Major League Baseball has seen two no-hitters in a week, three in 13 days, and five in the first 10 weeks of the season. When Matt Cain pitched a perfect game in San Francisco on Wednesday, he was the 22nd pitcher to do so in history but the second in 44 days.
This is only the third time in history two pitchers have thrown perfect games in the same season. Two years ago both Dallas Braden of the Oakland Athletics and Roy Halladay of the Philadelphia Phillies did it. The time it happened before that was 1880.
The last time five no-hitters were pitched by mid-June was 1917.
This is special stuff, and Cain might have been the perfect guy to prove it. After recording 27 outs without allowing a baserunner in an 10-0 win over the Houston Astros, he didn't downplay, sugarcoat, or act like it was anything less than a big deal.
While some pitchers might not admit to noticing they are on a no-hit roll until the fifth or sixth inning, Cain said he was aware from the first out.
"I know when I haven't given up a hit; I'm always conscious of it," Cain said. "The first time through the line-up I felt like something could happen."
When Melky Cabrera, his teammate, backed up to the left-field wall to make a catch in the sixth, Cain raised his arms in celebration. After Gregor Blanco chased down a ball at the warning track in right field, in the seventh inning, Cain hugged him in the dugout shortly thereafter.
And before workers could gather all the mound dirt to take to the Hall of Fame, Cain and his wife posed for photos with them.
This has been a season for capturing moments.
It has featured star power, with Johan Santana, back from shoulder surgery to pitch the first no-hitter in the New York Mets' 51-year history.
Star-making has been seen, too, when the little-known Philip Humber of the Chicago White Sox threw a perfect game in Seattle on April 21.
Even the lowly Seattle Mariners got in on the act, tag-team style, when six pitchers combined for a no-hitter on June 8, starting with six innings from Kevin Millwood.
Jered Weaver celebrated his May 2 no-hitter in tears for the Los Angeles Angels. Is there more drama to come? Don't count it out.
Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated pointed out that over the past three seasons no-hitters have come as often as a phone bill: about once a month. With more than three months left in the season, that is more than enough time to top the modern record of seven no-hitters set in 1990 and 1991.
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The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Company%20profile
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WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
The biog
Name: Dhabia Khalifa AlQubaisi
Age: 23
How she spends spare time: Playing with cats at the clinic and feeding them
Inspiration: My father. He’s a hard working man who has been through a lot to provide us with everything we need
Favourite book: Attitude, emotions and the psychology of cats by Dr Nicholes Dodman
Favourit film: 101 Dalmatians - it remind me of my childhood and began my love of dogs
Word of advice: By being patient, good things will come and by staying positive you’ll have the will to continue to love what you're doing
Price, base / as tested From Dh173,775 (base model)
Engine 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo, AWD
Power 249hp at 5,500rpm
Torque 365Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Gearbox Nine-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined 7.9L/100km
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
More on Quran memorisation:
Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The%20specs
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Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
