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TRENDING: Bears keep making mistakes, but this time they overcome them in wild and crazy win. (See the football section for Bears news and NFL updates).
TRENDING: Five Things from Blackhawks-Blue Jackets: Shots and slashes. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).
TRENDING: Bulls reach buyout agreement with Dwyane Wade. (See the basketball section for Bulls news and NBA updates).
TRENDING: Q quiets Crew; Cubs cut Central number to 2; White Sox bats erupt to back Giolito vs. KC. (See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).
TRENDING: Thomas wins FedExCup; Schauffele wins Tour Championship. (See the golf section for PGA news and tournament updates).
TRENDING: With tougher games awaiting, Fire miss opportunity to gain ground in standings. (See the soccer section for Fire news and worldwide soccer updates).
TRENDING: 2017 NCAA FBS Football Rankings, 09/25//2017. (See the NCAAFB section for college football news and team updates).
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Bears keep making mistakes, but this time they overcome them in wild and crazy win.
By Vinnie Duber
(Photo/AP)
Nearly everything about the Bears’ first win of the season was just plain crazy.
Marcus Cooper Leon Lett’d his way onto every highlight show for the rest of time, stopping short of the goal line on his return of a blocked field goal. The Bears turned the ball over not once but twice in their own red zone in the second half, erasing their double-digit halftime lead. Tarik Cohen rattled off an insane 73-yard rush that you could only recreate on a PlayStation, only that was called back, apparently he stepped out of bounds. Jordan Howard came to the rescue with a walk-off touchdown rush that had Soldier Field hopping.
And that’s all without even mentioning the overarching topic of the day in the NFL: The President of the United States calling peaceful-protesting players “sons of bitches” who deserve to be fired.
All that madness — on the field and off of it — combined into a crazy concoction that ended with the Bears winning one of the more ridiculous games you’ll ever see.
And did I mention that the Bears won? That’s right, the same team that dropped to a sky-is-falling 0-2 a week ago with a turnover festival in that blowout loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers came back to Chicago and played well enough to beat the perennially contending Pittsburgh Steelers.
“It was great, especially in the fashion that it happened,” Bears defensive back Prince Amukamara said after the game. “Just what we did before the game and during the game. Coop’s touchdown not being a touchdown. Tarik’s touchdown not being a touchdown. And then Jordan’s touchdown actually being a touchdown. All that was just great. It just kept building the momentum, like a story or a movie — how’s it going to end? And we’re glad that it ended the way that it did. I don’t want to think about going 0-3, but it would’ve been ugly here in Chicago, I know that.
“I’d put it top two right after the Super Bowl win my rookie year.”
Oh really? Amukamara is referring, there, to Super Bowl XLVI, in which the New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots with a game-winning touchdown drive in the final minute. That’s pretty lofty company.
The Bears didn’t play championship-quality football Sunday, and it’s not apparent that they’ll come close to doing so at any point this season. But give them credit for overcoming plenty, much of it their own doing, and winning a game few outside Halas Hall expected them to win.
Cooper’s bone-headed play stands out if only because it was absolutely incomprehensible. Special-teams ace Sherrick McManis blocked a Steelers field goal in the waning seconds of the first half. Cooper picked the ball up and sprinted the length of the field toward the end zone, only to inexplicably stop inside the 10-yard line, allowing the ball to get swatted out of his hands. No touchdown. A Steelers penalty prolonged the half one more play — the Steelers had to come back out of the locker room — but Charles Leno committed a false-start penalty. No touchdown. The Bears settled for a field goal on an unbelievable sequence that looked almost sure to come back to bite them.
When Howard’s third-quarter fumble turned into a Steelers touchdown and a Mike Glennon interception turned into a Steelers field goal, the Bears’ 10-point halftime lead was gone. Surely this would drench their parade, right? But the defense kept doing its thing. A Steelers offense that is high-powered at times thanks to its Big Three of Ben Roethlisberger, Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown was well subdued by the Bears defense. Bell rushed for just 61 yards.
The Bears tried driving for a game-winning score in the fourth quarter, stringing together a nightmare sequence in which Cohen fumbled (recovered by the Bears), Glennon nearly threw a pick (dropped by the defensive back Mike Mitchell) and a snap went sailing by Glennon’s legs (he picked it up and threw it away). But disaster was again averted as the defense stepped up one more time, with Willie Young sacking Roethlisberger on the final play of regulation to melt the game into overtime.
The Bears made a lot of mistakes. But they won.
“It’s tremendous for us to be able to overcome those things because we were definitely shooting ourselves in the foot,” Cohen said. “As you saw last week, we shot ourselves in the foot, and it didn’t end too well for us. To battle and overcome those mistakes, it’s a great thing.”
“It was seriously a great win,” Glennon said. “Just finding a way to win against a really good football team is the goal every week. We found a way, it was kind of unique. We had turnovers, the blocked kick, overtime with Tarik’s run being called back, it was a whirlwind of emotions but I thought we handled it really well. At the end of the day, all that matters is that we won.”
While Glennon didn’t win over many more fans Sunday — he threw for just 101 yards and completed one pass to a wide receiver the entire game — he sure is right about that.
While Week 2’s trip to Tampa was a disaster in all phases with some high-profile mistakes from the highest-profile position on the field, you could certainly argue that the mistakes Sunday were as bad and as frequent.
But the difference between last week and this week was the Bears playing well enough elsewhere to make up for those mistakes — this time in the face of some competition annually regarded as some of the best the NFL has to offer.
Glennon wasn’t great. Cooper screwed up bad. Howard fumbled. The refs called back Cohen’s touchdown run. And the president put every player in the NFL in a position they didn’t want to be in. But the Bears kept going. And this time they made the plays that got them a win.
“They’ve given us everything they had in all three games they’ve played,” John Fox said. “We just made some errors in the other ones that we weren’t able to overcome. We’ve had opportunities, but it was nice to get the win today.”
What you need to know from Bears-Steelers: Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen give Bears overtime win.
By Vinnie Duber
(Photo.csnchicago.com)
Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen are the Bears’ version of thunder and lightning.
The running back combo teamed to get the Bears down the field in overtime against the Pittsburgh Steelers, giving the team its first win of the 2017 campaign, a 23-17 victory at Soldier Field.
After a couple critical turnovers erased the Bears’ 10-point halftime lead, the game spun into overtime. Cohen dropped jaws with what at first appeared to be a 73-yard touchdown run to end the game. But officials ruled he stepped out bounds just inside the 40.
Enter Howard, who covered the remaining 37 yards with a pair of strong rushes, including the 19-yard scamper that got him into the end zone and gave the Bears the win.
Howard finished with a monster day: 138 yards and two touchdowns, enough to wipe away the memory of his second-half fumble that set up a Steelers touchdown. Cohen added another 78 yards to that as the Bears rushed for 220 yards as a team.
The success on the ground was enough to make Mike Glennon’s paltry passing statistics fairly meaningless. Glennon finished just 15-for-22 for 101 yards, a touchdown and an interception. His lone scoring toss went to Adam Shaheen, the rookie tight end’s first NFL catch.
In the end, it was an impressive effort from the Bears all around, who despite not playing good-looking football defeated a high-caliber Steelers team. Match that with the near-comeback against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1, and the Bears have looked better than expected in their two games at Soldier Field.
What on Earth was Marcus Cooper thinking?
The most exciting and most unbelievable play of the game came as time ran out on the first half, when Marcus Cooper became the NFL goat of the day with an inexplicable fumble at the one-yard line.
Let’s rewind. The Steelers marched their way into the red zone in the final seconds of the second quarter and lined up for a field goal with just a few seconds left. Sherrick McManis, the Bears’ special-teams ace who recovered a muffed punt earlier in the game, blocked that kick, and Cooper picked it up. Cooper, one of the Bears’ starting cornerbacks, sprinted the ball back like 70 yards, appearing destined to cruise into the end zone. But instead of cruising into the end zone, Cooper incredibly stopped short of the goal line, allowing a Steelers player to chop the ball out of his hands.
What?!?
To make matters even stranger, the Steelers for flagged for illegally batting the ball out of the end zone after the fumble at the one-yard line. That prolonged the first half, allowing the Bears to line up at the half-yard line and try for a touchdown. But Charles Leno was flagged for a false start, and the Bears had to settle for a field goal.
So what looked like a 14-10 halftime edge for the Bears then looked like a 21-7 halftime lead only to result in a 17-7 halftime lead. Bonkers.
Why the Bears ‘f***ing loved’ what Jordan Howard showed them on Sunday.
By JJ Stankevitz
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
After fighting off the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense for Jordan Howard, the Bears’ offensive line still sounded as if they wanted to keep blocking for a running back who wowed them with his toughness in Sunday’s 23-17 overtime win.
Howard, who NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported has a sprained AC joint in his shoulder, was clearly playing through pain against Pittsburgh. He was helped off the field multiple times by trainers and was trying to protect his banged-up shoulder on some of his runs in the second half. But he quickly returned to the game after those scares, which was not lost on the guys leading the way for him.
“He’s tough,” right guard Kyle Long said, emphasizing the word tough. “And toughness is something that’s talked about in football a lot, but Jordan Howard’s tough. He really is.”
“He’s a f***ing soldier, man,” right tackle Bobby Massie said. “He was a Pro Bowler for a reason.”
“F***ing loved it,” left tackle Charles Leno Jr. said. “I loved it. It showed that he cared and wanted to be out there for us, and it made me go harder. I just told him that — it made me want to block for him extra hard. And when he does that and he shows that courageousness, man, comes out there and keeps battling back after we know he’s hurting, I’m going to give it everything I got for that guy.”
The Bears’ offensive line (and tight ends and wide receivers, it should be said) continually opened up lanes for Howard despite the Steelers knowing what was coming. Mike Glennon and the Bears’ passing attack didn’t stretch the field and only saw one wide receiver catch a pass (Deonte Thompson about halfway through the fourth quarter), but no matter how much the Steelers schemed to play the run, Howard kept hitting creases and getting into the second level, where he’s at his most effective.
“He’s a tough son of a gun,” coach John Fox said. “The more you have of those, the better off you are and the better chances you have to win.”
Howard finished with 138 yards on 23 carries — an average of six yards per attempt — after only gaining 59 yards on 20 carries in his first two games of the season. His walk-off touchdown was a fitting end to This was a reminder, as Massie said, of why Howard was a Pro Bowler and the NFL’s second-leading rusher last year — even as he wasn't at 100 percent.
“Sometimes I was hurt pretty bad,” Howard said. “I didn’t feel like I could finish. But Benny Cunningham, he kept pushing me through, and my coach, and I just saw my team – they kept fighting, so I had to keep playing.”
Under Center Podcast: Bears run strong in OT win against Steelers.
By CSN Staff
(Photo/USA TODAY)
Alex Brown and Jim Miller join Laurence Holmes to break down how the Bears got themselves in the win column on Sunday against the Steelers.
Jordan Howard was the game’s MVP but how well can the Bears run the ball going forward if he is banged up and the Bears continue to struggle throwing the ball?
Plus, Marcus Cooper’s fumble on the goal line nearly cost the Bears the game. What do the guys think about the effort level after a gaffe like that – especially on a short week heading into Thursday night’s matchup against the rival Packers?
Listen to the full episode at this link
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Five Things from Blackhawks-Blue Jackets: Shots and slashes.
By Tracey Myers
(Photo/USA TODAY)
It’s preseason: you don’t need a lot of build-up. Let’s just delve right in, shall we?
1. Lots of shots, but…
The same Joonas Korpisalo that the Blackhawks’ youngsters scored five goals against on Tuesday was on top of his game on Saturday. The Blackhawks peppered him with 54 shots but only two got through, and the second was a 6-on-4 power-play goal in the final two minutes.
“I thought we could have gotten a little more traffic in front of him," Nick Schmaltz said. "I thought we were playing along the outside. I mean we had some great looks. He made some big saves. Some nights you get the bounces and some nights you don’t.”
2. Bérubé’s Blackhawks debut.
Jean-François Bérubé had a tough sequence early in the second period, when he gave up two goals in a 28-second span. This was against a Columbus team that didn’t send many of their top players. He also didn’t see a ton of action in this one; the Blue Jackets fired just 21 shots his way.
3. Growing pains.
Alex DeBrincat had his up and down moments on Saturday night. His turnover led to Columbus’ first goal, he took a slashing penalty and he fought the puck quite a bit. You still saw glimpses of that skill, though, especially with his quick release. Hey, he’s a 19-year-old guy getting his first taste of the NHL. Nights like this are going to happen.
“We all make mistakes,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “You gotta be safe in certain areas and you learn from that.”
4. Slash-o-meter.
Four more were called on Saturday night. Don’t be surprised if that number starts dwindling sooner rather than later, though, because the edict has apparently changed already.
Sportsnet’s John Shannon reported earlier on Saturday that the league told officials to ease up on slashing and faceoff violations. But we all figure that’s going to happen once the regular season begins anyway, right?
5. Notre Dame bound.
The destination is familiar but the Blackhawks threw it into their second week of camp this season. It’ll be bonding time for the Blackhawks, who will send a smaller group for several practices there this week. Quenneville figures it’ll be a productive time. “We’ll get some bonding in, play golf together, have a nice outing, couple of road games and a nice campus.”
Brandon Saad back in veteran-like form for Blackhawks.
By Tracey Myers
1. Lots of shots, but…
The same Joonas Korpisalo that the Blackhawks’ youngsters scored five goals against on Tuesday was on top of his game on Saturday. The Blackhawks peppered him with 54 shots but only two got through, and the second was a 6-on-4 power-play goal in the final two minutes.
“I thought we could have gotten a little more traffic in front of him," Nick Schmaltz said. "I thought we were playing along the outside. I mean we had some great looks. He made some big saves. Some nights you get the bounces and some nights you don’t.”
2. Bérubé’s Blackhawks debut.
Jean-François Bérubé had a tough sequence early in the second period, when he gave up two goals in a 28-second span. This was against a Columbus team that didn’t send many of their top players. He also didn’t see a ton of action in this one; the Blue Jackets fired just 21 shots his way.
3. Growing pains.
Alex DeBrincat had his up and down moments on Saturday night. His turnover led to Columbus’ first goal, he took a slashing penalty and he fought the puck quite a bit. You still saw glimpses of that skill, though, especially with his quick release. Hey, he’s a 19-year-old guy getting his first taste of the NHL. Nights like this are going to happen.
“We all make mistakes,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “You gotta be safe in certain areas and you learn from that.”
4. Slash-o-meter.
Four more were called on Saturday night. Don’t be surprised if that number starts dwindling sooner rather than later, though, because the edict has apparently changed already.
Sportsnet’s John Shannon reported earlier on Saturday that the league told officials to ease up on slashing and faceoff violations. But we all figure that’s going to happen once the regular season begins anyway, right?
5. Notre Dame bound.
The destination is familiar but the Blackhawks threw it into their second week of camp this season. It’ll be bonding time for the Blackhawks, who will send a smaller group for several practices there this week. Quenneville figures it’ll be a productive time. “We’ll get some bonding in, play golf together, have a nice outing, couple of road games and a nice campus.”
Brandon Saad back in veteran-like form for Blackhawks.
By Tracey Myers
(Photo/USA TODAY)
Brandon Saad seems like more of an NHL veteran than he is. From his size to his composed style of play to what he’s already accomplished at this level, Saad gives off that vibe that he’s been around much longer than he actually has. Even his teammates forget that.
“You think he may be 27, 28 years old. He’s only 24 years old. He’s still a young kid,” Patrick Kane said. “Guys like [Ryan] Hartman and [Vinnie] Hinostroza are only 23 so he’s not much older than them, even though he might seem it. He’s got a great future.”
Saad’s future is once again being played out in Chicago and he couldn’t feel better about returning. Back in a familiar city and a familiar spot on the ice – alongside Jonathan Toews – Saad is ready to reignite the top line with Toews and Richard Panik. Outside of some scrimmages the line hasn’t gotten much of a chance to see where things are yet – their first preseason game was against Columbus on Saturday. But Saad said things are coming together.
“It was still [Toews’] first game back and my first time with him but we’re pretty familiar with each other. I don’t think it’ll take long at all,” he said following the team’s first practice at Notre Dame on Sunday. “Any time you come from a five-month summer into the season your timing’s always a little off, and then with a new player going back to a familiar player, I think that’s the biggest thing.”
Toews recognized Saad’s desire to be a big part of this team when the left wing was a rookie. That drive hasn’t diminished.
“His rookie year I kept saying you could see that intangible quality in him, that he wanted to get better every single night,” Toews said. “You see players with raw, physical talent and ability but don’t take it upon themselves to be one of the guys every single night. Saader was showing that right away and you could tell he was just going to get better and better.”
The powerful part of Saad’s game the Blackhawks missed the most was evident in his first preseason contest back with him, against Detroit on Thursday. The Red Wings didn’t have their top squad but Saad was nevertheless dominant, recording a hat trick in which all three goals were within a few feet of the net. The top line has had that element here and there the past two seasons but no doubt felt Saad’s absence.
“He’s a high-end player or potential player that should develop into a regular scorer and who knows what he could do,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “I still think there’s room where maybe he could go to a better level as far as production goes, because he gets so many looks around the net with his quickness and the way he protects the puck and the way he can shoot it.”
Saad reaching another level. Again, you see what he’s done so far and you forget that he’s only 24. He still has a lot of time – and potential – ahead of him.
“He’s stepping in here knowing he’ll be one of those guys heavily keyed upon for us,” Toews said. “And he’s ready for that and excited for it.”
Nick Schmaltz's confidence, hold on second-line center, continues to grow.
By Tracey Myers
(Photo/USA TODAY)
Nick Schmaltz seemed to be everywhere the puck was on Saturday night. Great pursuit of the puck, great passes to Patrick Kane or Alex DeBrincat and an all-around confidence that’s becoming more apparent by the game.
So has coach Joel Quenneville seen what he’s needed to from Schmaltz at second-line center?
“And more.”
It’s been a pretty impressive showing for Schmaltz this month. The 21-year-old has played in all three of the Blackhawks’ preseason games and keeps getting better in each one. The uncertainty Schmaltz understandably showed as a rookie is gone; the NHL game no longer feels uncomfortable.
“I feel like the game’s slowing down for me, just seeing plays,” Schmaltz said. “I know what I’m doing with the puck before I get it. It feels good and just trying to get better every day.”
Schmaltz and his fellow second liners didn’t connect for goals in the Blackhawks 3-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday but it wasn’t for lack of trying. The three combined for 12 of the Blackhawks’ 54 shots on goal – Kane and DeBrincat each had five – and the chemistry continues to build between the three.
Jonathan Toews talked on Saturday morning of how much more relaxed Schmaltz looks with the puck now, and that was evident again later that night.
“He’s really starting to get comfortable physically at this level,” Toews said. “He thinks the game so well, puts himself in good spots, much like Kaner where he can skate with the puck and use his speed. He has his head up so he backs guys off. Those two were making great plays tonight and Brinksy was fitting in well. They couldn’t buy a goal but Schmaltzy’s getting better and better, and you’re’ seeing that calm poise that he has really come out the more he gets comfortable.”
Schmaltz was likely getting a second-line audition in some capacity this fall; the original thought was at left wing in the wake of Artemi Panarin’s trade. But Schmaltz has always felt at his best at center. He’s showing that. And more.
“It’s always fun to play no matter if it’s preseason or regular season," he said. "I’m always happy to play, especially when you’re playing with great players. I feel like I’m more comfortable in the middle, able to use my speed a little bit more, create more offense that way.
"I think it’s going well. Wherever I end up, I’ll be happy.”
“And more.”
It’s been a pretty impressive showing for Schmaltz this month. The 21-year-old has played in all three of the Blackhawks’ preseason games and keeps getting better in each one. The uncertainty Schmaltz understandably showed as a rookie is gone; the NHL game no longer feels uncomfortable.
“I feel like the game’s slowing down for me, just seeing plays,” Schmaltz said. “I know what I’m doing with the puck before I get it. It feels good and just trying to get better every day.”
Schmaltz and his fellow second liners didn’t connect for goals in the Blackhawks 3-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday but it wasn’t for lack of trying. The three combined for 12 of the Blackhawks’ 54 shots on goal – Kane and DeBrincat each had five – and the chemistry continues to build between the three.
Jonathan Toews talked on Saturday morning of how much more relaxed Schmaltz looks with the puck now, and that was evident again later that night.
“He’s really starting to get comfortable physically at this level,” Toews said. “He thinks the game so well, puts himself in good spots, much like Kaner where he can skate with the puck and use his speed. He has his head up so he backs guys off. Those two were making great plays tonight and Brinksy was fitting in well. They couldn’t buy a goal but Schmaltzy’s getting better and better, and you’re’ seeing that calm poise that he has really come out the more he gets comfortable.”
Schmaltz was likely getting a second-line audition in some capacity this fall; the original thought was at left wing in the wake of Artemi Panarin’s trade. But Schmaltz has always felt at his best at center. He’s showing that. And more.
“It’s always fun to play no matter if it’s preseason or regular season," he said. "I’m always happy to play, especially when you’re playing with great players. I feel like I’m more comfortable in the middle, able to use my speed a little bit more, create more offense that way.
"I think it’s going well. Wherever I end up, I’ll be happy.”
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Bulls reach buyout agreement with Dwyane Wade.
(Photo/USA TODAY)
Dwyane Wade's Bulls career is set to end just over a year after it began.
According to the Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson, the Bulls and Wade have reached an agreement on a buyout.
CSN Chicago's Vincent Goodwill confirmed the report.
Wade picked up his option just two days before the Bulls traded Jimmy Butler on draft night and went into rebuild mode. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Wade gave back approximately $8 million of that option.
The Bulls will go into next year without any of the 'Three Alphas' the team had last year Wade, Butler and Rajon Rondo.
The news comes a day before Bulls Media Day, which will be live on CSN at 2:30 p.m., and on the same day the team agreed to a two-year deal with Nikolia Mirotic.
Wojnarowski also reported Cleveland, San Antonio, Miami and Oklahoma City are the contenders to sign Wade.
Bulls bring back Nikola Mirotic on two-year deal.
By Vincent Goodwill
(Photo/USA Today)
Mirotic was a restricted free agent and was at risk of not being at Media Day Monday had he and the Bulls not come to an agreement, but the sides came away with a deal both will probably say is advantageous. Mirotic has a no-trade clause in the first year of the deal and the second season is a team option according to sources, preserving the big cap space the Bulls have when Dwyane Wade's $23.8 million contract comes off the books.
Mirotic and his representatives were looking for an offer sheet in the $16-17 million range when free agency first began, hoping the Bulls would match on what was expected to be a boom market.
But the boom went bust very quickly and free agent money dried up, leaving Mirotic with a $7.2 million qualifying offer the Bulls seemingly weren't budging from. But the Bulls reversed course, apparently relenting on the qualifying offer to sweeten the deal, which also helps the Bulls get to the salary floor for the coming season.
Mirotic's tenure with the Bulls has been tantalizingly frustrating after a promising finish to his rookie season in 2014-15. Unable to put together consistent stretches under Fred Hoiberg, there was question as to if Mirotic fit in the short-term plans, let alone the big picture as the Bulls are gearing up for a long rebuild.
But letting the 6-foot-10 Mirotic go was a little too much for the front office to stomach, as they appear to hold onto the slightest bit of hope Mirotic can develop into a versatile scorer without having the burden of big pressure around him. Unfortunate circumstances and injuries have played a part in Mirotic's inconsistencies, as he's played considerably better after the All-Star break in his three seasons.
If not, they can cut bait with Mirotic after the season and start over, yet again.
CUBS: Q quiets Crew; Cubs cut Central number to 2.
There was no late drama this time. Jose Quintana and the Cubs made sure of that.
"Winning three out of four here is a big boost to our confidence," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "The thing I like is that we reacted in a playoff manner in these four games. Our mental intensity could not be beat."
Chicago's magic number to clinch the NL Central dropped to two over St. Louis, since the Cardinals lost Sunday in Pittsburgh. The Cubs' magic number over the Brewers in the Central is also two, so while the Cubs could knock the Cardinals out of the division race with a win in the series opener between the clubs on Monday, the earliest Chicago could clinch the division would be Tuesday, because the Brewers are off on Monday.
"It will be nice to do it there, I'll just say that," Zobrist said about the Cubs possibly clinching against their rivals in St. Louis. "We have to win the games. It's a big series. This series [against the Brewers], as John Lackey said before the series, 'This is not a small series, boys.' We knew it was a big one here in Milwaukee and it'll be another big one in St. Louis. We intend to clinch there, and I think for a lot of the guys who have been around here for a long time, it'll be very satisfying."
Milwaukee fell to 5 1/2 games behind the Cubs in the division, and two games behind the Rockies for the second NL Wild Card spot.
Quintana, a trade target of the Brewers in July before the White Sox sent him to the Cubs, scattered three singles, two of which didn't get past the infield, and struck out 10 while going the distance on 116 pitches. With one regular-season start to go, he has 202 strikeouts this season.
"That was outstanding," Maddon said of the lefty's outing. "Just from the beginning, you could see he wanted to do something like that today. He kept getting better [as the game progressed], kept hitting his spots."
Quintana and Brewers starter Chase Anderson dueled in a 1-0 game until the seventh, when the Cubs began pulling away. Zobrist connected for a two-run home run off Anderson in the inning and Rizzo ripped a two-run double off Carlos Torres in the eighth to propel the Cubs to their third victory in the four-game series, and their 10th win in 12 games overall.
"[Quintana] was on his game today, and I just did the best I could to match him," said Anderson, who will have to wait to see whether his final regular-season start in St. Louis proves meaningful. "Unfortunately, we couldn't come out with a win."
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Jay takes flight: The Brewers were held without an extra-base hit for the seventh time this season thanks to Cubs outfielder Jon Jay, who robbed Jesus Aguilar of a likely double in the fourth. After scoring from first base on Kris Bryant's double for the game's first run in the top of the frame, Jay laid out for a diving catch of Aguilar's line drive toward the left-field corner to end the bottom of the frame. The Brewers' only hit off Quintana the rest of the way was Keon Broxton's infield single in the fifth.
"To Jon Jay, I say, 'Thank you,'" Quintana said.
"He was a big thorn, for sure," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said of Jay. "He made the defensive play of the game today, for sure. He had a nice series."
Game-breaker: Anderson, making his final home start of the regular season, had retired eight straight batters before Willson Contreras hustled for an infield single leading off the seventh. Zobrist hammered the next pitch, a fastball up in the zone and on the inner half of the plate, sending it 105.9 mph off the bat, according to Statcast™, and 403 feet to the second deck in right field for a 3-0 Cubs lead. It was Zobrist's first homer since Aug. 29 against the Pirates.
"I tried to do the best I could to keep the score within range," Anderson said. "I probably should have gone with a different pitch to Zobrist. He always ambushes with guys on base. To his credit, he put a good swing on it, and that's what you're supposed to do with those pitches. I tried to throw a sinker away and I just cut it on accident. … It kind of went into his swing instead of away from his swing."
"He throws a fastball and I hit a fastball," Zobrist said of Anderson. "He left a few over the middle of the plate today, and I took advantage of them. I was ready and he left it there and I took advantage of it."
QUOTABLE
"It was shaping up to be the same game [as the first three in the series]. … I couldn't be prouder of the way we played. One-hundred percent. It was a good baseball series, man." -- Counsell
"We came to Milwaukee and we knew we were facing a tough team. These games have been tough. Our minds were ready for today. It was a big game. Now we're thinking about tomorrow." -- Contreras
SEEING 20/20
Brewers center fielder Broxton has taken some lumps this season -- he has the highest strikeout rate in the NL, and was briefly demoted to the Minors in July -- but he also added his name to the franchise record books on Sunday when he stole second base in the fifth inning. It made Broxton the eighth different player in Brewers history to hit at least 20 home runs and steal at least 20 bases in a season. The group has combined for 13 such seasons, led by Braun's four.
Seven other Major League players have reached the milestone in 2017, and it's quite a list. Broxton joined Mike Trout, Jose Altuve, Mookie Betts, Wil Myers, Tommy Pham, Elvis Andrus and Brett Gardner in 20/20 territory.
"That's something I've always dreamed about doing," Broxton said. "To accomplish that in the bad season I've had is really uplifting for me. But right now I'm thinking about the whole club."
UPON FURTHER REVIEW
Zobrist's home run was a two-run shot because Contreras had just beat a bouncer along the third-base line for an infield hit. The Brewers' Travis Shaw made a nice barehanded play and threw a one-hopper to first base that was so close the Brewers opted to challenge the safe call. It stood, and Zobrist hammered the next pitch into the seats.
The Cubs have asked Contreras to take it easy running the bases because he injured his right hamstring doing just that and missed one month.
"I knew I was going to be safe on that play, that's why I ran hard," Contreras said. "With it 1-0, I have to run to the bases hard. If we were winning by three or four [runs], I could take it easy."
"From an experienced hamstring puller, it's really incredible to watch," Maddon said of Contreras' quick recovery.
WHAT'S NEXT
Cubs: Jon Lester will open a four-game series against the Cardinals on Monday at Busch Stadium. The lefty is coming off what was described as an awkward start as he struggled with his command against the Rays. He says he's fine physically. This will be his fifth start against the Cardinals this season, and so far, he's 1-1 with a 3.28 ERA. First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. CT.
Brewers: After a day off Monday, Zach Davies and the Brewers begin their final push for a postseason berth with the first of three home games against the Reds, which will be followed by three on the road against the Cardinals. Tuesday's 6:40 p.m. CT series opener against the Reds offers Davies and the Brewers a chance to atone for getting swept in three games at Great American Ball Park earlier this month.
Justin Wilson isn’t running away from big moments with Cubs: ‘I want the ball’.
By Patrick Mooney
The Cubs have tried to find lower-pressure spots for Justin Wilson to work on things and rebuild his confidence without publicly burying a lefty reliever they specifically targeted before the July 31 trade deadline.
Both manager Joe Maddon and team president Theo Epstein have given Wilson the vote of confidence, though the real test will be whether or not the Cubs actually trust him in the playoffs.
“It’s an open book of communication here,” Wilson said. “We talk. I’ve talked to them and said: ‘Hey, I’m going to get right. I want the ball. I just want to keep getting back out there.’”
Even after All-Star closer Wade Davis blew his first save in more than a year, the Cubs could find big-picture optimism about their bullpen because Wilson got four outs during Saturday’s 4-3 10-inning loss to the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.
“How good was that?” Maddon said. “That’s really something looking forward. He made a nice adjustment out there. It looked really good from the side. If we get that out of him, that could be a huge difference-maker for us.”
That was the idea when the Cubs made Wilson their headliner in the package deal with catcher Alex Avila and reinforced the bullpen for another World Series run. Wilson closed for the Detroit Tigers, notching 13 saves for a bad team, putting up a 2.48 ERA in 42 appearances and shutting down left- and right-handed hitters.
Wilson – who gave up 16 walks in 40.1 innings for Detroit – allowed 16 walks and 17 hits through his first 14.1 innings as a Cub while putting up a 6.28 ERA.
On a smoking 88-degree afternoon and in front of a loud crowd of 44,067, Wilson faced the top four hitters in the Milwaukee lineup and unleashed 17 fastballs in a row, all of them buzzing around 95-97 mph across the seventh and eighth innings. Wilson struck out Eric Sogard and Neil Walker, forced Ryan Braun to fly out to left field and struck out Travis Shaw swinging.
With stuff like that, the magic number to clinch the National League Central title in the low single digits and another week left in the regular season, the Cubs hope Wilson can figure it out and become the late-inning weapon they envisioned.
“Clearly, it hasn’t been the same for me from before the trade,” Wilson said. “I just want to keep pitching.”
After playoff run, Shohei Otani could be the next big thing on Cubs’ radar.
By Patrick Mooney
Shohei Otani is supposed to be Japan’s Babe Ruth, a potential top-of-the-rotation starter with a 100-mph fastball and a left-handed slugger who hit 22 homers last year for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters. Imagine what kind of mad-scientist moves Cubs manager Joe Maddon could make with a talent like that.
“If he’s that freakin’ good, there’s a lot of things you could do,” Maddon said. “If he’s that good, it presents a lot of unique situations.”
Yes, the Cubs will be in on Otani, because any team that can afford the $20 million posting fee would be foolish not to make the recruiting pitch to a two-way player who’s only 23 years old and apparently willing to work for around the major-league minimum ($545,000) next season.
The Cubs want to be known for playing in October on an annual basis and won’t stop after the second straight National League Central title that feels inevitable after this playoff-atmosphere weekend against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.
Otani will be the big name on MLB Trade Rumors this offseason. The Cubs are capped under this collective bargaining agreement and could only offer a maximum $300,000 signing bonus. But if money had been the No. 1 priority, Otani would presumably just wait out Major League Baseball’s system for two more years and cash in with a $200 million megadeal.
“He’s not available right now,” team president Theo Epstein said. “There was a story that came out that said that he would request a post. I’m not going to talk about any player that’s not available.”
New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman was among the group of officials who recently traveled to Sapporo to scout Otani in person. San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy watched Otani highlights on a laptop and told Bay Area reporters: “I absolutely would play him every day.”
“There’s always the exception to the rule,” Maddon said. “I think the day after, the two days after you pitch, maybe not. You’d have to give your arm some kind of breather.
“He’s a perfect fit for an American League team then. When he’s not starting, he DHs. For an American League team to find a player like that — where you don’t have to go spend all that dough on a good DH and get this starting pitcher and a guy that can actually hit — kind of intriguing.
“If he’s that good, you can go National League (rules) when he pitches. If he’s that good, for one day, you would have an extra player on the bench. You could do whatever you want.”
There are a lot of ifs and unknowns with Otani, a low-cost, high-upside option that would fit with just about any team’s vision, from the defending World Series champs, to San Francisco’s rebuild, to the bright lights at Yankee Stadium or Fenway Park or Dodger Stadium.
“On the surface, I would say American League, easy, National League, get creative,” Maddon said. “But if he’s not pitching, you don’t want him like moving his arm that much, even throwing the ball in from the outfield.
“If he’s used to doing it, that might be something different entirely, too.”
The Cubs are loaded with position players and already have a good idea of what their Opening Day lineup could look like through 2021. But next year’s rotation should be dramatically reshaped with Jake Arrieta and John Lackey about to become free agents.
“It’s interesting,” said Maddon, thinking back to his years in player development. “But I think that can be done more in the minor leagues. If you have the DH and you have a young guy with a good arm — but you’re not sure and you see he runs well or he has exceptional pop, something that’s a really exciting offensive tool — let him DH a couple days a week in between his starts.”
Who knows? That pretty much sums up the Otani sweepstakes. The Cubs can sell their built-to-win foundation, iconic Wrigley Field, a world-class city and an international brand that will guarantee off-the-field endorsement money — and wait to see if that would be enough for baseball’s next big thing.
White Sox bats erupt to back Giolito vs. KC.
Chicago's magic number to clinch the NL Central dropped to two over St. Louis, since the Cardinals lost Sunday in Pittsburgh. The Cubs' magic number over the Brewers in the Central is also two, so while the Cubs could knock the Cardinals out of the division race with a win in the series opener between the clubs on Monday, the earliest Chicago could clinch the division would be Tuesday, because the Brewers are off on Monday.
"It will be nice to do it there, I'll just say that," Zobrist said about the Cubs possibly clinching against their rivals in St. Louis. "We have to win the games. It's a big series. This series [against the Brewers], as John Lackey said before the series, 'This is not a small series, boys.' We knew it was a big one here in Milwaukee and it'll be another big one in St. Louis. We intend to clinch there, and I think for a lot of the guys who have been around here for a long time, it'll be very satisfying."
Milwaukee fell to 5 1/2 games behind the Cubs in the division, and two games behind the Rockies for the second NL Wild Card spot.
Quintana, a trade target of the Brewers in July before the White Sox sent him to the Cubs, scattered three singles, two of which didn't get past the infield, and struck out 10 while going the distance on 116 pitches. With one regular-season start to go, he has 202 strikeouts this season.
"That was outstanding," Maddon said of the lefty's outing. "Just from the beginning, you could see he wanted to do something like that today. He kept getting better [as the game progressed], kept hitting his spots."
Quintana and Brewers starter Chase Anderson dueled in a 1-0 game until the seventh, when the Cubs began pulling away. Zobrist connected for a two-run home run off Anderson in the inning and Rizzo ripped a two-run double off Carlos Torres in the eighth to propel the Cubs to their third victory in the four-game series, and their 10th win in 12 games overall.
"[Quintana] was on his game today, and I just did the best I could to match him," said Anderson, who will have to wait to see whether his final regular-season start in St. Louis proves meaningful. "Unfortunately, we couldn't come out with a win."
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Jay takes flight: The Brewers were held without an extra-base hit for the seventh time this season thanks to Cubs outfielder Jon Jay, who robbed Jesus Aguilar of a likely double in the fourth. After scoring from first base on Kris Bryant's double for the game's first run in the top of the frame, Jay laid out for a diving catch of Aguilar's line drive toward the left-field corner to end the bottom of the frame. The Brewers' only hit off Quintana the rest of the way was Keon Broxton's infield single in the fifth.
"To Jon Jay, I say, 'Thank you,'" Quintana said.
"He was a big thorn, for sure," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said of Jay. "He made the defensive play of the game today, for sure. He had a nice series."
Game-breaker: Anderson, making his final home start of the regular season, had retired eight straight batters before Willson Contreras hustled for an infield single leading off the seventh. Zobrist hammered the next pitch, a fastball up in the zone and on the inner half of the plate, sending it 105.9 mph off the bat, according to Statcast™, and 403 feet to the second deck in right field for a 3-0 Cubs lead. It was Zobrist's first homer since Aug. 29 against the Pirates.
"I tried to do the best I could to keep the score within range," Anderson said. "I probably should have gone with a different pitch to Zobrist. He always ambushes with guys on base. To his credit, he put a good swing on it, and that's what you're supposed to do with those pitches. I tried to throw a sinker away and I just cut it on accident. … It kind of went into his swing instead of away from his swing."
"He throws a fastball and I hit a fastball," Zobrist said of Anderson. "He left a few over the middle of the plate today, and I took advantage of them. I was ready and he left it there and I took advantage of it."
QUOTABLE
"It was shaping up to be the same game [as the first three in the series]. … I couldn't be prouder of the way we played. One-hundred percent. It was a good baseball series, man." -- Counsell
"We came to Milwaukee and we knew we were facing a tough team. These games have been tough. Our minds were ready for today. It was a big game. Now we're thinking about tomorrow." -- Contreras
SEEING 20/20
Brewers center fielder Broxton has taken some lumps this season -- he has the highest strikeout rate in the NL, and was briefly demoted to the Minors in July -- but he also added his name to the franchise record books on Sunday when he stole second base in the fifth inning. It made Broxton the eighth different player in Brewers history to hit at least 20 home runs and steal at least 20 bases in a season. The group has combined for 13 such seasons, led by Braun's four.
Seven other Major League players have reached the milestone in 2017, and it's quite a list. Broxton joined Mike Trout, Jose Altuve, Mookie Betts, Wil Myers, Tommy Pham, Elvis Andrus and Brett Gardner in 20/20 territory.
"That's something I've always dreamed about doing," Broxton said. "To accomplish that in the bad season I've had is really uplifting for me. But right now I'm thinking about the whole club."
UPON FURTHER REVIEW
Zobrist's home run was a two-run shot because Contreras had just beat a bouncer along the third-base line for an infield hit. The Brewers' Travis Shaw made a nice barehanded play and threw a one-hopper to first base that was so close the Brewers opted to challenge the safe call. It stood, and Zobrist hammered the next pitch into the seats.
The Cubs have asked Contreras to take it easy running the bases because he injured his right hamstring doing just that and missed one month.
"I knew I was going to be safe on that play, that's why I ran hard," Contreras said. "With it 1-0, I have to run to the bases hard. If we were winning by three or four [runs], I could take it easy."
"From an experienced hamstring puller, it's really incredible to watch," Maddon said of Contreras' quick recovery.
WHAT'S NEXT
Cubs: Jon Lester will open a four-game series against the Cardinals on Monday at Busch Stadium. The lefty is coming off what was described as an awkward start as he struggled with his command against the Rays. He says he's fine physically. This will be his fifth start against the Cardinals this season, and so far, he's 1-1 with a 3.28 ERA. First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. CT.
Brewers: After a day off Monday, Zach Davies and the Brewers begin their final push for a postseason berth with the first of three home games against the Reds, which will be followed by three on the road against the Cardinals. Tuesday's 6:40 p.m. CT series opener against the Reds offers Davies and the Brewers a chance to atone for getting swept in three games at Great American Ball Park earlier this month.
Justin Wilson isn’t running away from big moments with Cubs: ‘I want the ball’.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/AP)
The Cubs have tried to find lower-pressure spots for Justin Wilson to work on things and rebuild his confidence without publicly burying a lefty reliever they specifically targeted before the July 31 trade deadline.
Both manager Joe Maddon and team president Theo Epstein have given Wilson the vote of confidence, though the real test will be whether or not the Cubs actually trust him in the playoffs.
“It’s an open book of communication here,” Wilson said. “We talk. I’ve talked to them and said: ‘Hey, I’m going to get right. I want the ball. I just want to keep getting back out there.’”
Even after All-Star closer Wade Davis blew his first save in more than a year, the Cubs could find big-picture optimism about their bullpen because Wilson got four outs during Saturday’s 4-3 10-inning loss to the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.
“How good was that?” Maddon said. “That’s really something looking forward. He made a nice adjustment out there. It looked really good from the side. If we get that out of him, that could be a huge difference-maker for us.”
That was the idea when the Cubs made Wilson their headliner in the package deal with catcher Alex Avila and reinforced the bullpen for another World Series run. Wilson closed for the Detroit Tigers, notching 13 saves for a bad team, putting up a 2.48 ERA in 42 appearances and shutting down left- and right-handed hitters.
Wilson – who gave up 16 walks in 40.1 innings for Detroit – allowed 16 walks and 17 hits through his first 14.1 innings as a Cub while putting up a 6.28 ERA.
On a smoking 88-degree afternoon and in front of a loud crowd of 44,067, Wilson faced the top four hitters in the Milwaukee lineup and unleashed 17 fastballs in a row, all of them buzzing around 95-97 mph across the seventh and eighth innings. Wilson struck out Eric Sogard and Neil Walker, forced Ryan Braun to fly out to left field and struck out Travis Shaw swinging.
With stuff like that, the magic number to clinch the National League Central title in the low single digits and another week left in the regular season, the Cubs hope Wilson can figure it out and become the late-inning weapon they envisioned.
“Clearly, it hasn’t been the same for me from before the trade,” Wilson said. “I just want to keep pitching.”
After playoff run, Shohei Otani could be the next big thing on Cubs’ radar.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/AP)
Shohei Otani is supposed to be Japan’s Babe Ruth, a potential top-of-the-rotation starter with a 100-mph fastball and a left-handed slugger who hit 22 homers last year for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters. Imagine what kind of mad-scientist moves Cubs manager Joe Maddon could make with a talent like that.
“If he’s that freakin’ good, there’s a lot of things you could do,” Maddon said. “If he’s that good, it presents a lot of unique situations.”
Yes, the Cubs will be in on Otani, because any team that can afford the $20 million posting fee would be foolish not to make the recruiting pitch to a two-way player who’s only 23 years old and apparently willing to work for around the major-league minimum ($545,000) next season.
The Cubs want to be known for playing in October on an annual basis and won’t stop after the second straight National League Central title that feels inevitable after this playoff-atmosphere weekend against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.
Otani will be the big name on MLB Trade Rumors this offseason. The Cubs are capped under this collective bargaining agreement and could only offer a maximum $300,000 signing bonus. But if money had been the No. 1 priority, Otani would presumably just wait out Major League Baseball’s system for two more years and cash in with a $200 million megadeal.
“He’s not available right now,” team president Theo Epstein said. “There was a story that came out that said that he would request a post. I’m not going to talk about any player that’s not available.”
New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman was among the group of officials who recently traveled to Sapporo to scout Otani in person. San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy watched Otani highlights on a laptop and told Bay Area reporters: “I absolutely would play him every day.”
“There’s always the exception to the rule,” Maddon said. “I think the day after, the two days after you pitch, maybe not. You’d have to give your arm some kind of breather.
“He’s a perfect fit for an American League team then. When he’s not starting, he DHs. For an American League team to find a player like that — where you don’t have to go spend all that dough on a good DH and get this starting pitcher and a guy that can actually hit — kind of intriguing.
“If he’s that good, you can go National League (rules) when he pitches. If he’s that good, for one day, you would have an extra player on the bench. You could do whatever you want.”
There are a lot of ifs and unknowns with Otani, a low-cost, high-upside option that would fit with just about any team’s vision, from the defending World Series champs, to San Francisco’s rebuild, to the bright lights at Yankee Stadium or Fenway Park or Dodger Stadium.
“On the surface, I would say American League, easy, National League, get creative,” Maddon said. “But if he’s not pitching, you don’t want him like moving his arm that much, even throwing the ball in from the outfield.
“If he’s used to doing it, that might be something different entirely, too.”
The Cubs are loaded with position players and already have a good idea of what their Opening Day lineup could look like through 2021. But next year’s rotation should be dramatically reshaped with Jake Arrieta and John Lackey about to become free agents.
“It’s interesting,” said Maddon, thinking back to his years in player development. “But I think that can be done more in the minor leagues. If you have the DH and you have a young guy with a good arm — but you’re not sure and you see he runs well or he has exceptional pop, something that’s a really exciting offensive tool — let him DH a couple days a week in between his starts.”
Who knows? That pretty much sums up the Otani sweepstakes. The Cubs can sell their built-to-win foundation, iconic Wrigley Field, a world-class city and an international brand that will guarantee off-the-field endorsement money — and wait to see if that would be enough for baseball’s next big thing.
White Sox bats erupt to back Giolito vs. KC.
(Photo/AP)
Rookie right-hander Lucas Giolito threw seven innings of one-run ball and Avisail Garcia homered and drove in three runs as the White Sox beat the Royals, 8-1, on Sunday at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Giolito gave up five hits, walked none and struck out five.
"We just couldn't generate any offense off him," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "He was good. We've been swinging the bats good but couldn't get anything going. He shut us down."
"I felt pretty good. I felt like I commanded my fastball pretty well," Giolito said. "I'd say that it was just on the mental side, feeling very comfortable pounding the strike zone because the defense from the get-go was just spectacular behind me today."
Outfielder Lorenzo Cain's fourth-inning home run was the Royals' lone run behind starter Ian Kennedy, who gave up seven hits and five runs over 5 1/3 innings.
"The [performance] didn't reflect what the stat line shows," Kennedy said. "I felt like my fastball was good. I made that one mistake with the slider, to [White Sox catcher Kevan] Smith. But just frustrating, because I felt better than the results."
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Garcia goes oppo: Garcia got the White Sox going quickly in the first inning. After Yoan Moncada doubled with one out, Garcia hit a Kennedy fastball hard the other way, a two-run shot. The homer had a 107-mph exit velocity, according to Statcast™, with an estimated distance of 404 feet. It was Garcia's 18th home run this season and his three RBIs moved him to 80 overall for the first time in his career.
"We always set goals. We set goals and I'm grateful that God give me the opportunity to be who I am now," Garcia said. "I'm just thankful and I got to keep the same, the same routine, the same everything, and work hard every day, every year, every month so I can bring the best for my team."
Smith goes deep, too: White Sox catcher Kevan Smith ended a streak of nine consecutive batters retired by Kennedy when he took a breaking ball and drilled it into the left-field seats in the fourth inning. Statcast™ estimated that the ball traveled 411 feet. It was Smith's fourth home run this season and it gave the White Sox a 3-1 lead.
QUOTABLE
"I'd say that just the confidence and everything is right where it needs to be so I'm going to continue to try and pitch like I am."-- Giolito
WHAT'S NEXT
Royals: Right-hander Jakob Junis (8-2, 4.05 ERA) takes the mound for the Royals in a makeup game at Yankee Stadium on Monday at 12:05 p.m. CT. Junis went 6 1/3 innings Wednesday and gave up two earned runs in a 15-5 win over Toronto.
White Sox: The final home series of the '17 season for the White Sox begins with James Shields (4-7, 5.40) on the mound with a 7:10 p.m. CT first pitch against the Angels Monday. Shields makes his 21st start of the season and 11th at home.
Conditioned for success: Avisail Garcia vows to work even harder in offseason after breakout campaign.
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/USA TODAY)
When searching for why Avisail Garcia has had sustained success this season, you can’t overlook his fitter frame.
The White Sox outfielder entered a breakout 2017 season approximately 18 pounds lighter than he was a year ago. Garcia, who’s hitting .331, doubled, homered and drove in three runs as the White Sox topped the Kansas City Royals 8-1 at Guaranteed Rate Field on Sunday afternoon. Given the way he has performed this season, the first-time All-Star said he plans to work even harder this offseason.
“One hundred percent (better),” Garcia said. “I want to keep losing a little bit more. I want to feel way better next year.”
Garcia has provided the White Sox with a boatload of feel-good moments this season. He cut down two base runners in Friday night’s wild victory over the Royals, including on the final play of the game. Overall, Garcia has felt a difference in the field and it’s shown up in his defensive numbers. He headed into Sunday worth 2 Defensive Runs Saved after he finished the 2015 season at minus-11.
But even more of Garcia’s production has come at the plate, where he reached the 80-RBI mark on Sunday. He followed a one-out Yoan Moncada double off Ian Kennedy in the first inning with an opposite-field blast to right field, Garcia’s 18th homer.
Six innings later, Garcia doubled in a run. He’s hitting .331/.379/.504 on the season and entered Sunday worth 3.5 f-Wins Above Replacement.
“It seems likes he’s always finding barrel and like, man, that’s impressive to go up there, have disciplined at-bats and consistently get the barrel of the bat to the ball,” pitcher Lucas Giolito said.
Garcia’s play has offered him more encouragement to continue his efforts. Though he was adamant at the All-Star Game he wanted to duplicate his first-half efforts, Garcia suffered a series of injuries that bothered him throughout July. But he’s found comfort at the plate once again and knows how important a role his improved conditioning has played.
“The offseason, I have to do the same even harder,” Garcia said. “I want to do my best every year so now I have the ability to be here and trying to help my team. Just have to keep working.”
The White Sox outfielder entered a breakout 2017 season approximately 18 pounds lighter than he was a year ago. Garcia, who’s hitting .331, doubled, homered and drove in three runs as the White Sox topped the Kansas City Royals 8-1 at Guaranteed Rate Field on Sunday afternoon. Given the way he has performed this season, the first-time All-Star said he plans to work even harder this offseason.
“One hundred percent (better),” Garcia said. “I want to keep losing a little bit more. I want to feel way better next year.”
Garcia has provided the White Sox with a boatload of feel-good moments this season. He cut down two base runners in Friday night’s wild victory over the Royals, including on the final play of the game. Overall, Garcia has felt a difference in the field and it’s shown up in his defensive numbers. He headed into Sunday worth 2 Defensive Runs Saved after he finished the 2015 season at minus-11.
But even more of Garcia’s production has come at the plate, where he reached the 80-RBI mark on Sunday. He followed a one-out Yoan Moncada double off Ian Kennedy in the first inning with an opposite-field blast to right field, Garcia’s 18th homer.
Six innings later, Garcia doubled in a run. He’s hitting .331/.379/.504 on the season and entered Sunday worth 3.5 f-Wins Above Replacement.
“It seems likes he’s always finding barrel and like, man, that’s impressive to go up there, have disciplined at-bats and consistently get the barrel of the bat to the ball,” pitcher Lucas Giolito said.
Garcia’s play has offered him more encouragement to continue his efforts. Though he was adamant at the All-Star Game he wanted to duplicate his first-half efforts, Garcia suffered a series of injuries that bothered him throughout July. But he’s found comfort at the plate once again and knows how important a role his improved conditioning has played.
“The offseason, I have to do the same even harder,” Garcia said. “I want to do my best every year so now I have the ability to be here and trying to help my team. Just have to keep working.”
Joining Hall-of-Fame company the latest feat for Jose Abreu, White Sox model of consistency.
By Vinnie Duber
By Vinnie Duber
(Photo/USA TODAY)
Just how valuable is Jose Abreu to the White Sox?
Well, whenever you join Albert Pujols and Joe DiMaggio as the only baseball players ever to do something, you must be pretty darn valuable.
Abreu joined that elite company Saturday night, driving in both runs in the White Sox forgettable 8-2 loss to the visiting Kansas City Royals. Those RBIs brought his total to 100 on the season, making him the third major leaguer ever to hit at least 25 homers and drive in at least 100 runs in his first four seasons.
“Every year after a season I meet with my family and we review my season and my stats. Last year when we had the meeting, I told them next year I’m gonna hit 30 homers, I’m gonna drive in at least 100 and I did it,” Abreu said through an interpreter. “I was able to do it and that’s something that made me feel proud of myself and proud of my family, too, because they have been the ones who have been supported me through my whole career."
Abreu’s known as an extremely hard worker, a template to follow for many if not all of the youngsters coming up as the future stars of the White Sox rebuild. And so it makes this moment all the sweeter for him and those around him.
“It is especially important not just for me but for my family and my team,” Abreu said. “I think that this is a reward for the effort and all the work you put in for preparation for your season. It’s special when you get this kind of result and consistency in your stats. But the most important thing is it’s a reward for my family. And this organization, maybe we are not in the position we want to be right now as a team, but I know that better times are to come.”
“He works extremely hard,” manager Rick Renteria said. “I think everybody was feeling it for him tonight. He’s been pushing. He fouled a ball off of his left shin the other day, and you see him kind of gimping around there. … He’s not one to do anything to deter from continuing to help the team win first and foremost, but along the way he’s able to collect some individual merit points, so to speak. And put himself in a very special class.”
The big question surrounding Abreu isn’t whether he’s worthy of being the leader the young White Sox of the future need to turn rebuilding mode into contending mode a few years down the line. The question is whether he’ll still be around by then. His final year of arbitration is 2019, meaning if the White Sox are looking at 2020 as the year of true contention, it will take a new contract to keep Abreu in town.
A few things factor into that, of course. No. 1, Abreu could continue this consistently terrific pace and be lured away by another team willing to spend more to acquire his services. No. 2, though, is his age. He’ll be 33 years old when the 2020 season starts, and while that’s not old by most standards, it means he’ll demand a big contract — and likely a lengthy one — as he reaches the latter part of his prime. It’s not to suggest Abreu will dramatically slow down in terms of production, but it will most definitely be under consideration as the White Sox look to keep their window of contention open as long as possible.
For what it’s worth, Abreu is constantly thanking the White Sox organization for the opportunity to do what he’s done over the past four seasons, and he’s said how much he wants to keep playing for this franchise.
What is of no question, however, is Abreu’s worth as a top-of-the-line offensive player. His totals with a week’s worth of games left in the 2017 season: 31 homers, 100 RBIs and a .305/.356/.551 slash line. All those percentages would be his highest since his outstanding rookie season in 2014.
And his worth as a leader, as a guy who could be a rallying point for all these young players, that’s pretty darn valuable, too.
“I haven’t (tonight) made light of what I believe he’s becoming as part of this organization and what he is as far as what he does for the team,” Renteria said. “You got a couple of young men in there that are growing up and becoming a part of what I believe are leaders within that clubhouse. And he’s one of them. He’s certainly deserves it. He’s earned it. He’s worked for it. He’s been in this organization since the inception of his major league career. He’s someone that we all are happy is a part of us.”
Golf: I got a club for that..... Thomas wins FedExCup; Schauffele wins Tour Championship.
By Will Gray
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
For the first time since 2009, there was a hardware split at the season finale. Here's how things ended up at the Tour Championship, where rookie Xander Schauffele won the tournament but Justin Thomas claimed the FedExCup:
Leaderboard: Xander Schauffele (-12), Justin Thomas (-11), Russell Henley (-10), Kevin Kisner (-10)
What it means: Schauffele put a cap on a standout rookie season by erasing a two-shot deficit in the final round at East Lake. A winner earlier this season at The Greenbrier Classic, he now becomes the first rookie to win twice since Keegan Bradley in 2011. Schauffele's 72nd-hole birdie edged him past Thomas, but Thomas' consolation prize came in the form of the $10 million check for winning the season-long race. After a year that included five wins and a major, Thomas started the week at No. 2 in the points race and easily moved past Jordan Spieth, who tied for seventh.
Leaderboard: Xander Schauffele (-12), Justin Thomas (-11), Russell Henley (-10), Kevin Kisner (-10)
What it means: Schauffele put a cap on a standout rookie season by erasing a two-shot deficit in the final round at East Lake. A winner earlier this season at The Greenbrier Classic, he now becomes the first rookie to win twice since Keegan Bradley in 2011. Schauffele's 72nd-hole birdie edged him past Thomas, but Thomas' consolation prize came in the form of the $10 million check for winning the season-long race. After a year that included five wins and a major, Thomas started the week at No. 2 in the points race and easily moved past Jordan Spieth, who tied for seventh.
Best of the rest: Thomas started the week with the inside track on Player of the Year honors, and he put it on ice with a final-round 66. Thomas made five birdies against just one bogey and after contending all week long finished alone in second place. While a win would have clinched the FedExCup, the final standings left him well in front of Spieth and Schauffele, who finished the season in third.
Biggest disappointment: The victory drought continues for Paul Casey. The Englishman appeared poised to win his first tournament in the U.S. since 2009, but he didn't make a single birdie until the final hole of the day. By then it was too late, as a 3-over 73 dropped Casey from sole possession of the lead into fifth place, three shots behind Schauffele.
Shot of the day: A 3-foot putt is usually old hat for a Tour pro, but things can get interesting when the stakes are raised. Schauffele was in close range for a title-clinching birdie that caught the left edge of the hole and dropped, sealing his second win of the year and eliciting a deep sigh from the winner.
Final FedExCup standings: Thomas tops Spieth.
By Golf Channel Digital
Xander Schauffele won the Tour Championship on Sunday, but Justin Thomas finished second and topped Jordan Spieth for the FedExCup title and a $10 million bonus.
| Players | Final Standing | Entering Tour Champ. | FedExCup Bonus |
| Justin Thomas | 1 | 2 | $10 million |
| Jordan Spieth | 2 | 1 | $3 million |
| Xander Schauffele | 3 | 26 | $2 million |
| Dustin Johnson | 4 | 3 | $1.5 million |
| Jon Rahm | 5 | 5 | $1 million |
| Marc Leishman | 6 | 4 | $800,000 |
| Rickie Fowler | 7 | 6 | $700,000 |
| Hideki Matsuyama | 8 | 7 | $600,000 |
| Justin Rose | 9 | 8 | $550,000 |
| Brooks Koepka | 10 | 9 | $500,000 |
| Paul Casey | 11 | 10 | $300,000 |
| Kevin Kisner | 12 | 18 | $290,000 |
| Russell Henley | 13 | 27 | $280,000 |
| Matt Kuchar | 14 | 12 | $270,000 |
| Pat Perez | 15 | 11 | $250,000 |
| Daniel Berger | 16 | 14 | $245,000 |
| Webb Simpson | 17 | 16 | $240,000 |
| Jason Day | 18 | 15 | $235,000 |
| Tony Finau | 19 | 24 | $230,000 |
| Charley Hoffman | 20 | 13 | $225,000 |
| Sergio Garcia | 21 | 25 | $220,000 |
| Patrick Reed | 22 | 23 | $215,000 |
| Jhonattan Vegas | 23 | 17 | $210,000 |
| Kyle Stanley | 24 | 22 | $205,000 |
| Brian Harman | 25 | 20 | $200,000 |
| Adam Hadwin | 26 | 21 | $195,000 |
| Kevin Chappell | 27 | 19 | $190,000 |
| Gary Woodland | 28 | 28 | $185,000 |
| Patrick Cantlay | 29 | 29 | $180,000 |
| Jason Dufner | 30 | 30 | $175,000 |
Langer cruises to Champions title at Pebble Beach.
By Associated Press
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
Bernhard Langer pulled away with three straight birdies on the back nine at Pebble Beach and cruised to a three-shot victory at the PURE Insurance Championship, his fifth victory of the year and the 34th of his PGA Tour Champions career.
The German star had never won at the iconic seaside venue on the Monterey Peninsula. It was also his first win since turning 60 last month. He earned $300,000 to push his season earnings to near $3 million and extend his lead over Scott McCarron on the Charles Schwab Cup money list as he seeks his ninth money title in 10 seasons.
Langer closed with a 67 for a three-day total of 198 at the pro-am event, which pairs professionals with junior golfers from the First Tee program and is contested at Pebble Beach and Poppy Hills. He and his partner also won the pro-am competition.
Jerry Kelly pulled even with Langer by making eagle on the par-5 sixth hole and again with a birdie at the par-3 12th. Langer then took command with birdies on 13, 14 and 15. Kelly closed with six straight pars for a 67 to finish alone in second.
Langer's victories this year include three of the five senior majors. His win total trails only Hale Irwin's 45.
Lindheim wins Web.com playoff to regain Tour card.
By Associated Press
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
Nicholas Lindheim made a downhill, 35-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole after bogeying the final two holes in regulation and won the DAP Championship on Sunday to regain his PGA Tour card.
Lindheim, who lost in a playoff in this Web.com Tour Finals event last year, hit every green in regulation on the front nine and held the lead from the third hole on. But he missed his tee shot well left on the par-4 18th at Canterbury Golf Club, punched out and failed to get up and down. He shot a 1-over 71 to join Rob Oppenheim (67) and Chesson Hadley (69) in the playoff.
Given a fresh start, the 32-year-old self-taught player quickly capitalized.
''I think last year I was just content being in the playoff,'' Lindheim said. ''It was destiny. That's all I can say.''
The event was the third of four tournaments that determine 25 PGA Tour cards. The series features the top 75 players from the Web.com regular-season money list, Nos. 126-200 in the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup standings and non-members with enough money to place in the top 200 in the FedEx Cup had they been eligible.
The good news for Lindheim was that merely getting into the playoff was enough to earn his PGA Tour card after he finished 197th in the FedEx Cup in his rookie season.
''Winning on this golf course proves to me that I have what it takes to play some very good golf courses. I didn't really prove that this year,'' Lindheim said. ''I got my butt beat in pretty hard, but I hope that I can feed off of this and know that I can play championship-venue golf.''
Hadley, who won last week in Boise, Idaho, took a commanding lead atop the combined money list from the Web.com Tour regular season and Finals, earning fully exempt status on the PGA Tour and a spot in the Players Championship. He has won $295,000 in the three Finals events and leads Peter Uihlein by $109,000, and he's guaranteed to win at least one of the two money lists.
''That's awesome. That's huge,'' Hadley said. ''I'm fully exempt out there, and it allows me to take weeks off.''
Oppenheim also got his card back after finishing just outside the top 25 on the Web.com Tour regular-season money list.
As usual, much of the drama came further down the leaderboard as players scrambled to secure their cards.
The other players to guarantee themselves PGA Tour privileges were Keith Mitchell, Troy Merritt, Martin Piller, Corey Conners, Brett Stegmaier, Denny McCarthy, Bronson Burgoon and Joel Dahmen. Mitchell finished 26th on the regular season money list and missed his card by one shot.
''I know we've got one more tournament, but it's such a weight off my shoulders going into that week and the rest of the year,'' Mitchell said.
Zac Blair, who finished 126th in the FedEx Cup and came within one stroke of retaining his PGA Tour card, is on the bubble again. He bogeyed the 17th hole to shoot 71 and heads into next week's Web.com Tour Championship at 26th on the Finals list.
Knowing what was at stake, Steve Wheatcroft kicked his golf bag in anger after a poor shot from a fairway bunker on 18. He ended up saving par to shoot 70 and is 23rd in the standings.
Kyle Busch wins New Hampshire playoff race from pole.
By Daniel McFadin
(Photo/www.racingjunk.com)
Kyle Busch fended off the field through three restarts in the final 33 laps to win the NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway from the pole.
The win is Busch’s third of the season and advances him to the second round of the playoffs.
Busch led 187 of the race’s 300 laps to beat Kyle Larson, Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex Jr.
“All in all a great day,” Busch told NBCSN. “This thing was awesome. We ran upfront all day long. We executed, we did a good job, we did what we were supposed to do. It’s awesome to win in the Granite State in front of all of these fans.”
Busch was in position to win after avoiding a last-lap crash in Stage 2 that involved multiple playoff cars, including Truex, Kurt Busch and Kevin Harvick.
It is Busch’s third win at New Hampshire and his first since 2015.
STAGE 1 WINNER: Martin Truex Jr.
STAGE 2 WINNER: Kyle Busch
WHO HAD A GOOD DAY: Kyle Larson finished second in both New Hampshire races this year. … Matt Kenseth earned his third top-three finish this year and his eighth top five. … Joey Logano finished 10th after starting last and receiving a pit penalty mid-race. … Brad Keselowski’s top five is his first in the last seven races.
WHO HAD A BAD DAY: Playoff drivers Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch were eliminated after the multi-car crash on the last lap of Stage 2. Harvick finished 36th and Kurt Busch finished 37th. … Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 34th after being in the Stage 2 accident and later losing a left rear tire with about 85 laps to go. … David Ragan and Trevor Bayne caused cautions on consecutive restarts for single-car accidents. Ragan finished 29th, Bayne placed 24th. … Kasey Kahne finished 35th after a track bar broke on his No. 5 Chevrolet.
NOTABLE: Kyle Larson finished second for the eighth time this season. … Larson and Brad Keselowski clinched their way into the second round of the playoffs based on points. … With his 41st Cup win, Kyle Busch broke a tie with Mark Martin for 17th in all-time. … Clint Bowyer has one unsecured lug nut in post-race inspection.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “That was pretty intense. That was some Days of Thunder stuff over there. You couldn’t see anything. It was just a wall of smoke over there off of Turn 2. I listened to the spotter and was basically told to stop and I thought ‘that sounds like a good idea.'” – Kyle Busch describing the wreck on the last lap of Stage 2 he avoided, setting up his win.
NEXT: Delaware 400 at Dover International Speedway at 2 p.m. ET on Oct. 1 on NBCSN.
NASCAR Cup standings after Loudon: 4 drivers locked into second round.
By Jerry Bonkowski
Four drivers emerged from Sunday’s ISM Connect 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with a bit of pressure taken off their shoulders.
In addition to race winner Kyle Busch and last week’s winner, Martin Truex Jr., Sunday runner-up Kyle Larson and fourth-place finisher Brad Keselowski are all locked into the second round of the NASCAR Cup playoffs, also known as the Round of 12.
That means no matter what happens at Dover International Speedway next Sunday, those four will have automatic berths in the second round.
Drivers in the first round that need strong results at Dover to advance — or run the risk of being eliminated if they don’t — are Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (12th place), Austin Dillon (13th), Ryan Newman (14th), Kurt Busch (15th) and Kasey Kahne (16th).
Following Sunday’s race, Martin Truex Jr. remains No. 1 in the standings, holding a 24-point lead over Larson, a 30-point edge over Kyle Busch, 43 points ahead of Brad Keselowski, 61 points ahead of Denny Hamlin and 62 points ahead of Matt Kenseth.
Click here for the full NASCAR Cup standings after Sunday’s race at New Hampshire.
Tyler Reddick wins playoff opener at Kentucky for first career Xfinity victory.
By Daniel McFadin
(Photo/accesswdun.com)
Tyler Reddick, a part-time driver for Chip Ganassi Racing, led 66 laps to win the Xfinity Series playoff opener at Kentucky Speedway.
In his rookie year in the series, Reddick earned the win in his 15th start in the No. 42 Chevrolet.
The 21-year-old driver beat teammate Brennan Poole, Justin Allgaier, Ryan Preece and Cole Custer.
“I don’t know if it was necessarily me making a statement, it’s just Chip Ganassi Racing making a statement,” Reddick told NBCSN. “(Crew chief) Mike Shiplett has brought me from ground zero all the way to here. All the guys at Ganassi have gone above and beyond in helping me become a better driver. To be here today is surreal.”
Reddick, who had not led a lap before Saturday night, took the lead for the first time on Lap 126 of the 200-lap race.
Reddick is the fourth Xfinity driver to get his first win this season.
Saturday’s win comes after it was announced on Sept. 14 that Reddick would join JR Motorsports full-time in 2018.
STAGE 1 WINNER: Cole Custer
STAGE 2 WINNER: Cole Custer
In his rookie year in the series, Reddick earned the win in his 15th start in the No. 42 Chevrolet.
The 21-year-old driver beat teammate Brennan Poole, Justin Allgaier, Ryan Preece and Cole Custer.
“I don’t know if it was necessarily me making a statement, it’s just Chip Ganassi Racing making a statement,” Reddick told NBCSN. “(Crew chief) Mike Shiplett has brought me from ground zero all the way to here. All the guys at Ganassi have gone above and beyond in helping me become a better driver. To be here today is surreal.”
Reddick, who had not led a lap before Saturday night, took the lead for the first time on Lap 126 of the 200-lap race.
Reddick is the fourth Xfinity driver to get his first win this season.
Saturday’s win comes after it was announced on Sept. 14 that Reddick would join JR Motorsports full-time in 2018.
STAGE 1 WINNER: Cole Custer
STAGE 2 WINNER: Cole Custer
WHO HAD A GOOD NIGHT: Justin Allgaier bounced back from losing a tire and going two laps down to finish third. He leaves Kentucky tied with Cole Custer at the top of the playoff standings. … Brennan Poole’s runner-up finish is a career-best result in 77 starts … Ryan Preece has finished in the top four in all three of his starts for Joe Gibbs Racing. … Ryan Reed finished 10th, ending an eight-race streak without a top 10.
WHO HAD A BAD NIGHT: Sam Hornish Jr. finished 31st, nine laps down after contact with Brandon Jones on Lap 53 caused him to hit the wall at the exit of Turn 2, forcing him to pit for repairs. … William Byron finished 18th, two laps down after he was forced to pit on Lap 101 for a loose wheel.
NOTABLE: The No. 2 of Ben Kennedy failed rear heights in post-race inspection. … Reddick is the seventh different driver to win in the last seven races this season. … Reddick is the seventh different winner in the last eight races at Kentucky.
QUOTE OF THE NIGHT: “I was about the color of my car (red) there for a little bit.” – Justin Allgaier after finishing third following a rebound from going two laps down early in the race.
NEXT: Drive Sober 200 at Dover International Speedway at 3 p.m. ET on Sept. 30 on NBCSN.
Justin Allgaier, Cole Custer tied at top of Xfinity playoff standings.
By Daniel McFadin
Justin Allgaier and Cole Custer are tied for the top spot in the Xfinity playoff standings after the playoff opener at Kentucky Speedway.
Each driver has 2,057 points.
Allgaier finished third after bouncing back from losing a tire on Lap 19 and going two laps down. He was two laps down for 27 laps and one lap down for 30 before getting back on the lead lap.
Custer, who finished fifth, won the first two stages of the race, earning two playoff points in the process.
The top five in points are Allgaier, Custer, Elliott Sadler (-2), Daniel Hemric (-5) and William Byron (-6).
Click here for the points standings.
By Daniel McFadin
Justin Allgaier and Cole Custer are tied for the top spot in the Xfinity playoff standings after the playoff opener at Kentucky Speedway.
Each driver has 2,057 points.
Allgaier finished third after bouncing back from losing a tire on Lap 19 and going two laps down. He was two laps down for 27 laps and one lap down for 30 before getting back on the lead lap.
Custer, who finished fifth, won the first two stages of the race, earning two playoff points in the process.
The top five in points are Allgaier, Custer, Elliott Sadler (-2), Daniel Hemric (-5) and William Byron (-6).
Click here for the points standings.
Christopher Bell opens Truck playoffs by winning at New Hampshire.
(Photo/Getty Images)
Christopher Bell passed Ryan Truex for the lead with 16 laps left and went on to win the opening NASCAR Camping World Truck Series playoff race Saturday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
The victory is the fifth of the season for Bell, the regular-season champion, and advances him to the second round. Bell, who started second, also won both stages Saturday.
“Now we can be more aggressive at Vegas and especially at Talladega and try to win the race,” Bell said of the next two races in the opening round of the playoffs.
Truex finished second to tie his career-best finish. Todd Gilliland placed a career-best third, overcoming a penalty for running over pit equipment early in the 175-lap race. Grant Enfinger was fourth. Stewart Friesen completed the top five. Four of the top five spots were taken by non-playoff drivers.
Defending series champion Johnny Sauter finished ninth. He was running seventh when he was struck in the passenger side door by a spinning Noah Gragson on Lap 64 and fought the truck’s handling after that.
“From there, it was try to fix it as best we could,” Sauter said. “Tailpipes were missing. You can’t compete at that level with that kind of damage. We’re just lucky it wasn’t something major. It could have been a spindle or a right front suspension.”
STAGE 1 WINNER: Christopher Bell
STAGE 2 WINNER: Christopher Bell
HOW CHRISTOPHER BELL WON: He simply had the best truck. After battling Ryan Truex for the lead late, Bell pulled away for the easy win.
WHO HAD A GOOD DAY: Runner-up Ryan Truex scored his fifth top-five finish in the last six races. … Todd Gilliland, making his fourth career series start, finished a career-best third. … Grant Enfinger placed fourth to record his second consecutive top-five finish. … After Christopher Bell, Matt Crafton was the next highest-finishing playoff driver. Crafton placed sixth.
WHO HAD A BAD DAY: John Hunter Nemechek started 14th (worst among playoff drivers) and went to the garage on Lap 44 for a gear change. He lost more than 30 laps for repairs and finished 20th. … Pole-sitter Noah Gragson led 40 laps before spinning and suffering damage when he hit Johnny Sauter’s truck. Gragson finished 15th in the 29-truck field.
NOTABLE: This marked the first time in the last six Truck races at New Hampshire that the pole winner didn’t win the race.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “It’s an honor to drive for you guys,’’ Christopher Bell told his Kyle Busch Motorsports team on the radio.
NEXT: Saturday, Sept. 30 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (8:30 p.m. ET on FS1)
Camping World Truck Series points after New Hampshire.
By Dustin Long
Christopher Bell advanced to the second round of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series playoffs after his win Saturday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Christopher Bell advanced to the second round of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series playoffs after his win Saturday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Two drivers will be eliminated after the second round, which ends after races at Las Vegas and Talladega.
Kaz Grala sits on the sixth and final transfer spot. He has a three-point lead on Chase Briscoe and a seven-point lead on John Hunter Nemechek.
Click here for points report
SOCCER: With tougher games awaiting, Fire miss opportunity to gain ground in standings.
By Dan Santaromita
(Photo/USA TODAY)
Saturday got off to a good start for the Fire with New York City FC drawing at home, but the Fire were unable to gain ground in the race for second place in the Eastern Conference.
Not only did the Fire fail to gain ground, they lost ground. Philadelphia smashed the Fire 3-1 on Saturday at Talen Energy Stadium, leaving the Fire four points behind NYCFC for second and vulnerable to the chasing pack. Atlanta can pass the Fire for third place with a win against Montreal on Sunday, and still would have a game in hand.
Things don’t get any easier for the Fire with a trip at San Jose coming up on Wednesday. The Earthquakes are in the thick of the playoff race in the Western Conference and have one home loss this season.
While Philadelphia has won a majority of its home matches this season, it was the easiest of the three remaining road games on the Fire’s schedule. In addition to the trip to San Jose, the Fire close the regular season at Houston, another team in the playoff hunt that has just one home loss this year.
So Saturday wasn’t such a good day for the Fire.
The game marked the first start for defender Joao Meira since Aug. 16, but midfielders Bastian Schweinsteiger and Juninho missed once again. This was the third straight game Schweinsteiger missed and two straight for Juninho.
Philadelphia took the lead on a Chris Pontius header in the 10th minute and added goals in the second half by Pontius and C.J. Sapong to secure a three-goal lead. Luis Solignac, who came off the bench to replace David Accam in the 60th minute, provided the Fire with a consolation goal, but there wasn’t another to make things interesting in the final minutes.
With four games left in the regular season, the Fire have a pair of tricky games coming up with that trip to San Jose before a big one at home against NYCFC.
Premier League Preview: Arsenal vs. West Bromwich Albion.
By Nicholas Mendola
WATCH LIVE, ONLINE AT 3 P.M. ET MONDAY HERE
The Gunners have just seven points through five matches, but have claimed four of the last six available including a scoreless draw against Chelsea.
West Brom have one more point, but have dipped in form after a red-hot start. The Baggies have one point in their last three Premier League outings.
What they’re saying
Arsene Wenger on choosing his front three: “First of all, the fact that they can compliment each other well. You need to have the potential to be strong on counter-attacks, potential to be strong to get in behind defenders, potential to combine with each other as well. All these kinds of ingredients come into your mind and the whole thing has to be well-balanced.”
Tony Pulis on his luck against Arsenal: “I’ve got a great record against them at home for whichever clubs I’ve managed in the Premier League – but I must admit the record at their stadium is the opposite. It would be nice to change that. It will be a real, real tough game but the players should take some confidence into it after their performance against Manchester City.”
Prediction
The Gunners seem to be coming around to form, even with some injuries and absences. A win puts them within striking distance of the Top Four, and the Gunners shouldn’t have too much of a problem making that happen at home with a 3-1 win.
Premier League roundup: Goals galore on wild Saturday.
By Nicholas Mendola
The goals started early and kept on coming as four Premier League title chasers won on the road and a fifth buried a visitor on Saturday.
West Ham United 2-3 Tottenham Hotspur — RECAP
Harry Kane scored a pair of goals and Christian Eriksen also scored for Spurs, whose 3-0 lead was jeopardized by a red card to Serge Aurier.
Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez made it 3-1 before the sending off, and Cheikhou Kouyate lowered the deficit to one only to see Spurs hold on for the win.
Stoke City 0-4 Chelsea — RECAP
Alvaro Morata’s hat trick propelled Chelsea into the Top Three, and the Spaniard was very good in bagging his three goals. Pedro also scored for Chelsea, who moves to 13 points.
Leicester City 2-3 Liverpool — RECAP
With Liverpool this season, it certainly hasn’t been easy but it’s often entertaining. The Reds had 2-0 and 3-1 leads, the first through a fantastic Philippe Coutinho free kick, but needed a Simon Mignolet stop of a Jamie Vardy penalty kick to hold on for all three points.
Everton 2-1 Bournemouth — RECAP
Joshua King‘s opener had the Cherries dreaming of a second victory and Ronald Koeman likely wondering about his job, but Oumar Niasse — yep — scored a pair of second half goals to give Everton a much-needed win.
Burnley 0-0 Huddersfield Town — RECAP
The surprising top half teams split the points despite five total shots on target.
Swansea City 1-2 Watford — RECAP
Tammy Abraham‘s equalizer had the Liberty Stadium hopeful of at least a point, but Richarlison joined Andre Gray on the score sheet as Marco Silva‘s men rebounded nicely from their blowout at the hands of Manchester City.
Southampton 0-1 Manchester United — RECAP
Don’t give the big Belgian two bites at the apple. Romelu Lukaku scored off his own rebound after Ashley Young sent in an early cross at St. Mary’s, then United held on through Jose Mourinho’s sending off to top Saints.
Manchester City 5-0 Crystal Palace — RECAP
Leroy Sane and Kevin De Bruyne played a game of “Can you top this?” with service to their teammates, and Sane also scored as Man City clobbered struggling Palace to doom the Eagles to a Premier League-worst (ever) six matches without a goal to start the season. Raheem Sterling had two of City’s goals, with Sergio Aguero and Fabian Delph also netting markers.
SOCCER: Bundesliga: Leverkusen throttle HSV; Hannover remain unbeaten
By Associated Press
(Photo/Marius Becker/dpa via AP)
Three days after being cleared to play by FIFA, Argentine striker Lucas Alario scored one goal and set up another on his debut for Bayer Leverkusen to beat Hamburger SV 3-0 in the Bundesliga on Sunday.
Alario struck midway through the first half, converting a cross from Leon Bailey, who also set up Kevin Volland’s opening goal just three minutes before.
A moment of class from Julian Brandt sent Alario through with less than 10 minutes remaining, and the Argentine had the awareness to spot the better-positioned Volland to seal the win.
“The goal is the cream on top. He played very well, scored the goal and combined with others. He worked well coming back and his first goal wasn’t so easy to score,” Leverkusen coach Heiko Herrlich said.
Alario’s first appearance for Leverkusen was held up when previous club River Plate objected to his transfer through the Argentine soccer association (AFA), which denied his playing rights.
The Buenos Aires-based club contended that Alario’s transfer was invalid as Leverkusen paid his release clause of $28.6 million on Aug. 31, after the Argentine season began, which it said was against FIFA rules.
Leverkusen then took the case to FIFA, which ruled in its favor on Thursday.
Leverkusen’s second win in six games eased the pressure on new coach Herrlich after a difficult start.
Counterpart Markus Gisdol remains in need of a change in fortune, however, after four straight defeats. Hamburg next faces Werder Bremen, Mainz and Bayern Munich.
********************
Cologne fought its way to its first point in a 0-0 draw at promoted Hannover after starting the Bundesliga with five straight defeats.
Now the last-place side hopes it can build on the point.
“The luck will come back and the chances we had today will go in,” Cologne goalkeeper Timo Horn said. “We’ll start winning the games again. But the precondition was this performance that we delivered today.”
Peter Stoeger’s side, which has scored only one goal all season, hasn’t netted in its last four league games. That highlighted the extent to which Cologne relied on French striker Anthony Modeste, sold in the offseason in a big-money move to Chinese side Tianjin Quanjian.
Modeste scored 25 Bundesliga goals for Cologne last season. His replacement, former Mainz striker Jhon Cordoba, is yet to score in six games.
“We all have to be satisfied with the draw,” said Hannover general manager Horst Heldt, whose fourth-place side remains one of three unbeaten in the Bundesliga this season.
Hannover coach Andre Breitenreiter remained unbeaten in 15 games across two divisions.
Hannover coach Andre Breitenreiter remained unbeaten in 15 games across two divisions.
NCAAFB: 2017 NCAA FBS Football Rankings, 09/25//2017.
AP
RANK
|
SCHOOL
|
POINTS
|
RECORD
|
PREVIOUS
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama (52) | 1,515 | 4-0 | 1 |
| 2 | Clemson (8) | 1,458 | 4-0 | 2 |
| 3 | Oklahoma (1) | 1,397 | 4-0 | 3 |
| 4 | Penn State | 1,304 | 4-0 | 4 |
| 5 | USC | 1,247 | 4-0 | 5 |
| 6 | Washington | 1,188 | 4-0 | 7 |
| 7 | Georgia | 1,136 | 4-0 | 11 |
| 8 | Michigan | 1,088 | 4-0 | 8 |
| 9 | TCU | 1,028 | 4-0 | 16 |
| 10 | Wisconsin | 1,023 | 3-0 | 9 |
| 11 | Ohio State | 1,016 | 3-1 | 10 |
| 12 | Virginia Tech | 828 | 4-0 | 13 |
| 13 | Auburn | 701 | 3-1 | 15 |
| 14 | Miami (Fla.) | 693 | 2-0 | 14 |
| 15 | Oklahoma State | 665 | 3-1 | 6 |
| 16 | Washington State | 551 | 4-0 | 18 |
| 17 | Louisville | 502 | 3-1 | 19 |
| 18 | South Florida | 406 | 4-0 | 21 |
| 19 | San Diego State | 365 | 4-0 | 22 |
| 20 | Utah | 356 | 4-0 | 23 |
| 21 | Florida | 342 | 2-1 | 20 |
| 22 | Notre Dame | 246 | 3-1 | NR |
| 23 | West Virginia | 212 | 3-1 | NR |
| 24 | Mississippi State | 148 | 3-1 | 17 |
| 25 | LSU | 92 | 3-1 | 25 |
Dropped from rankings: No. 12 Florida State, No. 24 Oregon
Others receiving votes: NC State 87, Duke 79, Texas Tech 40, Florida State 35, Memphis 26, Iowa 16, Stanford 8, California 7, Colorado 5, UCF 4, Minnesota 3, Kansas State 3, Oregon 3, Tennessee 1, Wake Forest 1
Disaster averted as walk-off TD pushes No. 4 Penn State past Iowa.
By John Taylor
(Photo/Associated Press)
Entering Week 4, the last three teams ranked in the Top Five entering Kinnick Stadium had exited with a loss. In dramatic fashion, No. 4 Penn State flipped that script.
Trailing 15-13, Iowa scored on a 35-yard touchdown run by Akrum Wadley that put Iowa up, after a failed two-point conversion, 19-15 with 1:42 left in the game. Penn State then proceeded to go 65 yards in 12 plays and 1:42 of game time, with Trace McSorley connecting with Juwan Johnson on a seven-yard touchdown pass with zero ticks left on the clock to secure a wild 21-19 win.
That fourth quarter also featured Penn State blocking a field goal… only to see Iowa return the favor 10 minutes later to set up what would’ve been the game-winning touchdown by Wadley.
If you simply looked at the box score, however, you would’ve thought this was a blowout that swung heavily toward the visitor.
The Nittany Lions outgained the Hawkeyes 579-273. In fact, Penn State had more yards rushing (295) than Iowa had total offense. First downs? PSU 29, Iowa 11. The Nittany Lions held the ball for nearly two-thirds of the game for good measure.
In the end, however, it was Penn State that came out on top on both the scoreboard as well as the stat sheet as the Nittany Lions kept their perfect season afloat as, after games against Indiana and Northwestern the next two weeks, they get set for season-defining games against No. 8 Michigan (Oct. 21) and No. 10 Ohio State (Oct. 28). And Saquon Barkley, who set a single-game school record for all-purpose yards — 211 rushing, 94 receiving, 53 returns — will get to continue to state his case as the best football player in the country and one of a handful of Heisman Trophy front-runners.
Three decades of misery continues as Kentucky blows late lead to No. 20 Florida,
By Bryan Fischer
(Photo/Getty Images)
Thirty years ago, the Berlin Wall stood tall as the symbol of the Iron Curtain, a ball snuck past Bill Buckner to help the New York Mets win a World Series and gas prices were shockingly under a dollar per gallon. Much has changed in the ensuing three decades since 1986 but one constant has remained no matter what: Florida beating Kentucky in football.
So it continued on Saturday night.
The Wildcats came heartbreakingly close to ending their ignominious losing streak — the fourth longest in FBS history — at an even 30, but gave up two late fourth quarter touchdown drives to fall to their SEC rival Gators 28-27 in the most improbable of fashions.
While the streak has weighed heavily on Kentucky football as it stretched on and on, it felt like this was finally — finally! — the time that the Wildcats could come out on top as the home team played loose but disciplined on both sides of the ball nearly all night long to be firmly in control of this one. Quarterback Stephen Johnson proved to be a revelation behind center, throwing for 196 yards and three touchdowns. Running back Benny Snell added another 59 yards for good measure and the team held the lead for just the fourth time in the final quarter during the streak.
But it didn’t matter, as Kentucky proved why they have been on the losing end of this series so many times over so many years.
UF wideout Tyrie Cleveland was the lone burst of offense late in the first half, helping turn a potential run-away into a tie game by catching a wide open touchdown pass from 45 yards out. He later setup another Gators’ score off a trick play that cut the lead to six midway through the fourth quarter. Quarterback Luke Del Rio, who eventually entered the game late in the second half, led two touchdown drives in the final 10 minutes that included the game-winning pass to an open Freddie Swain in the corner. Appropriately, Kentucky had just 10 men on the field at the time to further twist the knife for a fan base that was once again left wondering how exactly that happened (again).
The Wildcats nearly drove the length of the field to set up a late field goal but a questionable holding call pushed them out of range and Austin MacGinnis’ 57-yarder came up short to once again put the team on the wrong side of history.
Florida remains afloat in the SEC East after the victory and now moves to 51-17 all-time against UK on the gridiron. Something says that latest edition to the series remains one of the most improbable though.
No. 1 Alabama is business as usual in 59-0 win at Vanderbilt.
By Kevin McGuire
(Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)
here is certainly no shame in losing a head-to-head matchup against Alabama, but Vanderbilt (3-1, 0-1 SEC) will have almost nothing to be proud of after being demolished and paved over by No. 1 Alabama (4-0, 1-0 SEC) at home on national TV.
Damien Harris led an overpowering running game for Alabama with 151 yards and three touchdowns. Bo Scarbrough added 79 yards and two scores to the box score. As a team, Alabama rushed for 501 yards, gashing Vanderbilt on the ground on the way to 42 first downs. Vanderbilt had just three first downs in the game.
If there was a turning point in a 59-0 game, it must have come on the opening drive of the game. Vanderbilt had the game’s opening drive extended courtesy of a roughing the passer penalty on Alabama’s Anfernee Jennings. On the next play, Vanderbilt quarterback Kyle Shurmur was picked off by Ronnie Harrison to hand the ball over to Alabama. Vanderbilt’s defense did respond by forcing a punt. Alabama would get the ball rolling on their next offensive possession. The game was essentially decided at that point, because Alabama never looked back.
So where do we go from here?
For Alabama, another week down means quickly turning the page to the next objective. The Crimson Tide host Ole Miss next week for a night game. The Rebels have given Alabama some trouble in recent years and will hope to pull a major stunner next week in Tuscaloosa. Vanderbilt will look to rebound next week on the road in Gainesville against Florida.
NCAABKB: NCAA symposium shows college basketball taking another step toward working with the NBA. (Originally published by ESPN, September 13, 2017)
By Jonathan Givony
(Photo/ESPN)
The NCAA brought 19 college basketball athletes to Indianapolis this past weekend for the Elite Student-Athlete Symposium, an educational program that attempted to tackle head-on "the challenges and pitfalls" highly touted prospects face, with an eye toward helping them pursue a career in professional basketball.
The NCAA invited prospects who could become NBA draft-eligible for the first time in 2018, such as 17-year old Udoka Azubuike (Kansas) and other underclassmen: Tyus Battle (Syracuse), V.J. King (Louisville) and Rawle Alkins (Arizona). They were joined by upperclassmen such as Jalen Brunson (Villanova), Allonzo Trier (Arizona), Ethan Happ (Wisconsin), Trevon Bluiett (Xavier), Kelan Martin (Butler), Anas Mahmoud (Louisville), Angel Delgado (Seton Hall), Dean Wade (Kansas State) and Jevon Carter (West Virginia), among others.
The NCAA "selected participants based on publication news surrounding upcoming draft prospects, from individuals linked to future NBA careers and from a list of individuals who expressed interest in turning pro but decided to return to school."
Although no freshmen were in attendance, the symposium (held from Friday to Sunday) appears to indicate a shift in NCAA philosophy. While in the past, the topic of an underclassman declaring for the draft may have been taboo, the NCAA seems to be evolving to the current realities of the college basketball landscape, instead focusing on helping "young men when and if they have to make key decisions on steps after college," in their words.
The symposium was also notable for the increasingly strong relationship that appears to be developing between the NCAA and the NBA. It wasn't long ago that the NBA commissioner openly mocked the NCAA, and then-commissioner David Stern went as far as to say, "A college could always not have players who are one-and-done -- they could do that. They could actually require the players to go to classes."
Current commissioner Adam Silver has since struck a much more conciliatory tone, telling USA Today in 2014, "I believe strong college basketball is also beneficial to the NBA and to the game generally," while generally demonstrating a fondness for college basketball's place in the basketball ecosystem.
The NBA and NCAA have begun more formal cooperation and dialogue since Silver became commissioner. One example is in the form of the NBA's Undergraduate Advisory Committee, which attempts to give college basketball athletes reliable information about their NBA draft stock directly from team executives. The NCAA has changed its calendar for allowing players to enter and withdraw from the NBA draft, now giving prospects the chance to attend the NBA combine and conduct private workouts with NBA teams before making a final decision. A strong relationship between both parties clearly benefits both sides.
The Elite Student-Athlete Symposium may have been just a drop in the ocean in terms of the quantity of players invited to Indianapolis, but putting these 19 participants in front of such a large group -- NCAA staff, ex-NBA players, former NBA executives, and representatives from the league office and the NBA Players Association -- has to be considered a step in the right direction.
Some of the topics that were discussed include loss of value and disability insurance, a scouting panel with ex-NBA executives (exploring what teams look for in prospects), a meeting with Ron Klempner of the NBPA (including a conversation about navigating the agent-selection process), Financial Awareness (with Antoine Walker telling his story and personal struggles), Social Media best practices, entering the NBA draft while retaining NCAA eligibility (from an academic and amateurism standpoint), ex-NBA/NCAA players (Eddie Gill, Jahidi White, Malik Rose) discussing realistic expectations for post-college careers, and the "tips and traps of being a college basketball athlete" from the NCAA enforcement staff. The keynote speaker was Derek Anderson, who told his unlikely story of how he emerged as a top-shelf high school prospect, NCAA champion, NBA lottery pick, and then successful businessman following his basketball career. At night, the athletes played pickup at Butler's practice facility.
Due to the NBA's strict no-contact rules, the NBA was forced to decline the NCAA's request to include current NBA team executives. But former NBA All-Star Shareef Abdur-Rahim, the NBA's associate vice president of basketball operations who was previously the assistant GM of the Sacramento Kings, attended the symposium.
"It was a wonderful experience," Abdur-Rahim told ESPN.com. "I wish I had all of that information when I was at the stage they are. You have to applaud the NCAA because they took the initiative and reached out, making a point of collaborating with us at the NBA. We don't like operating in a vacuum either. We're past that. I think we all know that if we aren't proactive about educating the kids, someone else will. That's where trouble will come in. For the two of us to not cooperate and collaborate doesn't make sense. It's not in the kid's best interest, either."
The NCAA will likely attempt to build on this program down the road, bringing in more top prospects and hoping the word spreads and makes it easier to lure college basketball's elite next year and beyond. It will be interesting to see if the NCAA elects to bring in potential "one-and-done" freshmen prospects, and whether some of the collegiate superpowers who weren't represented this year, like Duke, Kentucky and North Carolina, elect to participate.
West Coast wins Pennsylvania Derby easily; Irap breaks down after race.
By Tom Pedulla
Trainer Bob Baffert refers to Mike Smith as “Big Money Mike” for the Hall of Fame jockey’s uncanny ability to deliver one smart ride after another when purse money and pressure are equally as great.
After Smith threw in a rare clunker in the $1-million Cotillion Stakes on Saturday at Parx Racing, he responded with an impeccable performance as streaking West Coast romped by 7 ¼ lengths against ill-fated Irap in the $1-million Pennsylvania Derby.
Irap, trained by Doug O’Neill, broke down shortly after the finish with what was initially diagnosed as a life-threatening fracture of his left-front sesamoid. O’Neill announced on Twitter that the colt was resting comfortably and will be taken to nearby New Bolton Center on Sunday morning and undergo surgery Monday.
Smith admitted to making a premature move aboard heavily favored Abel Tasman that led her second-place finish behind It Tiz Well in the Cotillion
Smith said he wiped those thoughts from his mind as he stood alone in the paddock in the minutes leading to the Pennsylvania Derby.
“I have no choice,” he said, “especially when the next race is worth $1 million.”
He hustled West Coast out of the starting gate from post four and placed him in a perfect stalking position, all but attached to the right flank of early leader Outplay. The son of Flatter took command around the final turn, spinning into the stretch with a four-length advantage. He continued to widen his margin with every stride in completing the mile and an eighth in 1:49.91.
West Coast extended his winning streak to five races, the last two commanding Grade 1 triumphs. He rolled by 3 ¼ lengths in the Aug. 26 Travers before this. He and Always Dreaming, the Florida Derby and Kentucky Derby winner, are the only 3-year-olds with two Grade 1 victories on dirt.
The success of Always Dreaming seems like a distant memory, though, because he followed the Kentucky Derby with a lackluster eighth-place finish in the Preakness, ran third in the Jim Dandy, and was an up-the-track ninth in the Travers.
West Coast’s emergence is reminiscent of what occurred last year, when late-developing Arrogate burst onto the scene for Baffert with a record-setting Travers en route to year-end honors as the top 3-year-old male. Arrogate went on to defeat eventual horse of the year California Chrome in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Baffert suggested the best is yet to come with West Coast. The blossoming youngster is likely to be pointed to the $6-million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 4 at Del Mar. Owners Mary and Gary West plan to keep him in training next season.
“He is just learning how to run,” Baffert said. “To have a 3-year-old at this time of year and the way he won the Travers and now this race, he is going to be a horse to reckon with.”
Smith suggested West Coast towers above the other horses in the division. “He’s just better than they are,” he said. “As a matter of fact, he was getting bored.”
After Smith threw in a rare clunker in the $1-million Cotillion Stakes on Saturday at Parx Racing, he responded with an impeccable performance as streaking West Coast romped by 7 ¼ lengths against ill-fated Irap in the $1-million Pennsylvania Derby.
Irap, trained by Doug O’Neill, broke down shortly after the finish with what was initially diagnosed as a life-threatening fracture of his left-front sesamoid. O’Neill announced on Twitter that the colt was resting comfortably and will be taken to nearby New Bolton Center on Sunday morning and undergo surgery Monday.
Smith admitted to making a premature move aboard heavily favored Abel Tasman that led her second-place finish behind It Tiz Well in the Cotillion
Smith said he wiped those thoughts from his mind as he stood alone in the paddock in the minutes leading to the Pennsylvania Derby.
“I have no choice,” he said, “especially when the next race is worth $1 million.”
He hustled West Coast out of the starting gate from post four and placed him in a perfect stalking position, all but attached to the right flank of early leader Outplay. The son of Flatter took command around the final turn, spinning into the stretch with a four-length advantage. He continued to widen his margin with every stride in completing the mile and an eighth in 1:49.91.
West Coast extended his winning streak to five races, the last two commanding Grade 1 triumphs. He rolled by 3 ¼ lengths in the Aug. 26 Travers before this. He and Always Dreaming, the Florida Derby and Kentucky Derby winner, are the only 3-year-olds with two Grade 1 victories on dirt.
The success of Always Dreaming seems like a distant memory, though, because he followed the Kentucky Derby with a lackluster eighth-place finish in the Preakness, ran third in the Jim Dandy, and was an up-the-track ninth in the Travers.
West Coast’s emergence is reminiscent of what occurred last year, when late-developing Arrogate burst onto the scene for Baffert with a record-setting Travers en route to year-end honors as the top 3-year-old male. Arrogate went on to defeat eventual horse of the year California Chrome in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Baffert suggested the best is yet to come with West Coast. The blossoming youngster is likely to be pointed to the $6-million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 4 at Del Mar. Owners Mary and Gary West plan to keep him in training next season.
“He is just learning how to run,” Baffert said. “To have a 3-year-old at this time of year and the way he won the Travers and now this race, he is going to be a horse to reckon with.”
Smith suggested West Coast towers above the other horses in the division. “He’s just better than they are,” he said. “As a matter of fact, he was getting bored.”
On This Date in Sports History: Today is Monday, September 25, 2017.
Memoriesofhistory.com
1882 - The first major league double header was played. It was between the Worcester and Providence teams.
1965 - Willie Mays, at the age of 34, became the oldest man to hit 50 home runs in a single season. He had also set the record for the youngest to hit 50 ten years earlier.
1965 - Satchel Paige (Kansas City Athletics), at the age of 59, pitched three shutout innings against the Boston Red Sox.
1978 - Melissa Ludtke, a writer for "Sports Illustrated", filed a suit in U.S. District Court. The result was that Major League Baseball could not bar female writers from the locker room after the game.
1993 - Charles Barkley and Nirvana were guests on "Saturday Night Live."
1997 - NBC sportscaster Marv Albert pled guilty to assault and battery of a lover. He was fired from NBC within hours.
2001 - Michael Jordan announced that he would return to the NBA as a player for the Washington Wizards. Jordan became the president of basketball operations for the team on January 19, 2000.
1965 - Willie Mays, at the age of 34, became the oldest man to hit 50 home runs in a single season. He had also set the record for the youngest to hit 50 ten years earlier.
1965 - Satchel Paige (Kansas City Athletics), at the age of 59, pitched three shutout innings against the Boston Red Sox.
1978 - Melissa Ludtke, a writer for "Sports Illustrated", filed a suit in U.S. District Court. The result was that Major League Baseball could not bar female writers from the locker room after the game.
1993 - Charles Barkley and Nirvana were guests on "Saturday Night Live."
1997 - NBC sportscaster Marv Albert pled guilty to assault and battery of a lover. He was fired from NBC within hours.
2001 - Michael Jordan announced that he would return to the NBA as a player for the Washington Wizards. Jordan became the president of basketball operations for the team on January 19, 2000.
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