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"Sports Quote of the Day"
"Victory is the child of preparation and determination." ~ Sean Hampton, Actor, Director and Producer
TRENDING: The 'major point' Eddie Goldman and the Bears are making on defense this year. (See the football section for Bears news and NFL updates).
TRENDING: Blackhawks rumors 2017: Chicago will likely trade ‘core player’ soon? Penguins win 2nd straight Stanley Cup, eliminate Predators in Game 6. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).
TRENDING: Building around Jimmy Butler. (Another fan's opinion from SBNation.com fanpost). (See the basketball section for Bulls news and NBA updates).
TRENDING: Cubs bash four homers, break losing skid in victory over Rockies. Jose Quintana, White Sox lose to Indians, drop fourth straight series. (See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).
TRENDING: Berger repeats as FedEx St. Jude champ. Playoff win lifts Jutanugarn to No. 1. U.S. routs Europe to reclaim Palmer Cup. (See the golf section for PGA news and tournament updates).
TRENDING: Ryan Blaney outruns Kevin Harvick to claim first Cup win in Pocono 400. Brad Keselowski uses last-lap pass of Kyle Larson to win first Xfinity race since November 2015. Christopher Bell wins Texas Truck race under caution after scary wreck for Timothy Peters. (See the NASCAR section for NASCAR news and racing updates).
TRENDING: Fire move within one point of MLS' best record after beating Atlanta.
USA 1-1 Mexico: Resolute USMNT earns its point at Azteca. (See the soccer section for Fire news and worldwide soccer updates).
TRENDING: Fire move within one point of MLS' best record after beating Atlanta.
USA 1-1 Mexico: Resolute USMNT earns its point at Azteca. (See the soccer section for Fire news and worldwide soccer updates).
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! The 'major point' Eddie Goldman and the Bears are making on defense this year.
By Chris Boden
By Chris Boden
(Photo/AP)
The Bears’ last four first round draft picks combined to play a total of 24 games last season, and first-round pick Leonard Floyd had half that number alone.
The top three selections in Ryan Pace’s first draft class in 2015 have played in just 33 of a possible 48 games, Eddie Goldman leads the way with 21 of those.
As far as 2017 is concerned, Pace’s offseason moves focused more on roster depth than big splashes that could be written in ink on the depth chart. Based on what his team has experienced injury-wise in his two years at the helm (as those supposed building blocks have mostly been blocking the door to the trainer’s room), it shows the general manager is still counting on them to finally put a full, or at least most of a full, season together.
This week’s mandatory minicamp Tuesday through Thursday at Halas Hall is the final barrier some of these kids must get through before reporting to training camp six weeks from now. While we wait to see how many of those projected core players take part this week, especially all three days, Goldman is also tired of waiting for health, and beyond that, growth.
He says he’s fully recovered from the high ankle sprain that limited him to just six games in his sophomore campaign, spending some of the early portion of the offseason continuing rehab at a facility in San Diego. But he still managed 2.5 sacks in that limited time a year ago, and has seven for his career, which is a pretty impressive number for any nose tackle who excels at occupying opposing linemen to clog running lanes. And he’s well aware of how it takes a defensive village to improve on an embarrassing total of just 28 takeaways the last two seasons, including an NFL record 11 last year.
“We’re putting emphasis on the takeaways,” Goldman said after last Tuesday’s OTA in which that side of the ball gets vocal when they forced one in seven-on-seven drills. “When we get them, we’re rallying to the ball helping the way to get to the end zone. It’s one of the major points that Vic (Fangio) is making in the classroom.”
It would be unwise to think that defensive coordinator Fangio’s unit will suddenly morph into Lovie Smith-style production. But Goldman says the problem’s being addressed with regularity, and just like all Bears fans, he’s getting impatient for the never-ending injury bug to run its course. That’s especially true up front as a revamped secondary learns to work together. That also means having all the pass rush components in place as Floyd, Pernell McPhee, Willie Young, Lamarr Houston (and eventually, Danny Trevathan) work their way back from various injuries and surgeries.
“The front seven on any team is always the core," he said. "I feel like we’re meshing, we’re coming together, playing good, and there’s an urgency.”
And as Young recently shared, the defense (which still flirted with top 10 status much of last season before a miserable final three games) wants to take the reins, and take over the team’s identity, as several new offensive components learn to mesh.
“If we do our job," he said, "the offense can do its job more effectively.”
A full season from a healthy Goldman is, quite literally, front and center toward doing that.
HOCKEY: Penguins win 2nd straight Stanley Cup, eliminate Predators in Game 6.
By Greg Wyshynski
(Photo/yahoosports.com/Puck Daddy)
Patric Hornqvist used to be a Nashville Predator. In Game 6 on Sunday night, he was the one who crushed their Stanley Cup dreams and handed the Pittsburgh Penguins their second straight Stanley Cup championship.
Hornqvist’s goal with 1:35 left in regulation was the difference, as goalie Matt Murray made 27 saves in an outstanding effort, outdueling Pekka Rinne (29 saves). Carl Hagelin added an empty netter for the 2-0 win.
On the game-winner, Hornqvist managed to bounce the puck off of Rinne’s arm and into the net, swinging his stick to connect with it in mid-air. It was his fifth goal of the playoffs.
The Penguins become the first team to repeat as Stanley Cup champions since the Detroit Red Wings in 1997-98. Pittsburgh won its third Cup since 2009, all of them with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin leading the way.
This year’s championship was an impressive one, as the Penguins played the entirety of the playoffs without top defenseman Kris Letang, who was injured in the regular season. It was also a championship captured by a group that had played well over 200 games in the last year.
The first period featured strong goaltending by Murray and Rinne, with the Penguins outshooting the Predators, 9-8. It Murray, though, who was tested big time with less than two minutes to go in the period. He robbed James Neal with a glove save, and then held the fort during another Predators’ push near his crease, stopping Neal a second time.
The second period was another tight one, with stellar chances for both teams. The Predators actually put a puck behind Murray early in the period, thanks to Colton Sissons – alas, it was discounted because referee Kevin Pollock had blown the play dead with a quick whistle, assuming Murray had the puck when in fact it was behind him.
Sissons was later stopped on a breakaway by Murray.
The third period was, you guessed it, another tightly played battle. The Predators had a two-man advantage midway through the period, as Olli Maatta went off for holding and Trevor Daley was called for roughing on the penalty kill. But the Penguins killed it, thanks to more stellar goaltending from Murray.
Later, Sissons hit the post on a one-timer.
The Predators entered the game 9-1 at home in the postseason, and outscored the Penguins 9-2 in their previous two games in Nashville. A crowd of 100,000 was expected in downtown Nashville for the game.
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks rumors 2017: Chicago will likely trade ‘core player’ soon?
By Satchel Price
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(Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
This could be hinting at something big.
We don’t always pass along rumors like this one, but it’s too juicy for us to totally ignore it. The Chicago Blackhawks need to make a big trade this offseason to clear up salary cap space, and 670 The Score’s Jay Zawaski reported Friday night a “core player” will be dealt soon.
So let’s try to unpack this before I go to try to enjoy a beautiful Saturday that’ll surely be interrupted by the big trade right when I crack open a beer.
Who might be a “core” player?
Who might be a “core” player?
To me, this indicates it’s someone with a cap hit larger than Kruger. It’s one of the expensive veteran players that needed to be moved anyway in order to alleviate the team’s salary cap issues.
The most likely candidate is Brent Seabrook. Yes, he has a no-movement clause, but he’s by far the preferred trade option for the Blackhawks if possible. And given Seabrook’s still-strong reputation around the league, it’s conceivable that some team would be willing to take him on.
At this point, both Mark Lazerus and Scott Powers have reported that Seabrook and Artem Anisimov have not been asked to waive their no-movement clauses.
Given that Zawaski says the deal would be a salary dump for picks and/or prospects, it’s hard for me to see the deal involving a guy like Artemi Panarin or Niklas Hjalmarsson. Those are valuable pieces that theoretically should allow the Blackhawks to get NHL-ready pieces in return.
Seabrook, on the other hand, doesn’t hold so much value given his outsized contract, so it’d make sense if the only deal the Hawks could find would be a salary dump with an underwhelming return.
And while Zawaski crosses off Jonathan Toews’ name, but not Patrick Kane’s, it’s difficult to envision any scenario where the Blackhawks are willing to give up the 2016 Hart Trophy winner right now. Same goes for Duncan Keith and Marian Hossa — the latter partially due to his cap recapture penalty complicating the idea of a trade.
Still, take this with a grain of salt for now
Not that we should cast doubt over Zawaski’s credibility, but this is just one report based on a few sources from someone who typically does not break major news. Until we see the likes of Bob McKenzie or Pierre LeBrun reporting this stuff in detail, it’s reasonable to be skeptical about just how likely all this stuff is to play out.
But Zawaski has been right about reports in the past, and the logic here indicates that what he’s saying makes sense. This IS the kind of deal the Blackhawks need to make sooner or later, so it shouldn’t be too surprising that we’re getting inklings like this in mid-June.
If the Hawks can dump Marcus Kruger and Seabrook over the next week, that’d more or less fix their cap situation for the time being. It’s not a guarantee those are the two players, but it’d make a whole lot of sense.
NHL losses have union stuck between a rock and a hard place.
By Larry Brooks
The most likely candidate is Brent Seabrook. Yes, he has a no-movement clause, but he’s by far the preferred trade option for the Blackhawks if possible. And given Seabrook’s still-strong reputation around the league, it’s conceivable that some team would be willing to take him on.
At this point, both Mark Lazerus and Scott Powers have reported that Seabrook and Artem Anisimov have not been asked to waive their no-movement clauses.
Given that Zawaski says the deal would be a salary dump for picks and/or prospects, it’s hard for me to see the deal involving a guy like Artemi Panarin or Niklas Hjalmarsson. Those are valuable pieces that theoretically should allow the Blackhawks to get NHL-ready pieces in return.
Seabrook, on the other hand, doesn’t hold so much value given his outsized contract, so it’d make sense if the only deal the Hawks could find would be a salary dump with an underwhelming return.
And while Zawaski crosses off Jonathan Toews’ name, but not Patrick Kane’s, it’s difficult to envision any scenario where the Blackhawks are willing to give up the 2016 Hart Trophy winner right now. Same goes for Duncan Keith and Marian Hossa — the latter partially due to his cap recapture penalty complicating the idea of a trade.
Still, take this with a grain of salt for now
Not that we should cast doubt over Zawaski’s credibility, but this is just one report based on a few sources from someone who typically does not break major news. Until we see the likes of Bob McKenzie or Pierre LeBrun reporting this stuff in detail, it’s reasonable to be skeptical about just how likely all this stuff is to play out.
But Zawaski has been right about reports in the past, and the logic here indicates that what he’s saying makes sense. This IS the kind of deal the Blackhawks need to make sooner or later, so it shouldn’t be too surprising that we’re getting inklings like this in mid-June.
If the Hawks can dump Marcus Kruger and Seabrook over the next week, that’d more or less fix their cap situation for the time being. It’s not a guarantee those are the two players, but it’d make a whole lot of sense.
NHL losses have union stuck between a rock and a hard place.
By Larry Brooks
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. (Photo/Getty Images)
The expectation, affirmed in conversations within the past three days by essentially everyone on the NHL players’ side of the aisle, is that the union will decline to trigger the escalator for next season, thus creating a flat salary cap right around the current $73 million for 2017-18.
Well, not exactly. The NHLPA is not going to create the flat cap. The NHL will have done that by generating essentially no revenue growth over the past year. The players are picking their poison, choosing to go with a flat cap that restricts choices for free agents rather than creating a scenario under which escrow losses escalate.
We are told by individuals who traditionally have advocated pumping the maximum amount of dollars into the system that the infusion of dollars generated by the addition of the expansion Vegas Golden Knights has altered the equation for at least this time around.
Flatlining league revenue is one of the issues at the forefront of concern for a significant number of players and player agents that likely will lead to the installment of Chris Chelios, a hardliner from way back, as an ombudsman to the NHLPA as the union begins its preparation for the collective bargaining agreement negotiations that likely are on the 2019-20 horizon.
Beyond that, sources have told Slap Shots there currently are up to a dozen agents who support the idea of forming a committee of active players to buttress the current union administration, though it has been stressed this does not signal a revolt or an attempt to overthrow the current Don Fehr-Steve Fehr leadership.
Flatlining revenue under a small-picture commissioner — whose objective seems to be maintaining a low cap/floor and a system that somehow conflates widespread mediocrity into an asset — is only one of the areas of player concern.
We’re told there is widespread frustration over the fact commissioner Gary Bettman and the league were able to withdraw Olympic participation from the CBA during the Owners’ Lockout III negotiations. Imagine: The NHL, as global a pro sport as there is, does not have a best-on-best international competition scheduled at any time in the foreseeable future. Astonishing.
Not that the players are prepared to rush into a World Cup of Hockey encore under the current arrangement. We have been told the athletes have yet to receive a nickel from the September 2016 tournament, while both sides await even preliminary financial reports.
Because the union is entitled to just 50 percent of the net proceeds — as opposed to 50 percent of the gross hockey-related revenue under the CBA — the ultimate payout will be minimal. That’s another point of contention among the rank and file.
Well, not exactly. The NHLPA is not going to create the flat cap. The NHL will have done that by generating essentially no revenue growth over the past year. The players are picking their poison, choosing to go with a flat cap that restricts choices for free agents rather than creating a scenario under which escrow losses escalate.
We are told by individuals who traditionally have advocated pumping the maximum amount of dollars into the system that the infusion of dollars generated by the addition of the expansion Vegas Golden Knights has altered the equation for at least this time around.
Flatlining league revenue is one of the issues at the forefront of concern for a significant number of players and player agents that likely will lead to the installment of Chris Chelios, a hardliner from way back, as an ombudsman to the NHLPA as the union begins its preparation for the collective bargaining agreement negotiations that likely are on the 2019-20 horizon.
Beyond that, sources have told Slap Shots there currently are up to a dozen agents who support the idea of forming a committee of active players to buttress the current union administration, though it has been stressed this does not signal a revolt or an attempt to overthrow the current Don Fehr-Steve Fehr leadership.
Flatlining revenue under a small-picture commissioner — whose objective seems to be maintaining a low cap/floor and a system that somehow conflates widespread mediocrity into an asset — is only one of the areas of player concern.
We’re told there is widespread frustration over the fact commissioner Gary Bettman and the league were able to withdraw Olympic participation from the CBA during the Owners’ Lockout III negotiations. Imagine: The NHL, as global a pro sport as there is, does not have a best-on-best international competition scheduled at any time in the foreseeable future. Astonishing.
Not that the players are prepared to rush into a World Cup of Hockey encore under the current arrangement. We have been told the athletes have yet to receive a nickel from the September 2016 tournament, while both sides await even preliminary financial reports.
Because the union is entitled to just 50 percent of the net proceeds — as opposed to 50 percent of the gross hockey-related revenue under the CBA — the ultimate payout will be minimal. That’s another point of contention among the rank and file.
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Building around Jimmy Butler. (Another fan's opinion from SBNation.com fanpost).
By EZ3Z
Do we trade Jimmy or build around him? I have seen a lot of people here at BaB say we should build around Jimmy just like Houston did around Harden. I'm not convince retooling is realistic, and think it's more likely to lead us into a decade of mediocrity without much real success. Jimmy isn't the type of player that you "build around," he's just not that great at creating for others. Sure, you could surround him with a bunch of sharpshooters like Houston did, but the Bulls would still be mediocre at best. So, here is my idea of what "building around" Jimmy Butler would look like.
First and foremost, we need an identity. I think we should be mean. Target guys that are strong on defense, can crash the offensive and defensive boards, and of course, shoot. Basically, build a team that will punch the other team in the face every night (in spirit, of course).
First and foremost, we need an identity. I think we should be mean. Target guys that are strong on defense, can crash the offensive and defensive boards, and of course, shoot. Basically, build a team that will punch the other team in the face every night (in spirit, of course).
The moves below focus on the bigger pieces, since we'd be shedding a lot of our current players as their contracts expire (Dwade). The only young player we have that I would care to keep is Portis, maybe Felicio if he's cheap. Everyone else can go. I think Portis still has potential to be a strong role player, especially if it's made clear to him all he has to do is play defense, crash the boards, and hit the occasional wide open spot up three, in that order.
First, draft Ike Anigbogu at #16. This guy is massive and still really young (turns 19 in October). He's limited offensively with his back to the basket, but he's a great lob guy and can really crash the boards. He has a lot of potential, and could be a great back up center or even a starter one day. I wouldn't be upset with Patton here either.
There's really no way to predict who will be left at #38, but two guys to look at are Derrick White and Jawun Evans. I'd target a back up point guard or possibly a back up shooting guard like Thornwell or Bacon that has defensive potential and can crash the boards. Or, maybe a power forward like Rabb or Bell. Anything goes here, but let's say we somehow end up with Bell.
In free agency this year we need to offer Kentavious Caldwell-Pope the max. He has improved every year he's been in the league and will continue to do so (hopefully at a faster rate) next to Jimmy Butler. He's great on defense, has an improving 3 point shot, and does some rebounding (3 boards per game). Although he's not actually worth a max contract today, he would be an ideal fit next to Jimmy and still has a lot of potential to chase.
Next, trade Robin Lopez for Jae Crowder. This might be difficult. Crowder is on a great contract at less than $8 mil per year through 2020, and is a good defender and overall player. Nevertheless, the Celtics desperately need rim protection and rebounding, both of which RoLo can provide at a reasonable price for the next two years. Also, Jaylen Brown played at a pretty high level on both ends of the court this year as a rookie, if he's going to continue to develop he's going to eat into Crowder's minutes anyways (even more so if they sign Hayward).
2018 Free Agency: Sign Demarcus Cousins and Marcus Smart. Smart looks to be the odd man out in Boston if they add Fultz and resign Thomas. He'll get a lot of attention from other teams for sure, since there aren't many good fa options in 2018. The bulls should go hard after him though. He's great on defense and crashes the boards hard for a point guard. He also has the basketball is to know where to cut to or spot up when he's off the ball. If he can figure out the three point shot he'd be an ideal fit. Boogie will be even more difficult to add, since he'll pretty much be the only girl at the dance in 2018 free agency and the Bulls' forward isn't very good. Jimmy will have to spend every minute of the 2017/18 season recruiting. If we can resign Rondo for the vet min, he would also be a huge help here. Apparently him and Boogie were close friends when they were in Sacramento together.
So, if all of this somehow came to fruition, the 2018 roster would look something like this:
Smart/Rondo
Smart/Rondo
KCP/Valentine
Butler/Crowder
Portis/Bell
Cousins/Anigbogu
We'd have an identity, we'd have quality pieces, and we might even have some decent cap space left over in a free agency class loaded with point guards that could make us a legit contender in 2019 (Russel Westbrook, John Wall, Kemba Walker, Eric Bledsoe).
Silver says new rest guidelines will emphasize rest at home, not multiple stars on same night.
By Kurt Helin
Adam Silver explains. (Photo/Getty Images)
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver knows the NBA is in a tough spot when it comes to rest — the sciences shows players perform better and are less likely to be injured with it, but for an entertainment business to have its biggest stars sitting games out (especially on the road or on national television) is bad optics.
“Back to your point about the science and the data, is that it’s not 82 games, it’s not the length of the season, it’s the time between the games and that there’s a direct correlation between fatigue and injury on the part of the players…” Silver said before Game 1 of these NBA Finals. “We had a good discussion with our teams at our last owners meeting, which was in April, and I think there is a recognition from teams that on one hand a certain amount of resting is just inevitable and appropriate to keep the players healthy, but that they shouldn’t be resting multiple starters on the same night,” Silver said. “And, incidentally, wherever possible, they should rest at home.”
Those concepts are headed to become guidelines from the competition committee to the teams, Silver told Marc Stein on ESPN Radio before Game 4.
“Where we’re heading is the adoption of guidelines that will be in place for next season which will strongly recommend that the extent they rest, they rest at home, and teams also not rest multiple starters on the same night,” Silver said. “Let’s see how that plays out.
“I’m reluctant to get into the business of directing these great coaches on minutes. As you know, players are often injured during the season, not to the point where they otherwise can’t play but maybe shouldn’t play. Then it’s a function of league doctors versus team doctors on how healthy a player is and whether it’s appropriate a player should be on the floor that night.
“I’d like to come up with a system that relies on the good faith of our teams that to the extent rest is necessary — and it is on occasion — that it’s done in an appropriate [manner] but the league executives are not dictating to coaches and GMs precisely what games their players should or shouldn’t be playing in.”
Yes, these are going to be just “guidelines” but the coaches ad GMs will know that if healthy players are rested, if this image problem continues, the guidelines could morph into something teams will like far less.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out next season. Will teams actually rest players at home? Forget that the teams want to make their season ticket holders and sponsors happy, the games at home tend to be spaced out. It’s 0n the road where the back-to-backs and four-in-five-nights come, and that’s where the teams need to rest their players.
Which is to say, the guidelines have to be paired with better, more spaced out scheduling from the NBA to make it all work.
3-on-3 basketball is now officially an Olympic sport — here's how it will work.
By Tyler Lauletta
On Friday the IOC announced a number of new events that will be included in the upcoming 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. 3-on-3 basketball is now officially an Olympic sport. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Most notable among these new additions for basketball fans is the inclusion of 3-on-3 basketball for both men and women.
The 3-on-3 Olympic competition will follow current FIBA rules. Games will be played in the half court with a 12-second shot clock. Scoring goes by ones and twos over the course of one, 10-minute period.
The first team to reach 21, or whoever is leading at the end of the 10-minute period, wins.
Each team consists of four players — three starters and one substitute, and the ball is slightly smaller than that used in the NBA.
While pure basketball talent will still usually rise to the top as it would in the NBA, the rules and style make for a few significant differences when it comes to 3-on-3 competition. First, the pace of play is FAST. With just 12 seconds to shoot and a ton of space to drive, these games move quickly.
Additionally, shooting is important. Of course, shooting is always important in competitive basketball, but with a game only lasting for 10 minutes and going to 21 points, the stakes of every shot are raised exponentially. As Matt Santangelo, a former Gonzaga guard and executive director of Hoopfest, the largest 3-on-3 basketball tournament in the world, recently told Bleacher Report, "Shooting is really at a premium in 3-on-3, more so than in the NBA, because in these games you can't hide on the floor. If you're open, you absolutely must hit the shot. If you don't, you lose."
3-on-3's inclusion in Tokyo 2020 is especially intriguing for fans of Team USA because no one can be sure what talent will be interested in taking part in the competition. While it’s hard to believe that anyone already playing for Gregg Popovich in 2020 would pull double-duty, it’s also difficult to resist the fantasy lineups that could be made by constructing a three man team of NBA superstars.
Could Finals stars LeBron, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant put aside their differences to bring home the gold? What about a reunion of Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden running the court? Maybe LaVar Ball will get his sons to work together so he can introduce the Big Baller Brand on the international stage.
Slightly more likely is that former pros or college standouts will get in the mix. With the BIG3 League coming later this summer featuring Allen Iverson, Kenyon Martin, Mike Bibby, and more, there’s a chance that some of these players put together a team to potentially represent the United States in international competition.
With the Olympics still years away, only time will tell.
Following the announcement by the IOC, the BIG3 put out a statement supporting the decision, but stopped short of saying whether or not they would ever try to field an Olympic team.
"This announcement by the International Olympic Committee comes at a perfect time, with the BIG3 10-game season tipping off in less than two weeks on June 25 Barclays Center in Brooklyn," co-founders Ice Cube and Jeff Kwatinetz said in a statement. "This decision reconfirms our gut instinct that 3-on-3 basketball is what sports and entertainment fans want to see."
There is already a thriving 3-on-3 community supported by FIBA and the competition is strong. In the 2016 FIBA 3x3 World Championships the United States took silver, losing to Serbia in the championship game.
You can watch highlights of that game below and get a glimpse what the event could look like when Tokyo 2020 comes around. Hopefully by then Team USA will be ready to win gold.
Cubs bash four homers, break losing skid in victory over Rockies.
By #CubsTalk
(Photo/USA TODAY)
Addison Russell had a go-ahead home run for his first big contribution since an absence in the wake of a Major League Baseball investigation into domestic abuse allegations, and the Chicago Cubs stopped the Colorado Rockies' seven-game winning streak, 7-5 Sunday.
Russell played for the second time since missing the first two games of the series. The MLB investigation began after claims of abuse against his wife were levied in a since-deleted social media post.
Reliever Jordan Lyles (0-2) gave up both homers in the sixth. The NL West-leading Rockies ended their longest winning string since 2013.
Carl Edwards Jr. (2-0) won in relief of starter Jake Arrieta. Wade Davis gave up a run in the ninth before getting his 13th save in 13 chances.
Russell, batting just .213, put the Cubs ahead 5-4 with his fourth home run. Schwarber, hitting only .171, followed with a pinch-hit drive for his 11th homer.
Schwarber's towering fly to right field which earned him a curtain call from the Wrigley Field fans on a 91-degree day.
Colorado rookie Antonio Senzatela labored through four innings, striking out six. He allowed four runs before getting an out in the first as Anthony Rizzo had an RBI double on a 10-pitch at-bat and Zobrist hit a three-run homer.
The Rockies responded with four runs in the fifth inning, all charged to Arrieta.
DJ LeMahieu walked with the bases loaded and, after Carlos Gonzalez was ejected arguing a called third strike, Mark Reynolds lined an RBI single to make it 4-2.
Edwards relieved and allowed a tying, two-run single by Ian Desmond.
Montero homered in the eighth. LeMahieu added an RBI single in the ninth before Davis got Alexi Amarista to pop out to end it.
QUOTABLE
Cubs manager Joe Maddon said sometimes less information is more helpful to young hitters who are struggling, as Schwarber has been lately.
"Lately, I'm certain that Uber drivers have been telling him how to hit," Maddon said. "That's just how it works."
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rockies: C Tom Murphy (forearm fracture) is about 7-10 days from returning, manager Bud Black said.
UP NEXT
Rockies: LHP Kyle Freeland (7-3, 3.34 ERA) opens a three-game series in Pittsburgh on Monday, hoping to improve to 5-0 on the road this season.
Cubs: RHP John Lackey (4-6, 5.12) has lost three straight starts and begins a three-game series and six-game road trip Monday against the New York Mets. The Cubs play 17 of their next 20 games on the road.
'Anger is not a solution' for Cubs' struggles.
By Tony Andracki
(Photo/USA TODAY)
There was an air of "Groundhog's Day" around the Cubs before Sunday's game against the Colorado Rockies.
Nobody would blame Joe Maddon if he said he felt like Bill Murray from that hit film.
In a lot of ways, it's the same story, different day for the 2017 Cubs.
Maddon fielded question after question from the media about the leadoff spot — a new option was in there Sunday in veteran outfielder Jon Jay, who promptly singled in his first at-bat — and how to get past the offensive woes, particularly with the young hitters.
The Cubs manager was as patient as ever, despite his team entering Sunday's game with a streak of 26 straight innings without an extra-base hit and leaving 31 men on base over the last four games.
"We've pitched well enough to win more. We've played defense well enough to win more. We've been inconsistent with the offense," Maddon said. "That's the part we have to focus on. And when your guys are struggling like that, the point is you gotta stay with 'em.
"It takes a lot of conversation. It takes a lot to help bring them back confidence-wise. They're missing their confidence right now more than anything. But anger is not a solution. Seat of the pants decisions are not a solution, either.
"These are our guys and I believe in these guys. They are good. They're gonna show it again relatively soon. We're struggling right now back and forth, but this is a great group of major-league players."
Maddon has a way of being brutally honest without being overly negative or sounding the least bit insulting.
He hasn't sugarcoated anything through the Cubs' offensive woes and knows they have to improve their consistency all around, pointing to a roller coaster last month that has included: A 7-2 homestand, an 0-6 road trip, a five-game winning streak and now a four-game losing streak entering Sunday.
The result is a 30-31 record for the defending World Series champions, but they're also still somehow in second place in the National League Central, just two games behind the Milwaukee Brewers.
And that's with veterans Jason Heyward and Ben Zobrist posting numbers below their career norms, consistent struggles from Kyle Schwarber, Willson Contreras and Addison Russell and up-and-down contributions from streak young hitters like Ian Happ, Javy Baez and Albert Almora Jr.
The only constants on offense have been Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Miguel Montero and Jay, which explains why Maddon had all four veterans in Sunday's lineup in an effort to salvage at least one game from the visiting Rockies.
Maddon and his coaching staff are trying to make sure they're not overwhelming the young hitters with too much information, especially since "Uber drives have been telling them how to hit right now."
From Maddon's perspective, it's all about confidence.
"Confidence is such a fragile component of the human existence, especially when it comes to sports," Maddon said. "Regardless of what you've done in the past, it's so easy to forget that because you're really trying to do well in the present.
"And sometimes when things just aren't going properly and they start happening too quickly, all the sudden, you lose whatever that little thing is that permits you to slow things down and maintain your confidence. We're all subject to that. Every one of us.
"Our job as coaches right now is to understand that and try to nurture that back into our players. It has to come from their performance, absolutely. But in the mean time, they need our support and they need our consistency. They don't need inconsistencies coming from us right now because that would be the worst possible message to send them.
"I've been through it before. It's actually an interesting situation to be involved in. It tests what you believe in, which I think is a good thing. You have to have a consistent plan while maintaining flexibility at the same time, which I think we do."
WHITE SOX: Jose Quintana, White Sox lose to Indians, drop fourth straight series.
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/AP)
Jose Quintana didn’t feel as if he was too far off with his command on Sunday afternoon.
Quintana dropped to 2-8 for the White Sox, who finished a nine-game trip with a 2-7 mark and lost all three series.
“I'm close,” Quintana said. “I feel pretty good. I fight every start. I want to be better, I want to get better for my team, better outings. It doesn't happen often for me in the past, but I keep fighting, I keep going.
“I fight with my command sometimes this year. Today was a little high with the pitches. I keep the ball down, but more missed in with fastballs. Sometimes I miss my spot, but that's all. Too many 3-2 counts.”
Eighth hitter Roberto Perez gave Cleveland a lead it wouldn’t relinquish in the second inning when he singled just under the glove of Yolmer Sanchez with two outs to put Quintana behind 1-0. Quintana liked the location of the 0-2 fastball pitch to Perez. But the result was frustrating as Perez’s grounder up the middle scooted under Yolmer Sanchez’s glove for a two-out RBI single.
Two innings later, Edwin Encarnacion drew a leadoff walk and the Indians would push ahead by three runs. Jose Ramirez reached on a fielder’s choice and Austin Jackson singled. Ramirez advanced on Perez’s fly to deep center and scored on the first of two Quintana wild pitches. No. 9 hitter Erik Gonzalez then singled in Jackson to make it 3-0.
Quintana only lasted through five innings. He allowed three runs and five hits and struck out three in a 95-pitch effort (54 strikes).
“He had a lot of 3-2 counts today,” manager Rick Renteria said. “It’s just a matter of commanding his fastball and seeing if we can get him to be able to get hitters a little more earlier obviously. That’s going to be the key for any of our guys. Be able to command strikes, good strikes, strikes that are not necessarily put in play with a whole lot of authority. And that will allow them to stretch their outings a little further.
“I thought he did a nice job of minimizing damage across the board for five innings.”
Todd Frazier expressed profound confidence in Quintana. He said he wants the left-hander, whose ERA stands at 5.30, to believe in himself, too. Frazier wants Quintana to think he’s the best pitcher in the American League.
The veteran third baseman put some of the onus for Sunday’s loss on a White Sox offense that didn’t wake up until the sixth inning and then couldn’t do anything against the Indians bullpen. The White Sox responded after Cleveland starter Carlos Carrasco struck Jose Abreu with a pitch just above the left elbow in the sixth. Avisail Garcia doubled Abreu to third and Todd Frazier doubled in both to make it a 3-2 game. Frazier finished 3-for-4 as he continued his hot June.
But that was it.
Terry Francona summoned Andrew Miller and the Indians’ bullpen took over. Miller struck out Yolmer Sanchez and Tim Anderson to strand Frazier at second and keep Cleveland ahead. Miller struck out another batter in a scoreless seventh. Bryan Shaw and Cody Allen each pitched a scoreless inning to close it out for Cleveland, who added an insurance run in the seventh when Francisco Lindor doubled in a run off Tommy Kahnle.
“He’s going through it right now,” Frazier said. “And guess what? We didn’t get him runs. At the very end of the day, we didn’t score runs for him. He held them to three runs. You know, we got to score more. But there’s not one ounce in my body that thinks he’s a bad pitcher or think he’s not a No. 1 pitcher for any team.
“We have his back and I hope he understands that because I tell him that every day.”
White Sox seek repeat in 2017 MLB Draft.
By Scott Merkin
(Photo/pinterest.com)
Nick Hostetler had what was deemed an excellent 2016 Draft class during his first year in charge for the White Sox. The goal now is to repeat that success in 2017.
"We were talking about that in the [Draft prep] room," Hostetler said. "I was laughing, and I told them it was like a Drake song, back-to-back like [Michael] Jordan in 96-97. We've got to do it again."
The 2017 Draft will take place from Monday, June 12, through Wednesday, June 14, beginning with the Draft preview show on MLB Network and MLB.com at 6 p.m. on the 12th. MLB Network will broadcast the first 36 picks (Round 1 and Competitive Balance Round A), while MLB.com will stream all 75 picks on Day 1. MLB.com will also provide live pick-by-pick coverage of Rounds 3-10 on Day 2, starting at 1 p.m. ET. Then, Rounds 11-40 can be heard live on MLB.com on June 14, beginning at noon ET.
Go to MLB.com/draft to see the Top 200 Prospects list, projected top picks from MLBPipeline.com analysts Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo, the complete order of selection and more. And follow @MLBDraft on Twitter to see what Draft hopefuls, clubs and experts are saying.
Here's how the Draft is shaping up for the White Sox, whose first selection is the 11th overall pick.
In about 50 words
The White Sox had not officially gone into full rebuild mode when the 2016 Draft yielded players such as catcher Zack Collins, right-handed reliever Zack Burdi, right-handed starter Alec Hansen and outfielders such as Jameson Fisher and Alex Call. It was an important talent addition, much like the '17 Draft, '18 Draft, outfielder Luis Robert as an international free agent and the upcoming non-waiver Trade Deadline returns.
"We know we are going to get a good player at 11," White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said. "And Nick and his guys are pretty enthusiastic about the depth of the Draft, making us feel the next couple of picks are going to be guys we feel good about."
The scoop
A little cloudiness still existed one week before the Draft as to how the first 10 picks would shake out, influencing the White Sox selection at No. 11. Hostetler termed the Draft pool as "interesting," adding from the White Sox pick at 11 to their next selection at 49, "there's a bunch of players who will be very similar."
"Some of these college pitchers are starting to wear down a little bit, which causes some concern. Some of the high school players are starting to do private workouts, which is starting to rise among those guys as well," said Hostetler, focusing more on the team's first pick. "If we can get one or two of those guys not expecting to go in the Top 10 in there, it will push a few guys down. It won't shock me if there's one or two that get down."
First-round buzz
Austin Beck, an outfielder from North Davidson High School in Lexington, N.C., worked out for the White Sox in the final days leading up to the Draft. Per MLBPipeline.com's Jim Callis, Beck lacked extensive wood-bat history because he missed last year's showcase circuit while recovering from left knee surgery. Some projections have Jeren Kendall, a talented outfielder from Vanderbilt, also tied to the White Sox.
Money matters
Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, each team has an allotted bonus pool equal to the sum of the values of that club's selections in the first 10 rounds of the Draft. The more picks a team has, and the earlier it picks, the larger the pool. The signing bonuses for a team's selections in the first 10 rounds, plus any bonus greater than $125,000 for a player taken after the 10th round, will apply toward the bonus-pool total.
Any team going up to five percent over its allotted pool will be taxed at a 75-percent rate on the overage. A team that overspends by 5-10 percent gets a 75-percent tax plus the loss of a first-round pick. A team that goes 10-15 percent over its pool amount will be hit with a 100-percent penalty on the overage and the loss of a first- and second-round pick. Any overage of 15 percent or more gets a 100-percent tax plus the loss of first-round picks in the next two Drafts.
This year, the White Sox have a pool of $7,921,400 to spend in the first 10 rounds, including $4,199,200 to spend on their first selection.
Shopping List
Early stages of the rebuild yielded more high-end pitching prospects than position players. But the team won't be drafting just to fit the rebuild.
"Certainly we will communicate on some potential need stuff, but it's not going to affect the early rounds," White Sox director of player development Chris Getz said. "But we talk often and really [Nick] and the scouts, they've got the history with these players, they know these players. Nick is great. He works his butt off, and I just encourage him to keep on bringing in quality players like he's been."
Trend watch
Since 2000, the White Sox have taken one high school position player with their first pick (Courtney Hawkins, 2012) and two high school players overall with that first pick (RHP Kris Honel, 2001). But it's more about a style of player they are targeting than high school vs. college player or hitter vs. pitcher.
"We're looking for the best guy, regardless of position, but also somebody who fits in to what we're trying to do," Hostetler said. "We want to make sure that we have hitters who put the ball in play and pitchers who pound the zone. I sound like a broken record with it, but it is true. It's something we believe."
Recent Draft history
Rising Fast:
Hansen admittedly sat a notch above the competition when he shut down opposing teams with the Arizona White Sox and Great Falls after he was selected in the second round last year. But the 6-foot-7 right-hander has continued his high level of success with Class A Kannapolis, striking out 15 without issuing a walk over seven innings in a game on May 28.
Cinderella story
Shortly after the '16 Draft, Hostetler mentioned left-handed pitcher Bernardo Flores as sort of a sleeper pick to watch after being taken in the seventh round. Flores has since posted a 3.29 ERA over 25 Minor League games (22 starts), with 106 strikeouts over 125 2/3 innings. Flores has 54 strikeouts and 11 walks over 60 2/3 innings as part of Kannapolis' rotation this season.
In the show
Tim Anderson (first round, 2013) not only has reached the Majors but has found financial security through a six-year, $25 million deal he agreed upon with the White Sox during Spring Training. Right-handed reliever Nate Jones (2007, fifth round) has the most White Sox seniority among anyone on the current roster, while Carlos Rodon (third pick overall, 2014), Tyler Saladino, Chris Beck, Kevan Smith, Tyler Danish, Brad Goldberg, Jake Petricka, Adam Engel and Jacob May are a few more homegrown players who have contributed over the past two seasons.
The White Sox recent top picks
2016: Zack Collins, C, Class A Winston-Salem
2015: Carson Fulmer, RHP, Triple-A Charlotte
2014: Carlos Rodon, LHP, injury rehab/Winston-Salem
2013: Tim Anderson, SS, White Sox
2012: Courtney Hawkins, OF, Double-A Birmingham
2011: Keenyn Walker, OF, Out of Organization
Golf: I got a club for that..... Berger repeats as FedEx St. Jude champ.
By Will Gray
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
Daniel Berger broke through for his maiden victory last year at the FedEx St. Jude Classic, and he's not ready yet to hand over the trophy. Here's how things ended up at TPC Southwind, where Berger rallied to successfully defend his title:
Leaderboard: Daniel Berger (-10), Charl Schwartzel (-9), Whee Kim (-9), Braden Thornberry (a) (-8), Billy Horschel (-8), Rafael Cabrera-Bello (-8)
What it means: Berger started the day three shots off the lead, but he erased that deficit with three birdies over his first 13 holes and then took the lead for good with a birdie on No. 15. It's his second career win and second straight in Memphis, as he posted 10 under and watched as a number of contenders were unable to match. The win gives Berger some extra momentum heading into the U.S. Open and likely locks up his spot on the U.S. Presidents Cup team.
Round of the day: Horschel made the biggest move of the day, jumping 33 spots into a tie for fourth after a final-round 64. Weeks after his win at the AT&T Byron Nelson, Horschel made seven birdies on his round including four straight across Nos. 15-18 to close it out and briefly snag a share of the clubhouse lead.
Best of the rest: Thornberry was playing less than two weeks after winning the NCAA individual title, and he snagged a T-4 finish in his PGA Tour debut after a final-round 65. The Ole Miss product made an eagle on the par-5 third hole to go along with three birdies and matched Lee McCoy's finish at last year's Valspar Championship for the best finish since 1998 by an amateur in a non-opposite event.
Biggest disappointment: Stewart Cink began the day with a share of the lead as he looked for his first win since the 2009 Open, but the veteran fell back with a 3-over 73. Cink's victory chances ended when he played Nos. 10-15 in 4 over, and his T-10 finish equaled that of fellow 54-hole co-leader Ben Crane.
Shot of the day: Berger took control of the tournament with an 18-foot birdie make on No. 15 that elicited an emotional fist pump. The shot took him to 10 under and proved to be the winning margin over Schwartzel and Kim.
Quote of the day: "I'm 1-for-1 defending titles, so that's a pretty good stat." - Berger
By Randall Mell
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
At least, barring another computer glitch, she should finally overtake Lydia Ko at the top of the Rolex Women’s World Rankings.
Jutanugarn won the Manulife Classic on Sunday in Canada, rolling in a 25-foot birdie putt to defeat Lexi Thompson and In Gee Chun on the first playoff hole at Whistle Bear Golf Club in Ontario.
“Feel great,” a teary-eyed Jutanugarn said afterward. “Feel like I break through.”
It was Jutanugarn’s first victory this season, giving the LPGA 14 different winners in its first 14 events of the year.
Jutanugarn, who won five times as the LPGA Rolex Player of the Year last season, entered the week .01 average world ranking points behind No. 1 Ko, who wasn’t in the field. The new world rankings will be official with Monday’s posting. Jutanugarn was projected to go to No. 1 last week but a glitch in the WWGR projection tool created a mistake, keeping Ko at No. 1 for the 85th consecutive week.
“I think I’ll feel it on Monday,” Jutanugarn said when asked about finally ascending to world No. 1. “To be honest, I didn’t pay attention to the ranking.”
Jutanugarn, 21, was in tears afterward because she was stunned to win. She was five shots behind Thompson after making the turn to the back nine in the final round. More than that, Jutanugarn said she didn’t feel good about her game starting the tournament.
“I just can't believe I win the tournament,” Jutanugarn said. “I didn't expect anything at all, because, when I got here, I didn't feel comfortable with my swing. My tee shot not that good. I feel like, `Just go out and play golf for four days.’”
Jutanugarn closed an emotional day with a 3-under-par 69, leaving her at 17 under overall, equal to Thompson (72) and Chun (70). It was an unexpected finish with Thompson appearing to be in command going to the back nine. Thompson built a four-shot lead on Chun and five on Jutanugarn coming home but bogeyed four of the final seven holes when her wedge game and putting, two assets most of the week, let her down. Thompson was two ahead with two to play but finished with a pair of bogeys, three-putting the 17th and then missing a 4-footer for par for the win at the last.
The playoff featured the No. 2 (Jutanugarn), No. 4 (Thompson) and No. 5 (Chun) players in the world.
“Just struggled with the putter,” Thompson said. “I made everything, it seemed like, all week, and then, the last three holes, I had like a 5-footer, 6-footer, and about a 4-footer and missed them all.”
Still, with the second-place finish, Thompson continues to amass world ranking points with her run of strong play and looks poised to get in this battle for the No. 1 ranking. Thompson has a victory and three second-place finishes in her last six worldwide starts.
“I know where my game is at,” Thompson said. “Every time I tee it up, I know I'm trying to win, and I know I have a good chance of it.”
Chun, a two-time major champion, finished second for the fourth time this season and is also in this tightening mix for world No. 1.
U.S. routs Europe to reclaim Palmer Cup.
By Ryan Lavner
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
The United States took all of the drama out of the Palmer Cup on Saturday afternoon.
The final score was 19 1/2 to 10 1/2 at Atlanta Athletic Club.
In addition to Xiong’s blowout, Doug Ghim (who won all four matches), Nick Hardy, Maverick McNealy and Sean Crocker added full points for the U.S. side.
The Arnold Palmer Cup pits the top college players from the U.S. and Europe. The U.S. now leads the all-time series, 11-9-1.
Beginning next year, the event will be expanded to the rest of the world and feature mixed teams of men and women.
Collin Morikawa, a rising junior at Cal, was selected by both teams to receive an exemption into next year’s Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.
Golf extended through 2024 Olympic Games.
By Nick Menta
Golf will remain in the Olympics through at least 2024.
The International Olympic Committee Executive Board on Friday approved that all 28 sports from the 2016 Games in Rio will return in 2024.
Golf made its return to the Olympics in 2016 for the first time since 1904. Justin Rose and Inbee Park left Rio de Janeiro with the men's and women's gold medals.
The sport was already a lock for Tokyo in 2020 but there were questions about the golf's future as Olympic event after a spate of high-profile withdraws ahead of the Rio Games.
Separately, the IOC Executive Board put forward a proposal to simultaneously award the 2024 and 2028 Summer Games, referring to the "great candidatures" of Los Angeles and Paris as a "unique opportunity."
The decision to formally award the 2024 and 2028 Games is expected later this year.
Updated, June 11, 8:08 a.m.
Statement from the International Golf Federation: "The IGF is gratified to learn of the IOC Executive Board’s decision recommending all 28 sports on the program for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games will remain on the program in 2024. We look forward to learning the outcome of the final vote at the IOC Session in September. We were always confident that golf would deliver exciting men's and women's competitions in Rio de Janeiro and even at that, it exceeded our expectations. Now, we are excited to build upon the success from last year as we prepare for the 2020 Games in Tokyo and, hopefully, beyond."
NASCAR: Ryan Blaney outruns Kevin Harvick to claim first Cup win in Pocono 400.
By Daniel McFadin
By Daniel McFadin
(Photo/Getty Images)
It comes in the 23-year-old driver’s 68th Cup start.
Blaney passed pole-sitter Kyle Busch on the frontstretch coming to 10 laps to go after a restart with 13 to go.
“It’s hard man to process,” Blaney told Fox Sports 1. “First we had to pass Kyle and that was tough. He was on older tires. He was struggling off of (Turn) 1 and were able to get under him there. Then we had to hold Kevin off and he was really fast all day. I just didn’t want to make a mistake, that would’ve been the worst thing to do. I got to thank (Harvick) for racing me clean, that was nice of him to do.”
Blaney is the third first-time winner this season after Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (Talladega) and Austin Dillon (Coke 600).
Driving the No. 21 Ford, it’s the first win for Wood Brothers Racing since the 2011 Daytona 500 with Trevor Bayne. It’s the 99th win for the team and just its third of the 21st Century.
A malfunction in the team’s radio system prevented Blaney from talking to his team all day. It also kept Blaney from initiating his desired celebration.
“I wanted to pick (team owners) Eddie and Len (Wood) up,” Blaney said. “I wanted to find them and pick them up, but it figures the one race we don’t have radio communication we end up winning it. Maybe we should turn the radio off more often, but I wanted to try to find Eddie and Len. I wanted to give them a ride to victory lane. That would have been cool, but maybe if we can get another one we’ll be able to do that.”
Blaney, the son of former cup driver Dave Blaney, is the seventh driver to earn their first Cup win with Wood Brothers Racing.
Completing the top five was Harvick, Erik Jones, Kurt Busch and Brad Keselowski.
Harvick’s result is his best of the season and his fifth top five.
“There at the end we couldn’t get in the corner like we needed to all day,” Harvick told FS1. “(Blaney) could charge the corner, so I needed for him to make a mistake and try to get underneath him on the exit of the corner. Never made a mistake and did a great job.”
WHO HAD A GOOD DAY: Rookie Erik Jones earned his best result and his first top five in 17 Cup starts … Kurt Busch earned his second top five of the year and his first since winning the Daytona 500 … Kyle Busch led a race-high 100 laps and won the first stage, but dropped back to ninth after being passed by Blaney … Martin Truex Jr. led five laps and finished sixth after starting from the rear because of an engine change.
WHO HAD A BAD DAY: Jimmie Johnson and Jamie McMurray wrecked out with five laps left in Stage 2. It’s McMurray’s third DNF and Johnson’s second … Dale Earnhardt Jr. left the race on Lap 59 with a mechanical problem after a bad shift on a restart … Kasey Kahne also crashed due to brake issues with 19 laps left in the race … Darrell Wallace Jr. finished 26th, one lap down in his Cup debut after being caught speeding on pit road three times …
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I think it exceeds the dream a little bit. I grew up watching my dad race on this race track and it’s so cool to get the Wood Brothers in victory lane, number one, and to do it here at a race track that is really close to Ohio – a home to me – is pretty awesome.” – Ryan Blaney after earning his first Cup Series win.
WHAT’S NEXT: FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway at 3 pm ET on June 18 on Fox Sports 1.
Cup points after Pocono 400 Cup race.
By Dustin Long
(Photo/Getty Images)
Martin Truex Jr. remains the points leader after Sunday’s Pocono 400 but his margin narrowed. He has a one-point lead on Kyle Larson heading into next weekend’s race at Michigan International Speedway. Truex finished sixth Sunday at Pocono. Larson placed seventh.
Ryan Blaney‘s win makes him the ninth driver to qualify for the 16-driver playoffs with a victory this season. Joey Logano has a win but it was an encumbered finish because of a penalty and doesn’t count toward playoff eligibility.
Click here for points report.
Brad Keselowski uses last-lap pass of Kyle Larson to win first Xfinity race since November 2015.
By Daniel McFadin
(Photo/accesswdun.com)
Brad Keselowksi came back from the 13th position and used a last-lap pass of Kyle Larson to win the Pocono Green 250.
The win is the first in a Xfinity race for Keselowski and Team Penske’s No. 22 program since November 2015 at Texas Motor Speedway, ending a 46-race winless streak for the team.
Keselowski had dropped out of the top 10 after restarting first with 16 to go. Keselowski was forced out of the groove by Elliott Sadler in Turn 1, which caused the No. 22 to drop quickly. Larson then took the lead from Sadler in Turn 2.
“Elliott gave me a good push to clear (Cole Custer), but he carried it all the way into Turn 1,” Keselowski told Fox Sports. “I got down there and my rear tires were off the ground and I tried not back it into the wall. From there, it was never give up.”
On older tires after having stayed out during the previous caution, Keselowski was able to march his way back to the front, finally passing Larson down the backstretch leading to Turn 2 on the final lap of the 100-lap race.
“Drove by a bunch of cars and just pushed it as hard as I could,” Keselowski said. “Looked like Kyle (Larson’s) car was struggling just a little bit. He was getting tight in the middle, loose off. He was doing a really good job of holding me low so I couldn’t get any runs. Then on the last lap I got right to his bumper and got him loose. We tried to do the side draft thing on the backstretch, all the way down to the apron. That had to look really cool. I can’t wait to see the replay … Hell of a race. I’m really happy for the 22 team. It’s been awhile.”
Keselowski beat out Justin Allgaier and Larson in the closing laps.
The top five was completed by Elliott Sadler and Daniel Suarez.
Stage 1 winner: Keselowski
Stage 2 winner: Keselowski
WHO HAD A GOOD DAY: Allgaier led 13 laps to increase his series-leading total among Xfinity regulars to 286. Allgaier also took the points lead for the first time this year … Sadler’s finish gives him five top fives through 12 races … Brendan Gaughan finished sixth for his best finish since placing fifth at Daytona … Kyle Benjamin started from his first career pole and led 28 laps before pit strategy and bad restarts led him to finish 16th.
WHO HAD A BAD DAY: Paul Menard wrecked on the final lap of Stage 2 when he lost a tire in Turn 2 and hit the inside wall. He finished 31st, three laps down …. Darrell Wallace Jr. was caught speeding during the second stage break. He finished 11th in potentially his last Xfinity Series race of the year with Roush Fenway Racing … Brandon Jones wrecked with 22 to go on the frontstretch after losing a tire and set up the final restart. He finished 36th for his fourth DNF of the year and his third in four races.
NOTABLE: Since the No. 22 team’s last win in November 2015, Team Penske’s part-time operation in the No. 12 car had won four times.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Really happy for the 22 team. It’s been a while. I think it’s been well documented that they haven’t been in victory lane. Discount Tire has been a part of this program for a long time. They deserve it. Without them I probably wouldn’t have a career in NASCAR.” – Brad Keselowski after winning the Pocono Green 250.
WHAT’S NEXT: Menards 250 Presented by Valvoline at Michigan International Speedway at 1:30 p.m. ET on June 17 on Fox Sports 1.
Justin Allgaier takes Xfinity points lead after top-three finish at Pocono.
By Daniel McFadin
With his finish of second in the Pocono Green 250, Justin Allgaier assumed the Xfinity Series points lead.
Allgaier has a one-point lead over Elliott Sadler, his JR Motorsports teammate.
Sadler had led the standings since Atlanta, the second race of the year. This is the first time Allgaier has led the Xfinity points since the second race of the 2013 season.
Completing the top five is William Byron, Darrell Wallace Jr. and Daniel Hemric.
Saturday’s race was the final full-time start for Wallace and Roush Fenway Racing’s No. 6 team this year.
Click here for the full points standings.
Allgaier has a one-point lead over Elliott Sadler, his JR Motorsports teammate.
Sadler had led the standings since Atlanta, the second race of the year. This is the first time Allgaier has led the Xfinity points since the second race of the 2013 season.
Completing the top five is William Byron, Darrell Wallace Jr. and Daniel Hemric.
Saturday’s race was the final full-time start for Wallace and Roush Fenway Racing’s No. 6 team this year.
Click here for the full points standings.
Christopher Bell wins Texas Truck race under caution after scary wreck for Timothy Peters.
By Jerry Bonkowski
(Photo/Getty Images)
Christopher Bell rallied to gain the lead by inches as the white flag waved — and seconds before a final yellow flag that gave him the win under caution — in Friday night’s WinstarOnlineGaming.com 400 Camping World Truck Series race at Texas Motor Speedway.
Bell was side-by-side with Chase Briscoe as they closed in on Lap 166 to take the white flag. But as they crossed the start-finish line, Bell had an advantage of just a few inches.
About two seconds later, the caution came out after a scary wreck on the frontstretch involving Austin Wayne Self and Timothy Peters, bringing out a red flag race stoppage. When the race resumed under caution about four minutes later, NASCAR brought the field around under caution, past the wreckage and awarded Bell the victory.
It was Bell’s second win in this season’s first seven Camping World Truck Series races and his fourth career Trucks victory. Had Briscoe — who finished second — won, it would have been his first career Truck win.
“It was close, I know that much,” Briscoe told FS1. “It was a fun race, an awesome race. Christopher and I are really good friends. It was fun to put on a show with him. Definitely wanted to get the win, but we’re going to St. Louis next weekend and see if we can the win.”
Ryan Truex finished third, followed by Grant Enfinger, Ben Rhodes, Justin Haley, Noah Gragson, Johnny Sauter, Matt Crafton and Kaz Grala.
The race-deciding incident was triggered when Self got loose on the front straightaway, hit the outside wall, bounced back towards the infield and Peters had nowhere to go.
Peters’ truck slammed into Self’s and then went end over-end, landing upside down. Once the truck was righted, Peters emerged under his own power and was taken to the infield medical center. Peters finished 12th.
It was Peters’ first start for MDM Motorsports. He previously raced for Red Horse Racing, which suspended operations after last month’s race at Charlotte due to lack of sponsorship.
HOW BELL WON: It doesn’t get much closer than the way Bell won, by mere inches when he crossed the start-finish line just ahead of Briscoe going into the final lap before the race finished under caution. Bell led more than half of the laps (92 of 167).
WHO ELSE HAD A GOOD RACE: Briscoe was oh, so close to his first career Truck win. He only led seven laps but if the race had not been impacted by the final caution, Briscoe had a truck that may have beaten Bell if the race finished under green. … Grant Enfinger also had a strong third-place run.
WHO HAD A BAD RACE: A number of drivers were involved in wrecks that ended their evenings early, including Austin Cindric, Jordan Anderson, Myatt Snider, John Hunter Nemechek, Cody Coughlin and Kaz Grala.
NOTABLE: Johnny Sauter won Stage 1, while Bell won Stage 2. … Noah Gragson had quite the day. He officially graduated from high school, won the pole and finished seventh.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “We’re in victory lane. It’s just a dream come true to be able to win here in Texas, my hometown.” – Race winner Christopher Bell.
WHAT’S NEXT: Gateway 200, Saturday June 17, 8:30 p.m. ET, Gateway Motorsports Park; Madison, Illinois.
Camping World Truck Series driver standings after Friday’s race at Texas.
By Jerry Bonkowski
Johnny Sauter remains atop the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver standings after Friday’s WinstarOnlineGaming.com 400 at Texas Motor Speedway.
Race winner Christopher Bell remains in second place, 40 points behind Sauter.
Matt Crafton is third, 70 points back. Friday’s runner-up, Chase Briscoe, is 81 points behind Sauter and Ben Rhodes is fifth, 90 points back.
Click here for the Truck Series standings after Friday’s race.
SOCCER: Fire move within one point of MLS' best record after beating Atlanta.
Dan Santaromita
Bell was side-by-side with Chase Briscoe as they closed in on Lap 166 to take the white flag. But as they crossed the start-finish line, Bell had an advantage of just a few inches.
About two seconds later, the caution came out after a scary wreck on the frontstretch involving Austin Wayne Self and Timothy Peters, bringing out a red flag race stoppage. When the race resumed under caution about four minutes later, NASCAR brought the field around under caution, past the wreckage and awarded Bell the victory.
It was Bell’s second win in this season’s first seven Camping World Truck Series races and his fourth career Trucks victory. Had Briscoe — who finished second — won, it would have been his first career Truck win.
“It was close, I know that much,” Briscoe told FS1. “It was a fun race, an awesome race. Christopher and I are really good friends. It was fun to put on a show with him. Definitely wanted to get the win, but we’re going to St. Louis next weekend and see if we can the win.”
Ryan Truex finished third, followed by Grant Enfinger, Ben Rhodes, Justin Haley, Noah Gragson, Johnny Sauter, Matt Crafton and Kaz Grala.
The race-deciding incident was triggered when Self got loose on the front straightaway, hit the outside wall, bounced back towards the infield and Peters had nowhere to go.
Peters’ truck slammed into Self’s and then went end over-end, landing upside down. Once the truck was righted, Peters emerged under his own power and was taken to the infield medical center. Peters finished 12th.
It was Peters’ first start for MDM Motorsports. He previously raced for Red Horse Racing, which suspended operations after last month’s race at Charlotte due to lack of sponsorship.
HOW BELL WON: It doesn’t get much closer than the way Bell won, by mere inches when he crossed the start-finish line just ahead of Briscoe going into the final lap before the race finished under caution. Bell led more than half of the laps (92 of 167).
WHO ELSE HAD A GOOD RACE: Briscoe was oh, so close to his first career Truck win. He only led seven laps but if the race had not been impacted by the final caution, Briscoe had a truck that may have beaten Bell if the race finished under green. … Grant Enfinger also had a strong third-place run.
WHO HAD A BAD RACE: A number of drivers were involved in wrecks that ended their evenings early, including Austin Cindric, Jordan Anderson, Myatt Snider, John Hunter Nemechek, Cody Coughlin and Kaz Grala.
NOTABLE: Johnny Sauter won Stage 1, while Bell won Stage 2. … Noah Gragson had quite the day. He officially graduated from high school, won the pole and finished seventh.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “We’re in victory lane. It’s just a dream come true to be able to win here in Texas, my hometown.” – Race winner Christopher Bell.
WHAT’S NEXT: Gateway 200, Saturday June 17, 8:30 p.m. ET, Gateway Motorsports Park; Madison, Illinois.
Camping World Truck Series driver standings after Friday’s race at Texas.
By Jerry Bonkowski
Johnny Sauter remains atop the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver standings after Friday’s WinstarOnlineGaming.com 400 at Texas Motor Speedway.
Race winner Christopher Bell remains in second place, 40 points behind Sauter.
Matt Crafton is third, 70 points back. Friday’s runner-up, Chase Briscoe, is 81 points behind Sauter and Ben Rhodes is fifth, 90 points back.
Click here for the Truck Series standings after Friday’s race.
SOCCER: Fire move within one point of MLS' best record after beating Atlanta.
Dan Santaromita
(Photo/USA TODAY)
With each win the Chicago Fire continue to prove that this year’s team is among the league’s best.
The Fire added another win on Saturday, beating Atlanta United FC 2-0. It is the Fire’s sixth straight win at home, improved the team’s record at Toyota Park to 7-0-1 this season and extended the current unbeaten run to eight games.
It also was an important sign of improvement for the team after the Fire (8-3-4, 28 points) were crushed 4-0 at Atlanta (5-6-3, 18 points) back in March, the last game before Bastian Schweinsteiger joined the team.
Both teams had chances in the first half, but the Fire got the first breakthrough. David Accam got behind Atlanta’s defense on a long ball and dribbled around goalkeeper Alec Kann in a scramble situation. Atlanta’s defense got back in position, but Kann was still out of his goal. After a number of dekes and fakes, Accam finally found Luis Solignac, who scored into the open net in the 29th minute.
The Fire played on the counter with Atlanta controlling over 60 percent of the possession. Accam had a number of chances on the counter, but only converted with the assist to Solignac. Nemanja Nikolic also hit the post on a shot in the first half.
"I think we missed a little bit to score one more goal in the first half," Schweinsteiger said. "We had very good opportunities, unfortunately we couldn’t play it out well enough to maybe score a second in the first (half). In the second (half) I think we also had very good situations to score a goal. Other than that we are very pleased with three points."
The Fire added to the lead in the second half when a handball was called in the box following an Accam corner kick. Nemanja Nikolic padded his league-leading goal total (12) by converting the penalty.
The second goal seemed to be the backbreaker for Atlanta, which had been pressing for the equalizing goal, but didn’t create much after going down two goals. Schweinsteiger and coach Veljko Paunovic both admitted it wasn't a pretty win, but it ended up being a fairly comfortable win.
"It was hard, it wasn’t joga bonito, but it was a game to win, and we did,” Paunovic said. “It’s always important to keep the clean sheet and to be the team, especially when you play at home to feel like you’re playing in your fortress. I think right now we kind of have that feeling."
Atlanta started the match without two of its best players. Leading scorer Miguel Almiron came off the bench after playing for Paraguay in a friendly on Thursday. Josef Martinez also returned to action as a sub. The last time Martinez played was against the Fire in March, a game in which he scored two goals.
Dax McCarty was out for the Fire. The key midfielder has been one of the biggest reasons for the team's improvement this season. He is still with the U.S. national team. Juninho started in his place, his first start in over a month.
“The good thing about our roster this year is that we have options," Paunovic said. "We can play different systems, we can play with different formations, different players."
The Fire are now one point behind Toronto FC (8-2-5, 29 points) for the best record in Major League Soccer and have an eight-point cushion ahead of the playoff cutoff in the Eastern Conference. The team already has one more win than all of last year.
“We look good, we look solid, but this is not done," Paunovic said. "Like we always say, we don’t want to constrain now, but we have to be smart in managing the rest of the season."
On Wednesday, the Fire begin play in the U.S. Open Cup with a trip to Saint Louis FC.
USA 1-1 Mexico: Resolute USMNT earns its point at Azteca.
By Andy Edwards
The tone was, predictably, made very clear from the outset, as Carlos Salcedo committed a pair of borderline red-card offenses inside the game’s first three minutes — a pair of flying elbows, the first to the head of DaMarcus Beasley, and the second to Bobby Wood.
The Yanks didn’t take the bait, though, and kept their wits about them. Just three minutes later, they went 1-0 ahead courtesy of the earliest goal an American has ever scored at Azteca. Michael Bradley stepped high into midfield to cut out a pass before racing forward and spotting Guillermo Ochoa well off his line. The USMNT captain wasn’t shy to shoot as he let fly from 40 yards out, chipping Ochoa in spectacular fashion (WATCH HERE).
The lead was relatively short-lived, though, as Mexico turned their only first-half shot on goal into an equalizer. The USMNT defense bent but rarely broke during the first 45 minutes, and the 23rd minute was one of very few moments when El Tri‘s dangerous attackers isolated American defenders in open space. Carlos Vela got a step inside of Beasley and fired low past Brad Guzan to bring the hosts back to level terms.
The second half began with the two sides trading 10-minute spells of sustained possession in their opponent’s half of the field, but creating little more than quarter-chances from lofted diagonal balls and crosses into the box.
The bend-but-don’t-break approach nearly collapsed on the USMNT in the 71st minute. After sitting absurdly deep in their defensive half for much of the half, a golden chance or two was always going to fall Mexico’s way. Hector Herrera unleashed a free kick from 25 yards out that had beaten Guzan to his left, if not for the underside of the crossbar denying the Porto midfielder a stunner.
Two minutes later, it was the woodwork on the other end of the field that kept Mexico on level terms. Bradley unloaded a heavy ball on the half-volley from all of 30 yards out. Ochoa was 50-50 to make the save, at best, his left-hand post to thank in the end.
All things considered — questionably one-sided refereeing in favor of the home side, a largely even balance of chances, and the adjustment to 7,200 feet of altitude on two days’ rest — a hard-fought point earned is a fair result for both sides. Delight for the USMNT, disappointment for Mexico.
Press gives USWNT 1-0 victory in Norway; Pugh injured.
By Andy Edwards
(AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
Three points would have been fantastic for the standings, but as far as mentality and psyche go, the U.S. national team’s 1-1 draw away to Mexico, inside El Tri‘s national house of horrors, Estadio Azteca, will provide so much more than a point for Bruce Arena’s side as they begin the stretch run of 2018 World Cup qualifying.
The tone was, predictably, made very clear from the outset, as Carlos Salcedo committed a pair of borderline red-card offenses inside the game’s first three minutes — a pair of flying elbows, the first to the head of DaMarcus Beasley, and the second to Bobby Wood.
The Yanks didn’t take the bait, though, and kept their wits about them. Just three minutes later, they went 1-0 ahead courtesy of the earliest goal an American has ever scored at Azteca. Michael Bradley stepped high into midfield to cut out a pass before racing forward and spotting Guillermo Ochoa well off his line. The USMNT captain wasn’t shy to shoot as he let fly from 40 yards out, chipping Ochoa in spectacular fashion (WATCH HERE).
The lead was relatively short-lived, though, as Mexico turned their only first-half shot on goal into an equalizer. The USMNT defense bent but rarely broke during the first 45 minutes, and the 23rd minute was one of very few moments when El Tri‘s dangerous attackers isolated American defenders in open space. Carlos Vela got a step inside of Beasley and fired low past Brad Guzan to bring the hosts back to level terms.
The second half began with the two sides trading 10-minute spells of sustained possession in their opponent’s half of the field, but creating little more than quarter-chances from lofted diagonal balls and crosses into the box.
The bend-but-don’t-break approach nearly collapsed on the USMNT in the 71st minute. After sitting absurdly deep in their defensive half for much of the half, a golden chance or two was always going to fall Mexico’s way. Hector Herrera unleashed a free kick from 25 yards out that had beaten Guzan to his left, if not for the underside of the crossbar denying the Porto midfielder a stunner.
Two minutes later, it was the woodwork on the other end of the field that kept Mexico on level terms. Bradley unloaded a heavy ball on the half-volley from all of 30 yards out. Ochoa was 50-50 to make the save, at best, his left-hand post to thank in the end.
All things considered — questionably one-sided refereeing in favor of the home side, a largely even balance of chances, and the adjustment to 7,200 feet of altitude on two days’ rest — a hard-fought point earned is a fair result for both sides. Delight for the USMNT, disappointment for Mexico.
Press gives USWNT 1-0 victory in Norway; Pugh injured.
Associated Press
(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Christen Press scored to help the U.S. national team beat Norway 1-0 on Sunday.
Press broke through in the 60th minute. It was her 42nd international goal.
19-year-old Mallory Pugh injured her ankle in warmups, according to U.S. Soccer. She was replaced in the starting lineup by Meghan Klingenberg.
Midfielder Rose Lavelle appeared to injure her hamstring late in the game and gingerly walked off the field. Lavelle was replaced by Carli Lloyd, who did not start against Norway after playing in a 1-0 victory over Sweden on Thursday, the first stop on the two-game European Tour.
Several players did not make the trip because of injury, including Morgan Brian (knee), Tobin Heath (back) Alex Morgan (hamstring) and goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris (quad).
Norway, ranked No. 11 in the world, has had the most success historically against the Americans with 19 wins. The previous meeting occurred in the 2015 Algarve Cup in Portugal, when Lloyd scored twice in the second half for a 2-1 U.S. victory.
The U.S. women, the reigning Women’s World Cup champions, have won four straight after a two-game losing streak. Those two losses, in the SheBelieves Cup tournament, were the first consecutive losses in the United States for the team in 17 years.
The second-ranked Americans will next play on home soil in the Tournament of Nations, opening the four-team multi-city event with Brazil on July 27 in Seattle.
UEFA WCQ roundup: Spain, Italy battle on; Iceland catch Croatia.
By Andy Edwards
(AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
A roundup of all of Sunday’s action in 2018 World Cup qualifying around Europe…
When the groups were drawn, Group G was only going to be like this: Spain and Italy would duke it out for the automatic qualification place, and the runners-up would head to the qualification playoff where they would presumably roll right into next summer’s World Cup in Russia. After six of 10 games, it’s safe to say everyone was spot-on with their prognostications. Each on 16 points (Spain ahead on goal differential, +18 to +14), the next closest hopefuls are Albania and Israel, on nine points apiece.
Sunday’s win over Macedonia, which La Furia Roja only just held onto after going up 2-0 early on, was enough to keep Julen Lopetegui’s side ahead of the Italians, though their goal differential advantage was reduced considerably. David Silva (15th minute) and Diego Costa (27th) got the goals to set up what will likely be the group-deciding game next time out, in September: Spain hosting Italy.
Italy 5-0 Liechtenstein
Five goals, scored by five different goalscorers, helped Italy gain a fair bit of ground on Spain — from a +9 goal differential, to +14.
Lorenzo Insigne (35th minute) Andrea Belotti (52nd), Eder (74th), Federico Bernardeschi (83rd) and Manolo Gabbiadini (90th) got the goals to hand the Azzurri their most comfortable victory this round of qualifying thus far (they beat Liechtenstein 4-0 in their first meeting).
Iceland 1-0 Croatia
Following Iceland’s 90th-minute winner over group-leading Croatia, the Group I standings currently read as follows: Croatia (13 points), Iceland (13), Turkey (11), Ukraine (11). With four games still to play, two of the four will likely crack the 15-point plateau, and fail to even qualify for the playoff.
Sunday’s game looked to be headed for a scoreless draw, until Bristol City defender Hoerdur Magnusson headed Strakarnir okkar (Our boys) into the lead in the final minute of regular time.
Kosovo 1-4 Turkey
Turkey, like Iceland and Ukraine, used Croatia’s slip-up to creep closer to the summit, as Ay-Yıldızlılar (The Crescent-Stars) put four past Kosovo away from home.
Volkan Sen opened the scoring after just seven minutes, but the home side drew level 15 minutes later, though Amir Rrahmani. The level scoreline was short-lived, though, as 19-year-old Cengiz Under put Turkey back ahead just after the half-hour mark. It remained 2-1 until the hour mark, when Burak Yilmaz bagged his 22nd career international goal to move level with former Middlesbrough and Stoke City striker Tuncay Sanli as the second-most prolific scorer in Turkish history. 22-year-old Ozan Tufan completed the scoring on 82 minutes, and Turkey moved to within two points of the top of Group I.
Elsewhere in UEFA WCQ
Group D
Moldova 2-2 Georgia
Ireland 1-1 Austria
Serbia 1-1 Wales
Group G
Israel 0-3 Albania
Group I
Finland 1-2 Ukraine
Scotland and England draw 2-2 in wild finish.
By Kyle Bonn
(Photo/Getty Images)
With Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain‘s 70th minute score the only goal through much of a relatively sleepy game, it burst to life in the final minutes. Scotland suddenly went in front thanks to a pair of Leigh Griffiths free-kicks just two minutes apart, the latter finding the back of the net on the stroke of added time. But Scotland couldn’t hold on as Harry Kane would equalize with just seconds remaining to see England salvage a draw.
The draw keeps England’s 26-match qualifying unbeaten streak alive, but it nearly came to an end.
Oxlade-Chamberlain had England looking strong when he produced a brilliant move to skip past Scott Brown, then cut back onto his left to slide by two more defenders before ripping into the back of the net. The goal had been coming for England as they held possession for much of the game and out-shot Scotland 16-8, 9-3 on target.
However, Gordon Strachan’s side would not give in. Scotland earned a pair of free-kicks, and Leigh Griffiths deposited them both past Joe Hart. First, with the ball positioned well outside the box just a tick to the right of central, Griffiths went over the wall and into the top-right corner to level the match in the 87th minute. Then, just three minutes later, with the ball nearly in the same spot, he went to the other side, leaving Hart again grasping at air.
With England’s backs suddenly against the wall, they pressed through added time, and Harry Kane produced the goal to salvage a point. An absolutely perfect long-ball from Raheem Sterling met Kane at the back post, and the Spurs front-man deposited it with a simple finish before wheeling away to celebrate.
The draw leaves England atop Group F, three points ahead of Slovenia. The draw is brutal for Scotland, who could have jumped into third with the three points, instead now back in fourth a point behind Slovakia and six behind the group leaders.
UEFA WCQ roundup: Sweden defeats France; Ronaldo, Portugal cruise.
By Matt Reed
(Photo/Twitter/@MirrorFootball)
Tensions are high as World Cup qualifying continues throughout Europe and the rest of the world but on Friday it was UEFA’s turn to see which teams would draw closer to Russia 2018.
In Group A, Sweden had the day they hoped for a critical win over France at Friends Arena, moving the nation to the top of Group A. Hugo Lloris‘ late blunder cost Les Bleus a share of the points and handed the Swedes a 2-1 win. Things went the way of the Netherlands as the Oranje picked up a decisive 5-0 win at home against Luxembourg, propelling them to third play.
Meanwhile, Belarus pulled off an upset against Bulgaria, which was a great chance missed by the latter to move up in the table.
Cristiano Ronaldo continues to put the entire world on notice after netting a brace for Portugal on Friday in their 3-0 win over Latvia. Ronaldo and Co. remain second though in Group B after Switzerland kept its perfect record alive with a comfortable victory against the Faroe Islands.
Belgium and Greece both remain unbeaten in Group H with four matches left in qualifying, and after Friday’s win the Red Devils have pulled very close to reaching next summer’s World Cup after earning their fifth win.
Here are all the results from Friday’s UEFA World Cup qualifying action.
Group A
Belarus 2-1 Bulgaria
Netherlands 5-0 Luxembourg
Sweden 2-1 France
Group B
Andorra 1-0 Hungary
Faroe Islands 0-2 Switzerland
Latvia 0-3 Portugal
Group H
Bosnia & Herzegovina 0-0 Greece
Estonia 0-2 Belgium
Gibraltar 1-2 Cyprus
NCAAFB: Friday Five: The five coaches most likely to win their first national title.
By Tom Fornelli
Meanwhile, Belarus pulled off an upset against Bulgaria, which was a great chance missed by the latter to move up in the table.
Cristiano Ronaldo continues to put the entire world on notice after netting a brace for Portugal on Friday in their 3-0 win over Latvia. Ronaldo and Co. remain second though in Group B after Switzerland kept its perfect record alive with a comfortable victory against the Faroe Islands.
Belgium and Greece both remain unbeaten in Group H with four matches left in qualifying, and after Friday’s win the Red Devils have pulled very close to reaching next summer’s World Cup after earning their fifth win.
Here are all the results from Friday’s UEFA World Cup qualifying action.
Group A
Belarus 2-1 Bulgaria
Netherlands 5-0 Luxembourg
Sweden 2-1 France
Group B
Andorra 1-0 Hungary
Faroe Islands 0-2 Switzerland
Latvia 0-3 Portugal
Group H
Bosnia & Herzegovina 0-0 Greece
Estonia 0-2 Belgium
Gibraltar 1-2 Cyprus
NCAAFB: Friday Five: The five coaches most likely to win their first national title.
By Tom Fornelli
There are only four active coaches with a national title, so let's figure out who is more likely to be the fifth..........
Bob Stoops shocked the college football world earlier this week with his sudden decision to retire, and while it leads to a new era at Oklahoma, Stoops' departure also means there's one less active college football coach with a national title to his credit.
There had been five active, but now only four remain: Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, Jimbo Fisher and Dabo Swinney.
It's somewhat crazy to think about the fact that there are 128 coaches on the FBS level, and only four of them -- that's 3.125 percent -- have won a national title.
Anyway, it also caused me to wonder who the next coach to win a national title will be. I mean, Saban, Meyer, Fisher and Swinney can't win them all, can they? Maybe? OK, well, maybe they can, but odds are that they won't, and that means a fifth is likely to join them at some point in the near future.
But who?
That's what I'm trying to figure out in this week's Friday Five. Now, this isn't a ranking of "best coach to not win a national title," it's a ranking of the next coach likely to. They might not necessarily be the greatest coach, but they're in the best situation.
Because it's important to remember here that not every school is created equally when it comes to college football. You may be a great coach, but if you're a great coach at Tulane, you're a lot less likely to win a national title than an average coach at USC or Texas or something.
So who do I believe the five coaches are that are most likely to be the next ones to win a national title? Let's find out.
5. Jim McElwain, Florida
Figuring out this fifth spot was so damn difficult because there were a lot of coaches I could have gone with. It came down to McElwain and James Franklin, and I went with McElwain because while Alabama resides in the West, Franklin must deal with both Ohio State and Michigan within his own division. Plus, as Urban Meyer has shown us in recent years, you can definitely win national titles at Florida. You just have to figure out a way to get past Alabama, and if you can do that, well, you can get by everybody else too.
4. Tom Herman, Texas
Texas has been down for a few years, but that's been more a result of it not finding the right coach, not the program's ability to succeed. And everything you need in place to win a national title is available to you at Texas. We've already seen how Tom Herman can recruit at Houston, and now he's doing so with the Longhorns logo on his polo shirt. He's also coached in a lot of big games -- whether as an OC or while at Houston -- and won in such situations. I fully expect Texas to be receiving a College Football Playoff berth at some point in the next three years.
3. Clay Helton, USC
I don't know how great of a coach Clay Helton is. He might turn out to be one of the best in the country, or he might just be another coach at USC that fails to live up to expectations. Either way, as the coach at USC, he's a lot closer to winning a national title than plenty of others are. It's still USC, and it's still the premier program of the Pac-12. It's a lot like Texas in that its problems have revolved around the man in charge more than the program itself.
2. Chris Petersen, Washington
Chris Petersen is just a fantastic coach. We saw it at Boise State, and while I expected he'd turn Washington around, even I couldn't believe how quickly he not only got the Huskies to the top of the Pac-12, but to the College Football Playoff. Most of the coaches I considered for this list are here in large part because of the programs they're leading. When it comes to Petersen, as long as he's at a Power Five program, he's a candidate to win a national title. He's just that good.
1. Jim Harbaugh, Michigan
Harbaugh is considered a great coach by many. In fact, I would bet that if you told most college football fans that he's never even won a division title, let alone a conference title on the FBS level, they'd be caught by surprise. It's true, though. Still, even if it is, that doesn't mean he's not fully capable of doing so. While David Shaw has maintained it at Stanford, we must remember what that program was before Harbaugh built it up. Now he's rehabbing the Michigan program, and Michigan is one of the premier jobs in the country, and it's one of the few programs in the country that's capable of winning a national title. I don't know that Harbaugh will ever win one with the Wolverines, but if I had to bet on any of these coaches to do it, I can't help but consider him the favorite.
Honorable Mention: James Franklin, Penn State; Ed Orgeron, LSU; Mark Richt, Miami; David Shaw, Stanford; Kirby Smart, Georgia
There had been five active, but now only four remain: Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, Jimbo Fisher and Dabo Swinney.
It's somewhat crazy to think about the fact that there are 128 coaches on the FBS level, and only four of them -- that's 3.125 percent -- have won a national title.
Anyway, it also caused me to wonder who the next coach to win a national title will be. I mean, Saban, Meyer, Fisher and Swinney can't win them all, can they? Maybe? OK, well, maybe they can, but odds are that they won't, and that means a fifth is likely to join them at some point in the near future.
But who?
That's what I'm trying to figure out in this week's Friday Five. Now, this isn't a ranking of "best coach to not win a national title," it's a ranking of the next coach likely to. They might not necessarily be the greatest coach, but they're in the best situation.
Because it's important to remember here that not every school is created equally when it comes to college football. You may be a great coach, but if you're a great coach at Tulane, you're a lot less likely to win a national title than an average coach at USC or Texas or something.
So who do I believe the five coaches are that are most likely to be the next ones to win a national title? Let's find out.
5. Jim McElwain, Florida
Figuring out this fifth spot was so damn difficult because there were a lot of coaches I could have gone with. It came down to McElwain and James Franklin, and I went with McElwain because while Alabama resides in the West, Franklin must deal with both Ohio State and Michigan within his own division. Plus, as Urban Meyer has shown us in recent years, you can definitely win national titles at Florida. You just have to figure out a way to get past Alabama, and if you can do that, well, you can get by everybody else too.
4. Tom Herman, Texas
Texas has been down for a few years, but that's been more a result of it not finding the right coach, not the program's ability to succeed. And everything you need in place to win a national title is available to you at Texas. We've already seen how Tom Herman can recruit at Houston, and now he's doing so with the Longhorns logo on his polo shirt. He's also coached in a lot of big games -- whether as an OC or while at Houston -- and won in such situations. I fully expect Texas to be receiving a College Football Playoff berth at some point in the next three years.
3. Clay Helton, USC
I don't know how great of a coach Clay Helton is. He might turn out to be one of the best in the country, or he might just be another coach at USC that fails to live up to expectations. Either way, as the coach at USC, he's a lot closer to winning a national title than plenty of others are. It's still USC, and it's still the premier program of the Pac-12. It's a lot like Texas in that its problems have revolved around the man in charge more than the program itself.
2. Chris Petersen, Washington
Chris Petersen is just a fantastic coach. We saw it at Boise State, and while I expected he'd turn Washington around, even I couldn't believe how quickly he not only got the Huskies to the top of the Pac-12, but to the College Football Playoff. Most of the coaches I considered for this list are here in large part because of the programs they're leading. When it comes to Petersen, as long as he's at a Power Five program, he's a candidate to win a national title. He's just that good.
1. Jim Harbaugh, Michigan
Harbaugh is considered a great coach by many. In fact, I would bet that if you told most college football fans that he's never even won a division title, let alone a conference title on the FBS level, they'd be caught by surprise. It's true, though. Still, even if it is, that doesn't mean he's not fully capable of doing so. While David Shaw has maintained it at Stanford, we must remember what that program was before Harbaugh built it up. Now he's rehabbing the Michigan program, and Michigan is one of the premier jobs in the country, and it's one of the few programs in the country that's capable of winning a national title. I don't know that Harbaugh will ever win one with the Wolverines, but if I had to bet on any of these coaches to do it, I can't help but consider him the favorite.
Honorable Mention: James Franklin, Penn State; Ed Orgeron, LSU; Mark Richt, Miami; David Shaw, Stanford; Kirby Smart, Georgia
NCAABKB: It’s over! Kentucky’s All-Star boys defeat Indiana for the first time since 008
By Josh Moore
By Josh Moore
Kentucky's Jake Ohmer shoots against Indiana in the Kentucky-Indiana All-Stars boys' game at Frankfort Convention Center in Frankfort, Ky., Sunday, June 11, 2017. (Photo/Matt Goins)
Finally.
They didn’t make it easy on themselves, but Kentucky’s All-Star boys did what the last eight senior classes could not by defeating the Indiana All-Stars 111-110 in double overtime Sunday evening at the Frankfort Convention Center.
Jake Ohmer, who delighted Rupp Arena patrons during Scott High School’s surprise run to the Sweet Sixteen semifinals, led Kentucky with 30 points. The Western Kentucky University signee had seven rebounds and seven steals to help Kentucky end a 17-game losing streak in the series. Kentucky had not won since 2008.
It was the first two-overtime game in series history and the first time a game went into extra time since 1987.
“Daggone, we couldn't make it easy,” Kentucky Coach Rodney Woods said. “That’s a big monkey off our back.”
Kentucky led 82-66 with eight minutes left in regulation. Indiana outscored Kentucky 30-14 over those eight minutes. Ohmer and Lawrence County’s Tim Dalton doubled-up the Hoosiers’ Jaylen Minnett on a three-point attempt that bounced off the front of the rim to end the first 40 minutes.
After exchanging free throws for most of the first overtime period, Indiana had the ball with 25.3 seconds left. Pedro Bradshaw, a Belmont signee, drew an offensive foul on UCLA signee Kris Wilkes to give Kentucky possession, but Ohmer and Bowling Green’s Terry Taylor missed shots, resulting in a second overtime.
Kentucky went ahead for good when Bardstown’s Kel Livers put back Ohmer’s missed free-throw attempt with about 1:30 left. It got the ball back with 44.1 seconds left, and Ohmer nailed two free throws after Indiana’s Mack Smith was assessed a technical foul following an out-of-bounds call. A game-tying three attempt that drew front iron was put back to pull the Hoosiers within one at the buzzer.
Paul Laurence Dunbar star and reigning Mr. Basketball Taveion Hollingsworth fouled out with 2:26 left in the first overtime. After a game-high 30 points in Saturday night’s loss in Indianapolis, the WKU signee was held to eight points on 3-for-17 shooting.
The win was all that mattered to Hollingsworth.
“It was all effort, heart,” Hollingsworth said. “They were way bigger than us, so it was just heart and effort.”
He likes running with Ohmer, his future roommate at WKU.
“We complement each other very well,” Hollingsworth said. “When one of us is off, the other one’s doin’ something. I was off now and he played great. I really liked that. … He has a bunch of heart.”
Kentucky took another blow after Bradshaw left the game with about a minute and a half left. He landed hard on his knees after tripping over an Indiana player as Livers made his go-ahead putback. Bradshaw came out of the game soon after limping back on the defensive end.
He had 16 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks and drew six fouls. And he was OK after the game.
“I iced it up a little bit and started walking around, so I’ll be fine,” Bradshaw said. “Like I was telling the coaches, I’ve taken way worse falls so I’ll be all right.”
Taylor, an Austin Peay signee, had 22 points and a game-high 17 rebounds. Indiana outrebounded Kentucky 65-63, but Kentucky finished with a 28-26 edge on the offensive glass. Extra chances were a big factor for Kentucky, which outscored Indiana 27-17 in second-chance opportunities and had a plus-7 advantage in points off turnovers.
The game was about even elsewhere. Indiana slightly outshot Kentucky 39.1 percent to 37.1 percent and had a slim free-throw advantage (73.7 to 73.5). Kentucky made four more three-pointers (14-for-39) than its counterparts (10-for-31).
The high level of competition was entertaining for the 1,967 fans in attendance, but if Kentucky had lost it would have been received poorly throughout the state, Woods said.
“I think our fans, the Kentucky people, it would have been, ‘You know, it’s still the same old thing.’ I don’t care if it was a good game, they would’ve felt that way,” Woods said. “There was talk last year, there were articles written that maybe the game needs to be dropped on the Kentucky side, that we’re not getting anywhere and nobody’s coming cause we’re losing. I just felt like ... we had to win one to turn this thing around. …
“We want to get this thing back to where it’s special for the kids, where they want to be there.”
Rafael Nadal wins men’s French Open final.
By Shannon Scovel
Rafael Nadal celebrates after scoring a point against Stan Wawrinka in the 2017 French Open finals. Nadal went on to win the match for his 10th Roland Garros title. (Photo/Getty Images)
The King of Clay has officially captured his 10th French Open crown.
Rafael Nadal had never lost a French Open final heading into his match with Stan Wawrinka on Sunday, and the Spaniard kept his streak alive, defeating Wawrinka in three sets to lift the French Open trophy once again.
The match between the two men, the oldest French Open finalists since 1964, drew great interest, as Wawrinka also carried a streak of finals success into the match. The Swiss star hoped to win his fourth Grand Slam title in as many finals, and while the records of each of the players created a breeding ground for intensity, emotion and battle, Nadal surged to a dominant win against Wawrinka 6-2, 6-3, 6-1.
Nadal showcased his skill and force early on, never trailing, and captured a win in the first set in just over 40 minutes. But then Nadal kept going. He played to a 3-0 lead in the second set before Wawrinka notched his first game of that set. Nadal then proceeded to bury Wawrinka 6-3 to put himself one set away from another title.
In response, Wawrinka smashed his racquet over his knees and received a warning for racquet abuse.
Given Nadal’s play in the tournament, his rise to this 10th title seemed almost expected. He moved through the French Open, losing fewer games than he has ever lost before a final, and he also beat the only player who has beaten him on clay this year, Dominic Thiem, in the semifinals. Nadal hadn’t dropped a set the entire tournament, and he continued that perfect streak on Sunday.
In the 19 times that Nadal has now played Wawrinka, the Spaniard has won 16, winning the match every time he won the first set. Nadal also moved forward the trend that has occurred in the last three French Open finals where the winner of the second set wins the match.
While analysts assessed Nadal’s history, his strokes and his long career before the match, Nadal said he didn’t focus on the records.
“I don’t care about the games I lost or not, or sets, these kind of things – the only thing I care is I have been playing very well during the whole event, and I was able to win all the matches,” Nadal said.
And win all the matches he did, finally capturing the 10th French Open championship title that had been eluding him since he last won the Grand Slam in 2014.
Unseeded Jelena Ostapenko tops Simona Halep for first title at 2017 French Open.
Associated Press
(Photo/celebmafia.com)
Unseeded Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia used bold strokes and an unbending will to come back and stun No. 3 Simona Halep 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in an enthralling French Open final Saturday for the first title of her career.
“I still can’t believe I won,” Ostapenko told the crowd at Court Philippe Chatrier. “It was always my dream, when I was a child I was watching players here. I’m just so happy. I’ve just enjoyed it so much. I have no words.”
Halep appeared on the way to a relative runaway victory, leading by a set and 3-0 in the second, then holding three break points for the chance to go ahead 4-0. But Ostapenko would not go quietly, winning that game and the next three en route to forcing a third set.
And then, in the third, Ostapenko again summoned a veteran’s resolve, taking the last five games after being down a break at 3-1. She took advantage of a bit of luck, too, holding for a 5-3 lead when she hit a backhand that clipped the top of the net, popped way up in the air, then dropped over onto Halep’s side.
Soon enough, Ostapenko was striking two more winners on the last two points to provide a fitting conclusion.
“All the credit for what you’ve done. It’s an amazing thing. Enjoy, be happy, and keep it going,” Halep told Ostapenko, “because you’re like a kid.”
Sure is. Quite a precocious one.
It was a match filled with wild momentum swings between two players displaying completely disparate styles: Ostapenko’s grip-it-and-rip-it approach vs. Halep’s more conservative keep-the-ball-in philosophy. By the end, the numbers were stark: Ostapenko built a 54-8 edge in winners, but she also had far more unforced errors than Halep, 54-10.
Halep, a 25-year-old from Romania, was playing in her second major final. She was the runner-up to Maria Sharapova at Roland Garros in 2014.
“I’ve been sick in the stomach with emotion,” Halep said. “Maybe I was not ready to win it.”
Ostapenko was playing in only her eighth Grand Slam tournament, never having been past the third round. A year ago in Paris, she lost in the first round. A year before that, she lost in the first round of qualifying at Roland Garros.
The last woman to win her first tour-level title at a major was Barbara Jordan at the 1979 Australian Open. Not coincidentally, that was also the last time at any Grand Slam tournament that none of the women’s quarterfinalists had previously won a major championship.
So Ostapenko stepped into the considerable opening created by the absences of Serena Williams (who is pregnant) and Sharapova (denied a wild card after a drug ban). Also missing was two-time major champ Victoria Azarenka, while No. 1 Angelique Kerber lost in the first round.
That all added up to an up-for-grabs feeling, and Ostapenko seized the opportunity.
She burst onto the scene over these two weeks with a brash brand of tennis. Ascending shots with high-pitched exhales, she likes points quick and is not shy about unleashing a forehand measured as being faster than that of men’s No. 1 Andy Murray. The impatience of youth not only showed up in Ostapenko’s play but also, occasionally, in her demeanor. When she’d miss, she would slap her thigh or crack her racket on the red clay or raise a palm as if to say, “What was up with that shot?”
And when things went her way? She screamed “Come on!” or pumped a fist or smiled broadly.
Halep presents something of a polar opposite with the ball in play: She extends points, grinding along the baseline and sliding to retrieve ball after ball, forcing foes to come up with the goods time after time.
Put those games together and, predictably, the points were often entertaining, played in a slight breeze with the temperature at about 80 degrees (above 25 Celsius) and with nary a cloud marking the azure sky.
Ostapenko showed right away she would not be bashful in, by far, the biggest match of her nascent career, breaking Halep at love in the opening game by bashing the ball, drawing loud, appreciative gasps of “ooh!” and “aah!” from spectators. But Halep broke right back, and then took the set with a break in the final game.
A telling statistic: Of the 33 points Halep won in the first set, only one — yes, just one! — came via a winner off her racket.
Halep moved ahead in the second set, before faltering midway through. And the same scenario played out in the third.
Soon enough, Ostapenko was holding her silver trophy — remember, the first she’s ever won on tour — while listening to the Latvian national anthem ring through a Grand Slam stadium after a singles final for the first time.
Tapwrit wins Belmont Stakes by 2 lengths for Pletcher.
By Beth Harris
Tapwrit, left, and Irish War Cry race to the finish during the 149th running of the Belmont Stakes horse race, Saturday, June 10, 2017, in Elmont, N.Y. Tapwrit won the race. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
The road to the winner's circle in the Belmont Stakes ran through the Kentucky Derby, even if the Derby and Preakness winners skipped the final leg of the Triple Crown.
Tapwrit overtook favored Irish War Cry in the stretch to win by two lengths on Saturday, giving trainer Todd Pletcher his third career victory in the Belmont. He won in 2007 with filly Rags to Riches and in 2013 with Palace Malice.
The first four finishers all followed a well-worn path: run in the Derby, skip the Preakness and come back fresh for the Belmont. Five of the last nine Belmont winners did just that.
The road to the winner's circle in the Belmont Stakes ran through the Kentucky Derby, even if the Derby and Preakness winners skipped the final leg of the Triple Crown.
Tapwrit overtook favored Irish War Cry in the stretch to win by two lengths on Saturday, giving trainer Todd Pletcher his third career victory in the Belmont. He won in 2007 with filly Rags to Riches and in 2013 with Palace Malice.
The first four finishers all followed a well-worn path: run in the Derby, skip the Preakness and come back fresh for the Belmont. Five of the last nine Belmont winners did just that.
Tapwrit finished sixth in the 20-horse Derby after encountering traffic in what Pletcher described as "a sneaky good" race.
"We felt like with the five weeks in between, and with the way this horse had trained, that he had a legitimate chance," said Pletcher, who is based at Belmont Park. "I think that's always an advantage."
Irish War Cry was 10th after pressing the early pace in the May 6 race.
Patch took third in the Belmont after being 14th in the Derby. Gormley, ninth in the Derby, finished fourth Saturday.
Ridden by Jose Ortiz, Tapwrit ran 1 1/2 miles in 2:30.02 on his home track. Ortiz's brother Irad Jr. won the race last year with Creator.
"The distance, I was sure he could handle it," Ortiz said.
Tapwrit paid $12.60, $6.50 and $5 at 5-1 odds.
Irish War Cry returned $4.70 and $3.90 as the 5-2 favorite in front of 57,729 on an 82-degree day. Patch, the one-eyed horse trained by Pletcher, was another 5 3/4 lengths back in third and paid $6.50 to show.
Pletcher took two of the year's three Triple Crown races, having saddled Always Dreaming to victory in the Derby.
"The Derby win was awesome," he said. "The last five weeks have been the ultimate roller coaster. We felt really good coming in that both horses were doing very well. We felt like both horses suited the mile and a half distance. They had the right running styles and the right dispositions and the right pedigrees. Fortunately, it all fell into place."
Tapwrit, a 3-year-old gray colt, was purchased for $1.2 million, making him the most expensive horse in the field.
He's co-owned by John and Leslie Malone, who race as Bridlewood Farm, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Robert LaPenta, who won the 2008 Belmont when 70-1 shot Da'Tara spoiled Big Brown's Triple Crown bid.
John Malone is chairman of Liberty Media Corp., whose holdings include Sirius XM radio and the Atlanta Braves.
The $1.5 million race took several hits before the starting gate opened.
It lacked Always Dreaming and Preakness winner Cloud Computing. Classic Empire, the expected favorite, dropped out Wednesday with a foot abscess.
Epicharis, the early 4-1 second choice, was scratched Saturday morning after failing a pre-race veterinary exam. The Japan-based colt had been treated for lameness in his right front hoof earlier in the week.
All that left it a wide-open race, and in the end it was Tapwrit that proved he was up to the grueling 1 1/2-mile challenge.
"Tapwrit was getting a beautiful trip," Pletcher said. "It was everything we talked about in the paddock before the race. We were hoping he had enough when it came to crunch time. It looked like Irish War Cry still had a little something left, but the last sixteenth, he dug down deep."
Irish War Cry, who finished 10th in the Kentucky Derby, went for the lead and was immediately pressured by 13-1 shot Meantime, ridden by Mike Smith, who won five stakes on the undercard.
"It actually wasn't our plan to be on the lead," said Graham Motion, who trains Irish War Cry. "We kind of hoped that somebody else would go for it, but he had to go to Plan B."
Tapwrit, meanwhile, settled in third, right behind the dueling leaders. They maintained that positioning onto the final turn when Ortiz first asked Tapwrit for his run.
It took a while for Tapwrit to find his best gear. Up front, Irish War Cry put away Meantime and appeared a likely winner at the top of Belmont's long stretch.
"At the eighth pole, I thought was might be home free," Motion said, "but it's the Belmont. It's a tough race."
That's when Tapwrit took up the chase in earnest. It was a two-horse race to the finish line, with Tapwrit gaining the lead in the final furlong.
Gormley finished fourth, followed by Senior Investment, Twisted Tom, Lookin At Lee, Meantime, J Boys Echo and Multiplier.
Hollywood Handsome was pulled up after clipping heels with the horse in front of him, causing jockey Florent Geroux to lose his stirrups in the first turn. He guided the colt to the outside until he could be stopped. The on-call vet said Hollywood Handsome sustained a cut behind his left knee, and it would be closed with staples.
"I got squeezed pretty hard coming into the first turn," Geroux said. "I almost went down."
"I got squeezed pretty hard coming into the first turn," Geroux said. "I almost went down."
On This Date in Sports History: Today is Wednesday, June 12, 2017.
Memoriesofhistory.com
1839 - Abner Doubleday created the game of baseball, according to the legend. However, evidence has surfaced that indicates that the game of baseball was played before 1800.
1939 - The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum was dedicated in Cooperstown, New York.
1948 - Ben Hogan won his first U.S. Open golf classic.
1967 - The Senators beat Chicago, 6-5, in 22 innings. The game lasted six hours, 38 minutes and ended at 2:43 a.m. and caused the league to adopt a curfew stating that no inning may start after 1:00 a.m.
1981 - Major league baseball players began a 49 day strike. The issue was free-agent compensation.
1985 - Wayne "The Great One" Gretzky was named winner of the NHL's Hart Trophy. The award is given to the league Most Valuable Player.
1991 - The Chicago Bulls won their first NBA championship. The Bulls beat the Los Angeles Lakers four games to one.
1994 - Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman were murdered outside her home in Los Angeles. O.J. Simpson was later acquitted of the killings, but he was held liable in a civil suit.
1997 - Interleague play began in baseball, ending a 126-year tradition of separating the major leagues until the World Series.
2000 - Steve Young (San Francisco 49ers) retired from the NFL.
1939 - The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum was dedicated in Cooperstown, New York.
1948 - Ben Hogan won his first U.S. Open golf classic.
1967 - The Senators beat Chicago, 6-5, in 22 innings. The game lasted six hours, 38 minutes and ended at 2:43 a.m. and caused the league to adopt a curfew stating that no inning may start after 1:00 a.m.
1981 - Major league baseball players began a 49 day strike. The issue was free-agent compensation.
1985 - Wayne "The Great One" Gretzky was named winner of the NHL's Hart Trophy. The award is given to the league Most Valuable Player.
1991 - The Chicago Bulls won their first NBA championship. The Bulls beat the Los Angeles Lakers four games to one.
1994 - Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman were murdered outside her home in Los Angeles. O.J. Simpson was later acquitted of the killings, but he was held liable in a civil suit.
1997 - Interleague play began in baseball, ending a 126-year tradition of separating the major leagues until the World Series.
2000 - Steve Young (San Francisco 49ers) retired from the NFL.
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