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TB’s Caminero leaves All-Star Game PHILADELPHIA — Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero was hit by a pitch on the outside of his left hand and immediately left Tuesday night’s All-Star Game. Caminero was struck by St. Louis Cardinals closer Riley O’Brien with a 98 mph sinker that didn’t sink in the top of the third inning with the American League up 3-0. The 23-year-old Caminero, fourth in the major leagues with 28 home runs, stayed down for a few moments before he popped up and ran straight into the clubhouse. X-rays were negative. He was replaced by Miguel ...

All-Stars don’t like salary cap proposal

National Sports

PHILADELPHIA — Paul Skenes, Juan Soto and Bryce Harper are among baseball’s All-Stars who say players will never agree to a salary cap but maintain there’s plenty of time to avoid a conflict that could shorten the 2027 season. “Both sides kind of have their line that they’re not going to cross,” Skenes, the Pittsburgh Pirates ace who is also a member of the union’s eight-man negotiating committee, said Monday. “Whether that results in missing games or missing a season, we’ll see.” Baseball’s five-year labor contract expires Dec. 1 and MLB is expected to ...

Mattingly has a weird role at this All-Star Game, coaching against his former Blue Jays

National Sports

PHILADELHIA — Don Mattingly felt a tinge of awkwardness when he was offered the chance to serve as a coach under Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts at the All-Star Game. Mattingly passed on a guaranteed spot in the AL dugout when he left his job as Toronto’s bench coach to manager John Schneider after the World Series, which the Blue Jays lost in seven games to the Dodgers. A six-time AL All-Star, Mattingly thought at the time he was finished with baseball. He’s not only still in the game — he’s now the interim manager for the Philadelphia Phillies and has them back ...

Semifinal tilt between teams who haven’t trailed

National Sports

ARLINGTON, Texas — Kylian Mbappe and France haven’t trailed at all at this year’s World Cup. Neither has Spain with teenage sensation Lamine Yamal and clutch goal-scoring substitute Mikel Merino. Only one of those teams can make it to the final. France and Spain are both playing at their 17th World Cup, but have met only once previously on soccer’s biggest stage. They play Tuesday at the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys in the first of two powerhouse semifinal matches. After entering this tournament as FIFA’s top-ranked team, France has outscored its opponents 14-2. ...

Average MLB fastball velocity is up for the 6th straight year to 94.7 mph

National Sports

NEW YORK — Chad Tracy notices how much baseball has changed in the 13 years since he took his last big league at-bat. “You watch a Triple-A game, most everybody that’s coming out of the bullpen left-handed or right-handed is throwing 95-plus,” the Boston Red Sox manager said. “Back in the day, it was you’d get a lead and you’d get to the lower part of a bullpen and you’d see some guys coming out throwing 88.” Heading into the All-Star break, velocity is on track to set a record for the sixth straight season. Four-seam fastballs averaged 94.7 mph through Saturday, ...