Right on schedule, Samsung has announced the rolling out of a key software update that will bring Galaxy Gear smartwatch support to more of its phones in the United States, beyond just the Galaxy Note 3. Owners of the Galaxy S 4, Galaxy Note II and GS3 will get their refresh as early as today, or ...ST. LOUIS (AP) — Clay Buchholz knows the difference between slight discomfort and pain.
He left a start against the Los Angeles Angels on June 8 in the middle of a seventh-inning at-bat after Erick Aybar fouled off a curveball. Buchholz got the win, improving to 9-0, but didn't pitch for the Boston Red Sox again until Sept. 10.
Against the Detroit Tigers last weekend in the AL championship series, his shoulder didn't feel quite right.
"Just had a little tightness, regardless of what it was, fatigue, whatever," he said Saturday. "The last time I got hurt, I threw one pitch, and it's like, OK. I don't think I should throw another pitch. This time I went three-plus innings with tightness."
Buchholz allowed two runs in five innings in Game 6 versus the Tigers, leaving with a 1-0 lead. The Red Sox fell behind before winning 5-2, and Buchholz's World Series start was pushed back a day to Game 4 on Sunday night, when Lance Lynn starts for St. Louis.
Buchholz doesn't have a decision to go along with a 5.40 ERA in three postseason outings.
"We go into tomorrow thinking that he's going to give us what he's been in the postseason," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. "That might be a little bit shorter of an outing than maybe we've seen back in April and May, but he's also been very effective. And we're fully anticipating that to be the case tomorrow."
Buchholz has averaged 90 pitches in three postseason starts. He was worried enough about his latest injury during the summer that he went to noted orthopedist Dr. James Andrews for an examination in late July
He threw off a mound before Game 3 at Busch Stadium on Saturday and said felt a bit rusty.
"I don't think there is any risk there," he said. "My one thing that I have is to go and compete, go out there for as long as John wants to leave me out there, and give the team a chance to win to the best of my ability. Obviously, given the couple of days that I've been out so far, not a hundred percent. But I've said it a couple of times this year, I don't think anybody, especially at this time of the season, is a hundred percent."
A 29-year-old right-hander, Buchholz was 12-1 with a 1.74 ERA in his abbreviated season, pitching just 108 1-3 innings. In June 2012, he went on the DL with esophagitis, which led to the erosion of his esophagus and gastrointestinal bleeding. At the time there was speculation anti-inflammatory medications were a factor.
"That was a pretty scary moment for me," he said. "So I stayed away from the stuff that — the really strong anti-inflammatories. Basically been on the same stuff since the first time during the season, whenever I went on the disabled list. But I feel like I responded well to it. I've gotten more treatment in the past week than I did in the first week of being on the disabled list the first time."
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In this multiple exposure image, St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Michael Wacha throws during the fifth inning of Game 2 of baseball's World Series against the Boston Red Sox Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013, in Boston. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
In this multiple exposure image, St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Michael Wacha throws during the fifth inning of Game 2 of baseball's World Series against the Boston Red Sox Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013, in Boston. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Boston Red Sox's David Ortiz celebrates with Jonny Gomes, left, after Ortiz hit a two-run home run off St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Michael Wacha during the sixth inning of Game 2 of baseball's World Series Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013, in Boston. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)
Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin (8) and Nicklas Backstrom (19) celebrate a goal against the Edmonton Oilers during third period NHL hockey action in Edmonton, Alta., on Thursday Oct. 24, 2013. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Jason Franson)
La estadounidense Serena Williams regresa una pelota ante la checa Petra Kvitova durante un partido por el Campeonato de la WTA en Estambul, Turquía, el 24 de octubre de 2013. Williams ganó 6-2, 6-3 y avanzó a las semifinales. (AP Foto)
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___
--CARDINALS WIN GAME 2 TO LEVEL WORLD SERIES
Just when it seemed Michael Wacha had cracked, the St. Louis Cardinals began scooting around the bases to beat the Red Sox in game two and and level the World Series.
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/wacha-cards-top-red-sox-tie-world-series-1
--F1 CHAMPIONSHIP LEADER VETTEL FASTEST IN 1ST PRACTICE IN INDIA
Sebastian Vettel continued his dominance in India by edging out Red Bull teammate Mark Webber for the quickest time Friday in the opening practice session for the Formula One Indian Grand Prix.
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--OVECHKIN'S 10TH GOAL LIFTS CAPITALS OVER OILERS
Alex Ovechkin scored his NHL-leading 10th goal and added an assist for the Washington Capitals, who beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-1 for their third straight win.
http://apne.ws/HiEpyf
--TUG-OF-WAR OVER COSTA AHEAD OF WORLD CUP
Luiz Felipe Scolari says he will pick Diego Costa for Brazil, leaving it up to the striker to decide whether to represent his native country or world champion Spain.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/news/20131024/diego-costa-luiz-felipe-scolari-pick-for-brazil-team-spain.ap/
--SERENA WILLIAMS BREEZES INTO WTA CHAMPIONSHIP SEMIFINALS
Defending champion Serena Williams advanced to the semifinals of the WTA Championships by sweeping past Petra Kvitova 6-2, 6-3, her third straight-sets win in the group stage.
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/defending-champion-williams-reaches-wta-semifinal
Associated PressSource: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-10-25-Sports-Top%20Plays/id-eaa8ef4a35f34e2ebe76cdd25d5fe8a0The Affordable Care Act escaped unscathed from the budget crisis that shutdown the government two weeks ago, but with that crisis behind us, the president's signature accomplishment is back in the cross hairs. The massive computer failures that are making it difficult for people to buy health insurance on the government website create a very big political target.
Copyright © 2013 NPR. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required.
AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:
Today's hearing may not have cleared up many questions about exactly what's wrong with the health care website, but it does represent a new chapter in the political fight over the Affordable Care Act.
Joining us now is NPR's national political correspondent Mara Liasson. And, Mara, just after Republicans failed in their efforts to defund or delay the health care law through budget fights, the program's right back in the spotlight. Where does the political debate stand?
MARA LIASSON, BYLINE: Well, this is much better ground for Republicans to fight Obamacare on because this is about having oversight hearings. Oversight is one of the most basic fundamental functions of the Congress. So the White House can't blame Republicans for the problems it's been having with the website, and implementing Obamacare is absolutely key. They have to get enough young, healthy people to sign up by the end of March in order to make this thing work or else it will collapse of its own weight. So this is a big problem and even Democrats are nervous.
CORNISH: Yeah. Unlike the budget fights where Democrats were united on this, some Democrats have joined the call urging the White House to extend the open enrollment period because of the problems. Will that actually happen?
LIASSON: Well, I don't think it's going to be extended very long. A lot of Democrats, a group of them who are up in 2014, who are vulnerable, have been calling for an extension of the open enrollment period. Of course, Republicans have been calling for an extension of the individual mandate for a long time. But what did happen yesterday is the White House made a tweak in the enrollment rules. The enrollment period ends on March 31st. Now, people will have all the way up until March 31st to purchase insurance.
They don't necessarily have to have it. You have to have ordered the product from Amazon. It doesn't have to be delivered to your door. And earlier, it was February 15th when that happened. So they've added six weeks to the - in effect, to the open enrollment period.
CORNISH: And other than President Obama expressing his own frustration, how is the White House handling this latest crisis?
LIASSON: Well, first, they were really in a defensive crouch but they have moved to a point somebody who will be in charge of this whole fix. He's Jeffrey Zients. He's former acting OMB chair. He is - at the moment, nobody is being fired. No heads are rolling. Their folks start getting the problems fixed. But CMS, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services - you heard Ailsa talk about them - they have started to have a daily briefing. They had the first one today. So they're trying, at least, to be a little bit more transparent.
CORNISH: And did that Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services briefing shed any light on what the problem actually was?
LIASSON: Well, no. I mean, they did admit they should've tested more, they should've tested earlier. But they couldn't give the simple explanation of what actually went wrong. So, for journalists who are looking for the guy with the flat top and the pocket protector to come out and put in layman's terms what is the technical problem, we still haven't heard that yet.
CORNISH: So let's look to next year and the midterm elections. What are the potential effects this could have on that?
LIASSON: Well, this - it's a long way away, but I think we will know in a few months whether these technical problems have been fixed or not. And if they're not, I think it could be a huge problem for Democrats. Already, Republicans are running radio ads about this. But, you know, recently, after the shutdown, a lot of handicappers had adjusted their predictions downward for Republican gains in 2014. Those could be reversed if these problems with the health care website don't get fixed.
CORNISH: And, Mara, have there been any Republicans out there saying, hey, maybe we shouldn't have had those budget fights, right? We could've just waited for the health care program to have problems on its own.
LIASSON: Oh, absolutely. There are many, many of them. I mean, that's the great irony of this. All these problems would've gotten much more attention earlier if we hadn't been consumed with the two and a half weeks of the government being shut down.
CORNISH: That's NPR's national political correspondent Mara Liasson. Thank you.
LIASSON: Thank you, Audie.
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