MLB MOVES STAR GAME OVER GA. VOTING LAW
Major League Baseball said Friday it was moving its All-Star Game this summer out of Truist Park in Atlanta in response to Georgia enacting a new law last month restricting voting rights.
MLB had awarded the game to Atlanta in May 2019, and it was scheduled for July 13 as part of several days of festivities that also includes the Futures Game and the Home Run Derby.
Commissioner Rob Manfred made the decision to move the All-Star events and the amateur draft, which had been scheduled to be held in Atlanta for the first time. A new site for the events wasn’t immediately revealed.
MLB’s announcement came eight days after Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed a sweeping Republican-sponsored overhaul of state elections that includes new restrictions on voting by mail and greater legislative control over how elections are run.
‘‘I have decided that the best way to demonstrate our values as a sport is by relocating this year’s All-Star Game and MLB Draft,’’ Manfred said in a statement. ‘‘Major League Baseball fundamentally supports voting rights for all Americans and opposes restrictions to the ballot box.’’
mets-nats series off
The entire season-opening three-game series between the Mets and Nationals was called off because of a COVID-19 outbreak on the Nationals, who had four players test positive and another five in quarantine after contact tracing. The identities of the players weren’t released.
The Nationals announced the postponement of games scheduled for Saturday and Sunday at their stadium. That news came a day after the season opener Thursday was scratched hours before it was supposed to begin.
‘‘We’re in crisis-management mode,’’ Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said in a video call with reporters.
More than a third of the Nationals’ 26-man roster submitted for Opening Day is affected by the outbreak and wouldn’t be able to play at this point. Rizzo said players who didn’t make the team will get called up from the Nationals’ training site.
ON the field
Trevor Bauer carried a nohitter into the seventh inning in his first start for the Dodgers, who pounded out 16 hits in an 11-6 victory against the host Rockies.
With the Dodgers leading 10-0, Bauer yielded a leadoff single to Trevor Story to start the seventh to end his no-hit bid. By the time the inning was over, he and David Price had combined to yield six runs and four home runs.
† John Means allowed one hit in seven innings and retired the last 18 batters he faced, and the visiting Orioles earned a 3-0 victory to ruin manager Alex Cora’s return to the Red Sox’ dugout after he served a suspension last season for his role in the Astros’ cheating scandal in 2017.
† Joey Wendle hit a go-ahead three-run homer in a four-run ninth inning that lifted the Rays past the host Marlins 6-4. ✶
Sun-Times wires