Latest news with #Sasaki
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Aaron Judge, overlooked? Some early judgments on the 2025 baseball season after two months.
He leads the majors in bWAR, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and has a 1.339 OPS with runners in scoring position. Judge also is the clubhouse leader of a team that shrugged off the Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Best pitcher: It's a healthy debate between Max Fried of the Yankees and Tigers ace Tarik Skubal . The choice is Fried based on the consistency. He hadn't allowed more than two earned runs in a start until Friday against the Dodgers, and the Yankees are 10-2 when he pitches. Advertisement Skubal has struck out 92 against only seven walks, but was knocked around a bit by the Dodgers Top team: The Dodgers don't have the best record, but their season feels like a series of dress rehearsals until they put the exact team they want on the field in September. Advertisement To that point, they just traded for deposed Reds closer Alexis Díaz . The 28-year-old has lost velocity and seen his strikeout rate plummet, but Díaz has options and the Dodgers can stash him at their complex in Arizona and work on fixing those issues. If it works, maybe he's getting big outs in the eighth inning in the playoffs. If it doesn't, they're out $6.2 million counting luxury tax overages. For the Dodgers, it's all about the end game. Rough start: Roki Sasaki had a 4.72 ERA in eight starts before landing on the injured list with what the Dodgers said was a shoulder impingement. The 23-year-old righthander from Japan was Sasaki averaged 96 miles per hour with his four-seam fastball, well off the triple digits that were expected. Sasaki also gave the Dodgers only 34⅓ innings in those eight starts. Maturity, physical and otherwise, is an issue. Life beyond Boston: That Nate Eovaldi has a 3.33 ERA in 66 starts for Texas isn't a good look for the Red Sox considering The Padres also seem to have unlocked something in There's some batted-ball luck involved and Petco Park is better for him than Fenway, but Pivetta also has benefited from increasing the use of his curveball and cutting back on the sweeper. Trade value: Sandy Alcantara's 8.47 ERA through 11 starts isn't helping the Marlins trade him, but that could be attributed to his missing last season after Tommy John surgery. Teams will still be after him. Advertisement The same may not be true for White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. , who has a .632 OPS going back to last season. Kansas City's pitching: Lefty Kris Bubic , a first-round pick in 2018, has emerged as an ace with a 1.45 ERA through 11 starts. Another lefty, Noah Cameron , allowed three earned runs over 25⅔ innings in his first four starts. The issue for Kansas City is scoring. They're a team that could be active in the trade market to balance the roster. Washington monument: James Wood was one of the four players His .964 OPS was fifth in the National League going into the weekend. Another product of that trade, center fielder Robert Hassell III , made his debut May 22. The Soto shuffle: Soto seems to be following the A .755 OPS is well above the league average, but Soto arrived in Queens with a career .953 OPS. His bat speed is down a bit but Soto is only 26, so it's not some physical decline. It's easy to suggest Soto will be fine and that probably will be the case, but he's now the focal point of a prominent team, not just one of the guys. He had buffers with the Nationals, Padres, and Yankees. Not any more. Advertisement Brennan Bernardino (above) and Greg Weissert each appeared in 25 of Boston's first 58 games, one more than Aroldis Chapman and Justin Slaten. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff Everyday Bernie Bernardino always on call for Sox Brennan Bernardino made 112 appearances for the Red Sox from 2023-24 and pitched in 25 of the first 58 games this season. The 33-year-old lefthander recently appeared seven times in a span of 10 games and allowed one run on two hits over 6 innings while throwing 59 of 93 pitches for strikes. How does a pitcher do that? 'For me, it's not wasting pitches,' Bernardino said. 'I try to save my bullets, even when I'm just playing catch because those throws add up over time.' Bernardino also has condensed his warm-up routine to six or seven pitches at times. 'I prefer to throw more than that, but I can be ready after maybe six,' he said. 'A few heaters and a breaking ball and I'm ready to go.' Bernardino averages a modest 91 miles per hour with his two-seam fastball, and his 7.7 strikeouts per nine innings are the lowest of his career. But opposing hitters are 8 for 58 (.138) against his curveball, changeup, and cutter. 'Mix pitches, keep the hitter off-balance, and play the game of baseball,' Bernardino said. 'I don't try to complicate it too much.' Bernardino has learned a few tips from watching 'One of the hardest workers I have ever seen,' he said. 'To be 37 and throwing as hard as he does and as well as he does, it's amazing. He's strong and flexible. He's very routine-oriented.' A few other observations on the Red Sox: ⋅ Current Red Sox ownership has yet to fire a manager during the season. Bobby Valentine all but burned the place down in 2012 and the Sox waited until the day after the season Advertisement They Ceddanne Rafaela's defense is outstanding, but his approach at the plate is anything but. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff ⋅ Maybe the Sox should start waiting more than a few games before giving prospects long-term contracts. Ceddanne Rafaela is an excellent defensive outfielder, but he has a .650 OPS since he agreed to His idea of a good pitch to swing at is one that doesn't bounce. Craig Breslow called Rafaela a 'cornerstone' at the time. He might be a bench player once Roman Anthony takes over an outfield spot. Related : Kristian Campbell hadn't even played his first series in the majors before the Sox gave him Campbell had a terrific April, then was Brayan Bello didn't get Until proved otherwise, he's no better than a No. 4 starter on a contending team. ⋅ Garrett Crochet has allowed two home runs on the first pitch he has thrown in a game this season. One was Advertisement Crochet starts every game with a fastball and has been ambushed twice. The Sox lost both of those games by one run. 'First pitch of the game, I'm going to throw a fastball. Everybody knows that. I'm never not going to do that,' Crochet said. 'The guy next game could clip me on another first-pitch heater, and I'd be OK with that.' Everybody knows that and you'll keep doing it? And you're OK if you give up more leadoff home runs? Ronald Acuña Jr. , Oneil Cruz , Shohei Ohtani , and Fernando Tatis Jr. are among the leadoff hitters Crochet could face this season. The matchup with Acuña could come on Sunday. Just a thought: Grooving hitters like that a fastball might not be the best plan. ⋅ The Red Sox were a .500 team with Alex Bregman playing at an All-Star level. It could get ugly without him for what is expected to be It won't help this season, but perhaps there is a long-term upside. Bregman can opt out of his contract for next season and become a free agent, or he could stay with the Red Sox for $40 million. If Bregman only plays 100 or so games, staying might be a better play than going back into free agency coming off a major injury and entering his age-32 season. ⋅ Per Baseball Reference, Marcelo Mayer was the It's amazing that every big leaguer in history wouldn't come close to filling Fenway Park. ⋅ The Sox went into the weekend 381-386 in the regular season since they traded Mookie Betts and have played 11 postseason games. The Dodgers are 493-272 and have played 53. Sometimes, you do get what you deserve. ETC. Maine man for baseball memories Jon Perry coaches the baseball team at Hampden (Maine) Academy. He also played at the University of Maine under John Winkin and was a member of the 1981 team that played in the College World Series. (Everybody remembers the famous pitchers' duel between St. John's Frank Viola and Yale's Ron Darling in the NCAA Northeast Regional at Yale Field in '81, but Maine advanced to Omaha.) Carlton Willey pitched three seasons for the Mets, making 28 starts in 1963 before two more years largely as a reliever to finish an eight-year MLB career. Photo courtesy Maine Baseball Exhibit In his spare time, Perry collects baseball memorabilia related to Maine and operates a small museum at the old Hampden Academy building. Perry has uniforms dating to 1910 and other items related to major league players from Maine, along with memorable college and high school teams and players. One of his prized acquisitions is a 1965 Mets uniform worn by the late Carlton Willey , a righthander from Cherryfield, Maine, who played in the majors from 1958-65. The museum also has bats made in Maine by Willard 'Grasshopper' Mains , who played in the majors from 1888-1896. Go to Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, Calif., hasn't been a hit with players or fans in the first year of an expected three-year residency by the Athletics. Scott Marshall/Associated Press Extra bases At 37, Craig Kimbrel has appeared in 16 minor league games with the Braves and allowed two earned runs over 16 innings while striking out 20. Kimbrel is on a minor league contract with a clause that forces the Braves to call him up or release him if another team offers him a major league contract … Portland native and Cubs bench coach Ryan Flaherty is a candidate to manage the Orioles once they decide to make a permanent hire. Flaherty played for the Orioles from 2012-17 … Tampa Bay is 18-19 at Steinbrenner Field and averaging 9,893 fans at the 10,046-seat park. All things considered, they've made the best of a bad situation after being Luis Severino has Chandler Simpson to Triple A on Friday. The incredibly fast rookie outfielder hit .285 and had 19 steals in 35 games after being called up. Tampa Bay had Jake Mangum coming off the injured list and value his being a switch hitter … As the Red Sox endlessly ponder when to bring up Roman Anthony , heed the cautionary tale of Jordan Lawlar . The shortstop made his debut with the Diamondbacks in 2023 and appeared in 14 games late in the season, going 4 for 31. He was on the roster for the postseason, but had only two plate appearances. Lawlar played only 23 minor league games last season because of injuries. He didn't return to the majors until May 13 this season and was 0 for 19 before being optioned. Lawlar, who turns 23 in July, was taken two picks after Marcelo Mayer in 2021 … Chris Sale became Zack Wheeler at Citizens Bank Park. Sale hit 2,500 in 2,026 innings. The old record of 2,107⅔ innings was held by Randy Johnson . Sale has done a lot to improve his Hall of Fame résumé since landing with the Braves … How bad are the Rockies? They have yet to win a series, which is amazingly bad. They did manage to win two games in a row, beating Atlanta at home on April 30 then winning at San Francisco on May 1, but that was preceded and followed by eight-game losing streaks. The Rockies come to Fenway Park for three games July 7-9 … The Red Sox acquired righthanded relievers Ryan Zeferjahn is one of the set-up men for closer Kenley Jansen . He has appeared in 35 games over the last two seasons with a 3.16 ERA and a healthy 11.4 strikeouts per nine innings. Outfielder Matthew Lugo made his major league debut on May 9 and had an .814 OPS in his first 15 games. Lugo was a second-round pick in 2019 who was initially a shortstop before a move to the outfield … Congratulations to the Endicott College Gulls, who advanced to the NCAA Division 3 championship round in Eastlake, Ohio, this weekend. Through the regionals, they were 43-4 under coach Bryan Haley … Happy birthday to Derek Lowe , who is 52. The righthander played for seven teams during his 17-year major league career, but is best remembered for his eight years with the Red Sox from 1997-2004. Lowe and Jason Varitek were obtained from Seattle at the '97 trade deadline for Heathcliff Slocumb in one of the all-time steals. Lowe was initially a reliever who recorded 85 saves from 1998-2001. The sinkerballer was then 52-27 with a 4.07 ERA in 98 starts through 2004. Lowe Peter Abraham can be reached at
CBS News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Denver's RiNo neighborhood holding contest to name new climbable sculpture
A new climbable rhino sculpture has been constructed in Denver's RiNo neighborhood, and they're asking the public to help name it. The new 30-foot-tall, 22,000-pound statue is located at the corner of 29th Street and Arkins Court. It's one of the largest climbable structures of its kind in the U.S. and is designed to be explored and enjoyed by everyone. Denargo Market The rhino statue is the first major public art installation at Denargo Market. It was designed by Sasaki, Golub & Company and FORMATIV and built by JunoWorks, Elsorado Walls and Craft Engineering Studio. A campaign is underway to "Name the Rhino" and is open until June 5. The five finalists' names will be selected on June 6, and then the public will have a chance to vote for their favorites. The winner will be announced during an unveiling with Councilman Darrell Watson on June 12.
Yomiuri Shimbun
5 days ago
- Science
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Japan Team: Gene Decides Calico Cat Color Patterns
Courtesy of Hiroyuki Sasaki / Jiji Press A calico cat and Prof. Hiroyuki Sasaki TOKYO (Jiji Press) — A Japanese research team led by Kyushu University Prof. Hiroyuki Sasaki said it has discovered a gene that determines the color patterns of the tricolored calico cat, known in Japan as 'mike neko.' The team found that the coloring was decided by the ARHGAP36 gene on the X chromosome. The orange coloration reflects a missing portion of this gene, while the black fur color is due to the absence of such a deletion, the team said. The team's findings were published in the online edition of the U.S. journal Current Biology on May 15. It was established some 120 years ago that almost all calico cats are female and that the color-deciding factor was in the X chromosomes. About 60 years later, researchers discovered that one of the two X chromosomes is inactivate in calico cats. But the gene responsible for the distinct coloration long remained unidentified. 'As a dog and cat lover, I couldn't let this long-standing mystery go unsolved,' Sasaki said. He said that some of the team's research costs were obtained through crowdfunding between 2022 and 2023, raising over ¥10 million from 600 people. 'I think that there is no doubt (that ARHGAP36 is behind the coloration) as a research team from Stanford University in the United States also identified the same gene and is announcing it at the same time as us,' he said. Sasaki's team, which includes members from Kyushu University, the National Institute of Genetics, Azabu University and Kindai University, extracted and analyzed DNA from cats of many different colors, with the help from an animal hospital in Fukuoka in the Kyushu southwestern region. The team also examined data on cat DNA made available by the University of Missouri before discovering the ARHGAP36 gene. The team said that a deletion of about 5,000 base pairs of the ARHGAP36 gene on the active one of the X chromosomes results in the production of pheomelanin, which is orange in color, while the gene without such a deletion creates the black pigment eumelanin. Courtesy of Hiroyuki Sasaki / Jiji Press A calico cat, left, and a tortoiseshell cat are seen in this combination photo. Like calico cats, tortoiseshell cats, or 'sabi neko,' are mostly female. Tortoiseshell cats also share the same coloring phenomenon. Orange cats are mainly male, possessing one X chromosome and one Y chromosome. Their orange coloration, too, is due to the ARHGAP36 gene deletion on the X chromosome. The rare male calico cats have one extra chromosome, possessing two X chromosomes and one Y chromosome. The white coloration in cats, however, is not the ARHGAP36 gene's doings but is caused by a different gene. Domestic cats are descendants of the African wildcat that were domesticated by about 10,000 years ago. Similar to a brown tabby cat, the African wildcat has brown-black striped fur. The team suggested that it may be able to pinpoint when the ARHGAP36 gene deletion happened by assessing mummies and pictures of ancient cats.
The Mainichi
27-05-2025
- Sport
- The Mainichi
Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki had shoulder issues before joining Dodgers: sources
The right shoulder impingement that landed Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki on the injured list May 13 is the same as an injury the 23-year-old suffered last season with Nippon Professional Baseball's Chiba Lotte Marines, baseball sources have revealed. According to these sources, Sasaki first experienced pain in his throwing shoulder during the first half of last season, his fifth as a professional. Medical examinations at the time produced the same diagnosis -- impingement. Sasaki reportedly complained that the pain occurred after pitching motions, saying his right shoulder "would hurt whenever I used it." However, medical imaging revealed no abnormalities, forcing the team to depend significantly on the pitcher's personal assessment of his condition. Due to what the Marines officially classified as "poor condition in the right arm," Sasaki missed nearly two months from June last season. When symptoms flared up, Sasaki managed his condition by spacing out his pitching appearances or halting throwing until the pain subsided. Despite the lingering shoulder concerns, Sasaki posted a career-best performance in his final Japanese season, recording 10 wins and five losses in 18 games, facilitating his high-profile move to the Dodgers. According to Dr. Tetsuya Yamazaki, head of the sports orthopedics department at Yokohama Minami Kyousai Hospital and a prominent expert on professional baseball players' shoulder injuries, impingement often develops from collisions between the acromion -- the upper outer portion of the scapula -- and the rotator cuff muscles. It can also occur within the joint due to contact between the glenoid labrum and the rotator cuff tendons. Before Sasaki's MLB transfer, the Chiba Lotte Marines reportedly provided detailed medical and injury records, including information about his right shoulder issues, to interested MLB clubs during negotiations.
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
Japanese Student in India Making WWII-Themed Film
Kolkata, India, May 26 (Jiji Press)--Mika Sasaki, a 32-year-old Japanese filmmaker now studying in India, is creating a World War II-themed short film in the South Asian country, where her late grandfather is believed to have survived one of the fiercest battles during the war. The movie "Bougainvillea no Yume" ("Bougainvillea Dream") tells the story of a married couple who communicate through letters while separated by war and reunite in a dream. Sasaki, a native of Sabae, Fukui Prefeture, was inspired by a book by Mayumi Inagaki about "115 love letters" a Fukui woman sent to her husband in a battlefield to make the film to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the war, in which India, the then part of the British Empire, was also a battleground. The first Japanese student at a national film institute in Kolkata raised the money to cover production costs via crowdfunding, gathered actors from Japan and India, shot the film in February, and is currently doing editing. She hopes to showcase it at film festivals in Japan and other countries in June or later. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
