Major leagues: A’s ace suspended 80 games for PEDs
A season full of All-Star potential for Oakland Athletics pitcher Frankie Montas was drastically cut short Friday when Major League Baseball suspended him 80 games after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.
Montas pitched well Thursday night and is 9-2 with a 2.70 ERA in 15 starts, a big reason the A’s are 40-36.
The 26-year-old righty could return for the final week of the season. But the penalty makes him ineligible for the All-Star Game and postseason play this year, and he’ll lose about half of his $560,000 salary.
The commissioner’s office said Montas tested positive for Ostarine, a PED. He is the sixth player suspended this year under the major league drug program.
“While I never intended to take any prohibited substance, I unfortunately and unknowingly ingested a contaminated supplement that I had purchased over-the-counter at a nutrition store here in the United States,” Montas said in a statement released by the players’ union.
Montas said he accepted “full responsibility” for the penalty.
“I sincerely apologize to the A’s organization, the fans, my teammates and my family for this mistake. My hope is to be able to return to the A’s later this season and contribute as best I can,” he said.
Montas pitched eight innings of one-run ball Thursday night. He got a no-decision in a game Oakland won 5-4 over Tampa Bay.
National League
N.Y. Mets 5, Chicago Cubs 4: Jeff McNeil homered and drove in three runs while making his first career start in right field, helping the New York Mets beat the Chicago Cubs, 5-4.
Michael Conforto also connected as the slumping Mets won for just the fourth time in their last 11 games. Brooks Pounders (1-0) got four outs for his first victory since he was acquired in a deal with Cleveland last week.
McNeil’s two-run shot off Yu Darvish gave New York a 3-2 lead in the third inning. With two outs and Adeiny Hechavarria on second in the seventh, McNeil pulled an RBI single into right field to break a 4-all tie.