“What have been the circumstances like on the market?” An unidentified reporter requested Tim Anderson within the locker room scrum. Anderson smiled coyly.
“It was moist.”
And, after a burst of laughter,
“We gained, so not too moist.”
Advertisement
The truth is, it was very near being too moist, because the storms anticipated by Chicagoans for a number of days dissipated simply in time to permit the primary pitch to be thrown solely to brutally reconvene within the second inning, by which level the Sox already trailed 1-0 on a Ty France residence run.
It was an ominous begin for a pitcher who entered the season a lot nearer to a DFA than the 1.99 ERA he posted in 2020. However as Dallas Keuchel himself stated after the sport, additionally smiling coyly, he was fortunate to simply catch a “sprinkle.”
Mariners starter and reigning Cy Younger winner Robbie Ray? He wasn’t so fortunate. The France residence run noticed him a lead because the rain began to fall, however Eloy Jiménez took it proper again within the backside of the second inning simply because it started to accentuate, drilling a 449-foot moonshot that sprang again on to the sphere of play after caroming off the empty bleachers practically midway to the concourse:
Falling into an early gap in opposition to Ray with Keuchel on the mound would have made for a wholly misplaced trigger in 2021. However the factor concerning the previous days? They’re the previous days. These are days during which reasonably than letting Ray bounce again and settle in after the Jiménez ding-dong, the White Sox comply with it up with a string of base hits, culminating in an early game-breaking double for the person whose legend as this lineup’s catalyzer appears to develop day-after-day.
The sport virtually un-broke to Seattle’s profit on a number of events within the center innings; to the shock of virtually no person, Keuchel’s 4 wonderful innings of three-hit, five-strikeout ball have been instantly jeopardized upon returning to the hill within the fifth inning, letting up three straight hits (one in all them a 50 mph dribbler, to be honest) to start the body and permitting two of them to attain earlier than wriggling his means out the jam with a pair of well-timed floor balls.
Advertisement
The following inning, it was Adam Engel’s flip to protect what was at that time a one-run lead, with Jesse Winker discovering himself robbed for the second straight day of what he possible thought was a house run off the bat:
That was as shut because the Mariners bought. Whereas Ray did the truth is calm down admirably after the second inning, he was inexplicably left within the recreation to start out the seventh — and to face Anderson and Luis Robert for the fourth time tonight. The outcome? That the titular spaghetti will probably be served within the Anderson family the subsequent time they dine collectively, after the leadoff man’s first residence run of the younger season gave Chicago’s 4-3 lead some much-needed respiration room:
Regardless of being 0-for-3 to that time, Luis Robert actually wasn’t going to overlook a chance to harm Seattle’s emotions for the second straight day, icing the cake with yet one more opposite-field rocket that left the yard earlier than you could possibly blink:
After José Ruiz and Kendall Graveman performed their roles with aplomb within the seventh and eighth innings, we have been handled to what’s changing into an uncomfortably acquainted sight: Liam Hendriks making video games lots nearer than is sweet for our well being.
The RBI single from J.P. Crawford may need been dinky, however its predecessor, a rocket-shot double from Eugenio Suárez, was not. The weak hit is a symptom of a recurring drawback, as Steve Stone identified: even when a fastball is 98 mph, a pitcher can nonetheless get beat on it once they depend on it to the purpose {that a} hitter doesn’t even have to consider an off-speed pitch.
Advertisement
After throwing fastballs for 10 of his first 11 pitches of the sport, Hendriks switched issues up, buckling rookie catcher Cal Raleigh with a pair of filthy knuckle-curveballs earlier than overpowering the light-sticked Adam Frazier for a simple 1-3 floor out to set the fireworks off:
Advertisement
Hendriks’ save secured the win for Keuchel, pushing him throughout the century mark for his profession, the sixteenth energetic pitcher to take action. Congrats to Dallas!
First pitch for tomorrow’s getaway day recreation is at 1:10 PM CST, with 27-year previous Jimmy Lambert being handed his fourth profession MLB begin (and his first likelihood to show this writer’s preseason “most dear rookie” decide prescient) in opposition to former high prospect Logan Gilbert, who held the Twins to only a solo residence run alongside seven strikeouts in 5 innings final week. It will likely be broadcasted on NBC Sports activities Chicago and WMVP AM 1000, with Leigh Allan on recreation protection, Kristina Airdo on the Six Pack and Jacki Krestel making an attempt to juggle the Hen App. See you there!
Seattle’s longest-running bar is set to close its doors at the end of the year. The historic site is known for its ghost stories, pressed-tin ceiling, and buckboard floors in the heart of Pioneer Square. There are murmurs the bar could reopen after a renovation in spring, but that’s still uncertain.
In the Merchant’s basement, daylight shines down through the small purple glass windows in the sidewalk above. The city’s oldest saloon sits at a main intersection of the city’s oldest neighborhood, forever tied to Seattle’s history.
First opened in 1890 before moving to its current spot in 1907, Merchant’s originally offered gambling and a brothel during Seattle’s early gritty days. Bartenders there say the current owners plan to close the bar next week.
Advertisement
“I had to let everyone go, it was pretty sudden,” says Anthony Powell, a supervisor and manager at Merchant’s. “I just told everyone: ‘work ‘til the end of the year and that’s it.’”
One bartender who got hired less than six months ago says he got almost no notice that Friday would be his last shift. That’s the nature of the business, he shrugged.
Powell says he got word from owner Darcy Hanson in early December that the bar would be closing. Hanson did not respond to KUOW’s requests for comment. There are rumors among the remaining staff that the owners want to renovate the interior and re-open the historic watering hole in the spring, but nothing’s been confirmed.
Few bars in Seattle carry the ambiance that Merchant’s offers. A giant, century-old wooden bar stretches along one side of the room. Hardwood floors worn smooth by over a hundred years of patrons and partiers. According to the bar’s website, nearly everything in the place is haunted, from the paintings on the wall to the wall of wine bottles.
Advertisement
After decades of serving Seattle, Merchant’s is starting to show its age. Powell says some parts of the saloon do need updating.
“I mean, it’s the oldest bar in Seattle,” Powell says looking over the barroom. “Our electrical is shot behind this bar completely, the coolers are over 35 years old. A lot of stuff doesn’t work.”
That’s the charm that comes with a place as old as the cobblestones out on Yesler Street. Merchant’s, a dive bar according to Powell, doesn’t feature fancy lighting or a new sound system like the nightclubs around the corner. In one smoky corner of Merchant’s, deep leather couches almost disappear in the shadows.
Stepping down the stairs to the bathroom is like stepping back in time. The exposed rock walls feel like a private cellar or speakeasy. Pioneer Square’s signature purple glass sidewalk windows can be seen clearly down here, a view you can usually only find during an underground tour.
Advertisement
Powell, who has worked at Merchant’s for a little over four years, says business has been pretty slow recently. Like a lot of neighborhoods in Seattle, Pioneer Square is struggling to attract more customers. The pandemic didn’t help a sleepy bar like Merchant’s.
Still, Powell says, the bar is a regular stop for sports fans heading to the nearby stadiums and tourists who want to experience a piece of Seattle history. A lot of people come in to raise a glass just to say they’ve had a drink at the spot, Powell says.
This month, the bar had its busiest weekends of the year thanks to the annual SantaCon pub crawl. Powell says he was hoping they would be open next year when SantaCon organizers want to extend the event to all four Saturdays of December – but it looks like that won’t happen.
Merchant’s is hosting a farewell party on Monday, December 30. Powell says he’ll be working with longtime bartender Michael Harris to pour the final drinks at the oldest place in town.
“It was a great experience, I loved it,” Powell says, “the people that come through are really great. You meet a lot of people around the world, because it’s a tourist bar, they love to come here. So I’m sad to see it go for sure.”
A passenger without a ticket, a stowaway, was found on board a Delta Air Lines flight as it was about to fly from Seattle to Honolulu on Christmas Eve.
Delta Flight 487, an Airbus A321neo aircraft scheduled to depart Seattle-Tacoma International Airport for Honolulu on Dec. 24, was stopped while the plane was taxiing on a runway when the unticketed passenger, who was not identified, was discovered, according to the airline.
The aircraft returned to the gate, where the passenger was ultimately arrested.
Advertisement
“As there are no matters more important than safety and security, Delta people followed procedures to have an unticketed passenger removed from the flight and then apprehended,” the airline said in a statement. “We apologize to our customers for the delay in their travels and thank them for their patience and cooperation.”
Travel news: How did a body end up in the wheel well of United Airlines plane? Here’s what we know so far
Passenger boarded flight without a ticket
The Port of Seattle Police Department told USA TODAY that the passenger entered the airport the day before boarding the flight, on the evening of Dec. 23.
According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the unidentified passenger passed through standard screening procedures and did not possess any prohibited items, but “bypassed the identity verification and boarding status stations,” and was able to board the aircraft without a boarding pass.
Advertisement
The TSA said that the incident was still under investigation.
After passing through TSA security, officials with the Port of Seattle said that the passenger had “also gained access to the loading bridge without a scanned ticket at the gate.”
Delta also said in a statement that “the unticketed passenger boarded the flight at the gate without presenting a boarding pass.”
Port of Seattle police said that once the aircraft returned to the gate, the unticketed passenger managed to exit the plane, but was later found in an airport terminal restroom.
The unticketed passenger was arrested for criminal trespass and booked into the South Correctional Entity jail in Des Moines, Washington, according to police.
Advertisement
Delta said that the flight was ultimately delayed for 2 hours and 15 minutes while TSA personnel conducted additional security checks. Port of Seattle police also swept the aircraft and terminal with K9 dogs.
Another stowaway caught on a Delta flight last month
The incident comes a month after a woman was found on board a Delta Air Lines flight from New York to Paris without a ticket.
Cour documents from the arraignment of Svetlana Dali show that she managed to get through TSA security screening at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport on Nov. 26 by “entering through a special lane for airline employees masked by a large Air Europa flight crew.”
Dali was then able to board a Delta flight without presenting a boarding pass before she was eventually discovered after the plane had taken off.
On Dec. 16, Dali was arrested in Buffalo, New York on a bus bound for Canada, having cut off her ankle monitor.
Advertisement
Max Hauptman is a Trending Reporter for USA TODAY. He can be reached at MHauptman@gannett.com.
The boo birds were loud and clear Thursday night at Soldier Field following the latest Chicago Bears loss.
On a chilly, rainy night in Illinois – the Bears lost to the Seattle Seahawks in a 6-3 defensive struggle between both squads on Thursday Night Football.
Needing a field goal to at least force overtime, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams drove the Chicago offense all the way to the Seattle 40-yard line.
Advertisement
With a field goal attempt out of reach on fourth down, it was up to Williams to convert to keep the Bears alive but things went awry. The 23-year-old No. 1 overall pick was hit as he threw the ball and was intercepted by Seattle cornerback Tariq Woolen, securing the win for the Seahawks.
It was Williams’ first interception in 354 passes, which had been the longest streak by a rookie in NFL history.
All three field goals in the game came in the first half.
Williams finished with 122 yards and the interception, while Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith threw 17-of-23 for 160 yards.
Offense was almost non-existent, but both defenses held firm to keep the game within arm’s reach.
Advertisement
The Seahawks defense sacked Williams seven times to help keep them alive in the NFC playoff picture; NFL.com currently has Seattle with a 15% chance to make the postseason.
In a sign that perhaps Chicago needs to improve its offensive line, Williams has now been sacked 67 times this season. Former Houston Texans quarterback David Carr holds the NFL record for most times sacked with 76 back in 2002.
In the midst of Chicago fans chanting “sell the team,” Seattle signal-caller Smith told the Amazon Prime broadcast that the team “doesn’t care” how they get wins.
“Defense played tremendous,” Smith said. “At this point, we don’t care how we get wins. We just want to win games. I don’t care if it was 5-4. We got the dub. It was a hard fought game. Our defense was lights out.”
Seattle improves to 9-7 on the season and can clinch the NFC West with a bit of help. If the Los Angeles Rams lose on Saturday against the Arizona Cardinals and the Seahawks beat LA to close out the regular season, Seattle will win the division and book a ticket to the postseason.
Advertisement
The Bears have now lost 10 straight after starting the season 4-2 and fall to 0-4 under interim head coach Thomas Brown.
Chicago travels to Green Bay to take on the Packers to round out the regular season.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24924653/236780_Google_AntiTrust_Trial_Custom_Art_CVirginia__0003_1.png "Google’s counteroffer to the government trying to break it up is unbundling Android apps")
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25672934/Metaphor_Key_Art_Horizontal.png "There’s a reason Metaphor: ReFantanzio’s battle music sounds as cool as it does")
