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Lingmerth Opens First Round Lead At Quicken Loans Open

Posted About Six Years Ago

The already-weak field at the Quicken Loans National at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farms got stripped of most of the rest of its star power on Thursday. Rickie Fowler shot a so-so even-par 70 that left him five off the lead, and Justin Thomas ejected with a 4-over 74 that will leave him hunting for the cut line on Friday.
 
What that means is that a whole host of golfers will likely have a shot at winning their first tournament or that a seasoned vet will add to his collection. Of course Fowler could shoot three 67s and walk away with the trophy on Sunday, but with 30 golfers ahead of him after 18 holes, that seems a lot more unlikely than it did before the tournament started.
 
And yet there are some intriguing names sniffing around the top of the leaderboard after Round 1.
 
David Lingmerth (-5) hasn't won since the 2015 Memorial and went out in 31 and nearly carded a 64 to take a two-stroke lead if not for a bogey at the last. He might not be a big name, but he's got a little staying power.
 
Patrick Reed (-3) has been playing his best golf in a long time of late, and is the favorite to win after the first round (Vegas says he's 7-1 and Lingmerth is 5-1).
 
Bryson DeChambeau (-3) will have to putt better than he has been so far this season. He's No. 202 on the PGA Tour in strokes gained putting but was No. 34 on the day on Thursday.

Cardinals, Cubs, White Sox Win Thursday

Posted About Six Years Ago

Randal Grichuk hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the seventh inning and drove in five runs, leading the St. Louis Cardinals over the Arizona Diamondbacks 10-4 Thursday.
 
Arizona led 3-2 with two outs in the seventh when pinch-hitter Luke Voit doubled off Ruby De La Rosa (0-1) and Matt Carpenter was intentionally walked.
 
Grichuk sent a 1-2 slider into the left-field seats.
 
Tommy Pham hit a two-run single off Randall Delgado in the eighth. Grichuk followed with a two-run double, raising his average to .233 with seven homers and 28 RBIs. He scored on Stephen Piscotty's single.
 
Lance Lynn (6-5) allowed three runs and four hits in six innings, struck out seven and walked one.
 
Diamondbacks starter Patrick Corbin gave up two runs and five hits in six innings.
 
Gregor Blanco hit an RBI double in the third, but Jose Martinez had a two-run single in the fourth. Goldschmidt's 19th homer tied the score in the bottom half, and Jake Lamb hit an RBI grounder in the sixth after Blanco's triple.
 
Lamb homered in the ninth against Mike Mayers.
 
Mike Leake (5-6) is to start Friday's homestand opener against Washington. Leake is 0-4 in his last six starts, but his 3.12 ERA is ninth in the NL among qualified pitchers.
 
>>Cubs 9th Inning Rally Lifts Them Over Nationals
 
Jon Jay hit a go-ahead two-run double during a three-run ninth-inning rally against Blake Treinen, lifting the Cubs over the Nationals 5-4 on Thursday.
 
Washington got more bad news after the game: Turner has a broken his right wrist after being hit by a pitch. The team did not have a timetable for his return.
 
Turner was hit by Pedro Strop's fastball in the seventh, but remained in the game until Stephen Drew entered as a defensive replacement in the ninth.
 
With Turner gone, Treinen (0-2) slogged through the bullpen's 13th blown save this season, tying the NL East leaders with the Phillies and Mets for the National League lead.
 
Tommy La Stella drove in a run with a two-out single against the right-hander, and Jay followed with a hit to right-center that brought home Javier Baez and La Stella.
 
Wade Davis struck out two in a perfect ninth for his 16th save after Felix Pena (1-0) worked the eighth.
 
Rookie Jeimer Candelario, who started for the injured Kris Bryant at third base, broke a 1-1 tie in the seventh by launching his first career homer off starter Joe Ross.
 
Washington took a 4-2 lead in the seventh on Anthony Rendon's two-run homer and Brian Goodwin's RBI single.
 
Turner stole two bases, bumping up his total to seven in the series and 35 on the season.
 
Candelario was hit by Treinen's fastball in the left knee to start the ninth-inning rally. Candelario appeared to be in significant pain and was visited by a team trainer, but stayed in the game. He went for X-rays after the win.
 
Bryant is expected to miss at least a couple of games after spraining his right ankle in an 8-4 loss Wednesday.
 
Cubs catcher Willson Contreras threw out two attempted base stealers, including Turner at third base in the first.
 
Both teams scored a run in the first inning before the starting pitchers dominated.
 
Joe Ross allowed two runs and five hits with seven strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings. After allowing Contreras's RBI single in the first, Ross didn't allow a hit until the sixth or a run until Candelario's shot.
 
Cubs starter Jon Lester gave up Ryan Zimmerman's RBI single in the first, but then blanked Washington over the next five innings. He struck out seven and allowed three hits. Over his last four starts, Lester is 2-0 with 2.42 ERA.
 
The win split the four-game series and kept the defending World Series champions from falling under .500.
 
Mike Montgomery (1-4, 2.50 ERA) makes his fifth start of the season as Chicago faces Cincinnati on Friday. The Cubs are 5-1 against the Reds in 2017.
 
>>White Sox Hold Off Yankees
 
Following a frightening moment for Yankees outfielder Dustin Fowler in his major league debut, Melky Cabrera and David Robertson combined to foil Judge, and Chicago beat New York 4-3 on Thursday night.
 
Fowler left to have season-ending surgery on his right knee after a crash into a wall. The 22-year-old started the game in right field and slammed into the short sidewall near the corner trying to catch Jose Abreu's foul ball with one out in the first inning. Fowler calmly tried to stand and walk after hitting the wall, but his right leg buckled twice before he sat down on the warning track and waited for help.
 
Fowler had an open rupture of the patellar tendon in his right knee, the Yankees said, and had surgery at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Manager Joe Girardi estimated it would be at least six months before Fowler was recovered.
 
The rookie was due up for his first major league plate appearance in the second inning.
 
The injury-riddled Yankees are down yet another man after losing for the 12th time in 16 games and falling a game behind first-place Boston in the AL East.
 
Cabrera robbed Judge of what would have been his major league-leading 28th homer in the fifth inning. Cabrera leapt at the wall, reeled in the high drive and then momentarily pretended he hadn't caught it before pulling the ball from his glove.
 
Robertson halted Judge in the ninth, striking out the slugger with Gardner at first base to cap his 12th save.
 
Judge finished 0 for 2 with three walks, one intentional.
 
White Sox right-hander James Shields (2-1) pitched into the seventh inning for his longest outing this season. He allowed three runs - two earned - and five hits in 6 1/3 innings in his third start since spending two months on the disabled list with a strained right lat.
 
Willy Garcia had two hits and two RBIs, Abreu had two doubles and Omar Narvaez drove in a run to help the AL-worst White Sox win for the third time in 11 games. The game was delayed by rain for nearly three hours, with the first pitch thrown at 10 p.m.
 
Austin Romine and Ronald Torreyes drove in runs for New York.
 
Yankees starter Luis Cessa (0-3) allowed four runs, two earned, in 4 2/3 innings in his third start in place of injured CC Sabathia, who may be close to returning.
 
Mike Pelfry (3-6, 3.73) will face Texas' Austin Bibens-Dirkx (3-0, 3.68) to open a three-game set. Pelfry is 3-2 with a 2.52 ERA in his last seven starts.
 
>>White Sox 2B Moncada To Play in Futures Game
 
Chicago White Sox infielder Yoan Moncada and New York Mets infielder Ahmed Rosario are among 50 prospects on the rosters for the All-Star Futures Game at Miami on July 9.
 
Moncada agreed to a $31.5 million signing bonus - the most for an international amateur - when he signed with Boston two years ago, and was traded in December as part of the deal that brought pitcher Chris Sale to the Red Sox. A 22-year-old switch-hitter, Moncada entered Thursday hitting .280 with 10 homers, 29 RBIs and 15 steals for Triple-A Charlotte.
 
Rosario, 21, was batting .315 with seven homers, 49 RBIs and 13 steals for Triple-A Las Vegas. He joins Moncada on the World team roster. The U.S. roster includes 15 first-round draft picks.
 
Other top prospects on the rosters announced Thursday include Chicago Cubs outfielder Eloy Jimenez, Washington outfielder Victor Robles, White Sox right-hander Michael Kopech, Tampa Bay right-hander Brent Honeywell, Red Sox infielder Rafael Devers, Toronto third baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Milwaukee outfielders Lewis Brinson and Corey Ray, Houston outfielder Kyle Tucker and Cleveland catcher Francisco Mejia.
 
The White Sox, Houston, Milwaukee and Tampa Bay each had three players picked.

White Sox manager Rick Renteria gets ejected again

Posted About Six Years Ago

White Sox manager Rick Renteria has been ejected for the third time in six games after getting tossed against the New York Yankees on Wednesday night.
 
Renteria got thrown out in the sixth inning when he went to the mound to talk to reliever Jake Petricka after the pitcher gave up back-to-back RBI doubles to Tyler Wade and Ronald Torreyes. Renteria had words with plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt and quickly got tossed.
 
The ejection was his fifth this season and 11th of his career.
 
Petricka was also tossed by Wendelstedt when he walked off the mound at the end of the five-run inning.

Andujar has 3 hits in debut, Yankees pound White Sox 12-3

Posted About Six Years Ago

Miguel Andujar had three hits and four RBIs in his major league debut, Aaron Judge added his major league-leading 27th homer and the struggling New York Yankees pounded the Chicago White Sox 12-3 on Wednesday night.
 
Andujar made a good impression after being called up from Triple-A with Matt Holliday going on the disabled list because of an illness. He gave New York a 3-0 lead with a two-run single against Carlos Rodon in the first. He also singled in the third, walked in the eighth and drove in two more with a double in the ninth.
 
Judge's two-run drive capped a five-run sixth against reliever Jake Petricka, breaking open a 3-2 game. And New York came away with a lopsided win after dropping 11 of 14.
 
The White Sox lost for the eighth time in 10 games, with Rodon (0-1) struggling in his season debut and manager Rick Renteria getting ejected yet again.
 
Masahiro Tanaka (6-7) went six innings for his first win since May 8. The right-hander gave up two runs and six hits after going 0-6 in his previous eight starts.
 

Montero says goodbye to Cubs hours after blasting Arrieta

Posted About Six Years Ago

 Catcher Miguel Montero is saying his goodbyes to the Cubs and city of Chicago.
 
Montero posted a series of tweets Wednesday, one day after blaming pitcher Jake Arrieta for allowing seven stolen bases by the Washington Nationals. The team had no immediate comment amid reports that the 33-year-old Montero was being designated for assignment.
 
Montero has thrown out one of 31 potential base stealers this season, hitting .286 with four home runs and eight RBIs in 44 games.
 
Montero unloaded on Arrieta following the Cubs' 6-1 loss at Washington on Tuesday night, saying the Nationals were running all over the right-hander because they knew he was slow to the plate and that he was giving him no time to throw anyone out.
 
The Nationals' seven steals were a franchise record, and Montero had a throwing error that led to a run scoring.

Strasburg, Nats bats power past Cubs 8-4

Posted About Six Years Ago

Stephen Strasburg struck out 13 in seven innings, Bryce Harper had two doubles and two RBIs, and the Washington Nationals beat the Chicago Cubs 8-4 on Wednesday night.
 
Anthony Rendon and Matt Wieters hit back-to-back homers against John Lackey (5-9) during Washington's four-run second inning. After the Cubs pulled within three at 6-3, Daniel Murphy went deep in the fifth.
 
It was a rough day for the Cubs, who cut veteran catcher Miguel Montero after he criticized pitcher Jake Arrieta for his role in the Nationals' seven steals in Tuesday's 6-1 win over the World Series champions. Then reigning NL MVP Kris Bryant departed with an apparent right ankle injury.
 
Bryant awkwardly clipped third base while catching a foul pop off the bat of Wieters in the sixth. He walked around gingerly before being helped off the field.

Northwestern to host Notre Dame in '18

Posted About Six Years Ago

Northwestern will host Notre Dame next season for the first time in over 40 years.
 
The Wildcats announced Wednesday that the Fighting Irish will play at Ryan Field on Nov. 3, 2018.
 
Northwestern has won each of the last two meetings between the two programs, including a 43-40 overtime victory at Notre Dame in 2014.
 
The Wildcats will also host Duke, Akron, Michigan, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Illinois in 2018.

Wainwright, Molina, Gyorko help Cardinals beat D-backs, 4-3

Posted About Six Years Ago

Trevor Rosenthal held on for the win, though it was adventurous. The veteran right-hander survived a rocky ninth inning that included two wild pitches, and got the save in the Cardinals' 4-3 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks Wednesday night.
 
Rosenthal closed out a win for starter Adam Wainwright, who pitched into the seventh inning. Yadier Molina and Jedd Gyorko each drove in two runs.
 
Wainwright (8-5) limited the Diamondbacks to two runs and eight hits over 6 1/3 innings He struck out eight.
 
Arizona slugger Paul Goldschmidt went 0 for 4, the first time all season he has gone hitless in four at-bats in back-to-back games. His franchise-record 42-game on-base streak at Chase Field came to an end.
 
Gyorko's RBI double in the eighth pushed St. Louis' lead to 4-2.
 
The Diamondbacks nearly tied it against Rosenthal in the ninth. Brandon Drury led off with a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. One out later, Chris Herrmann walked and both runners advanced on pinch-hitter Gregor Blanco's grounder. Drury then scored on another Rosenthal wild pitch, with Herrmann moving up to third.
 
Zack Godley (3-2) took the loss, allowing three runs and two hits with seven strikeouts in seven innings. The Diamondbacks snapped a four-game winning streak.
 
The Diamondbacks got a run in the bottom of the fourth on back-to-back doubles from Jake Lamb and Chris Owings. Wainwright then struck out the next three batters, and right after a called third strike to Jeff Mathis to end the inning, Mathis was ejected by home plate umpire D.J. Reyburn for arguing.
 
That brought Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo out of the dugout, and he, too, was thrown out. The ejections were the first two for Arizona this season and the first for Lovullo as a manager.
 
The Diamondbacks pulled within a run in the seventh after Descalso beat out a potential double-play grounder that would have ended the inning. Rey Fuentes scored, but reliever Tyler Lyons got Peralta to pop out.

Thayer Leads Revolution Past Roanoke-Benson

Posted About Six Years Ago

Keaton Thayer went the distance and lead the Central Illinois Revolution (Clinton 17U travel baseball) past Roanoke-Benson 3-1 Tuesday night.
 
Thayer struck out twelve and walked none across seven innings, allowing a run and three hits. 
 
Lane Mayfield drove in a run on a double in the first inning and Logan Peterson and Peyton Mayfield added run scoring hits as well to lead a flawless Revolution effort, that highlighted a night with no errors committed.

White Sox Win; Cubs, Cardinals Lose

Posted About Six Years Ago

Jose Abreu hit a game-ending, two-run single off Dellin Betances, and the White Sox stopped a four-game losing streak with a 4-3 victory over the New York Yankees on Tuesday night.
 
Abreu also had an RBI double in the third. The big first baseman batted with the bases loaded in the eighth inning and struck out.
 
Kevan Smith sparked the winning rally with a one-out walk. Betances (3-2) then walked Alen Hanson and hit Yolmer Sanchez, loading the bases.
 
After Melky Cabrera fouled out, Abreu hit a grounder into left field. Brett Gardner's throw to the plate was high, and Hanson scored easily.
 
Dan Jennings (3-1) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings for the win.
 
New York wasted an outstanding start by Luis Severino, who struck out a career-high 12 while pitching seven innings of one-run ball. It has dropped three of four and 11 of 14 overall.
 
The Yankees trailed 1-0 before Aaron Judge hit an RBI single in the eighth. Gary Sanchez then hit a two-run double, making it 3-1 New York.
 
But the Yankees' bullpen faltered again after nearly losing a five-run lead in the ninth inning of Monday night's 6-5 win. Domingo German walked the only two batters he faced in the eighth, and Tyler Clippard walked Todd Frazier with two out and the bases loaded to force home a run.
 
Clippard then struck out Matt Davidson to end the inning, sending New York to the ninth with a 3-2 lead.
 
Jose Quintana pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings for the White Sox, allowing two hits. He struck out six and walked four.
 
In five June starts, Quintana is 2-1 with a 1.78 ERA.
 
Carlos Rodon (left biceps bursitis) will make his 2017 debut in the third of the four-game series Wednesday night against RHP Masahiro Tanaka (5-7, 5.74 ERA). Tanaka has had a down year but pitched eight shutout innings last Friday in no-decision vs. Texas.
 
>>Nats Beat Cubs in Cy Young Winners Showdown
 
Max Scherzer allowed one run and two hits as the Washington Nationals knocked Jake Arrieta out in the fifth inning on the way to a 6-1 victory Tuesday night. While Arrieta was slow to the plate and allowed seven stolen bases, Scherzer (9-5) threw a strong six innings, striking out six with no walks and retiring 16 of the final 17 batters he faced.
 
Arrieta (7-6) struggled with his control as he issued a season-high six walks and allowed five earned runs, getting the hook two batters into the fifth inning. The 2015 Cy Young winner hadn't walked more than three batters in a game this season.
 
Four of the Montreal Expos/Nationals franchise record seven steals came from speedy shortstop Trea Turner.
 
Washington center fielder Michael Taylor went 2 for 4 with two RBIs, and Scherzer washed out the RBI triple he allowed to Kris Bryant in the first by driving in a run with an infield single off Arrieta's glove in the fourth.
 
When Scherzer was lifted after 93 pitches through six with a comfortable 6-1 lead, the Nationals' beleaguered bullpen got three clean innings of relief from Enny Romero, Blake Treinen, Oliver Perez and Matt Albers.
 
Stephen Strasburg (8-2, 3.57 ERA) faces Cubs RHP John Lackey (5-8, 4.74) in the third game of the four-game series.
 
>>Dbacks Outlast Cardinals
 
Chris Herrmann hit a game-ending RBI single in the 10th inning, and the Diamondbacks rallied to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-5 on Tuesday night.
 
The surging Diamondbacks scored two in the eighth and one in the ninth to force extra innings. They have won four in a row and 13 of 15.
 
Rey Fuentes opened the Arizona 10th with a single and advanced on a sacrifice by pinch-hitting pitcher Zack Godley. Herrmann singled off Matt Bowman (1-3).
 
Diamondbacks closer Fernando Rodney (2-2) pitched a 1-2-3 10th inning for the win.
 
St. Louis' bullpen struggled again. Closer Seung Hwan Oh suffered his third blown save of the season and Trevor Rosenthal gave up two runs in the eighth inning.
 
Carlos Martinez struck out 10 while pitching six sharp innings, and the Cardinals used throwing errors by catcher Chris Iannetta, pitcher Taijuan Walker and shortstop Nick Ahmed to open a 5-2 lead in the seventh.
 
With no outs and the bases loaded, Stephen Piscotty singled sharply off the leg of Walker to break a 2-2 tie. Jedd Gyorko added a sacrifice fly, and Ahmed bobbled the relay on Yadier Molina's long single to allow Tommy Pham to score the inning's third run.
 
Arizona responded with two in the eighth. Daniel Descalso singled in Jake Lamb and came around to score on Herrman's sacrifice fly.
 
David Peralta then led off the bottom of the ninth with a home run off Oh, tying it at 5.
 
Martinez allowed two runs on Iannetta's two-run double with two out in the sixth. He surrendered four hits and walked three.
 
Walker was charged with five runs, three earned, and six hits in 6 1 /3 innings. He had no strikeouts and walked five.
 
Adam Wainwright (7-5) is scheduled to start Wednesday. He is 7-4 in 13 career appearances against Arizona, with a 2.71 ERA.
 
Godley faces the Cardinals for the first time in his career. He has not allowed more than three runs in any of his nine starts this season and is 3-1 with a 2.53 ERA overall.

Bulls Undecided on Rondo

Posted About Six Years Ago

The Chicago Bulls have clearly changed direction, revamping the roster at last week's NBA Draft by trading Jimmy Butler for three young prospects.
 
On Tuesday, the Bulls introduced their newest players -- Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and Lauri Markkanen -- but it's one of their veterans who has everyone in suspense. The Bulls have until Friday to decide if they want to buy out point guard Rajon Rondo for $3 million or keep him and pay his full $13.4 million salary next season.
Chicago vice president of basketball operations John Paxson said it is "still to be determined" whether the Bulls will retain Rondo or buy him out. According to the Associated Press, the team was planning to meet with Rondo's agent, Bill Duffy, on Tuesday.
 
Rondo, 31, had a tumultuous year with the Bulls last season after coming over from Sacramento. At times he was their starter -- at times he was their third-string point guard -- but he was productive when he was on the court, averaging 7.8 points, 6.7 assists and 4.9 rebounds in nearly 27 minutes per game.
 
It was during the playoffs, however, when Rondo reminded the Bulls of his old self. He averaged 11.5 points, 10.0 assists and 8.5 rebounds as Chicago took a 2-0 lead on the No. 1-seeded Celtics before an injury sidelined him for the rest of the series.
 
Rondo doesn't appear to fit with the youth movement in Chicago, but the Bulls could be looking for a mentor for their young guards. Paxson and the Bulls also have to make a decision about Dwyane Wade, who is owed $23.8 million next season. When asked about Wade, Paxson said the idea of a Wade buyout "has not been broached" and that for now he expects Wade to play for Chicago.
 
If Rondo and/or Wade end up on the free agent market through a buyout, however, expect a serious bidding war to take place among contenders looking for veteran backcourt leadership.
 
>>Knicks, Phil Jackson Expected To Part Ways
 
It looks like New York Knicks president Phil Jackson's job isn't as secure as previously thought. Despite many public proclamations that Jackson will remain in charge until the end of his contract, Knicks owner James Dolan is reportedly expected to part ways with Jackson "early Wednesday morning," according to ESPN's Ramona Shelbune.
 
The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski, who first reported that Dolan was weighing Jackson's future, amended his report to note that the Dolan-Jackson "partnership could end as soon as Wednesday."
 
In a series of tweets, Shelburne noted that the Knicks have decided not to buy out star forward Carmelo Anthony, which "accelerated" conversations between Dolan and Jackson as Jackson has made it clear he wanted to move on from Melo. 
 
Back in April, it was reported that New York picked up the option on the rest of Jackson's contract, which runs through the end of the 2018-19 season.
 
Jackson's tenure with the Knicks has been marked by the sort of dysfunction that his arrival was supposed to end. The Charles Oakley incident wasn't his fault, but the Carmelo Anthony saga has harmed his reputation, and his decision to go after veterans like Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah has set the franchise back.
 
Jackson spoke openly about moving Anthony and building something new, but the would-be franchise player, Kristaps Porzingis, is unhappy with the organization and was recently made available in trade talks, which Jackson discussed in a television interview. With free agency around the corner, Anthony reportedly seeking a buyout and Porzingis a fan of Anthony, it is entirely unclear what the team might look like next season.
 
There are two years and $24 million left on the contract of the 71-year-old Jackson. He has spent the last three years running the Knicks.

Blackhawks Agree With D Pokka

Posted About Six Years Ago

The Chicago Blackhawks have agreed to a one-year contract with defenseman Ville Pokka.
 
Pokka spent last season with Rockford of the American Hockey League, finishing with six goals and 24 assists, but he could get a longer look from the NHL club this year. The Blackhawks traded defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson to Arizona last week, and Brian Campbell and Johnny Oduya are free agents.
 
The Blackhawks announced the deal on Tuesday.
 
Chicago acquired the 23-year-old Pokka when it traded Nick Leddy to the New York Islanders in October 2014.
 
Chicago announced Monday it had agreed to a two-year contract with goaltender Anton Forsberg and a one-year extension with forward Tomas Jurco that runs through the 2017-18 season.

Florida Wins College World Series

Posted About Six Years Ago

The University of Florida has won the College World Series, securing the first national title in baseball in the history of the school. It's rather surprising that this was the first title, given that Florida has won 13 SEC championships and appeared in 11 College World Series, but 2017 was the first time the Gators achieved the ultimate goal. 
 
The final score was 6-1, as coach Kevin O'Sullivan saw his group accomplish what his 2011 Gators failed to do: come through in the CWS championship series. 
 
Tuesday's clincher certainly had its fair share of tense moments. The Gators took an early 2-0 lead thanks to a pair of unearned runs. 
 
In the bottom of the first, second baseman Deacon Liput led off and reached on an error. A pair of singles by shortstop Dalton Guthrie and first baseman JJ Schwarz would plate him for a 1-0 lead. 
 
For the Gators, Tyler Dyson started the game and was very good. He worked six-plus innings, giving up one run on three hits. Jonathan India collected a pair of hits, including Florida's only extra-base hit (a double). Liput was 2 for 5 with a run and three RBI. Schwarz drove home two. Guthrie had a pair of hits. Horvath scored twice and drove home a big run by getting hit with a pitch to make it 3-1. In all, though, it was Florida's run prevention and some good fortune along the way that helped secure this title. 
 
Florida joins Michigan, Ohio State and UCLA as the only schools to have won a national championship in baseball, football and basketball. 

Cardinals, Cubs Win; White Sox Lose

Posted About Six Years Ago

Randall Grichuk homered for the second straight game and the Cardinals broke out the bats again for an 8-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday.
 
Grichuk, who was hitting .222 when he was demoted last month, is 4 for 10 with two homers, four RBIs and three runs scored since his recall on Sunday. His two-run homer in the fourth inning was his sixth of the season.
 
The Cardinals avoided a three-game sweep with an 8-4 win over the Pirates on Sunday night. On Monday, a makeup from the April 29 contest that was postponed because of severe weather, they scored eight more runs on 13 hits.
 
Grichuk and Jedd Gyorko each had two hits, including a homer, and three RBIs. 
 
Gyorko's shot extended the Cardinals' streak to 15 consecutive games with a home run.
 
Tommy Pham had two hits, walked twice, stole a base and scored three runs. Paul DeJong added three hits.
 
Michael Wacha, who began the day with an 8.17 ERA over his last seven starts, limited the Reds to one run on five hits in six innings. He struck out five and walked one.
 
Brandon Finnegan (1-1) was activated off the disabled list after missing more than two months because of a shoulder problem. The lefty exited in the fourth with a strained left triceps, an injury he said was different than his previous issue.
 
Finnegan gave up three runs in the first inning. He allowed three hits and four walks overall.
 
Adam Duvall had a pair of sacrifice flies for the Reds.
 
Carlos Martinez (6-6, 2.87) will open a three-game series at Arizona on Tuesday night. He is 2-5 with a 4.29 ERA in seven road starts this season.
 
>>Cubs Hold On As Nats Rally Late
 
The Washington Nationals scored four runs in the ninth before Wade Davis struck out big league batting leader Ryan Zimmerman with runners on second and third to blunt a comeback bid, and the Chicago Cubs preserved a 5-4 victory in the opener of a four game series Monday night in Washington. 
 
In jeopardy of being shut out for the first time this season, the Nationals' comeback began against Hector Rondon and continued when Davis became the Cubs' eighth pitcher of the game.
 
With Washington down 5-3, Bryce Harper's single and third hit of the game loaded the bases with two outs. Davis threw a wild pitch that scored a run before striking out a swinging Zimmerman, who's hitting .344. The final pitch bounced, and catcher Willson Contreras zipped a low throw to first baseman Anthony Rizzo to close out the victory.
 
Contreras hit a leadoff home run in his first career game-opening at-bat and Eddie Butler (4-2) worked five scoreless innings to keep the Cubs ahead.
 
Gio Gonzalez (7-2) allowed a run and two hits, striking out eight over six innings in his sixth start.
 
Chicago made it 2-0 on Albert Amora Jr.'s squeeze bunt single in the eighth. The Cubs scored three more in the ninth, capped by Javier Baez's two-run double. The shortstop struck out three times before singling and scoring on Amora's squeeze.
 
Baez made two exceptional plays at short, diving to snatch Harper's liner in the third, then racing a long way into foul ground to make a sliding catch on Adam Lind's popup in the eighth.
 
The series continues Tuesday when the league's last two Cy Young winners square off as Washington's defending NL Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (7-1, 2.96) and Cubs 2015 Cy Young winner and 2016 All-Star Jake Arrieta (7-5, 4.36) both go in search of their third win in June.
 
>>Yankees Edge White Sox
 
Jordan Montgomery matched his season high with seven solid innings and closer Aroldis Chapman shut down a ninth-inning rally just in time, lifting the Yankees over the Chicago White Sox 6-5 on Monday night.
 
New York led 6-1 entering the ninth, but Yankees reliever Chasen Shreve gave up a three-run homer to Tim Anderson and Chapman allowed an RBI double to Jose Abreu. Chapman retired Avisail Garcia and Todd Frazier to finish his eighth save and first since returning from the disabled list a week ago.
 
Recently recalled outfielder Tyler Austin lined a solo homer and had a sacrifice fly for New York, which won for the third time in 13 games to keep pace with Boston atop the AL East.
 
Yankees second baseman Starlin Castro returned to the starting lineup after getting a shot in his wrist Saturday, but strained his right hamstring running out a grounder in the third. He was replaced by Rob Refsnyder in bottom of the inning.
 
Austin Romine and Ronald Torreyes each drove in runs with sac flies.
Montgomery improved to 4-0 over his last five starts. The 6-foot-6 left-hander allowed five hits, struck out eight and walked one.
 
Todd Frazier hit a solo homer for the only run off Montgomery (6-4). New York took advantage of three Chicago errors to score four unearned runs off starter David Holmberg (1-2).
 
The Yankees activated outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury from the disabled list and put him in center field. Out since May 24 with a concussion, he had a single in five at-bats and scored twice.
 
Luis Severino (5-3, 3.30 ERA) will try to get back on track against Chicago LHP Jose Quintana (4-8, 4.69), who has won his past two starts. The 23-year-old Severino gave up a season-high six runs to the Angels in his last start and lost for the first time since May 1.

Rockies, Cubs Make Swap

Posted About Six Years Ago

The Colorado Rockies have traded for another left-hander, getting Zac Rosscup from the Chicago Cubs for righy Matt Carasiti.
The Rockies made the deal Monday. They also put lefty starter Tyler Anderson on the disabled list.
 
Colorado said Rosscup would be optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque. He was designated for assignment Thursday after making one appearance for the reigning World Series champions, getting two outs in a game May 22 against the Giants.
 
Carasiti had been at Triple-A. He made 19 appearances last year in the only major league time of his career, going 1-0 with a 9.19 ERA with 11 walks and 17 strikeouts. At Albuquerque this season, he was 1-1 with a 2.37 ERA in 27 outings.

Florida Takes 1-0 College World Series Lead

Posted About Six Years Ago

Game 1 of the 2017 College World Series finals belonged to the Florida Gators, who bested the LSU Tigers by a 4-3 final. 
 
The key for the Gators was starting pitcher Brady Singer, who struck out 12 batters across seven innings -- the most ever in a CWS game. Singer held the Tigers to two runs, allowing seven hits and two walks. His line required 105 pitches. Not bad for a sophomore.
 
the Gators were paced by their Nos. 5-7 hitters, a threesome that collectively recorded three hits and drove in four runs. That included third baseman Jonathan India, who notched two RBI on a fourth-inning double. Left fielder Austin Langworthy and catcher Mike Rivera were responsible for the other runs batted in.
 
LSU, meanwhile, saw Russell Reynolds and Nick Bush each pitch 3 1/3 innings. Left fielder Antoine Duplantis and right fielder Greg Deichmann supplied LSU's multi-hit games, while Duplantis, third baseman Josh Smith, and DH Beau Jordan drove in a run apiece. 
 
The Gators and Tigers will play a potentially decisive Game 2 on Tuesday night. If the Gators win, they're national champs for the first time in NCAA history; if the Tigers win, there will be a winner-takes-all game on Wednesday. 

Westbrook Wins NBA MVP

Posted About Six Years Ago

At the NBA Awards show in New York, Russell Westbrook was named the NBA's Most Valuable Player after what might have been one of the most competitive MVP races ever.
 
Westbrook wins the award over James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and LeBron James, who was not nominated. All three were very deserving but only one is able to win it. At the end of the day voters couldn't help but be swayed by Westbrook's triple double numbers. 
 
His raw production might have not been as efficient as Harden's, but what he did on a basketball court was truly impressive. The OKC superstar averaged 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 10.4 assists while leading the league in scoring. 
 
Furthering Westbrook's case was that he clearly carried the Thunder on a nightly basis. Oklahoma City just wasn't the same team when he left the floor and that may have been what sealed the deal for many voters. This is the Most "Valuable" Player award and carrying that roster to the playoffs is obvious value. 
 
Most Valuable Player: Russell Westbrook (OKC)
Defensive Player of the Year: Draymond Green (GSW)
Most Improved Player: Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL)
Sixth Man of the Year: Eric Gordon (HOU)
Coach of the Year: Mike D'Antoni (HOU)
Rookie of the Year: Malcolm Brogdon (MIL)
Executive of the Year: Bob Myers (GSW)

Illinois Considering Adding Hockey

Posted About Six Years Ago

The University of Illinois is getting an assist from the NHL and NHL Players' Association to evaluate the possibility of establishing men's and women's hockey teams.
 
Athletic director Josh Whitman says initial research revealed several factors suggesting that hockey could be popular on campus. He noted there remain unanswered questions including funding programs, facility needs and Title IX considerations.
 
Illinois sponsored hockey as a varsity sport from 1938-43.
 
Illinois became the first of what could be as many as five schools to receive assistance with the money the NHL and NHLPA have committed to support growing the U.S. college game.
 
Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula took part in the announcement after he donated $102 million to build an arena and establish hockey programs at his alma mater, Penn State.

Blues, Blackhawks Make Trades

Posted About Six Years Ago

The Chicago Blackhawks have re-acquired forward Brandon Saad in a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets, parting with top young forward Artemi Panarin to complete the blockbuster deal.
 
The 24-year-old Saad spent his first four seasons with Chicago, helping the Blackhawks win two Stanley Cups. Concerned about their ability to re-sign Saad when he became a restricted free agent in 2015, the Blackhawks traded the rugged winger to the Blue Jackets.
 
He had 24 goals and 29 assists in 82 games for Columbus last season.
 
The Blackhawks also received goaltender Anton Forsberg and a 2018 fifth-round draft pick in Friday's trade in exchange for forwards Panarin and Tyler Motte and Chicago's sixth-round selection on Saturday.
 
The loss of Panarin is a big blow for Chicago. He teamed with Patrick Kane and Artem Anisimov to form one of the NHL's most potent lines the past couple seasons.
 
The Arizona Coyotes have acquired defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks.
 
The 30-year-old Hjalmarsson had spent his entire 10-year career with Chicago, helping the Blackhawks to three Stanley Cup titles. He had five goals, 13 assists and a team-high 181 blocked shots in 73 games last season.
 
The Blackhawks received defenseman Connor Murphy and forward Laurent Dauphin in Friday's trade. The 24-year-old Murphy had two goals and a career-high 15 assists in 77 games with Arizona last season. Dauphin, 22, has appeared in 32 NHL games over the last two seasons.
 
The trade comes with Arizona in a bit of turmoil. The team announced Thursday on the eve of the NHL draft that coach Dave Tippett was out after eight seasons.
 
>>Blues Acquire C Schenn
 
The St. Louis Blues acquired center Brayden Schenn from the Philadelphia Flyers in completing two trades during the first round of the NHL draft Friday night.
 
In exchange for the three-time 20-goal-scorer, the Flyers got the Blues' first-round pick this year, a conditional first-round pick in next year's draft and third-year forward Jori Lehtera.
 
The Blues weren't done dealing. They traded back into the first round by acquiring the No. 31 pick from the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins. St. Louis also acquired rookie forward Oskar Sundqvist.
 
The Penguins added toughness by acquiring seven-year veteran forward Ryan Reaves and the Blues' second-round pick, 51st overall.
 
In Schenn, the Blues add a playmaker who had 25 goals and 30 assists for 55 points in 79 games last season. Overall, he has 109 goals and 246 points in 424 games over eight NHL seasons.
 
Schenn does carry a hefty contract, which represents a $5.125 million cap hit in each of the next three seasons.
 
The Flyers used the Blues' pick, 27th overall, to select center Morgan Frost. Lehtera was selected in the third round of the 2008 draft. He had seven goals and 22 points in 64 games last year.
 
>>Oshie Re-Ups With Caps
 
So much for T.J. Oshie heading to the Chicago Blackhawks as a replacement for the jettisoned Artemi Panarin.
 
The Washington Capitals have re-signed their 30-year-old right wing to an eight-year contract that will pay him $46 million, preventing No. 77 from testing the open market.
 
Left unprotected in the NHL's recent Vegas Golden Knights expansion draft as a pending free agent, Oshie tallied a career-best 33 goals in 2016-17, totaling at least 51 points for the fifth time in six seasons. Now, with an annual salary cap hit of $5.75 million under his new deal, the former St. Louis Blues forward is set to remain in Washington until he's 38.
 
Oshie had more than a solid year at age 30 and he's a proven contributor up front for a team that might or might not be looking to shift from dependence on Alex Ovechkin as it looks to snap an all-too-familiar streak of early playoff exits.

Spieth Wins Travelers Championship

Posted About Six Years Ago

Golf wunderkind Jordan Spieth gave his sport its highlight of the year and one of its best celebrations ever thanks to his unthinkably smooth, birdie-making greenside bunker chip-in to take the 18th-hole playoff over Daniel Berger in the Travelers Championship on Sunday afternoon.
 
One that we may never see the likes of again. Spieth's shot popped up from behind the grassy wall and happily bounced a few times before strolling into the cup. 
 
Spieth finished 12-under in regulation with the birdie from beyond giving him a 10th PGA Tour victory at age 23. It came in a more memorable sequence than he could have envisioned. With this trophy, Spieth is the second golfer since World War II to win at least PGA Tour events before his 24th birthday. Tiger Woods, of course, is the other (15). 
 
The title vaults Spieth back to the front of the line for validation as the best golfer in the world. And this win, at this venue, in his first appearance at TPC River Highlands, gives birth a long-awaited mainstream moment for one of the PGA Tour's most underrated events. 
 
Travelers hit big in 2017 by bringing in Spieth, Jason Day and Rory McIlroy. The Ulsterman said Sunday that he'll definitely be back. The fact Spieth won in his first appearance here, the way he did, is beyond movie-making creativity.  
 
Spieth's the third wire-to-wire winner in this event's history. This is his second wire-to-wire to win on American soil -- the other being the 2015 Masters. And it's the first time Spieth's taken a tournament title in his first appearance at a course.  
 
Patrick Reed finished nine-under in a tie for fifth. McIlroy tied for sixteenth at six-under for the tournament after playing even par the first 54 holes. Defending Travelers Champ Jim Furyk finished five-under. Rookie Bryson DeChambeau finished five-under as well. 

Bulls Trade Butler on NBA Draft Night

Posted About Six Years Ago

The Minnesota Timberwolves have acquired Jimmy Butler from the Chicago Bulls in a draft-night trade. Butler was the subject of trade rumors since the season ended and will be reunited with former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau in Minnesota. The Bulls received the rights to No. 7 pick, forward Lauri Markkanen, and along with guards Zach LaVine and Kris Dunn. The Wolves received the rights to No. 16 pick, center Justin Patton, along with Butler.
Butler had said he didn't want to be traded, but the Bulls have been wanting to move him for quite some time. Due to this trade, Butler will no longer qualify for the super max contract, but he does get to play on one of the brightest young teams in the NBA. He'll immediately be the best player in Minnesota while having a chance to grow with their young core.
 
Going to Chicago will be rising shooting guard LaVine. LaVine was playing incredible basketball last season before going down with a knee injury. He's a dead-eye 3-point shooter and can jump out of the gym. If he's healthy, the Bulls have acquired one of the stronger guards in the NBA.
 
The champion Warriors didn't have a pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, but that didn't stop them from swooping in to take a player that they apparently really liked.
 
According to Marcus Thompson of The Mercury News, the Warriors paid $3.5 million to the Chicago Bulls for the rights to second-rounder Jordan Bell, the No. 38 overall pick in the draft.
 
A 6-7 forward, Bell averaged 10.9 points and 8.8 rebounds in leading Oregon to the Final Four last season as a junior. He'll likely play power forward or even small-ball center for the Warriors, who clearly liked him enough to fork over a hefty sum to get him.
 
With the status of David West, Zaza Pachulia and JaVale McGee uncertain as they enter free agency, Bell might get a chance to compete with James McAdoo and Kevon Looney for Golden State's reserve frontcourt minutes.
 
>>Fultz Goes No. 1 To Philadelphia, Ball To Lakers
 
The top three picks in Thursday night's NBA Draft went as expected with the 76ers trading up to take the No. 1 pick and the Celtics trading down to No. 3. 
 
Philadelphia selected Markelle Fultz out of Washington at No. 1. 
 
The Celtics wound up grabbing Jayson Tatum (Duke) at No. 3 which some might have considered a reach. 
 
Then there's the Lakers, which made Lonzo Ball's wish come true.  
 
Josh Jackson (Kansas) went to the Suns at No. 4 and Kentucky guard DeAaron Fox went to Sacramento at No. 5.
 
The Lakers had three first round picks, selecting Kyle Kuzma from Utah at No. 27 and Josh Hart from Villanova at No. 30.
 
Sacramento also took Frank Mason (Kansas) at No. 34.

 

White Sox, Cubs Win; Cardinals Lose; Cubs Send Schwarber to AAA Iowa

Posted About Six Years Ago

Jose Abreu and Todd Frazier each hit two-run homers in the first inning , Jose Quintana cruised behind the extra support, and the White Sox beat Minnesota 9-0 on Thursday after a rain-delayed start of 4 hours and 50 minutes that was the longest in Twins history.
Quintana (4-8) departed with two outs in the seventh inning after throwing 113 pitches. He scattered just five singles while striking out nine without a walk for his second consecutive victory.
 
The White Sox have scored 20 runs in the last two turns for Quintana, whose run-support average of 3.91 per game since 2012 entering the afternoon was the third-lowest in the major leagues among active pitchers. That included no runs in four of his first seven starts this year.
 
Matt Davidson had three hits with a home run , and Adam Engel had four hits and the first two RBIs of his career.
 
Mike Pelfrey (3-5, 3.56 ERA) will pitch Friday in Chicago to start a three-game series against Oakland.
 
>>Cubs Blast Marlins
 
Addison Russell tied a career high with four hits, including a home run, to pace the Chicago Cubs to an 11-1 victory over the Miami Marlins on Thursday night.
 
Russell drove in two and also had two doubles, giving him three extra-base hits in a game for the first time in his career. He is hitting .382 (13 for 34) with four home runs and 10 RBIs in his last 10 games.
Kris Bryant had a three-run homer, Willson Contreras added a two-run shot and Ian Happ also had four hits and drove in a pair for the Cubs, who have won four of five.
 
Jake Arrieta (7-5) pitched seven innings, allowing one run and six hits. He struck out three and did not walk a batter over 82 pitches.
 
Arrieta also picked up two of the Cubs' 16 hits.
 
It was the first of an 11-game, 11-day trip for the Cubs, who entered having won six of their previous 22 road games.
 
Jeff Locke (0-3) allowed five runs and seven hits in four innings for the Marlins.
 
Marcell Ozuna hit his 20th home run for the Marlins to cut the deficit to 2-1.
 
Ozuna went 2 for 4, giving him his 30th multihit game of the season. His career high for multihit games in a season is 39 set last year.
 
John Lackey (5-7, 4.98 ERA) will start the second game of the series Friday. Lackey is 1-2 with a 5.01 ERA in five starts against the Marlins.
 
Jose Urena (5-2, 3.64) will take the mound Friday. Urena has won his last four decisions over six starts.
 
>>Phillies Down Cardinals
 
Aaron Nola pitched shutout ball into the eighth inning, Freddy Galvis and Tommy Joseph homered, and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-1 Thursday to stop a five-game losing streak.
Nola (4-5) allowed one run, four hits and two walks in 7 1/3 innings and struck out eight.
 
Joseph drove in three runs as Philadelphia, a major league-worst 23-48, won for just the second time in 15 games.
 
Paul DeJong homered on a hanging curveball leading off the eighth, pulling the Cardinals to 3-1, and Matt Carpenter walked with one out. Pat Neshek relieved and got Tommy Pham to ground into an inning-ending double play, and Luis Garcia followed with a perfect ninth.
 
Carlos Martinez (6-6) gave up three runs - two earned - and six hits with four strikeouts in six innings. The Cardinals, who made three errors, had won their previous five games against the Phillies.
 
Galvis homered in the first and Joseph leading off the fifth. With two on and two outs, Andres Blanco scored from second on an errant flip to second by shortstop Aledmys Diaz after his fine grab of Galvis' liner up the middle.
 
Left fielder Jose Martinez dropped Odubel Herrera's fly ball in the eighth for a two-base error, and Joseph followed with a two-run, two-out single.
 
Cardinals' Yadier Molina extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a seventh-inning single. He is batting .293 over the stretch.
 
Adam Wainwright (7-5, 5.75) is to start for St. Louis as the Cardinals open a three-game home series against the Pirates.
 
>>Cubs Send Schwarber to AAA
 
The Chicago Cubs have demoted struggling slugger Kyle Schwarber to Triple-A Iowa.
 
Schwarber, the fourth overall pick in the 2014 amateur draft, is batting just .171 with 12 homers and 28 RBIs in 64 games. There was no immediate announcement of a corresponding move.
 
Schwarber made his major league debut in 2015 and hit .246 with 16 homers and 43 RBIs in 69 games. He missed most of last season with a leg injury after a frightening outfield collision, then returned in October to help the Cubs win the World Series for the first time since 1908.
 
Chicago is 36-35 heading into Thursday night's game at Miami.
 
The Cubs also placed RF Jason Heyward (left hand abrasion) on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to June 19.

Big Round To Start Travelers Championship For Spieth

Posted About Six Years Ago

Jordan Spieth picked up where he left off at the U.S. Open last week at Erin Hills, with a birdie. In fact, Spieth birdied three of his first four holes and five of his first eight en route to a 7-under 63 in Round 1 of the Travelers Championship. 
 
He made eight birds in all and shot the lowest first round of his PGA Tour career.
 
Spieth finished in the top five in the field on Thursday in strokes gained on approach shots.
 
Spieth still has a long way to go, and he has monumental chasers in Rory McIlroy (3 under) and Patrick Reed (3 under).
 
Defending Travelers Champion Jim Furyk is three-under.

NHL Considering Penalty For Failed Offside Challenge

Posted About Six Years Ago

The NHL is considering issuing a minor penalty for a failed coach's challenge for offside.
 
The penalty would be instead of losing a timeout for a failed challenge under the current rules. The league's general managers discussed the possible change at a meeting Thursday ahead of this weekend's NHL draft in Chicago.
 
Replay reviews for possible offside have attracted attention in the playoffs the past two years. Penguins coach Mike Sullivan got a Nashville goal wiped out in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final in May. St. Louis star Vladimir Tarasenko had a playoff goal wiped out by a razor-thin offside ruling during a series against Chicago in 2016.
 
NHL executive Colin Campbell says the next stop for the possible rule change is the league's competition committee.

Blackhawks' Hossa To Miss 2017-18 Season With Skin Disorder

Posted About Six Years Ago

Blackhawks winger Marian Hossa will miss the entire 2017-18 NHL season because of a progressive skin disorder.
 
The team announced the news on Wednesday. The 38-year-old veteran says severe side effects associated with medication to treat the skin disorder has made playing hockey next season impossible.
 
Hossa says he has privately been undergoing treatment for the last few years under the supervision of Chicago's medical staff.
 
Dr. Michael Terry said the team strongly supports Hossa's decision not to play and is the appropriate approach to "keep him functional and healthy in the short term and throughout his life." General manager Stan Bowman calls Hossa's absence a significant loss.
 
Hossa, a 19-year veteran, has only missed 46 games over the past six seasons. He had 45 points last season.

Cardinals Outlast Phillies in 10; Cubs, White Sox Lose

Posted About Six Years Ago

Tommy Pham's second solo homer off Hector Neris in the ninth inning tied it and the St. Louis Cardinals came back from a 5-0 deficit to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-6 in 10 innings Wednesday night.
 
Jedd Gyorko hit a two-run homer and pinch-hitter Jose Martinez also connected for St. Louis.
 
The game went to extra innings after Freddy Galvis lined a double down the left-field line with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, but Odubel Herrera ran through a stop sign, around third-base coach Juan Samuel and was thrown out by 10 feet. He didn't even attempt to slide and was pulled from the game in a double switch.
 
Martinez led off the 10th with a double to right off Edubray Ramos (0-6). He advanced to third on a balk and scored when Ramos made a throwing error on a pickoff attempt at first base after Dexter Fowler was intentionally walked. Yadier Molina added an RBI single.
 
Phillies starter Nick Pivetta had a career-high 10 strikeouts and allowed three runs and four hits in six innings. The rookie right-hander fanned nine in seven scoreless innings in his previous outing against Boston - also a no-decision. The Cardinals won their second straight extra-inning game after losing five of six.
 
The Phillies have lost 13 of 14 and 39 of 50. They have the worst record in the majors (22-48).
 
Cardinals starter Michael Wacha gave up five runs - two earned - and nine hits in four innings. Brett Cecil (1-2) got two outs to earn the win. Seung Hwan Oh allowed a run but finished for his 16th save in 18 tries.
 
The Phillies jumped ahead 3-0 in the first inning. The runs were unearned because of a fielding error by second baseman Greg Garcia.
 
After Garcia booted a double-play grounder, Maikel Franco drove in the first run with a fielder's choice grounder and Herrera ripped a two-run double to right-center.
 
Garcia made a throwing error in the fourth that allowed another run as the Phillies took a 5-0 lead.
 
Pham hit his eighth homer in the fifth. Gyorko went deep in the sixth for his 11th homer. Martinez hit one off Joaquin Benoit in the eighth to cut it to 5-4. Pham drove one out to straightaway center to tie it in the ninth.
 
Fowler left the game with left quad tightness after scoring from second base on a single for the seventh run.
 
Carlos Martinez (6-5, 2.86 ERA) starts the series finale Thursday afternoon. He's 3-0 with 20 strikeouts in 23 innings in three starts vs. the Philadelphia.
 
Aaron Nola (3-5, 4.76) goes against the Cardinals. He's 1-1 against them.
 
>>Padres Edge Cubs
 
Erick Aybar hit a tying home run in the sixth inning, Luis Torrens walked with the bases loaded against Koji Uehara in the eighth and the Padres stopped a three-game losing streak by beating the Chicago Cubs 3-2 on Wednesday.
 
Torrens, a rookie who started at catcher for the second straight game for the injured Austin Hedges, took a 3-1 fastball that sailed inside with two outs to force in the go-ahead run.
Uehara (2-4), the fifth of six Cubs relievers, replaced Pedro Strop starting the eighth and allowed singles to Wil Myers leading off and Cory Spangenberg with one out.
 
Aybar was intentionally walked, loading the bases, Matt Szczur fouled out and then the 21-year-old Torrens walked.
 
Chicago rookie Ian Happ hit a two-run homer in the fourth against reliever Craig Stammen, going deep for the second straight game and third time in four. Happ is hitting just .221, but has gone deep 10 times.
 
Phil Maton (1-0), the third of five Padres relievers, pitched a scoreless seventh for his first major league win. Brandon Maurer got two outs for his 13th save in 15 chances.
 
Maton, a 24-year-old from Chatham, Illinois, was delighted with where he got the victory.
 
Miguel Diaz, making his third major league start, left with one out in the third inning because of a right forearm strain. He allowed one hit and a walk, then was replaced by Stammen.
 
Cubs starter Eddie Butler gave up one run, five hits and three walks in four-plus innings, leaving after Stammen doubled leading off the fifth and scored on Pirella's single.
 
Chicago's Anthony Rizzo went 0 for 4, stopping a career-high 14-game hitting streak. He failed to reach base in his opening at-bat for the first time since being moved the leadoff spot eight games earlier.
 
Kyle Schwarber went 0 for 3, dropping his average to .171. He missed Tuesday's game, a day after fouling a pitch off his right ankle on Monday. 
 
Jake Arrieta (6-5, 4.64) is to open an 11-game tip Friday at Miami, which starts LHP Jeff Locke (0-2, 4.58). Arrieta has failed to finish the fifth inning in his last two starts, allowing seven runs, nine hits and five walks in nine innings.
 
>>Twins Double Up White Sox
 
Jose Berrios finished eight innings for a second straight start and Miguel Sano homered for the second consecutive game as the Twins beat the Chicago White Sox 4-2 on Wednesday night behind two of their brightest young stars.
 
Berrios struck out eight with just four hits and one walk against him.
 
Sano hit his 18th home run, tying the game to start a three-run third inning off a 3-0 fastball from David Holmberg (1-1) with an opposite-field drive to the second deck in right-center . The 24-year-old Sano, on a break from third base to serve as the designated hitter, is third in the AL with 52 RBIs.
 
Brandon Kintzler pitched a scoreless ninth inning for the second straight night, notching his 19th save in 22 opportunities. The Twins (36-33) improved to 7-3 against the White Sox this season, using their last-place rival for a much-needed lift following a four-game sweep here over the weekend by division-leading Cleveland.
 
AL batting leader Avisail Garcia put the White Sox in front with an RBI single in the first inning, and Adam Engel came home during a groundball double play in the third inning after a leadoff double.
 
Brian Dozier had an RBI double and Max Kepler added an RBI single, as they both joined Eduardo Escobar with two hits apiece. Ehire Adrianza drove in a run and had three of Minnesota's four steals.
 
Jose Quintana (3-8, 5.07 ERA) will take the mound on Thursday afternoon, coming off one of his best starts of what has been his worst of six major league seasons. Quintana, an All-Star in 2016, is 0-4 in his last five appearances against the Twins.
 
Nik Turley (0-1, 12.46 ERA) will take another turn in the rotation in the series finale, despite 17 hits, four walks and 12 runs allowed over 8 2/3 innings in his first two major league starts.
 
>>Russell's Wife Files For Divorce
 
Addison Russell's wife has filed for divorce nearly two weeks after the Chicago Cubs shortstop was accused of hitting her.
 
Melisa Reidy-Russell filed the divorce petition in Cook County last week, according to a filing provided by her attorney, Thomas T. Field, on Wednesday. She is seeking full custody of the couple's young son along with child and other support.
 
Earlier this month, Reidy-Russell posted a photo on her Instagram account with a caption suggesting her husband had been unfaithful to her. In another post, a user - described by Melisa as a close friend - made the accusation that Russell had "hit" his wife.
 
Russell has denied the allegation. A statement released by Field's communications firm said Reidy-Russell "has declined the invitation from Major League Baseball to be interviewed relative to social media postings and allegations of domestic violence."

Travelers Championship Opens Today

Posted About Six Years Ago

We get a surprisingly star-studded field this week at the Travelers Championship from Cromwell, CT, the week after Brooks Koepka took the U.S. Open. Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Jason Day and Jordan Spieth will all play at TPC River Highlands, which makes for a great field anywhere, even more so the week after a major championship.
 
The last time we saw this course, it was being desecrated by Jim Furyk, who shot a stunning 58 in his final round at the 2016 Travelers Championship. With McIlroy and Day coming in off a missed cut at the U.S. Open, it might at least be threatened.
 
His U.S. Open missed cut was probably the least disconcerting of all the stars who missed simply because he hasn't played almost at all since the Masters. He seemed encouraged by ending his Friday with birdies in four of his final six holes.
 
McIlroy and Spieth top the odds to win the tournament at 10-1 while Jason Day is 11-1 favorites to take the tournament. 
 
Of the past 11 winners of this tournament, six have won their first PGA Tour event here. A lot of that is because stars and superstars mostly don't play the week after a major so that could flip this week, but it's at least worth keeping an eye on when it comes to golfers like Jamie Lovemark, Kevin Tway and Trey Mullinax.

Connor McDavid Wins NHL MVP Award; Sergei Bobrovsky Top Goaltender; Matthews Top Rookie

Posted About Six Years Ago

On a big night for Sidney Crosby, who was nominated for a pair of honors on the heels of a repeat Stanley Cup championship at Las Vegas' NHL awards on Wednesday night, it was the Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid who took home the biggest prize, becoming the youngest player to claim the Hart Trophy since Crosby did in 2007.
 
An unsurprising nominee for the title of league MVP, McDavid hit the 100-point mark as a 20-year-old centerpiece of Edmonton's offense in 2016-17. He became the first Oiler to reach that milestone since Doug Weight eclipsed the century mark in 1995-96, and his 30 multipoint games helped snap Edmonton's decade-long postseason drought.
 
A 14-game points streak highlighted his second-year campaign, which featured an even 30 goals to go along with 70 assists, and ensured his capture of the Art Ross Trophy as the league's leading points scorer.
 
The Hart Trophy, then, is just the latest in what's sure to be a long line of career-long accolades for McDavid if the young Oilers standout's 2016-17 campaign was any indication of what's to come.
 
Sergei Bobrovsky may have been bested by the eventual Stanley Cup champions in the opening round of this year's Stanley Cup playoffs, but his efforts as the Columbus Blue Jackets' goaltender in 2016-17 did not go unnoticed.
 
The 28-year-old veteran claimed the Vezina Trophy for the second time in four years during Wednesday's NHL awards ceremony in Las Vegas.
 
Bobrovsky's 41 wins in 63 starts broke a Blue Jackets record and paved the way for his team's monumental jump in the standings toward a postseason berth. His 2.06 goals-against average and .931 save percentage led the league. And his 14-game winning streak, which kicked off in November and lasted into the new year, was tied for the second longest in NHL history, propelling the Blue Jackets to a 32-point standings improvement from the season before.
 
The first pick in the NHL draft a year ago, Auston Matthews claimed the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie during Wednesday's NHL awards ceremony in Las Vegas, and his first-year numbers back up the recognition.
 
With 40 goals for Toronto, he not only outpaced fellow nominees Patrik Laine and Zach Werenski but tied for second among all NHL players, setting Maple Leafs records for most goals and points in a rookie season. His 69 points and 279 shots on goal also led all rookies, and he became just the second teenage rookie to hit the 40-goal mark in the last three decades.
 
The NHL also says that Matthews was the first player in the modern era of the league (i.e. since the early 1940s) to score four goals in his first NHL game. And he also became the first rookie to light the lamp 40 times in a season since the Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin exploded onto the scene in 2005-06.

Cubs, Cardinals Win; White Sox Lose

Posted About Six Years Ago

Anthony Rizzo's home run on the second pitch from Jhoulys Chacin (6-6) was the third leading off in seven games since Rizzo was moved to first in the order and lifted the Chicago Cubs to a Monday night 4-0 victory over the San Diego Padres.
 
In those seven games, he is 6 for 6 with a walk to open the first inning.
Rizzo's home run was his 17th of the season. Rookie Ian Happ added his ninth in the eighth inning for the Cubs, who won their third straight.
 
Mike Montgomery (1-3) allowed three hits and two walks in six innings, striking out four. Twelve of his other 14 outs came on ground balls.
 
Carl Edwards Jr. and Pedro Strop both allowed two baserunners apiece but pitched out of jams while each throwing an inning, and Justin Grimm had a perfect ninth.
 
The Padres had five hits but left eight runners stranded.
 
Addison Russell hit an RBI single in the fourth inning to make it 2-0. Pinch-hitter Albert Almora Jr. added an RBI double in the eighth.
 
Chacin struck out six batters in six innings, allowing two runs and five hits. Catcher Luis Torrens had two hits.
 
The teams will meet for the series finale Wednesday as Cubs RHP Eddie Butler (3-2, 4.41) faces Padres RHP Miguel Diaz (1-1, 7.36).
 
>>Cardinals Bats Come Alive in 11th for Win Over Phillies
 
Tommy Pham hit a two-run homer as part of a seven-run 11th inning to help the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Philadelphia Phillies 8-1 on Tuesday night.
 
Stephen Piscotty had a two-run double off Casey Fien after Edubray Ramos (0-5) started the inning with two walks. Yadier Molina and Pham followed with homers as the Cardinals had their biggest output of the season in an inning.
 
Fien gave up both homers and then a single to Chad Huffman and double to Carpenter before the pitcher was removed. Philadelphia has now lost 12 of its last 13 games.
 
Mike Leake started the game for St. Louis and allowed one run and three hits in six innings.
 
Jeremy Hellickson gave up six hits and a run in seven innings. His only blemish was a solo homer for Jedd Gyorko in the second inning.
 
Both bullpens pitched well until the Phillies' imploded in the 11th inning. Kevin Siegrist (1-1) pitched one inning in relief for St. Louis to earn the win. The Cardinals relievers pitched five shutout innings allowing just four singles.
 
Philadelphia scored its lone run of the game on a Maikel Franco RBI single after Leake walked the first two batters in the fourth inning.
 
The Cardinals improved to 4-0 against the Phillies this month. St. Louis is 3-12 against everyone else in June.
 
Michael Wacha (3-3, 4.78) had six quality starts in his first seven outings, but has had only one in his last five starts - it came against the Phillies.
 
Nick Pivetta (1-3, 4.46) is coming off the best start of his young career. He threw seven shutout innings against the Boston Red Sox and struck out nine in what was a no decision.
 
>>Twins Outslug White Sox
 
Kennys Vargas hit a 483-foot drive and Miguel Sano added another long homer to help the Minnesota Twins bounce back from a demoralizing sweep by beating the Chicago White Sox 9-7 on Tuesday night.
 
The homers helped the Twins overcome a rough outing from Ervin Santana (9-4), who gave up six runs on 10 hits and struck out six in five innings. Brandon Kintzler pitched the ninth for his 18th save in 21 tries.
 
Jose Abreu went 4 for 5 with a home run and two doubles for the White Sox, and Avisail Garcia had a homer and two RBIs. He leads the American League with a .339 batting average.
 
Derek Holland (5-7) allowed seven runs and nine hits in 2 2/3 innings for Chicago.
 
Sano got things started for the Twins with a two-run shot in the first inning, and Vargas' drive landed in the second deck in left-center to highlight a five-run third that put Minnesota up 7-4. Only Yankees rookie Aaron Judge (495 feet) and Milwaukee's Keon Broxton (489 feet) have hit longer home runs this season, according to MLB's Statcast.
 
The White Sox pulled to 8-7 on Abreu's solo homer in the sixth, but Garcia made two errors in right field in the eighth to give the Twins a little cushion.
 
The White Sox left 14 runners on base, including the bases loaded in the sixth inning and two in the seventh and eighth.
 
David Holmberg (1-0, 2.63 ERA) pitches the second game of the series. He is 1-0 with a 3.71 ERA in four starts this season.
 
Jose Berrios (6-1, 2.74) gets the ball for Minnesota. The 22-year-old Berrios has gone at least six innings in five of his seven starts and is coming off of a career-high eight innings in a win over Seattle last week.

Wade Staying With Bulls

Posted About Six Years Ago

Dwyane Wade has told the Chicago Bulls that he is exercising his $23.8 million option and will remain with them next season, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Tuesday night.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because neither the Bulls nor Wade had spoken publicly about the matter. Wade had until next week to decide whether to opt in or become a free agent.
 
Wade averaged 18.3 points on 43 percent shooting last season, his first with the Bulls after 13 years in Miami. He missed 11 games in March with a fractured elbow, but he returned for Chicago's final three games to help the Bulls make the playoffs.
 
Wade made $23.2 million this past season. He turns 36 in January.

Former Bears WR Wilson Signs With Jets

Posted About Six Years Ago

The New York Jets have signed former Chicago Bears wide receiver Marquess Wilson.
 
The team announced the move Tuesday, adding depth to an inexperienced receiving corps.
 
Both Eric Decker and Brandon Marshall were cut this offseason in cost-saving moves, leaving Quincy Enunwa as the Jets' No. 1 receiver in front of several inexperienced players such as Robby Anderson and Charone Peake.
 
Wilson was a seventh-round draft pick of the Bears out of Washington State in 2013. He set the Cougars record with 3,207 yards receiving from 2000-12.
 
With the Bears, Wilson had 56 catches for 777 yards and three touchdowns. He played in three games last season because he broke his left foot, landing him on injured reserve. Wilson's best season was in 2015, when he caught 28 passes for 464 yards and a TD.

Former Notre Dame QB Zaire Headed To Florida

Posted About Six Years Ago

Former Notre Dame quarterback Malik Zaire says he's going to Florida.
 
Zaire announced his decision Tuesday on Instagram with a picture of the Gators logo, saying: "Official! I couldn't be happier to be a part of something special! Time to get to work."
 
Florida officials can't comment on prospective student-athletes until they enroll in school and attend class.
 
According to a person familiar with Zaire's transfer, the left-hander has been accepted into graduate school at Florida and is expected to attend classes next week. The person was not authorized to talk about it publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
 
Zaire is expected to compete for the starting job with redshirt freshmen Feleipe Franks and Kyle Trask as well as Luke Del Rio. Zaire missed most of the 2015 season because of a broken ankle and lost his starting job to DeShone Kizer in the 2016 season opener.

Lakers Trade G Russell, Hawks Trade Big Man Howard

Posted About Six Years Ago

After all sorts of rumors involving Paul George, Jimmy Butler, and Kristaps Porzingis, the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets have swept in under everyone's noses and reportedly made a shocking trade according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. 
 
The deal will reportedly send D'Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov to Brooklyn in exchange for Brook Lopez and the No. 27 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.
 
The Lakers, as you may recall, signed Mozgov to a four-year, $64M deal just last offseason which was widely panned as a big mistake at the time. Now, after Mozgov played just 54 games in his first season in Los Angeles, the Lakers have essentially given up on D'Angelo Russell in order to shed the three years left on his deal. 
 
With the trade, the Lakers begin their journey towards creating enough cap space to sign Paul George -- who has told the whole world that his first choice is to join the Lakers -- and perhaps LeBron James. 
 
Wojnarowski notes that the Lakers will indeed be taking Lonzo Ball with the No. 2 pick. 
 
The Atlanta Hawks are reportedly trading veteran Dwight Howard to the Charlotte Hornets, according to Marc Spears of ESPN on Tuesday. Howard will be playing for his third team in as many seasons. He had consistent stretches with both the Magic and Rockets, but his tenures with the Lakers and Hawks prove that a bad fit can be detrimental.
 
The deal will send Howard and the 31st pick in Thursday's NBA Draft to Charlotte in exchange for Miles Plumlee, Marco Belinelli and 41st pick, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. This is a decent gamble by the Hornets as Belinelli and Plumlee were both contracts that made future decisions difficult for Charlotte.
 
Howard has struggled to find a place that could bring out the best in him. He's battled with systems and coaches while gaining a reputation as a headache. 

Former Illinois Commit, Jeremiah Tilmon, Gets Alcohol Citation

Posted About Six Years Ago

University of Missouri police say freshman basketball player Jeremiah Tilmon was arrested for possession of alcohol by a minor and released after being given a summons.
 
Police Capt. Brian Weimer says Tilmon was pulled over early Friday for a traffic violation and the officer smelled alcohol.
 
Weimer said Tilmon was given a sobriety test and registered above the threshold of "zero tolerance" but under the limit for driving while intoxicated. Missouri law allows people under 21 to be cited for minor in possession if they are visibly intoxicated.
 
Patrick Crawford, a spokesman for the men's basketball team, says coach Cuonzo Martin was aware of the incident and it will be handled internally.
 
Tilmon, an incoming freshman from East St. Louis, Illinois, signed with the Tigers in May. Tilmon was committed to Illinois and former-coach John Groce, but decommited after Illinois fired Groce. 

Packers Fan Sues Over Bears' Sideline Ban of Green Bay Gear

Posted About Six Years Ago

One Green Bay Packers fan is going to court over a favorite Wisconsin pastime of disparaging the arch rival Chicago Bears.
 
Russell Beckman filed a lawsuit in federal court Friday accusing the Bears of violating his free-speech rights by prohibiting fans from wearing Packers apparel at Bears' pregame warmups. He is seeking a court order lifting the ban.
 
Beckman lives in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, near the Illinois state line and holds Bears seasons tickets. Season-ticket holders can attend certain pregame warmups on the sidelines.
The Bears sent Beckman an email before a December Bears-Packers game warning in capital letters, "NO OPPOSING TEAM GEAR WILL BE ALLOWED." He went in Packers apparel anyway and was turned away.Packers Fan Sues Over Bears' Sideline Ban of Green Bay Gear

Cubs Win; Cards in Philly, White Sox Taking on Twins

Posted About Six Years Ago

Willson Contreras hit a tying home run, Javier Baez scored the winning run on an error and Wade Davis worked out of a ninth-inning jam to lead the Cubs past the Padres 3-2 Monday night.
 
With the Cubs trailing 2-1 in the sixth, Rizzo led off with a triple. One out later, Kris Bryant hit a liner to shallow center that Matt Szczur made a running catch on and fired home to get Rizzo for the inning-ending double play - the fourth San Diego double play to that point behind starter Clayton Richard.
 
Hedges got the ball early and moved to apply the tag. Rizzo didn't slide and sort of dropped down to his knee as he crashed into the catcher, who tumbled backward. Hedges had to leave the game with a bruised right thigh.
 
Rizzo extended his career-high hitting streak to 13 games by going 2 for 3 with an RBI.
 
Jose Pirela and Yangervis Solarte each had a solo homer for the Padres, although Pirela's error allowed the winning run to score.
 
Hector Rondon (2-1) pitched a scoreless inning for the win. Davis had runners on second and third with one out, but struck out Wil Myers and got Hunter Renfroe to ground out for his 14th save in 14 chances.
 
Kirby Yates (1-1) allowed one unearned run to get the loss.
 
Szczur, claimed off waivers by the Padres from the Cubs last month, went 0 for 2 with a walk and a hit by pitch in his return to Wrigley Field.
 
Mike Montgomery (0-3, 2.56 ERA) goes in the middle game of the series and will face Padres RHP Jhoulys Chacin (6-5, 5.10).
 
>>Cardinals in Philadelphia This Week
 
The St. Louis Cardinals will face the one team they have had success against lately as they open a three-game series in Philadelphia on Tuesday.
 
In three games from June 9 to June 11, St. Louis handled Philadelphia in a three-game sweep, winning a pair of one-run games to open and begin the series, with a 7-0 victory in between. The Cardinals have lost five of seven since.
 
Taking the mound for the Cardinals to open the series will be a starter who didn't face the Phillies the last time around, right-hander Mike Leake.
 
This season, Leake is 5-6 with a 3.14 ERA, having lost each of his last four starts. His last time out, he was touched for nine hits and six runs (all earned) in five innings against the Brewers. That came after he began the season 5-2 with a 1.91 ERA in his first nine starts.
 
Leake has faced the Phillies 10 times in his career, going 3-3 with a 5.40 ERA. That's the worst ERA he has against any team he has faced more than four times.
 
>>White Sox Open Series With Twins
 
The Chicago White Sox are riding some momentum into theirseries this week with the Minnesota Twins after winning two straight series. They lost 7-3 at Toronto on Sunday but are 5-2 in their last seven games.
 
Minnesota's Ervin Santana (8-4, 2.56 ERA) is Tuesday's starter and is coming off one of his worst performances of the season in an 8-4 loss to Seattle on Wednesday.
 
He gave up a season-high nine hits and five runs in five innings.
 
The right-hander's standout season got on track in April with two wins against the White Sox. He has allowed just three hits and no runs in 15 innings against Chicago this season.
 
Santana is 10-8 with a 3.44 ERA in his career against the White Sox.
 
Chicago's Tuesday starter, Derek Holland (5-6, 3.79), has made two starts against Minnesota this season and lost both. He has surrendered 10 runs -- five earned -- in 11 innings.
 
In 10 career starts against the Twins, the left-hander is 2-5 with a 4.33 ERA.
 
Chicago has scored 46 runs over the past seven games, averaging 6.6 runs per game in that span. Jose Abreu is hitting .416 (12-for-29) in his last seven games, Melky Cabrera is hitting .425 (17-for-40) in his last 10 games while Avisail Garcia is hitting .433 (13-for-30) in eight games against Minnesota this season.
 
The White Sox placed center fielder Leury Garcia on the 10-day disabled list on Monday with a sprained finger on his left hand. Chicago will make a roster move before Tuesday's series opener.
 
>>Yankees Top Prospect Out With Tommy John Surgery
 
On Monday the Yankees announced that infielder and top prospect Gleyber Torres was seen by the team physician and diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow. 
 
As a result, Torres will undergo Tommy John surgery at a date to be determined and will miss the remainder of the 2017 season. Because Torres is not a pitcher and because the injury is to his non-throwing elbow, he's expected to be ready for spring training 2018. 
 
Torres entered the 2017 season as a consensus overall top-10 prospect. This season, he's batted .287/.383/.480 at the Double- and Triple-A levels with 23 extra-base hits in 55 games and good walk numbers. Those are impressive outputs for any minor-leaguer, let alone a 20-year-old like Torres who's playing against a much older peer group. 
 
The Yankees originally acquired Torres from the Cubs as the key part of the Arolidis Chapman trade of July 2016. New York of course subsequently re-signed Chapman to a free agent contract this past offseason. 
 
Long-term Torres has a ceiling as high as any prospect's in the game today. Near-term, the Yankees may have been poised to promote Torres and install him at third base in place of the struggling Chase Headley. Obviously, that will no longer come to pass.

Report Says T-Wolves Interested in Bulls G Butler

Posted About Six Years Ago

The NBA Draft is coming up on Thursday and the trade rumors are coming in hot and heavy. With the Celtics pulling off a trade for more future assets, some believe Boston is poised to pull off a blockbuster trade to acquire a star like Jimmy Butler.
 
But Butler could actually be heading elsewhere. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of the The Vertical, the Minnesota Timberwolves have already made contact with the Bulls about acquiring Butler in a trade.
 
If the Bulls are really interested in parting ways with Butler, Minnesota has plenty of assets to throw their way. The Wolves likely wouldn't want to get rid of Karl-Anthony Towns, but some combination of Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and the No. 7 pick in Thursday's draft could be an enticing package.

Paul George Intends To Leave Pacers

Posted About Six Years Ago

Paul George has told the Pacers he plans to leave during the 2018 free agency period, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. Per the report, George prefers the Lakers over any other team on the market. This news comes a year before George can exercise the player option from his contract and become a free agent.
If this report is true, it essentially kills any trade value he previously had for the Pacers. It's hard to envision any team in the league offering Indiana a large haul knowing that George already has a destination in mind. 
 
As for the Lakers, this is a dream scenario. They can either try to get George a year early through a trade where they have to give up essentially nothing or just wait it out for a season and sign him during the 2018 free agency period. The Lakers have all the advantage in the world while George has left the Pacers with nothing. In fact, ESPN's Ramona Shellbourne reports that the Lakers don't have any plans parting ways with any of their assets in exchange for George.
 
One option that the Pacers can explore is sending out Paul George as a rental. There are teams that believe adding a guy like George can make them a title contender. They'll be willing to part with assets to take the risk on that one-year run. According to The Vertical, the Pacers have already explored that option.

Cubs Blast Pirates; Cardinals, White Sox Lose

Posted About Six Years Ago

Anthony Rizzo homered among his three hits to lead Chicago to a 7-1 victory over the Pirates Sunday at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. The defending World Series champions took two of three in Pittsburgh and improved to 34-34.
 
Rizzo opened the game with a double and scored in the first inning. He singled and scored in the third, then hit a two-run homer in the seventh. The home run was Rizzo's 16th of the year, surpassing Kris Bryant for the team lead.
 
Since manager Joe Maddon moved Rizzo to the leadoff spot last Tuesday, he's hitting .409 with three home runs and two doubles in five games.
 
Cubs starter John Lackey (5-7) allowed two hits and struck out four over six innings.
 
Carl Edwards Jr., Hector Rondon and Brian Duensing completed the three-hitter for the Cubs.
 
Willson Contreras drove in three runs with a pair of doubles, and John Jay had three hits with an RBI and scored twice. Ian Happ added a solo homer in the ninth, his eighth of the season.
 
The first four Chicago runs came against Jameson Taillon (3-2), who made his second start since returning from surgery to treat testicular cancer. Taillon gave up eight hits in five innings while striking out four.
 
Jordy Mercer homered leading off the fifth for Pittsburgh.
 
The Cubs return home for a three-game series against San Diego beginning Monday night. Jon Lester (4-4, 3.89 ERA) will face former Cubs pitcher Clayton Richard. Chicago is 20-15 at Wrigley Field this season.
 
>>Orioles Hold Off Cardinals
 
Ubaldo Jimenez was stellar in his first start since May 22, Mark Trumbo homered for the second consecutive day and the Orioles took a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals with a 8-5 victory Sunday.
 
Jimenez (2-2) has struggled most of the season and relinquished his starting role to Alec Asher, who also failed to hold down the job. Jimenez will likely stay in the rotation after allowing just two runs on four hits with three strikeouts and two walks over seven innings.
 
Seth Smith and Trey Mancini homered to start the first and second innings, respectively, for Baltimore. Welington Castillo also had a solo shot in the fifth that gave the Orioles a 7-2 lead.
 
Brad Brach picked up his 12th save for Baltimore.
 
Dexter Fowler homered for the fourth consecutive game with a two-run shot in the eighth, and three batters later, Yadier Molina had solo home run that pulled the Cardinals to 8-5.
 
Stephen Piscotty also hit a pair of solo homers for the Cardinals, who have lost five of six.
 
St. Louis' Lance Lynn (5-4) allowed seven runs and nine hits with five strikeouts and a career-high four home runs over 4 2/3 innings.
 
Manny Machado's RBI single in the sixth gave Baltimore an 8-2 lead.
 
Mike Leake (5-6, 3.14) is looking to snap a four-game losing streak when he starts the series opener Tuesday against Phillies RHP Jeremy Hellickson (5-5, 4.91).
 
>>Blue Jays Down White Sox
 
Russell Martin hit a game-tying homer in the sixth inning to help rally the Toronto Blue Jays to a 7-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday.
 
Ryan Goins' first triple of the season two batters later drove in the winning run.
 
The win snapped Chicago's three-game winning streak and prevented the White Sox from tying a club record with a seventh consecutive win at Rogers Centre. The White Sox have won nine of the last 11 games and the last four series against the Blue Jays.
 
Kendrys Morales added a monster home run in the bat-around seventh, a moon shot into the fourth deck of Rogers Centre to give the Blue Jays their 27th multi-home run game of the season. Toronto is 19-8 in those games.
 
J.A. Happ (2-4) picked up his first home win of the season. In his second-longest start, the left-hander giving up eight hits over 6 2/3 innings while striking out nine. Roberto Osuna worked the ninth.
 
In his first start since April 16, Shields lasted 5 2/3 innings, giving up seven hits and three runs, including the two-run shot from Martin that ended his afternoon. Anthony Swarzak (3-2) took the loss.
 
Melky Cabrera singled and doubled for his seventh multi-hit effort in the last 11 games, while Jose Abreu drove in two runs to extend his hit streak to seven games, marking the fifth consecutive game he has registered at least one RBI.
 
After a day off, Chicago will open a three-game series in Minnesota on Tuesday with a matchup between LHP Derek Holland (5-6, 3.79) and RHP Ervin Santana (8-4, 2.56).
 
>>White Sox Place SP Gonzalez on DL, Rodon Close To Return
 
Prior to Sunday's game, Chicago placed RHP Miguel Gonzelez on the 10-day DL, retroactive to June 15, with inflammation in his right shoulder.
 
Gonzalez was 4-8 with a 5.49 ERA over 13 starts. 
 
The White Sox reinstated Shields from the DL after three rehab starts with Triple-A Charlotte.
 
LHP Carlos Rodon, out all season with left biceps bursitis, successfully came through his third rehab starts at Charlotte on Saturday. Manager Rick Renteria wants him to have one more start in the minors before making any moves.

Brooks Koepka Wins US Open

Posted About Six Years Ago

Brooks Koepka emerged from a scrum of bunched-up, baby-faced, electric American talents that included Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas and Patrick Reed on the final day of the US Open, firing a final-round 67 to tie a U.S. Open record of 16 under par and slam the door on Brian Harman and Hideki Matsuyama by four strokes to win his first major 
 
After not making a single bogey on the back nine at Erin Hills over the first three days, Koepka three-putted No. 10 on Sunday to drop a stroke to the field and fall back into a tie at the time with Harman at 13 under. It was the last mistake he would make. 
 
Justin Thomas tied his U.S. Open record of 63 in the third round.
 
Koepka played it perfectly after the hiccup on No. 10. He made three straight pars followed by three straight birdies on the heart of the course in the heat of the tournament on Sunday, and that is how U.S. Opens are taken with simplicity. After a messy couple of years for the USGA at Chambers Bay and Oakmont, Koepka left no doubt.
 
Koepka holed a touchy 9-foot par putt on No. 12 to save himself. An up-and-down from the bunker on the par-5 14th put him at 14 under. Then he ended the drama on a hole that exemplified the nuanced strategy of a course with 50-yard-wide fairways. 
 
The 15th is short for a par 4 -- on Sunday it played just 356 yards. But because of a tucked back-right pin that yielded just six birdies all day, Koepka laid up off the tee, and he did not lay up particularly well.
 
He had 150 yards to the hole and hit an 8-iron to eight feet. A birdie there and that basically sealed the deal.
 
He led the field in greens hit in regulation with a stunning 62 of 72. He was T4 in the field in fairways hit with 49 of 56. The towering, overpowering American didn't miss a spot the entire week. He came into this tournament No. 151 on the PGA Tour in fairways hit and No. 98 in greens in regulation. Then he finished top five in both.

Late Surge Leads Mets Past Cubs

Posted About Six Years Ago

Curtis Granderson opened a five-run eighth inning with his 300th homer, a tiebreaking shot that helped the Mets bail out an ailing Harvey in a 9-4 victory Wednesday over the Chicago Cubs.
 
Matt Harvey lost the zip on his fastball and gave up three homers in four innings - including Anthony Rizzo's latest leadoff shot and a titanic drive by Kyle Schwarber.
 
New York also lost second baseman Neil Walker to a left leg injury , the latest issue to befall a team hampered by a long list of health problems the past two seasons. But replacement Lucas Duda hit a three-run homer off Hector Rondon in the eighth, and T.J. Rivera capped the outburst with an RBI single for his third hit.
 
With sluggers Yoenis Cespedes and Michael Conforto on the bench to begin the game, the resurgent Mets came back from a 4-1 deficit and took two of three from the World Series champions heading into a pivotal four-game series against NL East-leading Washington. New York (30-34) has won five of six overall.
 
Jerry Blevins (4-0) struck out three of his four batters, and Addison Reed retired Rizzo with the bases loaded for the final out.
 
Juan Lagares hit a tying triple on an 0-2 pitch from Pedro Strop with two outs in the sixth, the start of a meltdown by Chicago's bullpen.
 
The Cubs (32-33) hit back-to-back homers to begin the game but played some sloppy defense and lost for the eighth time in their past nine visits to Citi Field, including the 2015 NL Championship Series.
 
Cubs rookie Ian Happ, who hit a grand slam Tuesday night, followed Rizzo's leadoff shot with his seventh home run and Chicago had a 2-0 lead after seven pitches. Schwarber's 467-foot shot over the Shea Bridge, a walkway for Citi Field fans above and beyond the bullpens in right-center, made it 4-1 in the fourth.
 
With the bases loaded in the fourth and the Mets short on the bench, Collins sent up pitcher Steven Matz to pinch hit for Harvey. Matz legged out an RBI infield single off starter Mike Montgomery, and Lagares trimmed it to 4-3 with a sacrifice fly.
 
Chicago has dropped six of eight following a five-game winning streak.
 
The Cubs begin a three-game series Friday night in Pittsburgh with RHP Eddie Butler (3-2, 4.03 ERA) on the mound against Pirates rookie RHP Trevor Williams (3-3, 5.13).

Orioles Power Past White Sox

Posted About Six Years Ago

Welington Castillo hit his first career grand slam and drove in a personal-best five runs, and the Orioles snapped a six-game losing streak with a rain-delayed 10-6 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday night.
 
Castillo gave the Orioles an 8-5 lead with his drive against Miguel Gonzalez (4-8) in the fifth inning and helped prevent them from matching their longest slide of the season. 
 
Matt Davidson homered in his third straight game to help Chicago grab a 5-1 lead. But the Orioles turned this one around, pounding out 13 hits and overcoming two errors on the way to a lopsided victory.
 
Trey Mancini had a double and two singles. He scored three runs and drove in one.
 
Mark Trumbo added two hits and two runs, and a shaky Dylan Bundy (7-5) got the support he needed. The right-hander picked up the win after going 1-4 in his previous six starts. He gave up five runs and six hits in five innings.
 
Gonzalez got pounded for eight runs - matching his highest total since June 25, 2016 - and nine hits over five innings. The right-hander is 1-8 in his past nine starts.
 
The game was delayed 90 minutes at the start.
 
The Orioles and White Sox wrap up a four-game series, with RHP Chris Tillman (1-4, 8.01 ERA) starting for Baltimore and LHP David Holmberg (1-0, 2.74) pitching for Chicago.

Brewers Outlast Cardinals

Posted About Six Years Ago

Eric Thames homered and drove in three runs, Matt Garza pitched five innings in his first start after a short stint on the disabled list, and the Brewers held on to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-6.
 
Eric Sogard added a two-run double to lead a four-run second inning as Milwaukee improved to 18-13 on the road.
 
Thames came into the contest in a 1-for-15 skid. He was hitting just .108 in June and posted a .221 mark in May.
 
Aledmys Diaz hit a two-run homer for the Cardinals, who nearly recovered after falling behind 6-0. St. Louis has lost two in a row after winning four straight.
 
Closer Corey Knebel came on with two outs in the top of the eighth after a one-hour rain delay and got the last four outs for his 10th save in 13 chances.
 
Thames ripped a two-run homer in the first and an RBI double in the second against starter Mike Leake (5-6).
 
Garza (3-2) allowed four runs and five hits. He suffered a chest contusion while running into teammate Jesus Aguilar on June 3 and missed one start.
 
Milwaukee tallied six runs on six hits over the first two innings against Leake, who dropped his fourth successive decision. Leake bounced back with four scoreless innings after the rough start.
 
Zach Davies (7-3, 4.74) will start in the final game of the four-game series on Thursday. Davies is 2-0 with a 2.81 ERA in five career starts against St. Louis.
 
Michael Wacha (3-3, 4.50) will start for the Cardinals in the finale game of a seven-game homestand. Wacha has gone six innings or more in eight of 11 starts this season. He has a 4-0 career mark against the Brewers.

US Open Kicks Off Today

Posted About Six Years Ago

The 2017 U.S. Open first and second round tee times and pairings have been released, and there are some great ones. The last three winners of this tournament will play together over the first two days, and of course, we have the drama of whether Phil Mickelson will actually make his 3:20 p.m. ET tee time on Thursday.
 
Here's a look at the way things stand entering the first day of the 117th edition of this tournament.
 
2:36 p.m. -- Bubba Watson, Adam Scott, Sergio Garcia (No. 1)
 
2:47 p.m. -- Henrik Stenson, Charl Schwartzel, Louis Oosthuizen (No. 1)
 
3:09 p.m. -- Jason Day, Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy (No. 1)
 
3:20 p.m. -- Steve Stricker, Stewart Cink, Phil Mickelson (No. 1)
 
8:51 a.m. -- Hideki Matsuyama, Rickie Fowler, Jon Rahm (No. 10)
 
9:24 a.m. -- Matt Kuchar, Francesco Molinari, Patrick Reed (No. 10)
 
9:35 a.m. -- Martin Kaymer, Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson (No. 10)

Cubs Break Out Bats, Throttle Mets

Posted About Six Years Ago

Anthony Rizzo shifted to the leadoff spot for the first time in his career led off the game with a long home run, rookie Ian Happ hit his first career grand slam and the Cubs trounced the New York Mets 14-3 on Tuesday night.
 
Backed by a season-best seven-run second inning, the World Series champs snapped a nine-game skid on the road and moved back to .500 through 64 games. The Cubs had lost five of six overall.
 
Jon Lester (4-4) earned his 150th win and matched a season high with 10 strikeouts. He allowed a run and five hits over seven innings.
 
Rizzo had two hits, three RBIs and a bases-loaded walk. He's reached safely in 21 of his last 36 plate appearances.
 
Rizzo got the Cubs rolling with a 462-foot shot to center field off Zack Wheeler (3-4). Chicago then batted around in the second, and the biggest blow came when Happ went the opposite way with the bases loaded for his sixth homer.
 
Every starter for the Cubs had at least one hit by the fourth inning, including Lester, who also drew a walk in the sixth. Jason Heyward, Kris Bryant and Javier Baez also went deep for Chicago, which matched a season high for runs and had 15 hits. Albert Almora Jr. had three hits and a walk.
 
Maddon plans to keep Rizzo in the leadoff spot Wednesday against New York, and he's ready for an extended stay up there.
 
Wheeler threw 46 pitches in the second and set career worsts with eight earned runs allowed in 1 2/3 innings.
 
Mets slugger Yoenis Cespedes was back in the lineup a day after being lifted with a sore left heel. He was replaced in left field after five innings by Curtis Granderson because of the ''game situation,'' the team announced. New York trailed 9-1 at the time. Cespedes was 2 for 2 with an RBI double.
 
Jay Bruce jumped and reached over the wall to rob Kyle Schwarber of a leadoff home run in the eighth.
 
Neil Walker and Lucas Duda hit back-to-back solo homers for New York in the ninth.
 
Schwarber moved to catcher for the final two innings, his third appearance behind the plate this season.
 
Mike Montgomery (0-3, 2.43 ERA) makes his second start since replacing Hendricks in the rotation.
 
Matt Harvey (4-3, 5.02) pitched five scoreless innings against Atlanta last time out.

Cardinals Split Double-Dip With Brewers

Posted About Six Years Ago

Jose Martinez hit two solo homers and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Milwaukee Brewers 6-0 in the opener of a day-night doubleheader.
 
Martinez connected in the fifth and eighth innings for his first multi-homer game. He added a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning.
 
Martinez's 415-foot opposite field drive to right-center ignited a three-run Cardinals rally in the fifth. Matt Carpenter followed with an RBI double and scored on Fowler's single to make it 3-0.
 
Kolten Wong had an RBI double as the Cardinals extended their lead to 5-0 in the sixth.
 
Right-hander Lance Lynn (5-3) struggled with his control with four walks, but was able to get out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the fifth. Lynn struck out eight, including the side in the fourth inning.
 
Keon Broxton and Shaw hit solo home runs and combined for five RBIs to help the Brewers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 8-5 and split their day-night doubleheader.
 
In the nightcap, Shaw's eighth-inning single against Trevor Rosenthal (1-3) broke a 5-5 tie. Shaw, who was reinstated from a family medical emergency before the doubleheader, went 2 for 5 in the second game and drove in two runs.
 
Brewers right-hander Jimmy Nelson went 5 2/3 innings, but is still winless in 11 career games (10 starts) against the Cardinals. He gave up nine hits, two walks and struck out four.
 
Jared Hughes (2-1) got the decision after giving up a game-tying homer to Matt Carpenter. Corey Knebel earned his ninth save in 12 opportunities.
 
Back-to-back homers by Aguilar and Shaw sparked a four-run Brewers fourth. Broxton followed with an RBI triple and scored on a fielder's choice giving Milwaukee a 5-2 lead.
 
Broxton's line drive home run to lead off the third was the Brewers' first hit of the game. His sacrifice fly capped Milwaukee's three-run eighth.
 
Marco Gonzales lasted just 3 1/3 innings in making his first start since Sept. 1, 2015 after missing all of 2016 with Tommy John surgery. Three of the five hits he gave up were homers.
 
All four batters Rosenthal faced reached base and three scored, his worst outing since June 24, 2016, when he also gave up three runs without an out against Seattle.
 
Zach Davies (7-3, 4.74 ERA) has won seven of his last eight decisions. He is 2-0 with a 2.81 ERA in five career starts against St. Louis.
 
Mike Leake (5-5, 2.70 ERA) has given up 11 runs over his last three starts after given up 13 over his first nine. He is 5-4 with a 4.21 ERA in 14 career starts.

Cubs RHP Hendricks Experiences Minor Setback

Posted About Six Years Ago

Kyle Hendricks (hand tendinitis) felt more discomfort throwing on the side, dashing hopes that he might start this weekend in Pittsburgh. Hendricks might have further tests, including an MRI.
 
Mets SS Asdrubal Cabrera was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a left thumb sprain. It's the same injury that landed him on the DL last month. Manager Terry Collins said he did not discuss calling up shortstop prospect Amed Rosario from Triple-A to fill in. INF T.J. Rivera was recalled instead. 
 
OF Michael Conforto was held out of the lineup for a second straight day with a stiff back.

Davidson Powers White Sox Past O's

Posted About Six Years Ago

Matt Davidson hit his first career grand slam, Derek Holland scattered eight hits over six innings and the Chicago White Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-1.
 
Jose Abreu went 3 for 4 and Avisail Garcia had a two-run double as Chicago won its second straight after dropping nine of 11.
Davidson leads the White Sox with 12 homers in 163 at-bats.
 
Manny Machado had an RBI-single for the Orioles.
 
Holland (5-6) faced trouble in every inning, but managed to give up just one run. The left-hander had lost his three previous starts, allowing 15 earned runs in 13 innings (10.38 ERA) during that span.
 
Baltimore starter Alec Asher (2-5) allowed six runs and six hits in five-plus innings following a fast start.
 
Chicago strung together three straight hits to begin the fourth inning to take a 2-1 lead. Melky Cabrera and Abreu singled to put runners on first and second. Garcia then doubled to the left-center gap to score both runners.
 
Miguel Gonzalez (4-7, 4.89 ERA) will look to break out a recent slump in the third game of the four-game series. Gonzalez is 1-7 with a 6.56 ERA in his last eight starts. Orioles RHP Dylan Bundy (6-5, 3.05) is holding opponents to a .238 batting average this season.

White Sox Outslug Orioles; Mets Power Past Cubs

Posted About Six Years Ago

Kevan Smith hit his first career home run, Avisail Garcia celebrated his 26th birthday with three RBIs and the Chicago White Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles 10-7 on Monday night.
 
The White Sox opened a four-game series on a strong note after dropping nine of 11 and handed the Orioles their fifth straight loss.
 
Smith set the tone with a two-run drive in the second against Wade Miley (2-4) and finished with a career-best three RBIs.
 
Garcia added an RBI double in a four-run third and drove in two more with a single in the fourth to give Chicago an 8-2 lead.
 
Matt Davidson had an RBI single and solo homer. Melky Cabrera had three of Chicago's 14 hits. Jose Abreu singled, doubled and scored twice.
 
Jake Petricka (1-0) pitched one-hit ball over 2 1/3 innings after Mike Pelfrey struggled, and the White Sox picked up the win after a 2-7 road trip.
 
Baltimore made a run late in the game, with Trey Mancini's three-run homer against Gregory Infante in the eighth cutting it to 10-6. But it wasn't enough after Miley failed to make it out of the third in his second straight start.
 
He gave up six runs and six hits in 2 1/3 innings.
 
Pelfrey lasted 3 2/3 innings, allowing two runs and six hits while walking five. He also hit a batter. Pelfrey got out of a bases loaded jam in the third when Chris Davis hit a fly to right.
 
Davis then left the game with a strained right oblique and was scheduled for an MRI in Chicago on Tuesday morning, manager Buck Showalter said.
 
Chicago and Baltimore send struggling starters to the mound with LHP Derek Holland (4-6, 3.99 ERA) starting for the White Sox and RHP Alec Asher (2-4, 4.35) going for the Orioles. Holland is 0-3 with a 10.38 ERA in his past three starts. Asher hasn't been much better in that stretch, going 1-2 with a 9.49 ERA.
 
>>Mets Power Past Cubs
 
Jacob DeGrom pitched a five-hitter, Cabrera lined two home runs and turned four double plays, and the Mets beat the Chicago Cubs 6-1 Monday night.
 
DeGrom (5-3) threw the Mets' first complete game of the season, Jay Bruce also homered and New York won its fourth in a row.
 
Cabrera was in the middle of double plays the Mets turned in four straight innings, starting in the third.
 
Bruce hit his 17th homer, a two-run drive in the third. He had three hits and drew a walk.
 
The only damper on the win: Star outfielder Yoenis Cespedes exited because of a sore left heel, two days after he returned from a six-week stint on the disabled list.
 
Cespedes went 1 for 3 before being pulled. He had been out with a strained left hamstring, and also had been nagged by trouble with his quadriceps.
 
The Cubs dropped to 31-32 with their ninth straight road loss - the World Series champions haven't won away from Wrigley Field in a month during their worst road skid since 2012.
 
Addison Russell homered in Chicago's fifth loss in six games overall. The defeat began a string in which the Cubs play 17 of 20 on the road.
 
DeGrom pitched the Mets to their seventh win in a row over the Cubs at Citi Field, dating to the 2015 NL Championship Series. He neatly bounced back from getting hit hard in a pair of starts, walking four and striking out six.
 
DeGrom worked around a two-out double by Anthony Rizzo in the first and, effectively using a changeup, went on to throw his second complete game in 89 major league starts.
 
John Lackey (4-7) fell to 0-4 in five starts. He's allowed nine homers in 28 innings over the span and has yielded 19 longballs this season, one behind Cincinnati's Bronson Arroyo for most in the majors.
 
Jon Lester (3-4, 4.12 ERA) is 0-3 with 7.11 ERA in five road starts this year. In his previous start at Citi Field, last July 3, the Mets tagged him for eight earned runs in 1 1/3 innings.
 
Zack Wheeler (3-3, 3.45) threw a career-high 120 pitches in his last start vs. the Cubs, back in 2014.

White Sox Take Missouri State 3B With 11th Overall Pick, Cubs Take Pair of College Arms

Posted About Six Years Ago

The White Sox drafted Missouri State's Jake Burger with the No. 11 overall pick, adding a power-hitting third baseman to their pipeline.
 
A St. Louis area product, Burger hit .328 with 22 homers and 65 RBIs as a junior this season and was the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year. Chicago sees him as a player with the potential to hit 25 to 30 homers and has no plans to move him off third base, scouting director Nick Hostetler said.
 
Burger said he tried to mold his game after Paul Konerko's. And he scored bonus points before his interview with Hostetler and scout Garrett Guest when he told them he grew up rooting for the White Sox.
 
At no. 27 overall, the Cubs selected LHP Brendon Little from the State College of Florida. 
 
A draft-eligible sophomore, Little transferred from North Carolina following his freshman season. He combines an above-average fastball with a promising breaking ball. 
 
Little has to do a better job repeating his mechanics, and will need to continue working on his changeup. His fastball and bat-missing ability will coerce some team into picking him early on.
 
With the last pick of the first round, the Cubs took LSU right-hander, Alex Lange and took Loyola Marymount right-hander Cory Abbott.
 
The Cardinals had to send their second (56th overall) and third (75th overall) picks to the Houston Astros as compensation for the hacking scandal. St. Louis did not have a pick on Day 1. They won't make their first selection until the third round, 94th overall.
 
With the top overall pick of the 2017 MLB draft, the Twins took shortstop/center fielder Royce Lewis out of JSerra Catholic High School in California. 
 
Lewis may have the best tools of any position player in the draft, headlined by top-of-the-scale speed on the bases and excellent power at the plate. It's not certain he'll be a shortstop long-term, but if he doesn't he may have a future at another premium position in center field. MLB Network Dan O'Dowd said not long after Lewis was drafted that he expects to him settle in at center long-term, and he likened Lewis to George Springer of the Astros. 
 
The No. 1 overall pick has a slotted signing bonus of $7,770,700, and the Twins must make that work within their overall 2017 draft budget of $14,156,800. 
 
And with the second pick in the 2017 MLB Draft, the Cincinnati Reds selected Hunter Greene, a pitcher/shortstop from Notre Dame High School in California. 
 
Greene would almost certainly be a first-round pick as a hard-hitting shortstop, but it's his potential on the mound that makes him the consensus best talent available. Greene throws four pitches for strikes, including a fastball that touches triple digits and a plus slider. He also has the foundations of a usable big-league changeup. Greene won't turn 18 years of age until August.

Warriors Down Cavs For Second NBA Title in Three Years

Posted About Six Years Ago

Kevin Durant capped his spectacular first season with the Warriors by bringing home that coveted NBA championship he joined Golden State last July so determined to get, scoring 39 points in a fast-and-furious, Finals-clinching 129-120 victory over LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5 on Monday night.
 
Stephen Curry added 34 points, 10 assists and six rebounds as Golden State closed out its second title in three years after squandering a 3-1 lead a year ago. 
 
James, who in 2012 with Miami beat the Thunder in Durant's only other Finals, wound up with 41 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists.
 
Kyrie Irving followed up his 40-point gem in Game 4 with 26 points but shot 9 for 22.
 
Iguodala, the 2015 Finals MVP, came up big again with his 2017 postseason-best 20 points off the bench in a testy, tightly called finale to this trilogy Finals that everyone had stamped on the calendar from the moment Durant departed Oklahoma City to join Curry and Co. last July.
 
The Warriors won in 2015 before the Cavs made their historic comeback last year. Then it was Golden State's time again, with Durant as the prized addition.

DJ Odd-On Favorite To Win US Open

Posted About Six Years Ago

The No. 1 golfer in the world rankings is entering the week as the No. 1 name on the odds board for the 2017 U.S. Open. 
 
Dustin Johnson is the favorite to win with 29/4 odds, according to Vegas Insider, ahead of Jordan Spieth (9/1), Jason Day (11/1) and Rory McIlroy (12/1). If you are waiting until now to pick Jon Rahm, the value has mostly been lost as he's moved up in the world rankings and his odds have increased. Currently, he's just behind those top four golfers at 18/1, the same odds given to Rickie Fowler. 
 
Behind Rahm and Fowler is Justin Rose, at 20/1, which is perhaps your best value pick available right now.

Cardinals, Cubs Win; White Sox Fall To Tribe

Posted About Six Years Ago

Dexter Fowler hit a three-run homer and Adam Wainwright tossed five solid innings, leading St. Louis to a 6-5 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday.
 
The Cardinals have won three in a row since a season-high seven-game losing streak.
 
Daniel Nava homered for the Phillies, who have dropped five in a row.
 
Philadelphia led 2-0 before Fowler connected against Aaron Nola (3-4) in the fifth inning. Eight of Fowler's nine homers in his first season with St. Louis have given his team the lead.
 
Tommy Pham had two hits, scored twice and drove in a run for St. Louis.
 
Wainwright (7-4) gave up six hits, struck out four and walked two, bouncing back nicely from a rough start at Cincinnati on Tuesday. Seung Hwan Oh pitched a rocky ninth inning for his 15th save.
 
Wainwright needed 50 pitches to get through the first two innings, but allowed just one hit over his final three frames.
 
Pham and Eric Fryer added run-scoring singles in the sixth, and Kolten Wong's RBI double made it 6-3 Cardinals in the eighth. Wong's hit took on added importance when Oh faltered in the ninth.
 
Philadelphia pulled within one on RBI singles by Odubel Herrera and Howie Kendrick. Oh then got Tommy Joseph to fly to right with two runners on, ending the game.
 
Herrera went 3 for 5 with two RBIs, extending his hitting streak to 10 games.
 
Lance Lynn (4-3, 2.88 ERA) will pitch on Tuesday afternoon against Milwaukee in the first game of a day-night doubleheader. LHP Marco Gonzales will make his season debut for St. Louis in the nightcap.
 
>>Cubs Top Rockies
 
Addison Russell had a go-ahead home run for his first big contribution since an absence in the wake of a Major League Baseball investigation into domestic abuse allegations, and the Chicago Cubs stopped the Colorado Rockies' seven-game winning streak, 7-5 Sunday.
 
Russell and Kyle Schwarber had back-to-back home runs in the sixth inning. Miguel Montero and Ben Zobrist also connected, helping the Cubs even get to 31-31.
 
This was Russell's second game since missing the first two games of the series. The MLB investigation began after claims of abuse against his wife were levied in a since-deleted social media post.
 
Reliever Jordan Lyles (0-2) gave up both homers in the sixth. The NL West-leading Rockies ended their longest winning string since 2013.
 
Carl Edwards Jr. (2-0) won in relief of starter Jake Arrieta. Wade Davis gave up a run in the ninth before getting his 13th save in 13 chances as the Cubs snapped a four-game losing streak.
 
Colorado rookie Antonio Senzatela labored through four innings, striking out six. He allowed four runs before getting an out in the first as Anthony Rizzo had an RBI double on a 10-pitch at-bat and Zobrist hit a three-run homer.
 
The Rockies responded with four runs in the fifth inning, all charged to Arrieta.
 
DJ LeMahieu walked with the bases loaded and, after Carlos Gonzalez was ejected arguing a called third strike, Mark Reynolds lined an RBI single to make it 4-2.
 
Edwards relieved and allowed a tying, two-run single by Ian Desmond.
 
Montero homered in the eighth. LeMahieu added an RBI single in the ninth before Davis got Alexi Amarista to pop out to end it. Amarista replaced Gonzalez after the ejection by umpire Marvin Hudson.
 
John Lackey (4-6, 5.12) has lost three straight starts and begins a three-game series and six-game road trip Monday against the New York Mets. The Cubs play 17 of their next 20 games on the road.
 
>>Sox Doubled Up By Tribe
 
Andrew Miller, Bryan Shaw and Cody Allen combined for 3 2/3 innings of one-hit relief, helping the Indians top the Chicago White Sox 4-2 on Sunday.
 
Carlos Carrasco (6-3) was pulled after Todd Frazier's two-run double cut Cleveland's lead to one. The right-hander allowed seven hits, struck out four and walked one in 5 1/3 innings.
 
Miller retired all five batters he faced, striking out three. Shaw pitched a scoreless eighth and Allen finished for his 15th save, working around a one-out single.
 
Carrasco struck out Melky Cabrera to begin the sixth but then hit Jose Abreu on the left elbow. The big first baseman, who was hit on the left knee by Miller on Friday, crouched over at the plate and slowly walked to first.
 
Avisail Garcia's double put runners at second and third before Frazier's double made it 3-2. Miller struck out Yolmer Sanchez and Tim Anderson and retired the side in order in the seventh.
 
Francisco Lindor, Roberto Perez and Erik Gonzalez each drove in a run for Cleveland.
 
The White Sox have dropped nine of 11. Jose Quintana (2-8) allowed three runs in five innings, dropping to 0-4 in his last seven starts.
 
Mike Pelfrey will go in the opener of a four-game series against Baltimore on Monday.

Penguins Win Second Straight Stanley Cup

Posted About Six Years Ago

Sydney Crosby was awarded his second consecutive Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the Stanley Cup playoffs, and goalie Matt Murray made 27 saves for his second straight shutout as the Penguins became the first team to repeat as champion in nearly two decades with a 2-0 win over the Nashville Predators in Game 6.
 
Murray is the first goaltender in NHL history to win the clinching game for the Stanley Cup in each of his first two seasons. He also set a rookie record with two shutouts in a Cup Final.
 
Murray is the first goalie with two shutouts in one Cup Final since Boston's Tim Thomas and Vancouver's Roberto Luongo had two apiece in 2011. 
 
The Penguins also needed the second-latest clinching goal in regulation to finish off the Predators, who had played their way to their first Stanley Cup Final after being the last team into the playoffs. Patric Hornqvist, the last pick of the 2005 draft (by the Predators), scored the game-winner for Pittsburgh with 1:35 left by banking the puck off Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne's left elbow. Carl Hagelin added an empty-net goal.
 
Nashville lost for just the first time in regulation on home ice this postseason, and this one had some hard luck. Colton Sissons had a goal erased by a whistle 67 seconds into the second period . The Predators went 0 of 4 with the man advantage, including 32 seconds of a 5-on-3 in the third. Sissons and Filip Forsberg each hit the post in the third period.
 
Nashville finished the series going 0 of 8 on the power play over the final two games.

Daniel Burger Wins St. Jude Classic

Posted About Six Years Ago

It was Daniel Berger who eventually emerged from a nine-car pileup atop the FedEx St. Jude Classic leaderboard on Sunday for his second consecutive win at TPC Southwind. At one point on Sunday afternoon, Berger was tied with eight others at 8 under, including Billy Horschel, Charl Schwartzel and amateur Braden Thornberry. 
Berger was flawless coming home, though, and the others were not. The now two-time winner shot a back nine 33 that included two birdies and no bogeys. 
 
Berger shot back-to-back 66s on the weekend after making the cut by just three strokes on Friday. His final 36 holes included 24 pars, 10 birdies and just two bogeys.
 
But it wasn't so much that Berger closed like a boss as it was everyone else faded. Of the nine golfers who were at 8 under late in the afternoon, only Schwartzel and Whee Kim improved to 9 under. Everyone else fell back to 8 under or worse as Berger finished at 10 under. 
 
Berger joined Justin Thomas, Hidkei Matsuyama, Jon Rahm, Jordan Spieth, Cameron Smith and Si Woo Kim as winners on the PGA Tour this year under the age of 25.

Norris' home runs help Rays hold off White Sox 7-5

Posted About Six Years Ago

Derek Norris homered in consecutive innings and Jake Odorizzi pitched into the seventh on Thursday night, leading the Tampa Bay Rays to a 7-5 victory over the Chicago White Sox.
 
Peter Bourjos and Colby Rasmus also homered for the Rays.
 
The White Sox, who have lost seven of eight, came back from a 6-0 deficit with the help of home runs by Avisail Garcia and Todd Frazier. They got the potential tying run to third base with one out in the eighth before Alex Colome came in for a four-out save, his 17th of the season.
 
Rasmus' eighth home run provided the Rays with an insurance run in the eighth.

Chatwood, LeMahieu lead Rockies to 4-1 win over Cubs

Posted About Six Years Ago

Tyler Chatwood pitched four-hit ball over six innings, DJ LeMahieu hit a three-run homer and the Colorado Rockies beat the Chicago Cubs 4-1 for their season-high fifth straight win Thursday night.
 
The NL West leaders got all their runs in the second inning after Jon Lester (3-4) struck out the first two batters. LeMahieu's drive to the right field basket made it 4-1, and with Chatwood dominating, that was more than enough.
 
Lester lost at Wrigley Field for the first time in nearly 13 months, while the Cubs dropped their second straight after winning a season-high five in a row. They did that hours after Major League Baseball said it is looking into a domestic violence accusation against shortstop Addison Russell.
 
Chatwood (6-7) shut down Chicago after giving up a solo homer to Kris Bryant in the first. He also singled and scored.
 
Greg Holland picked up his major league-leading 22nd save in as many chances with a scoreless ninth.

Cubs place Hendricks on 10-day DL with hand tendinitis

Posted About Six Years Ago

The Cubs have placed right-hander Kyle Hendricks on the 10-day disabled list because of tendinitis in his pitching hand.
 
President of baseball operations Theo Epstein said Thursday that Chicago expects Hendricks to return during a series at Pittsburgh from June 16-18. Hendricks threw a side session Wednesday.
 
Hendricks is 4-3 with a 4.09 ERA in 11 starts after winning 16 games and leading the majors in ERA a year ago. Mike Montgomery will start Friday's game against Colorado in his place.
 
The Cubs also selected right-hander Seth Frankoff's contract from Triple-A Iowa and transferred left-hander Brett Anderson (strained lower back) to the 60-day disabled list.

Votto leads Reds to 5-2 win, 4-game sweep of Cardinals

Posted About Six Years Ago

Joey Votto had a two-run homer among his four hits, Adam Duvall had three hits off Mike Leake - his counterpart in one of Cincinnati's rebuilding trades - and the Reds beat the Cardinals 5-2 on Thursday to complete a four-game sweep.
 
The Reds hadn't swept the Cardinals in four games since 2003 in Cincinnati, during the first season at Great American Ball Park. St. Louis has lost seven in a row overall for the first time since 2013.
 
Feldman (5-4) limited the Cardinals' slumping lineup to four singles in seven shutout innings. Matt Carpenter hit a two-run homer in the eighth off Austin Brice. Raisel Iglesias got his 12th save.
 
Duvall had an RBI double in the fifth, Scooter Gennett followed with an RBI single and Yadier Molina's throwing error let in another run. Votto connected off left-hander Tyler Lyons for his 16th homer an inning later, giving the Reds all the room they needed to finish the sweep.
 
The series highlight was Gennett becoming the 17th major leaguer to homer four times in a game during the Reds' 13-1 win on Tuesday night. In his next two games, he went 3 for 8 with three singles and an RBI.

Warriors look to finish off sweep of Cavaliers

Posted About Six Years Ago

The Golden State Warriors hold a 3-0 lead in the NBA Finals over the Cleveland Cavaliers and can finish the sweep for their second title in three seasons with a win in Game 4 on Friday night.
 
The Warriors aren't just looking for another championship. They've won 15 straight playoff games, and can become the first team in NBA history to navigate the playoffs without a loss.
The Cavaliers, meanwhile, were swept out of the Finals 10 years ago this month. It was LeBron James' first Finals, and his team was sawed in half by the San Antonio Spurs, who were in the midst of a streak of three titles in six seasons.
Seven Finals and three championships later, James is facing the same fate.
 
James, who is averaging a triple-double in the 2017 Finals (32 points, 12.3 rebounds, 10.3 assists), and the Cavs edged the Warriors in Game 7 last year after falling behind 3-1, becoming the first team to ever overcome such a deficit in the Finals. No NBA team has ever recovered from a 3-0 hole in the playoffs.
 
Durant is averaging 34 points in this series and scored 14 points in the fourth quarter of Game 3 -- a 118-113 win for the Warriors in which they trailed by six with three minutes left. He has also taken pressure off of Stephen Curry, who struggled in the first two Finals series against Cleveland but has been brilliant this time around.
 

Cubs' Addison Russell calls wife abuse allegation 'false'

Posted About Six Years Ago

Major League Baseball is looking into a domestic violence accusation against Chicago Cubs shortstop Addison Russell.
 
His wife, Melissa, posted a photo Wednesday on Instagram with a caption suggesting he was unfaithful to her. In another post, a user named carlierreed and described by Melissa as a close friend accused Russell of "mentally and physically abusing her." The posts have been deleted.
 
Russell issued a statement Thursday that said: "Any allegation I have abused my wife is false and hurtful. For the well-being of my family, I'll have no further comment."
 
Spokesman Patrick Courtney says MLB is looking into the situation. Chicago Police Department spokesman Anthony Guglielmi says the department "does not have any current investigation" into Russell or allegations of domestic violence.
 
An All-Star last season, Russell is batting just .209 with three homers and 19 RBIs this year.

Ozuna, Realmuto homer as Marlins beat Cubs 6-5

Posted About Six Years Ago

Marcell Ozuna hit his 15th homer, J.T. Realmuto also went deep and the Miami Marlins hung on to beat the Chicago Cubs 6-5 on Wednesday night and avoid a three-game sweep.
 
Solo homers by Realmuto in a three-run fourth and Ozuna in the fifth against John Lackey (4-6) helped stake Miami to a 5-2 lead.
 
Dee Gordon added two hits and scored two runs, and the Marlins won for the eighth time in 11 games. They stopped the Cubs' season-high win streak at five.
 
Kyle Schwarber homered and had two doubles for Chicago. Ian Happ also went deep. Anthony Rizzo added two hits and two RBIs. But the Cubs came up short trying to sweep the Marlins after taking all three from NL Central rival St. Louis.

Rays' Faria beats White Sox 3-1 in major league debut

Posted About Six Years Ago

Jacob Faria took a three-hitter into the seventh inning of his major league debut for the Tampa Bay Rays, who beat the Chicago White Sox 3-1 on Wednesday night.
 
The 23-year-old right-hander walked two and struck out five in 6 1/3 innings, settling down after falling behind three batters into the game to help Tampa Bay end a season-high four-game losing streak before a crowd of just 9,313.
 
Relievers Tommy Hunter, Jose Alvarado and Alex Colome finished the combined four-hitter, with Colome getting the final three outs for his 16th save.
 
A night after squandering numerous scoring opportunities in a 4-2 loss to the White Sox, the Rays sputtered early offensively against Mike Pelfrey (2-5), who escaped jams in the first two innings but couldn't do it again in the third, when the Rays scored three times.

D Jan Rutta agrees to 1-year deal with Chicago Blackhawks

Posted About Six Years Ago

The Chicago Blackhawks have agreed to a one-year deal with Czech defenseman Jan Rutta.
 
The 26-year-old Rutta set career highs with 24 assists and 32 points in 46 games with the Czech Extraliga's Pirati Chomutov. He also played in this year's world championship, finishing with a goal in eight games.
 
General manager Stan Bowman says Rutta "makes our defense more dynamic and he has shown he can contribute offensively as well."
 
The Blackhawks announced the deal Wednesday.

2 Spartan football players arraigned in sexual assault case

Posted About Six Years Ago

Two Michigan State football players charged in the sexual assault of a woman in a bathroom during an on-campus party in January have appeared in court.
 
East Lansing District Court records show Donnie Corley Jr. and Josh King -- both 19 -- were arraigned Wednesday. Demetric Vance was arraigned Tuesday.
 
Preliminary examinations are June 22.
 
Corley and the 20-year-old Vance are charged with third-degree criminal sexual conduct. King is charged with first- and third-degree criminal sexual conduct and with distributing an image of an unclothed person.
 
A woman told police she was raped and forced to perform oral sex.
 
King, a defensive end, is from Darien, Illinois. Vance, a defensive back, and Corley, a receiver, are from Detroit.
 
The players have been dismissed from the football program.

OVC eliminates divisions, adopts 18-game league schedule

Posted About Six Years Ago

The Ohio Valley Conference is expanding its conference schedule and eliminating its divisional format for men's basketball.
 
League officials approved these two changes at the conference's spring meetings.
 
Each OVC member now will play 18 conference games, a change that applies to both men's and women's basketball. The OVC had played a 16-game schedule since 2011-12.
 
The OVC previously used an 18-game schedule from 2008-09 through 2010-11 and from 1996-97 through 1999-2000.
 
OVC men's basketball had used East and West divisions since 2012-13. Without divisions, the league instead will determine conference tournament seeding by a team's league winning percentage. Women's basketball already had eliminated the divisional format before the 2014-15 season.
 
OVC officials also approved an extension to commissioner Beth DeBauche's contract, which now runs through 2022-23.

Scooter ends HR spree, but Reds rally to beat Cardinals 6-4

Posted About Six Years Ago

St. Louis kept Scooter Gennett in check a day after his four-homer game , but Patrick Kivlehan had a pinch-hit three-run shot that sparked the Cincinnati Reds to a 6-4 victory Wednesday night, extending the Cardinals' longest losing streak in four years.
 
The Cardinals have dropped six in a row, their deepest slump since they lost seven straight in July 2013.
 
They let a 4-1 lead slip away when Kivlehan - another utility player like Gennett - and Joey Votto homered during a five-run seventh inning.
 
Kivlehan's first career pinch-hit homer off Brett Cecil (0-2) tied it 4-4. Votto's two-run homer off Trevor Rosenthal finished the eight-batter rally that put the Reds in position for their 13th comeback win of the season.
 
Scott Schebler had a homer among his three hits for the Reds, who have won all three games in a series that ends on Thursday. They have won 10 of their last 15 games overall against the NL Central rival.
 
Wandy Peralta (3-1) got the win in relief of Bronson Arroyo. Raisel Iglesias pitched the ninth, staying perfect in 11 save chances.

Peyton Manning to advise Riddell on product development

Posted About Six Years Ago

Peyton Manning will be advising helmet manufacturer Riddell on product development.
 
The five-time NFL MVP, who retired after the 2015 season, wore Riddell's helmets and shoulder pads throughout his career. His insights will be used to help inform the many aspects of helmet design and development for the company.
 
He also will work with the company as its first brand ambassador through its grass roots initiative "Smarter Football."
 
Riddell also designs and develops other protective sports equipment, head impact monitoring technologies, apparel and related accessories.
 
"I have been fortunate to play the game of football," Manning says, "and partnering with Riddell is the right opportunity to positively impact the sport when protection is a constant focus for athletes of all ages.
 
"This is something I am personally invested in. I've always wanted to serve as an ambassador to the game and my role with Riddell enables me to expand my contributions to football."

Streaking Cubs pull away from Marlins for 10-2 win

Posted About Six Years Ago

Jake Arrieta pitched two-hit ball into the seventh inning, Anthony Rizzo drove in four runs and the surging Chicago Cubs beat the Miami Marlins 10-2 on Tuesday night for their season-high fifth straight win.
 
Arrieta (6-4) allowed two runs, struck out five and walked three in just his second win in the past month. The 2015 NL Cy Young Award winner retired 16 in a row over one stretch, showing signs of rounding into form after a bumpy start to the season.
 
Jason Heyward had three hits and two RBIs as the Cubs remained perfect since returning home after a winless six-game road trip. Kris Bryant reached four times, scored two runs and robbed Giancarlo Stanton of a hit with a diving stop on a grounder to third in the third.
 
J.T. Realmuto and JT Riddle each drove in a run for Miami, which had won seven of eight before it stumbled on consecutive windy nights in Chicago.

Marlins place 1B Bour on DL with left ankle injury

Posted About Six Years Ago

The Miami Marlins have placed first baseman Justin Bour on the 10-day disabled list with a left ankle injury.
 
Bour, who is off to a nice start with 16 homers and 40 RBIs, got an MRI on Monday, and it showed a bone bruise. He got hurt running the bases Saturday.
 
The Marlins recalled catcher Tomas Telis from Triple-A New Orleans before Tuesday night's game against the Chicago Cubs.

Cubs activate closer Davis from paternity list

Posted About Six Years Ago

The Chicago Cubs have activated closer Wade Davis from the paternity list and optioned right-hander Dylan Floro to Triple-A Iowa.
 
Davis went on the paternity list Monday. The 31-year-old right-hander is 2-0 with a microscopic 0.89 ERA and 12 saves in his first season with Chicago after he was acquired in an offseason trade with Kansas City.
 
The team announced the moves before Tuesday night's game against Miami.

Scooter Gennett hits 4 home runs for Reds to tie MLB record

Posted About Six Years Ago

Scooter Gennett tied a major league record with four homers - becoming the 17th player to accomplish the feat - and matched the club mark by driving in 10 runs during a 13-1 victory over the slumping St. Louis Cardinals.
 
No major leaguer had ever had five hits, four homers and 10 RBIs in a game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Gennett's 17 total bases also were a team record.
 
Tim Adleman (4-2) gave up one run - on Stephen Piscotty's homer - in seven innings, sending the Cardinals to their season-high fifth loss in a row. They've dropped eight of 10 overall.
 
The Reds have won three in a row against the Cardinals for the first time since 2015. They've taken nine of their last 14 against St. Louis.

Garcia, Sanchez, Frazier homer as White Sox beat Rays 4-2

Posted About Six Years Ago

Jose Quintana rebounded from two poor outings by pitching into the sixth inning of Chicago's 4-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night, helping the White Sox stop a five-game losing streak.
 
Avisail Garcia, Yolmer Sanchez and Todd Frazier homered for the White Sox. Chris Beck (1-0) escaped a bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning to get the victory in relief of Quintana, who avoided becoming the first pitcher in the major leagues to lose eight games this season.
 
Garcia led off the seventh with a solo homer, snapping a 1-1 tie against Chris Archer (4-4), who also gave up a lead-off homer to Sanchez on the fourth pitch of the game.
 
Jose Abreu added an RBI single in the eighth before Frazier led off the ninth with a homer off Ryan Garton.
 
Evan Longoria drove in a run for Tampa Bay with a first-inning single off Quintana, who allowed one run and four hits in 5 1/3 innings. Jesus Sucre had an eighth-inning sacrifice fly for the Rays, who have lost four straight.
 
David Robertson pitched the ninth for the White Sox, earning his ninth save in 10 opportunities.
 
Quintana struck out Logan Morrison with the bases loaded to get through the fifth inning. Beck came to the rescue in the sixth, getting Sucre to ground into an inning-ending double play after an intentional walk loaded the bases again with one out.
 
Archer allowed two runs and five hits over seven innings. He fanned 11, tying David Price's club record for career double-digit strikeout games with 23.

Butler helps Cubs past Marlins 3-1 for 4th straight win

Posted About Six Years Ago

Eddie Butler sailed into the sixth inning and Mike Montgomery took over from there.

A winning plan for the Chicago Cubs - again.

 

Butler and Montgomery combined on a six-hitter, Kris Bryant hit a two-run homer and the Cubs beat the Miami Marlins 3-1 on Monday night for their fourth straight victory.

 

Butler (3-1) allowed one run and three hits in 5 2/3 innings, bouncing back nicely from a shaky start at San Diego last Tuesday. With closer Wade Davis on paternity leave, manager Joe Maddon then gave the ball to Montgomery and the left-hander went the rest of the way for his second save in his first appearance since May 28.

 

Butler and Montgomery also teamed up for a 5-1 win against San Francisco on May 25, with Montgomery pitching the final four innings.

 

Albert Almora Jr. added a solo shot as Chicago remained perfect on its 10-game homestand after going winless on a six-game West Coast trip. Almora and Willson Contreras finished with two hits apiece.

 

Miami had won three straight and seven of eight. Marcell Ozuna had two hits, but the Marlins' lineup struggled for the most part on an unseasonably cool, breezy night at Wrigley Field.

Butler was working on a shutout before Dee Gordon hit a sacrifice fly in the sixth, trimming Chicago's lead to 3-1. Giancarlo Stanton followed with a double, chasing Butler.

 

Montgomery then got Christian Yelich to bounce to second to end the inning. The Marlins threatened again in the seventh, getting Ozuna to third with one out, but Montgomery struck out Derek Dietrich and retired Tyler Moore on a grounder.

 

Butler fanned four and walked one. He threw just 66 pitches against the Marlins, 45 for strikes.

Miami right-hander Dan Straily (4-4) struggled with location early on, but eventually settled down and pitched seven solid innings. He had won his last three starts.

 

Ben Zobrist led off the Cubs first with a double off the wall and Bryant followed with a deep drive to the bleachers in left, powering the ball through a stiff wind. Bryant is 5 for 10 against Straily in his career with three homers and eight RBIs.

 

Almora connected in the fourth, hitting a drive to left-center for his first homer since April 28 and No. 3 on the season.

Doubles by Suarez and Gennett lead Reds over Cardinals, 4-2

Posted About Six Years Ago

 Carlos Martinez dominated the Cincinnati Reds for six innings, and the slumping St. Louis Cardinals still found a way to give up the lead on the way to another loss.

 

Eugenio Suarez and Scooter Gennett hit consecutive two-run doubles in the seventh inning, and Cincinnati came from behind to beat St. Louis 4-2 on Monday night.

 

Martinez (4-5) was almost perfect through six innings before wilting in the seventh as the Cardinals dropped their fourth straight and eighth in 11 games.

 

The Reds had lost two in a row and five of six going into the opener of this four-game series.

Martinez, who was 4-1 with a 2.03 ERA in his previous six starts, faced the minimum 18 batters through six innings with the help of catcher Yadier Molina, who threw out major league stolen base leader Billy Hamilton trying to swipe third in the first inning and Adam Duvall attempting to steal second in the second.

 

Martinez retired 14 straight batters after Duvall's leadoff single before the Reds got to him in the seventh, loading the bases with nobody out. Suarez sent a line drive to center field that Dexter Fowler dropped while sprinting toward the wall.

 

Left-hander Kevin Siegrist was brought in to face the left-handed-hitting Gennett, who snapped an 0-for-19 slump with a double down the right-field line.

 

Lisalverto Bonilla (1-3) pitched a perfect inning and Raisel Iglesias struck out three in a hitless ninth to remain perfect in 10 save chances.

 

Asher Wojciechowski tossed six effective innings in his second major league start for the Reds. Wojciechowski allowed eight hits and two runs with two walks and five strikeouts in six innings against St. Louis after giving up four hits, including three homers, and four runs over four innings last Tuesday at Toronto.

 

Wojciechowski faced the minimum nine batters through three innings and didn't permit a hit until Matt Carpenter's one-out single in the fourth. But the Cardinals bunched together five hits in a two-run fifth, including Tommy Pham's RBI double and Martinez's safety squeeze that scored Pham from third.

 

Martinez's bunt pushed Paul DeJong to second base, but he was thrown out at the plate trying to score on Fowler's single to left field - the first of Duvall's two assists in the game.

Matheny had no problem with either runner trying to advance.

Happ's 2 HRs, Jay's RBI single lead Cubs over Cardinals 7-6

Posted About Six Years Ago

 Ian Happ's first home run wound up in the street, and his second drew a curtain call from the screaming crowd.

 

Not a bad night for the prized rookie, and it turned out well for the Cubs, too.

 

Happ hit two homers, pinch hitter Jon Jay drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh with a single and Chicago beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-6 on Sunday to complete a three-game sweep.

 

Happ broke out of a 4-for-32 slump by staking Chicago to a 6-4 lead with his solo drive in the third and a three-run shot in the fourth against Michael Wacha. The first homer hugged the right-field line , bouncing onto Sheffield Avenue, and the second whipped fans into a frenzy. Happ came back out of the dugout and tipped his helmet to the screaming crowd.

 

Jay broke a 6-6 tie with his two-out single off Matt Bowman (1-2) in the seventh. Anthony Rizzo had three hits and scored the go-ahead run, and the Cubs (28-27) moved back over .500 with their 10th home win in 12 games. They also swept three from the Cardinals at Wrigley Field for the first time since 2006, and they did it after an 0-6 trip against the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego.

 

Cubs players held a meeting before the final game against the Padres that was more of a reminder of who they are than a clear-the-air session.

 

Stephen Piscotty hit a three-run homer in the fourth off Kyle Hendricks. The Cardinals tied it with two in the sixth against Hector Rondon, only to lose for the eighth time in 11 games.

 

Singles by Rizzo and Jason Heyward put runners on first and second with two outs in the seventh. Jay - batting for Pedro Strop - lined a single to center and Rizzo crossed the plate before Heyward got tagged out in a rundown between second and third.

 

Strop (2-2) threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Carl Edwards Jr. retired the side in the eighth. Koji Uehara worked a perfect ninth for his second save in four chances after Wade Davis closed the previous two games.

 

Hendricks gave up four runs and four hits in four innings.

 

Pounded in back-to-back losses to the Dodgers, Wacha lasted just 4 1/3 innings, allowing six runs and six hits. The Cardinals had just scored four in the fourth when Chicago answered with five in the bottom half after the first two batters were retired.

Schwarber's grand slam rallies Cubs to a 5-3 win over Cards

Posted About Six Years Ago

Despite a frustrating first two months of the season, Kyle Schwarber has focused on remaining upbeat.

 

Saturday was the highest of highs for the slumping slugger.

 

Schwarber hit his first career grand slam in the bottom of the seventh inning to rally the Chicago Cubs to a 5-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

 

Schwarber, who entered batting .163 and was dropped to the ninth spot in the lineup, hit the first pitch of the at-bat from St. Louis starter Mike Leake (5-4) deep into the bleachers in left-center.

Javier Baez also homered for Chicago, which has won two straight following a six-game losing streak.

 

Yadier Molina homered and Jose Martinez had two RBIs for the Cardinals.

 

Hector Rondon (1-1) pitched a scoreless seventh to earn the win. Wade Davis got the final three outs for his 12th save.

 

Leake, who entered leading the National League with a 2.24 ERA, allowed five runs and six hits in 6 2/3 innings.

 

The Cardinals grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first inning off Cubs starter Jon Lester on a two-run broken bat single by Martinez.

 

Leake retired the first six batters before Baez led off the third with a long homer to straightaway center to trim the lead in half.

 

Molina got the run back in the sixth with a two-out solo shot to make it 3-1.

 

That's where it stayed until the bottom of the seventh. Jason Heyward and Willson Contreras each singled to put runners on first and third with one out. Leake then struck out Baez with a slider well off the plate and appeared on the verge of getting out of the jam.

 

But he hit pinch hitter Jon Jay with a pitch to load the bases. St. Louis manager Mike Matheny had left-hander Kevin Siegrist warming in the bullpen, but opted to stay with Leake against Schwarber, who had grounded out and struck out in his previous at-bats.

 

It worked out well for the Cubs. Any player hitting a slam to turn a game around would be excited - it was the first go-ahead slam in the seventh or later by the Cubs since 2012 - but Schwarber was especially pumped.

Tigers, Zimmermann power past White Sox 10-1

Posted About Six Years Ago

While the Detroit Tigers are happy to see their offense continue to shine against the Chicago White Sox, they know the most important part of Saturday's 10-1 victory was Jordan Zimmerman's slider.

 

Zimmerman came into the game with a 6.47 ERA and had allowed at least four runs in five straight starts. He has struggled all season with his slider, which has always been his best pitch.

 

Zimmermann (5-4) won for the second time in six starts, allowing one run and seven hits with five strikeouts and two walks. Detroit has won four of five.

 

Nicholas Castellanos and Alex Presley hit back-to-back homers in the second inning, and Alex Avila and Justin Upton also homered for the Tigers, who have outscored Chicago 25-6 in the first two games of the weekend series.

 

Miguel Gonzalez (4-6) lost his fifth straight road start, giving up six runs and 10 hits in six innings, including three of Detroit's homers.

 

Castellanos and Presley put the Tigers ahead 2-0 with their homers in the second, and Detroit took control of the game with four runs in the fourth. RBI singles by Jose Iglesias and Andrew Romine made it 4-0, and Avila followed with a two-run homer.

 

Chicago loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth, but Zimmermann got Melky Cabrera to pop out and end the inning. Todd Frazier's double made it 6-1 in the sixth.

Upton's homer in the four-run eighth was Detroit's fourth of the game and seventh of the series. Detroit has 19 extra-base hits in the last two days.

Wainwright Leads Cardinals Past Dodgers

Posted About Six Years Ago

Adam Wainwright hit a two-run homer off Brandon McCarthy and pitched six innings of four-hit ball, leading the St. Louis Cardinals over the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-0 on Thursday for a four-game split.
 
Wainwright (6-3) struck out six and walked two, pitching out of two-on, one-out jams in the fourth and fifth, and extending his scoreless streak to 16 1/3 innings. His ERA has dropped to 3.79.
Matt Bowman, Trevor Rosenthal and Seung Hwan Oh pitched an inning each to complete a five-hitter. Oh threw a one-hit ninth for his 13th save in 15 chances.
 
Wainwright followed Paul DeJong's second-inning single with a drive over the left-field bullpen for his 10th career homer. Wainwright has six hits and seven RBIs this season.
 
McCarthy (5-2) gave up seven hits in four innings, struck out six and walked one, before leaving with a blister.
 
Adrian Gonzalez and Yasmani Grandal were ejected in the ninth by plate umpire Marty Foster. Gonzalez took a called third strike on the outside corner leading off and was tossed while arguing from the dugout as Grandal was being introduced as a pinch hitter with one out and one on, prompting Dodgers manager Dave Roberts to go to the plate for a discussion with Foster. Grandal swung past strike three, got into an argument with Foster - apparently over a called strike on the second pitch of the at-bat - and also was tossed. Austin Barnes then popped out.
 
Lance Lynn (4-3, 2.93 ERA) will face RHP John Lackey (4-5, 5.18 ERA), a former teammate, on Friday.

Cubs, Cardinals Square Off This Weekend

Posted About Six Years Ago

Perhaps the comforts of home will help cure what's ailing the Chicago Cubs.
 
The Cubs (25-27) are two games under .500 for the first time in manager Joe Maddon's tenure as they open a three-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday, part of a 10-game homestand.
 
Chicago returns following a West Coast road trip in which a 3-3 split might have been a reasonable outcome. Instead, the Cubs dropped all six -- three to the National League West co-leading Los Angeles Dodgers and three to the last-place San Diego Padres.
 
The Cubs are struggling at the plate with a team .235 average with starters such as Kyle Schwarber (.165), Addison Russell (.216) and Anthony Rizzo (.227) all lagging. Chicago is also having troubles with runners in scoring position, batting just .211.
 
Yet Chicago remains in third place in the NL Central, just three games behind the first-place Milwaukee Brewers. Moreover, the Cubs are 14-11 at Wrigley Field, including a 7-2 mark in their last homestand.
 
Chicago sends right-hander John Lackey (4-5, 5.18 ERA) against Cardinals righty Lance Lynn (4-3, 2.93 ERA) on Friday.
 
The Cardinals (26-25) are second in the NL Central, 1 1/2 behind the Brewers after two straight wins over the Dodgers. On Thursday, they scored a 2-0 victory at Busch Stadium as Jedd Gyorko had his team-leading sixth three-hit game.
 
Lynn is set for his first start against Chicago this year. He currently ranks fourth among NL pitchers in opponents' average (.199), fifth in ERA (2.36) and sixth in WHIP (1.06). His .139 average against right-handers is tops in baseball.

Warriors Blow Out Cavs in Game 1 of NBA Finals

Posted About Six Years Ago

Kevin Durant finished with 38 points, eight rebounds and eight assists to lead Golden State past James and the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers, 113-91 on Thursday night in Game 1.
 
Stephen Curry did his share by scoring 28 points with six 3-pointers and 10 assists.
 
LeBron James wound up with 28 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists a day after dealing with bigotry far away from basketball. Someone painted a racial slur - the N-word - on the gate of his Los Angeles home, leaving James to address racism rather than his seventh straight Finals appearance or stopping KD. James said he would do his best to be ready for the series opener when his mind was elsewhere, concerned for his wife and children back in Ohio.
 
Durant punished Cleveland for leaving him free, taking the ball to the hoop for emphatic dunks as a man on a mission to deliver what he came for: a championship. He had six slams in the first half alone for the Warriors, who at 13-0 are already the first team to go this far in a postseason unblemished.
 
Kyrie Irving, who hit the deciding 3-pointer with Curry's hand in his face last June as Cleveland rallied from a 3-1 series deficit to win its first championship, scored 24 points on 10-of-22 shooting. Kevin Love grabbed 21 rebounds and scored 15 points, while Tristan Thompson was held scoreless and to four boards.
 
Game 2 in the series is Sunday night back at Oracle Arena with its deafening sellout crowd.

White Sox in Detroit This Weekend

Posted About Six Years Ago

The Chicago White Sox begin a three-city trip road trip tonight when they visit the Detroit Tigers, who have played a league-high 31 road games, will play 22 of their next 32 at Comerica Park.
 
Left-hander Derek Holland pitched Saturday against Detroit, but in the second of the two games. He'll start tonight in the opener of the three game series.
 
Holland (4-4, 2.37) was the losing pitcher in that start and that squared his career log against the Tigers at 1-1. He has a 2.52 ERA against Detroit in six career starts.
 
The White Sox will have Miguel Gonzalez and lefty David Holmberg pitching against the Tigers in the other two games of the series.
 
Chicago recorded 49 strikeouts against Detroit in the four-game set, the most whiffs by the Tigers in a series of that length since at least 1913. The Tigers drew nine walks off White Sox pitchers in losing the first game of the doubleheader, the most for Detroit in a shutout loss since 1977.
 
One of Chicago's strengths this season has been its bullpen, which has a 2.84 ERA that ranks third in the majors and is holding opponents to a major-league-low .195 batting average. And this is despite not having Nate Jones, Zach Putnam and Jake Petricka because of injuries.
 
Michael Fulmer, who lost his last two starts by 3-0 and 1-0 scores on a road trip that saw Detroit play 11 games in 10 days and go 4-7, will pitch Friday against Chicago in the opener of the series. He'll be working with an extra day of rest thanks to Thursday's team day off, as will Saturday starter Jordan Zimmermann.
 
Lefty Daniel Norris will pitch Tuesday against the visiting Los Angeles Angels and Fulmer will work Wednesday on normal rest. Boyd will return to the rotation Thursday.

Jordan Spieth in Hunt At Memorial

Posted About Six Years Ago

It was nearly a record-setting day for Jordan Spieth at The Memorial Tournament on Thursday where he shot a 6-under 66 to get within one stroke of Jason Dufner and David Lingmerth's co-lead after 18 holes. 
 
Spieth made just two bogeys on the day and is looking for his second-straight big week after finishing T2 at the Dean & DeLuca Invitational in Fort Worth last weekend. That showing followed two straight missed cuts at The Players Championship and AT&T Byron Nelson.
 
How was that a record-setter? The Texan was flawless from tee to green as he posted a field best nearly seven strokes gained against the field without the putter in his hand.

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