CS&T/AllsportsAmerica Monday Sports News Update, 07/04/2016.

Chicago Sports & Travel Inc./AllsportsAmerica

"America's Finest Sports Fan Travel Club, May We Plan An Event Or Sports Travel For You?"

We offer: Select opportunities, For your convenience, At "Very Rare but Super Fair" pricing

Because it's all about you!!!


July 4, 2016, America's 240th Birthday

"Sports Quote of the Day"

"America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination, and unbeatable determination to do the job at hand." ~ Harry S. Truman, 33rd President of the United States of America 

Trending: Chicago Bears: 2016 Salary Cap situation. (See the football section for Bears updates).

Trending: Brian Campbell's signing is just what the Blackhawks needed. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates).     

Trending: Bulls agree to two-year, $30 million deal with Rajon Rondo. (See the basketball section for Bulls updates).

Trending: Chris Sale picks up win No. 14 of year as White Sox beat Astros. (See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).

Trending: Cubs and White Sox road to the "World Series".              

                                                

Cubs 2016 Record: 51-30

White Sox 2016 Record: 42-40

(See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!! Chicago Bears:2016 Salary Cap situation. 

By Jeffrey Stevens

(Photo/Cover32/Yahoo Sports)

When the 2016 off-season began, the Chicago Bears had more needs that needed to be addressed than anyone would have cared to admit.

With only $47 million available due to the salary cap, deciding exactly where to focus first looked like it was going to be a huge issue for the front office. After taking over the role of general manager, one of the biggest obstacles Ryan Pace has had to square up against is what he was going to do in order to get the most with the salary cap room the Bears had to play with.

Throughout his first two off-seasons in Chicago, Pace has made light work of the chore. He has had more than enough room to play with, but has fought off any temptation to address the issues in Chicago through the free agent market.

If you look at where the Bears stand now as the 2016 season approaches compared to where they were during the second week of March, they have added some much needed depth and talent to the roster.

According to theathletic.com, letting go of both Matt Slauson and Martellus Bennett allowed Chicago to reconstruct their ten largest cap hits, and lowered their offensive spending six percent. The Bears free agent acquisitions throughout the spring and early summer raised defensive spending almost six percent , taking a total of 41.3 percent of the budget. $20.67 million dollars of the cap space went towards signing offensive lineman Bobbie Massie, defensive lineman Akiem Hicks, and linebackers Jerrell Freeman and Danny Trevathan, all who are expected to make huge impacts as immediate starters.

Any fan would have to be more than impressed with the Bears spending in 2016 after considering Chicago brought on a solid second string quarterback in Brian Hoyer, added nine rookies, resigned tight end Zach Miller and cornerback Tracy Porter, and have made some moves concerning the special teams unit.

The Bears still have over $22 million available in free cap space. This almost makes you question who else could have been added. Using this money, the Bears will be in a great position to reconstruct the contracts of both offensive lineman Kyle Long and wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, both of who are more than deserving of a nice raise.

Chicago has until July, 15 to reach a long term deal with Jeffery. If a deal has not been worked out between the two parties by then, it will have to wait until after the 2016 regular season. After outperforming his contract, Jeffery was given the franchise tag on March 8, guaranteeing him over $14 million for 2016. By doing this, Chicago has shown Jeffery they are willing to pay him as an NFL top five receiver. The next 15 days should be interesting, but after missing seven games last year, Jeffery will more than likely wait until after the regular season and use 2016 as an opportunity to raise his value.

The Bears have a lot more wiggle room with Kyle Long who is getting ready to begin the last season of his rookie contract. However, Chicago will remain in control until after 2017 as a result of exercising the fifth year option last April.

Regardless of how the two contracts play out, the Bears will be financially able to address the problem head on.

Bears claim Connor Shaw after Saints' mistake.

By Lorin Cox

(Photo/BearsWire/Yahoo Sports)

Have you ever accidentally hit “Reply All” on an email that you meant to only send to one person? The New Orleans Saints feel your pain.

Ryan Pace took advantage of his former team’s mistake on Friday, as a clerical error allowed the Chicago Bears to claim quarterback Connor Shaw on waivers after the New Orleans Saints put in a claim of their own.

The NFL office emailed every team to notify them that the Cleveland Browns placed Shaw on waivers, and when the Saints’ front office tried to place their claim for the quarterback, they accidentally emailed it to every NFL team instead of just to the NFL offices, according to Fox Sports’ Peter Schrager and ESPN’s Adam Caplan.

Placing a claim is usually a blind request that is private for each team, but Pace saw the Saints’ interest and put his in afterward. The Bears’ place in the waiver order is higher than New Orleans’, and Chicago was awarded Shaw.

It was a crafty move by the Bear's young general manager. The 24-year old Shaw played with offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains in Cleveland and Alshon Jeffery at South Carolina, so he has a lot of familiarity with the offense.

Chicago now has five quarterbacks under contract, and the team has not yet announced a corresponding move to clear a roster spot.

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Brian Campbell's signing is just what the Blackhawks needed.         

By Chris Hine

The Panthers' Brian Campbell and Blackhawks' Marian Hossa chase after the puck during a game at BB&T Center on January 22, 2016. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

If there was one move last season that taunted the Blackhawks through their first-round exit at the hands of the Blues, it was the trade that sent Patrick Sharp to the Stars.

In that trade, the Hawks gave up Sharp and promising young defenseman Stephen Johns in exchange for winger Ryan Garbutt and defenseman Trevor Daley.

Daley was the important get for the Hawks in that deal, considering they needed a No. 4 defenseman with Johnny Oduya hitting free agency. The Hawks took on Daley’s $3.3 million cap hit while Oduya, ironically enough, later signed a two-year deal with the Stars for $3.75 million per season.

Looking back, the Hawks and general manager Stan Bowman might like a do-over. Daley never fit in with the Hawks and the Hawks dealt him for cap space and Rob Scuderi, whom they later dealt for more cap space and Christian Ehrhoff, who didn’t even sniff the playoffs.

Meanwhile Oduya, for just $450,000 more than Daley, was a big contributor to the Stars, who advanced to the second round. The Hawks’ roster might’ve looked different had the trade gone down another way, but if they had kept Oduya and swapped Sharp and Johns for draft picks, the Hawks would’ve secured the biggest hole on their roster last season – a No. 4 defenseman. The way the deal ended up, with Garbutt turning into Jiri Sekac, who was then waived, the Hawks got nothing in return.

That’s why the main focus for Bowman this offseason has been doing all he can to shore up that spot in the lineup. That’s why he signed Czech defenseman Michal Kempny, who had a strong first season in the KHL. That’s why Bowman said it was a “top priority” for the Hawks to reach out and bring back Brian Campbell on a one-year deal worth up to $2.25 million.

Campbell’s deal is a steal for the Hawks when you consider Campbell, 37, turned down a reported $5 million to stay with the Panthers. They should have the No. 4 defenseman they were sorely missing last season, meaning Trevor van Riemsdyk can slot down to a bottom-pairing defenseman where he can be more effective.

“It’s a strong point for our team right now,” Bowman said of the Hawks’ defensive depth.

Perhaps most importantly, the Hawks have in Campbell a player who has already meshed well with coach Joel Quenneville’s style, at task that has not been easy for defensemen of late. See Daley, Scuderi and Ehrhoff as proof of that.

Campbell’s signing also allows the Hawks to create competition on the back end of their end defense with several young prospects vying for time like Erik Gustafsson, Viktor Svedberg and Ville Pokka along with returning veteran Michal Rozsival, who Bowman said the Hawks overused down the stretch last season.

“I don’t want to go into a year with 7 (defensemen), you want at least 10 or 12,” Bowman said. “There’s never been a year when a team’s used seven defensemen all year long. You have to be nine, 10 or 11 deep.”

Bowman also issued a mandate to the Hawks’ younger defensemen.

“The time is now for some to evolve and mature into NHL players,” Bowman said.
He could also say the same for the Hawks’ forward prospects. After losing Teuvo Teravainen and Andrew Shaw in a pair of trades this offseason, the Hawks need some of the talent in the AHL to blossom into NHL players. It’s imperative if the Hawks want to have more than just two useable lines.

Meanwhile, the Hawks will likely use what little cap room they have remaining to try and find a veteran presence who can add a dash of scoring on the bottom lines.

But it’s easier to find bottom-line forwards than it is a top-four defenseman. For now, the Hawks filled their most glaring hole from a season ago, one that plagued through their series with the Blues.

“I really like the mixture we have now,” Bowman said of his defense.

It’s a more potent mixture than a season ago.

Blackhawks agree to terms with Spencer Abbott on one-year deal.   

By Charlie Roumeliotis

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The Blackhawks have agreed to terms with forward Spencer Abbott on a one-year deal, the team announced Friday.

The 28-year-old winger scored 14 goals and 21 assists in 42 games last season with the Frolunda Indians of the Swedish Hockey League. He also tallied one assist in nine postseason games.

Abbott is familiar with the Blackhawks organization, spending some time during the 2014-15 season with the Rockford IceHogs, where he appeared in 19 games and registered 12 goals and nine assists. He also recorded three goals and three assists in eight playoff games.

Abbott will likely begin the season in Rockford, but gives the Blackhawks some depth up front at a low cost.

Blackhawks sign Sam Carrick, Pierre Cedric-Labrie to one-year deals.

By Charlie Roumeliotis

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The Blackhawks announced Friday that they have made a couple minor-league moves.

Forwards Sam Carrick and Pierre-Cedric Labrie agreed to one-year deals with the team, and are likely to report to the Rockford IceHogs of the American League.

Carrick, 24, scored 16 goals and 18 assists in 52 games last season with the AHL's Toronto Marlies. Across four seasons with the Marlies, Carrick has accumulated 100 points (41 goals and 59 assists) in 192 games, including six goals and 11 assists in 36 career Calder Cup playoff games.

He was a fifth-round pick (No. 144 overall) in the 2010 NHL Draft.

Labrie, 30, has spent the last two season in Rockford, where he scored a career-high 20 goals and added 14 assists in 66 games last season. The Blackhawks originally signed Labrie, who was an undrafted free agent, in 2014 before re-signing him to a one-year contract last June.

Mets knock out Jon Lester and give Cubs another reality check.

By Patrick Mooney

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

This played out like an October rerun, the Cubs looking lost and overmatched against the New York Mets and trying to figure out what just happened. 

This four-game sweep at Citi Field became another reality check for an anointed team, a giddy media corps and a fan base expecting a World Series parade down Michigan Avenue. 

It ended with Sunday afternoon’s 14-3 blowout, a resurgent Mets lineup absolutely rocking Jon Lester while Noah Syndergaard unleashed 100-mph heat on Cubs hitters in a rematch of last year’s National League Championship Series.

“We came in probably too excited about playing them again and getting revenge over what happened in the playoffs,” Miguel Montero said, “which I don’t think is a smart thing to do. You just got to play your game and forget. It’s already over.”

A showcase series between two big-market teams with star power devolved into Montero pitching in a 12-run game and getting the last four outs, because Lester could only get four outs at the start. Manager Joe Maddon likes to change the subject and play up the idea of esprit de corps when a veteran catcher pitches. But all jokes aside, Montero wasn’t quite feeling that spin.

“It’s terrible,” Montero said. “It’s just bad. They outplayed us, simple as that. We didn’t play good enough. We didn’t hit good enough. We didn’t pitch good enough. Overall, it was just a sloppy performance.”

The day after being named the NL pitcher of the month for June – during what’s been a terrific Year 2 (9-4, 2.67 ERA) of that $155 million megadeal – Lester walked off the mound in the second inning while a crowd of 36,137 stood and cheered.

“Guys have turned the page on last year,” said Lester, who faced 14 hitters and allowed nine hits, three homers, one walk and eight runs. “They’re swinging the bats really well right now, and they made us pay for our mistakes. I feel like they didn’t make a mistake the whole series. Sometimes, you run into a buzz saw like that.” 

Yes, the Cubs reached the halfway point of their schedule with a 51-30 record, an 8.5-game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals, maybe seven All-Stars who will get all-expenses paid trips to San Diego and a creative front office that can make changes at the trade deadline.

That 25-6 start wasn’t a total mirage. The Cubs have playoff-tested veterans, premium young talent and a manager who knows what he’s doing. No one will be surprised when this lineup creates fireworks on the Fourth of July at Wrigley Field against the Cincinnati Reds and their Triple-A pitchers.

But you also can’t ignore how the Cubs have played against teams trying to win now, losing series to the Washington Nationals, Cardinals, Miami Marlins and Mets since the middle of June.

“It’s not a matter of anybody in this clubhouse panicking by any means,” Lester said. “Let’s be honest, we weren’t going to be on that pace (for) the entire season. It’s 162 games. It’s a long year. There’s a lot of things that can happen. You guys are seeing them now.”

This can’t all be explained away by injuries, youthful mistakes and the natural ebb and flow of the season. The Cubs threw almost $290 million at their problems after an NLCS sweep where they never led at any point – and the Mets (44-37) again exposed some of those fundamental issues that haven’t completely gone away with the arrival of big-name free agents. 

The Cubs went 0-for-17 with runners in scoring position during the first three games in Queens, struck out 44 times overall against New York’s high-octane pitching staff, allowed 22 hits on getaway day and got outscored by a 32-11 aggregate. 

Good luck against Syndergaard, a 6-foot-6 beast with triple-digit velocity and pinpoint control. “Thor” didn’t seem bothered by that bone spur in his right elbow, allowing one run across seven low-stress innings and finishing with eight strikeouts against zero walks.
If Jake Arrieta loses that intimidation factor – and starts to look more like a pretty good pitcher rather than an ace – then the Cubs can shred their World Series blueprint. 

But 81 games in, and with New York in their heads, all the Cubs can do is write this off, remembering how much it meant to beat the Mets seven times during the first half of last season.

“When you get two evenly matched teams, a lot of it has to do with what’s going on dynamically with the group at that particular moment,” Maddon said. “At the end of a pretty rugged road trip with a lot of banged-up guys, it happens. I don’t think you try to overanalyze it. You just move on to the next day and understand that our next really good run’s right around the corner.”

Ben Zobrist breaks down what’s wrong with Cubs offense (and how to fix it).

By Patrick Mooney

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Ben Zobrist broke down all the issues with this lineup – youth, injuries, fatigue, underperformance – before getting to the “Embrace The Target” reality for the Cubs. 

“Every team we’re playing is gunning for us,” Zobrist said Saturday inside Citi Field’s visiting clubhouse, near the end of a 10-minute diagnosis of what’s gone wrong with the offense. “They know we got the best record in the league. And they’re showing up to play against us. They’re not showing up like this to play against other teams. Some of these pitchers are pitching their best game against us.”     
      
That’s why the Cubs made engineering the Zobrist deal such a priority during the offseason, knowing what his switch-hitting presence meant to the Kansas City Royals last year and how he handled the New York Mets and their power pitchers during the World Series. But being the hunted is still different than Zobrist’s experiences with small-market, underdog teams like the Tampa Bay Rays, Oakland A’s and even the Royals. 

Zobrist isn’t panicking, but he also isn’t glossing over losing series to the Washington Nationals, St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins since the middle of June. Or how the Cubs scored only five runs combined – four via homers – while losing the first two games in this National League Championship Series rematch. 

“We need to make some strides with this team,” Zobrist said, “in regards to knowing when you’re facing guys that throw 98 (mph), learn how to cut down and have a better two-strike approach.

“We’re going to have to shorten up our swings and take our singles and things that this team is not generally the best at. We still need some growth in regards to that. But that’s part of the reason why they signed me – to be a better example of that and make more contact.

“That was a big reason why that Royals team was successful.”

After never having a lead at any point during New York’s four-game NLCS sweep, the Cubs wanted to upgrade a young lineup by signing Zobrist to a four-year, $56 million deal (the Mets offered $60 million), giving Jason Heyward the biggest contract in franchise history (eight years, $184 million) and reuniting with Dexter Fowler in spring training (one-year, $13 million guarantee). 

“Part of that’s just maturity,” said Zobrist, pointing to how Max Scherzer struck out nine of the first 10 hitters he faced and took a perfect game into the sixth inning during Washington’s 4-1 playoff-atmosphere victory on June 13. 

“(It’s knowing) at the start of the at-bat: ‘OK, get him here and just do that with it.’ Don’t like think he’s going to leave one right up over the plate that you can crush and you’re going to hit it 500 feet.’ It’s not going to happen.”

The Cubs are a different team with Fowler (.398 on-base percentage) at the top of the order, but it’s unclear if this hamstring injury will keep their leadoff guy on the disabled list through the All-Star break. Jorge Soler and Tommy La Stella are also on the disabled list with hamstring injuries during a 24-games-in-24-days stretch. 

Albert Almora Jr. and Willson Contreras have created energy and exciting moments, but those rookies are still learning on the job. Heyward (.646 OPS) hasn’t shown the offensive upside the Cubs envisioned. Zobrist is having an All-Star-caliber season at the age of 35, yet he also understands he’s been chasing more bad pitches in June (.708 OPS) than May (1.137 OPS). 

“You’re going to expand the zone when you got guys that are throwing heat, because you got to start your swing a little earlier,” Zobrist said. “Some of that is you’re tired. We’re in the time of the summer where there’s no break. We got 24 straight right now, so we got to summon the mental energy to make up for the physical energy that we’re lacking. 

“We’re regularly seeing guys that are throwing 97. It’s like not even a big deal when you face a guy now that’s throwing 97, because we’ve seen it so much. But when that happens, what I’m trying to do right now is get back to my zone, take a heater and just slap it.

“Instead of: You see it and your body wants to go, because you just get into these patterns sometimes where when you get tired, your body tries to make up for it (and) you try to do too much. 

“That’s naturally what is happening across the board here. We’ve had injuries that have kind of kept us from being able to have blows regularly like we had in April and May. It’s just been more difficult to manufacture runs and have better at-bats because of it.”

It’s not predicting doom and gloom to point out the Cubs have crushed the Cincinnati Reds and struggled against certain playoff contenders. This also goes in cycles, a best-in-baseball start bought the Cubs time to work through these issues and all those young hitters have so much room to grow. 

“When we face these good teams, their pitchers are not having off nights right now,” Zobrist said. “Granted, we’re not forcing them into that as much, because we’re chasing some of the time. But even when I go back and look at my charts and I look at where the pitchers were, I’m going: ‘Are they that good?’ 

“I look at the box and every pitch is like right on the corner – out here, out there. There's nothing in the middle of the plate and I’m going: ‘How am I supposed to have a good at-bat when they’re throwing them right there?’ You just can’t. If they’re throwing there and they’re throwing 89, that’s one thing. But they’re throwing there and they’re throwing 97. 

“You’re not going to hit 97 if he puts it on the corner. You just got to tip your cap on those days.”

Like when Jacob deGrom – New York’s homegrown Rookie of the Year/All-Star – doesn’t seem at all bothered by a rain delay and shuts down the Cubs for five innings (one run, three hits, seven strikeouts, one walk) during Friday’s 10-2 blowout in Queens.    

“He was not giving us good pitches to hit,” Zobrist said. “He would go down, down on the corners here. And then all of a sudden, he would throw one that looks like it’s at the belt – and it ends up here (around your chest). But there was nothing in the middle of that. There was nothing right here where you want it. 

“Those days are tough, but we got to find a way to get back in that groove.”

White Sox win fourth straight series after knocking off Astros.

By Associated Press

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Jose Quintana been pitching well over his last nine starts but had gone 0-7 in large part because the White Sox had managed just nine total runs in that span.

So when his team tacked on a pair of runs in the eighth inning to pad a 1-run lead Quintana was more than a little excited.

"(It was a) good reaction because ... sometimes I wait for runs," Quintana said. "I (do) my job and I wait for support and today the lineup made a good effort."

Quintana pitched seven solid innings to get his first win in almost two months, and Jose Abreu had two hits and an RBI to lead the White Sox over the Houston Astros 4-1 on Sunday.

Quintana (6-8) allowed a season-low two hits and one run while fanning four for his first win since May 8. His losing streak was the longest in the majors.

"Even as difficult as it can be for him to get run support he never wavers as far as his own confidence in what he can do," manager Robin Ventura said. "He's one of the better pitchers in the league. If he can get some run support his record obviously is a lot different. Just mentally he's as tough as anybody we've got."

George Springer hit a leadoff homer and drew a walk with no outs in the third.

Quintana sailed through the rest of his day, retiring his last 15 batters before he was replaced by Nate Jones to start the eighth inning. Jones pitched a perfect eighth to make it 18 in a row before David Robertson allowed a single and walk before striking out rookie A.J. Reed for his 23rd save.

The White Sox trailed by 1 when Tim Anderson doubled with one out in the third inning and scored on a groundout by Adam Eaton to tie it up. Abreu followed with his single that put the White Sox on top 2-1.

Brett Lawrie and Dioner Navarro added RBI singles in the eighth inning to push the lead to 4-1.

Houston starter Collin McHugh (5-6) allowed five hits and two runs while walking four with nine strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings to remain winless since May 30.

Things got testy late in this one after Chris Devenski plunked Abreu in the left shoulder with two outs in the seventh inning. Abreu remained at the plate and stared at Devenski until an umpire escorted him to first base.

With two outs in the bottom of the inning Quintana threw behind Evan Gattis twice to earn a warning from home plate umpire Ryan Blakney. Houston manager A.J. Hinch immediately dashed out of the dugout after the second one and got in Blakney's face repeatedly yelling: "he threw behind him," and pointing behind Gattis. He was soon ejected and things settled down after that.

Quintana insisted that he didn't purposely throw behind Gattis.

"I tried to go inside and I missed the spot," he said. "A couple of time today I missed in too much. That's all."

The Astros disagreed.

"To not eject him is a choice they made that I didn't appreciate," Hinch said of Quintana. "You're not going to take two shots at our guys and have it not be a spectacle for the entire industry to see. I respect the fact that they want to protect their players you can't do it twice."

Springer gave Houston a 1-0 lead when he sent Quintana's second pitch into the bullpen in right-center field for his third career leadoff home run.

The victory gave Chicago a 2-1 series win, snapping a streak of five straight series wins by the Astros.

TRAINER'S ROOM

White Sox: 1B Justin Morneau, who has been out all season after elbow surgery in December, is scheduled to begin a rehabilitation assignment at Triple-A Charlotte on Monday. Manager Robin Ventura doesn't yet have a timetable on how long he'll be there.

UP NEXT

White Sox: James Shields (3-9, 5.85) is scheduled to start when Chicago opens a series against the Yankees on Monday. Shields looks to get back on track after going 1-2 with an 11.07 ERA in his last five starts.

Chris Sale picks up win No. 14 of year as White Sox beat Astros. (Saturday's game, 07/02/2016).

By Associated Press

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Dioner Navarro drove in a season-high four runs, Chris Sale settled down after a shaky start to pitch seven-plus innings and become this season's first 14-game winner and the Chicago White Sox beat the Houston Astros 7-6 on Saturday.

Navarro drove in a pair with a triple in the second inning to put Chicago up 2-1. The White Sox were trailing in the fifth when his two-run single made it 5-4.

J.B. Shuck hit a solo homer in the fourth and had an RBI triple in Chicago's two-run eighth inning.

Sale (14-2) allowed four runs in the first three innings before settling in to yield just two hits and an unearned run the rest of the way. He allowed six hits and tied a season high by fanning nine.

Rookie A.J. Reed hit his first career homer off David Robertson to make it 7-6 with two outs in the ninth before Robertson struck out Colby Rasmus for his 22nd save.

Jose Altuve homered and drove in three runs for the Astros, who had a five-game winning streak snapped.

Houston starter Doug Fister (8-4) allowed nine hits and five runs while walking five in 4 2/3 innings for his second straight loss.

Altuve gave Houston a 1-0 lead with his home run to the seats in right field with two outs in the first.

Chicago took the lead with Navarro's one-out triple. Avisail Garcia walked after that, but Navarro was tagged out at home on a fielder's choice before Fister retired Tim Anderson to limit the damage.

The White Sox had a chance to pad their lead in the third, but Adam Eaton couldn't beat the throw home on a two-out single by Brett Lawrie. Eaton leaped over the head of catcher Evan Gattis on the play, but Gattis was still able to apply the tag.

Danny Worth drew a walk to start Houston's third before a bunt single by Jake Marisnick. Houston tied it at 2-2 when Worth scored on a sacrifice bunt by Marwin Gonzalez and took the lead on an RBI single by Altuve.

After a short coaching visit to the mound, Carlos Correa pushed the lead to 4-2 on a run-scoring single.

Sale settled down after that, retiring 13 of the next 14 batters he faced, until George Springer singled to start the eighth. Gonzalez reached on an error by Todd Frazier after that to end Sale's day.

Sale, who tossed a complete game against Houston on May 19, improved to 5-1 with 65 strikeouts in six career starts against the Astros.

Shuck's two-out home run to the seats in right field got Chicago within 4-3 in the fourth.

TRAINER'S ROOM

White Sox: OF Melky Cabrera is expected to return Monday after missing the last four games with a sprained right wrist. Cabrera first injured his wrist on June 18 and aggravated it on Tuesday when he ran into the wall chasing down a fly ball.

Astros: RHP Lance McCullers will start for Houston on Monday after missing his last start with a blister on his right index finger.

UP NEXT

White Sox: Jose Quintana (5-3, 3.18) will start for Chicago on Sunday. Quintana looks to get back on track after going 0-7 with a 4.58 ERA in his last nine starts. Update: Quintana won that game Sunday, 07/03/2016, 4-1.

Astros: Collin McHugh (5-5, 4.58) is scheduled to pitch for Houston on Sunday.

McHugh is searching for his first win since May 30 after getting one loss and four no-decisions in his last five starts.

White Sox notes: International signings, minor trade, Morneau.

By Daryl Van Schouwen

Catcher Alfredo Gonzalez was acquired from the Astros and placed on the White Sox 40-man roster Saturday. (Photo/Chicago Sun-Times)

The White Sox signed nine international prospects Saturday, including the 16-year-old nephew of Vladimir Guerrero. Outfielder Josue Guerrero, who signed for $1.1 million, was the highest rated of the bunch at No. 33 by Baseball America.

Also signed: Outfielders Luis Mieses, Anderson Comas and Anthony Coronado, right-handed pitchers Jenderson Caraballo and Brayan Herrera, left-hander Hector Acosta, infielder Lenyn Sosa and catcher Kleyder Sanchez.

Guerrero “is a very similar player to his uncle at this same age in terms of his physical makeup, his body, his swing, his tools,” said Marco Paddy, Sox special assistant to the general manager in charge of international operations. “Like several of these players, he has a chance to be a very special player.”

Mieses, 16, is rated as the No. 36 international prospect by Baseball America, and Comas is No. 37.

Paddy called the class “deep across a number of positions.”

“This is a big, physical and athletic group of young men who have impressed us both on and off the field as we have gotten to know them,” he said. “Every one of these young men is a tribute to his family, and we are excited to have them begin their careers with the White Sox.”

Sox acquire minor league catcher

The Sox acquired 23-year-old catcher Alfredo Gonzalez from the Astros for cash considerations and optioned him to Class AA Birmingham on Saturday. To make room on the 40-man roster, right-hander Daniel Webb (Tommy John surgery) was moved to the 60-day disabled list.

Gonzalez was designated for assignment on June 25 after hitting .158 over 44 games with AA Corpus Christi. He has thrown out 45.5 percent (18-33) of attempted basestealers. He threw out 47 percent between Class A and AA last season, when he hit .321 with two home runs.

Risky business

Manager Robin Ventura used a catcher as the DH for the second time, this time Dioner Navarro with Alex Avila catching, a somewhat risky play knowing the pitcher would have to bat should Navarro have to catch if Avila got hurt.

“There is a risk but it’s the best part of our lineup having both of them in there,’’ Ventura said. “But when we do it with Dio, being a switch-hitter, you’re probably not going to pinch hit for him so if somebody gets hurt you turn it into National League rules.’’

With 12 pitchers, four bench players and two catchers on his roster, Ventura doesn’t mind taking that chance, although Melky Cabrera (sprained right wrist) is probably out until Monday, Ventura said.

Cabrera’s absence heightens the need for another hitter from the left side, though.

“You’re trying to find a way to get some offense in matchups that are right,’’ Ventura said. “With Alex catching, Dio becomes the next best available option to be in there.’’

Morneau in the swing of things

As Justin Morneau gets set for a minor league rehab stint next week, Ventura likes what he sees of the left-handed hitting designated hitter/first baseman taking batting practice with the team.

“From the injury he’s had [elbow surgery] it’s nice to see that he’s free and easy,’’ Ventura said. “The first couple of times that he hit you could tell he was a little unsure about letting it go. Right now he’s letting it go where you don’t see that hesitation or tentativeness, which is another reason why it’s safe to let him go out next week and let it rip and see where he’s at.

“The way he’s swinging, it’s nice to see. It’s exciting.’’

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Bulls agree to two-year, $30 million deal with Rajon Rondo.

By Vincent Goodwill

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

It took the Bulls a couple days, but their patient and methodic approach to free agency resulted in a two-year deal with point guard Rajon Rondo, the NBA’s leader in assists last season.

Rondo and the Bulls agreed to a two-year deal worth $30 million, according to sources and the second year is a partial guarantee, according to someone with knowledge of the deal, which can’t be formally announced until July 7.

It doesn’t fit the bill of the Bulls trying to get younger and more athletic, as Rondo is a couple years removed from a torn ACL in 2013 and just turned 30 in January.

But clearly the Bulls were not enamored with the free agent market and it would not be a surprise to see the team go with a reasonable facsimile to the roster that’s in place and search for a quality wing in the trade market as opposed to the free-agent bonanza that’s taking place.

Rondo has had issues with coaches like Doc Rivers and Rick Carlisle (Dallas), so how he fits with Fred Hoiberg will be an interesting test of Hoiberg’s ability to adapt and Rondo in general.

Rondo spent the last two seasons out west with Dallas and Sacramento, respectively, before coming back east as he is most known for his years with the Boston Celtics (2006-15).

Rondo will form an interesting backcourt with Jimmy Butler as they are ball-dominant and neither are proficient long-range shooters, although Rondo shot a career-high 36.5 percent from 3-point range last season.

Where Rondo differs from Derrick Rose is Rondo’s ability to be a natural distributor could lead to some optimism for his fit with Butler, if Rondo can get Butler easier shots around the rim as well as for some of the younger Bulls who have not yet learned to create for themselves.

It could alleviate some of the pressure on Butler to be scorer and facilitator, as Rondo averaged 11.7 assists last season—his fourth in double digits, all since the 2010-11 season.

Rondo was one of the league’s premier defenders at the point guard spot from his days in Boston when he played alongside Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, but his defensive rating dropped to 107 points per 100 possessions with the Sacramento Kings last year.

Time will tell if playing next to a dedicated defender like Butler will rekindle some of the muscle memory that made Rondo feared as the head of a defense.

It’s not a splashy home-run, but the Bulls achieved an objective of acquiring a point guard for a decent price.

Golf: I got a club for that..... WGC-Bridgestone Invitational: Dustin Johnson fends off Jason Day to win again.

The Sporting News

Dustin Johnson holds up the trophy after winning the Bridgestone Invitational golf tournament at Firestone Country Club, Sunday, July 3, 2016, in Akron, Ohio. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Dustin Johnson fired consecutive rounds of 4-under 66 over the weekend to outduel Jason Day and win the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at 6-under par.

The reigning U.S. Open champion trailed Day throughout most of the final round Sunday, but Johnson made a clutch birdie on the par-4 17th to take the lead at 7 under.

Dustin Johnson is so clutch.#QuickHits https://t.co/nMgiuiETlm

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 3, 2016

Johnson then bogeyed the final hole after his second shot nicked a large tree guarding the left portion of the 18th green. But at the same time, Day made a mess of the par-5 16th, ultimately tapping in for a double-bogey.

The monster shows its teeth.

Golf is hard. #QuickHits https://t.co/xmXtcAXMeH

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 3, 2016

Heading into the week, Johnson wasn't a trendy pick because he had never placed well at Firestone Country Club, but he turned the unrivaled form he displayed off the tee at Oakmont into another big win.

Speaking of U.S. Open sites, Firestone showed its teeth all week long with firm greens and penal rough. Only nine players finished under par.

Scott Piercy ultimately finished second after birdieing the final hole to get to 5 under. Piercy also finished runner-up at the U.S. Open. He is a three-time PGA Tour winner.

Day fell back to a tie for third with Jordan Spieth, Matt Kuchar and Kevin Chappell at 3 under after a bogey on 18. Day also dropped behind Johnson for the top spot in the FedEx Cup standings.

Spieth did his best to make a Sunday charge, but his final round 3-under 67 could only take him to 3 under for the tournament; three shots behind Johnson.

Johnson now has the chance to win two majors and the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational for the first time since Rory McIlroy in 2014.

Two months ago, Day, Spieth and McIlroy, who finished third at the French Open this week, were dubbed the "Big Three" after they took the Tour and world rankings by storm.

But now, Johnson has broken down that wall and may still end the season as the world's best player.

Golf - Brilliant Thongchai romps to French Open title.

AFP

Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee kisses the trophy after winning the 100th French Open. (AFP Photo/DOMINIQUE FAGET)

Thongchai Jaidee romped to a four-shot victory in the 100th French Open at Golf National. Thailand’s Thongchai went into final round with a two-stroke lead and a fantastic three-under-par 68 helped him easily hold off the chasing pack on 11-under-par. The 46-year-old went 39 holes without a bogey on the challenging Albatros course, until he opted for safety on the 72nd hole with the title already all but assured. A brace of birdies on each nine were enough for the world number 57 to seal his eighth European Tour title, with what was amazingly his first top-10 finish of the season. Italian Francesco Molinari ended up in second place after shooting a five-under-par 66, the joint-best round of the week.

Canadian teen Henderson defends LPGA Portland crown.

AFP

Brooke M. Henderson of Canada hits her drive on the fourth hole during the fourth and final round of the Cambia Portland Classic held at Columbia Edgewater Country Club on July 3, 2016 in Portland, Oregon (AFP Photo/Michael Cohen)

Canadian teenager Brooke Henderson captured her second consecutive LPGA Portland Classic title on Sunday, firing a one-under par 71 to win by four strokes and complete a wire-to-wire triumph.

The 18-year-old world number two, who claimed her first major title at last month's Women's PGA Championship, finished on 14-under 274 for 72 holes at 6,476-yard Columbia Edgewater Country Club in Portland, Oregon.

"I didn't putt very well. It was kind of a weird day of golf," Henderson said. "But I made a couple putts down the stretch.

"To be repeat champion here is very cool."

American Stacy Lewis was second on 278 after a final-round 69 with Norway's Suzann Pettersen third on 279 and American Austin Ernst sharing fourth with Colombia's Mariajo Uribe, who challenged Henderson much of the day before closing with back-to-back double bogeys.

Henderson won her first LPGA title at this event last year. An eight-stroke victory made her the third-youngest winner in LPGA history and earned her an immediate spot on the tour.

At the Women's PGA last month, Henderson birdied the first playoff hole to deny top-ranked Lydia Ko of New Zealand her third consecutive major title in a row.

Next week, Henderson could win her second major title in a row at the US Women's Open.

"I'm just really looking forward to next week," Henderson said.

Henderson, who began the final round with a two-stroke lead over Uribe, sandwiched birdies at the second and fourth holes arounds a bogey at the third.

But the South American birdied the par-5 fifth and seventh and pulled level for the lead with a birdie at 11.

Henderson birdied the par-5 12th while Uribe took a bogey there and even though the Canadian made bogey at the par-3 13th she was still ahead by one.

Uribe fell two back with a bogey at 15 before her collapse on the last two holes while Henderson closed with five pars, escaping 17 with a par after finding the rough by sinking a 15-foot putt from the fringe.

A group sharing sixth on 281 included South African Lee-Anne Pace and Americans Lee Lopez, Christina Kim and Cheyenne Woods, the 25-year-old niece of Tiger Woods who achieved a career-best LPGA finish.

NASCAR: Ryan: A case for Brad Keselowski’s plate greatness – and the reasons some still reject it.

By Nate Ryan

(Photo/Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

In becoming the most decorated Millennial in NASCAR history, it never seems easy for Brad Keselowski – even just garnering credit when he makes it seem remarkably easy on track.

That’s been the recurring theme lately for the Team Penske star in the restrictor-plate bedlam of Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway. Keselowski's victory in Saturday’s Coke Zero 400 was his second straight on the tracks that choke down horsepower and create massive packs – requiring deft navigation of its capricious draft at 200 mph – and his improvement curve seems to be accelerating.

He led a race-high 115 of 161 laps at Daytona, bettering his previous plate track high of 46 laps led in May at Talladega.

In both races, he took the lead with 16 laps to go and coolly dictated the rhythm and tone on mammoth ovals whose sound and fury allegedly can’t be harnessed.

Of course, he has exhibited a flair for the dramatic, too. In the fifth start of his Cup career – and his first in a part-time, underfunded car that was blessed with a Hendrick Motorsports engine but little in the way of manpower – Keselowski outdueled a host of veterans by gamely holding the bottom lane and launching Carl Edwards into the catchfence at Talladega. The first lap he led in his Sprint Cup career was the last that day on the 2.66-mile oval.

His next two wins at Talladega – a jaw-dropping maneuver that snookered Kyle Busch in 2012 and a last-lap pass of Ryan Newman during a must-win playoff race to advance in 2014 – were just as compelling and helped bolster an inescapable conclusion.

Keselowski currently might be the world’s best plate racer, and one number bears it out nicely.

Since 2009, he has more plate victories (five) than any driver in NASCAR’s premier series.

Ahh, but it’s not so simple for some.

Just peruse the musings from the angst-ridden peanut gallery of NASCAR social media since Saturday night.

Stating the abundantly obvious – that having the most wins in the past seven years at Daytona and Talladega might merit some measure of praise – was cast as hyperbolic trolling of Keselowski’s mastery.

How can you label someone the best solely based on the number of times they finished first?

The reaction isn’t entirely unpredictable given that Keselowski has been a target of fans’ boos for several years.

It could be construed as a byproduct of the 2012 Sprint Cup champion’s hard-nosed and indefatigable will. Respect among fans and peers always has seemed elusive for the Rochester Hills, Mich., native.

While establishing himself as a rising star, he butted heads with Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch. It didn’t subside much after he won the 2012 championship, though the clashes became less frequent and vocal. Keselowski was elected to the Sprint Cup Drivers Council, but he won’t win popularity contests in many quarters of the industry.

That doesn’t explain all of why Kez has been denied his due for plate greatness, though.

Here are some reasons why:

–He’s threatening the supremacy of a 13-time most popular driver: In 2015, Dale Earnhardt Jr., who leads active drivers with 10 restrictor-plate wins, posted two wins, a second and a third between Daytona and Talladega. But he is having arguably the worst plate season of his career. After crashing in the Daytona 500 and at Talladega, Earnhardt finished a nondescript 21^st Saturday while battling the same handling problems plaguing the No. 88 Chevrolet in 2016 plate races.

Keselowski’s rise hasn’t come at Earnhardt’s expense, but there are mitigating factors that make it less palatable for Junior Nation to accept. Earnhardt gave Keselowski his big break by putting him in a JRM Xfinity ride a decade ago. Since then, he’s won a Cup championship, which Earnhardt still doesn’t have.

Plate greatness has been a constant through the ups and downs of Earnhardt’s career. If Keselowski were perceived as snatching it, Earnhardt’s fervent following wouldn’t take kindly.

–His success has come in one of the oddest eras of plate racing: None of Keselowski’s victories came during the 2011 season that featured the wretched rise (and fall) of tandem drafting, but the taint still lingered.

Plate racing went through a bizarre spell during that period, and the interruption in continuity made an impact on how the racing was celebrated.

Keselowski’s winning stretch would be more appreciated if it had occurred in the early to mid-2000s, when the rules for plate racing were in a sweet spot that engendered decent racing while emphasizing driver talent (see: Earnhardt’s winning run at Talladega in 2001-04).

–He has taken advantage of depleted fields: The most specious of narratives, driven mostly by the 22-car wreck Saturday at Daytona – while conveniently omitting that it didn’t eliminated every legitimate contender. Keselowski still had to make nifty move to take the lead from Busch (ranked first in driver rating at Daytona among active Cup drivers) as well as beat 2016 Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, restrictor-plate sleeper Kurt Busch and others.

There also was a 21-car wreck in May at Talladega, a 10-car wreck in 2014, two nine-car wrecks in 2012 and a 14-car and 10-car wreck in 2009.

Yes, massive pileups have happened in all of Keselowski’s victories. Generally, they occur in the middle of the pack, wiping out mostly cars that weren’t a serious threat to start.

–He initially struggled at Daytona: Going strictly by the numbers (which always is a dangerous trap in analyzing plate results), Keselowski’s results have lagged at the World Center of Racing. The 2.5-mile track is his worst in Sprint Cup based on average finish (20.7).

But a closer examination shows he already has been headed in the right direction. He unquestionably was mediocre at the 2016 Daytona 500 (20^th), prompting his team to construct a much sleeker No. 2 Ford for this past weekend, but aside from that, he has been strong the past three seasons.

He was running well last July before a midrace wreck, he was contending in the top five of the 2015 Daytona 500 before a late engine failure, and he finished third in the 2014 Daytona 500 – delivering the winning push to Earnhardt in the two-lap dash to the finish.

Fans explain why they stopped attending NASCAR races.

By Jeff Gluck

Empty seats during the AAA 400 Drive For Autism at Dover International Speedway. (Photo: Matthew O'Haren, USA TODAY Sports)

For eight years, Lanette and Jim Williams of Missouri said they traveled to an average of nine NASCAR races per season. They’d pack their PT Cruiser, drive for a day or two and arrive at the racetrack to tailgate and soak up every moment of their favorite sport. Sometimes they’d follow the circuit for two or three weeks at a time. They were passionately loyal fans who, even when they weren’t on the road, parked themselves in front of the television for every practice and qualifying session.

But after the season finale in 2013, they stopped. The Williamses haven’t been to a NASCAR race since.

USA TODAY Sports asked about 200 fans at tracks, on the phone and on social media who have reduced their racetrack trips to explain why. The three most-cited reasons:

--Cost of the trip. Fans said tickets are the smallest impact on their financial decision, because ticket prices are dwarfed by the cost of hotel rooms and transportation to events.

--NASCAR’s competition-related decisions and constant rules changes have hurt the sport’s credibility and turned off some traditional fans.

--The experience is different. Instead of a midway with souvenir haulers, there’s now one merchandise tent area. Prerace entertainment such as the Sprint Experience and Fox’s NASCAR RaceDay TV stage are gone.

The Williams are just one example. Though the couple's health insurance has gone from $300 to $800 a month, finances are not the main reason they stopped traveling to events.

“The constant changes NASCAR does, it doesn’t have the same good feeling it used to have,” Lanette Williams told USA TODAY Sports. “We’ve just lost interest in NASCAR. NASCAR has lost interest in us.”

Jim, 65, and Lanette, 63, said they were disgusted by some of NASCAR’s decisions in a five-month period starting in September 2013. They did not agree with how officials handled the aftermath of the Chase for the Sprint Cup manipulation at Richmond International Raceway, which included NASCAR CEO Brian France putting Jeff Gordon into the playoff as an extra driver.

They were even more upset when NASCAR changed its playoff system in January 2014 to create a winner-take-all race among four drivers in the season finale.

Instead of attending races, they’ve taken trips to Montana, Colorado, Wyoming, Louisiana and South Dakota – vacations, Jim said, “where we’re not annoyed.”

“The first year was tough,” Lanette said. “... There are just so many things involved, but there are a lot of disenfranchised, disheartened people like us.”

SOCCER: Is there actually reason for optimism with the Fire?

By Dan Santaromita

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

After back-to-back wins suddenly the doom and gloom surrounding the Chicago Fire has been lifted, at least for now.

The Fire played well in a 1-0 win against San Jose. That win came three days after beating Columbus in the U.S. Open Cup.

Granted, Columbus was short a couple key players due to injury and sat a couple more to rest them. Meanwhile, San Jose is so short on centerbacks that when coach Dominic Kinnear was asked about the team's injury problems, Kinnear jokingly asked the reporter if he could play centerback.

Still though, there was something about the Fire's play that showed genuine improvement from the early season games when the team struggled to put shots on goal, let alone get goals or wins. John Goossens nutmegged two players in the first half and scored the game-winning goal. Brazilian right back Rodrigo Ramos lived up to what Brazilian outside backs are known for, a flair on the ball and a desire to go forward at every opportunity.

“I think that’s the way you play when you’re having fun," Goossens said. "You’re doing your job and in the meantime you’re having fun. Rodrigo is a great player who can run 90 minutes and that makes it easier for me. When he’s coming, the defender has to make a decision what to do. Will he stay with me or go with Rodrigo? I think we have a great combination and we have to keep working on that to make it even better, to make it even more difficult for the opposing defenders.”

Ramos looked like he is playing with more confidence than he did earlier in the season. The 21-year-old lifted a ball over a defender's head to get around him and on another occasion flicked a ball with his back foot to draw a yellow card from Shaun Francis. In addition he delivered a number of crosses to give the Fire scoring chances.

“That’s one of my strengths, to be strong up top so I’m trying to use that to the team’s advantage," Ramos said through a translator. "The team is lacking assists so I’m hoping to give a lot of assists.”

The way the season had gone before this week and how the past several years have gone, it's hard to believe multiple good things can line up for the Fire at once. Fire fans will be forgiven for cringing at the thought of optimism because they've been burned so much.

However, on face value, things are legitimately headed in a positive direction, which admittedly isn't tough for a team in last place. David Accam and Goossens are back from injury and producing. Arturo Alvarez and Matt Polster, both regulars in midfield when healthy, should be back from injury soon. Michael de Leeuw is set for his debut in the team's next match. As opposed to having a rail thin roster, which has struggled to fill out its bench due to injuries, coach Veljko Paunovic may now have some tough lineup selection decisions to make.

“We are getting there," Paunovic said. "I still believe there is a long way to go."

Of course, the standings still don't look good for the Fire. At 3-7-5, the Fire are tied for last in the league with Houston, and are six points out of the last playoff spot in the weaker Eastern Conference. This is one of the reasons why Paunovic was quick to emphasize the importance to keep the streak going in Toronto on July 9. That's a Toronto team which will be without injured Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore, Will Johnson and Clint Irwin.

"Next game we need another win and that’s our message now," Paunovic said. "We just started. We have to take advantage of this momentum, this great period we created in the last two games."

France wallops Iceland to reach EURO semifinals.

By Matt Reed

(Clive Rose/Getty Images)

Iceland’s run as EURO 2016 sweethearts came to an abrupt halt on Sunday, as host nation France completed a 5-2 drubbing in the quarterfinals.

A pair of goals from Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud paced the French, with the 29-year-old kicking off the rout in the 12th minute. Paul Pogba quickly doubled the advantage nine minutes later, after meeting an Antoine Griezmann corner kick and powerfully heading home.

The French put the daggers into Iceland on the stroke of halftime, when Dimitri Payet and Griezmann scored in the 42nd and 45th minutes, respectively. Griezmann who registered three assists on the afternoon, found his very own tally just before the break, chipping goalkeeper Hannes Halldórsson on a breakaway.

Despite gaining a lifeline in the 56th minute through Kolbeinn Sigthorsson, France quickly re-upped the advantage to 5-1, as Giroud bagged his brace just three minutes later.

Even though Iceland found the net for the game’s final finish in the 84th minute, France had the last laugh and will now move on to meet Germany in the semifinals.

Germany outlast Italy in epically bad PK shootout to reach EURO 2016 semis.

By Andy Edwards

(Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

There are slow-burning, tactical battles, and there is Germany versus Italy in the quarterfinals of EURO 2016 on Saturday in Bordeaux, France.

With Germany boss Joachim Loew throwing out a tactical surprise of his own prior to kickoff — the Germans elected to match Antonio Conte’s five-man backline with a five-man defensive unit of their own, complete with lots of high, aggressive pressing — the game played out just as you might have expected: disjointed play featuring lots of fouls and few genuine scoring chances in the opening 60 minutes.

In the end, it took nine rounds of hilariously bad penalty kicks for Germany to come out on top and book their place in the semifinals, where they’ll face the winner of Sunday’s fourth and final quarterfinal, between the tournament hosts, France, and the tournament darlings, Iceland.

Mario Gomez, somewhat surprisingly, proved himself Germany’s best player on the day, with the majority of Germany’s success in the final third coming via the Fiorentina striker. It was the much-maligned Gomez who did yeoman’s work during the build-up to Mesut Ozil’s opening goal in the 65th minute.

After a quick one-two at midfield, Gomez broke down the left flank and held the ball up exceptionally, which allowed everyone else to join in on the attack. Gomez played a simple through ball fro Jonas Hector into the penalty area, and though Hector’s cross was deflected, it fell to Ozil at the top of the six-yard box, and the Arsenal playmaker made no mistake with his first-time finish.

Italy equalized 13 minutes later, though, when Jerome Boateng handled the ball inside the penalty area, and did so with his arms and hands raised above his head in an attempt to show the referee he wasn’t committing a foul with his body, only to commit a shocking handball violation. Leonardo Bonucci stepped up and converted the ensuing penalty with ease.

Back on level terms, the remainder of regular time and all of extra time played out predictably once again. The penalty shootout was a comedy of horrifically taken spot-kicks, from Simone Zaza’s twinkle-toes run-up; to Thomas Mueller’s weakly hit, center-third strike; to Ozil’s clanger off the post; to Graziano Pelle‘s slow-roller wide of the post; to Bastian Schweinsteiger‘s space-bound rocket ship. Hector hit the clinching spot kick, following the failure of Matteo Darmiam, to seal Germany’s place in the semis.

NCAAFB: With another signee granted release, half of Baylor’s signing class is now gone.

By Zach Barnett

(Photo/Getty Images)

And another once-future Bear bites the dust.

Brandon Bowen has been granted his release from Baylor, a school spokesman confirmed to the Waco Tribune-Herald on Thursday. Bowen, a 6-foot-5, 233-pound defensive end, signed with Baylor as a four-star prospect out of Byron Nelson High School in Trophy Club, Texas, in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. He chose Baylor over Oklahoma and Oregon last winter.

Bowen becomes the 11th member of Baylor’s 2016 class to be granted a release from his scholarship or otherwise leave the team this summer. The previous 10 are — deep breaths — B.J. Autry, Parish Cobb, Tren'Davian Dickson, Devin Duvernay, Donovan Duvernay, Jeremy Faulk, Patrick Hudson, Kameron Martin, J.P. Urquidez and DeQuinton Osborne.

That’s 11 members of Baylor’s 22-man signing class now gone. The Bears’ 2017 class has one commitment and is ranked 113th by the 247Sports Composite rankings.

Dickson transferred to Houston, Martin signed with Auburn, Osborne left for Oklahoma State, and Hudson, Urquidez and the Duvernay brothers all migrated to Texas.

Harbaugh cancels trip to Samoa for camp due to Zika virus.

AP - Sports

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh walks on the field during the Next Level Football Camp at Paramus Catholic High School, Wednesday, June 8, 2016, in Paramus, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh has canceled a trip to Samoa for a football camp due to reported Zika virus cases on the islands.

Harbaugh was scheduled to be in Samoa on Thursday. He recently announced his wife, Sarah, is pregnant.

Some Wolverines coaches were in Samoa in early June. Harbaugh is a strong advocate for holding the so-called satellite camps away from campus, an issue that became a point of contention.

The Southeastern Conference wanted them banned, with some coaches noting that it was just a way for other programs to recruit.

The Division I Council approved a proposal requiring Football Bowl Subdivision schools to hold camps at or near home, but the Division I Board of Directors rescinded the ban in early May.

NCAABKB: Loyola parts ways with women’s basketball coach Swoopes.

Associated Press

(Photo/Getty Images)

Loyola University has parted ways with women’s basketball coach Sheryl Swoopes.

The school said in April that it would investigate allegations against Swoopes brought by former players. One former player, Cate Soan, has said Swoopes humiliated her and created a hostile environment.

On Sunday, the school released a three-sentence statement.

“Sheryl Swoopes is no longer serving as the women’s basketball coach at Loyola University Chicago,” athletic director Steve Watson said in the statement. “A search for her replacement will begin immediately. Loyola thanks Sheryl for her service to the women’s basketball program.”

Swoopes has been at the private Chicago university for three seasons with a record of 31-62. She was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame this year.
She was the first player signed by the WNBA and won three Olympic gold medals.

USA Basketball U17 advances to gold medal game at FIBA World Championships.

By Scott Phillips

(Bart Young/USA Basketball)

The USA Basketball U17 team is advancing to the gold medal game after another convincing win in Spain on Friday. In the semifinals, the Americans knocked off Lithuania, 98-70 as they’ll play on July 3rd for the gold medal.

Incoming Marquette point guard Markus Howard continued his strong tournament with a team-high 16 points while going 3-for-7 from 3-point range while Class of 2017 guards Gary Trent Jr. and Collin Sexton both finished with 15 points.

Howard is shooting 48 percent from 3-point range through six games in the FIBA World Championships as he’s been lethal from the perimeter.

Class of 2018 forward Carte ’are Gordon finished with 13 points while Class of 2017 forward Kevin Knox finished with 10 points.

So far, this American team has been able to score like crazy despite only shooting 32 percent from 3-point range during the tournament. In the championship, the Americans will have to play Turkey, a team they defeated in group play, 84-66.

Nearly perfect, Williams gets 300th Slam win at Wimbledon.

By Howard Fendrich

Serena Williams of the U.S celebrates after beating Annika Beck of Germany in their women's singles match on day seven of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Sunday, July 3, 2016. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Serena Williams has won so many Grand Slam matches that she's lost count.

Then again, as she noted Sunday, it's her losses that get a lot more attention nowadays.

Looking much more ready for Week 2 at Wimbledon than she did in her previous outing, Williams joined Martina Navratilova as the only women with 300 victories at major tournaments in the Open era by overwhelming Annika Beck 6-3, 6-0 in 51 minutes to get to the fourth round.

''Every time I step out on the court, if I don't win, it's major national news,'' Williams said a day after her counterpart in the men's draw, No. 1 and defending champion Novak Djokovic, was ousted. ''But if I do win, it's just like a small tag in the corner.''

Pushed to three sets her last time out, Williams was about as dominant as can be against her 43rd-ranked German opponent. Nearly perfect, even.

Williams won the last 17 points she served. She won 24 of the last 28 points overall. She accumulated 25 winners to two for Beck.

Afterward, the six-time Wimbledon champion was asked whether she knew she had reached a milestone by getting her 300th Grand Slam match win, breaking a tie with Chris Evert for second place behind Navratilova's total of 306.

''No. Was it? Cool. Oh, nice,'' the 34-year-old American said with a laugh. ''I had no idea. That's awesome, right? That's good, right?''

She's now 300-42, an .877 winning percentage, and will go for No. 301 right away: All 16 men's and women's fourth-round matches are scheduled for Monday, when Williams faces two-time major champion Svetlana Kuznetsova.

Yes, thanks to sun on Sunday, the tournament is all caught up after persistent rain left a backlog of matches. This was only the fourth time since The Championships, as they're called around these parts, began 139 years ago that matches were played on the middle Sunday.

On the other three occasions - 1991, 1997, 2004 - fans lined up overnight to buy tickets that normally are so difficult, and expensive, to come by, creating a loud festival of flag-waving, face-painted folks thrilled to be on-site for once. This time, seats could only be purchased online, and there was a far-less-vibrant vibe than in the past on what was known as ''People's Sunday.''

''I thought it would feel really different,'' Williams said, asked to compare this day with an average one at the grass-court Grand Slam, ''but it didn't feel really different.''

If anything, this middle Sunday was oddly subdued. Silent, even. Arenas were filled with rows and rows of unclaimed green chairs. Spectators applauded politely, if at all. Walkways around the grounds were easy to traverse.

''Strange feeling, a little bit,'' said No. 7 Richard Gasquet, who helped give France four men in the round of 16 at Wimbledon for the first time since 1929, ''because ... I don't see many people around.''

His next opponent is another member of that rare quartet, No. 12 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who erased a two-set deficit, then saved a match point, en route to edging No. 18 John Isner of the United States 19-17 in a fifth set that lasted more than 2 hours all by itself.

''It's good to be alive,'' said Tsonga, now 6-0 in five-setters at the All England Club.

They played three sets before being halted because of darkness Saturday night and finished Sunday.

In other men's matches, No. 32 Lucas Pouille of France got past 2009 U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro 6-7 (4), 7-6 (6), 7-5, 6-1; 2010 Wimbledon runner-up Tomas Berdych defeated 19-year-old Alexander Zverev 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1; No. 15 Nick Kyrgios eliminated No. 22 Feliciano Lopez 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-4 to set up a showdown against his pal Andy Murray, who is seeded No. 2 and won the 2013 title; and Jiri Vesely defeated No. 31 Joao Sousa 6-2, 6-2, 7-5.

The 13th-seeded Kuznetsova advanced with a 6-7 (1), 6-2, 8-6 victory over No. 18 Sloane Stephens. Other women's winners included No. 21 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Elena Vesnina and Ekaterina Makarova. The woman who ended Williams' bid for a calendar-year Grand Slam in the U.S. Open semifinals last September, Roberta Vinci, failed to put up much of a challenge in a 6-3, 6-4 loss to No. 27 CoCo Vandeweghe.

Vandeweghe won 24 of 28 first-serve points and 14 of 17 points when she went to the net, improving to 11-1 on grass this season.

''Past month or almost two months,'' said Vandeweghe, a 2015 Wimbledon quarterfinalist, ''I've been doing a good job of rising to the occasion.''

Tour De France: Stage 2; Peter Sagan from rainbow to yellow.

Le Tour France

Tour de France 2016 - 03/07/2016 - Etape 2 - Saint-Lô/ Cherbourg-en-Cotentin (183km) - SAGAN Peter (TINKOFF) - Avec le maillot Jaune sur le podium © ASO/A.Broadway

The day after Mark Cavendish took the yellow jersey for the first time, Peter Sagan did so as well as he claimed his fifth stage victory at the Tour de France since his debuts in 2012. The peloton caught breakaway rider Jasper Stuyven 500 metres before the line at the uphill finish at Cherbourg-en-Cotentin. French sensation Julian Alaphilippe took the second place to move into the lead of the best young rider competition.

Four riders in the lead

198 riders took the start of stage 2 in Saint-Lô. Polka dot jersey holder Paul Voss and Cesare Benedetti (Bora-Argon 18), Vegard Breen (Fortuneo-Vital Concept) and Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo) rode away from the gun. Stuyven passed first atop two of the three category 4 climbs of the day and thus prevented Voss from keeping the lead in the King of the Mountains competition. The leading quartet had a maximum advantage of 5.30 at km 20. Mark Cavendish's Dimension Data team maintained the deficit of the peloton around 4.30 until another crash involving Alberto Contador happened at km 60, after which the bunch slowed down. The time difference at km 69 was 6.50.

Stuyven caught with 500 metres to go

The leading quartet forged on. Their advantage was still five minutes with 40km to go. 25km before the end, Benedetti couldn't hold the pace anymore while top teams Astana, BMC and Tinkoff were strongly involved in the chase behind Voss, Breen and Stuyven. The leading trio enjoyed more than two minutes of an advantage with 10km to go. Stuyven rode away solo 8.5km before the line and was awarded the most aggressive rider price of the day. He also claimed the polka dot jersey as he passed the côte de la Glacerie alone at the front with 1.5km to go. The Belgian from Trek-Segafredo eventually got caught 500 metres before the line. Peter Sagan timed his sprint at perfection to fend off Tour of California winner Julian Alaphilippe who came second as he already did behind Alejandro Valverde at the Flèche wallonne those past two years. This time, the Spanish veteran was behind the up and coming Frenchman. Sagan last won a stage at the Tour de France in 2013. He's the first reigning world champion to win a stage since Cavendish in 2012.

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Monday, July 4, 2016.

Memoriesofhistory.com

1910 - Race riots broke out all over the United States after African-American Jack Johnson knocked out Jim Jeffries in a heavyweight boxing match.

1919 - Jack Dempsey won the world heavyweight champion when he defeated Jess Willard.

1934 - Boxer Joe Louis won his first professional fight.

1939 - Lou Gehrig retired from major league baseball.

1980 - Nolan Ryan (Houston Astros) got his 3,000th career strikeout.

1980 - Martina Navratilova won her sixth straight Wimbledon singles championship and her eighth overall.

2003 - Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers) was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault after turning himself in to police. He was released after posting a $25,000 bond.

****************************************************************

Please let us hear your opinion on the above articles and pass them on to any other diehard fans that you think might be interested. But most of all, remember, Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica wants you.