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Ryan Mountcastle’s 3-run homer, Kyle Gibson’s efficient start lead Orioles to 7-2 win over Rangers

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:30:10 GMT

Ryan Mountcastle’s first at-bat Tuesday was similar to many from his 2022 season.The first baseman put an excellent swing on the ball, roping the pitch 102.3 mph to the warning track in center field, only for it to be caught by Texas Rangers center fielder Adolis García. The unlucky out — Statcast had the batted ball with an expected batting average of .670 — was an all-too-common occurrence for Mountcastle during his average 2022 campaign.That type of at-bat didn’t define Mountcastle’s night, though, as the Orioles’ No. 3 batter hit a three-run home run in the second inning to propel Baltimore to a 7-2 win over the Rangers. The blast came on a fastball at the top of the strike zone from Rangers left-handed starter Andrew Heaney, which Mountcastle hit off the right field foul pole.“That was really impressive by Mountcastle, showing that opposite-field power,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “Great to see [Mountcastle] go the othe...

Ambrose: Rogues gallery of suspicious actors

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:30:10 GMT

One of the things former President Donald Trump has had going for him in his confused immersion in the world of politics is that his opponents are infallibly worse than he is. Right now, bunches are hooting at him that no one is above the law as if he’s the one guilty of that attempted ascension instead of a blundering, confused, ideologically driven, inept, crime-assisting Manhattan district attorney.His name is Alvin Bragg, and, with the aid of a grand jury, he got an indictment in a case he has been pursuing with a look of moral anger on his otherwise ambitious face every time he talked about Stormy Daniels. She is an actress in porn movies who allegedly had a sexual visit with Trump, thereby earning $130,000.The encounter occurred in 2006 but it was in 2016 when Trump was running for president that she tried to sell her story to the National Enquirer and received the big bucks from Michael Cohen instead. A private lawyer for Trump, Cohen turned against him when he did not become...

OBF: Cup or bust for Bruins now

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:30:10 GMT

The Bruins have 60 wins.They’re screwed. It’s O-V-A. Over.Forget the Stanley Cup, they’ll be lucky to get past the Florida Panthers or Pittsburgh Pizzutis in the first round.The 2023 Bruins are the 2007 Patriots, 1971 Bruins, and 2011 Red Sox all rolled into one.Minus the chicken and beer.The Sword of Damocles is a plastic spork in comparison to the Old Testament catastrophe that awaits this team.With each victory, with each point, with each flirtation with history, or another record, their doom grows more certain.Gas up the hearse.Hades or bust!Unfortunately, we don’t have a sarcasm font. Let’s be clear. None of the above is true. At least from this perspective. Absurdity, meet absurdity.The Four Icemen of The Bruins Apocalypse, however, continue to ride daily.We’ve long blown past the exit sign that read: “Enjoy The Ride — Next Right.”The Bruins clinched their fourth Presidents’ Trophy, set a club record with 58 wins, and tied the club mark for most points in a season with a 2-1 w...

Set a classic Easter table with roast lamb

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:30:10 GMT

Easter is full of symbolism, but it’s also steeped in traditions, including family meals. Lamb is a popular Easter Sunday meal, and this recipe for “Roasted Lamb with Roasted Asparagus” from “Feast of the Seven Fishes: A Brooklyn Italian’s Recipes Celebrating Food & Family” (Powerhouse Books) by Daniel Paterna can make for the perfect Easter entree.Lamb is most tender in spring and mild in flavor, and it pairs well with the earthiness of asparagus.TAG GOES HERERoasted Lamb with Roasted AsparagusINGREDIENTSFor lamb:1 leg of lamb or loin of lamb, about 4 to 5 pounds5 garlic cloves, sliced2 tablespoons olive oil4 cups dry white wine1 fresh bay leaf4 sprigs fresh rosemary4 to 5 sprigs fresh thymeDIRECTIONSCut small slits in the meat of the lamb with a sharp paring knife. Insert a slice of the garlic into each slit. Place the lamb in a large sealable plastic bag and add the olive oil, 2 cups white wine, bay leaf, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. ...

Mary Ann Esposito’s Braided Easter Egg Bread

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:30:10 GMT

Easter is a time to pull out all the traditional culinary stops and for many that means making braided sweet bread embedded with eggs for the Easter table. In many cultures, eggs are considered a new beginning and breads shaped into twisted rounds, a symbol of spiritual renewal.TAG GOES HEREBraided Easter Egg BreadsINGREDIENTS1 package active dried yeast½ cup warm water (110F)½ cup warm low fat milk (110F)8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened½ cup sugar12 eggs4 ½ to 5 ½ cups unbleached all purpose flour2 teaspoons saltDIRECTIONSDissolve the yeast in the water in a stand mixer or large bowl. Let the mixture proof for about 5 minutes. Small clusters of chalky-looking bubbles should appear on the surface. Pour in the milk. With a fork, beat 3 of the eggs in a small bowl. Set aside. .On low speed or by hand mix in the butter, then the eggs and sugar until the mixture is well blended,Add three cups of the flour along with the salt and beat on medium speed or mix by hand. The mixture wi...

‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ needs to level up

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:30:10 GMT

MOVIE REVIEW“Super Mario Bros. Movie”Rated PG. At the AMC Boston Common, AMC South Bay and suburban theaters.Grade: C+Not to be confused with the 1993 live-action flop “Super Mario Brothers” starring Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo, the new computer-animated extravaganza “The Super Mario Brothers Movie” features Chris Pratt and Charlie Day as Mario and Luigi, respectively, and Anya-Taylor Joy as the pink-garbed “Barbie”-ready Princess Peach. Both films are based on the wildly successful 1985 Nintendo computer game. The 1993 effort is high on “Worst Movies Ever Made” lists,In this new iteration, Mario and Luigi are once again Brooklyn plumbers of Italian-American descent, who like to use the expression “Mamma Mia,” share big pasta dinners with their family and get sucked into a different dimension, where they meet Princess Peach, the Queen of the Mushroom Kingdom, which is under siege by the demonic, humanoid, fire-breathing reptile King Bowser (Jack Black), who likes to take breaks t...

Dear Abby: Jake’s wife alarmed by his behavior at party

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:30:10 GMT

Dear Abby: Last night I went to a party where my husband introduced me to all of his co-workers except for one young female who kept hanging out beside him. She’s about 25 years younger than he is, and he’s her boss.I thought it was odd that he didn’t introduce me. I finally introduced myself because it felt so awkward. He often talks about her (affectionately, in my opinion) and what a hard worker she is, plus that her mother is going through cancer treatment so he feels bad for her.Abby, my husband has worked with this young woman’s father for more than 25 years and has always talked about how much he dislikes him. He says she’s the “polar opposite” of her dad. These people are firefighters, and my husband is their battalion chief.Our marriage has suffered because of his 25 years of alcoholism, and although he’s no longer drinking, the effect on me continues. I have learned to pick my battles because he will deny anything that I ask ...

San Diego spots among Yelp's 25 most photographed parks in US, Canada

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:30:10 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego area is home to photogenic locations for tourists and San Diegans alike. On Monday, Yelp announced its top 25 most photographed parks in the U.S. and Canada, with three San Diego spots making the list.The arrival of the spring season only adds to the beauty of Balboa Park, La Jolla Cove and Torrey Pines State Reserve. This is how much money you need to be ‘happy’ in California, study says Balboa ParkPlacing number two on the list is the 1,200-acre historic urban cultural park, featuring 15 museums, various gardens, arts and international culture associations and the San Diego Zoo.San Diego Balboa Park Botanical Building at San DiegoLa Jolla CoveAlthough a small beach, La Jolla Cove, which is ranked number nine on the list, offers gorgeous views of the coastline, from its sandstone cliffs to the swaying tall palm trees.Sunset at La Jolla Cove BeachTorrey Pines State ReserveKnown as a coastal wilderness of pine forests and sandstone canyons, Torrey Pines ...

Review: ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ is okey-dokey

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:30:10 GMT

April is the cruelest month, breeding lilacs out of the dead land, mixing memory and desire, stirring dull roots with spring rain. But it is also, if I check the clock, Mario Time. “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” with its vistas of primary colors, is here to brighten our dreary springs, T.S. Eliot be damned. That there is a swell of enthusiasm for a Mario Bros. movie is a once-unthinkable development. The last time Mario hit the big screen was in the little-remembered 1993 live-action film with Bob Hoskins as Mario, John Leguizamo as Luigi and Dennis Hopper(!) as Bowser. Hoskins called the experience “a f——— nightmare.” But a lot has changed in the three decades since “Super Mario Bros,” the very first video-game adaptation. A once widely derided genre is now a cash cow. “The Last of Us” is a massive success on HBO. Pokémon and “Uncharted” are box-office hits. With Sonic the Hedgehog already two movies in, Mario is playing catch up. And “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” which opens in t...

Violence at Jerusalem mosque prompts fears of wider fighting

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:30:10 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli police stormed into the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City early Wednesday, firing stun grenades at Palestinian youths who hurled firecrackers at them in a burst of violence during a sensitive holiday season. Gaza militants responded with rocket fire on southern Israel, prompting repeated Israeli airstrikes.The fighting, coming as Muslims mark the holiday month of Ramadan and Jews prepare to begin the Passover festival on Wednesday evening, raised fears of a wider conflagration. Similar clashes two years ago erupted into an 11-day war between Israel and the ruling Hamas militant group in Gaza. The Israeli military said one soldier was shot in a separate incident in the occupied West Bank.The mosque sits on a sensitive hilltop compound holy to both Jews and Muslims. Al-Aqsa is the third-holiest site in Islam and is typically packed with worshippers during Ramadan. The spot, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, is also the holiest site in Judaism, who revere...