Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Marcus Stroman is getting used to Major League Baseball's new pitch clock. And it's no small deal for the Chicago Cubs right-hander.
"It's tough," he said. "It's a big adjustment."
Stroman committed baseball's first regular-season pitch-clock violation Thursday in the third inning of the Cubs' 4-0 victory over Milwaukee on opening day.
Stroman took a long look at rookie Brice Turang leading off second base with no outs and Christian Yelich batting at Wrigley Field. Just as Stroman turned his attention back to Yelich, plate umpire Ron Kulpa called the violation for taking too long to deliver a pitch. Kulpa pointed to his wrist in announcing the call, and the automatic ball made it a 2-2 count against Yelich. Stroman didn't argue.
"You've got to be looking at the clock. You're trying to worry about the pitch. You're trying to worry about the guys on base. You're trying to worry about your grip," Stroman said. "There's so many things going on now.
"So it definitely adds another layer to the game that's tough, to be honest with you. It's definitely not easy to be a pitcher out there and to feel rushed at times."
Several more violations followed on the first day of regular-season games since MLB introduced a slate of rules changes this season -- including a clock for a sport that famously existed for decades without any timers.
Boston Red Sox star slugger Rafael Devers earned an unpleasant spot in the record book as the first batter to strike out via violation. Devers was looking down and kicking debris off his cleats in the eighth inning when Lance Barksdale signalled a violation that resulted in strike three.
"There's no excuse," Boston manager Alex Cora said. "They know the rules."
J.D. Davis of the San Francisco Giants became the first hitter called for a pitch-clock violation in any count during the ninth inning of a game at Yankee Stadium.
Meanwhile in Washington, Atlanta Braves reliever Collin McHugh put his arms out wide after being called for a violation by umpire Dan Bellino in the eighth inning against Washington. That put batter Jeimer Candelario ahead 1-0, and McHugh followed with three more balls -- a three-pitch walk, essentially.
"I didn't even realize it happened, quite honestly," Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. "It's going to happen."
The opening day rollout was mostly smooth, but a few issues arose in Miami.
In the fifth inning, New York Mets ace Max Scherzer stared down the Marlins' Bryan De La Cruz until the clock hit zero. De La Cruz began shouting "Ball! Ball! Ball!" -- as in, call an automatic ball. But plate umpire Larry Vanover thought the hitter was calling for a timeout. Scherzer escaped without the automatic ball and later induced a popup from De La Cruz.
The next inning, Vanover angered Mets All-Star Jeff McNeil with a violation he did call. McNeil was waiting for baserunner Pete Alonso to retreat to first after a foul ball when Vanover dinged him for an automatic strike. That prompted an argument with McNeil and Mets manager Buck Showalter, who seemed irritated that the pitch clock began before Alonso returned to first.
It worked out anyway for McNeil -- he grounded an RBI single a few pitches later.
"I love the pace," Scherzer said. "I don't like the clock. I'll double down on that. I think the umpire should have discretion to turn the clock off."
In Seattle, J.P. Crawford was gifted a ball on an 0-2 count in the eighth inning when Cleveland reliever James Karinchak was called for a pitch-clock violation. Crawford eventually walked and came around to score on Ty France's three-run homer as the Mariners beat the Guardians 3-0 in a game that took just 2 hours, 14 minutes.
And there was an unusual violation at Dodger Stadium, where plate umpire Marvin Hudson called an automatic ball because Arizona reliever Kevin Ginkel went into the stretch before Will Smith got into the batter's box.
MLB introduced the pitch clock this season to speed the pace of play. Players have 30 seconds to resume play between batters. Between pitches, pitchers have 15 seconds with nobody on and 20 seconds if there is a baserunner. Batters must be in the box and alert to the pitcher with at least eight seconds on the clock.
When a pitcher fails to throw a pitch in time, the penalty is an automatic ball. When a batter isn't ready in time, it's an automatic strike.
San Diego Padres star Manny Machado committed the first pitch-clock violation during spring training. Players were overwhelmingly encouraged by the new rules rollout during the preseason, when the average time of games fell 26 minutes to 2 hours, 35 minutes over the first three weeks.
Other changes this year include bigger bases to improve player safety, plus limits on infield shifts and pitcher disengagements to encourage more action.
------
AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum in New York and AP Sports Writers Howard Fendrich in Washington, Kyle Hightower in Boston, Alanis Thames in Miami, Tim Booth in Seattle and Beth Harris in Los Angeles contributed to this report
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Golf is a sign of spring and summer and a major driver for seasonal tourism, experts say.
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
Alberta Ballet's double-bill production of 'Der Wolf' and 'The Rite of Spring' marks not only its final show of the season, but the last production for twin sisters Alexandra and Jennifer Gibson.
A British Columbia mayor has been censured by city council – stripping him of his travel and lobbying budgets and removing him from city committees – for allegedly distributing a book that questions the history of Indigenous residential schools in Canada.
Three men in Quebec from the same family have fathered more than 600 children.
A group of SaskPower workers recently received special recognition at the legislature – for their efforts in repairing one of Saskatchewan's largest power plants after it was knocked offline for months following a serious flood last summer.
A police officer on Montreal's South Shore anonymously donated a kidney that wound up drastically changing the life of a schoolteacher living on dialysis.
Since 1932, Montreal's Henri Henri has been filled to the brim with every possible kind of hat, from newsboy caps to feathered fedoras.
Police in Oak Bay, B.C., had to close a stretch of road Sunday to help an elephant seal named Emerson get safely back into the water.
Out of more than 9,000 entries from over 2,000 breweries in 50 countries, a handful of B.C. brews landed on the podium at the World Beer Cup this week.
Raneem, 10, lives with a neurological condition and liver disease and needs Cholbam, a medication, for a longer and healthier life.