Dr. Monique Tello was attending a medical conference last fall when a speaker on social media suggested the physicians search themselves on Google. Why not, thought Tello, an internist at Massachusetts General Hospital. She was stunned by what she found. More than 100 negative one-star reviews and derogatory comments had been posted about her on popular physician rating websites. "Ignorant, and could care less about her patients,'' she recalled one poster writing. "Danger,'' another warned. Tello soon discovered these comments were not from people who had been her patients, she said, but instead from anti-vaccine activists. The reviews on the websites Vitals and Healthgrades began pouring in last August, soon after Tello wrote pro-vaccine commentary on another doctor's Instagram account. "I was crushed,'' said Tello, 46, who has about 1,100 patients in her practice. More doctors say they are being attacked online for recommending parents vaccinate their children as part of a coordinated effort by anti-vaccine groups. Fictitious patient reviews are just one tactic; vaccine opponents have also deluged Facebook and Instagram accounts of doctors and practices, medical professionals said. Physician rating sites are ideal targets for anti-vaccine activists because they're often the first place online where prospective patients get information on doctors, and there are gaps in the verification process. The companies that host online doctor ratings generally do not guarantee a commenter is actually a patient of that doctor. Tello said that she repeatedly e-mailed the companies, but that Vitals and Healthgrades only removed the suspect reviews after she involved a lawyer. She never got through to anyone at Google, she said. Because of this onslaught, some physicians say they know of colleagues who no longer publicly endorse vaccines. This comes as the United States experiences its worst measles outbreak in 25 years and some local and state governments consider tightening vaccine requirements. Other physicians have fought back, forming quick strike teams that jump online to a colleague's defense. A pediatric practice in Pittsburgh posted a 90-second video on its Facebook page in 2017 in which staff recommended the HPV vaccine, which protects against a sexually transmitted virus that can cause cancer. Within a week, more than 800 people posted 10,000 negative comments and reviews on the page for the practice, Kids Plus Pediatrics, and on other rating websites, chief executive Dr. Todd Wolynn said. In response, Kids Plus created a pro-vaccine organization, Shots Heard Around the World, to support doctors under attack by quickly posting on their websites dozens of comments with links to scientific papers supporting the effectiveness of vaccination. Doctors across the country have experienced onslaughts by vaccine opponents on a variety of online platforms. Dr. Dana Corriel, an internist near New York City, last year posted that supplies of flu vaccine had arrived. "A war erupted on my Facebook page,'' with hundreds of comments, many saying she was poisoning children, she said. She took down the post after five days. "They were trying to cyberbully me, and it worked,'' she said. "I was overwhelmed.'' By November, she felt ready to make a statement again and posted a photo of herself, left arm flexed, a bandage on her biceps post-flu shot. Vaccines have been proven safe and effective, and the best way to protect children and adults from serious contagious illnesses, public health officials have long maintained. But vaccines have faced opposition since they were first introduced to protect against polio in the 1950s. The growth of online anti-vaccine groups has enabled opponents to broaden the reach of their claims that vaccines are unsafe. The pushback against these claims has extended beyond the medical profession. Last week, several members of the Kennedy family criticized Robert F. Kennedy Jr. , an outspoken vaccine opponent, for spreading what they said was dangerous misinformation. Vaccination rates in the United States are high overall, above 90 percent for most types of immunizations among kindergartners. But there are growing pockets of children who have been granted exemptions under state laws. Hesitancy among parents to vaccinate is believed to have contributed to measles outbreaks in New York and Washington states. In Massachusetts, more than 96 percent of kindergartners have been vaccinated for measles; the state has had one confirmed case of the disease this year. An epicenter of the anti-vaccine movement is the Facebook group Stop Mandatory Vaccination, with more than 160,000 members. The group's Facebook page is closed to nonmembers, and its founder, Larry Cook, did not respond to requests for comment about whether it coordinates mass-posting against doctors. Last month, Facebook announced it was adopting new policies to crack down on vaccine misinformation, including taking down ads purchased by Cook, some of which referenced proven hoaxes about the supposed danger of vaccines. Dr. Sherri Tenpenny, who runs another closed Facebook group, Vaccine Choices   Fact vs. Fiction, Conversations & Research, with more than 42,000 members, said she never encourages members to engage in harassment. "Vaccination has become a volatile topic and personal, retaliatory words and actions serve no one   on EITHER side,'' she wrote in a blog post on an anti-vaccine website. But, she acknowledged, she does not control the behavior of her members, many of whom are angry because they believe vaccines harmed their children. Allergic reactions and other serious side effects of vaccines are "very rare,'' according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and immunizations do not cause autism   one of the many claims made by anti-vaccine activists. Tello, who once worked as a doctor in rural Central America, said her views are shaped by the horrible suffering she saw in countries where unvaccinated patients, including children, suffered and died from tetanus, meningitis, pneumonia, and cancer caused by HPV. She recalled these experiences in an Instagram post last August defending Dr. Jennifer Trachtenberg, a pediatrician in Manhattan. Trachtenberg had included a pro-vaccine video on her Facebook page for National Immunization Awareness Month. "My message is simple   vaccines save lives,'' Trachtenberg said under bright blue skies. The counter-offense against Trachtenberg was swift and furious, with many commenters calling her a liar. That's when Tello and other members of Doctors on Social Media, a group started by Corriel, the New York-area internist, leapt to her defense. "If more Americans spent time in the developing world, where people without access to basic medical care are far more likely to suffer and die from preventable diseases, we would not see any opposition to vaccines,'' Tello wrote. "I feel sorry for people who believe the unsubstantiated claims of this bizarre, illogical anti-vaccine movement.'' Three months later, she found the blizzard of suspicious reviews during the conference in Boston. Tello did not recognize any names of the supposed patients denouncing her. And the sheer volume suggested something was awry. In her prior 10 years working at Mass. General treating thousands of patients, she had received a total of about 10 reviews on various online rating sites. She recalls one negative review from a patient for whom she declined to recommend Vitamin D pills. Tello spent weeks e-mailing contacts listed on the websites, but did not get much response until a lawyer recommended by her malpractice insurance company got involved. Vitals temporarily suspended the review function for Tello in the beginning of the year, as did Healthgrades. Stu MacFarlane, chief marketing officer of Internet Brands, which includes WebMD, said WebMD purchased Vitals last August, and the transition caused delays in responding to Tello's concerns. The site, which has more than 2 million reviews, uses a program that rejects posts containing any of more than 1,000 terms and phrases that include obscene, racist, sexist, and abusive language, he said. The company cannot verify that a commenter is actually a patient of the doctor, although MacFarlane said that is the long-term goal. "If the doctor says, 'This isn't my patient,' we usually take their word for it and remove that review,'' he said. "Or if they are spammed, we take those down. Because [Tello] was getting spammed so badly, we took off the review function on her site.'' Healthgrades spokeswoman Jennifer Newman said in a statement the company prohibits multiple reviews from a single address, profanity, discrimination, and comments not related to the health experience or quality of care received. "Healthgrades employs a consistent, reliable process to review for possible fraudulent review results,'' she wrote. Tello said she is still pained by the negative comments, especially after a Mass. General colleague called her several weeks ago. A patient of that doctor asked her to recommend an internist for a family member. She mentioned Tello. "Oh no,'' she was told the patient said. "I read about her online and she has horrible reviews.'' Tello co-moderates a new closed Facebook group, Physicians Standing Against Cyberbullying and Harassment of Physicians. And she is now planning a research project surveying doctors about whether they are afraid to post public health messages online because of potential backlash. Liz Kowalczyk can be reached at kowalczyk@globe.com .


If you're a fan of the arts, mark your calendars: there's plenty to do when it comes to artsy events in New York City this weekend, from a family-friendly folk art fest to a comedy show. Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. Summer Saturday 2019 From the event description: Celebrate everything folk at the American Folk Art Museum's Summer Saturday   an all-day free event of live music, artist demos, guided tours and family fun. When: Saturday, July 20, 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Where: American Folk Art Museum, 2 Lincoln Square Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to register Traditional and Experimental Photography Exhibition From the event description: X Gallery and Single Shot join to present "Traditional and Experimental Photography Exhibition." Single Shot is an online Manhattan Neighborhood Network internet program hosted by Alex AG. Alex interviews photographers who are diverse in their approach to the world of photography. The exhibition presents a collection of traditional photographic works that explore both traditional monochrome film and digital surrealistic photography as an art form. Each photographer presenting work is an interviewed guest of the Single Shot show. When: Saturday, July 20, 6-9 p.m. Where: X Gallery, 163 Malcolm X Blvd. Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to register Your Love, Our Musical From the event description: Rebecca Vigil and Evan Kaufman bring their award-winning musical improv show back to Caveat! Here's how it works: Rebecca and Evan interview a real couple from the audience and then turn their love story into a fully improvised musical. When: Saturday, July 20, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Where: Caveat, 21 A Clinton St. Admission: $15 (Standing Room); $20 (Standard Seating); $25 (Prime Seating) Click here for more details, and to get your tickets 'School Daze' by Omar From the event description: A comedic remake of Spike Lee's classic film "School Daze," recreated and written by Omar Thompson. Featuring live sketch comedy and spoofs of some of the iconic scenes from the movie, including the classic step show, which will feature some historic black fraternities and sororities. The production will also include a live band, which will play before the show and after. When: Saturday, July 20, 9:45 p.m.-12:45 a.m. Where: Faison Firehouse Theater, 6 Hancock Place Admission: $35 (General Admission) Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Free Tickets to Comedy Funday From the event description: The Unusual Culprits comedy team brings you a hysterical lineup of comedians you may have seen on networks like MTV, Comedy Central, Colbert and more! Happy Hour drink specials, and no cover charge! Critics say, "It's a Sunday show that feels like a Saturday!" When: Sunday, July 21, 6-7:30 p.m. Where: The Lantern, 167 Bleecker St. Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Parking in NYC can be tough, especially during popular events. To find free or cheap parking and to book parking in advance, see this map of NYC parking from SpotAngels. And to get there by public transportation, see MTA's website for nearby subway stations and schedules. This story was created automatically using local event data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


He has more advice, too. Beloved Grand Tour host and apparent advice giver James May took to the internet to offer a helping hand to the masses. In a recent DriveTribe video titled "James May Answers The Internet's Questions," May fields several queries from viewers who have automotive-based questions, ranging from very logical to quite outlandish. And in the process, May makes a particularly bold claim about the Volkswagen Golf . The first question comes from a viewer who says that he is interested in a compact car that is fun to drive and offers the "fizz" that May so often refers to. While the viewer seems to have his heart set on either a Fiat 500 Abarth or a Mini Cooper S hardtop , James offers alternative car buying advice. "I would say [buy] a Golf...Golf is the answer to everything, as we know. And it's the only car that really needs to exist," May explains. Research the VW Golf on MSN Autos | Find a VW Golf near you While we're big fans of the Volkswagen Golf here at Motor1.com, the advice should be taken with a huge grain of salt. Because as we reported very recently, Volkswagen is not bringing the base Golf back to the U.S. market with the next generation. Luckily for this viewer, who happens to be based in the United States, the lovable hot hatch GTI will return. With that information, we wonder if Mr. May would've answered the same way. What We Know About Golf 8: New Volkswagen Golf To Be Officially Revealed In October VW Killing Standard Golf In America, GTI And R Survive The rest of the video is filled with typical May humor and rather strange questions from viewers. This includes a man with an unwanted Peugeot obsession and a woman with a know-it-all spouse. It's Definitely worth a watch to get your James fix until The Grand Tour returns with its new format . Source: DriveTribe


There is one trade deadline now; it's at 4 p.m. on July 31. There are 20 teams with at least some chance of making the postseason, which should make the next few weeks interesting ones. Almost every contending team needs pitching help to some degree. But here's a deeper look at what teams will be trying to accomplish before the clock runs out: Angels   Los Angeles is on the periphery of the wild-card race and is dealing with the tragic death of Tyler Skaggs . The Angels need rotation help but could be hesitant to carve into prospect depth. Astros   Better health is what Houston needed most and that has happened with Jose Altuve and George Springer returning. Now they are waiting for Carlos Correa to come back from a fractured rib. That he has started hitting again is a good sign. If the Astros add, the rotation is where they will look. Once you get past Justin Verlander , Gerrit Cole , and   believe it or not   Wade Miley , it gets thin. Athletics   Billy Beane once traded Yoenis Cespedes for Jon Lester , so anything is possible. But for now, Oakland needs relief help for certain and a starter to pick up the innings lost when Frankie Montas was suspended for PED use. Top pitching prospect Jesus Luzardo could be their biggest addition over the summer. Braves   Signing free agent Dallas Keuchel on June 7 may have been their biggest move. But the Braves went into the weekend with a 5½-game lead in the National League East and could create even more distance by further improving a questionable rotation. Brewers   They won't go away, fashioning a winning record despite a negative run differential. The Brewers could use relief help and perhaps a first baseman unless Travis Shaw can get his act together in the minors. Cardinals   Like many teams, they could use a starter to improve a rotation that is just above league average. Cubs   Chicago made its big move by signing Craig Kimbrel . But Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer also need a lefthanded reliever to upgrade the bullpen. The best they have now is Kyle Ryan and Mike Montgomery . The Cubs also haven't found a bench hitter who can give them what Ben Zobrist was supposed to. It's uncertain when   or if   he will return from personal leave. Diamondbacks   Arizona is hanging around the playoff picture more than was expected. But GM Mike Hazen isn't the type to ask in haste for a small chance at success. He's playing a long game. The rotation needs help and if Hazen makes a move, it could be for a starter who's more than a two-month patch. Dodgers   The loss of Rich Hill moved Ross Stripling out of the bullpen and into the rotation. Joe Kelly , meanwhile, remains unreliable. Shocking, right? So look for Los Angeles to make a splash in finding bullpen help. The Dodgers don't often make trades with the rival Giants, but new San Francisco boss Farhan Zaidi was general manager of the Dodgers last season and could work out an equitable deal for Will Smith . Indians   Cleveland is not the kind of organization to give up top prospects to chase a wild-card spot. The Indians could stand pat or add to what has been a weak outfield. If the Indians were to collapse, they would find plenty of takers for reliever Brad Hand . The All-Star lefthander is having one of the best seasons of his career and is signed through 2020. But the schedule suggests the Indians will be in the mix at the deadline. Nationals   Washington was 18-8 in June and climbed into the wild-card lead in the NL. The Nationals want to avoid going over the luxury-tax limit but need bullpen options to supplement Sean Doolittle . Ownership could be moved to go for it after losing Bryce Harper to free agency. Phillies   For all its offseason additions, Philadelphia still has trouble scoring. Harper isn't exactly a bust, but he has yet to be a difference-maker. The same is true of catcher J.T. Realmuto . The Phillies need an upgrade in center field and bullpen help given the rough seasons [because of injuries] for Tommy Hunter , Pat Neshek , and David Robertson . Pirates   Pittsburgh, which has hovered around .500, is in the mix in an evenly matched NL Central. But don't expect the Pirates to make major additions. And if they do sell, word is they have no intention of parting with closer Felipe Vazquez , who is signed through 2023. Rangers   Texas was not expecting to contend this season but finds itself in the wild-card race. If the Rangers make moves, they won't be quick fixes. A controllable starter would fit well   which is the case for many teams. They also could use catching help. A tough schedule could mean the Rangers flip to sellers at the deadline. Rays   Tampa Bay was 29-27 over May and June and the Yankees raced past them. But the Rays are still the American League wild-card leaders and could make additions to their bullpen, which has to pick up a lot of innings with their use of openers. The Rays are always hesitant to add payroll, but their talent-rich farm system should allow them to make cost-controlled upgrades. The real question is whether they will be motivated to do anything given the lack of interest in their market. Reds   New pitching coach Derek Johnson has turned around the rotation, so Cincinnati could feel a desire to add as the deadline gets closer. The Reds had an aggressive winter and that could carry over. Middle infield is a need. Rockies   Colorado very badly needs rotation help. The bullpen is an area of need, too. The Rockies will be focused on a starter. Red Sox   The decision to move Nathan Eovaldi into the bullpen doesn't mean the Sox will stand by idly. They have added relievers at the deadline in previous years and likely will again. Twins   Minnesota would like to control how many innings Michael Pineda throws in his first season after Tommy John surgery by moving him into the bullpen. So the Twins could be looking for a starter or another reliever if Pineda becomes an opener. The Twins are second in the AL in runs per game, so offense is not an issue. Yankees   Brian Cashman could go after a starter with Luis Severino now questionable to return. But don't count them out of something else, even after the acquisition of Edwin Encarnacion . Just when you think Cashman will follow a straight line, he will mask a weak point by making a strong point even better. OVERSEAS OPPORTUNITIES MLB can thrive internationally On Tuesday, two days after the Red Sox and Yankees played their second game at London Stadium, Major League Baseball announced it had opened an office in New Delhi, India. For now, the aim will be to promote interest in baseball and get schoolchildren playing the game. But in 10, 15 or 20 years, you very well could see the Sox and Yankees or other teams playing a series in India. That's how it started in England, opening an office years before games were even considered. That the Sox and Yankees drew 118,718 fans for two games means that playing in Europe is no experiment. It's here to stay. Eighty percent of those tickets were sold outside of the United States. Merchandise sales broke records going back to the 2008 All-Star Game in New York. At one point Saturday, fans stood for an hour waiting to get into the main souvenir shop outside the stadium. MLB showed it could squeeze a ballpark into a soccer stadium and build the required clubhouses, batting cages, and bullpens that teams need from scratch. Think about how many soccer stadiums there are in Europe. Over time there are sure to be games in the Netherlands, Italy, France, and other countries. MLB also should correct what is an oversight and host a series in the Dominican Republic. Nearly 14 percent of Opening Day rosters were comprised of players from the DR. If MLB can play in London, it can play in Santo Domingo. The Cubs and Cardinals will play in London next season and there's more to come. HELP STILL NEEDED Eovaldi alone is not the answer Dave Dombrowski said that moving Nathan Eovaldi into the bullpen was conceived out of urgency, not desperation. Urgent is a synonym for desperate. However the Sox package it up, the idea is a rash one. Eovaldi has never had a save and has made only four relief appearances in the last eight seasons. He's also a 29-year-old who has had two Tommy John surgeries and is now on the injured list recovering from elbow surgery and biceps tendinitis. Having him change roles now may not necessarily be dangerous. But Eovaldi is on the record saying he feels a starter's routine   preparing to pitch once every five days   suits him best physically. Eovaldi showed in Game 4 of the World Series that he was willing to risk his health for the good of the team by throwing 97 pitches in relief over six innings. Now he's being asked to do it again. The Sox have to have something in mind better than just that. Related: Nathan Eovaldi eager to help overworked Red Sox pitching staff A few other thoughts on the Red Sox: ■ That Chris Sale has a 2.96 ERA in 76 innings with Sandy Leon and 6.68 ERA in 31 innings with Christian Vazquez can't be a coincidence. Sale is a pitcher who needs the catcher to craft the game plan and tell him what to do. If the Sox want to keep Vazquez's bat in the lineup, play him at first base or DH. ■ The first game of the London Series lasted 4 hours and 42 minutes, the third-longest nine-inning game in history. The Sox have already played four nine-inning games that lasted four-plus hours this season. ■ The deadline to sign draft picks is Thursday at 5 p.m. The players to watch for the Sox are righthanders Sebastian Keane of North Andover High (11th round) and Blake Loubier (Oviedo, Fla., High). They are the two highest unsigned high school players. Keane is committed to Northeastern and Loubier to Wake Forest. LOCAL TALENT NU's Civale has auspicious debut The Red Sox played Northeastern on March 3, 2015, in Fort Myers, Fla. That was when Aaron Civale first caught the attention of scouts. A sophomore righthander from East Windsor, Conn., Civale started for the Huskies and struck out Xander Bogaerts , Mike Napoli , David Ortiz , and Hanley Ramirez . He threw two scoreless innings. "It was unbelievable," Civale said after the game. It also was the start of something big. Civale, who grew up a Red Sox fan, pitched so well for Northeastern that he was a third-round draft pick of the Indians in 2016 and made his major league debut on June 22 with six scoreless innings against the Tigers. Civale allowed only two hits, walked three, and struck out six. "He had a ton of poise and competed like crazy," Terry Francona said. Civale was optioned back to Triple A Columbus two days later but should get another chance later in the season. He is the first NU player to make the majors since Adam Ottavino in 2010. ETC. Mets apologize for video tribute When the Mets honored their 1969 World Series championship team last weekend, a video montage of players who had died included outfielder Jim Gosger and lefthander Jesse Hudson . But Gosger, 76, and Hudson, 70, are very much alive, and the team apologized the next day. There were plenty of laughs at the Mets' expense. But I sympathized with the person who made the mistake. As a high school student, I worked part time for my hometown paper in New Bedford, The Standard-Times. I covered a basketball game at Fairhaven High one night and wrote that it was held at the Mel Entin Memorial Gymnasium. The next day I received a call at the office. It was from Mel Entin , who informed me that while he was retired, he was not yet dead. He found it all very amusing and I met him about a week later. Extra bases An incredible streak ended Thursday when Yankees radio announcer John Sterling missed the team's game against the Rays. Sterling, who also turned 81 on Thursday, had called 5,058 consecutive games going back to 1989. Sterling is taking four games off ahead of the All-Star break. He told the New York Post he was "a little under the weather" and needed some time off. Sterling, who is one of the most unique characters in baseball with his home run calls, broadcast NBA games earlier in his career and was behind the mic for the famed Larry Bird vs. Dominique Wilkins showdown in 1988 . . . Sterling is the not the only ailing Yankees announcer. Michael Kay , who has broadcast Yankees games for 29 seasons, is scheduled for surgery in Boston this coming week to repair vocal cord damage. Kay's surgeon, Steven Zeitels , has helped save the voices of many celebrities, including Steven Tyler , Bono , Roger Daltrey , and James Taylor . . . Bryce Harper , Manny Machado , Patrick Corbin , and Nathan Eovaldi received the four most lucrative contacts via free agency last winter. None made the All-Star Game. In fact, none of the first nine did . . . Players who test positive for PEDs can't play in the postseason that season. How about making them permanently ineligible for the All-Star Game? Minnesota Jorge Polanco tested positive for the steroid Stanozolol in 2018. He had a career .739 OPS before the positive test, .827 since . . . The Diamondbacks held a 4-3 lead with two outs and nobody on in the ninth inning on Tuesday night in Los Angeles. The Dodgers at that point had a less than zero percent chance of victory based on win expectancy calculations. Greg Holland got ahead of Chris Taylor , 0 and 2, and missed on four consecutive sliders. Holland then walked Russell Martin , Alex Verdugo , and Matt Beaty to force in the tying run. Of his final 18 pitches, four were strikes. T.J. McFarland came in and walked Cody Bellinger , after being ahead, 1 and 2, to give the Dodgers the win. It was the first game since at least 1920 that ended with five straight walks . . . Happy 61st birthday to Glenn Hoffman , who played for the Red Sox from 1980-87 then managed the Dodgers for part of the 1998 season. He is now the third base coach of the Padres. Newton native Bob Gallagher , who played seven games for the Sox in 1972, turns 72 on Sunday. Matt Mantei , who finished his career with 34 games for the Sox in 2005, is 46. Peter Abraham can be reached at pabraham@globe.com . Follow him on Twitter @PeteAbe . Related slideshow: The 2019 MLB season (Provided by imagn)


André Frève has been taking his 1992 Mazda MX-5 Miata to Longueuil Mazda in Quebec for service since the dealership opened in 1993. The dealership decided to thank Frève for his loyalty by surprising him with refurbished front seats for his car. That's it: just a nice little story about a nice little Canadian Miata and its owner. The pristine 1992 Mazda MX-5 Miata you see here, finished in the exclusive Sunburst Yellow hue, is the property of a man in Quebec named André Frève (seen in the photo above in the middle). According to Longueuil Mazda , a dealership near Montreal, Frève is one of its most loyal customers, having brought his Miata for service since the store first opened in 1993. When the dealership noticed some wear on the otherwise pristine car's seats, it decided to surprise Frève by refurbishing the driver and passenger seats-free of charge, of course. The dealership reached out to Mazda Canada and was able to source new seat covers and foam for the driver's seat. Fixing up the passenger seat ended up being a bit more involved, however, as the seat cover was no longer available and the dealership had to fashion it from scratch. Mazda did begin a restoration service for NA-generation Miatas and restarted the production of certain parts in 2017, but it was initially limited to Japan. As Miata lovers ourselves, we appreciate this sort of enthusiasm for the car-Frève was one of the founders of the Miata Club for the Montérégie region, which claims to be one of the oldest clubs of its type in Canada-and we're hoping he enjoys many more years with his beloved roadster, especially now that the seats are in tip-top shape. Research the Mazda Miata on MSN Autos | Find a Mazda Miata near you Follow MSN Autos on Facebook and Twitter


Former Monaco Grand Prix winners Nico Rosberg and Mark Webber have praised Lewis Hamilton for what Rosberg described as an "awesome job" en route to a nervy win in the Principality. Webber, who won the race in 2010 and 2012 for Red Bull, acknowledged that it must have been hard for Hamilton to run ahead of his main rivals on tyres that were clearly past their best. "It's a horrible feeling, even though you've got absolute track position," the Australian told Motorsport.com. "He knew he was never going to pit, but it was definitely a very, very tortuous way to win a grand prix, especially at Monaco. "You could see he had no front grip, rotation was notorious in Loews, Rascasse, Portier, and obviously when you've got the added ingredient of Max Verstappen behind you on a different compound of tyre, it's a bit of a headache. "He had a bit of a wobble mentally in the middle, but a very, very measured drive, which you'd expect. "I didn't expect for him for one minute to put it in the wall, I expected him to run out of grip or something to happen with Max, but I didn't expect an unforced error from him." Nico Rosberg, who won in Monaco as Hamilton's teammate at Mercedes in 2013, 2014, and 2015, also acknowledged the quality of the Briton's performance. "It was an awesome job Lewis did," the German told Motorsport.com. "Because he was not the fastest in qualifying   maybe second-fastest   but he put it on pole nonetheless. And then the race was awesome. "The team messed it up a little bit for him, and then he drove it home in the way he had to. He managed it perfectly, so really spectacular." Webber also commended the approach taken by Hamilton's Mercedes team on the pitwall. "I think the boys were giving him good chat too just to justify the scenario. Clearly they picked the wrong tyre, they couldn't say they were on the right tyre, that wasn't the case. "But the scenario was such that there was other information in the race to back up that it was possible." Webber was pleased to see Verstappen launch an attempt to pass Hamilton in the closing laps. "Lewis could have been going two or three seconds slower at the end there, and it still would have been hard for Max to pass," Webber said. "He had a go, but Lewis was strong in the tunnel, and Mercedes power was very useful at key points. "But it was worthwhile, absolutely, he's a racer. To sit there for over an hour and a half is absolutely horrendous for your head. To sleep at night and think I didn't even try something   but he did try, and that's the racer in him, and that's what we all want to see." For PRIME users: Was Hamilton's Monaco win ever in real jeopardy?


SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. (AP) Bryan Felt has been hired as the athletic director at Seton Hall. The Big East Conference school announced Thursday that Felt will replace Pat Lyons, who was promoted to executive vice president and chief of staff at the university. Felt has been the athletic director at nearby Saint Peter's University since September 2017. He has been associated with Seton Hall for more than 20 years. Felt received his undergraduate and postgraduate degrees at the school. After working in the television industry, he started working at the university in 2001 and was named executive director of the Pirate Blue Athletic Fund in 2004. In September 2011, Felt joined Lyons' senior administration, eventually overseeing the athletic department's fundraising, tickets, communications, digital media and marketing.


The announcement that a Planned Parenthood clinic in Missouri is on the verge of shutting down  which would make the state the first to have no abortion providers is the culmination of a decade-long campaign of surveillance and speculative complaints by activists. The Planned Parenthood Reproductive Health Services clinic sits just outside Forest Park, in the upscale Central West End neighborhood of St. Louis. As the only abortion provider in the state, it is responsible for serving an estimated 1.1 million women. To keep up, the clinic brings in two attending physicians, two other doctors, and a rotating team of fellows and residents throughout the year. Like most abortion clinics in the United States, the clinic is the target of omnipresent protesters self-proclaimed "sidewalk counselors" who line the pavement outside the gray brick building. But these protesters don't just stand there with signs; they log every ambulance that enters and leaves taking careful note of whether its sirens are on, if its lights are flashing, even the sounds patients make when they are loaded onto the stretcher. Planned Parenthood says it uses ambulances as a precaution and that they are not necessarily a sign that a medical procedure has gone awry. Also, the organization points out, there is no way for outsiders to know how many of the transports are for abortion-related complications which Planned Parenthood estimates is the case less than half the time. But in the hands of anti-abortion activists, the ambulance visits are weaponized. The protesters pass their observations on to extremist groups like Operation Rescue, which turn them into dramatic blog posts about the "outrageous" number of ambulance rides. Anti-abortion groups use that flawed data in demonstrations and rallies, and local groups turn them into pamphlets to give state officials, in hopes of spurring an investigation. "We don't want to see anyone suffer from harm, and we're really concerned that's going on at this clinic," Cheryl Sullenger, vice president of Operation Rescue, told The Daily Beast. "If that abortion clinic closes, that's going to do a whole lot of women some good." On Tuesday, it appeared the protesters could get their wish. Planned Parenthood announced Missouri's health department was "refusing to renew" its license to provide abortions, meaning the clinic would have to close down. As CBS News first reported , the state is investigating "deficient practices" at the clinic and has demanded interviews with all seven physicians who practice there. On a conference call Tuesday, Planned Parenthood CEO Leana Wen said the organization had offered interviews with the two attending doctors, but could not force the other five to comply. Some of the doctors that the health department requested interviews with were medical residents or trainees, Wen said, and had been told they could face criminal charges or review of their licenses as a result of their testimony. Still, the health department refused to budge: If all providers could not be interviewed, the license would not be renewed. "This is not a drill. This is not a warning. This is real and it is a public health crisis," Wen said. "This will be the first time since 1974, the year after Roe v. Wade was decided, that safe, legal abortion care will be inaccessible to people in an entire state." The news of the closure came four days after Missouri Gov. Mike Parson signed one of the strictest abortion laws in the country, banning the procedure after eight weeks gestation. The law is facing a court challenge, and has yet to take effect. But Missouri has long been slowly chipping away at abortion access for years, through laws requiring 72-hour waiting periods and parental consent for minors. In the decade between 2008 and 2018, the number of abortion clinics in the state dropped from five to two. It fell to one in October, when the state enacted a law requiring abortion providers to have admitting privileges at hospitals within 15 minutes of their clinics. As the number of clinics dwindled, anti-abortion groups homed in on the remaining providers. Operation Rescue began filing open records requests with the state in 2009, asking for health inspection reports and ambulance records from the RHS clinic. In 2013, it took the St. Louis Fire Department to court to obtain the records, then quickly posted them on its blog. The group says it has recorded 74 ambulance transports in the last 10 years, but Planned Parenthood says that's simply not true. The organization says that emergency services are needed in less than one-tenth of a percent of its abortion-related procedures a lower rate than for other outpatient procedures including wisdom teeth extraction or a colonoscopy. The rate for St. Louis is consistent with its national rates, Planned Parenthood says. But that hasn't stopped anti-abortion groups from using the other numbers. At the "MO Show Me Life Rally" this year, Students for Life activists demanded the governor launch an investigation into the clinic, citing Operation Rescue's data. At the same time, local anti-abortion group Team PLAY took the ambulance reports and distributed them to anti-abortion lawmakers like Sen. Paul Wieland and Rep. Nick Schroer in booklet form. Wieland and four other legislators appeared at protests with Team PLAY activists across the state where Planned Parenthood was hoping to expand abortion access in 2017. Team PLAY also provided the information to the state attorney general and governor's office, according to Bonnie Lee, a nurse who works with the organization. Both Lee and fellow organizer Kathy Forke said state Solicitor General John Sauer used the numbers during oral arguments in a case against Planned Parenthood in 2017. Forke told The Daily Beast that the group also filed a formal complaint with the attorney general's office that year. Asked whether her group had filed any more recent complaints, however, she declined to comment on advice of her lawyer, saying the issue was ongoing. Planned Parenthood said it will shut the doors in St. Louis on June 1 if the state does not approve its license. In the press call, Wen accused the state of "weaponizing of the licensing process" and said Planned Parenthood had filed a lawsuit asking for a restraining order to stay open. A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon. "Our job at Planned Parenthood is to care for the women, men and all people in this country, and we will not stop now," Wen said. Read more at The Daily Beast. Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here


You've probably heard before that baby boomers are to blame for Social Security's money woes. Yet new research from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College suggests otherwise. The thinking typically goes that boomers, who were born between 1944 and 1964, have put undue pressure on the system because of the size of their generation. About 10,000 people turn 65 every day. Many of those individuals are claiming Social Security retirement benefits, which has created the perception that they are draining the system. However, the Center for Retirement Research found the boomer cohort born between 1946 and 1964 will actually have paid more into the system than they will receive in benefits. There is a group of retirees, however, who did receive more money than they contributed: people who lived through the Great Depression of the 1930s. That's because they generally worked for fewer years before collecting benefits. And the policy decisions that were made in the early years of the program, namely to make it a pay-as-you-go system, helped set it up for the funding problems we face today, the research found. "Whenever you have a pay-as-you-go system, it's going to be more expensive than a fully funded system," said Geoff Sanzenbacher, associate director of research at the Center for Retirement Research. Related video: How to plan for a Social Security shortfall Missing trust fund Social Security has made headlines for the funding shortfall it could face if nothing is done to change the system. The latest report from the Social Security Board of Trustees projects the system's trust funds will be depleted in 2035. At that point, only 80% of expected benefits will be payable. At its inception in 1935, Social Security resembled a private insurance plan, where the funds coming closely matched the contributions and benefits for the different age cohorts. But that was changed with amendments that were made in 1939 adding benefits for spouses and minor children of retired workers, as well as survivor benefits for families if a worker died. At that time, benefits were tied to average earnings. Those changes meant that some retirees received more in benefits than they had contributed to the system. Payroll tax receipts were used to make those payments. However, that prevented the system from expanding the trust fund. Without those increasing reserves, the system also misses out on interest the money could be earning. The "Missing Trust Fund," as it is named in the research, makes the program more expensive for current participants, because they have to contribute money both for their benefits and to make up for those missing funds. As it stands, today's benefits are roughly in line with costs, and consequently are not too generous, Sanzenbacher said. "But we need to deal with this legacy debt," he said. Possible solutions There are a couple of approaches that could be used to make up the shortfall, according to the research. One way would be to raise taxes. Any increase would need to be permanent, according to the research. Another possible solution would be to increase taxes temporarily until a sufficient trust fund is established. Once that money is there, the system could return to today's level of payroll taxes. The current Social Security tax rate is 12.4%, which is evenly split between employers and employees. The tax increases could come in several forms: by increasing the payroll tax percentage and maintaining the current Social Security cap of $132,900; increasing the payroll tax and eliminating the payroll tax cap; or shifting from a payroll tax to income tax. Small tax raises could be used to supplement interest the trust fund hasn't been earning as it is being depleted, while larger increases could help replace the trust fund itself. "There are different ways to deal with this issue," Sanzenbacher said. That will require considering whether to put the burden on current generations, future generations or something in between, he said. "We're going to have to do something," Sanzenbacher said. "We're not trying to propose whatever it is we do. "We're just trying to make the point that you can make different choices."


According to a new review published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, there is no minimum duration needed for physical activity to be beneficial to your health. Researchers analyzed nearly 30 studies that looked at the relationship between physical activity duration and health outcomes to come to that decision. The pool of research was used to develop the recommendations issued in 2018 by the Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee , which found health benefits to bouts of physical activity lasting less than 10 minutes. Keep your tennis shoes by the door and the tires on your town bike inflated: According to a new review published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, every time you get out and move-even for just a few minutes to the drugstore and back-you improve your health and prevent chronic disease. While the idea that small bits of movement matter for better health may seem like common sense, it's a relatively new notion in exercise science, which has long held that people needed to exercise continuously for a certain amount of time for it to "count." Traditional exercise recommendations from the Surgeon General emphasized performing moderate to vigorous exercise like cycling, running, swimming, or playing basketball for 15 to 30 minutes a day most days a week. By the mid-90s, researchers agreed that accumulating multiple short bouts of at least 10 minutes of exercise-say riding 10 minutes to work, 10 minutes to grab lunch, and 10 minutes home-were as good as one 30 minute ride when it came to protecting against chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease. [Find 52 weeks of tips and motivation, with space to fill in your mileage and favorite routes, with the Bicycling Training Journal .] But the message remained that activity needed to be sustained. The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans clearly stated that "aerobic activity should be performed in episodes of ≥10 minutes." Is that really the way humans were designed to live and move, though? Back in the day when we got up to do short chores, worked sporadically active jobs, and lived lives with lots of little bits of movement like walking to filing cabinets, dashing to the bank, tending the garden, and dozens of other little active to-dos every day, we were healthier without purposeful, continuous "exercise." Which is exactly what the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee (PAGAC) recognized when they set about studying whether physical activity bouts shorter than 10 minutes in duration have health-related benefits-or if you only reap health rewards by exercising for at least 10 minutes at a time. To answer the question, the team analyzed data from nearly 30 studies over a 22-year period from 1995 to 2017 that examined the relationship between bouts of physical activity and different health outcomes, including body mass index, blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol levels, various markers for heart disease, and death from any cause. In the end, they found every bit of movement matters. Accumulated bouts of exercise less than 10 minutes long still helped lower blood sugar, control blood pressure, and protect against chronic disease and reduce risk of an early death, as did multiple bouts longer than 10 minutes. It's this research that was used to help inform the changes to made to the Physical Activity Guidelines last fall. So while those long Sunday rides are great for your fitness, remember to insert micromovements into your workweek, especially when a longer bout of exercise is impossible. The flight of stairs at the airport; the quick dog walk around the block; skipping Uber and hopping on a bike share; anything and everything that gets you off your seat and onto your feet helps keep you live longer and healthier. Video: Doing this helps you sleep 10 more minutes a night (Buzz60)


FARMINGDALE, N.Y.   Set against a backdrop of rolling hills, it was the kind of site that prompts a double take as John Daly wheeled his way through the crowds on Wednesday at Bethpage Black. Daly became the first player since Casey Martin at the 2012 U.S. Open to be allowed to use a golf cart at a major championship under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and despite some push back from players, most notably Tiger Woods , using a golf cart was the 1991 PGA champion's only option. "I wouldn't have been able to play [without a golf cart]," Daly said. "To tell you the truth it's not even easy playing with a cart because for me the cart is more of a distraction but I need it otherwise I can't play." Maneuvering a golf cart across Bethpage Black's 7,459 yards of rolling terrain and between the throng of fans has proven difficult for Daly. It's been made even more challenging by a list of guidelines that the PGA of America demanded for cart use during the championship. "Where the player goes all depends on the golf course and the conditions. I will meet with John and just talk through where he can go and can't go," said Kerry Haigh, the PGA's chief championships officer. "Obviously there's some places on this golf course where you can't get a golf cart to. We try and use common sense, what's reasonable, what's fair for the protection of both the player and as well as the playing of a major championship." Your browser does not support iframes. PGA Championship: Tee times | Full coverage Osteoarthritis in Daly's right knee prevents him from walking more than six holes at a time and he said there is no short-term option for relief. "It won't get better until I get it replaced and they said I'm too young [for replacement surgery]," Daly said. "If it was broken it would have been much better, but I have Osteoarthritis. It just hurts, especially when I go downhill. I rode in a cart and it's swelling up like a watermelon." Despite losing about 30 pounds and a procedure six weeks ago to remove part of his meniscus, the pain remains and has been compounded by a recent diagnosis of diabetes and issues with his liver. "When all the players were talking about it they didn't know about the diabetes and the liver problems," he said. On Tuesday Woods was asked about Daly's use of a golf cart. "I walked with a broken leg, so . . .," said Woods, who famously won the 2008 U.S. Open on a broken leg and a torn ACL.


If your family is ready to give camping a try this summer, here are some helpful tips for thriving in the great outdoors. Camping Tips for Families Now that the kids are out of school, many families enjoy venturing outside to enjoy the good weather and the beauty of nature . Camping is a fun and affordable way to do just that! Our family took our very first tent camping trip last summer in Devil's Lake, Wisconsin with a 1-, 3-, and 5-year-old. This year Kampgrounds Of America (KOA) invited our family to try a cabin at one of their Kampgrounds, which was a cool alternative way to experience camping with young kids. If you're new to camping with kids and want to give it a try, here are some great tips to keep in mind. Consider a Cabin Maybe you're not ready to invest in a tent, or you're not sure whether your family will even like camping. KOA's cabins are a great way to test the waters. Everyone will still get to sleep in a comfortable bed and the cabins are climate controlled. We stayed at a campground in Florida during a heat wave, so we were very thankful for that! You're still close to nature without going completely off the grid. It's the best of both worlds. Practice Setting Up the Tent If you're trying tent camping for the first time, be sure to practice setting up your tent once or twice at home first. If you wait until you arrive at your campsite to set it up for the first time you risk not having internet access to help with instructions or feeling frustrated as the kids whine or get into things they're not supposed to. Get a Sleeping Pad The biggest mistake we made the first time we went tent camping was thinking we didn't need a sleeping pad under our sleeping bags. We put our sleeping bags right on the ground and suffered through a sleepless night of rocks digging into our shoulders. Nowadays there are air mattresses, foam pads, and self-inflating sleeping pads to choose from. Do your research and pick the one that's right for you so you can face your day with energy. Choose the Right Campsite For your first time camping, whether in a tent or a cabin, do a test run close to home. Knowing you can always run back for a forgotten necessity or having an out in case it's a disaster and you want to bail is so good for everyone's mindset. Once you gain confidence as campers you can start venturing further away. Consider what types of amenities your family would be most comfortable having around. Places like KOA or glamping destinations have pools, running water and even WiFi. More remote destinations or National Parks will be beautiful but may require more preparation and experience. Bring Your Mesh Chairs Some campgrounds might provide plastic chairs, but there's something nice about having your own mesh camp chairs around the campfire. They dry quickly in case of rain, and many come with cup holders and even cell phone pockets so you can enjoy your campfire in style. Keep Baby Contained Don't forget about seating for your baby or toddler! One of my biggest sources of stress while camping with young kids was keeping our youngest away from the campfire. We brought a portable high chair and kept him confined there most of the time. Depending on your child's age and stage, seating and containment options include pack n plays, strollers, portable high chairs and baby carriers. Pack your Coolers If you're not staying in a cabin with a handy refrigerator, bring 2 coolers. Designate one for beverages and one for food. Researching tips for keeping everything ice cold in the cooler was super helpful for us since we were bringing items like milk and yogurt for the kids. Try freezing a few gallon jugs of water to use as ice packs. As they melt, you can then use them for fresh water. Use Large Clear Storage Bins for Food The best purchase we made before camping was 2 clear storage bins for food and supplies. They're durable, keep out moisture and animals and make it easy to see where everything is stowed. These bins also stack well so you can easily organize your campsite. Don't stop at just storing food in your clear bins, though. Why not use them to pack clothes, supplies, sleeping bags and blankets? Prepare Your Food Ahead of Time In the days leading up to your trip, be sure to write out a camping meal plan. Purchase, prepare, chop, cook, and season your food ahead of time so all you have to do is heat it up on the grill. Tin foil will be your best friend. The KOA team suggests cracking and whipping your eggs ahead of time and storing them in an empty water bottle to make cooking scrambled eggs a breeze! Bring a First Aid Kit You never know what could happen when kids are playing outside. From cuts and scrapes to sunburns and bug bites, you want to be prepared to deal with discomfort. Think bandages, aloe, sterile wipes, gauze pads, hydrocortisone cream and pain relief medicine along with standards like sunscreen, bug spray and hand sanitizer. Be Prepared with Easy Entertainment Even with hiking, swimming and exploring the great outdoors, you're still going to find yourself entertaining little kids for long stretches of time. Some easy and cheap ways to keep them occupied are glow sticks, bubbles, buckets and shovels and nature scavenger hunts. Don't forget whimsical touches like string lights on the entrance of your campsite that kids will love! Bring a Sound Machine for Baby The first time I did this I felt ridiculous. I was playing nature sounds on a machine in our tent when real nature sounds were happening just past the nylon wall. In reality, though, people were playing music, talking loudly and driving near our campsite while we tried to put our toddler to bed so we could enjoy the campfire. The noise machine will help drown out the ambient noise so your baby can get some shuteye. Bring a Light Source Campgrounds can get quite dark at nighttime, so make sure to bring a lantern and flashlights to make your way around your campsite safely. You never know who is going to have to get up in the middle of the night to get a drink or water or go to the bathroom. Don't have a lantern? Try this tip from the KOA team : place a headlamp facing inward on a jug of water for a cool glow at night! Practice Campfire Safety Before you even build a fire, ensure that it is safe to do so. If you're not sure because of a drought in the area or wildfire risk, check with officials at your campsite or park. If you're cleared to build a fire, be sure to use local wood so as not to spread harmful insects. You can usually purchase some on-site. Use an existing fire pit and make sure kids know about fire safety. Keep small children contained or on your lap. Finally, don't forget to extinguish your fire when you're ready to retire for the night. Check the Weather Before You Go Don't forget to check for rain, storms, or chilly weather before you leave for your camping destination so you can bring the proper gear. Extra socks and layers will help keep everyone warm if the temperature drops significantly at night. If it's going to be hot and humid, a portable fan will go a long way toward keeping you cool. Be prepared with rain jackets and activities for inside the tent if it rains. Respect Nature One of the biggest benefits of camping with kids is having the opportunity to teach them about existing in nature respectfully. Talk to them about the beautiful plants and foliage around your campsite, Go for a nature hike and see how many different types of animals or insects you can spot. Show them how to leave no trace when you pack up your campsite and remind them not to take anything away from its natural environment. Ask Around One thing I was so glad our family did before we embarked on our first camping trip was to ask our friends and neighbors for tips. I also checked around to see if we could borrow camping items we didn't currently own to minimize cost. People in your community are more than willing to share what they've learned and amassed over the years. Make use of that collective wisdom to get the most out of your trip. Book in Advance Whether you're visiting the local KOA or going backcountry camping in a National Park, make sure to make your reservations well in advance to get the campsite you want. If you wait until the last minute you might be stuck with campsites on a hill, campsites that are in loud areas or more expensive costs. Have a Plan for Coffee I know this doesn't apply to everyone, but for those of us who crave our morning cup of joe, it's basically a necessity. Consider whether you want to make instant coffee, use a French press or try a pour over so you can stock up on the materials you need. There's nothing cozier than sipping hot coffee around a campfire, especially if you can manage to wake up before your toddler. Stay Positive As the adult, you set the tone for your family's camping trip. Speaking from firsthand experience, things will go wrong. Someone won't sleep well, things will get dirty, you'll forget something important or the weather won't cooperate. If this is your first or second time camping you might be tempted to throw in the towel when things get hard. Remember that if you stick with it and keep trying it camping can be very rewarding for the whole family. A positive attitude goes a long way!


Video by Fox Sports Baker Mayfield continues to escalate his well-publicized feud with FOX Sports personality Colin Cowherd. In a post to his Instagram Story on Friday, the Cleveland Browns quarterback revealed that he is now selling anti-Cowherd T-shirts on his website for $30 each. One shirt contains the messages "Fact vs. Fiction" and "Cleveland vs. Cowherd," while the other one reads "The Land vs. The Herd." Baker actually had t-shirts made pic.twitter.com/qaYlrBTpfd   Fro (@DrRipStudwell10) May 24, 2019 Mayfield, the No. 1 overall pick in last year's draft, has a history with Cowherd dating back several years and recently went at him again for some comments that the talk show host made about new Browns teammate Odell Beckham Jr. Cowherd has drawn the ire of many a professional sports star before , but this may be the first time that such has resulted in some sweet merch to cop. Related slideshow: Top picks of 2019 NFL Draft (provided by imagn)


ANAHEIM, Calif.   There is another young man on the center-field fence here, another ghostly photo of a young man captured as he was, never to throw that pitch, never to look back, never to grow old. Grievously familiar with that place on that wall in this ballpark, with a young man there and gone forever, the Los Angeles Angels coped with another calendar page, managed another day toward they knew not what, and held tight to the family of Tyler Skaggs -- his mom, Debbie, his wife, Carli, all those brothers, new and worn, by blood and otherwise, themselves included. In a ceremony Friday night at Angel Stadium, the players wore his number -- 45 -- and his name on their backs, like the jersey that still hangs in a locker in their clubhouse. They bowed their heads for another 45 seconds. They said goodbye again, in case he'd missed the first million times they'd said it, and they hugged his mom and wife and step-dad and step-brother. Debbie, the former softball player, threw a hard strike to Tyler's best friend, Andrew Heaney, then looked to the sky. BOX SCORE: ANGELS 13, MARINERS 0 How often they'd played catch together. How often she'd driven to a sandlot or a ballpark or a stadium. How many anthems she had stood for. How many hellos she'd waved to his teammates. How many baseball games she'd seen with him on that mound, 10 inches above the rest. Now his teammates held her and told her how sorry they were, how much they loved him, and she rested her head on their shoulders. Eleven days after Tyler Skaggs died in a Texas hotel room, 10 years after Nick Adenhart was first on that wall, the Angels had themselves another hard cry. For him. For themselves. For his widow. For his mom. Moments before the ceremony, Carli sat on the dugout bench beside a framed jersey. She rested her hand on the frame. Then the Angels played a near-perfect baseball game. Two pitchers -- Taylor Cole for the first two innings and Felix Peña for the next seven -- combined on the club's 11th no-hitter. The Angels beat the Seattle Mariners , 13-0. On a night they were all Tyler Skaggs, No. 45, ballplayer, guy who would have absolutely loved this. A child is raised. He is decent and kind. He finds a world about which he is passionate. He makes it his life's work, which sometimes doesn't seem like work at all, which is the best kind. He calls plenty, remembers what he's supposed to remember, laughs at what he's always laughed at. He hardly changes at all in his mom's eyes. There's simply more of him, until there's not. A friend arrives. He is shy at first, but for the impish grin that gives him away. He seems to know when to lead, when to follow, when to stand at his friend's shoulder. He is the first to celebrate, the first to grieve, this gangly and good-natured and real friend who hardly changes at all in a complicated world. It's always, always, simply him, until it's not. A teammate grows. He is a good ballplayer and that is fine, that is expected. He is here, after all, a big leaguer. He also cares. He helps push or pull or whatever is required, sometimes what is not required, so just a little bit more. He is there for them often enough that they must be there for him, even if his picture is in that place on that fence. Especially if he is in that place on that fence. So a memorial rises at the entrance of the stadium, another memorial on the bricks where they put the flowers and caps and knick-knacks, along with the messages written in the practiced penmanship of children. Gone but never forgotten ⚾👼❤ #45 | @Angels pic.twitter.com/0R3c3g7DYh   FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) July 13, 2019 So Mike Trout homers on the first pitch he gets and he scans the crowd for the family, because he needs them to know Tyler is on his mind. Tyler's step-brother, Garret, wears the white No. 11 Tyler wore at Santa Monica High School, back when the Angels picked him out and made him theirs. So a group of men and a baseball franchise and a brotherhood and a sport tries to hoist themselves, to catch their breaths, to carry on. "Obviously we lost somebody way too soon," union chief Tony Clark had said earlier in the week. "What's difficult for me, as I'm assuming was difficult for many of you, is that at 27 years old you go to sleep one night and you don't wake up." He wondered if Tyler had called home to say goodnight, to say I love you. He presumed he had. And the thought became stuck somewhere in his throat. Angels manager Brad Ausmus shrugged and said he hoped another day passing and a public grieving might, "Ease the pain a little bit," though he did not seem convinced. And general manager Billy Eppler said he keeps a document on his computer desktop that holds the organizational depth chart at every position, including at pitcher. "I haven't even looked at it," he said. "I haven't even opened the document. I can tell you that." As they have done most days since, the Angels played the baseball game that was on the schedule. On this night, they stepped around the memorial out front. They passed the locker on the far side of the room. They gathered up Tyler Skaggs' family, taking strength from that, giving the strength they had. They said goodbye again. They honored the young man in that place on that wall in this ballpark, whom they'd help to raise, whom they'd seen arrive, whom they'd watched grow. He'd been their friend. Is their friend. Is their brother, by blood and otherwise. Related Slideshow: Best of the 2019 MLB season (provided by imagn) More from Yahoo Sports: Report: Thunder looking to trade CP3 'as soon as they can' NFL owners reportedly make pitch for 18-game season Federer tops Nadal, will face Djokovic in Wimbledon final Forde: Billy Donovan should go back to college basketball


It's a done deal. And it's one for the record books (for now, at least). On Wednesday morning, the Saints and Michael Thomas agreed to a five-year, $100M extension with $61M guaranteed, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets . The new deal makes him the league's highest-paid receiver of all-time. Meanwhile, the guarantee is the largest for any non-quarterback in NFL history. With the new deal, Thomas is tied to New Orleans through the 2024 season. In 2019, he'll still earn a paltry $1.148M in the final year of his rookie contract, but he's already locked in plenty of dough at signing. The deal marks plenty of firsts for the Saints as well. They've never paid a non-QB skill-position player more than $10M per year, but they're now paying Thomas $20M per annum. The previous watermark was owned by tight end Jimmy Graham , who banked $10M/season before being traded to the Seahawks in 2015. Last season, Thomas set Saints records with 125 catches and 1,405 yards while adding nine touchdown grabs. He was wildly efficient, too   Thomas' catch rate of 84.5% was the highest of any NFL receiver since at least 2001. With Thomas' deal done, the attention will now shift to fellow standout wide receivers in search of their own monster contracts. Unlike Thomas, Falcons star Julio Jones has participated in training camp, but he is expecting a contract that will either match or exceed Thomas' in average annual value . There's also Bengals star A.J. Green to consider, though his recent injury may be a barrier in talks . Down the line, Thomas' new deal will also have ramifications for the Cowboys and Chiefs as they consider extensions for Amari Cooper and Tyreek Hill .


Michigan's bridges are in such bad shape   11% are in poor or worse condition compared with 8% nationwide   that fixing them at the current pace could take an estimated 92 years. As of 2018, there were 62 bridges around the state that were actually closed to traffic, including 13 in Wayne County. Overall, it's a nightmarish portrait that requires attention. "There's plenty of opportunity if you have some information to point your finger here or there or somewhere else," said Bill Heil, 77, who lives on Grosse Ile, a Wayne County community on the Detroit River beset by bad bridges. "The real question is, where do we go from here? We need a bridge fix." Michigan's new governor, who made fixing "the damn roads" a rallying point of her campaign, said in her State of the State address in February that we can't forget about the bridges. The governor's assessment was not hyperbole. Our problem is that serious. You can blame the weather. Moreso, you should blame the funding, which is tied to state transportation spending. Michigan, historically, has not put enough money into fixing its bridges. In 2015, Michigan ranked 42nd nationwide for road spending for every 10,000 vehicle miles traveled, according to the Citizens Research Council of Michigan . Spending has gotten more generous since, but we are still below the national average. Meanwhile, the latest figures show the number of bridges in good condition across our state began plunging in 2015 after years of being fairly stable. Check out the growing gap between "good" and "fair" bridges in this chart: Here's more bad news: Unless a fix comes soon, our bridges are likely to get even worse   fast. Take a look at this forecast for the next 10 years, which came out earlier this month: Federal regulations require inspections at least once every two years of all bridges longer than 20 feet on public roads, more frequently for seriously deteriorating bridges. Counties, cities and villages own a majority   59%   of the 11,000-plus bridges in Michigan. The Michigan Department of Transportation owns most of the rest and roughly three-quarters of those bridges are associated with freeways. Bridges are very costly and really can affect the budget, said Tom Bruff, transportation manager at the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments. Taking intermediate steps to slow deterioration such as putting weight restrictions on a bridge can help, Bruff said. "But eventually that's going to impact things," he said. Bridges that are closed or restricted for weight can affect things like garbage pickup or, worse, the flow of first responders or people driving to hospitals. In 2018 there were more than 500 bridges across Michigan in poor condition that have posted weight limits for vehicles passing over them. Matt Chynoweth, director of MDOT's bridge program, said restricting bridge weights does not mean they're dangerous. "The reason that we post a bridge, it doesn't mean that if a big truck were to go across it the bridge would fail. What it means is that repeated big trucks going over it will reduce the service life of a bridge,'' Chynoweth said. Across the U.S., Michigan ranked 10th in 2018 for the highest percentage of bridges in poor condition. Among Great Lakes states, only Pennsylvania had a higher percentage. In Ohio and Indiana, just 6% were rated poor. Minnesota had the best bridges, where 5% were rated poor. Money is probably the biggest issue. But you can thank Mother Nature, too. Habib Tabatabai, professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, said battling our winters takes a toll on bridges, and more needs to be done to preserve our bridges that are in better condition. "The northern United States in general and the Midwest in particular have some of the harshest environments for bridges because they are exposed to the environment directly and they are exposed to traffic and most importantly the use of deicing salts, which can do, over long term, tremendous … unavoidable damage to structures," Tabatabai said. All parts of a bridge are susceptible to age and weather. Here's a typical highway bridge and its components: A bridge listed in poor condition does not necessarily mean it is unsafe   but it does indicate the bridge needs attention. In order to be rated poor, at least one component of the bridge   such as its deck, substructure or superstructure   will have a rating of 4 or less on a 0-9 scale. If the structure is a culvert and more than 20 feet in length it receives one rating. To help extend the life of a bridge in good or fair condition, the Federal Highway Administration's bridge preservation guidelines outline the importance of preventive maintenance like cleaning the bridge and joints, along with deck sealing to help slow the deterioration of concrete and steel. "The payoff in extending the service life of a bridge structure is far higher than demolishing and building a new one," said Tabatabai. One of the important things sometimes neglected is to "take maintenance and prevention steps from day one, when you open the bridge to traffic." The deck of the bridge is not the only part that needs to be protected from the elements. Other areas are subject to splashes from deicing salt, too. "If you are traveling under a bridge, let's say a snow plow takes the material that has salt in it and splashes on the columns of the bridge above ... they start to rust and when they rust they start to expand and causes cracking and spalling," Tabatabai said. According to MDOT, the total cost to replace Michigan's roughly 1,200 bridges that are in poor or worse condition is about $3.4 billion   of which $1.5 billion is needed for state-owned bridges and $1.9 billion for those owned by local agencies. The costs are limited to the physical parts of the bridge and do not include a long list of items also necessary, such as engineering and design, demolition and lighting. Those costs also do not include funds to maintain or rehabilitate bridges not yet listed in poor condition. At the current pace   without an infusion of cash   fixing our bridges will take roughly 92 years, said Alison Black, chief economist for the American Road & Transportation Builders Association. On top of these challenges, costs have risen dramatically over the last two decades. "Everything is up," said MDOT'S Chynoweth. "It's the materials, but then also think about the labor, health insurance rates have gone up, liability, pension liabilities. You name it. It's everything." Aging bridges also contribute to increased costs. The average Michigan bridge was built in 1973   46 years ago. If you calculate a bridge's age by the last date of major rehabilitation, the average Michigan bridge is 36 years old. "As they get older, they require more vigilant attention, just as people get older you have to take care of your health more," said Jerome Lynch, professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Michigan. There are more than 700 bridges in Michigan that have not had any rehabilitation in at least 75 years, according to a Free Press analysis of state data. Most, three out of four, are locally owned. Read more: Report: Michigan doesn't have enough money to fix deteriorating roads Michigan, historically, has been too cheap Bridge funding is tied to state transportation spending and Michigan's been low when it comes to spending per capita. On top of that, as part of transportation spending, Michigan allocates a smaller piece of that pie to bridges. Between 2014 and 2017, Michigan's overall transportation contract awards devoted just 20% to bridges. Ohio earmarked 26%, New York, 57%, with the national average 27%, according to Black of the American Road and Transportation Builders Association. MDOT's budget for bridges has hovered around $200 million annually for the last two decades. "It becomes a function of the same funding levels for 20 years and the expectation that those funding levels can buy what they did 20 years ago, " Chynoweth said. Snyder added some money to the pot Even with the thrifty historical spending on bridges, over the last two years, Michigan's overall transportation budget has been the highest on record, according to the Senate Fiscal Agency. The transportation budget's growth from $3.9 billion in fiscal year 2015-16 to $5 billion this year is the result of a road funding package successfully pushed by the administration of then-Gov. Rick Snyder. The road funding package called for an additional $1.2 billion for Michigan's transportation budget by fiscal year 2020-21. Republicans and Democrats agree it's still not enough. But plans to address that in the upcoming annual budget are at a standoff. The Republican-controlled Legislature has turned up its nose to Whitmer's proposed 45-cent gas tax increase; the Democratic governor maintains she will veto any budget that doesn't include more money for roads and bridges. A proposal currently in the Michigan Senate puts next year's transportation budget at $5.1 billion. The governor's road funding plan, with the extra money generated by the proposed gas tax hike, would put the transportation budget at $5.8 billion, according to a Senate Fiscal Agency analysis. MDOT, as part of her plan, wants to include additional money specifically for local bridges. But that's a long way off. When asked recently about Whitmer's plan, state Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, said he prefers not to deal with additional revenue, at least for this budget year. Regarding new money, he said, "It could happen next year." T.J. Bucholz, president and managing partner of Vanguard Public Affairs in Lansing, said we could be in for a long battle. "The days right now of passing a budget in June as Gov. Snyder did when Republicans controlled every branch of government   that's over," Bucholz said. "I think unless there's some massive sort of release of the logjam, I think that we are in for a long summer. ... The sad part about that is, that's another summer of citizens driving on dangerous roads and crumbling bridges." Locals hit hard Local communities in 2018 had a higher percentage of bridges in poor condition compared with the state, 14% compared with 5%. And far less money to deal with them. The main source of funding for local bridges are dollars from the Michigan Transportation Fund. The fund, created by Public Act 51, is revenue raised primarily from motor fuel taxes and vehicle registration fees. A formula determines how dollars are distributed. Statewide, in fiscal year 2017, county road commissions in total received $900 million from Act 51. The share to cities and villages was about $450 million. These funds can be used for roads and bridges. In 2017, the latest data available, road commissions spent a paltry $42 million from the fund on bridges, according to the Transportation Asset Management Council, a legislated body made up of transportation officials. Cities and villages spent just $15 million. "Generally, the funding that we do receive like other agencies it comes as one lump funding. It doesn't say, 'Hey, you are going to put $50 million toward the roads, $10 million toward your ditches and this much for your bridges,' " said Beverly Watts, director of public works for Wayne County. She says they have budgeted about $10 million each year for bridges since 2017. In fiscal year 2017, Wayne received $77 million in Act 51 funds. Another way to fix local bridges in poor condition is the state's Local Bridge Program, which is funded through one-half cent of the current gas tax. Local communities and counties with bridges put together applications to the state for funding for bridge projects, including maintenance, that typically cost no more than $5 million. The program requires local communities to pay toward their project, including at least 5% of the construction costs, and limits the number of applications yearly to five per locale. With the exception of last year, the fund has been relatively flat at $48 million. The fund received 427 applications last year that would have cost $308 million. In the end, 105 bridge projects were selected to receive a total of $53 million. One piece of Whitmer's budget proposal calls for an increase in the amount of money dedicated to local bridges. Specifically, the Local Agency Bridge Bundling Program would generate $85 million annually through a dedicated 4 cent gas tax, which, if approved, may result in bonding of up to $1 billion   enough to address all of the locally owned serious or critical bridges in the state by 2025, according to MDOT. The idea is similar to one MDOT started in the early 2000s to fix up its own bad bridges. MDOT says it would partner with the local agencies to streamline designs and reduce overall engineering and administrative costs. It cites similar bridge bundling projects as success stories in Missouri, Pennsylvania and New York. Last December, the County Road Association of Michigan voted unanimously in support of the program. Why this is so important Bridges do fail. Last month in Chattanooga, Tennessee, a large concrete section of a bridge on I-75 crashed onto the road below, injuring a motorist. That bridge had been rated in fair condition prior to the accident. In Minneapolis, Minnesota, the I-35W Mississippi River bridge carrying eight lanes of traffic during rush hour collapsed in 2007 , killing 13 people and injuring 145. Whitmer's comments about bridges during her State of the State address weren't hypothetical. In the photo near the top of this report, that's a real bus from Dearborn Public Schools, crossing an actual bridge held up with temporary supports. It's the Miller Road bridge, which is owned by Wayne County and carries traffic into the Ford Rouge plant in Dearborn. This bridge would be a candidate for the program the governor proposes, according to newly appointed state Transportation Director Paul Ajegba. The bridge is currently rated in poor condition and has more than 400 temporary supports holding it together. "Can you imagine that bridge being shut down   the impact not just on Ford but the state as a whole?" Ajegba asked. The cost to fix the bridge ranges from $40 million to $50 million, roughly the same size of the Local Bridge Program's current annual budget. "We have three projects that we need to do now," Wayne County Executive Warren Evans said during his State of the County speech in March, according to a transcript. "The collective cost of those three projects is a hundred million dollars. ... You don't get that out of your yearly allocation of 51 road funds. We have to have an influx of cash to allow that to happen." Ken Sikkema, a retired Republican legislator who is in a bipartisan group advocating for a higher gas tax for roads and bridges, said fix bridges now or fix them later at an even higher cost. "They deteriorate year by year, that's sort of what's unique and important about this debate is whether it's bridges or roads, the longer you wait the more expensive it gets." Sikkema said Read more: Ex-Michigan lawmakers have plan to fix roads. You may not like it. How we did this The Free Press obtained and analyzed data from the Michigan Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration and the Transportation Asset Management Council on bridge conditions, projects, spending and funding. We went out with a state inspector to better understand how bridges are inspected. We also visited bridges independently and talked with residents and businesses about local bridge conditions and their impacts. Kristi Tanner is a reporter on the Free Press Investigations Team. Contact her at 313-222-8877 or ktanner@freepress.com. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan bridges are bad and there's not enough money to fix them


The Mariners, who've gone a staggering 12-33 after a 13-2 start in which the club made its fans forget the cavernous dimensions of T-Mobile Park, are "deep in sell mode" and are "trying to trade everyone," according to MLB Network's Jon Heyman , who lists Edwin Encarnacion , Ryon Healy , Dee Gordon , Mike Leake and Tim Beckham among the players the club is "talking" about. Mariners are deep in sell mode. "Trying to trade everyone," as one rival put it. Beyond Bruce, also talking about Encarnacion, Healy, Gordon, Beckham, Leake, etc. Talks said to be "ongoing" with Phillies on Bruce.   Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) June 1, 2019 None in the group seem likely to net a significant return   the 36-year-old Encarnacion may be the most attractive piece, despite the approximately $18M remaining on his contract   though it's possible general manager Jerry DiPoto would simply like to clear space for younger players. One feather in Encarnacion's (and the Mariners') cap is his renewed vigor in the infield: The one-time third-baseman is on pace for the most first-base innings in his 15-year career and has thus far been surprisingly adequate at the position, per both DRS and UZR. The aging slugger is now just seven homers shy of 400 for his career. He seemed to be on a clear designated hitter-only trajectory after two seasons in Cleveland, where he totaled just 388 innings at the position, but has nearly eclipsed that mark in just two short months in Seattle. The three-time All-Star's on pace for nearly 3.0 fWAR in '19, with a hard-hit rate hovering around his peak average, though teams aren't typically clamoring for 1B/DHs in the rental market, even one with a track record as glowing as Edwin's. Thirty-one year-old Gordon, twice an All-star earlier in his career, is still owed approximately $22M on his deal through 2020, and may indeed have negative surplus value at this point. After a poor 2018 showing, in which the second baseman-turned-center fielder posted 0.1 fWAR on the back of a 77 wRC+ and hard-to-fathom 1.5 percent BB rate, the again infielder hasn't been much better this year, posting just a .281/.310/.369 line (85 wRC+) with a stolen-base rate that doesn't even begin to approach the standard he'd set from 2014 to '17. It's true that Gordon's ground-ball rate has dropped below 50 percent for the first time in his career and that he's flashing a bit more power than usual, but it's hard to foresee this profile netting much more than a bit of salary relief. Mix-and-match artist Leake, now 31 and with over 1,700 big-league innings under his belt, is still owed upward of $30M on his deal that extends through 2020, and he is currently in midst of the worst season of his career. Leake's homer rate has skyrocketed to a galactic 2.23 per nine, thanks mostly to a career-low grounder rate and an average fastball velocity that's down over 4 mph from his 2015 peak of 93.1. FanGraphs places Leake's value at below replacement-level this season, and peripheral markers aren't encouraged. His value would seem to mirror Gordon's closely. Former No. 1 overall pick Beckham appeared to have finally turned the corner this season after an early-season hot streak that catapulted him to the top of the league's leaders in nearly every relevant statistical category. Still sporting an impressive 119 wRC+, Beckham's secondary markers appear much the same as in years past: His 6.3 percent walk rate aligns exactly with his career total, and the 30 percent K rate is actually higher than the standard he'd set in the four years previous. Beckham's .342 wOBA, on the strength of a middling 32 percent hard-hit rate, isn't sustainable, per Statcast, who estimates his true (expected) wOBA title at just .312. The 29-year-old's defense, too, has been far less than stellar this season, with DRS pegging him at a particularly cruel -7 runs saved already. He's in his second-to-last year of arbitration and may yet be a utility target for some contending clubs, but he's not likely to yield a blue-chipper in return. Lesser names, like Healy, Wade LeBlanc , Hunter Strickland and Domingo Santana , whose 119 wRC+ has been almost entirely offset by poor corner defense, aren't likely to be coveted on the market. Third baseman Kyle Seager has been hurt for much of the early season, and recent-years returns are probably enough for interested teams to leave the some $50M remaining on his deal behind. If DiPoto is feeling particularly frisky, the team could try dangling each of Daniel Vogelbach , Mitch Haniger , Marco Gonzales and Omar Narvaez to interested teams, though it seems the club is set on contending in the near future, and each of those players are controlled through at least the 2022 season.


The move from New Orleans to Los Angeles is already paying off for Anthony Davis, even if the trade won't officially go through for a couple of weeks. Only a few days after it was reported that Davis would join LeBron James on the Los Angeles Lakers, Davis has reportedly landed an endorsement deal with Ruffles to be a "creative partner" in the brand, according to Front Office Sports. "Ruffles keeps finding new ways to make the game more fun for basketball fans and a 'Chip Deal' in itself is unprecedented - which is exactly why I wanted to do it," Davis said to Front Office Sports. "From the design of 'The Ridge Tops' to new flavors and contests, I have a lot of ideas and Ruffles shares my excitement for making them happen." So while Davis awaits to officially be a part of the Lakers, it appears that the move to the NBA's most popular team is already helping his cause when it comes to maximizing money on his likeness. MORE: LaVar Ball made a tasteless mid-interview remark to ESPN's Molly Qerim NBA Free Agency 2019: The top players What does new TE Michael Roberts bring to Packers? Report indicates Matthew Stafford played with a broken back in 2018 Javon Wims worked with starters during Bears offseason practices Related slideshow: Ranking the top 50 NBA draft prospects (Provided by Yardbarker)


Welcome to the latest installment of 3 Up, 3 Down, our weekly gauge of who's streaking and who's slumping throughout Major League Baseball. Our latest edition includes notes on Lance Lynn and the soaring Rangers, Dansby Swanson's power surge and a particularly embarrassing moment in Seattle. ↑ The Respectable Rangers ↑ The Rangers have quietly crept past the Red Sox to hold the second AL spot entering Wednesday night. Texas enters Wednesday night having won 13 of its last 19. Playoff baseball may come back to Arlington sooner than expected. You're gonna want your sound on. 💥 pic.twitter.com/axaXjpYNIv   Texas Rangers (@Rangers) June 1, 2019 Texas' lineup has produced a healthy 5.8 runs per game since May 15, but its pitching staff has been the most pleasant surprise. The Rangers are allowing just 3.6 earned runs per game in their last 19, a mark that trails only the Rays, Astros and Dodgers. Texas has allowed three or fewer runs in 10 of its last 20, giving up just five runs in three games to close the weekend series against Kansas City. The summer air in Arlington should balloon the Rangers' ERA in July in August, though the current pace should land the staff close to league average by season's end. Lance Lynn deserves the greatest share of credit for Texas' strong stretch. The eight-year veteran has fanned 77 batters in 74 innings this season, riding a 2.97 ERA in his last five starts. The Rangers are Lynn's fourth team in three seasons. Sustained success in 2019 could keep him in the Lone Star State for the foreseeable future. ↑ Colorado's Mile-High Advantage ↑ The excitement over Nolan Arenado's eight-year extension in Colorado quickly quieted after the Rockies' abysmal 3 11 start, including a 1 11 stretch after two wins against the Marlins to open the season. Arenado and the Rockies' lineup was noticeably quiet with just 2.8 runs per game through April 13. Ian Desmond underwent an early season whiff parade and the offseason loss of D.J. LeMahieu took its toll. Even after locking up Arenado long-term, a scuffling supporting cast made the postseason a tenuous bet. Rockies, so hot right now, @Rockies . Make it 8 straight wins for Colorado! pic.twitter.com/vaYk85QwQc   FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) June 2, 2019 The early-season anxiety sent Colorado to the bottom of the NL West, but the slump wasn't anything Coors Field couldn't solve. The Rockies ripped off eight home wins to close their most recent homestand, winning nine of ten from May 24 to June 2. Colorado enters Wednesday 1 1/2 games behind the Braves for the National League's second wild-card. A third straight playoff appearance is firmly in play. Arenado has been on an absolute tear during Colorado's hot streak. The four-time All-Star slashed an outrageous .487/.545/.949 in Colorado's 10-game homestand with five homers and 17 RBIs. The Dodgers are unlikely to fade from their perch atop the division, but another MVP-caliber campaign from Arenado could send the Rockies toward the playoffs. ↑ Atlanta's Hottest Bat ↑ At risk of this column becoming an Atlanta Braves fan account , we'd be remiss not to note Dansby Swanson's impressive 2019. The former No. 1 overall pick struggled offensively through his first three seasons with the NL East stalwart, but has completely reversed his offensive output through May. Dansby dingers! pic.twitter.com/jDzvemTkWF   Sporting News MLB (@sn_mlb) June 2, 2019 The offseason work with Chipper Jones has already paid dividends, with Swanson smacking 12 homers in his first 59 games. Swanson's last 12 games have been notably impressive, with a .333/.373/.677 slash line along with five home runs. The Braves have heated up along with Swanson's bat, entering Wednesday night just a half game back of Philadelphia for first place in the NL East. Atlanta isn't surprising anyone in 2019 after last season's division crown, yet Swanson's improvement marks one of more impressive turnarounds of the season. ↓ The Mets' Unfriendly Confines ↓ The Mets would be in pretty good shape if they could stay put at Citi Field. New York is 15 10 in the friendly Queens confines in 2019, yet it sits third in the NL East at 28-32 after Tuesday's extra-inning implosion against the Giants . Mickey Callaway and Co. have a serious case of the road woes to thank. "Looking back on it, I'd like to have that one back" - Mickey Callaway on his decision to take out Noah Syndergaard in the 7th pic.twitter.com/dIjE81fTk7   SNY (@SNYtv) June 5, 2019 New York has the second-most road losses in all of baseball, now 13 22 away from home following a 1 6 west coast road trip last week. Dropping three of four to the Dodgers is acceptable (even considering a ninth-inning collapse on May 29). A sweep at the hands of the Diamondbacks? Not so much. New York dropped each of the series' first two games at Chase Field, then limped to a 7-1 loss on Sunday. Such an embarrassing stretch is unlikely to help Mickey Callaway's standing with the folks upstairs, and it didn't help that he had to apologize after Tuesday's loss to the Giants. Brodie Van Waganen may have to make a decision sooner than later. ↓ Pittsburgh's Scuffling Staff ↓ Run production hasn't been a problem for the Pirates of late. Josh Bell is bashing balls into the Allegany with glee and unheralded rookie Bryan Reynolds is hitting .350 in 132 plate appearances. In a crowded NL Central, its lineup has largely held up. If only Pittsburgh's staff got the memo. The Pirates have the second-worst ERA in the National League (trailing only the altitude-aided Rockies) and rank in the bottom third in opponent batting average and wins. Chris Archer's ERA ballooned to 5.66 and Jameson Taillon is on the 60-day Injured List. Joe Musgrove hasn't been much better, with career journeyman Jordan Lyles delivering the most reliable innings. If only Pittsburgh had Tyler Glasnow to help stabilize its staff... ↓ The Mariners Lowlight Reel ↓ There's little competition for the worst defensive team in baseball. The Mariners have 69 errors through their first 64 games, 21 more than the White Sox for the second most in the majors. But Seattle took its defensive misery to a whole new level on Monday night. Astros infielder Yuli Gurriel sent a ground ball to shortstop Dylan Moore with runners on first and third in the sixth inning. Instead of attempting to turn two, Moore slung the ball toward the plate to nab Alex Bregman. Small issue here: nobody was home. The Mariners SS made a great throw home to try and save a run... But plot twist: There was no catcher there. pic.twitter.com/Xoyy0SeRt5   FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) June 4, 2019 The Mariners are firmly in the AL West cellar at 25 39. Barring a sizable defensive turnaround, a second straight last place finish is likely. Related slideshow: The 2019 MLB season (Provided by imagn)