But given the Astros’ history in the World Series, any little thing that looks suspicious is likely to draw the ire of onlookers. And Game 2 viewers pointed out several things that seemed off with Valdez, including what looked like a substance on his hand and appearing to change his glove during the game. The first thing that caught viewers’ eye was the left-handed Valdez appearing to go to something on his right hand or wrist before rubbing the ball and throwing a pitch....

Verlander fanned 10 batters and allowed just one baserunner — Nick Gordon reached base after striking out on a wild pitch in the second inning — bringing his ERA down to a minuscule 1.87. Yet Verlander didn’t get a chance to see if he could notch the fourth no-hitter of his career; manager Dusty Baker pulled his starter after he reached 91 pitches. Verlander wasn’t too bothered, though. He missed each of the past two seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery....

Houston called up top prospect Corbin Martin to make his MLB debut Sunday against the Rangers to take McHugh’s place in the rotation. McHugh gave up 24 earned runs in his last four starts for the Astros in 18 innings pitched (12.00 ERA). He found a niche in the bullpen for Houston last season posting a 1.99 ERA in 58 appearances (72 1/3 innings pitched). So while the move is a demotion for McHugh, it’s also a move Houston can live with as it has had some struggles getting to Ryan Pressly and Roberto Osuna at the back end of the pen....

Although he told the website’s Ben Reiter he wasn’t allowed to talk about the ongoing investigation, he did for the first time speak about other aspects of the Times’ report and the alleged hack, about which he said, “It was like coming home and seeing your house has been broken into.” MORE: Spare us your Cardinals conspiracy theories Luhnow rejected one theory that alleged hackers gained entry to the Astros database because they he hadn’t changed his password(s)....

The next moment I found myself crushed underneath the collapsed house. It was pitch dark and I couldn’t move an inch with the roof, walls and rubble on my back. All I could think of was “I’m going to die here.” Then something moved under my body. It was Atsunori, begging for help and crying with pain. I had to find a way out to save his life. If he died, I could not face my husband when he returned from the war....

Arthritis causes inflammation in one or more joints. Pain, swelling, stiffness, and tenderness are the main symptoms. Knee arthritis can be painful and affect your ability to walk or climb steps. And research shows it is a major contributor to both disability and time lost from work. Any joint can be affected by arthritis, but the knee is the most commonly affected joint. The two common arthritis causes of knee arthritis are osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid (RA), but arthritis comes in more than 100 forms and any of these can affect your knees....

If true, the deaths of the prosecutor general and deputy could mean that at least four Russian-installed officials in Ukraine were killed on Friday alone. In the port city of Berdiansk in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, the Russian-appointed deputy head of administration, Oleg Boyko and his wife, Lyudmilla Boyko, were killed overnight in their garage, Reuters reported, citing the city administration. The couple reportedly headed a city commission organizing a referendum to join Russia....

You can take your flying car to Manhattan or Pullman by then. MORE: SN coach rankings, 1 to 128 | SN Preseason Top 25 OK, maybe not, but we do know that by 2026: — If Bill Snyder is still the coach at Kansas State, he’ll be 86 for that first meeting (that one’s in Manhattan, Kansas, by the way) and 89 when the Wildcats visit Pullman. — The freshman class in 2026, assuming they’re all 18 years old, are about 7 or 8 years old now, having just wrapped up second grade....

On Thursday, according to an AP story brought to my attention by my friend and researcher whose code name is Flounder, an authenticated letter written by Albert Einstein to the philosopher Eric Gutkind in January 1954 will be sold by Bloomsbury Auctions in London. In the letter, Einstein writes about his religious beliefs. Since his death in 1955, theists, atheists and many in between have engaged in an intellectual tug of war attempting to yank Albert over to their side of the God debate....

But in the wake of the recent mass shooting in Atlanta that left eight people dead—six of them women with Asian heritage—activists, public officials, and both local and national lawmakers are asking why the new statute is not being applied by prosecutors. The legislation is the first of its kind in Georgia, which until then was one of four states still lacking such statutes despite more than a decade of advocacy....

But it wasn’t like that. As his Atlanta United players prepare for Saturday’s MLS Cup final against the Portland Timbers, the last game Martino will coach with the club, his players are reflecting on a legacy Martino is leaving of humility, sacrifice and a straightforward style that has made him a beloved figure in the Five Stripes’ locker room. “I think the thing that probably stuck out to me the most is just how humble and how honest he is,” defender Greg Garza said....

Atleti have big chance to end Real hoodoo Atleti have been defeated by their rivals in each of their last three European campaigns, twice in the final, and the sides were again paired together in Friday’s last-four draw. But with his side still fighting to secure a top-three league position and automatic qualification for the Champions League next season, Simeone is adamant he cannot look too far ahead, while his team will not be distracted by the identity of their semi-final opponents....

The Australian was initially fined $113,000 having verbally abused umpire Fergus Murphy in his loss to Karen Khachanov in Cincinnati and smashed two rackets during a bathroom break he had not been given permission to take. That triggered an investigation from the ATP and the governing body found Kyrgios “committed aggravated behavior” and was guilty of a “pattern of behavior” when it came to verbally abusing officials or spectators....

An ASA keeps the heart from working properly and from pumping blood that returns to the right atria to pick up oxygen back out to the body. The condition is one possible cause of stroke, a potentially life-threatening blockage of blood flowing to the brain. This article looks at how an ASA is linked to having a stroke, as well as its connection to other health issues. It also discusses how this type of aneurysm may be treated....

Iran has been gripped by protests since Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman, died on 16 September after being detained by morality police and allegedly beaten. It is unclear whether the police station attack in the city of Zahedan and ongoing protests are linked. On Friday Iranian opposition activists reported “mass killings” in the streets of Zahedan, targeting those “peacefully protesting on the streets.” Newsweek has been unable to verify the claims....

On Tuesday morning, the actress was in the front passenger seat of an SUV driven by her uncle, Mitchell J. Carp, when he fell unconscious after suffering a suspected heart attack, according to a California Highway Patrol press release obtained by People. According to the release, the vehicle drifted into another lane on Los Angeles freeway the I-405, hitting a black SUV before it was eventually brought to a stop between lanes “with the assistance of a good Samaritan....

Amanda Serrano is all smiles walking into Gleason’s Gym on Wednesday ahead of her media workout. The WBO super bantamweight champion exchanges pleasantries with some of the iconic Brooklyn venue’s regulars while posing for pictures alongside several fans. Serrano’s grin remains a fixture on her face while discussing her Saturday night clash with Yamila Reynoso on the undercard of the Danny Garcia-Shawn Porter fight at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, but her facial expression drops in despair with an audible sigh when the topic of a wage gap between women boxers in comparison to their male counterparts is broached....

As it turns out, Stoudemire did want to retire with the Suns. In an interview with The Arizona Republic, the 33-year-old says he tried to set something up with the team, but it didn’t have much interest in bringing him back. MORE: Ranking the best NBA stars to change teams in their primes “The last two years, we made phone calls to Phoenix but I wasn’t getting any positive response,” Stoudemire told the paper....

Cooper’s cap hit is $20 million this season, which would convert on March 20, but cutting him before then would result in only $6 million of dead space. Ideally, however, Ian Rapoport has reported that the Cowboys are looking for trade suitors for Cooper, who had over 1,000 yards in his first two full seasons with the Cowboys before putting up 865 yards in 2021. Cooper, who was acquired from the Raiders via trade in 2018, has been a steady part of the Dallas offense....