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2B Daily News – Wednesday, July 17, 2013 MLB All-Star game played under drug cloud NEW YORK (AP) — Chris Davis knows power surges lead to suspicion in the 21st century. The debate has even trickled down to clubhouse banter. ''We always joke about it — how many home runs did you hit today?'' the Baltimore Orioles slugger recounted. ''You hit two — well, you better be hydrated tomorrow.'' As in, make sure you drink enough fluids to produce a urine sample for a drug test. It's hard talk about MVPs these days without discussing PEDs. Davis leads the major leagues with 37 home runs, matching Reggie Jackson in 1969 for most by an American League player at the All-Star break. He's among a record 39 firsttime All-Stars as baseball paused for its midsummer celebration at Citi Field. But up ahead, more suspensions for performance-enhancing drugs appear imminent. Union head Michael Weiner said before Tuesday's game he expects Major League Baseball will complete its investigation within a month and speak with the players' association to determine the mechanics of discipline, which would be subject to grievances and arbitration. Last year, San Francisco outfielder Melky Cabrera was MVP of the All-Star game, then was suspended five weeks later for 50 games following a positive test for testosterone. Four All-Stars this year — San Diego shortstop Everth Cabrera, Oakland pitcher Bartolo MLB (Continued from page 1B) starter Max Scherzer were among a record 39 first-time All-Stars in a game that featured four players 21 or younger — baseball's next generation. Both came out throwing 99 mph heat, but it was Rivera, at 43 the oldest AllStar since 1991, who was the center of attention in his farewell season. He came in from the bullpen to Metallica's ''Enter Sandman'' just like across town at Yankee Stadium, and was left alone on the field for more than a minute to take in a rousing ovation. ''It was a great moment. He is one of the best pitchers that's ever played this game,'' Tigers outfielder Torii Hunter said. Players on both sides clapped from the top of the dugout steps, and he tipped his cap to the crowd. Then he went to work, retiring three straight hitters on 16 pitches before walking off to another ovation. ''It was tough. It was special,'' an emotional Rivera said. ''Seeing the fans sharing and both teams standing out of the dugout, managers, coaches players, priceless.'' It was the ninth All-Star game in New York — most for any city — and second in five years after a farewell to old Yankee Stadium in 2008. But the only other time the Mets hosted was during Shea Stadium's debut season in 1964, when Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Johnny Callison hit a game-ending homer in the ninth. This one gave the struggling Mets a chance to pack their cozy ballpark for one of the few times all season. Fans chanted Harvey's name during pregame introductions, and the 24-year-old sensation delivered with three strikeouts in two shutout innings. He walked off to a standing ovation and received a pat on the back from NL manager Bruce Bochy of the San Francisco Giants, the defending World Series champions. Harvey was the youngest All-Star starting pitcher since former Mets ace Dwight Gooden was 23 a quartercentury ago — and the first SOAR (Continued from page 1B) this meet in the 100-Yard Backstroke, the 500 Free, and the 200Yard Backstroke. Coley also achieved three new "BB" times in the 100 Back, the 100 Free, and the 50 Free. Ellie Fletcher earned a "BB" time in the 50 Free, going 30.36. Sun Oaks will be competing at TOUR (Continued from page 1B) the drama on Tuesday's Stage 16 proved a point that Froome and his Sky team have made time and again: Despite his big lead, Froome won't savor victory until he's on the cobbles of the ChampsElysees in Paris on Sunday. ''One second you could be going for the finish and about to win a race and the next you're lying in a ditch somewhere, with a broken bone,'' Froome said. ''I knew it was the descent where Beloki crashed so I was purposefully laying off a little bit and trying to take it easy but at the same time also trying to keep touch with the Saxobank guys who were really pushing the limits.'' By that, Froome meant Contador and his SaxoTinkoff teammate from the Czech Republic, Roman Kreuziger, who are third and fourth in the overall standings but Colon, Texas outfielder Nelson Cruz and Detroit shortstop Jhonny Peralta — have been linked in media reports to Biogenesis, the closed Florida anti-aging clinic accused of distributing PEDs. Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig maintains he's not concerned the showcase could be decided by a player who may be disciplined when his probe is concluded. ''Whatever happens, happens. Given our knowledge today, that's not frustrating at all,'' he said. ''You play the hand you're dealt with on that day, and you can't second guess two weeks or two months or three months later.'' Selig says players have complained to him that the vast majority who comply with the sport's drug rules have been tarnished along with those who think they can get away with using banned performance-boosters. ''It is what it is. It's the nature of the era right now,'' Colorado outfielder Michael Cuddyer said. ''Until we get the game totally clean, I'm sure there's going to be black eyes and suspicions.'' Selig wants tougher penalties than the current system that has been in place since 2006 — 50-game bans for a first positive test, 100 games for a second and lifetime for a third. Weiner says some of his members agree, some don't, and that players will discuss the possible changes when their executive board meets in December. No matter what, baseball's image has been damaged, just by the probe. from the home team since Houston's Roger Clemens in 2004. Gooden cheered Harvey on from the stands. All the buildup might have made the phenom a little too excited at the start. Mike Trout doubled inside first base on his opening pitch, and Harvey drilled Cano just above the right knee with a 96 mph fastball on the third. In obvious pain, Cano initially stayed in the game but limped off after Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera struck out — just as he did against Harvey in spring training. Cano crossed in front of the mound while heading to the dugout, and Harvey patted himself on the chest. ''I didn't mean to, obviously,'' Harvey said. ''I feel terrible. Apologies go out to him.'' Cano has a bruised quadriceps but said he'll be ready to play when the Yankees come out of the All-Star break. ''Just a little tight,'' Cano said. ''I'll be good for Friday.'' Wright went to the mound for a calming chat the Sierra Nevada Long Course Junior Olympics Thursday through Sunday in Redding. Results: Coley Sauve, 16, 1st Place-100 Back, 200 Back, 500 Free, 3nd Place-100 Free, 200 Free, 100 Fly, 4th Place-100 Breast, 5th Place-50 Free. Mitchell Sauve, 14, 1st Place200IM, 100 Breast, 200 Breast, 50 Free, 2nd Place-100 Free, 500 Free, 3rd Place-100 Fly, 4th Place-200 Free more than four minutes off the lead. Opportunities for them to claw back are fast running out. The finish line in Paris is now just 415 miles and five days away. To their credit, they aren't simply accepting defeat but are harassing Froome all the way. If Froome wins, the way his rivals have repeatedly tested the British rider over the three weeks should give him the extra satisfaction of a victory hard-earned. Stage 16 wound from Provence past vineyards, lavender fields and villages clinging to hillsides to the town of Gap, a staging post for what promises to be a grand finale in the Alps for the 100th Tour. For a long while, it seemed as if the 104-mile trek to Gap from Vaisonla-Romaine, a charming town with old ruins near the Mont Ventoux where Froome won on Sunday, would be one of those Tour stages that don't amount to much. Apparently preparing for the Alps, Froome and ''The integrity of the sport is in question because you pick up the paper and we're no longer looking at the boxscore, we're discussing the investigation and we're wondering who,'' agent Scott Boras said. Players and owners agreed to a steroids ban in 2002 and have repeatedly strengthened the rules. Selig gets defensive over baseball's drug program, saying ''this sport is cleaner than it's ever been.'' But even players understand why there is distrust. ''It's a reap-what-you-sow type of thing,'' said Cincinnati first baseman Joey Votto, the 2010 NL MVP. ''We've experienced the drugs, the performance-enhancing drugs, and we've taken advantage of them, and then all of a sudden when we've cleaned up the game, you can't expect all the questions to stop, especially when players go from performing at a lower level to performing at an All-Starcaliber level or leading the home run numbers. So it becomes part of the package.'' During games, players focus on performance. PEDs usually come up only when reporters ask questions or testers escort players to bathrooms. For now, no amount of questions will alleviate the mistrust. ''It's not a big deal. It will pass at some point,'' Votto said. ''Eventually the drug assumptions will be whispers instead of people asking them on a consistent basis.'' with Harvey, who whiffed Jose Bautista to end the inning. Cano's name came up all night — even after he left the game. A fan in a Cano shirt ran on the field and gave himself up to security near second base as players backed away a bit, but was tackled anyway to the delight of the crowd. Cabrera's bat slipped out of his hands on a swing and sailed 10-15 rows deep, where it nearly clipped another fan in a Cano jersey. Cabrera's next cut produced a leadoff double in the fourth, and Bautista's sacrifice fly snapped a 17-inning scoreless streak for the AL that dated to Adrian Gonzalez's homer off Cliff Lee two years ago in Arizona. Baltimore's Adam Jones, wearing bright orange hightops, doubled against Lee to start the fifth and scored when Hardy beat out a potential double play. Kipnis doubled home a run in the eighth off Atlanta closer Craig Kimbrel. NOTES: Hall of Famer Tom Seaver from the 1969 Miracle Mets threw out the ceremonial first pitch to team Noah Caylor, 14, 1st Place-100 Back, 3rd Place-200 Back, 5th Place-50 Free, 7th Place 500 Free, 10th Place-100 Free, 11th Place-200 Free Ellie Fletcher, 13, 3rd Place 200IM, 100 Breast, 4th Place-100 Yard Back, 200 Free, 50 Free, 5th Place in the 100 Free, 100 Fly Holiday Rider, 12, Exhibition, 34.80 in 50 Fly Sophie Fletcher, 11, 3rd Place 50 Back, 100 Back, 5th Place-200 Free, 100 Breast, 50 Free, 6th other main protagonists allowed 26 riders — none of them a podium threat — to escape far ahead. The stage winner, Rui Costa, later emerged from that group, riding away on the day's last climb, a 6-mile long ascent to Col de Manse, and then zipping down to Gap. Although the Manse climb is less arduous and less steep than the Ventoux, where Froome blasted past Contador, the Spaniard and Kreuziger used to it test the Briton and his Australian wingman, Richie Porte. Several times, Contador tried accelerating away. Kreuziger did, too. But Porte and then Froome alone wouldn't let them get away. To cool the asphalt, authorities doused the top of the climb with water. But Porte said the road down from there was sticky and slippery — just as it was in the heat wave of 2003, when Beloki's back wheel slid away from him on a bend, hurling him to the ground. Armstrong went captain David Wright, who led the NL All-Stars out of the dugout. Wright was lifted for Pittsburgh 3B Pedro Alvarez in the eighth. ... Next year's game is in Minnesota, with 2015 at Cincinnati. ... The score of the 2002 AllStar game, which ended in an embarrassing 7-7 tie, was restored on the out-of-town scoreboard after it was noticeably absent during Monday night's Home Run Derby. ... Neil Diamond performed ballpark favorite ''Sweet Caroline'' from in front of the mound in the middle of the eighth inning. ... Corbin's only loss in 12 decisions this season came July 2 at Citi Field. ... The crowd of 45,186 was the largest ever at Citi Field, which opened in 2009. ... MLB honored 30 military veterans who were winners of the ''Tribute for Heroes'' campaign. They lined up before the games along the baselines, while players were introduced on the infield dirt. Then several All-Stars, including Rivera, gave the veterans American flags from ballparks around the majors. Place-100 Free, 8th Place-50 Breast Hero Rider, 7, 2nd Place-50 Back, 3rd Place-25 Free, 4th Place-25 Fly, 5th Place-50 Free Lula Rider, 7, 1st Place-25 Back, 25 Fly, 50 Back, 3rd Place 100IM, 4th Place 50 Free, 5th Place-25 Free, 7th Place-50 Breast Cade Sanders, 6, 2nd Place-50 Free, 50 Back, 3rd Place-25 Free on to win that Tour — only to have that and all six of his other victories in cycling's premier race stripped from him last year for doping. On Tuesday, touching their brakes caused wheels to slip, Porte said. ''All of us had a bit of a moment coming down there, losing the front wheel, back wheel,'' he said. Yet Contador was flying, with Froome in his wake. Rounding a sharp right-hander, ''the bike got away from me,'' Contador said. ''It was really difficult. In normal conditions I wouldn't have slipped like that, but it was very difficult terrain,'' said the 2007 and '09 champion, who was stripped of his '10 title for a failed doping test. ''Sometimes you have to go for it, whether it's at the start or the end of a stage.'' Froome said Contador ''was taking too many risks.'' ''All teams are starting to get desperate now and they're taking uncalculated risks,'' he said. ''In my opinion it was a bit dangerous from Alberto to ride like that, it's not good.'' And there's worse to come. Thursday's Stage 18 not only includes a double ascent to the ski station of Alpe d'Huez, with its 21 hairpin bends, but also a harrowing descent that several riders have voiced concerns about. Having seen that Froome wasn't completely comfortable chasing after Contador on Tuesday, the risk now is that his rivals could try to unsettle him again on Thursday's downhill from Col de Sarenne. ''It is a very dangerous descent. The road surface is not great,'' Froome said. ''And there aren't any barriers on the corners, so if you go over the corner then you will fall down a long way. It's a dangerous descent and I hope the riders are aware of that, that they don't take risks like they did today.'' OPEN (Continued from page 1B) expected this at the start of the year,'' Spieth said, still sounding as though it hasn't sunk in just yet. ''I just wanted to get my Tour card for next year. To play in the Tour Championship would be unbelievable, to be one of those 30 guys. ''There's still a long ways to go.'' Some of his fellow players realized he had plenty of game even before he began playing regularly on Tour. Phil Mickelson, who started getting noticed while still in college as well, has been watching Spieth's promising play for three years. ''But he is more than that,'' the four-time major champion said. ''He's enjoyable to be around. He's got charisma. People are drawn to him. He's going to be a real asset to the Tour.'' Lefty is already looking forward to the day when Spieth is playing for the U.S. team in events such as the Ryder Cup. Now, he doesn't have to fret about whether a tournament will invite him to play. He can set his goals much higher. ''He's not dependent on sponsor exemptions,'' Mickelson said. ''It allows him to start thriving on the PGA Tour, rather than having to worry about week to week. And I love his game. I love everything about it. It's not about pretty. It's not about making the most perfect swing. It's about hitting shots. And that's what he did under pressure.'' It might be a bit of a reach to expect Spieth to contend this week at Muirfield, which he played for the first time Tuesday, facing a tight schedule that will allow him to get in only one full round of practice on the tricky links course before the tournament begins. But he's got plenty of experience with this style of golf, representing the U.S. in the 2011 Walker Cup at another storied Scottish course, Royal Aberdeen. Even though the Americans fell to a combined British-Irish squad, Spieth did his part by winning both singles matches and halving his team event. He also got a chance to practice extensively on a layout that looks nothing like the ones back in the States. He quickly took to the creative shots required in the bumpy, windy conditions. He looks forward to breaking out a few of them again this week. ''This is my favorite type of golf,'' Spieth said. ''It's fun. You get to use your imagination. You can use all types of clubs around the greens. You can play off ridges. I can pretty much play with (caddie Michael Greller's) head. There's nothing basic. I'm sure he'll be saying, 'What the heck are you trying to do?' a couple of times out there.'' He's still trying to adjust to the six-hour time difference and the long flight across the Atlantic, struggling to get more than a few hours of sleep. But he did manage to take in some of the sights in nearby Edinburgh before turning his attention solely to golf. ''The towns around here are just awesome, with the stone walls lining just about every road you go on,'' Spieth said. ''It's different than back home.'' On the way to lunch, his agent, Jay Danzi, suggested that Spieth take a seat while talking to a small group of reporters. ''Ahh, that feels so good,'' the youngster said, his time-lagged legs still a bit woozy. At least he doesn't have to worry about looking at his phone all the time.