Cards' Taveras drunk at time of fatal accident

ST. LOUIS Cardinals rookie outfielder Oscar Taveras was drunk at the time of his fatal car crash last month in his Caribbean homeland, an official in the Dominican Republic said yesterday.

Tessie Sanchez, a spokeswoman for the Dominican attorney general's office, told the Associated Press that toxicology reports showed Taveras had a blood-alcohol level five times the country's legal limit when he lost control of his car Oct. 26 on a highway in the tourist region of Puerto Plata.

The 22-year-old Taveras was "legally intoxicated when he crashed," Sanchez said.

"Until we have the opportunity to review the official report, we cannot confirm details," Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said in a statement.

"While we are still working to obtain the facts, it won't change the fact that this is a terrible tragedy. We have an obligation to use this as an opportunity to educate our players that they must take responsibility for themselves both on and off the field," he said.

Taveras was a teenager when he signed with the Cardinals as an international free agent in 2008. Before this season, he was ranked the No. 3 overall prospect by MLB.com and Baseball America.

Taveras' 18-year-old girlfriend, Edilia Arvelo, was in his 2014 Chevy Camaro when it ran off the road. She also died.

* Everyone expected Clayton Kershaw to pitch a shutout, and he did - the Los Angeles Dodgers lefthander was a unanimous choice for the National League Cy Young Award.

Cleveland's Corey Kluber edging out Seattle's Felix Hernandez for the AL pitching prize, that was no sure thing.

Now, the big question: Is Kershaw the Most Valuable Player?

"I can't even really fathom it happening," Kershaw said on a conference call yesterday, shortly after winning his third Cy Young in four seasons.

Kershaw led the majors in victories and ERA and threw a no-hitter, going 21-3 with a 1.77 ERA for the NL West champion Dodgers.

The 26-year-old lefty will find out today if he's the first NL pitcher to sweep the MVP and Cy Young honors since Bob Gibson in 1968.

Pittsburgh centerfielder Andrew McCutchen, who won the NL MVP last year, and Miami slugger Giancarlo Stanton are competing against Kershaw.

Kershaw won the Cy Young for the second year in a row, getting all 30 first-place votes in balloting by members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Johnny Cueto of Cincinnati was second with 112 points.

Voting was completed before the postseason began. Kershaw went 0-2 with a 7.82 ERA in a Division Series loss to St. Louis, leaving him at 1-5 with a 5.12 ERA in his playoff career.

Kluber's dominant second half helped him draw 17 of 30 first-place votes and 169 points, while Felix got 13 firsts and 159 points. Chris Sale of the Chicago White Sox was third with 78 points.