire preparation period.
”Maybe I should do that more often. Not breaking my ankle, but taking more time off,” he said.
Among the spectators was Hirscher’s close friend, motorbike rider Matthias Walkner, who had just returned from South America where he won the Dakar Rally.
”I will share a drink with Matthias tonight. It won’t get much better than this http://www.chargersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-kyzir-white-jersey ,” said Hirscher, whose win was the 500th by an Austrian man in the 51-year history of the World Cup.
Yule got his second career podium two days after finishing third in Kitzbuehel, and said ”doing this in the two temples of slalom is unbelievable.”
The men’s World Cup continues with a downhill and a giant slalom in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, this weekend.
