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IRONMAN: KONA COUNTDOWN | PAGE 2B B MOKU O HAWAII | NEXT UP WASHINGTON — Max Scherzer realized his mistake, but not soon enough, not before the ball left the yard. He claimed it wasn’t the exact same issue as all those other home runs he’s allowed this season. The scoreboard didn’t recognize the difference. Stephen Piscotty hit a grand slam off Scherzer during a five-run third inning and Jaime Garcia quieted the Washington Nationals lineup as the St. Louis Cardinals won 6-2 on Friday night. Scherzer allowed two earned runs in each of his previous three starts including his 20-strikeout Paddlers battle during last week’s Kai Opua hosted Papa Kimitete regatta at Kailua Bay. RICK WINTERS/WEST HAWAII TODAY gem on May 11 in a victory over Detroit. That version didn’t show early against St. Louis. He walked four batters and allowed five runs, all by the third inning. The right-hander surrendered three hits over seven innings. One hurt more than the others. “It was a dumb pitch,” Scherzer said of the pitch to Piscotty. “I hadn’t shown my fastball yet and I threw another slider and I hung it. He put a good swing on it, ended in a blast.” Scherzer, who finished with six strikeouts, then reversed course by retiring the final 14 batters he faced. He leads the majors with 15 home runs MLB allowed and has alternated wins and losses over his last six starts. “I know I’ve been giving up a ton of home runs,” Scherzer said, “but that one, that’s just an execution thing. That’s just me not throwing the right pitch at the right time and with poor execution.” Coming off consecutive ineffective starts, Garcia held Washington to two runs and seven hits over seven innings. The Cardinals had lost four of five. Danny Espinosa’s second home run in as many games broke up Garcia’s shutout bid in the fifth. Bryce Harper went 1 for 4 after hitting the go-ahead home run in Washington’s 2-1 series-opening win Thursday. Greg Garcia homered for St. Louis. Jaime Garcia’s one-out single in the third was the first hit off Scherzer and started a stretch of five straight batters to reach base. After Scherzer walked Matt Holliday with the bases loaded to score Garcia, Piscotty made it 5-0 with his first career grand slam deep into the stands in left field. “It wasn’t the home run pitch,” Nationals manager Dusty Baker said of Scherzer’s troubles. “It was the walks before the home run. That’s what really hurt.” Are You Ready? Prepare for emergency situations before they occur. Pick up a copy of the Handbook for Emergency Preparedness at our offi ces in Hilo, Kona or Waimea or online at hawaiielectriclight.com SPORTS SATURDAY, MAY 28, 2016 | WEST HAWAII TODAY Fresh start and new approach for Keauhou For the Keauhou Canoe Club and new athletic director Jerome Kanuha, this Moku O Hawaii Outrigger Canoe Racing Association season is all about a fresh start and new approach. The first regatta of the year was a mixed bag for Keauhou last Saturday. Four crews managed to paddle their way to victory but the team’s numbers were noticeably down from last year when Keauhou finished second in the AAA division at the HCRA State Championships in Hilo. For more than half a decade, Keauhou has been a force at the state level in AAA, winning in 2010, 2011 and 2012. However, after last season, the club saw a noticeable drop in its numbers as a lot of the younger members switched to Kai Opua. Keauhou competed in 37 events at the start of last season and 36 events in the Aunty Maile/Moku Championships, but this year, the club managed to field a crew in only 25 races in the opening meet. The numbers could have been much worse if not for the influence of Kanuha. Despite getting a late jump on the season, the new AD managed to increase the number of women paddlers in the program from five to 42, according to club president Bill Amer. Most are new to the sport. Keauhou also added a special needs program with a crew that competes in the keiki 12-and-under division. “Keauhou had a lot of paddlers leave and I was asked if I could come in and help put the club back together again,” Kanuha said. “This will be a rebuilding year. I asked the board to give me one year to let me do it my way.” Kanuha’s way includes a What: Keauhou Canoe Club Regatta Where: Kailua Pier When: Today PADDLING BY RICK WINTERS WEST HAWAII TODAY rwinters@westhawaiitoday.com A FAMILIAR FINALS FEEL • The Cavaliers are the 4th team in the last 10 years to return to the NBA Finals after losing in the Finals the previous season. • LeBron James will become the 8th player in NBA history to play in six straight NBA Finals (first in 50 years). SEE PADDLING PAGE 2B LEBRON CARRIES CAVS PAST RAPTORS, INTO 2ND STRAIGHT FINALS Walks latest bugaboo for Nationals’ Scherzer BY BENJAMIN STANDIG THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Washington Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals. ALEX BRANDON/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NBA PLAYOFFS NATHAN DENETTE/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS TORONTO — LeBron James scored 33 points, Kevin Love had 20 points and 12 rebounds, and the Cleveland Cavaliers advanced to their second straight NBA Finals by beating the Toronto Raptors 113-87 in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals Friday night. It’s the third finals appearance in team history for the Cavaliers. Cleveland lost to Golden State in six games last year and got swept by San Antonio in 2007. For James, it’s his sixth straight trip to the finals, including four with Miami. He broke the 30-point barrier for the first time this postseason and finished with 11 rebounds and six assists. “We needed LeBron to set the tone for us early and I thought he did that,” coach Tyronn Lue said. James will be the eighth player in NBA history to appear in six consecutive finals and the first who didn’t play for the Boston Celtics. “He’s just a great player,” Lue said. “He’s a proven winner. He’s always won over the course of his career. To go to six straight finals is unbelievable.” James got there by taking down a Toronto team that set a franchise record with 56 wins and reached the conference finals for the first time in 21 seasons. After a second-quarter dunk, James shared some verbal barbs with rapper Drake, the Raptors’ global ambassador and the man who popularized the nickname ‘6ix’ for Toronto. Kyrie Irving had 30 points and J.R. Smith added 15 for the Cavaliers, who will face the winner of the Golden BY IAN HARRISON THE ASSOCIATED PRESS SEE CAVS PAGE 2B


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