星空传媒

Sports

    • Verlander, still seeking first World Series win, set to open for Astros

    Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander speaks to the media ahead of Game 1 of the World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, Oct. 27, 2022, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander speaks to the media ahead of Game 1 of the World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, Oct. 27, 2022, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
    Share
    HOUSTON -

    Justin Verlander was answering questions about his start for the Houston Astros in Friday night鈥檚 World Series opener when the head of the opposition鈥檚 baseball staff took the unorthodox step of walking into the interview room to extend a hand.

    鈥淲here did you start your career again?鈥 Philadelphia Phillies executive Dave Dombrowski said with a grin.

    As Detroit鈥檚 general manager, Dombrowski made Verlander the No. 2 pick in the 2004 amateur draft.

    鈥淗e鈥檚 still wearing the same cologne,鈥 Verlander told his audience. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a very distinct one. I remember that smell.鈥

    Verlander has a nose for success, not just fragrance 鈥 it was Paul Sebastian, Dombrowski said later. The 39-year-old right-hander likely is headed to his third Cy Young Award in his first season back from Tommy John surgery, going 18-4 with a major league-best 1.75 ERA to give him a 244-133 record, a 3.24 ERA and 3,198 strikeouts in 17 seasons.

    Yet he remains in search of his first World Series win after going 0-6 with a 5.68 ERA in seven Series starts.

    鈥淭his guy鈥檚 pitched well,鈥 Verlander鈥檚 former manager in Detroit, Jim Leyland, said in a telephone interview. 鈥淭hese guys are human. They can have a bad game every now and then. And if it鈥檚 on a big stage, it gets magnified a little bit.鈥

    Houston swept Seattle and the Yankees in the playoffs and could join the 1976 Cincinnati Reds (7-0) as the only teams to go through the postseason unbeaten since the division era started in 1969.

    Aaron Nola starts for the Phillies, the first third-place team to reach a Series and a franchise that has brought just two titles to Philadelphia 鈥 compared to five won by the Athletics before leaving town after 1954.

    Houston is in the Series for the fourth time in six seasons and second in a row under manager Dusty Baker after losing to Atlanta in six games last year. For a significant segment of fans, Houston鈥檚 2017 champions are remembered as the Cheatin鈥 Astros, the fallout from the scandal in which Major League Baseball determined Houston used a video camera to signal opponent pitches to its batters.

    Verlander is among five players on the Series roster left from the 2017 Astros, joined by second baseman Jose Altuve, third baseman Alex Bregman, first baseman Yuli Gurriel and pitcher Lance McCullers Jr.

    鈥淒usty and I both would like to check off my first World Series win, his first World Series championship,鈥 Verlander said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 been games in the World Series that I don鈥檛 deserve a win. There鈥檚 been games that I thought I pitched well enough where we could get a win and it just didn鈥檛 work out. At this point in the season personal goals like that just don鈥檛 matter. Try to win the game however you can.鈥

    Verlander will be starting his third Series opener. He lost to St. Louis as a rookie in 2006, giving up a two-run homer to Albert Pujols, and to San Francisco in 2012, allowing a pair of long balls to San Francisco鈥檚 Pablo Sandoval. In 2017, he lost Game 6 and married supermodel Kate Upton three days after Game 7.

    鈥淲hen he was in the minor league system, I told our broadcaster, Jim Price, I said, 鈥楯im, I know this is high ground, but I said I鈥檇 compare him to Nolan Ryan,鈥欌 Dombrowski recalled.

    Verlander throws nearly as hard as he did at his peak, averaging 95 mph this year with his fastball, 1 mph less than in 2009. His location has become refined since he was acquired by the Astros in August 2017.

    鈥淗e was able to locate that fastball up in the zone, where it looked like a good pitch to hit but they couldn鈥檛 get to it,鈥 Leyland said.

    Verlander mixes in sliders and curves, and throws a couple of changeups per game, often in a key situation.

    鈥淥ne of those things that just comes with time, logging innings, instincts,鈥 he said. I鈥檝e talked to some guys before about what I see and I鈥檝e come to realize just not everybody sees what I do. I don鈥檛 know exactly why. I would assume it鈥檚 just paying attention and pitching for a long time.鈥

    He will pitch on eight days鈥 rest since beating the Yankees in the AL Championship Series opener. Nola, a 29-year-old right-hander who has spent his entire career with the Phillies, lost to San Diego in the NL Championship Series that same day.

    Phillies manager Rob Thomson had no doubt about giving the ball to Nola for the first Friday opener in the Series since 1915.

    鈥淗e actually just told me right when we stormed the field,鈥 Nola recalled of Sunday鈥檚 pennant clincher. 鈥淲e hugged each other and he told me then.鈥

    Thomson, a baseball lifer who coached for the Yankees from 2008-17, moved to the Phillies in 2018 and took over when Joe Girardi was fired on June 3. He is seeking to join Bob Lemon of the 1978 Yankees and Jack McKeon of the 2003 Marlins as the only midseason replacements to manage a champion. He is the first Canadian to manage a team into the Series.

    鈥淚鈥檓 a proud Canadian and I love my country. I love what we stand for. But to tell you the truth I鈥檓 just happy to be managing a team in the World Series,鈥 he said.

    Baker noted he may have a spiritual edge this year.

    鈥淟ast year was the death of Hank Aaron and also we were playing the Braves. So the way I look at it, much as I like Hank and as much as he loves me and each other, he was probably rooting for the Braves last year,鈥 Baker said. 鈥淚 figure now he鈥檚 rooting for me.鈥

    CTVNews.ca 星空传媒

    Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.

    Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.

    Advocates have identified the woman who died this week after being shot by police in Surrey, B.C., as a South American refugee who was raising a young daughter.

    Three men were injured after trying to subdue a man armed with a knife during afternoon prayers at a Montreal-area mosque Friday afternoon.

    A 15-year-old boy who was the subject of an emergency alert in New Brunswick has been arrested.

    The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.

    Provincial police investigating the death of a cat that was allegedly set on fire in Orillia earlier this week released surveillance video of a person of interest in the case.

    Canada

    • Advocates have identified the woman who died this week after being shot by police in Surrey, B.C., as a South American refugee who was raising a young daughter.

    • Three men were injured after trying to subdue a man armed with a knife during afternoon prayers at a Montreal-area mosque Friday afternoon.

    • The RCMP is seeking the dismissal of three officers who have been suspended from the Coquitlam detachment since June 2021 over allegations of racist, sexist and homophobic comments made in a group chat.

    • Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.

    • Provincial police investigating the death of a cat that was allegedly set on fire in Orillia earlier this week released surveillance video of a person of interest in the case.

    • The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    • A Nova Scotia woman has applied for a medically assisted death, saying after years of battling to receive out-of-country surgery for an illness that causes 'indescribable' pain, she struggles to maintain the will to live.

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    • Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

    • It was the last show for longtime children's TV star Ron (Buck Shot) Barge Friday as hundreds of family, friends and fans attended a public memorial in Calgary.

    Business

    Lifestyle

    • When Bernard Morissette got a call from Loto-Quebec on Sept. 18 and was asked if he was sitting down, he had no idea what was coming his way.

    • An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

    Sports

    • The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have won five in a row. The Edmonton Elks have won five of their last six games. They are the two hottest teams in the West. When they meet Saturday at Commonwealth Stadium, something has to give.

    • Agreement in principle has been reached to build a new NHL arena at LeBreton Flats has been reached between the Ottawa Senators and the National Capital Commission (NCC), the two sides announced Friday.

    • F1 star Max Verstappen punished over bad word

      Formula One points leader Max Verstappen was ordered to 'accomplish some work of public interest' after uttering an inappropriate word Thursday at the news conference ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix.

    Autos

    Local Spotlight

    Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

    An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

    They say a dog is a man鈥檚 best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

    A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

    Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

    The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

    The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

    It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

    A Good Samaritan in New Brunswick has replaced a man's stolen bottle cart so he can continue to collect cans and bottles in his Moncton neighbourhood.

    • The RCMP is seeking the dismissal of three officers who have been suspended from the Coquitlam detachment since June 2021 over allegations of racist, sexist and homophobic comments made in a group chat.

    • Advocates have identified the woman who died this week after being shot by police in Surrey, B.C., as a South American refugee who was raising a young daughter.

    • On the day he spoke to one of his largest audiences to date, the leader of the BC Conservatives made an exceptionally misleading statement around a well-publicized funding model for political parties that鈥檚 been in place since 2018.

    • Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.

    • The parents of a teenager who died after allegedly consuming the poisonous products of a Mississauga man are now suing him, as well as several doctors involved in her care.

    • One person was rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries after a multi-vehicle collision in Milton, Ont. on Friday night.

    • The man charged with fatally stabbing lifelong Banff resident Ethan Enns-Goneau in 2022 has been convicted of second-degree murder.

    • Environment Canada issued a frost advisory for Calgary late Friday afternoon.

    • It was the last show for longtime children's TV star Ron (Buck Shot) Barge Friday as hundreds of family, friends and fans attended a public memorial in Calgary.

    • Agreement in principle has been reached to build a new NHL arena at LeBreton Flats has been reached between the Ottawa Senators and the National Capital Commission (NCC), the two sides announced Friday.

    • For years, the commute to Ottawa's west end was one of the biggest complaints for attending fans. But those who live in Kanata and in the immediate LeBreton area say the move would be a big change their respective neighbourhoods.

    • Ottawa police are investigating a shooting downtown Friday afternoon.

    • Three men were injured after trying to subdue a man armed with a knife during afternoon prayers at a Montreal-area mosque Friday afternoon.

    • When Bernard Morissette got a call from Loto-Quebec on Sept. 18 and was asked if he was sitting down, he had no idea what was coming his way.

    • A man who asserted his right to work in French has won his case before the Tribunal, invoking the new provisions of the province's French-language law (Bill 96) to that effect.

    • Two Edmonton Police Service officers have been criminally charged in connection with an assault.

    • Roughly 100 people gathered in an Edmonton intersection on Friday in support of 鈥 and against 鈥 the 1 Million March for Children.

    • The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge announced Friday it is now accepting reservations from guests for accommodations beginning Oct. 1.

    • A 15-year-old boy who was the subject of an emergency alert in New Brunswick has been arrested.

    • Halifax Regional Police warned the public of a series of high-value thefts targeting retail stores Friday.

    • Air travel is back in full swing at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport.

    • The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.

    • A plane approaches the grass runway at Harv鈥檚 Air School south of Steinbach. Nothing is getting in the way of a clear, smooth landing, but owner Harv Penner worries, that could soon change.

    • The University of Manitoba's College of Dentistry is dealing with some unexpected consequences from the federal government's new Canadian Dental Care Plan

    • Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

    • Regina police are responding to a collision involving a motorcycle on Friday evening.

    • Five Regina schools were placed into lockdown or secure the building mode following a report of a weapons investigation at Miller High School on Friday.

    • Protests were held in front of Kitchener City Hall on Friday, both for and against LGBTQ2S+ inclusive education and queer rights in schools.

    • The provincial government is considering new rules to restrict a municipality鈥檚 ability to install new bike lanes if it means traffic lanes would be removed.

    • A new scam is being reported in communities across the country.

    • Hospital beds in hallways, supply shortages in the neonatal intensive care unit, and operating rooms being put on hold are some of the concerns nurses are voicing, according to the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses (SUN).

    • The Saskatchewan RCMP major crimes unit is investigating after a 29-year-old man died in hospital.

    • A garage fire in Saskatoon鈥檚 Willows neighbourhood on Friday narrowly missed igniting an attached home, according to the fire department.

    • Emergency crews in northern Ontario found the bodies of four people inside a home where a fire broke out Thursday night.

    • Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.

    • A Brampton driver, 27, was charged this week when northern Ontario police stopped the SUV he was driving on Highway 17 after a reported shooting and found more than $100,000 in cash.

    • A man is in hospital with life threatening injuries following a collision between a motorcycle and a vehicle on Friday afternoon.

    • NEW

      NEW

      Under intense cross-examination from Crown Attorney Jennifer Moser, the embattled former Mayor of Woodstock stuck to his story denying that he ever did anything inappropriate to his female accuser.

    • Two men from Barrie have been charged after a deadly shooting at a park in Keswick on Wednesday.

    • Provincial police investigating the death of a cat that was allegedly set on fire in Orillia earlier this week released surveillance video of a person of interest in the case.

    • A jury has found a Barrie man guilty of second-degree murder for the stabbing death of a man at a Banff bar two years ago.

    • The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is searching for the occupants of a vehicle caught on security cameras during a fatal police-involved shooting on Goyeau Street.

    • Windsor police say a 25-year-old mother has been charged with the drowning death of her 5-year-old child in the family鈥檚 backyard pool.

    • The federal government is investing $18.4 million dollars into the region.

    • A home has been transformed for the benefit of a B.C. neighbourhood, by a man who was transformed by the caring of his community.

    • When the federal government announced all open net fish farms on the British Columbia coast need to be out of the water by 2029, it also promised to produce a draft transition plan by the end of July. It missed that target by seven weeks.

    • New Democrat Leader David Eby has launched his British Columbia election campaign a day early, making the key battle ground of Surrey his first stop.

    • A pair of runaway pigs are in the custody of an animal sanctuary in the Okanagan after evading police and volunteers for hours earlier this week.

    • The Red Bridge, a historic landmark in Kamloops, B.C., was completely destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.

    • Animal protection officers in British Columbia have rescued three pit bulls 鈥 including one that gave birth to 10 puppies 鈥 from a rat-infested home in Kelowna.

    • After a summer of preparation, the Lethbridge Hurricanes are ready to open the 2024-25 season.

    • As a new semester is underway, Lethbridge Polytechnic and the University of Lethbridge say the number of students on campus is on the rise.

    • A Lethbridge resident is facing charges after police seized drugs and weapons at a traffic stop for bicycle equipment violations.

    • A 26-year-old driver from Surrey, B.C., has been charged with three counts of criminal negligence causing death and bodily harm in a crash that killed two youths in northern Ontario last year.

    • Ontario Provincial Police say three suspects from southern Ontario have been charged and drugs worth $300,000 have been seized following a traffic stop Sept. 16.

    • A Brampton driver, 27, was charged this week when northern Ontario police stopped the SUV he was driving on Highway 17 after a reported shooting and found more than $100,000 in cash.

    N.L.

    Shopping Trends

    The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop.聽Read about us.

    Stay Connected
    Follow CTV News