5.8 as MEE 3 MARK BLINCH/GETTY IMAGES FRIDAY. JULY 5, 2024 STRATFORD BEACON HERALD B3 KIRK BEAMSIT Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk hits an RBI double against the Astros during the first inning of their game on Thursday at Rogers Centre in Toronto. Houston won 5-3 totake three of four games in the series. More coverage at stratfordbeaconherald.com Dinner and wine helped revive Swiss soccer Team closing in on Euro 2024 semifinal just four months after hitting low point JAMES ELLINGWORTH DUESSELDORF, GERMANY Switzer- land is on the verge of making history at Euro 2024, but a few months ago it was a team under severe pressure. esis beet and some Saas ae —and by implication Yakin — and likened the team’s re to akick-about “in the p: In February, Yakin ca came to visit Xhaka for dinner in Duesseldorf, justup the road from wl ed Bayer Leverkusen. What exactly they talked about here Xhaka was playing for the then-undefeat- end of the tournament and he has so far chosen not to extend it. star names, Xhal In a team with aes few rings experi- ence at the top ie with Arsenal in the English Premier League and elevated an underdog team to trophy-winners as Leverkusen won the German league and cup title challenger at Euro 2024, it “We talked a lot and we weren't only drinking water. I think he scored his first goal the next day. He invited me again and said: “Muri, come back, because it can 1} wisinatl » Yakin menu — but both men have said the dinner was an important mo- ment in the bond between coach tain. It may have helped that Xhaka scored his first goal for and caj Leverkusen the next day. “We players are happy that we have a coach who is open to hear- ingthe players’ opinions pnd pee perlatidl plays England on nie day — helped captain Granit Xhaka and coach Murat Yakin turn things around. The Swiss team eliminated de- fending champion Italy last week and is astep away from the semifi- nals, which would be its best result at any tournament. Just over four months ago, how- was against tiny Andorra. Di that time, Xhaka had publicly crit- icized the team’s training sessions have never men enough to talk about it,” Sa ka said last mont “Good food, super wine and I scored the next day ... I think we are both very ambitious. We both just want success for ourselves, for the team. And thatis what counts. Everything else is history. Switzerlandis unbeaten in eight games since then anda winagainst England would surpass its two pre- vious quarterfinal appearances at major tournaments, at Euro 2020 and all the way back bn the 1954 World Cup on home soil. Yakin’s contract expires at the louble. ome of the top coaches in Europe — Arsene Wenger, Mikel Arteta, now Xabi Alonso — and is working toward his own coaching qualifications. All of pe makes Xhaka a valu- told Swiss TV in Mars “Then he wanted to Bey aie red wine we'd been drinking that evening. I think that shows that we have a good ae ae and that it’s put- able asset of it— ae if he’s on the same wavelength as his coach. If Swit- zerland is to become a surprise The ‘Assoctated Press Granit Xhaka, right, is captain and one of the few name players on Switzer- land's national team. mARTIN MEISSNER/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS All-star game manager won't have any of his Rangers as starters ARLINGTON, TEXAS The American League starting lineup that Tex- as Rangers manager Bruce Bochy will write out for the all-star game won't include any of his own play- ers. had fi who after the huge all-star pres- ence in Seattle went onto win their first World Series title. Wednesday. Semien was the only Rangers player to make it to the final round of) es eee stare “Incredible year. Wh look backat lastyear and the number of all-stars, I still remember watch- aes ingall of the all-star starters — four voted inby fans, and another as an injury re- placement — the reigning World Series champions didn’t have any players voted in to start the July 16 game that will be playedin their home ballpark. Pitchers and re- serves will be announced Sunday. Thatisalljustareminder ofhow special 2023 was for the Rangers, =} out there. It was really, really cool,” Bochy said Thursday. “Of course, went on to win the World Series. Really, it’s one of those special g, voted T inas an all-star starter as a rookie last season, hasn’t played for Texas since April 1, when his right wrist was broken after getting hit by a pitch. Shortstop Corey Seager is hitting.260 with 15 homers and 38 RBIs after the World Series MVP missed mo: pr ory bank for a long time.” Second baseman Marcus Semien, one of the all-star start- ers last year, fell short to Houston’s Jose Altuve in the results revealed lowing a sports hernia repair. Switch-hitter Jonah Heim, the AL's starting catcher last year, has hit .175 over his past 30 games. Right-fielder Adolis Garcia, who MLB STANDINGS AMERICAN LEAGUE East WL Pct GB Central Baltimore 55 31 640 — | Cleveland New 5434 614 2 | Minnesota Boston 4639 541 85 | KansasCity TampaBay 4343 500 12 | Detroit Toronto 3947 453 16 NATIONAL LEAGUE East W L Pct GB | Central Philadelphia 57 29 a ee Atlanta Z 7 % 9 | StLout lew 42.43 494 145 Pitsburg Washington 4146 471 16.5 Cincinnati Miami 349 27 | Chic y 4145 a gn 3948 448 WLPct GB West WL Pct GB 5331 631 —| Seattle 47 41 534 — 4838 558 6 Houston 4442 512 2 4840 545 7) Texas 3947 453 7 39.47 453 15 LosAngeles 3649 424 95 2563 284 30 Oakland 3256 364 16 WL Pct GB West WL Pct GB 5235 598 — | Los Angeles 4441 518 7 a Deg 0 baa ea 5 4144 482 10 42.44 483 10.5 San Francisco 4245 483 Il Colorado = 29.57 .337 23.5 East Cw rT & Montreal 4400 17 Ottawa 3210 8 Toronto 3.2.1 0 %4 Hamilton 40 40 % GWLT F hewn 93 3:0 0 98 British Columbia 4 3 1 0 103 Calgary 32107 Winnipeg 4040 % Edmonton 4040 % started after Aaron Judge and Mike Trout were both unable to play, has 16 homers and 44 RBIs, but struggled through May and much of June. Bochy said he had not yet con- sidered what his AL lineup might look like after the starters were announced: Baltimore catcher Adley Rutschman and shortstop Kwanand New York Yankees slug- gers Aaron Judge and Juan Soto. The Associated Press NOTEBOOK 8 Miller diving for Canada in Paris Canada has been allocated a second spotin the women’s individual 10-metre diving eventat the Paris Olympics. Diving Canadaannounced Thursday that Kate Miller will dive in the event, along with Caeli McKay. Miller, from Ottawa, earned the spot by finish- ing second behind McKay the beginning of May. The 19-year-old Miller, making her Olympic debut in Par- is, will also team with Cal- gary’s McKay in the 10-me- tre Soe event. nada announced its five- Pieraber Olyaipistenin on June 19, Nathan Zsombor-Mur- Saskatoon’s Rylan Wiens (men’s 10 m, 10 m synchro) and Calgary’s Margo Erlam ‘women’s 3 m) willalso dive for Canada in Paris. The Carolina Hurricanes continued to restockin free agency Thursday by signing forward Jack Roslovic to a one-year contract worth US$2.8 million. Roslovicis the sixth NHL player the ‘Hurricanes have dell. The 27-year-old Ro- slovie finished last season with the New York Rangers Tyson Jost and Eric Robin- son and defencemen Sean Walker and Shayne Gostis- behere in an effort to make the playoffs for a seventh consecutive year under coach Rod Brind’Amour. Out west, the San Jose Sharks signed two restrict- ed free-agent forwards they acquired in recent trades to two-year contracts, Carl Grundstrom, who joined from Los Angeles, got $3.6 million and Ty Dellandrea, sent from Dallas after the Stars’ trip to the Western Conference final, got $2.6 million. Dave Cameron will be back behind the Canadian bench at the 2025 world junior hockey championship. Hockey Canada an- nounced Thursday that Cameron will serve as head coachasitrevealedits team staff for the upcoming tour- nament in Ottawa. Cameron, head coach of the Ontario Hockey League’s Ottawa 67’s, was head coach of the Canadi- an team that won thejunior title in 2022. He wasalsoan assistant on the 2009 squad that won gold in Ottawa. sylvain Favreau, Mike Johnston and Chris Lazary will serve as assistant coaches on a staff that in- cludes goaltending consul- tant Justin Pogge and video coach James Emery. Dutch champion Dylan won the sixth stage of the Tour de France ramass sprint that was ati st a aphotofinishon Tade} Dead kept the yellow jersey. CFL A P Week Four 73 8 Bye: Saskatchewan 88 4 Sunday's resul Bf Mttawa 24 Hamilton 22 day's result Calgary 22 Winnipeg 19 (OT) AP Friday's result Z ‘ Montreal 30 Toronto 20 co 4 Thursday's result 8 0 m5 0. Week Five Bye: Edmonton Thursday’s game Toronto at Saskatchewan, 9 p.m. 's game ped at Winnipeg, 8:30 p.m. earned a sixth career stage victory at cycling’s biggest race ahead of Jasper Philipsen and Biniam 9 tae The Canadian Pri with Associated Press files