King of the hill

When the Mets acquired Johan Santana from the Twins in February of 2008 and signed him to a six-year, $137.5 million contract, he was supposed to be the piece that would bring the team back to the postseason.

Things haven?t exactly worked out that way, as the Mets narrowly missed the playoffs in 2008 and have endured three straight losing seasons since. Santana underwent shoulder surgery in August of 2010 and didn?t throw a pitch in the majors last year. There were many who doubted whether he would ever throw a pitch in the majors again, let alone resemble the ace we saw in the past. Perhaps we shouldn?t underestimate him any longer.

After going the distance in a 9-0 win over the Padres last Saturday, Santana went a step further this evening by tossing the first no-hitter in Mets? history as part of an 8-0 win over the Cardinals. Finally. After 50 years and 8,020 games, the Mets have their first no-hitter. And they said it would never happen.

Sure, it wasn?t the prettiest. Santana walked five and needed a career-high 134 pitches to get it done. We?ll hear plenty about third base umpire Adrian Johnson, who missed a would-be double by Carlos Beltran down the third base line in the top of the sixth inning. With expanded replay, the Mets might not have had this moment. Of course, we could probably cherry pick other no-hitters which had similar controversial plays, too. We all know this game isn?t perfect. Not right now. Probably not ever. But that?s a conversation for another time. Sometimes it?s a real drag to dwell on the negative when somebody accomplishes something pretty awesome. And tonight was pretty awesome, whether you are a Mets fan or not.

After missing all of last season rehabbing from shoulder surgery, the resurgent Santana now has a fantastic 2.38 ERA and 68/21 K/BB ratio over 68 innings this year. He still hasn?t led the Mets back to the postseason, but tonight he provided the first real ?moment? since Citi Field opened its doors in 2009. And it didn?t hurt that he did it against the Cardinals, who defeated the Mets in seven games in the 2006 NLCS.

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Johan Santana No-Hitter: Mets Pitcher Throws First No-Hit Game In Franchise History (VIDEO)

Johan Santana has thrown the first no-hitter in the history of the New York Mets. The 33-year-old ace of the Mets' staff went the distance against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals at Citi Field without surrendering a hit in an 8-0 win.

Through eight innings, Santana had thrown 122 pitches while striking out seven and walking five. He faced the heart of the Cardinals' order in the top of the ninth, retiring Matt Holiday, Allen Craig and David Freese to make history in Queens. All told, he threw 134 pitches. The final pitch of the game was yet another signature change-up from the two-time Cy Young winner that Freese swung over.

Speaking with Kevin Burkhardt of SNY on the field after the final out, the first word uttered by Santana was "amazing." For a franchise described lovingly as "Amazin" even if the results were intermittently anything but, it was a choice of words as spot on as his final pitch.

"Amazing. I mean, coming in to this season, I was just hoping to come back. You know? And [to] stay healthy and help this team. And now, I'm in this situation in the greatest city for baseball," said Santana before addressing the fans at Citi Field. "I'm very happy and happy for you guys. Finally! The first one!."

Asked about the final strikeout, Santana said it was "the greatest feeling ever."

There were tens of thousands of fans in Queens and potentially millions more at home (and on Twitter) who felt the same way. The franchise had previously played 8,019 games -- stretching back to April 11, 1962 when Casey Stengel gave the ball to Roger Craig for the first game in club history -- without adding a no-no to its resume.

Entering the season, Santana's future was uncertain. Before the team's season opener, Santana had not appeared since Sept. 2010 and had undergone serious shoulder surgery.

The visiting Cardinals, on the other hand, entered the season as the defending World Series champions. Despite losing cornerstone hitter Albert Pujols via free agency, the Cardinals arrived in New York with the highest team batting average and home run total in the National League.

The historic result depended on a few critical plays in the field as well as one potential umpiring blunder. In the seventh inning, outfielder Mike Baxter made a spectacular catch as he ran into the wall. More controversially, Santana appeared to get the benefit of an incorrect ruling on a foul ball during the sixth inning when former Mets star Carlos Beltran appeared to rifle a ball fair up the third-base line.

"It was tough because it happened so quick," Santana told reporters after the game when asked about the play. "I wasn't able to see anything. They just called it "foul" and I just stayed with it. There are times when one play makes the whole difference, when one call makes the whole difference. And if that was the case tonight then that was the call."

That the key play that went the Mets way involved Beltran added another layer of intrigue to the night as his relationship with the fans was never as steady as his performance while with the team. The low point of Beltran's six plus seasons came against the Cardinals in Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS in Queens when St. Louis pitcher Adam Wainwright froze him on a nasty curve ball to end the game. Coincidentally, Wainwright was opposing Santana on Friday. Thanks to the call by third base umpire Adrian Johnson those fans won't #BlameBeltran after this historic night.

From Tom Seaver and Nolan Ryan to Doc Gooden and David Cone, the Mets have sent some of the most dominant pitchers in MLB history to the mound during more than fifty years in New York but until Friday night the club never had a pitcher toss a no-no.

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Without a new Xbox or PlayStation will E3 be...boring?

14 hrs.

Winda Benedetti

Longtime video game analyst Michael Pachter ? never one to mince words?? has this to say about the world?s biggest video game show?which is about to get under way next week: ?It'll be one of the more boring ones.?

Saying that the Electronic Entertainment Expo might be a snoozer is a bit like saying a trip to Las Vegas might lull one into a pleasant night's slumber. After all, the annual E3 game show, which has been around since 1995, packs the Los Angeles Convention Center with a bedazzling display of video game showmanship. With 200-some exhibitors showing off their gaming wares for ?45,000?retailers, reporters and analysts, it is a visual and aural overload of flashing screens, colored lights, thumping music and outlandishly decked-out booths and booth attendants.

But Pachter, managing director at?Wedbush Securities, has a point. This year?s E3 is shaping up to be less than sizzling ... at least for the moment.

As of right now, much of the exciting news that gamers spent previous months hoping to officially?hear about now appears to be on hold. For starters,?Microsoft and Sony have insisted they will not be revealing anything about their future game consoles at this year's big event.?(Msnbc.com is a joint venture of Microsoft and NBCUniversal.)

Meanwile, as Pachter points out, the video game industry is in an odd place at the moment.

?We are in the unprecedented 6th and 7th year of the cycle,? he says, explaining that the current generation Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii have grown into rather aged machines.?That means?game sales are declining as developers and publishers ??unwilling to take risks this late in the console life?cycle ??scale back on the number of games they produce and cut back on the number of refreshing new intellectual properties they create.

?The industry isn?t that exciting because it?s all sequels, no new IPs, no new consoles and fewer games,? he says. ?So E3 is, by definition, just not going to be as exciting or interesting as it?s been in the past.?

E3???the thrill, the excitement
In the past, E3 has been the place where game companies have revealed some of the very biggest gaming news. Sony unveiled the PlayStation 3 there in 2005. Microsoft first revealed Kinect (then called Project Natal) at E3 in 2009 and fully unveiled it at E3 in 2010. Nintendo introduced its 3DS at the 2010 E3 and then, at last year's expo, unveiled the Wii U.

While rumor has it that Nintendo may reveal a new model of 3DS next week?and we will certainly get a much more in-depth look at the forthcoming Wii U,?so far it appears there will be no big game machine introductions this year. No Xbox 720. No PlayStation 4.

Meanwhile, rumors of a Valve-created game console/set-top box (aka the Steam Box) were making the rounds a couple months back with many hoping we'd see its unveiling at E3. But Valve insists that's not happening any time soon.

And it seems even some of the titles?we gamers had most hoped to see won't be making the?show.

While Valve will be on hand at E3, those from the company have vowed they will not be showing off "Half-Life 3," "Portal 3" or "Left 4 Dead 3" ? despite high gamer hopes.

The folks who created the famed Halo franchise were as surprised as anyone when their newest four-game "Destiny" project was unceremoniously outed in the press last week. And expectations have been high that Bungie might officially introduce "Destiny" at E3. But Bungie officials have now said on their blog that, and I quote: "we?re not going to be at E3 in any official capacity this year. Some of us will be there, lurking from booth to booth, but don?t expect any announcements."

E3 boring? Say it ain't so
But Mike Gallagher, CEO of the Entertainment Software Association (the industry?organization responsible?E3) ? sees things a little bit differently, to say the least.

While some see a games industry in a lull, "I see is an industry in transition," he says. "What I see is an industry that is evolving. It is evolving on multiple platforms constantly. Right now you have the ability to have a game experience on your smartphone, on your handheld, on your tablet and you?ve got the?ability to play on the consoles."

And he says E3 is evolving with the industry. He points out that this year there will be some important new faces on the show floor.?Zynga ? the Facebook gaming superpower ? and Gree ? the social and mobile gaming king in Japan ? both?will be at E3 for the first time.

But Gallagher?concedes that with it looking as if there will be no big hardware revelations at E3, "This year the emphasis will absolutely be more strongly focused on the games and the software."

And that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Game companies have already started to unveil some of the new games they'll be showing off next week ... and some of it is pretty exciting stuff. We'll get our first look at the new mature-themed Star Wars game "1313," as well as the super-dark, super-hero fighter "Injustice." And while new IPs are few and far between, the dystopian steam-punk adventure?"Dishonored" looks well worth getting excited about, as is the new game from "Heavy Rain" creator Quantic Dream (assuming it actually materializes).

Meanwhile, of course, developers and publishers will be showing off new installments in some very big franchises: ?"Halo 4," "Gears of War: Judgment,"?"Call of Duty: Black Ops II," "God of War: Ascension," "Pikmin 3" and the new "Tomb Raider"?just to name a few.

Beyond the games themselves, if the rumor mill is to be believed, there are some interesting things afoot?that may just give the show a bit of zing -- a 3DS redesign, a landscape-changing?push by Sony into cloud gaming, and?a new music service for the Xbox are a few of the?possibilities?next week.

No matter what this year brings, our own In-Game editor Todd Kenreck believes E3 is still one of the coolest events out there. Check out his video above to understand why.

And it's important to remember that the seeming lack of excitement could be deceiving ? especially since game developers and publishers like to keep their biggest, most interesting news a secret before the show has begun and have been known to spring completely unexpected gaming software and hardware revelations on the thousands of attendees gathered at the convention.

Ultimately, Gallagher says?you can't truly judge an?E3 before it's begun.

"Each E3 has its own unique feel and its own unique power," he says. "And it really can only be measured after the show --?after it?s all over with and?after all the titles are shown."

And despite his prediction of a mellower E3 this time around, even Pachter points out, "It?s still a lot of fun."

Follow us to E3
In-Game will have a team on the ground at?E3?in Los Angeles. Stay tuned here to In-Game to catch our breaking game coverage. But?for all the fast and furious news?also be sure to check out our In-Game Facebook page as well as our Twitter feeds: @ToddKenreck and @WindaBenedetti.

In-Game editor Todd Kenreck will also bring you ongoing snapshots from the E3 floor via his @ToddKenreck Instagram account. And don't miss the E3 experiences from video producer Matt Rivera who will be posting via his Twitter and Instagram accounts here: @MattRivera.

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Study: OSHA inspections good for workers and businesses | New ...

Sometimes employers in New York and elsewhere try to get out of random safety inspections by saying that the inspections are bad for business. However, according to a study recently published in the journal Science, random safety inspections not only lower the risk of work-related injuries, they cause no measurable negative effect on business.

The study compared 409 single-location businesses that were inspected California's Occupational Safety and Health Administration from 1996 through 2006 with 409 businesses in the state that were not subjected to random inspections. The businesses were all in industries with high injury rates, including woodworking and metal working.

Researchers concluded that the businesses with random safety inspections had 9.4 percent fewer accidents and injuries that the workplaces that were not inspected. Additionally, the businesses subjected to the inspections were not any more likely to have to cut jobs, lose profits or have their credit ratings go down, the study concluded.

Three professors from the University of California, Harvard Business School and Boston University had the idea for the study after OSHA has been criticized in recent years for both not doing enough and doing too much to regulate workplace safety. The professors said they didn't know what to expect out of the study since both sides seemed to make compelling arguments against OSHA.

The study suggested that random inspections are better for businesses than businesses might realize. For example, researchers found that workers' compensation claims were 26 percent lower at facilities that were inspected compared to those that were not.

Of course, there is still some disbelief from the business side. An official at the National Association of Manufacturers said the study focused on the wrong thing. He said regulations should have been the target of the study, not random inspections, which he said, come after the fact of any damage to businesses.

Source: Reuters, "Safety inspections don't hurt businesses-study," Scott Malone, May 17, 2012

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Germans ease austerity pace for Spain, markets in turmoil

BERLIN/DUBLIN (Reuters) - EU paymaster Germany softened its drive for austerity across the euro zone on Friday, agreeing to allow Spain more time to cut its deficit while its battles a deepening bank crisis, capital flight and recession.

Irish voters backed a European budget discipline treaty by a 60-40 percent vote in a referendum, a widely expected result that removed one political risk for the troubled currency area but left several bigger ones.

Investors stampeded to safe-haven U.S. and German government bonds amid growing worries over Spain's parlous finances and debt-stricken Greece's uncertain future in the single currency area, compounded by weak U.S. jobs data.

Asked about a European Commission call to grant Spain more time to reduce its deficit, a German Finance Ministry spokesman said Berlin understood Madrid's difficulties in trying to cut its shortfall to 3 percent of gross domestic product in 2013.

"We support Spain in its efforts to implement the necessary measures. But we also recognize that because of negative economic developments it will be difficult for Spain to reach its goals," spokesman Johannes Blankenheim told a news briefing.

Asked if that meant Madrid should be given more time, he replied: "I think that's what I've been saying.

Until now, Germany has taken a hard line with states missing agreed deficit targets, worried that accepting failure would weaken the commitment to consolidate and hit market confidence.

But officials close to Chancellor Angela Merkel have told Reuters that some budget goals now look unrealistic and need adjusting to reflect unexpected economic weakness.

New French President Francois Hollande, Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti, U.S. and IMF officials have called for an easing of the austerity drive to refocus on getting the European economy moving.

In Dublin, ministers voiced "a sigh of relief rather than celebration" that Irish voters had approved the fiscal discipline compact in the only plebiscite on the treaty in the 17-nation euro area.

The pact is meant to enforce EU deficit cutting rules more strictly to prevent a repetition of the sovereign debt crisis, but critics argue it is too rigid and could deepen recession if applied literally.

Ireland has been held up by its European partners as the model student for austerity, implementing an 85-billion euro ($106 billion) EU/IMF bailout to the letter as others, notably Greece, remained the centre of euro zone debt concerns.

Financial markets are more worried about accelerating capital flight from Spain, which is resisting pressure to seek international assistance for its banks, and a repeat general election in Greece on June 17 that could lead to that country becoming the first to leave the euro area.

In another day of market turmoil, German bond yields fell to all-time lows, with investors effectively paying Berlin to park their money in its coffers at negative real interest rates, while the borrowing costs of Spain and Italy are again becoming prohibitive.

The risk premium investors demand to hold Spanish 10-year debt rather than German bonds rose on Friday to its highest since the launch of the euro at 546 basis points.

BALANCED BUDGETS

Spain revealed on Thursday that investors had moved a record net 66.4 billion euros ($82 billion) out of the country in March alone, before the sudden nationalization of ailing lender Bankia , its fourth-largest bank.

Spanish Treasury Minister Cristobal Montoro sought to sooth markets by reporting that the country's autonomous regions had balanced their budgets in the first three months and we're on track to meet their 2012 deficit target of 1.5 percent of GDP.

The cabinet delayed plans to adopt a new mechanism to ease their funding problems and boost their liquidity positions but Montoro said he hoped to present the measure next week.

Overspending by the regions has been a big factor in the country's fiscal problems, along with mountains of debt owed to savings banks after a property bubble burst.

The European Commission, the European Central Bank, the United States and International Monetary Fund have stepped up pressure on euro zone leaders to adopt bolder measures, such as a banking union and a joint deposit guarantee, to ensure the euro's survival.

But Germany, keen to limit liabilities to its own taxpayers, has so far resisted such moves. Greater flexibility on deficit reduction targets costs Berlin nothing.

CONTRADICTORY POLLS

Contradictory opinion polls ahead of the June 17 election in Greece, the euro zone's most heavily indebted state, pointed to a knife-edge race between supporters and opponents of the tough terms of Athens' EU/IMF bailout.

In a sign of the depth of Greece's problems, the country's power regulator told Reuters he had called an emergency meeting next week to avert a collapse of the electricity and natural gas system due to unpaid arrears owned by power producers.

A poll victory for the anti-austerity leftist SYRIZA party, which wants to tear up the bailout agreement, could lead to the country being forced out of the euro.

Most polls show the conservative pro-bailout New Democracy party narrowly ahead of SYRIZA, one day before a ban on their publication comes into force.

But one survey by the respected Public Issue agency gave the leftist group led by charismatic Alexis Tsipras a six-point lead, reflecting the angry and unpredictable mood of voters exasperated with austerity and soaring unemployment but still keen to stay in the euro area.

Greece's electoral system gives the winning party an extra 50 parliamentary seats, making it almost impossible for rivals to form a government without it.

In a throwback, former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, ousted last year after financial markets lost confidence in his reform-shy government, said Italy should leave the euro unless the ECB agreed to pump more cash into the economy and guarantee government debts.

"We have to go to Europe and say forcefully that the ECB should start printing money," Berlusconi said in an entry on his Facebook page.

(Additional reporting by Kirsten Donovan in London, Harry Papachristou and George Georgiopoulos in Athens, Terhi Kinnunen and Eero Vassinen in Helsinki, Conor Humphries and Stephen Mangan in Dublin, James Mackenzie in Rome; Writing by Paul Taylor, editing by Mike Peacock)

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Federer again stretched to 4 sets at French Open

PARIS (AP) ? Even though he was again far from his best, Roger Federer still managed to win at the French Open.

The 2009 champion at Roland Garros was pushed to four sets Friday for the second straight match, this time beating Nicolas Mahut of France 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 in the third round.

"I think for bigger guys it's about, if you're able to move them around enough and they have to defend time and time again, this is maybe where you can expose some of their weaknesses, potentially," Federer said. "I thought he did well. (I) struggled a little bit, but overall obviously I'm happy I came through."

Federer, who is trying to become the first man over 30 years old to win a major title since Andre Agassi in 2003 at the Australian Open, improved his record number of Grand Slam match wins to 235.

For Mahut, it was the first time he has ever won a set against Federer in four matches.

"I was believing in it. I was maybe a bit nervous going into that center court, but this went well," Mahut said. "But I'm disappointed, because you always want to do better. Disappointed I didn't win that fourth set."

Maria Sharapova also won, reaching the third round with another easy victory, while third-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska and 2008 French Open champion Ana Ivanovic were eliminated.

American teen Sloane Stephens also advanced to the fourth round, beating Mathilde Johansson of France 6-3, 6-2. Of the eight teenagers in this year's draw, the 19-year-old Stephens was the only one to even reach the third round.

"I'm excited because now I'm going to have more Twitter followers," Stephens said.

Stephens will next play No. 6 Sam Stosur, the 2010 runner-up, who defeated Nadia Petrova 6-3, 6-3.

Three days after scoring a "double bagel" in the first round, the second-seeded Sharapova defeated Ayumi Morita of Japan 6-1, 6-1.

"I really wanted to try to get her on the move. I thought I played well, aggressive, moved in when I had to," Sharapova said. "With every round I'm going to be playing tougher opponents, and that's when you really want to kind of step it up and raise your level. That's what I'll try to do in the next round."

Sharapova has won three major titles in her career, but she still needs to win at Roland Garros to complete a career Grand Slam. Last year, she lost in the semifinals at the French Open.

For the men, No. 5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France, No. 7 Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic and No. 9 Juan Martin del Potro also reached the third round. No. 11 Gilles Simon lost.

Later Friday, top-ranked Novak Djokovic will face Nicolas Devilder of France and No. 1 Victoria Azarenka will play Aleksandra Wozniak of Canada.

Two days after eliminating seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams, Radwanska was routed by 2009 French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-1, 6-2.

On Court Philippe Chatrier, the 23-year-old Pole didn't look anything like the player who overwhelmed Williams in straight sets on Wednesday.

"She was just playing very aggressive on both sides," Radwanska said of Kuznetsova. "She just had (an) answer for everything I was trying to do."

Radwanska has been having a stellar year on tour, winning three titles and moving up to a career-high No. 3 ranking last month. But she is the only player in the top 10 who has never reached a Grand Slam semifinal.

"It's always disappointing when losing in the first week of a Grand Slam, that's for sure," Radwanska said. "Today I didn't play bad, she was just playing unbelievable."

Against Kuznetsova, however, Radwanska has struggled. She is now 3-10 against the Russian, including her only two losses in tournament finals.

Before Friday's match, Radwanska had been 38-7 in 2012, with six of those losses coming against top-ranked Victoria Azarenka.

Kuznetsova, who also won the U.S. Open in 2004, has struggled since winning the title at Roland Garros three years ago, only reaching one Grand Slam quarterfinal.

"I try to play more forehands. I try to dictate. I play more speed," Kuznetsova said of her play Friday. "This is the game I was playing when I won U.S. Open and I won the French Open."

Also in the third round, the 13th-seeded Ivanovic lost to Sara Errani of Italy 1-6, 7-5, 6-3.

The former top-ranked player committed 37 of her 40 unforced errors in the final two sets. Errani had only 18.

Associated Press

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Learn How to Date After Divorce in Houston Relationship Therapy

I always work hard to try to keep marriages together in Houston relationship therapy, but sometimes it?s just not possible.?Instead, I end up working with couples to help have a healthy, conscious divorce, increasing odds of healthy co-parenting going forward, or success in their next marriage.?? I also work with divorced or otherwise split-up singles.?Once they are alone, they don?t know what to do with themselves or how to get back out there in the dating world. Alternatively, one or both of them may have found someone new and believe they can find happiness with that person that they couldn?t find with their spouse.

One thing is the same in either of these situations: you.?And if you didn?t work through your marriage problems in your previous relationship, you can bet they are going to rear their heads in your new one.? ?Another freaking growth opportunity, I can run, but I cannot hide??

Houston Relationship Therapy ?Teaches You to Look At and Change Yourself

Marriage problems and relationship issues don?t just end when the relationship does ? you carry your baggage with you to the next person. This is why it is so important to identify and work on those things that you need to get better at in relationships before starting a new one.

Whether you?ve already found someone you just know is going to be the next love of your life or you?re having trouble putting yourself back out in the dating pool, there?s a simple rule to know if you?re ready: do you need a partner, or want one?

If you feel like you just can?t cope without someone in your life, you?re not ready to date. Yes, this is true even if you?re already dating! Just because you can get someone doesn?t meant that you should be seeing them.

Needing someone means that you will end up putting all of your hopes, dreams, and aspirations on them, which no one can hope to live up to. Needless to say, if you do get married, this will lead to marriage problems and probably more Houston relationship therapy when they can?t be that ideal that you ?need? them to be. You will revert to the person who had those problems that led to your first divorce.

The better route is to work on making yourself happy before re-entering the dating pool. Become that confident, self-sufficient person you always wanted to be, and if you feel like you?re missing something, look to other places besides romantic relationships to find it.

When you are ready to date because you want to, let the world know. Tell friends you respect, join singles groups, and try reputable dating sites. There is no wrong way to find the person that?s right for you.

If you?re having trouble working through your feelings after a divorce and understanding what went wrong, try Houston relationship therapy so that you can fix it for next time.

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