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How is Oscar Colás progressing this spring? ‘You always have stuff to improve,’ the hot-hitting Chicago White Sox prospect says.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:52 GMT

Oscar Colás was itching to bat Saturday against the San Diego Padres.“He probably asked me three or four times if I could get him an AB,” Chicago White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said Sunday morning. “He knew that if they brought a righty in I was going to pinch-hit (with) him because I communicate that early the days that some of these guys are off.“As soon as they brought in that righty, I looked back and he already had his stuff on.”Colás made the most of his plate appearance, blasting a long home run to right field against Drew Carlton in the ninth inning of the Sox’s 6-5 loss at Peoria Stadium. It was the first Cactus League homer of what has been a standout camp for the No. 2 prospect in the Sox organization.“As soon as I hit it, I knew it was gone,” Colás said through an interpreter Saturday.He called the moment “special.”“I was just trying to feel comfortable in the batter’s box, trying to g...

Orioles observations on a ‘good learning experience’ for Grayson Rodriguez, Adley Rutschman’s grand slam and more

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:52 GMT

In Grayson Rodriguez’s first two starts this spring, he pitched on the road, facing lineups littered with major leaguers. Sunday’s outing, his first at Ed Smith Stadium, came opposite a Boston Red Sox split-squad team mostly absent noteworthy hitters.But that group got to the Orioles’ top pitching prospect, who had his worst performance of the spring. After three dominant innings in which the 23-year-old right-hander retired nine of 10 Red Sox with six strikeouts, Rodriguez failed to retire any of the five batters he faced in the fourth inning. He said his issue in the frame was “just trying to throw strikes” instead of actually doing it, more frustrated he veered from the zone-attacking focus he’s had leading up to and throughout spring than his final line.“I don’t think we’re necessarily worried about results,” Rodriguez said. “That’s something that’s kind of been our motto coming up through the minor le...

Bruins’ comeback falls short in 5-3 loss to Wings

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:52 GMT

The Bruins spotted the Detroit Red Wings a two-goal lead on Saturday before marching back to win the game. But in the return match on Sunday at Little Caesar’s Arena, the B’s learned that there are limits to the head starts they give opponents.After falling behind 4-0 late in the second period, the B’s clawed back to within a goal by 6:24 of the third period and had numerous chances to tie it. But the B’s just missed on a couple of back-door plays and Ville Husso (32 saves) made the stops that were required before Andrew Copp ended it with an empty net goal with 23 seconds left, handing the B’s a 5-3 loss.It was another rough day for the B’s special teams.For the second time in as many days, the B’s got off to a slow start. Playing without defenseman Hampus Lindholm, whose foot was swollen after blocking a shot on Saturday (coach Jim Montgomery said he will play on Tuesday in Chicago), the B’s fell down 1-0 on a Detroit power-play goal...

Ticker: Mass jobs back to pre-pandemic levels; Lab charged with Medicaid fraud

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:52 GMT

Total employment in Massachusetts rebounded to pre-pandemic levels in January, 34 months after the COVID-19 state of emergency began, as employers added a robust 19,600 jobs.The January gains brought the statewide employment to 3,743,500, labor officials announced Friday. That’s just 200 positions short of the total recorded in February 2020, the last month before a cascade of enormous job losses followed by a jobs recovery.The industry with the biggest growth was education and health services, which employed 5,000 more people month-over-month. Other sectors with gains include trade, transportation and utilities (+3,200 jobs), leisure and hospitality (+3,000 jobs), and professional, scientific and business services (+2,300 jobs).Lab charged with Medicaid fraudA clinical laboratory and its owner have been accused of submitting over $400,000 in Medicaid claims for unauthorized urine drug tests, the attorney general’s office in Massachusetts said Friday.The residential sobr...

Lady Gaga will perform ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ song at Oscars

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:52 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lady Gaga will be performing at the Oscars after all.A person close to the production with knowledge of the performance confirmed Sunday afternoon that the pop superstar will sing “Hold My Hand,” the Oscar-nominated original song from “Top Gun: Maverick.”Producers said just days before that Gaga’s schedule on the “Joker” sequel would keep her from performing, but apparently a change after their remarks allowed the performance’s addition to the show.With Gaga’s performance added, all the nominated original songs this year will have a showcase during the Oscars telecast. Variety first reported the change of plans.Rihanna will perform “Lift Me Up” from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava will sing Chandrabose and M.M. Keeravaani’s “Naatu Naatu” from “RRR.” Songs from “Tell It Like a Woman” and “Everything Everywhere All At Once” will also be performed.Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press

Oscars look to snap back a year after The Slap; Gaga added

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:52 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — It’s almost time to give the Academy Awards a big hand.OK, maybe we should rephrase that. A year after Will Smith strode on stage at the Dolby Theatre and slapped Chris Rock in the face, the Oscars will reconvene Sunday for a ceremony that will try to move past one of the most infamous moments in Academy Awards history. The telecast from the Dolby in Los Angeles begins at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC. The broadcast can be streamed with a subscription to Hulu Live TV, YouTubeTV, AT&T TV and Fubo TV. You can also stream the show on ABC.com and on the ABC app by authenticating your provider.Jimmy Kimmel, the show’s first solo emcee in five years, is hosting for the third time. The late-night comedian has promised to make some jokes about The Slap; it would be “ridiculous” not to, he said. Bill Kramer, chief executive of the film academy, has said that it was important, given what happened last year, to have “a host in place who can really pivot and manage those moments.”“No...

Head of union organization fired after EU donation probe

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:52 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — An organization representing trade unions around the world has fired its general secretary after he admitted accepting donations from a suspect in a major European cash-for-influence scandal, saying that the affair has severely damaged its reputation.The International Trade Union Confederation, which claims to represent around 200 million workers worldwide, said in a statement issued after a weekend meeting that “Luca Visentini no longer had the confidence of the General Council as ITUC General Secretary.”Visentini was named to the post in November but was suspended the following month after he was taken into custody by Belgian prosecutors investigating whether a criminal organization had accepted bribes from representatives from Qatar and Morocco to influence decisions at the European Parliament.Visentini was not charged in the affair and denies involvement in any corruption, but was suspended by ITUC after he was taken into custody. He has admitted accepting a dona...

3 children, mother die in fire at Chicago firefighter's home

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:52 GMT

CHICAGO (WGN-TV) — Two more children who were critically injured in a house fire at a firefighter's home in Chicago Tuesday died Friday night, bringing the death toll from the tragedy to four. A family member said the two children who died Friday were 2-year-old Emery Stewart and 9-year-old Autumn Stewart. Emery and Autumn's mother, Summer Day-Stewart, died from her injuries earlier in the day, while 7-year-old Ezra Stewart died in the fire Tuesday. According to a statement on a fundraising page for the family, the father, a Chicago firefighter, was on duty when he overheard his home address on the fire radio. When he arrived, he found his wife and children in serious condition as the fire continued to burn his house. Police: Stalker kills woman, husband in Seattle-area home "It’s very sad," said Perla Martinez, a resident of Montclare, the Chicago neighborhood where the fire broke out. "We’ve never had something like this happen before and it just caught us off guard. ... It’s re...

Texas women's hoops falls in Big 12 tournament title to Iowa State

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:52 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo (KXAN) - The Texas women's basketball team dropped the Big 12 tournament title game to Iowa State Sunday 61-51. The Longhorns were eyeing to defend their conference tournament crown from winning it a season ago.Now Texas (25-9, 14-5) awaits their NCAA Tournament fate. The co-regular season Big 12 champions have been commonly projected as a four seed, which would mean the Longhorns would still host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.After holding a one point lead at halftime, Texas struggled to keep pace with the Cyclones in the second half. Iowa State outscored the Longhorns 21-12 in the third quarter and never looked back.Shaylee Gonzales and Taylor Jones led the way for the Longhorns with 12 points each. Big 12 Player of the Year Ashley Joens had a game high 28 points for Iowa State.The Big 12 Tournament Championship for Iowa State is their first since 2001. The Longhorns will begin in the NCAA Tournament either Friday or Saturday. The bracket will be reve...

Cool down continues for spring break week

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:52 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- This morning's cold front brought a welcome cool down and lowering of humidity to Central Texas. Still, temperatures still reached above normal with highs in the mid 70s.The cool air will keep pushing into the area with high temperatures only in the 60s to start the work week. NEW BLOG: La Niña has ended — Here’s what’s next and when El Niño could beg Rain should miss us to the south on Monday with clouds giving way to afternoon sunshine.Tuesday still holds a low chance for some isolated, mainly light, rain as a weak disturbance pushes through. It'll be even cooler thanks to a mostly cloudy sky.More sun returns for Wednesday as temperatures bounce back into the 70s.Next three daysFirst Warning: Late season chillA cold front arriving late Thursday or early Friday will bring the good potential for rain, thunderstorms and even a low flash flooding risk for some of us.Strong late week cold front could make it chilly next weekendWhile the rain will be beneficial, the c...