Local Sports

Indians roll White Sox 9-1

Corey Kluber pitched six shutout innings and reached eight victories before any AL pitcher as the Cleveland Indians rolled to their fifth straight win, 9-1 Wednesday over the sagging Chicago White Sox to complete a series sweep.
 
Spotted a nine-run cushion after four innings, Kluber (8-2) had little trouble with baseball's worst team.
 
The defending Cy Young Award winner allowed three hits, struck out 10 and improved to 4-0 with a 0.33 ERA in four starts against Central Division teams this season.
 
Melky Cabrera drove in three runs off Reynaldo Lopez (1-4) and Michael Brantley extended his MLB-high hitting streak to 19 games for Cleveland, which used the series to gain some confidence and momentum. The Indians have scored 43 runs during their win streak.
 
Jose Ramirez and Edwin Encarnacion connected for back-to-back homers in the fourth off Chris Volstad as the Indians opened a 9-0 lead.
 
The White Sox committed two more errors, dropped their fourth in a row and fell to 16-37. Chicago had five errors in the three-game series.
 
Yolmer Sanchez homered leading off the ninth as the White Sox avoided a shutout.
 
Kluber is 5-0 with a 1.26 ERA at Progressive Field, and he didn't walk a batter for the fourth straight start.
 
Chicago's Yoan Mocada led off the first with a single off Kluber, who then struck out eight of the next 12 and spent the rest of the day fine-tuning his already fine-tuned collection of pitches.
 
Cabrera's two-run double highlighted a five-run third for the Indians. They had Lopez in trouble in the first inning, but let the right-hander escaped by giving up only two runs.
 
Brantley singled in the first when the Indians took a 2-0 lead against Lopez, whose wild pitch brought in Greg Allen with Cleveland's first run before Cabrera delivered a one-out sacrifice fly.
 
Since moving into the No. 2 spot in Cleveland's order, Brantley is batting .368 (29 of 79) with six homers, 18 RBIs and 20 runs scored.
 
The Sox will have the night off as LHP Hector Santiago starts against Milwaukee in the opener of a three-game series Friday.

Benches Clear in Pirate 2-1 Win Over Cubs

Joe Musgrove pitched seven strong innings and his hard slide led to both teams emptying their benches in another tense moment in the series between NL Central rivals, leading the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 2-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs 2-1 on Wednesday night.
 
Musgrove (2-0) helped end the Pirates' four-game losing streak by overcoming a shaky first inning to allow one run on seven hits and four walks. He also had five strikeouts, five days after pitching seven scoreless innings against the St. Louis Cardinals to win his Pirates' debut.
 
Musgrove slid hard into second baseman Javier Baez to break up a potential double play in the third inning. Baez was knocked off balance but did not hit the ground.
 
No punches were thrown as both teams milled around the infield and there were no ejections.
 
Umpire crew chief Gerry Davis instituted a video replay review to see if Musgrove interfered with Baez. However, replay officials at Major League Baseball's central office in New York informed Davis that it was not a reviewable play.
 
The Pirates were angered Monday when Anthony Rizzo's slide upended catcher Elias Diaz at home plate, successfully breaking up a potential double play in the eighth inning of Chicago's 7-0 win.
 
Musgrove began the season on the disabled list with a strained right shoulder. He was acquired with three other players from the Houston Astros in an offseason trade for Gerrit Cole.
 
Kyle Hendricks (4-4) surrendered two runs and seven hits in five innings while striking out one and walking one. The Cubs' three-game winning streak was snapped.
 
Josh Harrison hit the sixth leadoff home run of his career in the bottom of the first inning and Gregory Polanco put the Pirates ahead 2-1 in the second with a sacrifice fly that scored Corey Dickerson, who led off with a triple. Polanco went 0 for 3 and is hitless in his last 21 at-bats.
 
Albert Almora Jr. led off the game with a double and scored on Baez's single as the Cubs took a quick 1-0 lead. However, Musgrove struck out Kyle Schwarber and Addison Russell to escape a bases-loaded jam and Chicago wound up stranding 11 runners.
 
Felipe Vazquez pitched a scoreless ninth, getting Kris Bryant to hit a game-ending groundout with two men on, for his 10th save in 13 opportunities. The left-hander blew each of his three previous chances.
 
Pittsburgh's Colin Moran and Chicago's Jason Heyward had three hits apiece.
 
LHP Jose Quintana (5-4, 4.78 ERA) will start against Mets RHP Seth Lugo (1-1, 2.48) in the opener of a four-game series tonight in New York.

Reyes returns as Cardinals lose 3-2 to Brewers

Alex Reyes pitched four scoreless innings for St. Louis in his return from Tommy John surgery, but Arcia hit a tiebreaking RBI single in Milwaukee's two-run seventh and the Brewers held off the Cardinals for a 3-2 win on Wednesday.
 
Making his first major league appearance since Sept. 29, 2016, the 23-year-old right-hander allowed three hits, struck out two and walked two. He worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the second.
 
Fatigue was a bit of a factor for the rookie.  Reyes was done after throwing 73 pitches, 42 for strikes.
 
Reyes was 4-1 with a 1.57 ERA two years ago, striking out 52 in 46 innings. He felt pain during a pre-spring training bullpen session in February 2017 and was operated on by Cardinals physician Dr. George Paletta.
 
Reyes went 3-0 in four minor league injury rehabilitation starts this month at Class A Palm Beach and Peoria, Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis. He struck out 44 in 23 innings.
 
Arcia was recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs. He was sent down to work on his batting and was surprised at being recalled so soon.
 
With two out and runners on first and second, Arcia stopped a 0-for-15 slide with a base hit.
 
Jeremy Jeffress (5-0) got the win despite allowing two runs in the top of the seventh. Josh Hader struck out the side in the eighth and got two outs in the ninth, and Corey Knebel struck out Jose Martinez for his fifth save in seven chances.
 
Milwaukee went 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position, but the NL Central leaders still improved to 19-8 in May, setting a team record for wins in the month. Christian Yelich homered for the Brewers, and Erik Kratz had two hits and scored a run.
 
Harrison Bader homered for St. Louis, and Dexter Fowler had three singles.
 
The Cards will have the night off as RHP Jack Flaherty (2-1, 2.15 ERA) is scheduled to make his third career start against Pittsburgh on Friday.

Darvish MRI reveals only inflammation in triceps

 Chicago Cubs right-hander Yu Darvish has inflammation in his right triceps but no structural damage, and could start a throwing program as soon as the weekend.
 
Darvish, signed to a $126 million, six-year contract in February as a free agent, underwent an MRI on Tuesday in Chicago. The Cubs announced the results before playing the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night.
 
The Cubs also placed right-handed reliever Carl Edwards Jr. on the 10-day disabled list with right shoulder inflammation, and recalled right-hander Cory Mazzoni from Triple-A Iowa. Edwards felt discomfort in his shoulder Tuesday night after pitching one scoreless inning in an 8-6 victory over the Pirates.
 
+The NHL Stanley Cup Finals wrapped up game two of the series last night with the Washington Capitals taking it 3-2 over the Las Vegas Knights.  Game three is scheduled for Saturday night in Washington.
 
+And the NBA Finals gets underway tonight in Oakland as the Golden State Warriors host the Clevland Cavaliers, the fourth straight year these two teams will face off in the Finals.

CHS Bass Fishing Competes in the IHSA State Finals

The Clinton High School bass Fishing team recently competed in the IHSA State Finals for the fourth time in its ten year program history.  
 
Coach jay Peterson stated the team of Bryce and Brett Reeves finished  3rd in the
IHSA Sectional at Clinton lake and then went on to finish 14th in the State Final on Carlyle Lake...
 

 

 
66 teams from 290 Schools statewide qualified for the State Finals. Other team members include Kinser Wargel, Chase Sessions and Cole Hanes and volunteer boat captains Bud Blessing and Terry Ijams assist with the program.

Illinois State Baseball Head Coach Fired

After four seasons, Illinois State head baseball coach Bo Durkac will not return next season, ISU Director of Athletics Larry Lyons announced Tuesday.
 
In his four seasons at Illinois State, Durkac's teams accumulated an overall record of 82-134 and a 27-55 in MVC play.

Three home runs send Cardinals over Brewers 6-1

Michael Wacha is tweaking his delivery and getting results.
 
The St. Louis righty pitched two-hit ball for 6 2/3 innings and the Cardinals hit three home runs to beat the Milwaukee Brewers 6-1 on Tuesday night.
 
Harrison Bader, Matt Carpenter and Francisco Pena each hit solo drives to help St. Louis top the NL Central leaders.
 
Wacha (6-1) allowed just one run. He walked four and struck out three, and combined with two relievers to limit the Brewers to three hits.
 
Wacha improved to 6-0 over his last 10 starts with a 2.31 ERA in that span.
 
The Cardinals took control by scoring four times in the second inning off Zach Davies (2-5). Bader led off with a home run, Carpenter walked with the bases loaded and Jedd Gyorko wound with a two-run single when his slowly hit grounder escaped the reach of second baseman Hernan Perez.
 
Davies, making his second start since coming off the disabled list with a right rotator cuff injury, allowed five runs and eight hits over five innings.
 
Perez got the Brewers' first hit with a soft single to center to lead off the fifth. The only other hit off Wacha was a sharp single by Eric Sogard in the seventh, the last batter the Cardinals pitcher faced.
 
Milwaukee scored in the seventh on a pinch-hit double by Jonathan Villar off reliever Sam Tuivailala. Jordan Hicks finished with two perfect innings, striking out four.
 
RHP Alex Reyes returns for the Cards after missing all of last season following Tommy John surgery on his right elbow.   RHP Junior Guerra (3-3, 2.98 ERA) will make his 10th start of the season for the Brew Crew and second against the Cardinals.

Rizzo sparks rally, Cubs top Pirates 8-6

 Anthony Rizzo sparked a late rally with his ninth home run of the season as the Chicago Cubs held off the reeling Pittsburgh Pirates 8-6 on Tuesday night.
 
A day after his aggressive slide at home plate that took out Pittsburgh catcher Elias Diaz drew a rebuke from Major League Baseball, Rizzo doubled in the first inning and sent a solo shot off Edgar Santana (2-1) just over the railing of the Clemente Wall in right field to knot the game at 4.
 
The Cubs then piled on against Pittsburgh's sagging bullpen to hand the Pirates their ninth loss in 11 games. Chicago scored five times against Pittsburgh relievers, including Ian Happ's go-ahead double two batters after Rizzo tied it and Kyle Schwarber's two-run homer off the right-field foul pole in the eighth.
 
Jon Lester (5-2) lacked his usual crispness, allowing four runs in six innings, but picked up the second multihit game of his 13-year career by going 2 for 3, including an RBI single in the sixth that drew the Cubs within a run. Jason Heyward went 3 for 5 with an RBI for Chicago.
 
Brandon Morrow gave up a two-run single to Starling Marte in the ninth but got two outs for his 12th save.
 
Marte finished 3 for 5 with three RBIs, Austin Meadows hit his fourth home run since being called up on May 18 and Diaz exacted a measure of revenge by taking Lester deep in the third, but Pittsburgh's bullpen couldn't keep the Cubs in check after rookie Nick Kingham worked 5 2/3 effective innings while making a spot start for injured Ivan Nova.
 
The Cubs spotted the Pirates leads of 3-0 and 4-2 but kept coming. Rizzo led the way following an unusual 24 hours in which he found himself at the center of a debate on what is - and what isn't - a legal slide.
 
Rizzo shrugged when asked if he was worried about retaliation, and while the Pirates plunked catcher Willson Contreras twice, they didn't really take aim at Rizzo until reliever Michael Feliz went tight inside three times in the eighth.
 
Santana hadn't given up a run in 14 appearances since April 25 but came undone against the heart of Chicago's lineup. Rizzo's home run was caught by a fan wearing Cubs gear in the first row of seats above the 21-foot high Clemente Wall. Umpires took a look but the call was upheld after a 93-second review and Santana fell apart.
 
Contreras singled and scored on Happ's double to put the Cubs in front. Heyward added his third hit of the night two batters later to push Chicago's lead to two.
 
Kyle Hendricks (4-3, 3.16 ERA) makes his 12th career start against the Pirates in Wednesday's series finale.  Joe Musgrove (1-0, 0.00) makes his second start for Pittsburgh since coming off the disabled list last week.

Indians beat White Sox 7-3

Michael Brantley, Jose Ramirez and Jason Kipnis each hit a solo home run, and the Cleveland Indians beat the Chicago White Sox 7-3 on Tuesday night.
 
Brantley was 3 for 4 and extended his hitting streak to 18 games, the longest active streak in the majors. He homered in the third and had an RBI single in the seventh.
 
Ramirez hit his team-leading 16th home run in the fifth and drove in a run with a first-inning double.
 
Kipnis homered in the eighth for Cleveland, which has won four straight and is 12-5 against the AL Central.
 
Mike Clevinger (4-2) allowed one run in 6 2/3 innings. The right-hander struck out seven and allowed four hits.
 
Chicago has lost five of six and has the worst record in the majors (16-36). Lucas Giolito (3-6) allowed five runs in six innings.
 
Tim Anderson had an RBI single in the second for Chicago. Daniel Palka doubled to lead off and scored on Anderson's one-out hit. Charlie Tilson drew a two-out walk, but Clevinger struck out Omar Narvaez.
 
Palka hit a leadoff homer in the ninth off Dan Otero.
 
White Sox RHP Reynaldo Lopez (1-3, 2.93 ERA) takes on Indians RHP Corey Kluber (7-2, 2.17 ERA) in the three-game series finale.

CIC 2018 All-Conference Softball Team

1st Team

 

2nd Team

Allie Dunn JR CAM*** 

Zoie Bowman SO Meridian*** 

Ashtyn Clark SR Tuscola*** 

Isabelle Shelmadine SR Tuscola*** 

Brooke Friesner SR CAM 

Olivia Sanders SR Clinton 

Jesse Damery SO Meridian

Peyton Latham SO Meridian

Joselyn Lewis SO Shelbyville 

Jada Wilson JR W-Latham 

 

Mikayla Denton SO CAM

Savanah Clifton FR Clinton

Anna Enlow FR Meridian

Abby Robinson SO St. Teresa

Savanah Marty SR Shelbyville

Gwen Diepholz SO Sullivan

Alexis Koester SR Tuscola

Ashton Smith JR Tuscola

Jackie Watson JR Tuscola

Jaycie Edwards SO W-Latham

Morgan Nelson SR W-Latham

Honorable Mention

Channing Reed SO CAM

Allison Schuricht SO Shelbyville

Sydney Trainor SR Shelbyville

Irie Dulin JR Sullivan

Madison Wall SR Sullivan

Allison Clark JR Tuscola

Claire Ring JR Tuscola

Kendyl Ring FR Tuscola

Baylee Closs SR W-Lathem

 

Conference Standings

CAM 11-3**

Tuscola 11-3**

Meridian 10-4

Shelbyville 8-6

Clinton 7-7

W-Latham 6-7

Sullivan 2-12

St. Teresa 0-13

 

*** Denotes unanimous selection.           ** Co-Champions

 

Brewers' 8-3 win over Cardinals

With Jesus Aguilar hitting so well, Ryan Braun walked into manager Craig Counsell's office with the unusual request of asking to be dropped lower in the Milwaukee batting order.
 
Counsell obliged, and the move paid immediate dividends.
 
Jonathan Villar and Christian Yelich homered, while Braun had three hits to lead the Brewers to an 8-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday.
 
Braun, dropped those two spots in the lineup, went 3 for 3 with a double, two singles and an intentional walk while scoring three times. It was the first time Braun batted lower than fourth in the lineup since Sept. 23, 2014 at Cincinnati, when he was batting fifth.
 
Aguilar took over at first base when Eric Thames went on the disabled list April 25 and is batting .315 with nine home runs and 30 RBI, hitting third while Braun was on the disabled list with a back injury. Braun returned from the DL on Thursday, and the stats prompted him to suggest to Counsell to leave the slugging Aguilar in the third spot.
 
Milwaukee starter Brent Suter (5-3) allowed three runs in five innings, but hit a two-run double in the fourth that gave Milwaukee a 4-0 lead. Milwaukee won for the 10th time in 12 games.
 
St. Louis starter Luke Weaver (3-5) lost his third consecutive start, allowing four runs on five hits and two walks with three strikeouts in four innings.
 
The Brewers were shut out 5-0 by the Mets on Thursday. Since then, they've scored 37 runs in four games, all victories.
 
Milwaukee broke open the game in the seventh inning. With two outs and Yelich on second, the Cardinals intentionally walked Braun to face Villar. The second baseman hit the second pitch from Brent Cecil into the Milwaukee bullpen for an 8-3 lead.
 
Yelich hit his sixth homer, singled, stole two bases and scored twice.
 
Yairo Munoz hit his first major-league homer in the fifth, a two-run shot, and Matt Carpenter hit his sixth, a solo shot, later in the inning to pull the Cardinals within 4-3.

Montgomery shines in spot start, Cubs throttle Pirates 7-0

Mike Montgomery pitched two-hit ball into the sixth inning, Anthony Rizzo went 3 for 4 
 
with a home run and three RBIs, and the sleep-deprived Chicago Cubs beat the slumping 
 
Pittsburgh Pirates 7-0 on Monday.
 
Montgomery (1-1), starting for the first time this season in place of injured Yu Darvish, 
 
retired the first 13 batters before giving up a sharp single to Corey Dickerson with one out 
 
in the fifth. He struck out five and needed just 76 pitches to get through 5 2/3 innings. 
 
Montgomery struck out five without allowing a walk.
 
Rizzo hit his seventh home run in the second off Chad Kuhl (4-3) to give the Cubs an early 
 
lead. Addison Russell gave Chicago breathing room in the seventh with the second pinch-
 
hit home run of his career, a shot to the bleachers in left off reliever Steven Brault that 
 
stayed just inside the foul pole.
 
Kuhl gave up just one run in six innings, but fell to 1-5 in his career against the Cubs. 
 
Dickerson's single and Sean Rodriguez's infield hit leading off the sixth were the only two 
 
base runners for Pittsburgh. The Pirates have dropped eight of 10.
 
The Cubs arrived in Pittsburgh at 4 a.m. local time following a victory over San Francisco 
 
in Chicago on Sunday night. Manager Joe Maddon wondered openly before the game why 
 
the start time wasn't pushed until later in the day, but the well-rested Montgomery, who has 
 
worked exclusively in the bullpen this season, was more than ready to go.
 
Pittsburgh managed to get the ball out of the infield five times with Montgomery on the 
 
mound, four harmless fly outs and Dickerson's single, though any threat was erased when 
 
David Freese hit into a double play.
 
Russell's second home run of the season made it 3-0 and the Cubs loaded the bases with 
 
no outs in the eighth, leading to a sequence that got Pirates manager Clint Hurdle ejected. 
 
Chicago's Chris Gimenez hit a grounder to shortstop. Sean Rodriguez threw home for one 
 
out, but catcher Elias Diaz threw wildly to first attempting to turn two. The ball rolled into 
 
right field, with Javy Baez and Kyle Schwarber racing home to give the Cubs a five-run 
 
lead.
 
The Pirates challenged the call after replay showed Rizzo sliding into Diaz's legs as Diaz 
 
attempted to make the throw. It stood upon review, and when Hurdle came out to argue, 
 
he was promptly tossed by home plate umpire Bill Welke.

Encarnacion, Chicago's poor defense boost Indians to 9-6 win

The Cleveland Indians took advantage of their extra chances Monday.
 
Edwin Encarnacion homered and had four RBIs, and the Indians capitalized on three errors 
 
to score five times in the fifth inning for a 9-6 win over the Chicago White Sox.
 
Cleveland trailed 5-2 going into the fifth, but errors by catcher Alfredo Gonzalez, shortstop 
 
Tim Anderson and second baseman Yoan Moncada made three of the runs unearned.
 
The Indians also strung together three hits and a walk, and sent nine batters to the plate. 
 
Encarnacion tied the game with a three-run bloop double. Yonder Alonso's double drove in 
 
the go-ahead run.
 
Encarnacion hit a leadoff homer in the seventh, his 12th of the season.
 
The White Sox committed two errors with Yan Gomes batting in the fifth. Gonzalez 
 
dropped a foul popup in front of the White Sox's dugout. Anderson fielded Gomes' 
 
grounder at shortstop, but his throw to first was in the dirt for another error.
 
The Indians loaded the bases on a force play, a single and a walk, ending starter Dylan 
 
Covey's day. Luis Avilan retired Jose Ramirez on a popup.
 
Chris Volstad entered the game but right fielder Daniel Palka, shaded toward right-center, 
 
couldn't make a sliding catch after getting his glove on Encarnacion's fly ball that landed 
 
near the foul line.
 
Jace Fry faced Alonso, who doubled to center for a 6-5 lead. Moncada booted Melky 
 
Cabrera's ground ball to score another run.
 
Adam Plutko (3-0) allowed five runs in five innings and has won all three of his starts this 
 
season. Tyler Olson, Evan Marshall and Neil Ramirez combined to pitch three shutout 
 
innings. Ben Taylor allowed a run in the ninth.
 
Volstad (0-3) gave up Encarnacion's double, the only batter he faced. Chicago's poor 
 
pitching and defense spoiled a memorable major league debut for Matt Skole, who 
 
homered and singled.
 
Skole, called up from Triple-A Charlotte before the game, started a two-run rally in the 
 
second with a single. The left-handed hitting first baseman homered in the fourth, a 418-
 
foot shot into the right-field seats.
 
Skole, 28, signed as a minor league free agent with the White Sox in January after spending 
 
seven seasons in the Washington Nationals organization. He was called up when Matt 
 
Davidson went on the 10-day DL with back spasms.
 
Anderson followed Skole with a homer in the fourth.
 
Michael Brantley extended his hitting streak to 17 games with a first-inning single and 
 
Francisco Lindor had three hits.

White Sox place Matt Davidson on DL with back spasms

The Chicago White Sox placed infielder Matt Davidson on the 10-day disabled list because of back spasms.

Davidson is batting .243 with a team-high 11 home runs and 28 RBIs in 42 games.

Davidson, who hasn't played since May 22, has started 27 games at designated hitter with eight at third base and five at first. The move is retroactive to May 25.

The White Sox purchased the contract of infielder Matt Skole from Triple-A Charlotte. He started at first base Monday while Jose Abreu was the DH.

Right-hander Ricardo Pinto was designated for assignment. Chicago began a three-game series against the Cleveland Indians.

Baez, Cubs overcome Chatwood's wild start to beat Giants 8-3

Javier Baez hit a three-run home run and the Chicago Cubs overcame another wild outing from Tyler Chatwood to beat the San Francisco Giants 8-3 on Sunday night.
 
Albert Almora Jr. had three hits and Chicago's bullpen was stellar as the Cubs took two of three in the weekend series.
 
Chatwood walked five and allowed three runs in 2 2/3 innings. The right-hander leads the NL with 45 walks, including six in his previous start against Cleveland, when he allowed four runs in 2 2/3 innings. Chatwood is 3-4 with a 4.10 ERA in the first season of a $38 million, three-year contract he signed in December.
 
Left-hander Randy Rosario (1-0) replaced Chatwood and escaped a bases-loaded jam. The rookie - promoted from the minors Saturday - allowed one hit in 2 1/3 innings for his first major league win.
 
San Francisco starter Ty Blach (3-5) also struggled, allowing five runs on seven hits in three-plus innings. He walked four and struck out three.
 
After San Francisco took a 1-0 lead on two walks and two infield hits, Mac Williamson hit a two-out, two-run single to right to make it 3-0 in the first.
 
The Cubs quickly tied it with three runs in the bottom half.
 
Kris Bryant delivered a one-out run-scoring double. Anthony Rizzo followed with a liner up the middle. The ball hit off Blach's glove and struck second base umpire Cory Blaser before rolling slowing towards first base as Bryant scored all the way from second.
 
After Kyle Schwarber singled to right to put runners on the corners, Addison Russell hit a grounder up the middle. Again, Blach got a glove on it but couldn't make the play, giving Russell a tying hit.
 
Baez gave the Cubs a 6-3 lead with his three-run blast to right in the fourth off reliever Pierce Johnson. Chicago added two more in the fifth on an RBI pinch-hit single by Tommy La Stella and an RBI double by Almora.

Hardy pitches Tigers to 3-2 win over White Sox

Blaine Hardy pitched a career-high seven innings, leading the Tigers to a 3-2 victory over the lowly Chicago White Sox.
 
Hardy allowed one run and three hits, struck out six and walked one in his third start of the season. The 31-year-old left-hander is helping out in the rotation while Jordan Zimmermann is out with a shoulder issue.
 
Hardy retired his last 14 batters. He is 3-0 in 63 appearances over the past three seasons.
 
After seven innings of Hardy's cutters and changeups, hard-throwing Joe Jimenez struck out the side on 12 pitches in the eighth.
 
Shane Greene allowed Jose Rondon's homer in the ninth before finishing for his 13th save.
 
The last-place White Sox (16-34) lost for the third time in four games.
 
James Shields (1-5) gave up three runs and five hits in seven innings. He walked three and struck out four.
 
The Tigers jumped in front on Grayson Greiner's one-out RBI double in the second, but Shields prevented a bigger inning by picking John Hicks off third and retiring Jose Iglesias.
 
Yolmer Sanchez hit a tying RBI triple with one out in the third, and the White Sox appeared to add another run when Rondon swung at a two-strike wild pitch with two out. He reached first and Sanchez scored, but umpire Pat Hoberg ruled Rondon out for hitting Greiner's helmet with his backswing.
 
Dixon Machado put Detroit ahead to stay with a fifth-inning RBI single, ending a 0-for-16 stretch, and Nicholas Castellanos added his own RBI single two batters later. Jeimer Candelario walked to load the bases with two out, but Victor Martinez flew out to end the inning.

Cubs place RHP Darvish on DL with right triceps tendinitis

The Chicago Cubs have placed Yu Darvish on the 10-day disabled list with right triceps tendinitis, continuing a rough season for the right-hander.
 
The Cubs also optioned catcher Victor Caratini to Triple-A Iowa before Saturday's game against San Francisco. Veteran catcher Chris Gimenez and left-handed reliever Randy Rosario were brought up from the minors, and infielder Efren Navarro was designated for assignment.
 
Darvish is 1-3 with a 4.95 ERA in his first season after finalizing a $126 million, six-year deal with the Cubs in February. He was slated to start the series finale against the Giants on Sunday night, but Tyler Chatwood will move up a day to take his place.

Cardinals rally past slumping Pirates 6-4

Harrison Bader dug in and swung as Felipe Vazquez's 99 mph fastball ran in on his hands. When it dropped for a single in the eighth inning, the game was tied. Moments later, Vazquez's control abandoned him and the Cardinals were on their way to a 6-4 victory over the slumping Pirates on Sunday.
 
The Cardinals won for just the fourth time in 19 games when trailing after seven innings by pouncing on Pittsburgh's bullpen. Jedd Gyorko's pinch-hit, two-run single off Edgar Santana in the seventh pulled St. Louis within one.
 
The Cardinals quickly loaded the bases off Michael Feliz (0-2) and the Pirates brought in Vazquez with one out in the eighth. Bader dumped the fourth pitch he saw from Vazquez just over the outstretched hands of second baseman Sean Rodriguez. Vazquez walked Yairo Munoz on four pitches to hand St. Louis the lead and the Cardinals added another run when Carson Kelly bounced into a fielder's choice.
 
Vazquez has blown three straight save opportunities for the Pirates, who have dropped seven of nine. Director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said afterward that Vazquez experienced left forearm discomfort after his final two pitches. Vazquez was not available postgame and will be re-evaluated Monday.
 
am Tuivailala (1-0) picked up the win with a scoreless seventh. Bud Norris worked a perfect ninth for his 11th save.
 
Matt Carpenter went 2 for 4 for St. Louis and is hitting .422 (19 of 45) since May 16.
 
Rookie Austin Meadows continued his torrid start for the Pirates, going 2 for 3 to boost his average to .455 since making his major league debut on May 16. Adam Frazier hit a two-run triple off Miles Mikolas in the fifth, but Pittsburgh's relievers couldn't hold a 4-1 advantage after 6 1/3 solid innings by Jameson Taillon.
 
Taillon was charged with three runs when Gyorko's looping fly ball to left off Santana fell for a hit in the seventh. Taillon allowed just five hits and struck out five but remains winless since April 8 as the Pirates lost for the first time all season when leading after seven innings (23-1).
 
The Cardinals' comeback helped Mikolas avoid his first major league loss in nearly four years. Relying heavily on impeccable control after spending two seasons in Japan, Mikolas has been one of the biggest surprises in the majors and came in off a four-hit shutout against Kansas City that served notice his hot start was hardly a fluke.
 
He had little trouble through the first four innings before a rare walk opened the door for the Pirates in the fifth. Elias Diaz led off with just the seventh walk issued by Mikolas this season. Jordy Mercer followed with a single before Frazier wore him down, fouling off six pitches before sending a shot over Tommy Pham in center field to drive in Mercer and Diaz. Meadows followed with a sacrifice fly.
 
Mikolas tied a season high by allowing four runs in six innings as his ERA ticked up to 2.54.

Purdue beats Illinois 11-5, earns shot at Big 10 title

Nick Dalesandro had a pair of hits and scored three runs, and Purdue rallied from three runs down to roll past Illinois 11-5 and advance to the Big Ten Tournament championship game.
 
Harry Shipley also had two hits and three runs for the second-seeded Boilermakers (37-18), who will face top-seeded Minnesota on Sunday in Omaha.
 
Purdue spotted Illinois (33-20) a 4-1 lead. But the Boilermakers scored four times in the fifth inning, thanks largely to a pair of Illini errors, and tacked on four more in the seventh for a 9-5 lead.
 
Bo Hofstra (5-3) got the win for the Boilermakers, while Ryan Schmitt (2-3) took the loss for Illinois.
 
Minnesota and Purdue met in mid-April, with the Gophers putting up a staggering 40 runs in a two-game sweep.

Gophers down Illini 3-0 in Big Ten Tourney

Reggie Meyer pitched a three-hitter in his first career complete game, and top-seeded Minnesota beat Illinois 3-0 in the Big Ten Tournament on Thursday night.
 
The Gophers (39-13) are off until Saturday and need one more win to reach the championship game Sunday. The fourth-seeded Illini (32-19) play Indiana in an elimination game Friday night.
 
Meyer (7-3) struck out eight, walked one and hit a batter. He allowed a base hit in the first inning, another in the fifth and then retired 11 of the next 12 batters before Ben Troike singled leading off the ninth to extend his on-base streak to 56 games.
 
Illinois starter Andy Fisher (6-3) scattered nine hits, struck out nine and walked two in seven innings.

Redbirds Finish Season with Loss to Dallas Baptist

The Illinois State Redbirds led over the first three innings of the game, and remain tied through five; however, the high-powered Dallas Baptist offense scored 10 total runs, ending the season for the Redbirds by a score of 10-6.
 
John Rave was 3-for-5 at the plate for Illinois State, while Owen Miller was 2-for-4 with three RBI's. Rave scored twice, while Tyson Hays, Miller, Collin Braithwaite, and Jordan Libman each crossed the plate in the loss.
 
Dallas Baptist struck first with a game-opening solo home run from MVC Player of the Year Devlin Granberg.
 
After DBU scored twice in the top of the third inning to re-take the lead, ISU got a two-run home run off the bat of Miller, his sixth home run of the season over the wall in right field, scoring himself and Rave to put Illinois State back ahead 4-3. Miller ends the season as the program's single-season hits record holder with 88 hits on the year.
 
DBU tied the game with a run in the fourth, and took the lead for good with two runs in the fifth inning and three more in the seventh to lead 9-4.
 
Rave hit his team-leading eighth home run of the season with one out in the bottom of the seventh. Freshman catcher Hays drew a walk immediately after the home run, and was pushed around to score on Miller's RBI double, which cut the deficit to three at 9-6.
 
ISU got two hits over the last two-plus innings, as DBU scored in the top of the ninth to give the game its 10-6 final score.

Bundy fans 14, tosses 2-hitter to lead O's past White Sox 9-3

Dylan Bundy struck out a career-high 14 and pitched a two-hitter for his second complete game in the majors, leading the Baltimore Orioles over the Chicago White Sox 9-3 on Thursday.
 
Adam Jones and Trey Mancini hit solo home runs as Baltimore took a 9-0 lead after three innings. Jones and Manny Machado each had three hits, and Chance Sisco drove in three runs for the last-place Orioles, who won for just the third time in nine games and improved to 6-21 on the road.
 
Jose Rondon hit a three-run homer with two outs in the fourth for the first hit off Bundy. It was Rondon's second career homer and second in two days.
 
Bundy (3-6) had been roughed up in losing four of five previous starts, but sparkled once again in an afternoon contest. The 25-year-old right-hander improved to 2-1 with 1.32 ERA in five day games.
 
Omar Narvaez's single in the seventh was the only other hit off Bundy, who walked one and hit a batter. His other complete game was last Aug. 29 against Seattle.
 
Narvaez was behind the plate for the White Sox.
 
The Orioles sent 25 batters to the plate in the first three innings to build a big lead off White Sox starter Lucas Giolito (3-5) and Chris Beck, the first of five Chicago relievers. Giolito and Beck each walked three in the first three innings, with Giolito forcing in two runs on bases-loaded passes and Beck pushing across one.
 
Giolito increased his league-leading walk total to 37, and wildness doomed the right-hander from outset as Baltimore scored four times in the first. Giolito issued three straight walks to force home Baltimore's first two runs. Sisco's single drove in two more.
 
When Giolito got the ball over the plate in the second, the Orioles hit it out as Mancini and Jones led off the inning with homers.
 
Beck replaced Giolito with one out in the second after Giolito hit Chris Davis with a pitch to put runners at first and second. After getting Alvarez to pop out, Beck walked Craig Gentry and Sisco to force in another run and make it 7-0.
 
RBI singles by Machado and Alvarez in the third upped Baltimore's lead 9-0.
 
Rondon launched his homer in the fourth after Bundy hit Yolmer Sanchez with a pitch and Daniel Palka reached on a third strike that turned into a wild pitch.
 
Sox RHP Reynaldo Lopez (1-3, 2.98) faces the Tigers RHP Mike Fiers (4-3, 4.57) at Detroit tonight.

White Sox Castillo Banned 80 Games for Failed Drug Test

Chicago White Sox catcher Welington Castillo has been suspended for 80 games by Major League Baseball following a positive test for a performance-enhancing substance.

The commissioner's office said Thursday he tested positive for EPO. Erythropoietin is a hormone that stimulates the red blood cell production and often has turned up in the test results for cyclists.

He is the eighth player suspended this year under the major league drug-testing program.

Snarskis keys Illini's 7-1 B10 Tournament win over Indiana

 
Quinn Snarskis and two relievers combined on a two-hitter and Michael Massey's three-run homer broke open the game in Illinois' 7-1 victory over Indiana in the Big Ten Tournament on Wednesday night.
 
The Illini (32-18) play top-seeded Minnesota on Thursday night. The Hoosiers (37-16) face Michigan State in an elimination game.
 
The Illini broke a scoreless tie in the sixth inning when they plated three runs on a pair of two-out errors. Massey's three-run homer made it 7-0 in the seventh.
 
Snarskis, who transferred to Illinois after Division II St. Joseph's College closed last year and became Illinois' No. 1 starter, pitched 4 1/3 perfect innings before Luke Miller singled. Ryan Thompson (8-3) allowed one run in 2 2/3 innings of relief.
 
Indiana starter Jonathan Stiever (5-5) pitched six innings and took the loss.

Redbirds Fall to Bradley in MVC Tournament Opener

The Illinois State Redbirds got a home run from Collin Braithwaite, but struggled against the Bradley Braves, falling in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament first round by a 14-2 final score.
 
Jake McCaw went 2-for-3 for Illinois State, while Braithwaite and Joe Aeilts had the team's other two hits in the contest. Braithwaite and Aeilts drove in a run each, as Braithwaite and Jordan Libman each scored once.
 
After being retired in order in the top of the first inning, the Redbirds gave up four runs in the bottom half of the first. Bradley scored two runs in the third and another in the fourth to lead 7-0.
 
The Redbirds did not get their first hit in the game until the top of the fifth inning when Braithwaite took a 2-2 pitch over the wall in left field, ending the perfect game and shutout bid with one swing of the bat. After a pair of outs, McCaw singled up the middle, and Bryce Grimm walked to put a runner in scoring position, but could not squeeze a run across.
 
Following the Redbird run, the Braves scored six times in the bottom of the fifth inning, and another in the bottom of the sixth to lead 14-1.
 
Illinois State rallied in the top of the seventh, as the first three batters all reached base, as Libman walked, and scored a batter later on an Aeilts double into left field. McCaw singled to right field to put runners on the corners; however, a fly-out, foul-out, and ground-out ended the threat, and the game.
 
The Redbirds will return to action this afternoon at 12:30 p.m. as they'll take on Dallas Baptist.

Covey earns 1st win, White Sox hit 3 homers in rout of O's

Dylan Covey tossed seven strong innings for his first major league win, Yoan Moncada and Adam Engel each hit three-run homers and the Chicago White Sox pounded the Baltimore Orioles 11-1 on Wednesday night.
 
Jose Rondon added his first major league homer, a two-run shot in the seventh, as last-place Chicago rolled to its fifth win in seven games.
 
Covey (1-1) allowed one run on six hits and struck out eight in his 20th game and 14th start - and longest outing - in the majors. Baltimore, last in the AL East, has lost four of five overall and is 5-21 on the road.
 
Moncada's shot to center in a four-run third inning put the White Sox ahead for good after Jace Peterson singled in Baltimore's lone run in the second. Moncada's seventh homer was his first since April 26, a stretch that included time on the disabled list with left hamstring tightness.
 
Engel, who entered hitting .183, added three singles and matched a career high with four hits. His drive to left in the fifth was his first homer since last September.
 
Alex Cobb (1-6) lasted just 3 2/3 innings, his shortest outing since April 19. The right-hander allowed six runs on eight hits.
 
Covey was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte on Saturday to take Carson Fulmer's spot the in rotation after Fulmer was assigned to the farm club.
 
Covey made one start with Chicago earlier this season, losing on April 28 at Kansas City. The 26-year-old righty was 0-7 with a 7.71 ERA in 12 starts and six relief appearances in 2017.
 
Covey looked shaky only in the second, when Baltimore used two singles and a walk to take a 1-0 lead.
 
In the third, Tim Anderson walked and Engel singled with one out before Moncada connected on a 1-2 pitch from Cobb.
 
Chicago tacked on two more runs in the fourth on RBI singles by Yolmer Sanchez and Jose Abreu.
 
Engel's shot with two outs in the in the fifth off Pedro Araujo made it 9-1. Rondon's drive complete the scoring.
 
Orioles right-hander Dylan Bundy (2-6, 4.70) faces White Sox righty Lucas Giolito (3-4, 6.42) in the finale of the four-game series this afternoon.

Indians defeat Cubs 1-0

Adam Plutko carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning and Andrew Miller provided stellar relief work, helping the Cleveland Indians beat the Chicago Cubs 1-0 on Wednesday night.
 
Plutko (2-0) struck out four and walked four in his second major league start. The right-hander was promoted from Triple-A Columbus to replace the struggling Josh Tomlin in Cleveland's rotation.
 
Michael Brantley, Francisco Lindor and Rajai Davis had two hits apiece as the AL Central leaders won for the third time in four games. Brantley extended his hitting streak to 12 games, and Davis also contributed a leaping catch against the wall in center, robbing Addison Russell of a likely run-scoring hit in the second.
 
The Indians completed a sweep of their two-game set versus the Cubs in their first appearance at Wrigley Field since they lost the 2016 World Series.
 
Chicago wasted a terrific start by Jon Lester (4-2) in its second straight loss.  The lefty allowed six hits, struck out four and walked one while lowering his ERA to 2.37 in his 10th start this year.
 
Plutko was even better. He retired 13 in a row before Anthony Rizzo led off the seventh with a double for Chicago's first hit. Willson Contreras then reached on an infield single, chasing Plutko and putting runners on the corners.
 
But Miller came in and shut the door, preserving Cleveland's 1-0 lead. He jumped on Javier Baez's bunt right back to him and threw out Rizzo at home. Russell then struck out swinging and Jason Heyward bounced to first, ending the inning.
 
Miller also got the first two outs of the eighth. After Kyle Schwarber singled, Cody Allen retired Kris Bryant on a fly ball to center. Allen worked the ninth for his seventh save in eight chances.
 
Plutko also helped the Indians jump in front with a sacrifice in the third, advancing Davis to second after a leadoff single. It was Plutko's first professional plate appearance; he did not bat in the minors or during his college career at UCLA.
 
The Cubs will have the day off, RHP Kyle Hendricks (3-3, 3.40 ERA) starts the opener of a three-game series against San Francisco.
 

Royals score 3 in 10th inning to down Cards 5-2

Kansas City Royals backup catcher Drew Butera had a two-run single in the 10th inning and the Royals earned a 5-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.
 
Butera's RBIs were his first since May 2. Jon Jay followed with an RBI single as the Royals won their first series since May 6th.  
 
Salvador Perez hammered a first-pitch fastball by Cardinals starter Michael Wacha for his eighth home run of the season to lead off the second.
 
Royals starter Jakob Junis gave up two runs in five innings, while striking out seven.
 
Blaine Boyer (2-0) pitched a scoreless ninth for the win. Kelvin Herrera earned his 10th save with a perfect 10th.
 
Abraham Almonte scored on a sacrifice fly in the sixth to tie it 2-2.
 
Wacha retired 14 of the first 15 batters he faced. He gave up two runs, one earned, in 6 2/3 innings.
 
Bud Norris (1-1) pitched a perfect ninth, but couldn't record an out in the 10th, giving up back-to-back singles to Jorge Soler and Alex Gordon before compounding the issue by committing an error on Alcides Escobar's sacrifice attempt to load the bases ahead of Butera.
 
Francisco Pena capped a two-run second inning with an RBI double, giving the Cardinals a 2-1 lead. Pena had a pair of hits after going 1-for-12 the previous three games.
 
Cardinals left fielder Marcell Ozuna was scratched from the lineup and was replaced by Tyler O'Neill after oversleeping and reporting late. Ozuna was hitting .714 (5 for 7) with a walk in his previous two games.
 
The Cards will have the day off as RHP John Gant (1-1, 4.67 ERA) gets the start in the opener of a three-game series Friday at Pittsburgh.

Sanchez lifts White Sox over Orioles 3-2

 Yolmer Sanchez capped Chicago's three-run eighth with a tiebreaking RBI single, lifting the White Sox to a 3-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night.
 
Welington Castillo also had an RBI single and Yoan Moncada added a sacrifice fly as last-place Chicago won for the fourth time in six games. Bruce Rondon (2-2) pitched a scoreless eighth and Nate Jones got three outs for his fourth save.
 
Mark Trumbo went 4 for 4 with two doubles for Baltimore, which won 3-2 on Monday night in the series opener between two of the AL's worst teams.
 
The last-place Orioles wasted a gem by Kevin Gausman, who matched a career high with 10 strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings. The right-hander allowed nine hits and walked one.

Ramirez hits 14th homer, Indians rout Cubs 10-1 in rematch

Jose Ramirez hit his 14th homer and the Cleveland Indians routed the Chicago Cubs 10-1 on Tuesday night in their first meeting at Wrigley Field since the 2016 World Series.
 
The AL Central leaders moved back to .500 with an easy victory against the team that beat them two years ago to end a 108-year championship drought.
 
Ramirez got the blowout going with his three-run drive in the third. The Indians scored four times in the inning while chasing a wild Tyler Chatwood (3-4) and simply poured it on after that.
 
Trevor Bauer (4-3) went six innings in his second straight scoreless start. The right-hander gave up seven hits and struck out six while walking two after shutting down Detroit over eight innings in a win last week.
 
Yonder Alonso had three of Cleveland's 11 hits, including a three-run double in the fifth to make it 10-0.
 
Michael Brantley extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a pair of singles and scored two runs. Francisco Lindor added two hits and two runs, and the Indians started the two-game series on a winning note after the teams split two games in Cleveland last month.
 
Chatwood walked six while allowing four runs and four hits in 2 2/3 innings. Three of those walks came in the third, bringing his major league-leading total to 40, and the crowd of 37,168 let him hear it.
 
Ramirez delivered the big blow with his three-run drive to the right-field basket. Roberto Perez added a sacrifice fly, and the Indians sent nine batters to the plate in the inning.
 
Cubs manager Joe Maddon lifted Chatwood with runners on first and third after he threw four balls to Greg Allen. Mike Montgomery struck out Bauer to end the rally, but got tagged for six runs in 2 1/3 innings.
 
Chicago's Ian Happ led off the ninth with a pinch-hit homer against Josh Tomlin.

Royals Hammel earns first win in win over Cardinals

Kansas City starter Jason Hammel had to jog his memory on what to do after a win. It had been that long for Hammel, who was making his 290th career start Tuesday night.
 
He earned his first victory of the season, helped by home runs by Alex Gordon and Salvador Perez in a 5-1 win by the Royals over the St. Louis Cardinals.
 
Hammel (1-5) has been winless in his previous 13 starts dating back to his last win Sept. 6, 2017. He also had been winless in his previous seven road starts.
 
Hammel went seven innings, giving up nine hits and a run to help the Royals win for the second time in 10 games. He struck out six and hit a batter with no walks.
 
Kansas City added two runs in the ninth of struggling reliever Greg Holland, a former Royal, who did not get any of the four batters he faced out.
 
Holland, who sports an 8.76 ERA, left to a chorus of boos as he did Saturday against visiting Minnesota. It was his third consecutive poor outing for the three-time All-Star.

Rochester Ends Lady Maroons Season

In a game heard on WHOW, the Clinton Lady Maroons fell to the Rochester Lady Rockets by a score of 3-0 on Tuesday afternoon. Olivia Sanders takes the loss pitching 6 innings, allowing 3 runs on 7 hits, allowing one walk, and striking out 12. The Lady Maroons were led at the plate by Amanda Tool who went 2 for 3 with 2 singles.

 

Rochester was led by Reagan Miles going 2 for 3 with a home run, a double, and 3 RBIs. Miles takes the win pitching 7 innings allowing 5 hits on 0 runs and 14 strikeouts.

 

Rochester improves to 21-12 and the Lady Maroons end the season 11-19.

Machado hits 15th homer as Orioles edge White Sox 3-2

Manny Machado, Adam Jones and Mark Trumbo homered, helping Andrew Cashner and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Chicago White Sox 3-2 on Monday night.
 
Machado hit a line drive to left in the fourth inning for his 15th homer, moving into a tie for the major league lead with Boston's Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez. Trumbo connected in the fifth against Hector Santiago, and Jones went deep in the sixth after leaving Sunday's 5-0 loss to the Red Sox due to an illness.
 
Cashner (2-5) got his first win since April 5, helped by some terrific relief work by Mychal Givens. Cashner pitched five-plus innings and was charged with two runs and eight hits.
 
Baltimore improved to 2-3 on an 11-game trip to Boston, Chicago and Tampa Bay. The last-place Orioles (15-32) had dropped four of five heading into the four-game series between two of the AL's worst teams.
 
Jose Abreu, Matt Davidson and Leury Garcia had two hits apiece for Chicago (13-31), which had won three of four. Santiago (0-2) struck out seven in six innings, but remains winless in four starts and nine relief appearances this year - with the White Sox losing all 13 games.
 
Garcia chased Cashner with an RBI double in the sixth, making it 3-2 and putting runners on second and third with none out. But Givens came in and retired three in a row, getting Welington Castillo to pop out to first before striking out Tim Anderson and Adam Engel.
 
Chicago also had a runner thrown out at the plate in the fifth, and blew a prime scoring opportunity in the ninth. Yolmer Sanchez struck out with runners on the corners and one out. After Abreu was walked intentionally, Trayce Thompson struck out swinging to give Brad Brach his seventh save in eight chances.

Ex-LPGA Tour golfer Carol Mann dies at 77; won 38 titles

Carol Mann, a two-time major champion who won 38 LPGA Tour titles, has died. She was 77.
 
The LPGA Tour issued a statement Monday that Mann had died Sunday at her home in The Woodlands, Texas. LPGA Tour officials said a family member notified them of Mann's death.
 
Her major titles were the 1964 Women's Western Open Invitational and the 1965 U.S. Women's Open. She won 10 tournaments in 1968.
 
Mann also served as LPGA president from 1973-76. She was an analyst for men's and women's golf on ABC, ESPN and NBC.
 
Mann was inducted into the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame and the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1977.
 
LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan says Mann has been "part of the fabric of the LPGA for more than 55 years, with a Hall of Fame career both on and off the golf course."
 
Mann grew up in Baltimore and Chicago. She took up golf at 9, attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and joined the LPGA Tour in 1961.
 

Mikolas gets 1st shutout, O'Neill homers, Cards beat Royals

Miles Mikolas pitched a four-hitter for his first career shutout and Tyler O'Neill homered for the third straight game and drove in four runs, leading the St. Louis Cardinals to a 6-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Monday night.
 
Mikolas (6-0) retired 13 of the final 14 batters he faced. The only trouble he faced came after he allowed back-to-back singles to start the third, but got out of it with the help of a double play.
 
Mikolas faced just three batters over the minimum, lowering his ERA to 2.24 putting him in the top five in the National League. His ninth-inning walk was the first free pass he had issued in 29 1/3 innings at Busch Stadium this season.
 
O'Neill's three-run homer, his first career to the opposite field, capped a four-run third in which the Cardinals strung together five two-out hits. O'Neill's double in the fifth scored Marcell Ozuna, giving the Cardinals a 5-0 lead.
 
Ozuna proceeded O'Neill's blast with an RBI single, breaking a 0-for-22 slump. Ozuna reached three times and had a pair of hits.
 
Matt Carpenter homered in the seventh as part of a three-hit night. Carpenter is hitting .542 (13 for 24) in his last six games, including seven doubles, to raise his average to .210. It is the first time since April 7 that Carpenter's average rose north of .200.
 
Royals starter Ian Kennedy (1-5) gave up five runs, all with two outs, in 5 2/3 innings. He has lost his last five decisions and hasn't gotten a win since April 7.
 
The Royals have lost eight of their last nine.

Lady Maroons Defeat Springfield Southeast in First Round of Regionals

The Clinton Lady Maroons defeated Springfield Southeast (SSE) by a score of 4-0 Monday afternoon in the first round of IHSA Regionals. 
 
The Maroons were led by pitcher Olivia Sanders who went for seven innings, gave up no runs and had two hits, two walks, and nine strike-outs. Mac Armstrong went 2 for 3 with a run scored.
 
SSE was led by pitcher Gianna Flammini who went six innings, gave up four runs and seven hits. Brooklyn Hutchins went 1 for 3 with a double.
 
Tune in tomorrow afternoon at 4:30 pm as the Lady Maroons take on Mahomet. You can hear the game live on The Big 1520 AM/92.3 FM WHOW and online at dewittdailynews.com.

Lopez goes 8 innings as White Sox blank Rangers 3-0

Reynaldo Lopez allowed only two hits in a career-high eight innings and the Chicago White Sox beat the Texas Rangers 3-0 on Sunday for their first home series win this season.
 
Lopez (1-3) struck out eight and walked two in his first victory since Sept. 22 against Kansas City. The 24-year-old right-hander has been Chicago's best starter this year, but has been hurt by poor run support.
 
Leury Garcia had two hits and two RBIs, and Welington Castillo homered as the major league-worst White Sox (13-30) took three of four against last-place Texas. They won consecutive games for the first time since winning three in a row at Kansas City from April 26-28.
 
Texas (18-30) lost for the sixth time in eight games. Mike Minor (3-3) struck out nine in five innings, but was charged with three runs and six hits.
 
Shin-Soo Choo singled in the first and Carlos Perez led off the third with a double for the Rangers' only hits. Jace Fry pitched a perfect ninth for his first career save.
 
Lopez was visited by manager Rick Renteria after he walked Delino DeShields with two outs in the eighth. The crowd cheered when Renteria left Lopez in, and the pitcher pounded his chest after he struck out Choo swinging to end the inning.
 
Castillo put the White Sox in front with a one-out drive deep into the seats in left in the second. Garcia added an opposite-field, two-run single in the third, with Tim Anderson sliding in ahead of Perez's tag.
 

Backed by HRs, Darvish beats Reds 6-1 for 1st win with Cubs

Yu Darvish recovered from a shaky start to earn his first win with the Cubs, and Kyle Schwarber hit one of Chicago's three home runs Sunday in a 6-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.
 
Schwarber launched a two-run drive, and Javier Baez and Ben Zobrist each had a solo shot to help the Cubs take three of four in the series. Darvish (1-3) went six innings and allowed only two hits, both in the first, during his eighth start since signing a $126 million, six-year contract with Chicago last offseason.
 
In his second outing since coming off the disabled list Tuesday, the four-time All-Star overcame a 39-pitch first inning and finished six for the third time this season. He allowed one run with three walks and seven strikeouts.
 
Tyler Mahle gave up all three Chicago long balls, passing Homer Bailey for the team lead in homers allowed with 13. The Cubs reached Mahle (3-6) for seven hits, two walks and four runs. He struck out six.
 
Chicago outscored the Reds 16-1 over the final two games of the series while completing a 4-2 road trip. The Reds are 2-5 since sweeping the Dodgers in a four-game series at Los Angeles for the first time since August 1976.
 
The Reds scored their only run on Scott Schebler's bases-loaded infield single with two outs in the first. Cubs shortstop Addison Russell went deep into the hole to backhand the ball, but he couldn't hang onto it. Darvish retired the following eight batters and nine of the next 10.
 
Schwarber gave the Cubs a 2-1 lead in the second with his first home run since April 26. Baez, who went into the game leading the National League with 37 RBIs, followed with his first since May 7.
 
Zobrist led off the fifth with his second homer of the season and first since April 8. The Cubs capitalized on first baseman Joey Votto's throwing error to add two unearned runs in the seventh.

Flaherty fans 13 for 1st MLB win as Cards beat Phillies 5-1

Jack Flaherty struck out a career-high 13 to earn his first major league win and Tyler O'Neill homered as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Philadelphia Phillies 5-1 on Sunday.
 
Making his ninth big league start, Flaherty (1-1) gave up only two hits and walked one in 7 2/3 dominant innings. But after throwing 120 pitches, all the rookie right-hander had on his mind was his first hit in 10 at-bats - a relatively meaningless single in the third.
 
Odubel Herrera went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts, ending his on-base streak at 45 games dating to last season.
 
Tyler O'Neill, who had three hits in the cleanup spot, homered for the second time in two games. His solo shot off Aaron Nola (6-2) in the sixth made it 3-1.
 
Matt Carpenter added three hits and Greg Garcia drove in two runs to help St. Louis split the four-game series.
 
Rhys Hoskins homered in the fourth off Flaherty, who retired 10 in a row during one stretch.
 
Flaherty was called up Tuesday from Triple-A Memphis when Cardinals starters Adam Wainwright and Carlos Martinez went on the disabled list. He became the 13th pitcher to strike out at least 13 in a game this season. Flaherty's total marked the most by a Cardinals pitcher since Martinez fanned 13 on Aug. 29, 2016, against the Braves.
 
Nola gave up a season-high four runs on seven hits over six innings. He struck out six, walked one and had a five-game winning streak snapped.
 
Garcia broke a 1-all tie with a run-scoring single in the fourth. He added a sacrifice fly in the sixth.
 
St. Louis improved to 17-7 against Philadelphia since the start of the 2015 season.
 

Lady Maroons Down Normal U-High With Walk Off, Extra Innings Win

Destiny Schlessinger hit a walk-off run-scoring double in the bottom of the eighth inning as the Clinton Lady Maroons downed Normal U-High 2-1 in non-conference girls softball action from Clinton High School Saturday morning.
 
Schlessinger was the Country Financial Brad James Player of the game and her hit was set up by Camdyn Alsup's lead-off walk to start the eighth inning. After Zoie Pollen struck out, Schlessinger hit a fly ball past the U-High right fielder and Alsup beat an errant throw home for the winning run.
 
Olivia Sanders picked up the win in the circle for Clinton. She went eight innings, allowed an earned run on nine hits with seven strikeouts and zero walks.
 
Schlessinger finished 2-for-3 with a run. Elly Maier was 2-for-3 with a run.
 
Sanders had great help in the field as well.
 
Maier saved an extra base-hit in the fourth inning when she snagged a fly ball over her head as she tumbled to the ground on an Emily O'Leary fly ball.
 
Pollen threw a strike to home plate as U-High's Maddie Roop tried to score on a sacrifice fly later in the inning to preserve a shutout, at the time, for Sanders.
 
The Lady Maroons host Springfield Southeast Monday afternoon at Clinton High School in Class 3A Regional quarter-final action. Hear the game live starting at 4:30 pm on the Big 1520 AM/92.3 FM WHOW and online at dewittdailynews.com. 

Castillo helps White Sox rally past Rangers 4-2

Welington Castillo hit a tiebreaking two-run single in Chicago's four-run eighth, helping the White Sox beat the Texas Rangers 4-2 on Thursday night in the opener of a four-game series between two of the worst teams in the AL.
 
Yoan Moncada sparked the winning rally with a ground-rule double after Jose Leclerc (1-1) retired the first two batters of the inning. Moncada advanced on a passed ball and scored when Leclerc committed a throwing error on Yolmer Sanchez's tapper back to the mound.
 
The White Sox then used three consecutive walks to tie it at 2 before Rangers manager Jeff Banister pulled Leclerc in favor of Kevin Jepsen. One of the walks was intentional, but there were some close calls along the way and Banister was thrown out by plate umpire Paul Nauert after he made the pitching change.
 
Castillo greeted Jepsen with a single that dropped in front of diving center fielder Delino DeShields, driving in Jose Abreu and Nicky Delmonico.
 
Moncada finished with three hits for Chicago, which had lost nine of 10. The White Sox improved the majors' worst record to 11-29, still a franchise record for worst 40-game start.
 
Luis Avilan (1-0) got two outs for the win and Nate Jones worked the ninth for his second save. The Rangers put runners on second and third with one out, but Ronald Guzman grounded out and DeShields struck out to end the game.
 
It was Chicago's fourth win in 19 home games this season.
 
Texas (17-28) wasted a terrific start by Doug Fister, who stepped in for Cole Hamels and pitched seven sparkling innings. Shin-Soo Choo had two hits, drove in a run and scored.
 
Hamels was scratched after he woke up Wednesday with a stiff neck, prompting Banister to move Fister up a day to pitch on regular rest. The veteran right-hander showed no signs of any trouble with the change, surrendering six hits.
 
James Shields set season highs with eight strikeouts and 7 1/3 innings for Chicago, but remains winless in nine appearances since he beat Kansas City on opening day on March 29. The right-hander allowed one run and three hits.

Velasquez helps Phillies down Cardinals 6-2

Vince Velasquez pitched shutout ball into the seventh inning, and Carlos Santana and Pedro Florimon each hit home runs in the Phillies' 6-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night.
 
Velasquez (4-4) gave up five hits in 6 1/3 innings, struck out five and walked two in recording his third straight win.
 
The Phillies won for the seventh time in eight games and improved to 17-2 against opponents outside of the NL East.
 
Odubel Herrera reached base three times to extend his on-base streak to 43 games, fifth-longest in franchise history. It is also the longest streak in the majors since Atlanta's Freddie Freeman reached in 46 successive games in 2016.
 
Santana broke a scoreless tie by slugging a 437-foot drive to center - his team-leading eighth - in the fifth off Luke Weaver (3-3), who gave up one run and four hits over seven innings. Weaver struck out six and walked one for St. Louis, which has lost four of five.
 
Aaron Altherr drove in a pair of runs with a bases-loaded single in the eighth that pushed the Phillies' lead to 3-0. He snapped an 0-for-13 skid with the hit. Herrera's RBI double made it 4-0.
 
St. Louis cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the eighth on Marcell Ozuna's run-scoring fielder's choice and Jedd Gyorko's RBI single.
 
Florimon hit a two-run homer in the ninth off reliever John Brebbia.
 
St. Louis catcher Francisco Pena had three of his team's 10 hits.

Cubs-Braves postponed by rain; makeup game on Aug 30

The final game of a three-game series between the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta Braves has been postponed because of rain.
 
The game will be made up Aug. 30.
 
Rain began falling a few minutes before Thursday's scheduled first pitch at 7:35 p.m. It was coming down heavily an hour later and was called at 9:56 p.m.
 
It marked the sixth postponement for the Cubs this season and their second against Atlanta, which won a makeup game 6-5 on Monday at Wrigley Field.
 
There was no immediate announcement on how the teams' pitching plans will be affected. Jon Lester was scheduled to start for the Cubs, who begin a three-game series Friday in Cincinnati.
 
Max Fried was Atlanta's starter, filling in after Mike Soroka went on the 10-day disabled list with a right shoulder strain. Sean Newcomb is slated to start for the Braves when they begin a three-game series Friday night at home against Miami.

Acuna gets big hit as Braves score 3 in 8th, beat Cubs 4-1

Ronald Acuna Jr. drove in Ozzie Albies with the tiebreaking run in the eighth inning to send the Atlanta Braves past the Chicago Cubs 4-1 on Wednesday night.
 
Carl Edwards Jr. (2-1) allowed five straight baserunners in Atlanta's three-run eighth, including a bases-loaded walk to Tyler Flowers, without getting an out. Justin Hancock also forced in a run with a walk to Johan Camargo.
 
The Braves' big inning was set up by Albies' triple to the wall in center field past Albert Almora Jr., who robbed Flowers of a probable home run earlier in the game.
 
Albies scored on Acuna's second hit, a sharp single to left field off Edwards. Acuna moved to third on Freddie Freeman's single against the shift to the opening on the left side of the infield. Freeman advanced to second on the play. Following an intentional walk to Nick Markakis, Edwards walked Flowers to force in a run.
 
Albies scored Atlanta's first run after his leadoff double in the first.
 
A.J. Minter (2-0) stranded two runners in the eighth. Arodys Vizcaino, who blew a save opportunity in Tuesday night's 3-2 loss to Chicago, pitched a perfect ninth for his eighth save in 10 chances.
 
The Cubs had one baserunner in each of the first four innings but did not score until pulling even at 1-all in the fifth. Ian Happ led off with a single and scored on Kris Bryant's single. Bryant had three hits.
 
The Braves took a 1-0 lead in the first when Albies doubled off the center-field wall and scored on Freeman's single.
 
After allowing a combined 14 earned runs on 23 hits in only eight innings in losses to the Giants and Marlins in his last two starts, Braves right-hander Brandon McCarthy gave up just one run and five hits in six innings.
 
Chicago's Tyler Chatwood allowed one run and four hits in 5 1/3 innings. He appeared stunned when he was pulled after a single by Acuna. Brian Duensing walked Freeman before Markakis hit into his second inning-ending double play of the game.
 
Chatwood applauded on the mound after Almora reached over the center-field wall to rob Flowers in the second. Almora timed his leap perfectly to make the catch near the 400-foot mark. He then turned his back to the field to watch the replay on the video board before tipping his cap.
 
LHP Jon Lester (3-1, 2.66 ERA) is 6-2 with a 2.47 ERA in nine career starts against the Braves. He brings a 1.83 ERA in six starts at Atlanta into Thursday night's game.

Bell's single lifts Pirates over reeling White Sox 3-2

Pinch-hitter Josh Bell singled to break a seventh-inning tie, and the streaking Pittsburgh Pirates beat the skidding Chicago White Sox 3-2 Wednesday.
 
Pittsburgh has won seven of eight and improved to 10-2 in interleague play this season.
 
Chicago has lost eight of nine and 13 of 15. A major league-worst 10-29, the White Sox have matched their worst start since 1948.
 
Pittsburgh has won eight straight over Chicago, outscoring the White Sox 45-17. The Pirates also swept a two-game series last week against them in Chicago.
 
With the score tied 2-2, Elias Diaz doubled off Joakim Soria (0-2) leading off the seventh and Jordy Mercer walked with one out. Bell, rested from the starting lineup in a day game after a night game, grounded a single into left.
 
Rookie Edgar Santana (1-0) allowed one hit in 1 1/3 scoreless innings for his first major league win. Felipe Vazquez allowed Welington Castillo's two-out single in the ninth, then got Jose Abreu to hit into a game-ending forceout. Vazquez remained perfect in eight save opportunities.
 
Chicago lost despite outhitting the Pirates 8-4.
 
Leury Garcia homered in the second and Yolmer Sanchez in the fifth.
 
Pittsburgh's Sean Rodriguez hit a two-run double in the second.
 
Pirates starter Jameson Taillon went 5 2/3 innings and showed no ill effects from a cut right index finger that forced him from Friday's start against San Francisco after three innings.
 
Hector Santiago pitched five innings for Chicago in place of Carson Fulmer, who was pushed back to Saturday against Texas to allow extra work with pitching coach Don Cooper.
 
White Sox SS Tim Anderson was not in the lineup after starting each of the first 37 games. He pinch hit in the ninth and flied out. Sanchez, the regular third baseman, played shortstop and Matt Davidson, normally the designated hitter, started at third.
 
Sanchez made a sliding over-the-shoulder catch in short left field to take away a hit from David Freese in the seventh inning.
 
RHP James Shields (1-4, 5.44 ERA) starts Thursday's opener of a four-game series against visiting Texas and LHP Cole Hamels (2-4, 3.48). Shields is winless in eight starts since beating the Royals at Kansas City on opening day.

Cubs throw out 2 runner at home, rally to beat Braves 3-2

Cubs catcher Willson Contreras helped Chicago throw out two runners at home plate and another at third base before rallying for two runs in the ninth inning, pulling off a stunning 3-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday night.
 
After Ronald Acuna Jr. broke a 1-1 tie with a mammoth homer in the eighth , the Cubs bounced back against closer Arodys Vizcaino to hand the Braves a loss that really stung - especially after a couple of questionable calls went against the home team in a wild fifth inning.
 
Back-to-back doubles by Albert Almora Jr. and Addison Russell tied it at 2, and Ben Zobrist came through with a two-out, run-scoring single off Vizcaino (1-2).
 
Carl Edwards Jr. (2-0) earned the win despite surrendering Acuna's homer over the 400-foot sign in center field. Brandon Morrow got the final three outs for his 10th save.
 
The Braves returned home with the National League's best record after a 6-1 road trip, only to let one get away.
 
Chicago's Yu Darvish returned from the disabled list after a bout with the flu. He worked four innings in his first appearance since May 2, allowing a homer to Ender Inciarte.
 
In the fifth, Javier Baez's throwing error ruined a potential double play, but the Cubs escaped the jam when Contreras threw out runners at home and third after errant pitches got away from him.
 
The Braves sure didn't see it that way.
 
First, Mike Montgomery's pitch skipped past Contreras but caught a fortuitous ricocheted off the backstop, bouncing right back to the catcher so he could make a quick throw to Montgomery covering home. The tag caught Johan Camargo on the left shoulder as he made a head-first slide , leading plate umpire Jim Wolf to call him out. The Braves challenged, and at least one replay angle appeared to show Camargo getting his left hand to the plate a split-second ahead of the tag.
 
After a two-minute review, the call was upheld. Braves manager Brian Snitker was irate, screaming and waving his arms in the dugout until Wolf mouthed to him, "Enough."
 
Snitker was fuming again when another pitch got away from Contreras, who briefly struggled to find the ball. Charlie Culberson broke for third and appeared to get a foot to the bag before Kris Bryant tagged his ankle, but third-base umpire Sam Holbrook signaled out. With no more challenges, there was nothing the Braves could do.
 
Mike Foltynewicz struck out 10 in five innings, but the Cubs scored an unearned run in the fourth on Kurt Suzuki's throwing error after a strikeout.
 
While the Atlanta defense let down Foltynewicz, Darvish benefitted from a brilliant throw by left fielder Kyle Schwarber after a Contreras' errant throw on Freddie Freeman's steal of second skipped into short left field.
 
Schwarber swooped in to pick up the ball and the throw landed perfectly in Contreras' mitt just in time to tap Freeman's left foot as he was sliding for home.
 
RHP Tyler Chatwood (3-3, 3.35) will face the Braves on Wednesday night looking for his fourth straight win after beginning the season 0-3.

White Sox push back Fulmer's next start

The Chicago White Sox have pushed back Carson Fulmer's next turn in their rotation and plan to give Hector Santiago a spot start.
 
Fulmer was originally scheduled to pitch Wednesday at Pittsburgh, but instead will go Friday against Texas. Manager Rick Renteria said Tuesday the team wanted to get Fulmer some extra time in between his starts.
 
The 24-year-old Fulmer is 2-3 with a 6.23 ERA in eight games, seven starts, this year. He lasted just 1 2/3 innings in his previous outing against the crosstown Cubs on Friday, yielding five runs in an 11-2 loss.
 
Fulmer was selected by Chicago with the eighth overall pick in the 2015 draft.
 
Instead, Santiago will start Wednesday. He has made two starts this season, going 0-1 with an 11.25 ERA. In nine appearances in relief, he has a 3.26 ERA. His longest outing of the season is 4 2/3 innings.

Clinton Falls to Rantoul

The Clinton Maroons fell to Rantoul by a score of 5-3 on Monday afternoon at Rantoul. Jake Wade takes the loss allowing 4 runs on 6 hits and walking none. Parker West as 2 for 4 at bat.

 

For Rantoul, Adam Crites take the win allowing 2 runs on 4 hits, striking out 10, and walking 2. Nolan Riddle went 2 for 3 with a double and John Frerichs hit a triple.

 

With the loss, Clinton goes to 9-10 and Rantoul's record is 15-9. 

 

Clinton plays against Paris at home on Wednesday, May 16, at 5:30 pm.

 

 

Albies, Bautista homer as Braves outslug Cubs 6-5

Ozzie Albies hit a leadoff drive for his 13th homer, Jose Bautista connected for a three-run shot and the Braves held off Chicago 6-5 on Monday.
 
Julio Teheran (4-1) pitched six innings and Tyler Flowers hit his first homer this season as NL-leading Atlanta (25-15) won for the sixth time in seven games. The Braves moved 10 games over .500 for the first time since July 28, 2014.
 
A.J. Minter worked a shaky ninth inning for his second save in the makeup of an April 15 rainout. Minter hit Ian Happ to force in a run with two out, but Kris Bryant lined out to left to end the game.
 
Chicago closed out a 5-2 homestand with its second straight loss. Bryant and Albert Almora Jr. each hit a two-run homer, but Jose Quintana (4-3) allowed all three Atlanta homers after pitching six sparkling innings against Miami in his previous start.
 
The 21-year-old Albies drove Quintana's second pitch the opposite way into the bleachers in right for his fourth career leadoff homer. The rookie second baseman tied Manny Machado, Mookie Betts and Bryce Harper for the major league lead in homers. He also doubled and singled.
 
Almora went deep in the second, and Bryant connected in the third, but the Cubs were unable to keep up with the slugging Braves.
 
Flowers, Quintana's former batterymate with the Chicago White Sox, hit a two-run shot in the third, a towering drive over the wall in left-center. Bautista lifted Atlanta to a 6-4 lead in the fifth, belting a drive to left for his second homer since joining the club on May 4.
 
Teheran allowed four runs and four hits, struck out one and walked three. The 27-year-old right-hander had a scoreless streak of 16 2/3 innings before Almora's second homer of the season.
 
Sam Freeman replaced Teheran and got one out before departing with runners on first and second. Shane Carle then came in and retired each of his five batters while extending his scoreless streak to 13 innings.
 
Quintana was tagged for six runs and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings against a Braves team that has been feasting on left-handed pitching. Atlanta is 8-3 against lefty starters.
 

Anthony Holman to be College World Series' top administrator

Anthony Holman has been named the NCAA's managing director for championships 
 
operations and playing rules.
 
The NCAA announced the appointment Monday. Holman will be the lead administrator for the 
 
College World Series as the successor to Ron Prettyman, who resigned in March.
 
Holman also will oversee championships in bowling, men's ice hockey, FCS football, women's 
 
volleyball, beach volleyball and rifle. Holman also will have responsibilities related to playing 
 
rules, governance duties and sport committee activity for multiple championships.
 
The 1995 graduate of Augustana (Illinois) has been a member of the NCAA championships 
 
and alliances staff since 2009 and most recently served as director of championships with 
 
direct oversight of Division I men's lacrosse and wrestling.

Owen Miller Named MVC Player of the Week

Illinois State junior shortstop Owen Miller has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week, announced by the conference office on Monday afternoon.
 
Miller went 10-of-14 for the week at the plate, including a five-hit effort in the weekend finale in which he hit for the cycle. He had three RBI's during the week, and scored four runs.
 
In the series opener he went 2-for-4 at the plate with an RBI. On Saturday he had a 3-for-5 outing with a run scored and an RBI. He also swept his only base of the week in the middle game of the series. He had a spectacular ending to the week by going 5-for-5 at the plate with three runs scored and driving in one run. He opened the game with a single in the first inning and followed with a solo home run in the second inning. He singled again in the fourth inning, before hitting a triple off of the top of the center field wall in the sixth inning. In his final at-bat of the game, he doubled down the right field line to close out the cycle.
 
He has nine multi-hit games in his last 11 contests, and he saw his batting average rise from .374 entering the week to its current standing of .397. His five hits in the finale are tied for the 12th-most hits in a game in the NCAA this season.
 
He is second in the MVC and 16th in the country in batting average (.397). He also ranks second in the country in hits per game (1.77), behind only Ryan Ward of Bryant University. He also stands seventh in total hits, 85th in total bases, and is the 86th most difficult player in the country to strike out.

Color war: Zobrist defies MLB again with black spikes

Ben Zobrist was joined by Chicago Cubs teammates Kyle Schwarber and Steve Cishek in 
 
wearing black spikes on Monday despite a warning from Major League Baseball that he was 
 
in violation of the sport's uniform regulations.
 
Zobrist posted a letter from MLB on Instagram on Saturday that cited him for violating 
 
regulations requiring at least 51 percent of the exterior of a player's shoes be the club's 
 
designated primary shoe color. For the Cubs, that color is blue.
 
The letter said Zobrist will be subject to discipline, including a fine, if he continued to wear 
 
non-compliant shoes.
 
Zobrist said he planned to contract Joe Torre, MLB's Chief Baseball Officer.

Davidson helps White Sox rally past Cubs 5-3

Matt Davidson hit a solo homer and a tiebreaking sacrifice fly, helping Lucas Giolito and the Chicago White Sox salvage the finale of their weekend series against the crosstown Cubs with a 5-3 win on Sunday.
Giolito (2-4) matched a career high with seven walks, tossed three wild pitches and hit a batter, but pitched two-hit ball for 5 2/3 innings in his first victory since April 26. The right-hander allowed three runs and struck out three while lowering his ERA to 6.91 for the season.
 
The White Sox (10-27) stopped a seven-game slide and became the last major league team to reach 10 wins. Yolmer Sanchez, Nicky Delmonico, and Leury Garcia each drove in a run, and Bruce Rondon finished a nearly perfect relief effort for his first save.
 
Javier Baez drove in two more runs for the Cubs (21-16), who had won five in a row. Kyle Hendricks (3-3) surrendered four runs, three earned, and six hits in six innings.
 
Willson Contreras' throwing error on the catcher's 26th birthday set up Sanchez's tying RBI single in the third, but the Cubs regained the lead on Ian Happ's RBI double off the wall in right-center in the fourth.
 
Happ's hit put runners on second and third with no outs, but Addison Russell was caught off third on Hendricks' bouncer to third and Ben Zobrist grounded into an inning-ending double play.
 
That blown opportunity proved costly when the White Sox rallied for two in the sixth. Jose Abreu singled with one out and scampered home on Delmonico's triple to right-center. Davidson drove Hendricks' next pitch to the warning track in center, providing plenty of time for Delmonico to tag up for a 4-3 lead.
 
The South Siders added an insurance run on Garcia's RBI single in the seventh, and the Cubs were unable to rally after scoring 19 times in the first two games of the series. Jace Fry, Nate Jones and Joakim Soria and Rondon combined to retire 10 of the last 11 batters.
 
Pinch-hitter Tommy La Stella singled with two out in the ninth, but Zobrist flew out to center to end the game.
 
Giolito was just 1-2 with a 9.00 ERA in his previous four starts coming into the day, and he almost didn't make it out of the first.
 
Baez lined a two-run single into left-center with two out, giving him 36 RBIs in 36 games. Kyle Schwarber then walked and swiped second as part of a double steal - two of five on the day for the Cubs - but Giolito struck out Russell looking to end the inning.
 

Richard fans 10, Wainwright struggles as Pads beat Cards 5-3

Clayton Richard matched his career high with 10 strikeouts in eight brilliant innings for his first win in more than a month, and the Padres beat struggling Adam Wainwright and the St. Louis Cardinals 5-3 Sunday to salvage a split of their four-game series. Wainwright said afterward that he re-aggravated an elbow injury that had landed him on the disabled list.
 
Richard (2-5) held the Cardinals to two runs and five hits while walking only one to win for the first time since April 9 at Colorado. He then had a no-decision and four straight losses.
 
Richard has been plagued by poor run support, with the Padres scoring no runs for the big left-hander in four of his previous eight starts. Included was his last start, when he pitched three-hit ball for eight innings and struck out eight but lost 4-0 to Washington.
 
Richard got enough backing Sunday thanks to Wainwright's wildness. The 36-year-old right-hander was activated from the 10-day disabled list after a bout with right elbow inflammation and walked six in just 2 1/3 innings, throwing 79 pitches. He allowed two runs on three hits and struck out three.
 
Richard got into trouble only in the sixth, when he walked Tommy Pham and then allowed an RBI triple by Harrison Bader and an RBI single by Jose Martinez.
 
Wainwright (1-3) threw 33 pitches in the first inning, loading the bases with two outs on a single and two walks, but didn't yield any runs.
 
He wasn't as lucky in the third. He walked the bases loaded with one out and then allowed a single by Cory Spangenberg and was pulled in favor of John Gant. Freddy Galvis followed with a sacrifice fly.
 
The Padres added on in the fourth with three hits against Gant, with Jose Pirela hitting an RBI double and Franchy Cordero following with an RBI single.
 
Brad Hand struggled through the ninth for his 11th save in 13 opportunities. Hand allowed Bader's leadoff homer, his third, and then loaded the bases with one out, on two walks and a hit batter. He struck out Carson Kelly and Kolten Wong to end it.

Owen Miller's Cycle Leads Redbirds in Series Win Over Crusaders

Owen Miller hit for the cycle, and the Redbirds got a stellar pitching performance for the program's first shutout since the MVC Tournament a season ago, topping Valparaiso 8-0 to take the series over the Crusaders.
 
Miller opened the game with a single in the first inning, before hitting a home run with one out in the second inning. Another single in the fourth led the way to a triple off the wall in center field to lead off the sixth inning. Leading off the eighth inning, Miller doubled to the wall in right field to complete the cycle. In all, the junior shortstop went 5-for-5 at the plate.
 
Starting pitcher Matt Walker went six innings, scattering two hits, walking one while striking out four batters. Dalton Harvey and Braden Niksich each struck out one batter in an inning of work, while Jeff Lindgren struck out two in the ninth inning to secure the shutout win.
 
John Rave and Jake McCaw each went 2-for-4 as the Redbirds pounded out 13 hits in the game. Miller scored three times while Rave had a pair of runs. McCaw drove in a team-high four runs, as Rave chased home a pair.
 
The Redbirds started strong offensively, as Rave, Tyson Hays, and Miller each singled to load the bases through three batters in the game. After a fly-out, McCaw doubled home the trio to provide the eventual game-winning RBI's. After a groundout, Noah Sadler singled home McCaw to put ISU ahead 4-0.
 
An inning later, Derek Parola opened with a single, and trotted home following Rave's team-leading seventh home run of the season, putting the Redbirds ahead 6-0. Two batters later Miller cleared the wall in left field with his fifth home run of the season, and ISU held a 7-0 lead after two full innings.
 
The following three innings were played without a run scored, before Miller opened the sixth inning with a triple off the center field wall, and scored on a McCaw sacrifice fly, as the freshman drove in the first and last runs of the game.
 
The shutout was the first by the Redbirds since May 24, 2017, against Missouri State in the MVC Tournament last season.
 
The Redbirds return to action on Thursday, May 17, when the team faces off against the Evansville Aces in a three-game regular season-ending series.

MLB to Cubs' Zobrist: Stop wearing black cleats

Major League Baseball has warned Ben Zobrist of the Chicago Cubs against wearing black cleats.
 
Zobrist posted a letter from the league office on Instagram saying the cleats he wore May 2 against Colorado violated the collective bargaining agreement. MLB says they must be at least 51 percent blue - the Cubs' color - and warned he could be fined and disciplined if he doesn't comply.
 
Zobrist says he has worn black cleats for day games at Wrigley Field the past two years to honor the game's past. He says he was inspired by watching highlights of greats such as Ernie Banks and Stan Musial in the 1950s and 1960s.
 
Zobrist says feedback from fans has been positive. He questioned why the league is enforcing the rule now.
 
Cleveland pitcher Mike Clevinger recently got a letter from MLB warning him against the further wearing of his tie-dye cleats.

Cardinals Win; Carlos Martinez To DL

Miles Mikolas won his fifth straight decision to begin the season and Pham homered in his return from a groin injury, sending the Cardinals past the San Diego Padres 2-1 on Thursday night.
 
Mikolas (5-0) allowed one run in 6 2/3 innings against his former team, lowering his ERA to 2.51. The right-hander had never faced the Padres, who drafted him in 2009 and used him as a reliever from 2012-13.
 
And though Mikolas issued his first walk in three games, he allowed fewer than three runs for the fourth consecutive start.
 
Padres cleanup man Franchy Cordero had three of the five hits against Mikolas.
 
A home run by Raffy Lopez chased Mikolas in the seventh and was the only extra-base hit against him.
 
Pham, who had missed four games, singled and scored in the first inning on Jose Martinez's sacrifice fly and homered in the fifth for the Cardinals' only extra-base hit. Both hits came against Jordan Lyles (0-1).
 
Jordan Hicks got the final out of the seventh and Greg Holland worked a scoreless eighth.
 
Cardinals left fielder Marcell Ozuna aided Mikolas in the fourth by throwing out Jose Pirela trying to stretch a single off the left-field wall.
 
After each of Cordero's singles, Mikolas retired Chase Headley, once on a double-play grounder.
 
Lyles, swapping roles with Mitchell, got the start Thursday and worked five innings. He allowed five hits.
 
Pham's sixth home run, off a hanging breaking ball in the fifth, was a 371-foot line drive over the left-field wall.
 
Luke Weaver (2-2, 5.50 ERA) has given up at least four runs in each of his last four starts.
 
Eric Lauer (1-1, 5.79) will make his fourth career start. Last time out, he earned his first win with six scoreless innings against the Dodgers in Mexico.
 
>>Cardinals Place RHP Martinez on DL
 
Placed ace Carlos Martinez on the 10-day disabled list because of a strained lat. The right-hander leads the National League with a 1.62 ERA. RHP Mike Mayers was recalled from Triple-A Memphis.

Bears Sign Draft Picks

The Chicago Bears have signed six of their seven draft picks, leaving Georgia linebacker and No. 8 overall selection Roquan Smith as the only one left.
 
The Bears signed Iowa offensive lineman James Daniels (second round) and Memphis wide receiver Anthony Miller (second round), Western Kentucky linebacker Joel Iyiegbuniwe (fourth round), Delaware defensive lineman Bilal Nichols (fifth round), Utah linebacker Kylie Fitts (sixth round) and Georgia receiver Javon Wims (seventh round).
 
Chicago announced the moves on Thursday. The Bears start rookie minicamp on Friday.

DJ Among Leaders At The Players

Nobody wanted to lead on Thursday at the 2018 Players Championship, it appeared. After multiple golfers (including Si Woo Kim, Sergio Garcia, Matt Kuchar and Patrick Cantlay) touched 7 under, nobody stayed there and now we are left with a six-way tie atop the leaderboard after Round 1 at TPC Sawgrass.
 
Maybe the most impressive full round of the day came early as Dustin Johnson shot a bogey-free 66 to grab a share of the early clubhouse lead with Webb Simpson. 
 
DJ was 6 under through 11 before parring in. 
 
Rory McIlroy, who somehow had the best score of the six marquee players in the two biggest groups, finished outside the top 100 in strokes gained off the tee (mostly because he hit it in the water on No. 18) and couldn't ever really get going. He had moments but he needs a big Friday afternoon to really get into the mix. 
 
It was going fine until he found the water on No. 18. Tiger Woods (E) struggled mightily off the tee on Thursday, which is a bit disconcerting considering the fact that you don't have to hit driver on this course as much as you do on most courses. Woods lost a stroke to the field off the tee and hit just five of 14 fairways. He'll have some work to do on Friday to make it to the weekend.
 
The entire afternoon featured group struggled, and Rickie Fowler (+2) was not exempt. He was playing fine until he got to No. 17 late in the day. He came up short there, made double bogey and now sits well back of the leaders. His group with Woods and Mickelson combined to shoot 9 over.
 
Jordan Spieth (+3), the three-time major winner's scorecard was a rainbow of sadness today. He opened bogey-bogey-eagle-double bogey, and it didn't get a lot better from there. If he misses the cut on Friday, that will be four in a row for him at this event. 

Clinton Girls Track Takes Home CIC Title; Two School Records Set

The Clinton High School Lady Maroons track and field team won the Central Illinois Conference championship for the second straight season last week Central A&M. 
 
The Lady Maroons racked up 192 points and Decatur St. Teresa came in second with a team score of 157.
 
At the CIC meet, Madi Filkin and Payne Turney set school records at the meet. Turney also won four events at the meet. Athletes are only allowed to compete in four events at conference meets.
 
RyTy DuPont-Barlow set a personal best in the trimple-jump and a new personal best in the long jump.
 
Other Lady Maroons to set personal bests at the CIC meet:
 
Tori Burke (200 m) - good for 5th at conference
Riley Pruser (long jump/triple jump) - both good for 2nd at conference
Emma Wertz (1600 m) - 6th at conference
Aryn Scott (3200 m) - 5th at conference
Madi Filkin (300 m hurdles) - 5th at conference
Jackie Green (4x200 m relay/4x400 m relay)
RyTy Dupont-Barlow (4x200 m relay)
Natalie Rhodes (4x400 m realy)
Hadley Wilson (4x800 m releay)
Alyssa Saulsberry (discuss) - 7th at conference
 
The Lady Maroons are at sectionals tonight in Monticello. Athletes need to place first or second in their events or meet the qualifying standards to advance to state. 

Cubs Pound Marlins; White Sox Lose Again; Top Prospect Out Another Year

>>Cubs Pound Marlins
 
Kris Bryant hit his 100th career homer, Anthony Rizzo and Addison Russell connected in an eight-run third inning, and the Cubs pounded the Miami Marlins 13-4 on Wednesday.
 
Rizzo also had a pair of doubles and finished with five RBIs as the Cubs outscored the Marlins 31-9 in a three-game sweep after dropping a season-high five in a row. It was quite a turnaround for a team that finished with three runs or less in 10 of 11 games prior to this series.
 
On the third anniversary of his first career home run, Bryant hit a drive about halfway up the bleachers in left in the first inning. He followed his third homer in four games with an RBI double to deep center in the third.
 
Chicago poured it on from there, scoring seven more runs in the inning against Wei-Yin Chen to go up 9-0 while sending 11 batters to the plate.
 
Rizzo, Russell, Albert Almora and Willson Contreras each had three of Chicago's 17 hits.
 
Jose Quintana (4-2) returned the favor after getting hit hard in a loss at Miami on April 1. The left-hander allowed one run and five hits in six innings.
 
Rizzo hit a three-run homer to right in the third and added RBI doubles in the fourth and sixth. Russell led off the third with a double and scored, then capped the inning with a two-run shot .
 
Miguel Rojas hit a two-run homer for Miami in the seventh, and Bryan Holaday added a solo drive in the ninth.
 
Chen (1-2) got tagged for nine runs and seven hits over three innings in his third start back from a strained left elbow. His ERA leaped from 4.82 to 10.22.
 
The Cubs open a three-game series Friday against the crosstown White Sox, with RHP Tyler Chatwood (2-3, 3.31) going against RHP Carson Fulmer (2-2, 5.02).
 
>>Pirates Rally Past White Sox
 
Colin Moran hit a two-run homer that capped a four-run rally against Nate Jones in the ninth inning, leading the Pittsburgh Pirates over Chicago 6-5 on Wednesday and sending the last-place White Sox to their ninth loss in 10 games.
Chicago took a 5-2 lead into the ninth behind Reynaldo Lopez, who allowed two runs and three hits in a career-high 7 1/3 innings.
 
Jace Fry struck out the final two batters of the eighth, but Jones (2-1) blew a save for the second time in three chances as the White Sox lost their fifth in a row and fell to 9-25. Chicago is off to its second-worst 34-game start behind an 8-26 opening in 1948. The White Sox have the poorest home record in the major leagues at 3-15.
 
Starling Marte and Josh Bell singled on consecutive pitches off Jones, Corey Dickerson grounded out and Elias Diaz cut the lead to one with a two-run double on an 0-2 pitch.
 
Moran took a ball and then hit drive to right-center.
 
Richard Rodriguez (1-1) won despite allowing consecutive doubles to Jose Rondon and Welington Castillo in the eighth. Felipe Vazquez pitched a perfect ninth for his seventh save in seven chances.
 
Jordy Mercer and Gregory Polanco hit solo home runs in the sixth for the Pirates, who had trailed 4-0. Tim Anderson and Daniel Palka hit two-run homers for the White Sox.
 
Pittsburgh starter Trevor Williams allowed a season-high four runs and seven hits in five innings.
 
Carson Fulmer (2-2, 5.02 ERA) starts Friday at Wrigley Field as the White Sox and Cubs open a weekend series.
 
>>White Sox Propsect Burger Re-Tears ACL, Out Another Year
 
Chicago White Sox third base prospect Jake Burger has torn his left Achilles tendon again and will be sidelined for an additional year.
 
Burger first tore the tendon Feb. 26 while running out a ground ball during an exhibition game against Oakland. White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said Wednesday that the 22-year-old re-injured the tendon last week while walking in his backyard and had surgery Tuesday.
 
Chicago selected Burger with the 11th overall pick in last year's amateur draft from Missouri State and signed him for a $3.7 million bonus.
 
Yoan Moncada (left hamstring tightness) took ground balls before the game. The team is optimistic that can be activated from the 10-day DL when eligible on May 15.

Monticello Gets By Danville

Seven runs in the bottom of the sixth inning propelled Monticello past Danville for another 10-run win, 16-6 Wednesday afternoon in non-conference boys baseball action from Monticello High School.

 

The Sages drew seven walks in the seven-run inning as the race was on to get the game complete before a round of severe storms rolled into Monticello.

 

Mitch Carr hit a two-run home run in the first inning. Luke Stokowski jumped missed a home run before Carr and settled for a run-scoring triple off the center field fence.

 

The Sages jumped out to 5-0 lead after the first.

 

In the top of the third, the Vikings loaded the bases with two outs and a routine ground ball to second base took a bad hop over the head of Brody Macak and three runs would score on the play.

 

The Sages would tack on two more in the bottom half of the inning after three straight walks to start the inning. Brock Wade walked in a run and Brett Macak hit a sac-fly to center field to make it 7-3.

 

The Sages tacked on another two in the fourth.

 

Alek Bundy, Stokowski and Carr each scored three runs.

 

Jeff Wileaver reached base four times with a single, double and two walks. Wileaver also scored twice.

 

The Macak brothers each walked twice and scored twice.

 

Cam Wittig capped the Sages five-run first inning with a two-run double.

 

Illinois football commit, Caleb Griffin, reached base three times and scored twice. He reached base all three times on infield bunt singles. He finished 3-for-4 to lead the Vikings offense. Logan Spicer had a two-run single in the third and Cayden Spires hit a home run to start the sixth inning and singled and scored in the third inning. He finished 2-for-3.

 

Each team hit into a double play.

 

The Sages are 23-3 overall. Danville drops to 8-10.

 

Clinton Defeats Shelbyville

The Clinton Maroons defeated the Shelbyville Rams by a score of 8-3 on Wednesday evening.
 
The Maroons were led by Country Financial Player of the Game, Braden Cross, who went 2 for 2 with 3 doubles and 3 runs scored. Mac Hickman got the win, pitching 5 plus innings. He gave up 3 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks while striking out 7. Jake Wade, also for the Maroons, went 1 for 2 with an RBI.
 
Quinn Martz took the loss for Shelbyville. He pitched 2 1/3 innings, gave up 4 runs on 5 hits, walked 1, hit 2 batters, and struck out 4.
 
With the win, the Maroons improve to 9-9 overall and 9-4 in CIC action.
 
Additionally, the Maroons regional assignment was announced Wednesday afternoon. Their 3A regional game will be played on May 21 at Pontiac. 
 
Tune in the 19th as the Lady Maroons take on U-High. You can hear the game live on The Big 1520 AM/92.3 FM WHOW and online at dewittdailynews.com.

Monticello Blanks Mahomet-Seymour

Taylor Wunderlich allowed four base runners across seven shutout innings, Delaney Hilderbrandt hit a two-run home run and Monticello beat Mahomet-Seymour 7-0 in non-conference girls softball action Tuesday afternoon from Monticello High School.

 

The Lady Sages used a big four-run fourth inning to push a 1-0 lead to 5-0 and Hilderbrandt’s two-run shot to left in the sixth inning pushed the margin to 7-0 and capped a 3-for-4 afternoon on Senior Day.

 

Wunderlich struck out seven and allowed two hits and two walks.

 

The Lady Sages are 13-10 overall on the season.

 

Monticello Crushes Urbana

Asher Bradd and Jeff Wileaver reached base three times, Bradd drove in a game-high three runs and the Monticello Sages routed Ubrana, 16-2 in non-conference boys baseball action Monday afternoon in Ubrana.
 
Luke Stowkowski drove in two, Cam Wittig also drove in two and picked up the win on the mound as Andrew Rulolph and Brett Macak each pitched an inning of relief.
 
The Sages racked up 12 hits as Urbana committed six errors.
 
The game was six innings long as Monticello put a five-spot on the board in the sixth to push the game to a double-digit advantage and pick up another ten-run win.
 
The Sages are 22-3 overall. They host Danville Wednesday afternoon. Hear the action on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com. 

Clinton Rallies Past Sullivan

Jake Wade shook off a slow start and the Clinton Maroons rallied past Sullivan for a 7-6 win in Central Illinois Conference boys baseball Tuesday in Sullivan.
 
The Redskins opened things up with a 3-1 advantage before the Maroons used a 3-run fifth inning to go up 4-3, highlighted by Wade's two-run home run. 
 
The Redskins answered in the bottom half of the inning with two runs to retake the 5-4 advantage, but Clinton scored two runs in the top of the sixth for the 6-5 advantage. The Redskins again answered with a run in the bottom of half of the inning to tie things up at 6 and then the Maroons scored a run in the top of the seventh and Wade closed the door for the Maroons.
 
Wade went all seven innings, allowing six runs, 11 hits, issued two walks and struck out 11. 
 
Mac Hickman's lone RBI for the afternoon was the difference in the seventh. Braden Cross led the Maroons offense with four RBIs finishing 3-for-4.
 
With the win, the Maroons are now .500 on the season at 8-8 overall with an 8-4 mark in CIC action.
 
They will host Maroa-Forsyth this afternoon.

Cubs Win; Cardinals Lose

>>Happ Homers Twice As Cubs Pound Marlins
 
Ian Happ homered from both sides of the plate, and the Chicago Cubs stopped a five-game slide by routing the Miami Marlins 14-2 on Monday night.
 
The Cubs collected 15 hits after scoring three or fewer runs in 10 of the previous 11 games. Kris Bryant and Javier Baez connected, and Happ finished with five RBIs.
 
Kyle Hendricks also provided a lift for Chicago by pitching eight innings of two-run ball. The Cubs dropped their previous two on game-ending hits in St. Louis, taxing their bullpen.
 
The only downer for the Cubs was an early exit for Baez, who departed in the sixth with right groin tightness.
 
Miami starter Jarlin Garcia (1-1), who entered with a major league-best 1.09 ERA, was rocked for seven runs and six hits in four innings. The 25-year-old left-hander allowed just two earned runs in 23 innings in his previous four starts.
 
Before Monday, the Cubs' last 13 homers had been solo drives. Bryant stopped that streak with a two-run shot in the first.
 
Baez then made it 5-0 with a three-run drive to center in the third - one pitch after losing his balance on a hard swing and miss.
 
Happ added a two-run shot in the fourth. Batting from the left side in the seventh, he belted a three-run drive to left against Tyler Cloyd.
 
Bryant finished with three hits and scored three times, and Addison Russell had two hits and two RBIs.
 
Cameron Maybin had two hits and drove in a run for Miami, which had won six of eight.
 
Jose Urena (0-5, 4.28 ERA) pitches the second game of the series Tuesday night. Urena was the Marlins' opening-day starter against the Cubs in Miami on March 29, allowing five runs in four innings.
 
>>Twins Blank Cardinals
 
Romero (2-0) followed his impressive debut a week ago with another scoreless outing Monday night, throwing six sharp innings to lead Minnesota to a 6-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. The 23-year-old right-hander permitted just three hits and struck out nine while throwing 97 pitches.
 
He extended his shutout streak to 11 2/3 innings to begin his career, building on a win over Toronto last week. The victory was a season-high fourth straight for the Twins, who have won 13 of their last 16 games against National League opponents dating to last year.
Romero had plenty of help in the field on Monday, most spectacularly in the form of Eddie Rosario's home run-saving catch of Dexter Fowler's drive in the first inning. The left fielder was playing shallow with Fowler batting left-handed, but that didn't stop him from tracking the shot, crashing into the wall and reaching over it to take away what would have been a game-tying, two-run homer by Fowler.
 
St. Louis had its season-best five-game winning streak snapped, one night after finishing a weekend sweep of the rival Chicago Cubs at nearly 1 a.m. John Gant (1-1) gave up six hits and four runs in 5 1/3 innings for the Cardinals, who managed only four hits.
 
Paul DeJong had three of those for St. Louis, which struck out 12 times. Seven came on called third strikes, including three for Marcell Ozuna.
 
Five of Romero's nine strikeouts caught Cardinals batters looking, thanks in large part to his upper-90s (mph) velocity and fine command.
 
Robbie Grossman went 3 for 4 with two RBIs, and Bobby Wilson knocked in two runs for Minnesota.
 
After striking out a season-high eight in his last outing, Jake Odorizzi takes the mound as Minnesota closes out its two-game interleague series in St. Louis on Tuesday afternoon. The right-hander is 2-2 with a 4.10 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 37 1/3 innings this season.
 
Carlos Martinez (3-1) has allowed one run or less in six straight starts and is second in the National League with a 1.40 ERA.
 
>>White Sox RP Farquhar Released From Hospital
 
Chicago White Sox reliever Danny Farquhar has been released from a hospital.
 
The White Sox say in a statement Monday that the 31-year-old right-hander is resting at home with his family after being discharged from Rush University Medical Center.
 
Farquhar collapsed in the dugout with a brain hemorrhage caused by a ruptured aneurysm during a home game against Houston on April 20. He had surgery the following day.
 
Neurosurgeon Dr. Demetrius Lopes expects Farquhar will be able to pitch again but says he won't medically release him to throw in a game this season.
 
Farquhar is 10-15 with a 3.93 ERA and 18 saves for Toronto (2011), Seattle (2013-15), Tampa Bay (2016-17) and Chicago (2017-18).
 
>>Cubs Place RHP Darvish On DL
 
The Cubs placed struggling right-hander Yu Darvish on the 10-day disabled list with the flu. The 31-year-old Darvish is 0-3 with a 6.00 ERA in his first season with Chicago after finalizing a $126 million, six-year contract in February.
 
He was scheduled to start Tuesday night against Miami, but the Cubs provided no word on a replacement.
 
The Cubs also recalled right-hander Cory Mazzoni from Triple-A Iowa and optioned reliever Luke Farrell to their top farm club. Mazzoni worked the ninth against the Marlins.
 
The DL stint for Darvish was made retroactive to Friday. The team said it will announce a corresponding move on Tuesday.

Illinois State Splits Saturday Double-Header With Bradley

The Illinois State Redbirds split a Saturday afternoon doubleheader with the Bradley Braves, giving the visitors a 2-1 series win. 
 
Illinois State's won the opener 13-6, before Bradley took the finale 9-3.
 
John Rave went 4-for-8 on the day with three runs scored and a pair of doubles, while Jordan Libman was 3-for-6, also with three runs scored. Rave, Libman, and Collin Braithwaite each scored three times, while Rave, Jack Butler, and Braithwaite drove in three runs apiece.
 
Libman was a perfect 3-for-3 in the opener for the Redbirds, scoring three times and driving in two. Rave went 2-for-3, as the pair combined for five of the team's eight hits in the contest. Hays, Rave, Butler, and McCaw each scored twice, while Rave had three RBI's, and Braithwaite, Jack Butler, and Libman each had two.
 
Brent Headrick got the win for Illinois State, improving to 2-3 on the season as he scattered five hits over his five innings of work, gave up two earned runs and struck out two. 
 
In the finale, Rave and Butler each went 2-for-4, and Miller and Braithwaite were 2-for-5.
 
The Redbirds return to action on Friday hosting Valparaiso Crusaders in the team's final MVC home series of the season.

Illinois Drops Weekend Series To Ohio State

Ohio State scored eight unearned runs Sunday to beat the Illinois baseball team 10-5 at Illinois Field. 
 
The Buckeyes clinched the series 2-1.
 
Illinois (27-16, 11-7 Big Ten) made a season-high four errors, including three on sac bunt attempts. The Illini had made only four errors in their previous seven games combined. 
 
Ohio State (30-15, 11-7 Big Ten) capitalized on Illinois' miscues with five runs in the second inning to take a 5-0 lead, an advantage that never got below four runs.  The Buckeyes won a series in Champaign for the first time since 2009 after losing three straight.
 
Kobie Foppe and Noah West led Ohio State with two hits and four RBIs each. West hit a key three-RBI double with two outs in the seventh to make the score 10-3.
 
Bren Spillane homered for Illinois, his 18th home run of the season. Spillane is tied with Bubba Smith's 1991 season for fourth on Illinois' single-season home run records list. 
 
Spillane, Jeff Korte and Doran Turchin all had two hits for the Illini. Illinois and Ohio State were even with nine hits. 
 
Ty Weber (4-3) started and took the loss by allowing five runs (one earned) in 1 1/3 innings. Illinois was forced to use six pitchers.
 
Illinois is back on the diamond Friday at Michigan for the start of a three-game series.

Four Charged Slaying Linked To Ex-Packers Lineman

Four men are charged with murder and kidnapping in a slaying that police in Alabama say is linked to the killing of a former Green Bay Packers player.
 
Former Packers defensive lineman Carlos Gray was shot to death Monday in a killing sheriff's officials believe was linked to the drug trade. They say 21-year-old Darryl Thomas was found dead of bullet wounds the next day.
 
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Department says friends of the 25-year-old Gray believe Thomas killed him, and Thomas was killed in retaliation.
 
Capital murder charges were filed in Thomas' death Thursday against 27-year-old Aeriol Lasean Barbee of Hoover; 24-year-old Cortez Clark-Johnson of Center Point; 22-year-old Myzel Contest Arbuckle of Birmingham; and 21-year-old Jalen McIntyre of Pinson.

Cardinals Outlast Cubs in 14 Innings; White Sox Lose; Moncada to the DL

>>Cardinals Outlast Cubs in 14 Innings
 
Dexter Fowler's game winner lifted St. Louis to a 4-3 victory over Chicago, doing so in a twice rain-delayed game that appeared to be all but finished when Javier Baez put the Cubs up by a run with his solo home run in the top of the 14th.
 
The victory was the Cardinals' fifth straight, matching their season-best winning streak. It also improved St. Louis to 4-1 on the season against the rival Cubs, a year after Chicago won 14 of the 19 games between the two.
 
After Chicago took a 3-2 lead on Baez's solo shot in the top of the 14th, Luke Farrell (1-2) struck out the first two Cardinals batters he faced before allowing an infield single to Harrison Bader. Fowler then lifted a 2-2 pitch down the right-field line and just over the glove of Chicago outfielder Jason Heyward.
 
Mike Mayers (1-0) earned the win in relief for St. Louis, allowing one run in three innings. The Cardinals bullpen allowed only three hits in 8 2/3 innings.
 
The loss was the season-high fifth straight for Chicago, the team's worst losing stretch since a six-game skid in late May last season. The Cubs have now failed to score more than three runs in 10 of their last 11 games.
 
The game, which ended at nearly 1 a.m. local time, was delayed twice by rain, a 30-minute delay in the first inning and then 29 minutes during the third. It was also matched the longest game between the Cubs and Cardinals in nearly 12 years, equaling a 14-inning Chicago win over St. Louis on June 2, 2006.
 
Michael Wacha allowed one earned run in 5 1/3 innings for the Cardinals, and Jon Lester overcame four walks to allow two runs in 5 1/3 innings for the Cubs.
Chicago returns home to open a six-game, seven-day homestand on Monday, beginning with a visit from the Miami Marlins. Kyle Hendricks starts for the Cubs, having allowed more than three runs in a start only once this season and sporting a 3.19 ERA.
 
John Gant gets his first start of the season when St. Louis begins a two-game series with visiting Minnesota on Monday night. The appearance will be the first for the right-hander since being called up from Triple-A Memphis on April 26th, and it comes in place of the injured Adam Wainwright - who will make a rehab start at Double-A Springfield also on Monday night.
 
>>White Sox Fall Late To Twins
 
Chicago's James Shields pitched a no-hitter into the seventh inning before the Minnesota Twins rallied late for a 5-3 victory over the White Sox on Sunday.
 
With the Twins trailing 2-0, Eduardo Escobar broke up the no-hitter with a one-out single in the seventh. Eddie Rosario then followed with a single to drive in Brian Dozier, who led off the inning with a walk.
Shields, who retired the first 16 batters, got the next batter Robbie Grossman on a fly to center for the second out (with Escobar advancing to third) before being lifted after 91 pitches.
 
Left-hander Luis Avilan was brought in to face lefty Logan Morrison, but the strategy backfired as Morrison dropped a soft liner just inside the right-field foul line for a two-run double to give the Twins a 3-2 lead.
 
Shields allowed three runs and two hits in 6 2/3 innings.
 
The 6 1/3 innings of no-hit ball was the longest for a White Sox pitcher since Jose Quintana (also 6 1/3 innings) on May 21, 2013.
 
Rosario homered and drove in two runs as Minnesota won its third straight.
 
Leury Garcia and Matt Davidson each had an RBI for Chicago, who has dropped seven of eight.
 
Davidson's sac fly in the bottom of the seventh tied the game at 3.
 
In his previous start Tuesday at St. Louis, Shields allowed one run and two hits in six innings. He allowed a lead-off homer to Tommy Pham and then retired 15 straight. Shields left with Chicago leading 2-1, but received a no-decision after the bullpen surrendered two runs in a 3-2 loss.
 
Minnesota regained the lead on Sunday on an RBI groundout by Max Kepler in the eighth and Rosario added a solo homer in the ninth.
 
Zach Duke (2-1) got the win with Fernando Rodney pitching the ninth for his fifth save.
 
Bruce Rondon (1-2) took the loss.
 
Following a day off, RHP Lucas Giolito (1-4, 7.03 ERA) opens a two-game series against Pittsburgh on Tuesday night. RHP Ivan Nova (2-2, 4.01) is the scheduled starter for the Pirates.
 
>>White Sox Put Moncada On DL
 
Chicago White Sox infielder Yoan Moncada has been put on the 10-day disabled list with tightness in his left hamstring.
 
The White Sox made the move before Saturday night's game against Minnesota. Manager Rick Renteria said an MRI came back clean and the move was precautionary.
 
The 22-year-old Moncada made an early exit in Friday night's loss to the Twins. He also was taken out of Wednesday's game against St. Louis.
 
Moncada is batting .263 with six home runs and 17 RBIs. His .359 on-base percentage and .509 slugging percentage are both second on the team among regulars.
 
The White Sox recalled infielder Jose Rendon from Triple-A Charlotte to take Moncada's spot on the roster.

Jason Day Takes Wells Fargo Championship

Jason Day got through those three holes, playing to a field average of 1 over on the day, in 2 under on Sunday en route to a 12-under 272 for the week and his second win of 2018 at Quail Hollow at the 2018 Wells Fargo Championship.
 
Going to the wicked par-4 16th, Day was reeling a bit. He'd just made two bogeys in his last three holes and parred the par-5 15th, which is one of the easier holes on the course. He'd hit just four of 12 fairways to that point, and he felt lost.
 
Day hit both the 16th fairway and green and rolled in a 11-foot putt for birdie to put some distance between himself and those chasing. 
 
Then he stood on the par-3 17th, where Justin Thomas shut down the 2017 PGA, and he nearly dunked an ace. It might not have been a great shot considering it probably would have run off the green had it not clipped the stick, but it was timely. And it was also nearly a 1.
 
Day closed with a par on No. 18 for a 2-under 69 to get to 12 under overall and secure a two-stroke victory over Nick Watney and Aaron Wise. His putter saved him in the final round as he gained over four strokes on the field on a day when his long game was a wasteland.
 
Next week is the 2018 Players Championship.
 
Phil Mickelson made 18 birdies on the week, including a ridiculous seven in the final round.Mickelson grabbed his eighth top-five finish at this tournament on this course
 
After making the cut at T48 and shooting a 66 in Round 3, Rory McIlroy stalled with a 71 on Sunday. He said he felt uncomfortable with his game all week. He was top 15 in strokes gained tee to green but outside the top 40 in strokes gained putting.
 
Rickie Fowler was 6 under through 52 holes of this event before four-putting from 22 feet on the par-3 17th hole on Saturday. He played the final 20 holes of the tournament in 4 over and dropped back outside the top 20 after looking like he was going to contend to win the event. The final 18 holes were a roller coaster as he made a monstrous 75-footer for eagle at the par-5 7th, but he had two more double bogeys (including another one at the 17th.
 
Tiger Woods didn't make a birdie for the final 21 holes of the event, mostly because he could not putt. He finished 72nd (of 75 golfers) in strokes gained putting and 8th in strokes gained tee to green. 

Monticello Blanks St. Joseph-Ogden, Clinch Share of Illini Prairie Conference Title

Mitch Carr threw a one-hit, five-inning shut out and the Sages jumped out quickly against St. Joseph-Ogden in a 10-0 Illini Prairie Conference boys baseball game Thursday afternoon from Monticello High School and clinched at least a share of the Conference title. 
 
The Sages scored five runs in the bottom of the first then three more in the second inning and added a pair of insurance runs in the fourth as they picked up their 21st victory on a soggy day in Monticello.
 
Carr struck out just two spartans in his five innings.
 
Jeff Wileaver and Alek Bundy paced the Sages offense with three hits apiece, and Brock Wade drove in four. Bundy and Luke Stokowski each had a pair of RBIs.
 
Monticello moves to 21-3 overall and 8-1 in the Illini Prairie. 
 
Their game today against Warrensburg-Latham has been canceled as the Cardinals seek to make up Central Illinois Conference games rained out earlier this year.
 
The Sages will travel to Urbana Monday afternoon and then host Danville Wednesday.
 
Hear Wednesday's action on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com.

Thompson's HR Lifts White Sox Past Twins

Trayce Thompson homered with two out in the ninth, and Chicago stopped a four-game slide by topping the Minnesota Twins 6-5 on Thursday night.
 
The 27-year-old Thompson connected against former White Sox reliever Addison Reed (0-2), driving a 3-1 pitch 403 feet to left. It was his third homer in 43 at-bats this season and third game-ending shot of his career.
 
Thompson was drafted by Chicago and broke into the majors with the White Sox in 2015. He was reacquired last month in a trade with Oakland after he was designated for assignment by the Athletics.
 
Chicago trailed 5-1 in the fourth inning. Nate Jones (2-0) got the win, retiring his only batter.
 
Logan Morrison, who attracted little interest on the free-agent market over the winter despite hitting a career-high 38 homers for Tampa Bay last season, went deep in his first three-hit game for the Twins.
 
Morrison belted a two-run shot in Minnesota's three-run fourth. He also doubled and singled in his second multihit game of the season.
 
Chicago rallied behind rookie Daniel Palka, who hit a two-run drive off Jake Odorizzi in the bottom half. It was his second homer in five career starts.
 
Yolmer Sanchez singled in Omar Narvaez in the fifth, and the White Sox tied it in the sixth. Jose Abreu scored from first when Twins right fielder Robbie Grossman mishandled Matt Davidson's double.
 
Chicago had a chance to go in front in the seventh, but Twins left fielder Eddie Rosario robbed Adam Engel of a possible homer with a leaping catch near the wall.
 
Both starting pitchers were hurt by shaky defense.
 
Odorizzi allowed five runs - three earned - and six hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out eight and walked two.
 
Reynaldo Lopez pitched 6 2/3 innings for Chicago, yielding four earned runs and six hits. Passed balls by Narvaez on consecutive pitches in the third contributed to a two-run frame for the Twins.
 
Twins right-hander Jose Berrios (2-3, 3.63 ERA) is set to match up with White Sox righty Carson Fulmer (2-1, 4.32 ERA) in the second of a four-game series on Friday night. Berrios struck out 11 in seven scoreless innings in a victory over the White Sox on April 12. Fulmer allowed four hits in seven scoreless innings against Kansas City last time out.

Cubs, Cards Match Up This Weekend At Busch

Jose Quintana has had three rough outings in his first five starts, but last Saturday wasn't one of them as he rolled through seven shutout innings in a 3-0 win over Milwaukee, yielding just two hits and a walk while fanning seven.
 
In four career outings against St. Louis, Quintana is 3-0 with a 3.13 earned-run average, winning two starts last year when he was acquired from the White Sox at the All-Star break.
Chicago (16-12) has lost consecutive games after a five-game winning streak, dropping an 11-2 decision to Colorado Wednesday. The Cubs have managed just 16 runs over their last eight games but permitted only four runs during their winning streak.
 
They'll be put to the test this weekend when they head to St. Louis to take on the Cardinals. 
 
Miles Mikolas is 3-0 with a 3.27 ERA in his first five starts with the club after spending the last three years in Japan. Mikolas would be 4-0, except the bullpen hacked up a 5-2 lead after he left his last start on April 27 in Pittsburgh.
 
Mikolas, who will make his first career start against Chicago, has lasted seven innings in three consecutive outings. In 33 innings, Mikolas has walked just two and fanned 27.
 
Tyler Chatwood gets the ball Saturday for Chicago opposite Luke Weaver for St. Louis. The series concludes on Sunday night baseball on ESPN. St. Louis has not announced a starter for the game while Chicago will send Jon Lester to the hill. 

Weather Shortens Illinois State, Northern Illinois Matchup; Redbirds Rally For Win

The Illinois State Redbirds scored three times in the top of the seventh inning, and held Northern Illinois scoreless in the bottom half of the inning as the game was stopped after the frame because of an impending storm. 
 
The 7-6 Illinois State win ran the Redbirds' win streak to three games heading into the three-game series against the Bradley Braves as Duffy Bass Field.
 
Owen Miller went 3-for-4 from the plate, extending his hit streak to 17 games, and is his fifth consecutive multi-hit game. He scored once and drove in a season-high four runs. John Rave scored twice, while going 2-for-3 at the plate. 
 
Jeff Lindgren picked up the win for the Redbirds, pitching two innings of scoreless relief, while Braden Niksich picked up his first save, pitching a scoreless seventh inning.

Cardinals Beat White Sox; Cubs Lose

>>Cardinals Edege White Sox
 
Carlos Martinez hit his first major league home run and also threw 7 1-3 effective innings to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 3-2 win over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday.
 
Dexter Fowler added a two-run homer for the Cardinals, who won their second game in a row.
 
Chicago has dropped four straight and 13 of 17. The White Sox fell to a season-low 12 games under .500.
 
Martinez (3-1) hit a 407-foot shot off Lucas Giolito (1-4) with two outs in the sixth to break a scoreless tie. Martinez allowed one run on five hits and left with a 3-0 lead. He struck out five and walked two. The Cardinals have won each of his six starts.
 
Giolito surrendered three runs on four hits over 6 1-3 innings. He struck out seven and walked two. He had walked 21 batters and struck out 11 over his first five starts.
 
Bud Norris picked up his sixth save in as many opportunities by getting four outs.
 
Martinez fanned three consecutive batters after giving up a leadoff double to Jose Abreu in the fourth. He also induced Daniel Palka to hit into an inning-ending double play in the seventh.
 
Fowler hit his 100th career home run in the seventh to push the lead to 3-0.
 
Yolmer Sanchez had an RBI single in the eighth. Abreu followed with a sacrifice fly to trim the deficit to 3-2.
 
Yadier Molina had two hits for the Cardinals.
 
Miles Mikolas (3-0, 3.27) takes on LHP Jose Quintana (3-1, 5.74) in the first of a three-game series against the Cubs on Friday. Mikolas leads the majors with a walk-strikeout ratio of 1-13.5.
 
>>Arenado, Rockies Power Past Cubs
 
Nolan Arenado hit two of Colorado's four homers and drove in five runs to back Tyler Anderson and lift the Rockies to an 11-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday.
 
Arenado hit a long two-run homer to center off Yu Darvish in the first inning. He connected again in the eighth, hitting a three-run drive to left off Luke Farrell.
Trevor Story led off the fifth with a long homer to left, and Chris Iannetta chased Darvish one out later with a solo drive that made it 6-1.
 
Anderson (2-0) pitched a season-high seven innings after leaving his previous start because he was feeling light-headed. The left-hander struck out a season-high nine while permitting two runs and three hits.
 
Anthony Rizzo homered in the fourth and Kris Bryant went deep in the sixth, but that was it for Chicago. The Cubs finished with four hits in their eighth consecutive game with three or fewer runs.
 
Rizzo's drive was his second in as many days. He connected from the fourth spot in the order after hitting his fourth career leadoff homer on Tuesday. But the Cubs dropped their second straight following a season-high five-game win streak.
 
Darvish (0-3) got tagged for six runs - five earned - and seven hits over 4 1/3 innings by a team that began the day with the majors' lowest batting average. Coming off a dominant start against Milwaukee, the right-hander exited to boos this time around.
 
The latest shaky outing left his ERA through six starts at 6.00 - not what the Cubs envisioned when they signed him to a $126 million contract in the offseason.
 
Chicago opens a three-game series Friday at St. Louis, with LHP Jose Quintana (3-1, 5.74 ERA) pitching for the Cubs and RHP Miles Mikolas (3-0, 3.27 ERA) starting for the Cardinals.

Second Alabama Homicide Possibly Linked To Ex-Green Bay Player

A man whose bullet-riddled body was found dumped along a rural road in Alabama apparently was killed in retaliation for the slaying of a former Green Bay Packers player, authorities said Wednesday.
 
A statement from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department said Darryl Thomas, 21, of Center Point appeared to have been killed in retribution for the shooting death of former Packers defensive lineman Carlos Gray, 25.
 
Thomas' body was found along a road near Birmingham on Tuesday, the day after Gray's body was found in his home, also near Birmingham.
 
No charges were filed immediately in either death, but four suspects were in custody following Thomas' slaying and at least one was believed to have been a close friend of Gray, authorities said.
 
Gray, who played at North Carolina State University, signed with the Packers in 2014 and was living in Alabama after being released in 2015.
 
Authorities said Gray's girlfriend returned home from an outing to find him dead and called police. Officers discovered marijuana, scales, a handgun and an AK-47 rifle with a high-capacity magazine in the home, the statement said.
 
The next morning, according to authorities, deputies received a call about a reported kidnapping at a convenience store. A man who wasn't identified by police said he and Thomas had been abducted at gunpoint by several men. The man told officers he escaped at an intersection but that Thomas did not, officials say.
 
A passer-by later found Thomas' body along a dirt road, and authorities determined he had been shot more than once.
 
Police said murder charges and kidnapping charges were likely.

Clinton Lady Maroons Fall to Lady Hawks

In a game heard on WHOW, the Clinton Lady Maroons fell to the Meridian Lady Hawks by a score of 1-0 on Tuesday evening. The Country Financial representative Brad James Maroons Player of the Game Olivia Sanders takes the loss, allowing 1 run on 5 hits, and striking out 6 while walking 2. At the plate, Mackenzie Armstrong was 1 for 3 and Destiny Schlesinger was 1 for 3.

 

For Meridian, Peyton Latham takes the win, pitching for 7 innings, allowing 0 runs on 2 hits, striking out 2, walking 0. Latham lead the Lady Hawks at the plate 1 for 2 with an RBI.

 

With the loss, the Maroons fall to 5-15 overall and 3-6 in CIC play. Meridian with the win improve to 18-4 on the season and 10-2 in conference action.

 

The Lady Maroons' next broadcast is May 19 as the take on U-High. Tune in Wednesday, May 9, as the Maroons take on Monticello. You can hear the game live on the Big 1520 AM/92.3 FM WHOW, 95.9 FM WEZC, online at dewittdailynews.com, and on the WHOW app.

Monticello Edges Prairie Central

Monticello's Cam Wittig pitched six innings of one run ball and Alek Bundy drove in both runs of a 2-1, eight inning win over Prairie Central Monday afternoon from Fairbury in Illini Prairie Conference boys baseball action.
 
Alex Marquardt picked up the win in relief. Wittig struck out four allowing an unearned run. 
 
Asher Bradd and Bundy each had a pair of hits for the Sages who improve to 20-3 overall and 7-1 in the Illini Prairie.
 
The Sages return home Thursday afternoon for a showdown with St. Joseph-Ogden and then hit the road Friday to take on Warrensburg-Latham.
 
Hear Friday's action on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com.

Maroons Rally Past Sullivan

Trailing 4-2 after three and a half innings, the Clinton Maroons bats came alive for the bottom of the fourth as they outscored Sullivan 9-3 the rest of the way for an 11-7 win in a makeup game of Central Illinois Conference boys baseball action Monday afternoon from Clinton.
 
Mack Hickman went the distance allowing just two earned runs as the Maroons defense comitted six erros. Hickman struck out 14 to just one walk and seven hits.
 
Hickman also doubled and walked. Parker West scored four times finishing 3-for-3 with a walk. Cameron Wertz and Michael Oswald each drove in a pair. Wertz added a double finishing 2-for-3.
 
The Maroons are 6-8 overall and now 6-4 in the Central Illinois Conference. 
 
The Maroons will host Meridian this afternoon at 4:30 pm. Hear the action on The Big 1520 AM/92.3 FM WHOW and online at dewittdailynews.com.

Cubs Outlast Rockies

Jon Lester grinded his way into the sixth inning, continuing an impressive stretch for Chicago's rotation and helping the Cubs beat the Colorado Rockies 3-2 on Monday night for their season-high fifth straight victory.
 
Lester allowed two runs and five hits, struck out five and walked three. Luke Farrell (1-0) worked 1 1/3 innings of perfect relief for his first career win, and Steve Cishek got two outs for his first save of the season.
 
The Rockies put runners on first and second with two outs in the ninth before Cishek struck out Nolan Arenado.
 
Colorado wasted a solid start by Kyle Freeland (1-4) in its third straight loss. The left-hander pitched seven innings of three-run ball, allowing six hits with five strikeouts and one walk.
 
The Rockies jumped in front with two in the fifth, taking advantage of an ugly error by Javier Baez. With one out and a runner on first, the second baseman dropped catcher Willson Contreras' throw to first on Freeland's sacrifice.
 
After Ian Desmond flied out, Charlie Blackmon blooped an RBI single into center and Arenado hit a tiebreaking double. But the Rockies missed out on a chance for more when Chris Iannetta struck out looking with the bases loaded.
 
The Cubs responded with Albert Almora Jr.'s RBI single in the bottom half, then went ahead to stay in the sixth.
 
Kris Bryant led off with a triple high off the wall in left for his first hit since he was beaned by Colorado on April 22. Bryant then scampered home when Anthony Rizzo followed with a grounder to second.
 
Lester was pulled with two outs and runners on first and second, but Farrell got Desmond to bounce into a fielder's choice. Farrell also worked the seventh in the 13th major league game for the son of former Red Sox manager John Farrell.
 
Addison Russell had an RBI single in the second for Chicago, which has won nine of 11 overall. The Cubs moved a season-high six games over .500 and picked up their 16th win before May 1 for only the fourth time in franchise history.
 
Rockies right-hander Jon Gray and Cubs righty Kyle Hendricks square off Tuesday night. Gray (2-4, 5.79 ERA) stopped a personal three-game slide when he struck out 11 while pitching six scoreless innings in a 5-2 victory against San Diego on Wednesday. Hendricks (2-1, 3.10) is 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA in his last two starts, including a win at Colorado on April 20.Cubs Outlast Rockies

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