Local Sports

Monticello Football Wraps Up Light June, Readies for July

As the calendar turns to July this weekend, the high school football season almost gets its unofficial start.

 

7-on-7s, camps and now 11-on-11s take center stage in the high school football landscape. Monticello football coach Cully Welter says June for his team is a lot of team building and strength training and working around those multi-sport athletes' summer schedules.

 

 

Going into his 15th season, Coach Welter has turned Monticello into an annual playoff team and a lot of that has to do with the buy-in the program gets in the summer months.

 

 

Enhancing the June program for Monticello is the new turf on the football field right outside the weight room. Coach Welter says not having to send kids across Kratz Road in Monticello to the practice field for agility work has made their workouts much more efficient.

 

 

Monticello hosts its own 7-on-7s starting July 5 each Wednesday night at 6 pm. They will also head to the Washington 7-on-7 later in the month which is one of the area's larger events. 

Tucker has 5 RBIs, Bergman hits slam and Astros rout Cards and Wainwright 14-0

Kyle Tucker homered and drove in five runs, Alex Bregman hit his third grand slam this season and the Houston Astros blew out Adam Wainwright and the St. Louis Cardinals 14-0 on Thursday night.

 

Tucker hit a two-run single in a six-run second that included Jose Altuve’s go-ahead single, José Abreu’s two-run double and Diaz’s RBI double. Tucker added a three-run homer in the sixth off Jake Woodford, a 447-foot drive to right.

 

Wainwright (3-3) gave up six runs, six hits and three walks in 1 2/3 innings.

 

J.P. France (3-3) allowed four hits in seven innings and Rafael Montero got six straight outs.

Schwarber homers on 1st pitch, Walker wins 5th straight start as Phillies beat Cubs 3-1

Kyle Schwarber homered on the game’s first pitch, Taijuan Walker won his fifth straight start and the surging Philadelphia Phillies beat the Chicago Cubs 3-1 on Thursday night.

 

Bryce Harper drove in two runs. Trea Turner had two hits and scored a run.

 

Walker (9-3) went six innings, allowing one run and six hits while striking out six and walking one. The right-hander has a 0.84 ERA in his past five outings.

 

Yunior Marte and Gregory Soto each worked an inning before Craig Kimbrel came on in the ninth for his 12th save.

 

Hendricks went seven innings, allowing three runs and six hits.

 

Nico Hoerner and Christopher Morel each had two hits.

 

The Cubs tied it in the second when Cody Bellinger singled and scored on Jared Young’s two-out triple.

 

The Phillies grabbed a 3-1 lead in the third when Harper drove in Kody Clemens and Turner with a two-out single up the middle.

 

Chicago had two on in the fifth after Schwarber dropped Mike Tauchman’s fly to left and Hoerner singled. But Walker retired the next three batters, clapping a few times after he caught Dansby Swanson looking at a 3-2 splitter.

 

The Cubs also had a runner on second in the sixth after center fielder Brandon Marsh dropped Young’s fly. But Nick Madrigal grounded out to end the inning.

White Sox Clobber Angels

In a game heard on WHOW, Seby Zavala had his second two-homer game of the season and drove in four runs as the White Sox pounded out 17 hits in an 11-5 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday night.

 

 

Hear this afternoon's action on WHOW.

Astros Outslug Cardinals

Jose Altuve hit a three-run homer in Houston's five-run eighth inning and the Astros rallied to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 10-7 on Wednesday night.

 

Jose Abreu added a two-run homer for Houston, which had lost three of its previous four games. The Astros overcame a 7-5 deficit in the eighth.

 

After missing the previous two games because of a heel injury, Altuve reached base five times. His drive off reliever Giovanny Gallegos put the Astros in front to stay at 8-7. Abreu unloaded two batters later, also off Gallegos.

 

Abreu has five homers and 19 RBI in 22 games this month after a slow start.

 

Seth Martinez (2-3) picked up the win with a scoreless inning of relief. Ryan Pressly finished for his 15th save.

 

Nolan Arenado, Paul Goldschmidt and Brendan Donovan homered for St. Louis, which has lost three of five.

 

Altuve, who went 2 for 3 and walked three times, also kick-started a three-run outburst in the first inning with a leadoff double. Martin Maldonado drove in a pair of runs for the winners. Kyle Tucker added three hits.

 

Arenado slammed a three-run homer in the first inning to trigger a four-run uprising. It was his 16th of the season. He left in the sixth because of tightness in his lower back and is considered day-to-day.

 

Gallegos (1-4) gave up five runs in 2/3 of an inning and suffered the loss.

 

St. Louis rookie Jordan Walker was given the day off. Walker has a 16-game hitting streak, the longest current run in the majors.

 

Arenado left the game after the fifth inning with lower back tightness and is considered day-to-day, according to Carlos Marmol.

 

St. Louis RHP Adam Wainwright (3-2, 6.56) was set tol face RHP J.P. France (2-3, 3.54) on Thursday in the series finale.

Phillies Roll Cubs

Nick Castellanos, Edmundo Sosa and Josh Harrison homered and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Chicago Cubs 8-5 on Wednesday night.

 

Castellanos hit a three-run homer in the second off Drew Smyly (7-5) after Sosa launched a two-run shot earlier in the inning. Castellanos also hustled out an RBI double and scored in a two-run fourth.

 

Harrison added a solo homer in the fifth off Hayden Wesneski to make it 8-2, helping Philadelphia overcome a shaky start by Aaron Nola (7-5) to win for the 17th time in 22 games. The Phillies also won their eighth straight road game, matching their longest streak since 2011.

 

Nola allowed four runs and seven hits in five innings, after going at least six innings in 13 straight starts.

 

Chicago has lost three straight since winning nine of 10.

 

Smyly lasted just 3 2/3 innings and matched season highs by allowing seven runs and nine hits. Wesneski allowed just one run and two hits across 4 1/3 innings in Smyly’s relief.

 

The three-game series wraps up with Phillies RHP Taijuan Walker (8-3, 4.10 ERA) facing Cubs RHP Kyle Hendricks (3-2, 2.60) in a matchup of surging starters. Walker has won four straight starts and Hendricks has won three in a row.

Blackhawks Take Bedard No. 1 Overall as Expected

Connor Bedard became the second No. 1 pick in Blackhawks history, joining Patrick Kane, who went first overall in 2007 and helped form the core of a team that won three Stanley Cups from 2010 to 2015. Kane’s tenure in Chicago ended in February when he was traded to the New York Rangers.

 

At just under 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds, Bedard is regarded a generational prospect, much like McDavid, who was selected first in 2015 and this week was named the league’s MVP for the third time.

 

Impressive as Bedard’s resume has been, Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson was careful not to put too much on his new player’s shoulders right away.

 

Sweden’s Leo Carlsson went second overall, chosen by the Anaheim Ducks over Michigan freshman Adam Fantilli. Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek had declined to speak to reporters in the weeks leading up to the draft but believes the sturdy, 6-foot-3 forward can become a dominant two-way player.

 

The first American player off the board went fourth when the San Jose Sharks selected USA Hockey Development Program forward Will Smith, who is from Boston and has committed to playing at Boston College next season.

 

David Reinbacher was the first defenseman off the board, selected fifth by Montreal. But the player from Austria had to wait a few extra seconds to hear his name called.

 

As for Bedard, he has been envisioning this moment since he was a child spending hours in his driveway and backyard in North Vancouver, British Columbia, where he took between 500 to 1,000 shots a day.

 

In his first season with the Regina Pats two years ago, he scored 51 goals to become the Western Hockey League’s youngest player to reach 50. His 71 goals in 57 games last season were the most by a WHL player in 24 years, and his 143 points were the most since 1995-96.

 

After spending the past year tearing down the Blackhawks’ roster, Davidson was pleased to finally begin building it back up. Chicago also selected U.S. developmental program center Oliver Moore at No. 19. From Minnesota, Moore was ranked eighth among North American skaters, and averaged 1.23 points per game last season.

 

The Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights closed the first round by selecting Swedish forward David Edstrom at No. 32.

Local Athletic Directors Evaluate Impact of COVID on Sports Programs

The Class of 2023 was among the more impacted groups of students from the COVID pandemic, at least as it relates to sports.

 

This past year's seniors were sent home about three-quarters of the way through their freshman year and student-athletes lost the entire spring sports season. Some may have found places to play for the summer but largely, those opportunities in Illinois were non-existent.

 

Then there was a battle for sports in the fall of 2020 and ultimately the fall football season did not happen, the winter sports season didn't get started until after the first of the year 2021 and was extremely abbreviated, and the fall sports season was packed into a short six-week window in the spring, and then the spring sports season was packed into a short two-month season that overlapped with the summer before sports returned to normal in the fall 2021. 

 

Area high school sports administrators are reporting varying reports on how that up-and-down and uncertainty impacted this year's senior class which lost a lot of the natural evolution and progression the sports calendar offers. Athletic Director at Argenta-Oreana Schools Mike Williams indicates it certainly has impacted their school's ability to get enough kids into the programs.

 

 

Maroa-Forsyth Schools Athletic Director Phil Applebee gives his students a lot of credit saying they may handle the pandemic better than most of the adults.

 

 

Monticello Schools Athletic Director Dan Sheehan believes the one thing their student-athletes benefitted from was the fact they were a very close-knit group and were able to lean on each other in those uncertain times.

 

 

With the high school sports calendar back to normal, there have since been two normal sports seasons on the calendar with no restrictions.

Angels Edge White Sox

In a game heard on WHOW, Mike Trout scored on a game-ending wild pitch, Shohei Ohtani hit his 26th home run, and the Los Angeles Angels defeated the Chicago White Sox 2-1 on Monday night.

 

 

Hear tonight's action on WHOW.

Blackhawks Acquire Hall from Bruins

Taylor Hall was traded from Boston to Chicago on Monday, clearing some valuable cap space for the Bruins and giving the Blackhawks a veteran winger to pair with Connor Bedard after they take the young center at the top of the draft on Wednesday night as expected.

 

The Blackhawks sent pending restricted free agents Ian Mitchell and Alec Regula to Boston for Hall and the expiring contract of Nick Foligno.

 

The 31-year-old Hall had 16 goals and 20 assists in 61 games last season. He also had five goals and three assists in seven playoff games. The Bruins set NHL records for most wins and points in a regular season, but they were upset by Florida in the first round of the playoffs.

 

Hall was selected by Edmonton with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 draft. He has 264 goals and 429 assists in 13 seasons with Edmonton, New Jersey, Boston, Arizona and Buffalo.

 

Hall was with the Oilers when they took Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (2011), Nail Yakupov (2012) and Connor McDavid (2015) with the No. 1 pick. He was playing for the Devils when they took Nico Hischier (2017) and Jack Hughes (2019) at No. 1.

 

Chicago is expected to take Bedard with this year’s No. 1 pick. He could be joined on the team’s top line by Hall, giving him some valuable experience to lean on.

 

Hall counts $6 million against the salary cap over the next two seasons. But rebuilding Chicago is more concerned with the floor than the ceiling when it comes to the cap at the moment. The Blackhawks were not on Hall’s no-trade list, so the Bruins could make the trade without his consent.

 

Foligno, 35, had 10 goals and 16 assists in 60 games last season. Given its financial situation, Chicago could try to convince him to skip free agency with a short-term contract for above market value.

 

Shedding salary could allow Boston to re-sign winger Tyler Bertuzzi, who was a great fit after he was acquired at the trade deadline from Detroit. Bertuzzi had 16 points in 21 regular-season games and then 10 points in seven games in the first round.

 

The Blackhawks are well-stocked when it comes to defense prospects, and Mitchell and Regula were never quite able to find regular time in the NHL lineup.

 

The 24-year-old Mitchell, a second-round pick in 2017, has four goals and 12 assists in 82 games over three seasons. Regula, 22, a third-rounder in 2018, has one goal in 22 career NHL appearances.

 

Boston could decide against tendering a qualifying offer to either player and put that money toward retaining Bertuzzi and adding other players in free agency.

Change in High School Football Preseason Rules Opens Up More Opportunities

A change in the preseason high school football practice policy is opening the door for new opportunities this summer.

 

The IHSA is allowing Illinois high school football teams to do non-contact 11-on-11 scrimmaging. Monticello High School football coach Cully Welter says this is going to add a new dynamic to preseason work.

 

 

According to Coach Welter, change can sometimes lead to asking too much of student-athletes but he feels this is a change that fits right in with what teams are already doing.

 

 

Monticello travels to St. Joseph-Ogden to open the 2023 football season on Aug. 25. In the meantime, the Sages will host three weeks of 7-on-7 competitions on the new turf of Monticello High School's football field each Wednesday night in July.

White Sox Wrap Up Series Win Over Red Sox Sunday

In a game heard on WHOW, Luis Robert Jr. had two home runs among his three hits to lead the Chicago White Sox to a 4-1 win over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday.

 

 

Hear tonight's action on WHOW.

Cardinals, Cubs Split London Series

Paul Goldschmidt hit a go-ahead RBI single that knocked Marcus Stroman out of the game, and Willson Contreras went 4 for 4 with two runs scored and the Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 7-5 on Sunday to split a brief two-game series in London.

 

The Cubs (37-39) won 9-1 on Saturday but had their winning streak halted at four games. They haven't been at .500 since May 12, though they've still won 11 of their past 14 games.

 

Jordan Hicks, who sat out Saturday because of illness, got the final three outs to record his fourth save - all in the past eight days. He struck out two and allowed one run on Nico Hoerner’s sacrifice fly.

 

Jake Woodford (2-2) came in for spot starter Matthew Liberatore in the third and pitched 2 1/3 innings.

 

The Cardinals (32-45) erased a 4-0 deficit with timely hitting and a big assist from Cubs first baseman Trey Mancini.

 

With the bases loaded in the second, Stroman struck out Paul DeJong for the second out. Tommy Edman then grounded to second but Hoerner's underhanded toss to Mancini was dropped by the first baseman when he tried to grab it with his bare hand - allowing Contreras to score to make it 4-1. Stroman smacked his mitt in frustration.

 

Brendan Donovan hit a two-run single to right field on a sinker - batters swung at 17 Stroman sinkers and missed just three - scoring Nolan Gorman and Jordan Walker, who beat the throw with a head-first slide to make it 4-3.

 

An inning later, the Cards pulled even at 4-4 on Walker's single that scored Lars Nootbaar.

 

Goldschmidt put the “home” team ahead in the fourth on a sharp single off Stroman that scored Edman.

 

Stroman was then pulled and the first batter reliever Michael Fulmer faced was Nootbaar, whose sacrifice fly scored Donovan for a 6-4 lead.

 

An inning later, the Cards made it 7-4 when Gorman's single to left off Fulmer drove in Contreras.

 

The Cardinals handed Stroman a 4-0 lead before he even took the mound by committing two infield errors in the top of the first inning - not helping Liberatore, who took Jack Flaherty's place.

 

Hoerner led off and reached on an error by DeJong at short and moved to third by stealing second and advancing on an error by Gorman at second.

Liberatore struck out Christopher Morel looking for the second out.

 

Dansby Swanson singled to score Hoerner. Ian Happ walked and Mancini then hit a two-run double, crunching a 95 mph pitch off the wall in the left-center gap - it might have sailed out in 2019 when the walls were closer - and came around to make it 4-0 when Miguel Amaya doubled on a hard shot past third baseman Nolan Arenado that originally was ruled an error.

 

Stroman allowed six runs, three earned, and eight hits and had two strikeouts and a walk. Liberatore lasted 2 1/3 innings.

 

The teams have Monday off to recover from the trip and both begin six-game homestands Tuesday. The Cubs host the Philadelphia Phillies. The Cardinals host the Houston Astros.

Ross Chastain Takes First Win of 2023 at Nashville

Ross Chastian's hard-driving style paid off Sunday night as he held off Martin Truex Jr. to win the Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway, his first win in over a year and the third NASCAR Cup Series victory of his career.

 

This was Chastain’s first win since Talladega in April 2022, and he drove his Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet to the team’s first victory this year at its home track. Chastain had started on the pole for the first time in his career.

 

Chastain entered fourth in the season points race and wound up leading a race-high 100 laps at the 1.33-mile, D-shaped concrete oval. That included the final 34 laps as the 30-year-old had to weave by some slower traffic to hold off Truex by 0.789 seconds.

 

Truex led 50 laps as the season points leader tried to string together back-to-back wins. He won at Sonoma going into NASCAR’s lone break in the 38-race season.

 

Truex finished ahead of Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin, both in Toyotas. Chase Elliott was fourth and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson was fifth.

 

Hamlin led 81 laps and said he thought he had a third-place car with Truex a little better.

 

Tyler Reddick started beside Chastain on the front row and won the first stage.

 

As they began the second stage, Truex went three-wide at the front with Chastain and William Byron for some thrilling racing on a track known for having boring competition for years after opening in 2001.

 

The third caution out of four in the race came on lap 146 on the restart on the frontstretch as Ryan Blaney crashed head-on into an interior wall after being tapped from behind by Kyle Busch with Alex Bowman also involved. Blaney walked out of the infield care center after what he called the hardest hit of his life.

 

Bubba Wallace made his 200th Cup Series start, looking to add to his two career wins and 15 top fives. He started ninth in the No. 23 Toyota for 23XI Racing and finished 15th.

 

NASCAR runs a street course race on July 2 in downtown Chicago.

Clinton High School Football Coach Looking Forward to Busy July Football Schedule

When we turn the calendar to July next weekend, the business of the high school football season kicks into high gear.

 

Between 7-on-7s, weight lifting and new contact schedules, football coaches seem to have more flexibility this year. Clinton High School football coach Ron Bass indicates they will go to the popular Normal West 7-on-7 to kick off its July schedule then host an event later in the month.

 

 

New to the high school football schedule this summer will be the addition of 11-on-11 competitions. Coach Bass also points out the IHSA is allowing for inter-squad practices this year.

 

 

Coach Bass is really excited about this year's group. He has seen incredible buy-in during the weightlifting sessions in addition to having a great deal of experience back from last year.

 

 

The Maroons open the season when they host Tremont on August 25.

Rangers Double Up White Sox

In a game heard on WHOW, Jonah Heim hit a three-run homer a night after he was involved in a controversial play at the plate, and the Texas Rangers beat the Chicago White Sox 6-3 on Wednesday.

 

 

Hear Friday's action on WHOW.

Nationals Blank Cardinals

Trevor Williams outpitched Miles Mikolas in soggy conditions, CJ Abrams went 3 for 3 with a homer and the Washington Nationals beat the St. Louis Cardinals 3-0 on Wednesday to end a five-game skid.

 

With the rain getting heavier in the fifth inning, Abrams sent a 1-0 fastball from Mikolas (4-5) into the visitors' bullpen in left-center.

 

Williams (4-4) allowed five hits and threw 75 pitches while working into the seventh inning for the first time this year as he cooled off the Cardinals, who had won four straight and scored eight or more runs in their last three. St. Louis was shut out for the seventh time this season.

 

Williams departed after Lars Nootbaar’s leadoff single in the seventh. Reliever Mason Thompson walked Nolan Arenado, then got two outs before Kyle Finnegan came on and induced an inning-ending grounder. Finnegan completed the eighth and Hunter Harvey pitched the ninth for his fourth save.

 

Jeimer Candelario drove in runs for Washington with a double in the sixth and a grounder in the eighth.

 

The game began under cloudy conditions and light drizzle, with radar indicating rain would continue throughout the afternoon and evening. But both teams had incentives to try and play.

 

This was the final game of the Cardinals’ only visit to Washington this season, and they were scheduled to depart for London on Wednesday night for a weekend series against the rival Chicago Cubs. The Nationals will play Arizona on Thursday to make up a game postponed June 8 because of poor air quality.

 

Mikolas and Williams both appeared determined to spend as little time on the mound as possible in the iffy weather. They combined to walk one batter, and Mikolas frequently started his delivery with nearly 10 seconds left on the pitch clock.

 

Perhaps sensing the Cardinals needed an offensive spark, Dylan Carlson hit a soft liner just over the head of second baseman Luis García in the fifth and tried to stretch it into an unlikely double. Right fielder Lane Thomas threw Carlson out at second.

 

Mikolas took a comebacker from Abrams off his lower right leg with two outs in the seventh but finished the inning. He allowed two runs on eight hits but lost his fourth consecutive start.

 

Adam Wainwright (3-1, 5.56 ERA) is set to open the series at London Stadium against Cubs LHP Justin Steele (7-2, 2.71) on Saturday.

Cubs Roll Pirates

Kyle Hendricks pitched effectively into the seventh inning, Nico Hoerner homered, tripled and drove in three runs and the surging Cubs beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-3 on Wednesday to complete a three-game sweep.

 

Chicago has won eight of nine overall, giving the Cubs some serious momentum heading into a weekend series against rival St. Louis in London, England, starting on Saturday.

 

Hendricks allowed three runs - one earned - and two hits in 6 1/3 innings with three walks and two strikeouts. His only real hiccup came in the seventh when a single, a hit batter and a walk loaded the bases with one out. The Pirates scored two runs on an error by first baseman Trey Mancini but otherwise did nothing.

 

Hoerner hit a two-run triple off Rich Hill (6-7) in the third and added a solo home run in the seventh. Ian Happ doubled twice and drove in two runs to continue his master of his hometown team.

 

Happ, a Pittsburgh native, has reached base safely in each of his past 37 games against the Pirates, a stretch in which he is hitting .352 (49 of 139) with 15 doubles and 28 RBIs.

 

Happ broke the game open when he laced a double to left field with two outs in the sixth, a rally that started with a rare error by Pittsburgh third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes. Hill hit Mancini with an 0-2 curveball and Happ followed with a shot to the corner that made it 5-1.

 

Josh Palacios had an RBI double in the second to end a 25-inning scoreless drought for the Pirates, but Pittsburgh couldn't answer when Hoerner's two-run triple to the wall in right sparked a three-run rally in the third.

 

The Pirates have dropped nine straight, their longest losing strea k since a nine-game slide from June 6-16, 2021.

 

The franchise was in full-on rebuilding mode then. Pittsburgh believes it is drawing closer to becoming a contender but the good vibes that came with a promising 19-9 start have faded over the past two weeks. The Pirates are 15-30 over their past 45 games.

 

While Hill wasn't particularly sharp - giving up four runs, three earned with two walks and four strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings - Pittsburgh's most pressing issue is an offense that has essentially vanished.

 

The Pirates were shut out on Monday and Tuesday and have scored just 20 runs since the skid started with a loss to the Cubs at Wrigley Field on June 13.

 

The Cubs will play a regular-season game in England for the first time in franchise history when they face off against the Cardinals at London Stadium on Saturday and Sunday.

Argenta-Oreana Schools Hoping Facilities, Stability in Coaching Positions Increases Participation in Sports

Schools across the country are battling a decline in participation in extracurricular activities and when you already have a limited pool to draw from, a northern Macon County district is really feeling the pinch.

 

Mike Williams is the Athletic Director of the Argenta-Oreana Schools and explains COVID really impacted its numbers in the sports programs. 

 

 

According to Williams, Argenta-Oreana is hoping having a consistent presence of coaches in front of players will help build relationships and get kids out to play. Additionally, the district has upgraded several programs fields and facilities in the five to ten years.

 

 

Williams points out the Argenta-Oreana gymnasium was forced to be rebuilt just before COVID but beyond that, they have been able to put turf on its football, soccer, baseball and softball fields in the last several years as well.

 

 

According to Williams, the district has been fortunate they can tap into the one-cent sales tax revenues that allow for facility updates. He indicates that has been a big boost to the things they are doing in the district.

Clinton Schools AD Confident in Current Athletic Facilities, Ready for More

Schools across the area are upgrading its sports facilities. 

 

Many are thanks to revenue streams like the one-cent sales tax, others have development pieces like wind and solar to tap into. Despite none of those in DeWitt County - yet - Clinton Schools Athletic Director Matt Koeppel says he'd put Clinton's up against anyone's.

 

 

This summer, Clinton is tackling a major renovation of its commons area and gymnasium. But going forward, the focus will shift to the outdoor facilities and Koeppel says there are a lot of ideas for those areas.

 

 

For baseball and softball, like many places, Koeppel hopes to see those fields receive turf as well. He indicates baseball will see its home plate area with turf. He hopes that keeps games from being postponed and they can get more spring games in.

 

 

While many districts can tap into revenue streams like the one-cent sales tax or the revenues from renewable energy developments, Koeppel doesn't necessarily believe that is holding Clinton back.

Cubs Blank Pirates

Marcus Stroman limited the Pittsburgh Pirates to five hits over seven masterful innings in a 4-0 victory Tuesday night to push his personal winning streak to a career-best seven games, though he insists he's not keeping track.

 

Stroman struck out five against one walk while shaving his ERA to 2.28, tops in the National League. He hasn't lost in well over a month, a stretch in which his game plan is pretty much to listen to whatever catcher Tucker Barnhart calls and go from there.

 

Tucker Barnhart hit his first home run of the season for the Cubs. Mike Tauchman homered for the second time in three games and Ian Happ added two hits against his hometown team as Chicago won for the seventh time in eight games after posting their ninth shutout of the season, tied for the most in the majors.

 

Dansby Swanson was hit in the wrist by a pitch in the fourth inning. He remained in the game but Manager David Ross said afterward that Swanson is being evaluated.

 

The series concludes Wednesday. Kyle Hendricks (2-2, 3.18 ERA) gets the start for Chicago against Pittsburgh's Rich Hill (6-6, 4.31).

White Sox Rally Past Rangers

Zach Remillard singled in Elvis Andrus with the go-ahead run on a play that was overturned by video review, and the Chicago White Sox rallied with three runs in the eighth inning to beat the Texas Rangers 7-6 on Tuesday night.

 

 

Hear tonight's action on WHOW.

Cardinals Power Past Nationals

Dylan Carlson homered twice, Willson Contreras went 3-for-4 with two doubles to break out of a slump, and the St. Louis Cardinals won their fourth straight, 9-3 over the skidding Washington Nationals on Tuesday night.

 

Carlson’s first homer was a two-run shot that opened the scoring in the second inning and traveled 445 feet, landing halfway up the batter’s eye berm behind the center field wall. He went deep again leading off the seventh. It was Carlson’s third career multi-homer game and first of the season.

 

Paul DeJong added a two-run shot in the ninth, his 11th homer this year, as the Cardinals finished with 14 hits.

 

Jordan Montgomery (4-7) retired his first seven batters and matched a season high by pitching seven innings, allowing one run on four hits with six strikeouts. After losing seven straight decisions, Montgomery has won two in a row.

 

MacKenzie Gore (3-6) gave up five runs on nine hits in six innings for the Nationals, who have lost five straight and 13 of 15. Washington has lost nine of Gore's last 10 starts.

 

The Cardinals, last in the NL Central, have scored 30 runs during their four-game win streak. Now they have a shot at their first series sweep since May 12-14 at Boston.

 

St. Louis rookie Jordan Walker extended his hitting streak to a career-best 13 games with a second-inning single. Brendan Donovan went 3-for-5 for the Cardinals, and Paul Goldschmidt singled twice, scored twice and drove in a run.

 

Miles Mikolas (4-4, 4.36 ERA) starts for St. Louis on Wednesday as it seeks a three-game sweep ahead of its trip to London to face the Chicago Cubs in a two-game weekend series. Trevor Williams (3-4, 4.50) takes the mound for Washington.

Rangers Take Down White Sox

In a game heard onw WHOW, Josh Jung hit his 15th home run, Jonah Heim had a late two-run single and Texas beat the Chicago White Sox 5-2 on Monday night.

 

 

Hear tonight's action WHOW.

Cardinals Rally Past Nationals

Brendan Donovan and Paul Goldschmidt hit back-to-back homers in the fifth, and St. Louis rallied from that early 5-0 deficit to beat Washington 8-6 on Monday.

 

Jack Flaherty gave up five runs on eight hits before getting even five outs against the Nationals. To his surprise, he was still on the mound in the seventh inning with the lead.

 

Donovan’s three-run shot to right-center off Josiah Gray (4-6) tied the game 5-all, and Goldschmidt put the Cardinals ahead to stay when he lined a hanging curveball from Gray over the wall in left.

 

The Cardinals (30-43) won their third straight since falling a season-worst 16 games under .500, but they still have their worst record through 73 games since 1990. St. Louis has only had one losing season since 2000, and manager Oliver Marmol said before the game his last-place team still expects to win the NL Central.

 

Flaherty (4-5), who came in leading the majors in walks with 43, issued his only free pass in the seventh. His outing ended one batter later when he hit Lane Thomas with a pitch. Flaherty gave up six runs for the second consecutive start but won for the first time since May 15.

 

The Cardinals may also have found a solution to their season-long problems at the back end of the bullpen. Génesis Cabrera got the final two outs in the seventh, Giovanny Gallegos worked the eighth and Jordan Hicks got three outs for his third save in three days while a big contingent of Cardinals fans stood and cheered behind their dugout.

 

Hicks, who blew his first two save opportunities this season and didn't get another chance until he converted on Saturday against the New York Mets, struck out Thomas on a 103 mph fastball to end it.

 

The series continues Tuesday night with Cardinals LHP Jordan Montgomery (3-7, 3.91 ERA) opposing LHP MacKenzie Gore (3-5, 3.74).

Cubs Blank Pirates

Drew Smyly gave up three hits in five innings, Mike Tauchman hit a two-run single during a brief downpour and the surging Cubs beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-0 on Monday night to spoil the major-league debut of former top pick Henry Davis.

 

Smyly (7-4) worked around five walks to win his second straight start following a three-game losing streak. He also watched from the safety of the dugout during the top of the second when the skies opened at the same time his teammates were beginning to get to Pirates rookie starter Osvaldo Bido (0-1).

 

Two singles and a walk loaded the bases with two outs as the rain intensified. Pirates pitching coach Oscar Marin went out to talk to Bido, with several Pittsburgh players appearing to plead with the umpires to stop the game until the weather cleared.

 

Instead, they played on, and Tauchman followed by lacing a single through the raindrops into center field to score Christopher Morel and Yan Gomes. Nico Hoerner’s single to center scored Miles Mastrobuoni and the Cubs led 3-0.

 

And while Bido settled down - retiring 12 of 13 at one point - to strike out seven in six innings in his second major-league start, his bobble in the rain made sure the Cubs had all the offense Smyly and three relievers would require.

 

Pittsburgh has dropped seven straight, four of them to the Cubs.

 

Chicago, meanwhile, has won eight of 10 to nudge back into a muddled NL Central race.

 

The series continues on Tuesday. Chicago's Marcus Stroman (8-4, 2.45 ERA) will go for his seventh straight win against Pittsburgh's Johan Oviedo (3-6, 4.40).

Monticello Turf Project Rolling Through Summer

When opposing teams come to Monticello High School starting next fall, they will notice a complete transformation of its outdoor facilities.

 

Starting at the turn of the year, the district began a multi-million dollar upgrade of its outdoor sports complexes to all turf. District Athletic Director Dan Sheehan on the WHOW Morning Show Monday told Regional Radio the football field was done first and it has completely opened the door for more community sports activities to take place at the high school.

 

 

Sheehen reminds this is a two-phased project for the district. The first phase is going to be installation of turf on the football and soccer fields as well as a renovation of the track complex, which are already complete. Next is the finishing of the turfing of the baseball and softball fields.

 

 

Next for Monticello schools will be the exploration of a sports weight lifting facility. Sheehan points to what Tolono Unity and Williamsville have done to their facilities as the standard in central Illinois.

 

 

The Monticello School Board is currently taking up the sports weight lifting facility project with hopes of having that approved as soon as the end of the summer.

 

Sheehan encourages those interested in seeing the progress of their facilities to follow them on Twitter at the handle @SagesAthletics or follow them on Facebook. 

Cardinals Hold Off Mets

Nolan Arenado hit two homers Sunday, including a tiebreaking shot in the ninth inning that lifted the St. Louis Cardinals to an 8-7 win over the New York Mets and a rare series win.

 

Arenado hit a two-run homer in the first inning for the Cardinals, who blew an early 5-1 lead before the third baseman homered off Adam Ottavino (0-3), his former teammate with the Colorado Rockies, with one out in the ninth.

 

Arenado had his 23rd career multi-homer game on his first Father’s Day since his first child, daughter Levi, was born last August. He also had a cycle on Father’s Day for the Rockies in 2017.

 

Paul DeJong and Jordan Walker also homered while Paul Goldschmidt had a two-run double and Brendan Donovan added an RBI single among his three hits for St. Louis, which was 0-5-1 in its previous six series.

 

Drew VerHagen (4-0), the Cardinals’ fourth pitcher, retired all five batters he faced. Jordan Hicks earned his second save in as many days in the ninth, when he got Starling Marte to hit into a game-ending double play.

 

Francisco Lindor, whose wife gave birth to the couple’s second daughter Saturday morning, homered in the bottom of the first inning to begin the series of comebacks by the Mets, who trailed 5-1, 6-4 and 7-5 before Tommy Pham tied it with a two-run shot in the fifth.

 

Eduardo Escobar hit a run-scoring triple and Brandon Nimmo had a two-RBI double in the second inning and Mark Canha added an RBI single in the fourth inning for the Mets, who are 3-11 since sweeping the Philadelphia Phillies in a three-game series from May 30 through June 1.

 

Mets first baseman Pete Alonso went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts in his return from the injured list with a left wrist bone bruise and sprain.

 

The homers by DeJong and Pham continued their success against their respective opponents. DeJong, who has homered in six of the 15 games he’s played at Citi Field, has a .695 slugging percentage against the Mets, the highest of any player with at least 120 plate appearances.

 

Pham, who played 362 games for the Cardinals after being drafted by the team in 2006, is hitting .254 with four homers and 14 RBIs against his former club.

 

Cardinals starter Matthew Liberatore allowed five runs and struck out two in four innings. For the Mets, Carlos Carrasco allowed six runs (five earned) with four strikeouts in three innings.

 

A six-game road trip continues as RHP Jack Flaherty (3-5, 4.64 ERA) starts the opener of a three-game series against the Washington Nationals.

Despite Lynn's Big Day, Sox Fall to Mariners

In a game heard on WHOW, Julio Rodríguez hit a two-run double, rookie Bryce Miller pitched seven crisp innings and the Seattle Mariners overcame a dominant performance by Lance Lynn, beating the Chicago White Sox 5-1 on Sunday.

 

 

Hear tonight's action on WHOW.

Orioles Doubles Up Cubs

Adam Frazier and Jorge Mateo each hit an RBI single during Baltimore's three-run sixth inning, and the Orioles cooled off the Chicago Cubs with a 6-3 win on Sunday.

 

Anthony Santander homered for Baltimore, and Ramón Urías drove in two runs. Austin Hays had three of the team's 14 hits.

 

The Orioles had won six of seven when they arrived in Chicago. But they dropped the first two of the weekend series by a combined score of 13-5.

 

Baltimore right-hander Dean Kremer (8-3) struck out seven while working five innings of three-run ball. Félix Bautista pitched a perfect ninth for his 19th save in 23 chances.

 

The Orioles have not been swept since a three-game series at Detroit from May 13-15, 2022. They haven't been swept by an NL team since May 21-23, 2021, at Washington.

 

Chicago had won a season-high five straight. Mike Tauchman and Christopher Morel homered for the Cubs, who finished with three hits.

 

Chicago had runners on second and third after a double steal in the seventh, but Yennier Cano retired Nico Hoerner on a grounder to second for the final out.

 

Chicago jumped in front when Tauchman launched his first career leadoff homer on Kremer’s first pitch of the game. Tauchman also made a nice defensive play in the top half of the first, throwing out Hays when he tried to score on Santander’s flyout.

 

Drew Smyly (6-4) is Monday’s scheduled starter at Pittsburgh.

Clinton High School Football Team Hosting Kickball Tournament This Weekend

Kickball was probably a staple on the playground for most of us growing up.

 

If you want to pu those old-school kickball skills to the test, this weekend is your chance thanks to the Clinton High School football team. Coach Ron Bass indicates his team is hosting a kickball tournament and cookout fundraiser this Saturday.

 

 

According to Coach Bass, the tournament is open to anyone of any age. Teams are $150 for a team of ten. There will also be a cookout during the event.

 

 

Coach Bass indicates fundraising is very important for programs within the high school. While the school and athletic booster club does provide quite a bit of support, there are still things the programs need that those two entities cannot provide.

 

 

For more information, Coach Bass directs those interested in playing to contact Coach Caleb Belcher, at cbelcher@cusd15.org. 

 

The tournament again is Saturday at Clinton High School. Teams of ten participants are $150.

Clinton High School Names Nate Ennis as Varsity Baseball Coach

Clinton High School alumn and business owner Nate Ennis has been named the head coach of the Clinton High School varsity baseball program.

 

Ennis played four years of baseball at Clinton High School and now owns his own State Farm agency. He calls the timing of this opportunity perfect and a dream come true.

 

 

Coach Ennis walks into a program with a senior class that has high expectations but there's a group of sophomores behind them that are very talented and he has coached all these kids at some point between junior high and high school.

 

 

For Coach Ennis, he wants to focus on his players knowing the game of baseball, having situational awareness and having fun playing and winning.

 

 

Athletic Director Matt Koeppel is excited to have Ennis in the fold and says it obviously is beneficial that Ennis has coached most of this group already and is familiar with them.

 

 

For Ennis, coaching runs in the family. His brother Aaron is the head basketball coach at Maroa-Forsyth High School and his father, Brian, has coached or helped coach several programs over the years. He coaches junior high baseball and is an assistant coach for the girl's basketball program. 

 

Coach Ennis indicates he will work to get integrated into the high school program again and then perhaps next year begin to work on getting more established in the youth baseball scene in Clinton. 

Cubs Outlast Pirates

Dansby Swanson started Chicago’s six-run sixth inning with a hit, then capped the rally with an RBI single as the Cubs overcame a four-run deficit to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 10-6 on Wednesday night.

 

Swanson finished with three hits and two RBIs to help Chicago knock off Pittsburgh, still in first in the weak NL Central, for the second straight night. The Cubs had 13 hits - 12 singles - to reach double-digits in hits and runs again.

 

The Cubs also were patient at the plate, leveraging seven walks to make the base paths busy late in the game,

 

Mike Tauchman had three hits, two RBIs and made a running catch against the ivy on Carlos Santana’s sac fly in the seventh. Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki each drove in two runs in the Cubs' fourth win in five games.

 

Santana lofted a two-run homer and finished with four RBIs. Andrew McCutchen cracked the 22nd leadoff homer of his career and Austin Hedges added a solo shot.

 

Bryan Reynolds had three hits, scored three runs and made an over-the-shoulder catch in left in the second of six games in nine days between the division rivals.

 

The Pirates were cruising with a 5-1 lead before the Cubs sent 11 men to the plate in the sixth. Roansy Contreras (3-6) the first of five Pirates relievers, yielded five runs on three hits and two walks over 1 1/3 innings to fuel the rally as he struggled with his command.

 

The Cubs scored the first run on a bases-loaded walk to Nick Madrigal on a pitch-clock violation against Contreras. Tauchman singled to make it 5-4

 

Happ grounded a two-run single to left to put Chicago ahead 6-5, then Swanson plated a run.

 

Chicago starter Drew Smyly (6-4) ended a three-game losing streak despite allowing five runs on nine hits in six innings. Three relievers closed it out, with Adbert Alzolay throwing a scoreless ninth.

 

Pittsburgh’s Osvaldo Bido started in his major league debut. The rangy 27-year-old right-hander allowed one run on four hits, while striking out six through four innings.

 

The Pirates cut it to 7-6 in the seventh on Santana’s sac fly. The Cubs scored three in the eighth, two on Suzuki's double, to ice it.

 

Marcus Stroman (7-4, 2.42) takes the mound in the series finale Thursday night. The Pirates had not yet named their starter. Stroman is 5-0 with a 1.26 ERA since a loss in Minnesota on May 14 and leads the majors with 12 quality starts.

Sox Double Up Dodgers

In a game on WHOW, Clint Frazier singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and the Chicago White Sox beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-4 on Wednesday night after losing starter Mike Clevinger and manager Pedro Grifol.

 

 

Hear tonight's action on WHOW.

Giants Outlast Cardinals

Mike Yastrzemski hit a game-tying two-run homer in the ninth inning and Thairo Estrada had the go-ahead single in 10th, and the San Francisco Giants rallied to complete a three-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals with an 8-5 victory.

 

Yastrzemski’s shot, which came on a 2-2 count with two outs in the ninth inning off Cardinals closer Giovanny Gallegos, made it 5-5. The Cardinals extended their skid to five games and fell to a season-worst 15 games under .500. It was the third blown save of the season for Gallegos.

 

Estrada’s single scored Yastrzemski, who was the automatic runner at second base. Wilmer Flores and LaMonte Wade Jr. followed with RBI singles off Steven Matz (0-7).

 

Tommy Edman’s second career grand slam gave the Cardinals a 4-2 lead in the second inning and Jordan Walker added an RBI single in the third as St. Louis chased Giants starter Anthony DeSclafani after just three innings.

 

But the San Francisco bullpen shut the door from there as five relievers combined for seven scoreless innings. Tyler Rogers (1-4) got the win with a perfect ninth inning and Camilo Doval earned his 18th save in 19 opportunities.

 

Cardinals starter Jordan Montgomery gave up three runs in 6 1/3 innings, allowed seven hits, walked two and struck out seven.

 

Highly touted rookie Luis Matos made his debut for the Giants in center and singled in his first major league at-bat as part of a two-run first inning. Estrada and Patrick Bailey had RBI singles during the rally.

 

Yastrzemski ended Montgomery’s day with an RBI single in the seventh to make it 5-3 and start the Giants rally.

 

Miles Mikolas (4-3, 4.02 ERA) kicks off a three-game series on Friday night at New York against the Mets. Mikolas is 1-1 with a 1.64 ERA in four career appearances (three starts) against the Mets.

Clinton High School Gym Getting Major Facelift

When you walk into the gym at Clinton High School this fall, things will look dramatically different.

 

On the WHOW Morning Show Tuesday, Clinton Schools athletic director Matt Koeppel told Regional Radio the gym already has the old wooden bleachers torn out and the floor is getting worked on now. He notes this is a part of a very  busy summer at Clinton High School.

 

 

Koeppel indicates because all the work is concentrated to the commons and gymnasium area of the school building, it is impacting other aspects of regular summer business in the school. He notes though things are going well right now and are so far, on schedule.

 

 

For the district, they hope to have these projects done for the start of school but in the event things are not ready, Koeppel has backup plans ready to go.

 

 

The summer is the first step in what is likely to be a rather extensive overhaul of the school's athletic facilities over the next several years. We'll hear more from Koeppel on that in the days ahead in sports on Regional Radio.

Cubs Throttle Pirates

Ian Happ hit a three-run, first-inning drive for his first home run since May 5, Christopher Morel added a three-run homer in the eighth and the Chicago Cubs routed the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-3 on Tuesday night.

 

Happ had four RBIs and scored three runs for the Cubs, who outhit the Pirates 14-7.

 

Jack Suwinski had a pair of solo homers for the Pirates, who have lost four of six after a six-game winning streak. He connected in the first off Jameson Taillon (2-4) and his 425-foot drive to right in the sixth tied the score 3-3, disappearing into the mist and landing on Sheffield Avenue.

 

Suwinski has four homers in his last four games and a team-high 15. He's hit five home runs in 12 games against the Cubs.

 

Pittsburgh is 14-23 following a 20-8 start.

 

In a game that started 1 hour, 10 minutes late because of rain, Matt Mervis broke a 3-all tie in the sixth with an RBI single. It was the first meeting of the season between the NL Central rivals, who play six times in a nine-day span.

 

Taillon allowed three runs and six hits in six innings - his longest outing this season - for his first win against his original team. He has won two of three starts after going 0-3 with an 8.04 ERA in his first eight outings after signing a $68 million, four-year contract.

 

Pirates starter Luis L. Ortiz (1-3) yielded four runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings

Happ’s fifth homer ended a 33-game drought. The Pittsburgh native picked up a fourth RBI when he was hit by Yohan Ramirez's pitch with the bases loaded in the seventh.

 

Happ exited in the top of the eighth with a sore calf. Morel replaced him.

 

Dansby Swanson had two hits, including an RBI infield single in a four-run seventh. Pinch-hitter Yan Gomes singled in two runs in the rally and Morel hit his 11th homer.

 

Cody Bellinger (bruised left knee) went 0 for 3 with a strikeout in his first rehab appearance at first base for Iowa. 

 

OF Seiya Suzuki went 1 for 4 with a walk for Chicago after missing two games with an undisclosed injury.

 

Drew Smyly (5-4, 3.27) takes the mound Wednesday against the Pirates.

Dodgers Down White Sox

In a game heard on WHOW, Will Smith and David Peralta staked Tony Gonsolin to an early lead with two-run homers in the first inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Chicago White Sox 5-1 on Tuesday night.

 

 

Hear tonight's action on WHOW.

Giants Pound Cardinals

Keaton Winn worked four solid innings of relief Tuesday night to help the San Francisco Giants to an 11-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals.

 

Mike Yastrzemski and Patrick Bailey homered and Michael Conforto added four hits and three RBIs to pace a balanced attack.

 

The Giants have won five straight road games and six of their last eight games overall. San Francisco won the first two games of the three-game set and claimed just their third series in St. Louis in 10 tries since 2013.

 

St. Louis lost for the ninth time in the 11 games. The Cardinals fell to 27-41 overall, the team's worst start sing opening the 1978 campaign 24-44.

 

San Francisco's Luke Jackson (1-0) picked up the win with an inning of scoreless relief. Starter Alex Cobb allowed two runs on five hits over four innings.

 

Flaherty (3-5) allowed six runs on 10 hits over 4 1/3 innings.

 

Wade Jr. got into a shouting match with Flaherty after the top of the fourth inning. Wade had to be held back by teammates. Benches and bullpens emptied, but no punches were thrown and there were no ejections.

 

St. Louis has spent the last 49 days in last place in the NL Central after winning the division last season.

 

Anthony DeSclafani (4-6, 3.89) will face LHP Jordan Montgomery (3-7, 3.88) in the finale of the three-game set on Wednesday afternoon. Montgomery tossed six scoreless innings in his last outing, a 7-4 win over Cincinnati on Friday.

Giants Outlast Cardinals

Patrick Bailey sparked a go-ahead rally in the eighth inning with a double off an 11-pitch at-bat and scored on Brandon Crawford's tiebreaking RBI single to help the Giants to a 4-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday night.

 

Mitch Haniger drove in two runs, and Wilmer Flores had three hits for the Giants, who have won five of seven. San Francisco, which took the opener of the three-game set, has won just two of nine series in St. Louis since 2013.

 

Bailey also threw out Jordan Walker trying to steal in the third inning with a bullet throw that landed right on the bag.

 

Haniger's single to right field in the seventh inning scored Flores and tied the game at 3-all.

 

In the eighth, Bailey doubled with one out off reliever Chris Stratton (1-1) and scored on the hit by Crawford, who pitched one inning of relief on Sunday in a 13-3 win over the Chicago Cubs.

 

Paul Goldschmidt and Paul DeJong homered for St. Louis, which has lost 10 of its last 13 games.

 

Goldschmidt poked a two-run homer of Webb in the sixth inning, giving the Cardinals a 3-2 lead. DeJong connected on a solo shot off Webb in the fifth.

 

Webb (5-6) allowed three runs on seven hits over seven innings. He struck out six.

 

St. Louis starter Matthew Liberatore gave up two runs on seven hits over six innings.

 

The Giants have won their last four road games and are 9-2 in their last 11 away from home.

 

Cardinals RHP Ryan Helsley has been placed on the 15-day injured list with right forearm strain. He is 3-4 with 3.24 ERA. Helsley recorded seven saves in 11 opportunities before losing the closer job. RHP Jake Woodford was recalled from Triple-A Memphis. Woodford was 0-1 with a 3.38 ERA in three rehab assignments while recovering from right should inflammation.

 

San Francisco RHP Alex Cobb (5-2, 3.01) will face RHP Jack Flaherty (3-4, 4.15) in the second game of the three-game series on Tuesday. Flaherty is 1-1 with a 3.80 ERA in four career starts against the Giants. He tossed six scoreless inning in a no-decision against Texas on Wednesday.

NASCAR Welcomes Break in Schedule

The relentless grind of the NASCAR Cup Series pauses this week, and just about everybody involved with the cars is looking to take advantage.

 

Martin Truex Jr. plans to go fishing after claiming his second victory of the season on Sunday at Sonoma Raceway. Aric Almirola’s wife and children were in wine country to watch his surprising Xfinity Series victory at Sonoma on Saturday because they’re all spending the next 10 days in California, surfing and hiking and going to a Dodgers game on Father’s Day.

 

NASCAR’s schedule in its top flight is famously busy: This is the teams’ sole weekend without a race between the Daytona 500 on Feb. 19 and the Cup Series championship at Phoenix on Nov. 5.

 

Kyle Busch is the hottest driver on the grid, with four straight top-10 finishes, culminating in a victory outside St. Louis and a second-place finish behind Truex in Sonoma.

 

Truex and his team also are on a roll, with two victories and four top-five finishes in the last six races. His only finish outside the top 10 in this stretch was last month at Darlington, where he won the pole and had a dominant car that led the most laps before collisions with Ross Chastain and Joey Logano knocked him out of the race.

 

The series returns next weekend at Nashville Superspeedway.

White Sox Look to Rebound After Disappoint End to Week

The Chicago White Sox were in the midst of one of the most bizarre visual scenes we've seen so far this year in baseball last week.

 

The White Sox and Yankees Tuesday matchup was postponed due to visibility and air quality issues in the Bronx thanks to the wildfires in Canada. The Sox split the doubleheader on Thursday to take the series win but could not keep the momentum after losing two of three to Miami Marlins.

 

 

Hear this week's White Sox action on WHOW. 

Reds Down Cardinals

Elly De La Cruz flashed his speed, getting two hits, reaching base four times and scoring the go-ahead run with a headfirst slide on an eighth-inning grounder that sparked the Cincinnati Reds over the Cardinals 4-3 on Sunday.

 

De La Cryz tied the score 2-2 with an RBI single in the third. He De La Cruz walked in the sixth, stole second and scored on Tyler Stephenson's single to tie the score 3-3.

 

Then in the eighth, De La Cruz walked on a full-count offering from Jordan Hicks (1-4) leading off, advanced on Spencer Steer's groundout and took third on Willson Contreras' passed ball.

 

With the infield in, Stephenson hit a two-hopper to Paul DeJong, and the shortstop's throw was slightly up the first-base line and in the dirt. The ball bounced off Contreras' mitt as the catcher tried for a swipe tag, and De La Cruz slapped the plate with his left hand.

 

De La Cruz is hitting .364 (8 for 22) with five walks, three stolen bases, a .481 on-base percentage and an 1.117 OPS in six games since his debut Tuesday. He has a double, triple, home run and four RBIs.

 

Ian Gibaut (6-1) allowed one hit in 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief. Alexis Díaz pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to remain perfect in 15 save chances as the Reds took two of three from the Cardinals.

 

St. Louis went 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position and is 9 for 70 (.129) in its last 12 games. The last-place Cardinals are 7-15 in one-run games and dropped eight games behind Pittsburgh, the NL Central leader. St. Louis has lost seven of its last nine.

 

Jonathan India homered in the first but the Cardinals took a 2-1 lead in the second on Jordan Walker's run-scoring single and Tommy Edman's RBI grounder.

 

Nolan Arenado hit an RBI triple in the third.

 

Matthew Liberatore (1-2, 6.00) will face San Francisco’s RHP Logan Webb (4-6, 3.09) on Monday. In his last start, Liberatore lasted just four innings, allowing five runs and his first home run of the year.

Marlins Topples White Sox

In a game heard on WHOW, Bryan De La Cruz capped Miami’s three-run ninth inning with a two-run double, and the Marlins beat the Chicago White Sox 6-5 on Sunday.

 

 

Hear Tuesday's action on WHOW as well.

Truex, Jr. Rolls to Second Win of Season Sunday at Sonoma

Martin Truex, Jr. won at Sonoma for the fourth time in his NASCAR Cup Series career Sunday, passing Chase Elliott for the lead after a final-stage restart and holding off Kyle Busch.

 

The 42-year-old Truex confidently drove his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota to another victory at the track where he also won in 2013, 2018 and 2019. Only Jeff Gordon has more victories (five) at Sonoma than Truex, who earned the 33rd win of his Cup career and his second in the last six races after winning at Dover.

 

Truex went winless in 2022, and the subpar Toyota cars and setups took most of the blame. Gibbs particularly remembers last year’s trip to Sonoma as “one of the worst races we’ve had in our race team” in terms of setup and performance.

 

Elliott finished fifth in his return from a one-race suspension for deliberately wrecking Hamlin at Charlotte. Elliott, who has missed seven races this season, twice held the lead in the final stage before Truex blew past him on fresher tires.

 

Tyler Reddick started second in his bid to win for the fourth time in the Cup Series’ last six road course races, but the Northern California-born driver steadily slipped down the standings. He got back up to second in the final stage before his pit stop, but he blew a tire with 14 laps left.

 

Defending champion Daniel Suárez also struggled to make headway after starting in ninth, ultimately finishing 22nd. A year ago in Sonoma, Suárez became the first Mexican-born Cup driver to win a race.

 

After a one-week break, the Cup Series begins its 10-race sprint to the playoffs June 25 at Nashville Superspeedway.

Giants Rout Cubs

Joc Pederson and Thairo Estrada each hit two-run homers and drove in four runs as the Giants built a six-run lead through five innings in a 13-3 San Francisco Giants blowout win over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday.

 

Blake Sabol added two hits and two RBIs for a Giants offense that banged out 15 hits less than 24 hours after being no-hit for 7 2/3 innings by Chicago’s Kyle Hendricks in a 4-0 loss.

 

That helped offset a San Francisco defense that had four errors, matching the teams high this season.

 

Pederson finished with four hits, including a two-run drive off Cubs starter Hayden Wesneski in the first inning. He connected for a go-ahead solo shot into McCovey Cove in the third, the 101st home run into the water by a Giants player in the history of Oracle Park. It was Pederson’s 20th career multi-homer game and first since May 24, 2022, when he hit three against the New York Mets.

 

Estrada’s third career multi-homer game began with a solo drive off Jeremiah Estrada in the sixth. His second drive came against Javier Assad, a three-run shot in the seventh.

 

It’s was the first game in which the Giants had two players homer twice in a game since Aug. 16, 2019, when Kevin Pillar and Mike Yastrzemski accomplished the feat against the Diamondbacks.

 

Tristan Beck (1-0) pitched two innings to win for San Francisco.

 

Yan Gomes had two hits for the Cubs, who failed to score in the first inning after Mike Tauchman doubled on the game’s second pitch and Christopher Morel drew a one-out walk.

 

Wesneski (2-4) allowed four hits and five runs in three innings. He is winless since April 27.

 

Jameson Taillon (1-4, 7.02 ERA) faces the Pirates for the second time in his career Tuesday in Chicago. Taillon was a first-round pick by Pittsburgh in 2010, when he was selected second overall.

Sox Split Doubleheader Thursday

In a pair of games heard on WHOW, Eloy Jiménez hit a go-ahead homer in the seventh inning, and the Chicago White Sox beat the New York Yankees 6-5 in the opener of a doubleheader Thursday to extend their winning streak to a season-high five games then Yankees right hander Randy Vásquez pitched two-hit ball into the sixth inning for his first major league win andNew York beat the Chicago White Sox 3-0 on Thursday night for a doubleheader split.

 

 

Hear tonight's action on WHOW.

Angels Down Cubs for Series Sweep

Jo Adell homered in his first game back in the majors, Reid Detmers finally posted his first win of the season and the Los Angeles Angels defeated the Chicago Cubs 3-1 on Thursday to complete their third series sweep of the year.


Trey Mancini had an RBI double for Chicago, swept for the fourth time this year. The Cubs have dropped four in a row and 10 of 14.

 

Detmers (1-5) went 5 2/3 innings, lasting that long for only the third time in 11 starts this year. The left-hander struck out eight and walked two.

 

Carlos Estevez earned his 16th save.

 

The Cubs managed five hits against four Angels pitchers and have scored in only three of their last 42 innings. Miguel Amaya singled with two outs in the second, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on Mancini's double.

 

Drew Smyly allowed three runs (two earned) and struck out four in six innings. Chicago had runners on second and third with two outs in the sixth, but Chris Devenski came in and got Amaya to ground out.

 

Marcus Stroman (6-4, 2.39 ERA) has not allowed an earned run in 20 straight innings going into the start of a three-game set at San Francisco.

Sox Edge Yankees

In a game heard on WHOW, Liam Hendriks earned his first save since returning from cancer, Lucas Giolito pitched six hitless innings and the Chicago White Sox beat the New York Yankees 3-2 on Tuesday night for their season-high fourth straight victory.

 

 

Hear tonight's game on WHOW. 

Angels Overpower Cubs

Mike Trout and Matt Thaiss delivered two-run singles during the Angels’ five-run fifth inning, and Shohei Ohtani hit his 16th homer in Los Angeles' 7-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night.

 

Taylor Ward also homered for the Halos, who opened their six-game homestand by overcoming an early 4-0 deficit and matching their biggest comeback of the season to begin the Cubs’ first visit to Angel Stadium since 2016.

 

Ohtani’s fourth-inning solo homer was the Angels’ first hit, but the umpires didn’t immediately realize his blast had cleared the yellow line on the right-field fence, forcing Ohtani to sprint to third.

 

Mike Tauchman had a two-run single and Matt Mervis followed with a two-run double in the second inning for the Cubs, who have lost four of six. Chicago is 2-3 on its 10-game California road trip.

 

Tyler Anderson (3-1) overcame that rough second inning to pitch five innings of five-hit ball for the Angels, walking three and striking out five.

 

Chris Devenski escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the seventh before striking out the side in the eighth. Carlos Estévez allowed two singles in the ninth but struck out Seiya Suzuki to finish his 15th save.

 

Hayden Wesneski yielded two hits and two earned runs while pitching into the fifth inning of his first start since May 13 for Chicago. The right-hander briefly went to the minors last month after struggling to a 5.03 ERA in the rotation, but he'll likely get at least one more start for the Cubs while Justin Steele recovers from his left forearm strain.

 

Five of the Cubs' first six batters in the second reached base, with Tauchman and Mervis providing the big hits to put Chicago up 4-0.

 

Ward hit his seventh homer in the seventh for Los Angeles.

 

Jaime Barria (2-2, 1.59 ERA) attempts to continue his strong stretch when he takes the mound for Los Angeles against Chicago's Jameson Taillon (1-3, 7.05), who will try to build on his first victory of the season last week in San Diego.

Rangers Top Cardinals

Marcus Semien extended his majors-best hitting streak to 25 games with a go-ahead double and Dane Dunning won again since taking injured ace Jacob deGrom's spot in the starting rotation for the AL West-leading Texas Rangers.

 

After finding out earlier Tuesday that deGrom will have season-ending elbow surgery, the Rangers clinched their sixth consecutive series and improved to 20 games over .500 with a 6-4 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

 

Dunning is 3-1 with a 2.97 ERA in six starts since deGrom went on the injured list. Dunning’s other two wins came in games when he took over after the two-time NL Cy Young Award winner exited early twice in a span of three starts because of injury concerns, including his last game April 28 against the New York Yankees.

 

Nathaniel Lowe and Adolis García hit solo homers for the Rangers (40-20), who have a five-game winning streak and the best start in Washington Senators/Texas franchise history. The most wins they had ever had through 60 games before this season was 37.

 

Dunning entered the game with a MLB-best 48 innings without giving up a long ball this season before Nolan Arenado’s 11th homer, a two-run homer in the first.. Willson Contreras and Jordan Walker hit solo shots in the sixth.

 

Rookie left-hander Matthew Liberatore (1-2) allowed five runs (four earned) over four innings as the Cardinals dropped to 0-5 on this trip.

 

The Rangers look for a series sweep Wednesday with right-hander Jon Gray (6-1, 2.51) on the mound. Gray has won his last five starts, allowing only three earned runs over 34 innings (0.79 ERA) in that stretch. Jack Flaherty (3-4, 4.55) starts for the Cardinals.

Rangers Walk Off Cardinals

Marcus Semien scored the game-winning run on Nathaniel Lowe's sharp RBI single grounded through the left side of the infield as the AL West-leading Rangers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-3 on Monday night.

 

Corey Seager followed Semien with a single, a popup to shallow left field that third baseman Nolan Arenado chased down but was unable to catch. Lowe then delivered his opposite-field shot off left-hander Génesis Cabrera (1-1).

 

The Cardinals, who have lost four straight, tied the game in the eighth after loading the bases with no outs against rookie reliever Grant Anderson. Some botched baserunning cost them a chance to take the lead after Paul Goldschmidt’s sacrifice fly.

 

Arenado followed Goldschmidt with a drive to deep left, though the two base runners were close to each other when the ball ricocheted off the wall as left fielder Ezequiel Duran slammed into it before quickly recovering to get the ball.

 

Nolan Gorman scored the tying run but when Tommy Edman retreated toward third after making the turn, Arenado was sliding into the bag. Edman got tagged out and Arenado slammed his helmet near the plate after Willson Contreras' inning-ending grounder.

 

Semien had an RBI single that put Texas 3-1 in the second, when he was the third consecutive batter to drive in a run off Adam Wainwright. The inning began with back-to-back singles by Jonah Heim and Mitch Garver before Duran’s RBI double and an RBI groundout by Leody Taveras.

 

The 24-game hitting streak for Semien is the longest in the majors this season and the longest in his career. The Rangers' franchise record is 28, set in 2000 by Gabe Kapler, now the manager of the San Francisco Giants.

 

St. Louis got an unearned run in the second when Contreras reached on a two-base error after right fielder Adolis Garcia dropped a flyball, stole third and scored on a single by Paul DeJong.

 

Wainwright gave up three runs and eight hits while throwing a season-high 106 pitches (64 strikes) over 5 1/3 innings. The right-hander hasn't pitched past the sixth inning in any of his six starts, but has gone at least five innings in all of them, since missing the first 33 games this season because of a groin injury sustained during the World Baseball Classic.

 

Arenado and Goldschmidt had an RBI in the same game for the first time since May 15.

 

Dane Dunning (4-1, 2.06 ERA) makes his sixth start since filling in deGrom's spot in the rotation. Dunning is 2-1 with 2.28 ERA in that span. Lefty Matthew Liberatore (1-1, 4.91) will be on the mound Tuesday night for the Cardinals.

Padres Blank Cubs

Gary Sánchez hit a two-run home run and Blake Snell and three relievers combined on a four-hitter for the San Diego Padres, who beat the Chicago Cubs 5-0 Monday night to salvage a split of a four-game series.

 

Manny Machado had three hits, scored twice and made a sensational play at third base in his fourth game back from a stint on the injured list with a fractured left hand.

 

Sánchez, claimed off waivers from the New York Mets a week earlier, hit his third homer in seven games with the Padres when he lined a 2-2 pitch from Kyle Hendricks into the left field seats with one out in the second. Machado was aboard on a leadoff single.

 

Plate umpire Phil Cuzzi ejected David Ross after the Cubs manager said something from the dugout during Sánchez's at-bat. Ross came out and continued the argument for a few minutes. He was replaced by Andy Green, who managed the Padres from 2016-19.

 

Matt Carpenter and Ha-Seong Kim followed with consecutive doubles to make it 3-0. Machado doubled with two outs in the third and scored on Jake Cronenworth's opposite-field single to left. Matt Carpenter hit a bases-loaded drive to the center field fence for a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

 

Snell (2-6) allowed just two singles and walked three in six innings while striking out eight.

 

Hendricks (0-2) had three pitch clock violations while allowing four runs and six hits in six innings.

 

Hayden Wesneski (2-2, 4.81 ERA) is scheduled to start Tuesday night in the opener of a three-game series at the Los Angeles Angels, who will counter with LHP Tyler Anderson (2-1, 5.47).

Sox Power Past Tigers

In a game heard on WHOW, Jake Burger's game-ending grand slam handed Liam Hendriks his first win since returning from cancer, and the Chicago White Sox beat the Detroit Tigers 6-2 on Sunday for a three-game series sweep.

 

 

Hear Tuesday's action here on WHOW.

Pirates Edge Cardinals

43-year old Rich Hill is in Pittsburgh to show a young staff how to be a pro while occasionally showing the kids he can still bring it. That example was on display in a 2-1 victory over St. Louis on Sunday that gave Pittsburgh a three-game sweep of its longtime NL Central nemesis.

 

Knowing the bullpen needed a bit of a break, Hill (5-5) kept the Cardinals off balance for 6 2/3 innings, expertly weaving in and out of trouble with a series of curveballs that hover around 70 mph offset by a fastball that can touch 90 mph but plays up because everything else comes in so much softer.

 

Hill walked three and struck out six while giving up just one run, a seventh-inning homer by Andrew Knizner that drew the Cardinals within one. He allowed the leadoff hitter to reach in the first four innings and stranded them all as the Pirates pushed their winning streak to five.

 

Ji Hwan Bae's two-run single off Miles Mikolas (4-2) in the first provided all the offense Hill would need as Pittsburgh swept St. Louis for the first time in five years. Ke'Bryan Hayes singled three times and is hitting .562 (9 for 16) over his last four games after a 3-for-32 funk dropped him to seventh in the batting order.

 

David Bednar worked the ninth for his 13th save and third in as many days, striking out Knizner with a 98 mph fastball that provided an exclamation point to three days of tight, meaningful baseball, the kind the Pirates haven't played much of for the better part of a decade.

 

Tommy Edman had two hits for the Cardinals, and designated hitter Luken Baker picked up the first two hits of his career after being called up from Triple-A Memphis early Sunday.

 

The middle of the St. Louis lineup - Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Gorman and Nolan Arenado - went a combined 0 for 11 as St. Louis lost for the fifth time in six games. The Cardinals left 27 men on base at PNC Park over the weekend to fall back into last place in one of the weakest divisions in the majors.

 

The Cardinals continue a six-game road trip in Texas against the Rangers on Monday. Adam Wainwright (2-1, 6.15 ERA) faces Martín Pérez (6-1, 4.43 ERA) in the opener.

Cubs Blast Padres

Marcus Stroman pitched six strong innings to win his fourth consecutive start and rookie Miguel Amaya went 3 for 3 with his first major league home run as the Chicago Cubs defeated the San Diego Padres 7-1 on Sunday.

 

Yan Gomes and Trey Mancini hit back-to-back homers off Ryan Weathers (1-4), and Dansby Swanson added a two-run double later in the second inning.

 

Amaya's two-run drive off reliever Drew Carlton made it 7-0 in the third.

 

Stroman (6-4) allowed just an unearned run and four hits, striking out six. He lowered his ERA to 2.39.

 

Julian Merryweather, Michael Fulmer and Brandon Hughes each tossed a scoreless inning to finish the five-hitter.

 

Chicago had five extra-base hits in the first three innings. Gomes and Mancini gave the Cubs their fifth set of back-to-back homers this season.

 

Nico Hoerner began the game with a double and scored when third baseman Manny Machado committed a throwing error on Ian Happ's infield single.

 

Amaya, recalled Saturday from Triple-A Iowa, singled in the second and scored on Swanson's double. Then he knocked in Gomes with a 415-foot homer to left field in the third.

 

 Kyle Hendricks (0-1, 3.86 ERA) starts the finale of the four-game series Monday night against LHP Blake Snell (1-6, 4.50).

Kyle Busch Continues Big Year With Win at St. Louis

Kyle Busch kept his poise through 11 cautions, including five down the stretch as he tried to protect his lead during Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series Race at World Wide Technology Raceway and got a big push from Denny Hamlin on the last restart and then held him off in a green-white-checkered finish for his third victory of the year.

 

Busch, who had held off Kyle Larson on each previous restart, had one last phenomenal jump in him. He was well ahead of the rest of the field by the backstretch with just over a lap left and was never seriously challenged by Hamlin after he took the white flag, giving Richard Childress Racing another victory after triumphs at Talladega and Auto Club Speedway.

 

Hamlin finished second while Joey Logano, the winner a year ago in the Cup Series debut at the track, got around Larson on the final lap for third. Martin Truex Jr. rounded out the top five ahead of Ryan Blaney, last week’s winner at Charlotte.

 

It was a long day for Corey LaJoie, who filled in for Chase Elliott in the No. 9 car for Hendrick Motorsports and spent most of the day near the back before finishing 21st. Elliott was suspended for the race for intentionally wrecking Hamlin last week.

 

It also was a long day for everyone on pit stands. There were some technical issues that not only prevented them from having communication with teams back at their shops, but also limited the amount of data that they were able to see.

 

Carson Hocevar made his Cup Series debut in place of LaJoie in the No. 7 for Spire Motorsports. 

 

The series heads next Sunday to the road course in Sonoma, California. Daniel Suárez became the first Mexican-born driver to win a NASCAR Cup Series race when he dominated the final stage to win the race a year ago.

HS Girl's Track: Clinton Wraps Up 2023 Track and Field Season

The Clinton High School girl's track and field season culminated in at state a few week's ago with an All-State performance from Alayna Earle. 

 

Clinton girl's track co-head coach Rachel Lyons indicates they also had a successful indoor season in addition to two school records broken during the indoor season. Additionally, the Lady Maroons surprised at the conference meet this spring. 

 

 

Coach Lyons and co-head coach Leanne Sosamon knew they had a good thrower in Earle but they say felt they had a good distance program after a strong cross-country campaign in the fall. The coaches also credit the depth of their program and the support those not competing at meets showed to their teammates.

 

 

Coach Lyons also credits the seniors this year that really was put through the wringer in their four years at Clinton High School and with track. They credit them for staying with their craft through the ups and downs.

 

 

Now Coach Lyons and Coach Sosamon turn their attention to the fall cross country season and are very excited about what is to come with those teams as they return a lot of experience from the last few years. 

Illinois' Hawkins, Shannon, Jr. Announce Withdrawal From NBA Draft, Will Return to Illini

Illinois basketball got a big boost as two key contributors from last season's 20-win team will be returning after announcing they are withdrawing from the NBA draft.

 

Terrence Shannon, Jr. announced his return Wednesday night in a social media post. The 6-6 guard is returning for a fifth college season after averaging 17.2 points.

 

Shannon transferred to Illinois last year from Texas Tech. He was heavily recruited to Illinois out of high school.

 

Soon after the announcement of Shannon's return to Illinois, Coleman Hawkins also announced he would be withdrawing from the NBA draft and returning to the Illini next year. 

 

Hawkins started all 33 games this season and was third on the team in scoring (9.9 points) and led the Illini in rebounding (6.3), assists (3.0) and minutes (32.5). He also averaged 1.2 blocks per game, which ranked 15th in the Big Ten. Hawkins has shown the ability to shoot but shot 28 percent on 3-pointers this season but 44.1 percent overall from the floor.

 

Illinois boasted a deep roster in 2022-23 and should have plenty of experience and depth to draw on again this upcoming season.

 

Illinois added Southern Illinois transfer wing Marcus Domask, Oregon transfer forward Quincy Guerrier and Utah Valley transfer guard Justin Harmon. 

 

The Illini also return center Dain Dainja, wings Luke Goode and Ty Rodgers and guards Sencire Harris and Niccolo Moretti. 

 

The returns of Hawkins and Shannon also improve the Illini's pitch to Toledo transfer point guard RayJ Dennis, the MAC Player of the Year.

 

Illinois also anticipates the arrival Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year Amani Hansberry and four-star guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn. 

Angels Throttle White Sox

Shohei Ohtani homered in consecutive innings, including a 459-foot drive that was the longest of his Major League Baseball career, and drove in four runs to lead the Los Angeles Angels over the Chicago White Sox 12-5 Wednesday.

 

Mike Trout put the Angels ahead 2-0 with a 476-foot home run in the first that was four rows shy of clearing the left field bleachers. Taylor Ward also went deep as the Angels hit four two-run homers plus a solo shot.

 

Ohtani drove a first-pitch fastball from Lance Lynn (4-6) just to left of straightaway center in the third, where the ball was dropped by a fan who tried to glove it. That 425-foot drive put the Angels ahead 4-1.

 

Lynn didn’t even bother to turn and look when Ohtani hit a full count fastball more than a dozen rows over the bullpen in right-center in the fourth. The two-way Japanese star is batting .269 with 15 homers and 38 RBIs to go along with a 5-1 record and 2.91 ERA.

 

Trout pulled a hanging curve for his 13th home run. Ward hit a two-run homer against Jesse Scholtens in the seventh and Chad Wallach, pinch hitting for Ohtani, had a solo homer in the ninth off Garrett Crochet.

 

Lynn allowed eight runs, eight hits and two walks while hitting two batters in four innings, raising his ERA to 6.55. He has given up 15 home runs, one short of the major league high of Kansas City’s Jordan Lyles. Lynn had won his previous three starts.

 

Jake Burger homered for Chicago, which has lost four of five. Burger hit his 11th homer in the ninth and Hanser Alberto had a two run double off Tucker Davidson.

Chicago’s Romy Gonzalez, who’d homered in three straight games, went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts.

 

The White Sox have not announced a starter for Friday’s series opener against visiting Detroit, which starts RHP Reese Olson in his major league debut. Olson is 2-3 with a 6.38 ERA in 10 starts at Triple-A Toledo.

Rays Down Cubs

Jalen Beeks got the final two outs after entering the game with the bases loaded, Brandon Lowe and Jose Siri each hit late two-run homers and Tampa Bay beat the Chicago Cubs 4-3 on Wednesday.

 

Lowe connected in the seventh. Siri put Tampa Bay ahead in the eighth with his drive against Mark Leiter Jr., and the Rays pulled out a tight one after dropping 1-0 and 2-1 nail-biters.

 

Beeks came in with one out in the ninth after the Cubs loaded the bases against Kevin Kelly. He struck out Miles Mastrobuoni swinging at a 3-2 pitch and fell behind 3-0 to Yan Gomes.

 

Beeks got him to look at a strike before fouling off two pitches. He then retired Gomes on a line drive to left field and came away with his first save this year.

 

Seiya Suzuki chased Eflin with a leadoff double in the seventh and came around on a line-drive single to deep left by pinch hitter Trey Mancini against Colin Poche (4-1), putting Chicago on top 3-2. Mancini got thrown out trying to reach second base on the play, and the lead disappeared in a flash.

 

Cubs starter Justin Steele retired all nine batters before exiting with tightness in his left forearm. Manager David Ross said he pulled his pitcher for precautionary reasons and he will go for more imaging on Thursday.

 

Hayden Wesneski pitched one-hit ball over 3 2/3 innings and exited to cheers after walking Manuel Margot with two outs in the seventh.

 

Struggling RHP Jameson Taillon (0-3, 8.04) seeks his first win as the Cubs open a four-game series at San Diego on Friday. Signed in December to a four-year deal worth about $68 million, Taillon has allowed four or more runs in four straight starts for the first time in his career.

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