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!!!
"Sports Quote of the Day"
"To make our way, we must have firm resolve, persistence, tenacity. We must gear ourselves to work hard all the way. We can never let up." ~ Ralph Bunche, Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Political Scientist, Academic and Diplomat
TRENDING: Glennon, Trubisky show progress in win. (See the football section for Bears news and NFL updates).
TRENDING: Chicago Blackhawks Fans Must Be Louder in 2017-18. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).
TRENDING: Zach LaVine: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly. (See the basketball section for Bulls news and NBA updates).
TRENDING: Stop asking if the Cubs are back, they need to make their own momentum — like they did Sunday; White Sox Beat Rangers, 3-2. (See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).
TRENDING: U.S. Solheim victory a credit to Inkster; Stenson hangs on for Wyndham win; 2 down with 2 to play, Redman rallies for U.S.. Am title. (See the golf section for PGA news and tournament updates).
TRENDING: Clean Sweep: Kyle Busch completes Bristol trifecta. (See the NASCAR section for NASCAR news and racing updates).
TRENDING: In losing big showdown, Fire see why Toronto is best team in MLS; Also Premier League updates. (See the soccer section for Fire news and worldwide soccer updates).
TRENDING: Collected holds off Arrogate in $1 million Pacific Classic. (See the last article on this blog for horse racing news and the latest updates).
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Glennon, Trubisky show progress in win.
By Larry Mayer
TRENDING: Glennon, Trubisky show progress in win. (See the football section for Bears news and NFL updates).
TRENDING: Chicago Blackhawks Fans Must Be Louder in 2017-18. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).
TRENDING: Zach LaVine: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly. (See the basketball section for Bulls news and NBA updates).
TRENDING: Stop asking if the Cubs are back, they need to make their own momentum — like they did Sunday; White Sox Beat Rangers, 3-2. (See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).
TRENDING: U.S. Solheim victory a credit to Inkster; Stenson hangs on for Wyndham win; 2 down with 2 to play, Redman rallies for U.S.. Am title. (See the golf section for PGA news and tournament updates).
TRENDING: Clean Sweep: Kyle Busch completes Bristol trifecta. (See the NASCAR section for NASCAR news and racing updates).
TRENDING: In losing big showdown, Fire see why Toronto is best team in MLS; Also Premier League updates. (See the soccer section for Fire news and worldwide soccer updates).
TRENDING: Collected holds off Arrogate in $1 million Pacific Classic. (See the last article on this blog for horse racing news and the latest updates).
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Glennon, Trubisky show progress in win.
By Larry Mayer
Bears quarterback Mike Glennon throws a pass in Saturday night's preseason win in Arizona. (Photo/www.chicagobears.com)
Continuing to gain a firmer grasp of the Bears offense, quarterbacks Mike Glennon and Mitch Trubisky both showed signs of growth in Saturday night’s 24-23 preseason win over the Cardinals.
Glennon rebounded from an early interception to throw a 7-yard touchdown pass to receiver
Glennon completed 4 of 5 passes for 36 yards on the possession, including a 6-yarder to tight end
It was a vast improvement over the preseason opener Aug. 10 against the Broncos when Glennon threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown and posted a 0.0 passer rating.
“Last week after the game I was already eager to kind of be in this situation and had to wait nine days, so it was good to get out here,” said Glennon, who played the entire first half Saturday night.
On Glennon’s TD pass, he showed poise and patience in the face of a Cardinals blitz, calmly standing his ground in the pocket and waiting for Wright to break to the outside.
“I could feel that they were about to bring that all-out blitz,” Glennon said. “In those situations, the receiver’s just got to win and I’ve got to get the ball out of my hands, and Kendall did a good job getting open.”
Glennon was also a calming influence in the huddle, at least on rookie running back
“He’s a leader,” Cohen said of Glennon. “He was helping me out there, telling me to keep my head in the right place and to not get too excited because there’s always that next play. I got a good sense of leadership out of him.”
Trubisky felt he was tested “a little bit” more by offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains.
“There were some different plays from last week,” Trubisky said. “I’ve just got to continue to develop and master this offense. It’s going to be different each week, so it’s my job to study and memorize the game plan and go out there and execute it.
“[Loggains] had a bunch of good calls going for us. The ones that didn’t work for us on third downs, I’ve just got to make those better on my end.”
Trubisky was hit several times, but he was only sacked once.
“I was just trying to keep my eyes up as long as possible and trying to get the ball to receivers before I have to take the sack,” Trubisky said. “Obviously I wanted to take care of the football, which I did. But I think I can learn from watching film and just trying to get the ball out a little faster to help my o-line out and just find the right guy when they bring pressure in my face. It’s just one of the things that I’m going to have to continue to learn from and I will.”
Trubisky and the Bears were challenged by a Cardinals defense known for its exotic blitzes.
“Arizona brought some pretty different stuff,” Trubisky said. “But in the short two days we had to prepare for it I felt I went out there and had myself protected the right way with the calls and all that. I just need to get the ball out a little sooner.
“I felt like I was seeing everything. That’s a good defense. They’ve got really good things going schematically. They’ve got a bunch of good players. We just need to execute on our end and I just need to do my job and help my teammates do their jobs.”
Cohen shines early in preseason win.
By Larry Mayer
Bears rookie running back Tarik Cohen races down field in Saturday night's preseason win. (Photo/www.chicagobears.com)
With Jordan Howard back in Chicago nursing a minor eye injury, rookie Tarik Cohen made the most of his opportunity to start Saturday night’s preseason game in Arizona.
“He’s explosive,” said coach John Fox. “He’s flashed at us. We’ve seen him from Day 1 in underwear and I thought he showed a lot of tools and gifts and he’s got a very mature attitude and mindset. As far as in preparation whether it’s in pass protection or running the ball or as a pass receiver, he’s got a good feel for the game. I’ve liked what I’ve seen.”
Cohen, a fourth-round draft pick from North Carolina A&T, ignited the first-team offense with one long run on each of the Bears’ first three possessions in the first quarter of 16, 16 and 25 yards.
“The offensive line is obviously the one creating those holes, but Tarik definitely brings a spark,” said quarterback
Cohen routinely ran away from defenders at the Division II level. But his blazing speed also is evident at the NFL level—as it was again Saturday night against the Cardinals.
“That’s the mainstay of my game; being a speedy back with a low center of gravity, so I’m hard to tackle,” Cohen said. “It helps with a combination of good blocking and I’m always looking to hit the home run ball.”
Playing takeaway: The Bears registered their first takeaway of the preseason Saturday night with an interception by cornerback
The turnover set up
“It was big for the defense,” Webb said. “We got a possession out of it. The offense went down and scored. Anytime we can do that it’s big.”
News and notes: The Bears run defense excelled, limiting the Cardinals to just 40 yards on 19 carries. … Pat O’Donnell averaged 51.8 yards with a 50.0 net average while placing three of four punts inside the 20, including one that bounced out of bounds at the 4. …
On the shelf: Bears players who sat out Saturday night’s game due to injuries included running backs Howard and
Bears show improvement in preseason win.
By Larry Mayer
(Photo/Steve Carrera/www.chicagobears.com)
Solid performances by their No. 1 offense and defense plus an electrifying special teams play powered the Bears to a 24-23 preseason win over the Cardinals Saturday night.
After failing to score while committing two turnovers in the preseason opener against the Broncos, the first-team offense produced a touchdown and field goal on five first-half drives in Arizona.
“Coming off Week 1 versus Denver we felt like we needed to make strides,” said coach John Fox. “We challenged our whole first team—offense in particular—and I thought they responded well.”
Starting quarterback
The Bears were in position to increase their 3-0 lead early in the second quarter. But on second-and-10 from the Cardinals’ 11, Glennon’s pass intended for receiver
But Glennon redeemed himself by beating an all-out blitz with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Wright, capping a six-play, 44-yard drive and giving the Bears a 10-7 lead they would not relinquish with :36 left in the half. Glennon completed 4 of 5 passes for 36 yards on the possession.
“You just have to respond,” Glennon said. “It’s one of those situations where interceptions are going to happen. We want to limit that as much as possible, but it’s how you respond and I felt like the offense did a good job of that today.”
Playing the entire first half, Glennon completed 13 of 18 passes for 89 yards with one touchdown, one interception and a 73.6 passer rating. It was a marked improvement over his debut against the Broncos when he threw an interception that was returned for a TD and posted a 0.0 rating.
“I thought it was a big improvement,” Fox said. “We had a very limited look in Week 1 like most first offenses in this league. Some starting quarterbacks don’t even play in Week 1. I thought the whole offense responded, including Mike.”
After veteran quarterback
Trubisky’s 6-yard TD pass to
Asked about his performance, Trubisky said: “I would assess it as all right. We moved the ball down the field a little bit. Would like to convert a couple more third downs, especially the early on drives. But we finished in the end zone, which is a positive, and we came away with a ‘W.’”
A Bears win seemed like a foregone conclusion late. But the Cardinals drew to within 24-17 on Phil Dawson’s 52-yard field goal with 1:20 to play and then recovered an onside kick at the Chicago 35.
Blaine Gabbert eventually hit Jeremy Ross with a 3-yard TD pass to make it 24-23 with :09 remaining. Looking to avoid overtime, the Cardinals attempted a two-point conversion. But Gabbert’s pass intended for Ross was behind him, enabling the Bears to escape with the victory.
Rookie running back
The Bears defense played well in the first half, allowing just one touchdown on five possessions—and that came after the Cardinals took over at the Chicago 43 following Glennon’s interception.
Carson Palmer’s 1-yard TD pass to tight end Jermaine Gresham on fourth-and-goal gave Arizona a 7-3 lead with 6:04 left in the half. On the previous play, defensive end
The Bears scored two touchdowns in the final :36 of the first half to take a 17-7 lead. After Wright’s TD,
The Cardinals opened the second half with a 12-play, 75-yard drive capped by Gabbert’s 4-yard TD scramble that closed the gap to 17-14.
But the Bears defense responded as end
Webb’s interception—the Bears’ first and so far only takeaway in two preseason games—set up Trubisky’s TD pass to Cunningham.
Mitch Trubisky will eventually make a glaring mistake, and why he'll respond to it well.
By JJ Stankevitz
(Photo/USA TODAY Sports Images)
John Fox likes to use a formula to determine how a player will respond to adversity: Events + Responses = Outcomes (E + R = O). Mitch Trubisky hasn’t experienced much adversity in his first two preseason games, but if how he’s handled the mistakes he’s made in practice is any indication, he’ll respond to those well.
“Your response typically equals the outcome,” Fox said. “If you haven’t dropped a ball, haven’t missed a pass, you haven’t thrown a pick, you haven’t played. It’s how they respond.”
Trubisky missed a few passes Saturday night against the Arizona Cardinals and was battered a bit behind a third-string offensive line. But he hasn’t thrown an interception in 33 preseason attempts, and his final line Saturday — 6/8, 60 yards, 1 TD — was solid, though not as spectacular as his preseason debut.
Consider this, though: Two days before lighting up the Denver Broncos (second/third/fourth-string) defense, Mitch Trubisky ended practice by throwing an interception to Deiondre’ Hall in the end zone.
“It sucks,” Trubisky said. “The rest of my day will not feel as great since I ended practice that way.”
Trubisky responded to that pick by, in the short term, making a few more throws after practice. He then went out and dazzled against Denver, completing 18 of 25 passes for 166 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions.
“It’s all about, for me, not making the same mistake twice,” Trubisky said. “So, you can make a mistake and that’s going to happen, especially for rookies, but it’s all about overcoming that, learning from it and don’t let it happen again. And I think I’ve done a pretty good job of that so far.”
Trubisky speaks confidently and acts that way in both practice and games. There is some general risk associated with playing a rookie quarterback before he’s “ready,” because if he struggles his confidence could be severely damaged.
With Trubisky, though, there doesn’t seem to be as great of a confidence risk if the Bears do decide to play him early.
Of course, the best way for Trubisky to avoid a hit to his confidence is to not make any mistakes. But inevitably, he’ll throw an interception or have a bad game. That’ll be the E in that equation Fox likes.
And, so far, Trubisky — who thought he played “alright” against Arizona — has shown his “R” will probably be good. That’s another mark in his favor for being ready to play earlier than was expected when the Bears drafted him in April.
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Chicago Blackhawks Fans Must Be Louder in 2017-18.
By Aaron Goldschmidt
After two consecutive first round playoff losses, the United Center needs to get back to the Madhouse on Madison.
Home ice in the NHL isn’t like having a home field advantage in baseball, football, or basketball. The rink has the same dimensions everywhere, the goals are regulation size, and the ice is supposed to be in similar condition although players will tell you otherwise. Therefore the playing field is somewhat level wherever you go. Visiting teams still play a road-game style which tends to be more conservative but different playing surfaces, weather, and unique stadium dimensions such as Fenway Park’s Green Monster are things hockey players don’t have to worry about.
One common element that influences all home games is the fans. NHL arena capacities range from 15,294 at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg to 21,288 at the Bell Centre in Montreal. Both arguments can be made for what makes for a louder arena, a smaller more dense venue or a large venue that holds more people. Either way when playoff time comes around, players can feel the crowd on top of them wherever they go.
The United Center is currently 3rd on the list of largest NHL arenas at 19,700. The Red Wings new stadium, Little Caesars Arena, holds 20,000 only behind the Bell Centre.
As the Blackhawks transition into a retooling phase, it would be wise for their fans to take a look in the mirror and possibly do the same. The last Stanley Cup was won two years ago so the “honey moon” is long over. Much like the team, fans need to get back to knowing what it takes to win and that all starts with making the United Center a hard place to play at.
Players like Jeremy Roenick have spoken out multiple times about the old Chicago Stadium and what a hostile environment it was for opposing teams to play in. With a fanbase dying for another Stanley Cup, playoff games reached deafening levels. That want, that eagerness, and that desire are things that have abated since the Hawks moved into the United Center especially with their recent success. It’s not that Blackhawks fans aren’t loud or that they don’t cheer the whole game, because they do. It’s just the uniqueness of being hungry for first-time success is hard to recreate.
Teams like Nashville, Minnesota, and St. Louis who have been under the Blackhawks thumb the last few years have stadiums that have become like central-division pressure cookers. The past two seasons, Hawks fans have seen St. Louis and Nashville claw and win hard fought series’ with the help of their fans who provided confidence and relentless motivation.
Blackhawks fans have developed a level of elitism that has been noticed throughout the league, and rightfully so. Winning breeds a certain type of fan who generally likes to talk a big game and flaunts championships and achievements. But with the Blackhawks three Stanley Cups of this generation in the rear view mirror and a salary cap demolished roster, ‘Hawks fans may have less proof to back up their smack talk than ever before.
So this season, talk to your kids about Remembering the Roar of the old Chicago Stadium. Talk about the days when the Hawks were the joke of the league. Tell them it wasn’t always like this and how grateful they should be for the recent success of the franchise. Heck, kids today even got to see the Cubs win a World Series. Regardless, if ‘Hawks fans can once again become humbled and desperate for another Stanley Cup, they will need to amp up the Madhouse on Madison like never before.
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Zach LaVine: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly.
By Kiefer Herndon
(Photo/www.pinterest.com)
Much has been written about the Jimmy Butler trade and an above-average amount of people seem to be throwing around the word, "fleeced." Which, for me, just creates a strange mental image of Thibs angrily handing out staticky sweaters to members of the Bulls front office. Yes, Jimmy had two years left on his contract. And yes, GarPax probably should've used one of those two years to hold out for a better deal. However, the trade happened and there is no changing that. What we can do is learn a little bit more about the return we got for our dearly departed, Jimmy Buckets.
The biggest asset we got in the trade with the T-Wolves is Zach LaVine. The high-flying guard is known to most as the guy who won the slam dunk competition in back-to-back years (including a dunk in which he donned Michael Jordan's jersey from the excellent basketball documentary, "Space Jam"). A deeper dive into LaVine's stats and backstory reveals an extremely talented offensive player with star potential and great character.
I suggest reading the excellent LaVine goodbye article from Drew Mahowald over at CanisHoopus.
The Good
LaVine is a Swiss army knife on the offensive end and can pour in buckets when he heats up. Although he's known for his dunking ability which he often displays on fast breaks, he's also deadly from deep with a career 38.7 3-point shooting percentage. The Timberwolves often ran him around screens to create open looks for him as a catch and release 3-point shooter. His range sets up his pump fake allowing him to unleash his explosiveness at the rim. Also in his arsenal is a filthy step-back jumper and solid Euro-step (no word yet from Durant on whether he has a hesi pull-up jimbo). LaVine is simply incredibly fun to watch. Just watch the video below where he dunks away at least two of Alex Len's childhood memories.
The most shocking thing about LaVine, who is entering his 4th year in the league, is that he is still just 22 years old! That's younger than last year's Rookie of the Year, Malcolm Brogdon. LaVine's current contract only has one year left, but don't panic. In 2018, he will be a restricted free agent, allowing the Bulls to match any offer that gets thrown at him.
The Bad
The biggest bad is that LaVine appears largely uninterested in playing defense. His one-on-one defense has improved in the past few seasons under Tom Thibodeau. However, he often appears lost during off-ball defense and puts up little fight against screens. There's potential that he gains a better grasp of team defense with more time in the league but it's definitely a weakness of his at this point in his career.
His lack of consistency and effort on defense means that he'll always need to be paired with another guard who is a defensive specialist so that he can be hidden on defense. A rim protector will also need to be paired with him as he has a bad habit of completely giving up on plays once his assignment gets by him.
LaVine entered the league alongside Andrew Wiggins and has played with Karl-Anthony Towns for the past two years in Minnesota. That means he's rarely been the focus of the defense since entering the NBA. It will be interesting to see how LaVine reacts to the spotlight when each team's defensive specialist is being tasked with shutting him down. At 6'5 and with a viciously quick first step, he's going to be a challenging cover for all defenders.
The Ugly
A torn ACL in LaVine's left knee cut his season short in February of 2017. While it's the first major injury of his career, it's no certain thing that players can come back to the same form after a major knee injury (see: Brandon Roy and Derrick Rose). The major worry here is the risk of re-injury over the course of his career. LaVine's game depends largely on his explosiveness.
With 2017-2018 likely to be a rebuilding year for the Bulls, there is a strong possibility that the front office decides to sit LaVine at the beginning of the year rather than risk further damage by rushing him back. However, LaVine has maintained that the he is ahead of schedule and should be ready by training camp. It will be interesting to see his level of involvement when training camp arrives in September.
Conclusion
If LaVine is able to come back at full strength from his injury, the future looks bright for this kid. Hopefully, he'll be back in peak condition by the time that Dwyane Wade hands the reins over to him. There's no way to truly replace a talent like Jimmy Butler, but Zach LaVine is a player to get excited about and should fun to watch during a hopefully quick rebuild.
CUBS: Stop asking if the Cubs are back, they need to make their own momentum — like they did Sunday.
By Vinnie Duber
By Vinnie Duber
(Photo/USA TODAY)
That’s been a season-long talking point every time something that seems big at the time happens, constant wonder over what can snap the Cubs out of it and get them back to their expected place of dominating the division and looking like a World Series contender.
But it’s been pretty plain up to this point that one game hasn’t made that drastic difference fans are looking for.
All those “Cubs back?” inquiries have only been met with the same kind of play that’s kept the team middling all season. Flashes of brilliance have come and gone, and still the Cubs turned in a sub-.500 first half and remain just a few games ahead of their division rivals from Milwaukee and St. Louis.
So it’s time to stop wondering if every big win will lead to the Cubs turning on the jets and blasting away from the Brewers and Cardinals.
If the Cubs are going to get the kind of momentum required to do that, they’re going to need to make it themselves. Just like they did Sunday.
The Cubs beat the visiting Toronto Blue Jays and completed their first three-game series sweep in a month, their first since that six-game win streak out of the All-Star break with back-to-back broom breakouts in Baltimore and Atlanta. (For those appreciative of technicalities, yes, the Cubs won both games in the road half of the Crosstown matchup with the White Sox.)
But it was the way they did it Sunday, coughing up a 3-0 lead, coughing up two runs in the top of 10th, only to score three times in the bottom of that extra inning, winning on a walk-off base hit by one of the new guys, Alex Avila.
Did it mean that the Cubs are back? Did it mean this is the start of something great? What did it mean?
“That we’re a good team, I guess,” Avila said. “There are certain times over the course of the year when you’re a team that’s trying to get to the playoffs, you’ve got to win crazy games like that, games you should win.
“For me, momentum depends on the next guy that’s pitching, to be honest with you. If (John Lackey) goes out Tuesday and throws a good game and gives us an opportunity, then you can say that. But for me, once the game’s over it’s over, and the next game is something completely different.”
Sunday’s game was far from pretty. The Cubs benefitted from a pair of dropped third strikes in that 10th inning, including one where Blue Jays catcher Raffy Lopez plum forgot to throw to first, allowing Javy Baez to reach. Baez scored the game-winning run two batters later, sliding in ahead of the throw on Avila’s hit.
This time last year, the Cubs had a double-digit lead in the National League Central standings. After this sweep, you still need just one hand’s worth of fingers to add up their current division lead. This clearly isn’t last year. But Sunday’s win did have a little bit of that 2016 feel to it.
“The way the boys grinded at the end was awesome, definitely reminiscent of last year somewhat” starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks said. “That’s where we’ve got to get to, we’ve just got to be who we are right now. And hopefully that’s the team we can be now, maybe even progress beyond that. But yeah that was huge. Kept on fighting, even late in that game, and found a way to win that one.”
That’s not to say, though, that 2017’s problems didn’t pop up. The Cubs were just 3-for-12 with runners in scoring position. They gathered just four hits the remainder of the game after Albert Almora Jr.’s bases-clearing double with nobody out in the third inning. The bullpen could hardly be described as lock-down, with Justin Wilson adding two more walks to his struggle of a portfolio since joining the Cubs, Wade Davis also walking two batters and Koji Uehara charged with the two runs in the 10th that put the Blue Jays on top.
But listen to Joe Maddon and look elsewhere.
Those “little things” that everyone is always so fond of telling you make the difference in championship seasons? They were there Sunday, chiefly in the form of Baez’s 10th-inning hustle, which first got him to first base on that dropped third strike and later allowed him to score from second on the game-winning base knock.
“Javy runs hard,” Maddon said. “For those who ever want to criticize this guy, that’s a ball in the dirt, about 15 feet away from the catcher, the catcher just blanked out on it. If Javy does not run hard right there, it’s a different result. He ran hard, and that’s why he was safe because by the time Lopez figured it out, he had already beaten it to first base.
“All those little diminutae like that, that’s the difference between winning and losing.
Everybody’s going to look at Alex’s hit. Great. It was a big moment. But Javy striking out and not just sulking, runs to first base.
“This is the nuance of the game,” Maddon continued, moving on to the lead Baez got at second base ahead of Avila’s hit. “Guys that get good (secondary leads). The way I’ve always described that in spring training when you have your base-running meeting is that you’re being a great teammates when you get a good secondary lead because it leads to moments like that. … You’re being a great teammate when you understand the importance of getting good secondary leads.”
Maybe the spark that’s been so intensely looked for all season isn’t one singular highlight-reel win but a collection of plays over the course of a few games. All three of these wins against the Blue Jays were one-run victories. Little things make the difference in such tight games. They make the difference in such tight division races, too.
One game and one sweep against a last-place team gets the Cubs nowhere close to out of the woods. A playoff spot is hardly a certainty in such a closely contested Central. And for as potentially momentum-building as this weekend series might have seemed, remember the Blue Jays are a last-place team. The Cincinnati Reds, both the team the Cubs played prior to the Blue Jays and the team they’ll play next, and the Philadelphia Phillies, the second stop on next week’s road trip, are also last-place teams.
The Cubs should be winning these games. You could just as easily argue that Sunday’s game was a troubling sign. Why should the Cubs need two dropped third strikes in the 10th inning to get them a win against a last-place team? Valid question.
But if you heard the racket coming out of the Cubs’ celebration room, you might be convinced otherwise.
Is momentum real? To this point, it hasn’t been for the 2017 Cubs. But with the schedule at an easy point, maybe it becomes real soon. They just have to make it.
“We want to get on a good roll,” Almora said. “This series is great, it’s a great start. We’ve been playing well since the All-Star break, so we feel really good as a team. Pitchers coming together, offense coming together. It’s great.”
“A really good team, once you’ve won the series with one left, c’mon. This is when you really want to make some hay at that point, you just don’t want to concede anything,” Maddon said. “Getting three out of three makes a difference moving forward.”
Welcome to Chicago: Rene Rivera thrown into the fire on his first day in Cubs' pennant race.
By Vinnie Duber
(Photo/USA TODAY)
Welcome to Chicago, Rene. Now grab your catcher’s gear and get out there.
A far cry from when he woke up the day before as a New York Met.
“The Mets, we knew they were going to do some moves there. I wasn’t surprised,” Rivera said Sunday. “Maybe the timing was surprising a bit.
“I’m here. I’ll play whenever I’m in the lineup. If not, I will cheer for my time. I’m happy to do any job, like I’ve been doing the last couple years. I’ll be enjoying my time, hopefully helping the team win in any way I can.”
Rivera has been playing big league ball since 2009, and the Cubs are his sixth major league team. He’s known for his defense and his ability to help out his pitchers, and he’s got eight homers already this season. The Cubs are happy to have him — and his veteran experience — as the time of year becomes increasingly more important.
And Rivera is happy to be here, too. Of course going from the Mets, 19 games out of first place in the National League East, to the first-place Cubs is a nice improvement in situation. But this is also the team his grandfather loved to watch. Rivera shared memories of his grandfather turning on the Cubs, hearing Harry Caray and Steve Stone and cheering on Sammy Sosa back in Puerto Rico.
“I was a kid, I think I was in middle school, maybe later than that. He used to watch the Cubs games down in Puerto Rico. I used to live with him,” Rivera said. “He loved Harry Caray and Steve Stone. I grew up watching the Cubs, so it’s an honor for me to be here. A team he loved so much and now I play for them.”
Time will tell how big a role Rivera will play in this battle for the NL Central crown.
He’s essentially a third-string catcher, though that could take a long time to become official, depending on how long Willson Contreras remains on the disabled list.
So with Contreras, who when he went down was the Cubs’ hottest hitter, on the shelf, the team’s catching tandem is Alex Avila and Rivera, both added to this roster within the last few weeks.
While much of the Cubs’ starting staff is rolling right now — Jake Arrieta, Kyle Hendricks and even John Lackey have been strong over the past month or more — how will having two new catchers calling games affect the results?
Manager Joe Maddon said the fact that Avila and Rivera have been around — they have a combined 1,281 major league games under their belts — makes the transition a lot easier for everyone involved.
“The veteran part of it really permits acceptance more easily. But still there’s that learning curve involved with it. The other day when (Mike) Montgomery came in, I went over to Alex and explained Montgomery to Alex in detail as much as I could: what his better pitches are, what he does well in different situations, counts, all that.
There’s no way Alex could know all that. I know that (Mike Borzello) and everybody have prepped him going into the moment, but he still can’t know all of that. "The little nuance is going to take a couple times out there, whether it’s in the actual games, catching them in bullpens or just talking to them. That’s the disconnect. But the cache built up being a veteran player, being a very good veteran player with great reputations, both Alex and Rene, that definitely helps their cause.
“I talked to Rene, and he was pretty confident that he’s going to be fine with this whole thing. He’s been around a bit, it’s not his first rodeo. He's very comfortable already, I can just tell that conversationally.”
Rivera said he’s going to work with the other catchers already here to help get the lay of the land.
“When you’re a catcher, the biggest challenge is knowing your pitching staff,” he said. “And that’s one thing that I’m going to work hard at, getting to know everybody, getting the trust of everybody and go from there.
“Willson’s been here, he knows the pitching staff. And Alex has been here for a little bit. We’ll talk about it, try to find the comfort zone, try to call a good game.”
Well, his first crack at it couldn’t have come any quicker.
While 2017 has been underwhelming for other hitters, Ian Happ has become a reliable rookie fixture for Cubs.
By Vinnie Duber
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Go ahead. Be honest.
Obviously you knew he’d be here one day, another one of Theo Epstein’s much-ballyhooed first-round draft picks, a position player destined to fit snugly into the Cubs’ long-term lineup.
But Happ was drafted mere months before the Cubs made their breakout run to the 2015 National League Championship Series. He spent his first full season as a professional while the big league team marched to that curse-smashing World Series championship.
Though like Kris Bryant and Addison Russell and Kyle Schwarber and Willson Contreras before him, Happ has landed in the big leagues and become a fixture in the North Side batting order. He’s an everyday player who might not be tearing the cover off the ball on a daily basis, but it’s now hard to imagine the lineup without him.
“I’ve felt really good since I’ve been here,” Happ said earlier this week, “the way guys are super accepting and the way they’ve embraced me in the clubhouse, I couldn’t ask for more. Being with the team for the entire spring training, getting to know the guys, it made it easy for the transitional period and making me feel like I belong right away.”
Happ showed his stuff Saturday, playing a starring role in the North Siders’ narrow 4-3 win over the visiting Toronto Blue Jays. Happ was on base three times, drove in a pair of runs and scored twice, too. He drove in the game’s first run in the first inning, launched a game-tying solo homer in the fourth and scored the go-ahead run on a Javy Baez base hit in the sixth.
Right in the middle of the action is where Happ’s been since he arrived in the bigs back in the middle of May.
It’s been a good thing, too. Because at this point in this odd season, this quest to repeat that has hardly gone according to plan, it’s possible that the Cubs aren’t in first place without Happ. A playoff spot is still nowhere close to a certainty with the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals hot on the Cubs’ tail in the NL Central standings.
With the underachieving and in some cases injury-plagued seasons to date from the likes of Russell, Schwarber, Ben Zobrist and Jason Heyward, the reliability of Happ has made him, even if quietly, one of the key cogs on a team that is still in first place, even if they haven’t been able to pull away and lock down a third straight trip to the postseason.
And he’s doing all this with just 80 games of major league service time.
“I think the more experience you get, as you start to see different pitchers over and over again, you kind of start to see the way guys are going to pitch you, the way the game develops,” Happ said earlier this week. “The more experience you have with that, it kind of helps you to slow the game down.
“I think all the way up for me, once you move up a level, you have to adjust.
Sometimes, it happens quick and sometimes it’s more of a process. I feel like I’ve had to make adjustments at every level and definitely this level, you’re making adjustments every day. The quicker you can make them, the better off you’ll be.”
As mentioned, Happ isn’t putting up some sort of jaw-dropping, send-him-to-Cooperstown kind of a rookie season. He's hitting .249 after Saturday’s two-hit day, and undoubtedly he’s had his struggles. In his last 21 games prior to Saturday, he hit .189 and punctuated that rocky stretch with a four-strikeout day Friday against this same Blue Jays team.
But his .819 OPS ranks fifth among NL rookies. It ranks fourth on the Cubs, lower only than Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Contreras. He’s also in the top five on the team in RBIs and slugging percentage. Saturday’s long ball was his 18th homer of his 80-game season. Extrapolate those numbers to the team’s 122 games on the season, and he’d have more than 25 dingers already.
Thrown into the major league fire, he’s doing all this while asked to be an everyday contributor for a team with World Series aspirations — or rather World Series expectations.
“It’s tough. It’s a new adjustment,” Rizzo said Saturday. “It’s a new everyday grind up here that’s different from the minor leagues. And he’s hit his bumps along the way, but he keeps adjusting, keeps virtually getting better every day. And it’s fun when you see his success pay off.”
“The game ebbs and flows all the time,” Happ said Saturday. “That’s why it’s a beautiful game and a terrible game at the same time. You’re going to have your good weeks, your bad weeks, good days, bad days. Being able to stay even and keep fighting through it is important.”
While the focus for the Cubs is on the present and winning the NL Central crown, this franchise’s championship window extends far beyond the end of the 2017 campaign. Happ will continue to be a big piece of that window staying open, and Maddon said that this rookie season will have positive effects far down the road.
“Developmentally, I think this year’s going to be a boon to him for next year, absolutely, getting this kind of experience,” Maddon said earlier this week.
“Defensively, I think he’s really improved at second base. I think he’s very nice in the outfield. I think there’s actually more positions he can venture into, whether it’s first base, third base, other things that he can do that make him even more valuable.
“The moment he starts forcing pitchers into the zone, he’s got extreme power. He really does. He’s not tall, but he’s strong. The ball comes off his bat as hot as anybody out there. It’s just a matter of him understanding the major league game and what they’re trying to do and veteran pitchers trying to take advantage of young hitters, which they do often. You’ve just got to make sure you force this guy back over the plate.
“When he learns that, like these other guys, they’re going to be very good players.”
Surely the future is bright for Happ, as it is for many of the Cubs’ young players. But as it’s plain to see on a daily basis, there’s a lot of brightness right now, too. Happ might be a rookie, but he sure doesn’t act like it. And at times, with his play, he sure doesn’t look like it, either.
“I’ve felt comfortable here, I have for a long time, and I feel really great with this group of guys,” Happ said Saturday. “And winning baseball games is a lot of fun.”
If the Cubs are going to keep winning baseball games, expect Happ to play a major role.
White Sox Beat Rangers, 3-2.
Associated Press
Miguel Gonzalez escaped early trouble and pitched six scoreless innings, leading the Chicago White Sox over the Texas Rangers, 3-2, on Sunday.
Gonzalez (7-10) pitched out of one-out, bases-loaded jams in both the second and third innings. After allowing singles to the first two batters in the fourth, Gonzalez retired the last nine batters he faced.
Juan Minaya recorded his second save, both in the last three games, despite giving up Rougned Odor’s two-run homer with two outs in the ninth.
Chicago capitalized on the Rangers’ stranding runners by scoring all three runs in the fourth inning against A.J. Griffin (6-4).
Omar Narvaez stretched his hitting streak to eight games with an RBI single and Tyler Saladino followed with a two-run double. Saladino had only six RBIs in his 53 previous games this season.
Gonzalez tied his season high with six strikeouts, and gave up four walks and four hits, all singles. He’s 2-0 in his last three starts, allowing two runs in 20 innings.
The Rangers left 10 runners on base. They had scored 29 runs in the series’ first three games, and 51 in the previous five.
TRAINER’S ROOM
White Sox: INF Yoan Moncada didn’t play for the second straight game because of shin splints. Manager Rick Renteria said he hoped Moncada could play in both games of Monday’s doubleheader.
Rangers: 3B Joey Gallo (bloody nose and swollen upper lip) and RHP Matt Bush (bruised right knee) both left the game in the eighth inning after colliding while chasing a popup. Bush’s head slammed into Gallo’s nose. Both were being evaluated under Major League Baseball’s concussion protocol. … LHP Jake Diekman, recovering from surgery for ulcerative colitis, was scheduled to make his second rehab appearance for Double-A Frisco on Sunday night.
UP NEXT
White Sox: Host Minnesota in a Monday doubleheader to begin a five-game series. LHP Carlos Rodon (1-4, 4.00 ERA) is the scheduled first-game starter, with RHP Carson Fulmer coming up from Triple-A Charlotte for his first major league start in the second game. Fulmer was 0-2 in 11 relief appearances for the White Sox last season, and is 7-8 with a 5.61 ERA for Charlotte.
Rangers: LHP Cole Hamels (8-1, 3.48) will be seeking his fifth straight win on Monday night when Texas visits the Angels for a four-game series.
White Sox Talk Podcast: Jeff Passan explains why White Sox have the best farm system in baseball.
By CSN Staff
(Photo/USA TODAY)
After speaking with 24 people in baseball (GMs, farm directors and scouts), Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports made a conclusion: the White Sox have the best farm system in baseball. On the podcast, Chuck Garfien speaks with Passan about his specific findings and how the next few years might play out for the franchise.
How many of the White Sox prospects have to be a success for the rebuild to work? Will Michael Kopech or Alec Hansen have the better major league career? Will the Cubs one day regret trading Eloy Jimenez? Will the White Sox be willing to spend big money to land a player like Manny Machado? Who will be the White Sox closer in 2019? Who might the White Sox draft in 2018?
The answers to these questions and many others on this edition of the White Sox Talk Podcast.
Listen to the full episode at this link.
Minor league notes: Eloy Jimenez isn't 'going to throw' away his opportunity.
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
A strong work ethic is one reason the White Sox are very excited about the possibilities that Eloy Jimenez presents.
Not only is the Double-A Birmingham outfielder extremely talented, he accompanies it with nonstop work. Jimenez’s Winston-Salem teammates and coaches praised the youngster for the serious effort he puts forth in the batting cage. One White Sox staffer watched Jimenez in batting practice last Sunday — he slugged more than 850 feet worth of home runs the night before — and noted how the No. 7 prospect in baseball was working on hitting curveballs. Jimenez said cage work is a vital part of his everyday routine.
“The most important thing before the game for me is to get in the cage, do my work, do my thing,” Jimenez said. “That is the biggest thing for me. I think that has worked for me in the game. That’s why I’m working hard every day in the cages.
“It’s time to go to work. I joke outside the cage but inside the cage I’m just thinking what I’m going to do. What is the spot I do damage? What is the spot I need to work more? That is the time for that I feel.”
Jimenez said his parents — mother Adelaida Solano, father Luis Jimenez and “baseball dad” Amauris Nina — instilled in him a strong work ethic. Though he believes he’s talented, Jimenez thinks it would only take him so far and wants to do everything he can to become a major leaguer.
“My dad all the time says if you want to be the best you need to work like you want to be the best,” Jimenez said. “All the time my mom said if you’re going to do something, do what you love and work hard for that.
“(Amauris) says you need to work like you don’t have anything, like nobody knows you. Work like that. No matter what they tell you outside the field, you need to work every day.
“If God gave me the opportunity I’m not going to throw it away. I’m just going to work hard to be one of the best players in baseball.”
Clarkin keeps busy
Winston-Salem pitcher Ian Clarkin hopes to return sooner than later from a strained right oblique that has kept him sidelined since July 23. Acquired from the Yankees on July 18, Clarkin has been on the disabled list since Aug. 1.
Along with his rehab work, one way the left-hander — the No. 23 prospect in the organization — has kept busy by growing a mustache. Clarkin has also paired up with Dash outfielder Jameson Fisher, the No. 26 prospect, to receive tips on how to grow and maintain it. Fisher has an 80-grade mustache on the 20-80 scouting scale and the two have lockers next to one another. But Clarkin isn’t very satisfied with his soup strainer, which has been growing for three weeks.
“This is a weird phase I’m going through,” Clarkin said. “Nothing growing in the middle, I need to do something.
“I gotta figure out what we’re doing. I like it, but we’re in a weird phase.”
Say, that’s not …
Jake Peter has done his best Yoan Moncada impersonation since he was promoted last month, including wearing the White Sox second baseman’s No. 10 at Triple-A Charlotte. Peter entered Sunday hitting .306/.358/.495 with five home runs and 15 RBIs in 120 plate appearances at Charlotte. He was the organization’s co-minor league player of the month in July with Jimenez.
“He’s a great ballplayer,” Double-A manager Julio Vinas said of Peter. “He’s a grinder and he gives you everything he has got. He was having quality AB s and he’s got so many tools. What’s great about him is anywhere you put him he plays solid defense.”
Peter is in his fourth season with the organization after the White Sox drafted him in the seventh round in the 2014 draft out of Creighton. He’s excited by the influx of talent and said it should create good competition with the players who were already here.
“We’re seeing all the great players coming in, and all of the great players we’ve already had it’s just going to make us better because it will create more competition and make us push each other,” Peter said.
Polo on the mark
Don’t overlook Tito Polo because he was the third minor leaguer to come over in the Yankees deal and currently isn’t part of MLB.com’s top-30 organizational prospect list. That’s the advice of Double-A announcer Curt Bloom, who calls Polo a strong defender, and Clarkin, who played with the center fielder for part of the 2016 season at Single-A Tampa.
“Tito has an unbelievable amount of talent and people are going to be surprised what he has in store,” Clarkin said. “He’s a good hitter, he can hit for power, he runs really well, he has a great arm and he’s a good defensive player, which everyone saw in the WBC. He’s going to surprise a lot of people with his talent.”
Golf: I got a club for that..... U.S. Solheim victory a credit to Inkster.
“The most important thing before the game for me is to get in the cage, do my work, do my thing,” Jimenez said. “That is the biggest thing for me. I think that has worked for me in the game. That’s why I’m working hard every day in the cages.
“It’s time to go to work. I joke outside the cage but inside the cage I’m just thinking what I’m going to do. What is the spot I do damage? What is the spot I need to work more? That is the time for that I feel.”
Jimenez said his parents — mother Adelaida Solano, father Luis Jimenez and “baseball dad” Amauris Nina — instilled in him a strong work ethic. Though he believes he’s talented, Jimenez thinks it would only take him so far and wants to do everything he can to become a major leaguer.
“My dad all the time says if you want to be the best you need to work like you want to be the best,” Jimenez said. “All the time my mom said if you’re going to do something, do what you love and work hard for that.
“(Amauris) says you need to work like you don’t have anything, like nobody knows you. Work like that. No matter what they tell you outside the field, you need to work every day.
“If God gave me the opportunity I’m not going to throw it away. I’m just going to work hard to be one of the best players in baseball.”
Clarkin keeps busy
Winston-Salem pitcher Ian Clarkin hopes to return sooner than later from a strained right oblique that has kept him sidelined since July 23. Acquired from the Yankees on July 18, Clarkin has been on the disabled list since Aug. 1.
Along with his rehab work, one way the left-hander — the No. 23 prospect in the organization — has kept busy by growing a mustache. Clarkin has also paired up with Dash outfielder Jameson Fisher, the No. 26 prospect, to receive tips on how to grow and maintain it. Fisher has an 80-grade mustache on the 20-80 scouting scale and the two have lockers next to one another. But Clarkin isn’t very satisfied with his soup strainer, which has been growing for three weeks.
“This is a weird phase I’m going through,” Clarkin said. “Nothing growing in the middle, I need to do something.
“I gotta figure out what we’re doing. I like it, but we’re in a weird phase.”
Say, that’s not …
Jake Peter has done his best Yoan Moncada impersonation since he was promoted last month, including wearing the White Sox second baseman’s No. 10 at Triple-A Charlotte. Peter entered Sunday hitting .306/.358/.495 with five home runs and 15 RBIs in 120 plate appearances at Charlotte. He was the organization’s co-minor league player of the month in July with Jimenez.
“He’s a great ballplayer,” Double-A manager Julio Vinas said of Peter. “He’s a grinder and he gives you everything he has got. He was having quality AB s and he’s got so many tools. What’s great about him is anywhere you put him he plays solid defense.”
Peter is in his fourth season with the organization after the White Sox drafted him in the seventh round in the 2014 draft out of Creighton. He’s excited by the influx of talent and said it should create good competition with the players who were already here.
“We’re seeing all the great players coming in, and all of the great players we’ve already had it’s just going to make us better because it will create more competition and make us push each other,” Peter said.
Polo on the mark
Don’t overlook Tito Polo because he was the third minor leaguer to come over in the Yankees deal and currently isn’t part of MLB.com’s top-30 organizational prospect list. That’s the advice of Double-A announcer Curt Bloom, who calls Polo a strong defender, and Clarkin, who played with the center fielder for part of the 2016 season at Single-A Tampa.
“Tito has an unbelievable amount of talent and people are going to be surprised what he has in store,” Clarkin said. “He’s a good hitter, he can hit for power, he runs really well, he has a great arm and he’s a good defensive player, which everyone saw in the WBC. He’s going to surprise a lot of people with his talent.”
Golf: I got a club for that..... U.S. Solheim victory a credit to Inkster.
By Randall Mell
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
Who needs a task force?
There was no need to bring the best and brightest minds in women’s golf together to analyze what went wrong with the American Solheim Cup effort after an 18-10 record loss in Colorado four years ago, Europe’s first victory on American soil.
There were complaints back then about the direction the American women’s game was heading after back-to-back losses in Ireland and Colorado. There were complaints about how the Solheim Cup was no longer a celebration of everything that’s right about the American women’s game, but, instead, it was a shining example of what’s wrong with it.
Dottie Pepper, once the face of American Solheim Cup brilliance, criticized key U.S. players for treating the biennial international team event with an attitude of “inconvenience and entitlement.” As an assistant captain in Colorado, she said she saw firsthand how certain players failed to see the special honor and privilege integral to the event and seemed to care more about their makeup artists and hair stylists than they ought.
“The U.S. pattern of becoming a star without the commensurate results breeds entitlement and competitive softness,” Golf Digest added in an indictment of some American stars. "American golfers are getting outplayed by golfers who have placed substance over style, and simply want it more.”
These complaints are being dredged up here merely to show how far American women have come under Inkster the last four years.
Thankfully, it’s old news today.
Inkster is the new U.S. Solheim Cup team construct.
She is the master architect of these last two triumphs, the historic come-from-behind victory in Germany two years ago and the impressive rout in Iowa Sunday.
Inkster did what no task force could do. She remade the American team in her image again.
The United States defeated the Europeans 16½ to 11½ at Des Moines Golf and Country Club with a tried and true Inkster formula, a formula no task force could devise. They worked hard, played hard, loved hard and laughed as much as they could along the way.
“Juli said something that really hit home for me,” Cristie Kerr said. “She said it in Germany and she said it here. You play for the person in front of you, you play for the person behind you. It’s not about your individual records. It's for the team. It's amazing how hard you can pull for each other when you have that mentality.”
It isn’t that other captains haven’t said as much.
It’s how Inkster gets her teams to buy into it.
She gave them hard hats with American flags stamped on them as gifts when they arrived in Iowa. She basically built on the blue-collar work-ethic theme she started in Germany, when she gave them all red-, white-and-blue lunch pails.
They bought into so much, they abandoned their stiletto heels and wore old school Chuck Taylor Converse basketball shoes to the opening ceremony again this last week, because those are the shoes Inkster loves.
These players have watched Inkster live her credo as a fierce competitor who won 31 LPGA titles, seven major championships and basically raised two daughters on tour, daughters who are now about the average age of the players on this team.
Inkster treated this team like daughters.
Before each match, she stood on the first tee, awaiting every player’s introduction. She stood there with her arms stretched wide, and she wrapped them in big hugs when they arrived, and then she whispered special messages into the ears of each and every one of them.
“It's very sincere, what she says,” Gerina Piller said. “When she speaks, you listen. There's not one word that she's ever told me that I do not let sink in.
“For her to be there on the tee, to have the belief in you, to tell you, `You got this, I believe in you, you're a great player,’ I’m sure every girl up here would agree that she is a freaking rock star. Whether it’s as a captain, whether it's as a friend, whether it's as a player . . .
That’s huge for all of us. We look up to her so much, and we cherish every moment we have with her, all the words she gives us, whether it's a kick in the butt or just a hug.”
Inkster took some pressure off her players, too. She has been here as a player. She knows that players think they must bring something extra to the Solheim Cup, and how that makes them press.
So, Inkster told her players, just like she did in Germany, that they should prepare the same way they do every week out on the LPGA. And they ought to play the same way, too.
Mostly, Inkster said she tried to make this more fun than Solheim Cup weeks usually are. She put them in four-player pods, with players she believed they would enjoy bonding with.
“I just felt the last couple times I played in the Solheim Cup, I wasn't having any fun,” Inkster said. “It was a chore.
“I just felt like everybody was going in different directions. Even though we were a team, were we a team? I don't know. I just felt like when I was younger, it was so much better, so much easier. Everybody bonded, hung out. I just felt like we were losing that.”
Inkster set the lighter tone on that first tee. She took possession of it all week, owned it between matches, waiting there for her teams to get her hug. She sang the songs wafting from the speakers. She danced to Justin Bieber, Bruno Mars and Miley Cyrus.
“It’s my job to bring fun back to the Solheim Cup,” Inkster said. “Whether we win or lose, you know what? It doesn't matter. It's the memories you create. It's the bonding you create. It's the atmosphere you create.
“And our job as captains was to create an atmosphere where they feel loved and they feel welcomed. And whether they get a point or not a point, they're a huge part of this team. And it's been an amazing ride.”
Piller relished what Inkster made happen.
“Juli is all about team play,” Piller said. “It’s like Cristie said, you play for the girl in front of you and behind you. I think that has really resonated with us the last two times that we've played in the Solheim Cup.
“I really think our American team is getting what it takes to play for another girl. It's really hard to play for someone else, when all your life you've played for yourself, when it's an individual sport. For a captain to come out here and try to get 12 girls on the same page, it's pretty difficult.”
But Inkster made it look easy.
Stenson hangs on for Wyndham win.
By Will Gray
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
Henrik Stenson held on for a one-shot win at the Wyndham Championship, but it certainly wasn't easy.
Stenson used a run of back-nine birdies to take the lead, but he was pushed to the limit by Ollie Schniederjans as the former Georgia Tech standout sought his first win. But after getting up and down from behind the green, Stenson finished off a final-round 64 to barely avoid a playoff.
At 22 under, Stenson set a new tournament scoring record at Sedgefield Country Club. He also got his first worldwide win since The Open last summer at Royal Troon, and his first win on U.S. soil since the 2013 Tour Championship.
"If you want to win golf tournaments, you've got to put yourself in the mix and I'm just very happy with the way I closed out this week," Stenson told reporters. "Really had to keep on producing, making birdies because Ollie was surely not backing down and there were a few other guys pushing me as well. Happy to be the one coming out on top."
Stenson grabbed the lead with a two-putt birdie on the par-5 15th, then he and Schniederjans started trading blows. Makes from the 24-year-old on Nos. 17 and 18 were answered by Stenson, who curled in a 10-footer on No. 16 and added a 27-foot make from across the green on No. 17 that provided the final margin.
Stenson originally added this event simply to ensure he'd make the 15-start minimum requirement to keep his card, since he wasn't yet assured of a spot in the 70-man BMW Championship. With his victory in Greensboro, Stenson will now start the playoffs at No. 23 in the points race with a great shot at advancing all the way to the 30-man finale at East Lake.
"It's funny how it goes," he said. "Sometimes it's just a coincidence why you decide to go to a tournament and make a change in your schedule, and this time it certainly worked out for a lot of good."
Stenson's prior record at Sedgefield was remarkably sparse. He had missed the cut in 2010 and 2011, and had withdrawn because of the flu in 2012. But the course proved no match for him this week, as he carded four straight rounds of 66 or better all without the use of a driver, which he took out of the bag to start the week.
2 down with 2 to play, Redman rallies for U.S. Am title.
By Ryan Lavner
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
No town does drama like LA, but even by Hollywood standards this was a finish that no one saw coming.
Conspicuous in a Clemson orange fishing shirt, he had spent the past eight hours pacing Riviera Country Club and puffing on an e-cigarette. But with his son Doc’s U.S. Amateur title hopes fading, the elder Redman felt compelled to emerge from the trees. On the 17th hole, he sidled up to Clemson assistant coach Jordan Byrd and dismissed any notion of impending doom.
“This is not over,” Redman said. “This is not over yet.”
And sure enough, the next 45 minutes produced some of the most thrilling and gut-wrenching action in the 117-year history of this championship.
With a red-hot putter and stone-cold demeanor, Doc Redman walked in a 60-footer for eagle on 17, stiffed his approach into the final hole and then made a conceded birdie on the first playoff hole to steal the U.S. Amateur title and stun Doug Ghim in 37 holes.
“I don’t want to overdo it,” John Redman said later, clutching the gold Havemeyer Trophy, “but Doc could have missed 15 putts in a row and if there’s one person I need to make a 10-footer to win a tournament, I’d substitute Doc every time.
“Dude is super clutch.”
There’s no doubt about that now.
Little was known about the 19-year-old from Raleigh, N.C., until the recent Western Amateur, where he steamrolled the best field in amateur golf en route to the finals. In the championship match against Norman Xiong, Redman fell 4 down at the turn, but he chipped away at his deficit, lipped out a putt to win on the 18th hole and ended up taking Xiong to 22 holes before eventually falling.
“A lot less dramatic,” he said with a wry smile.
But watching from outside the ropes that week was U.S. Walker Cup captain Spider Miller, who was enthralled with Redman’s “bulldog” mentality.
“This is the toughest match-play guy I’ve ever seen,” Miller said.
During his first year at Clemson, Redman worked with two sports psychologists and devoured a handful of mental-game books. Recently accepted into the school’s Honors College with an emphasis in mathematics, Redman takes a methodical approach to his game, but a message this spring from the coach of the New Zealand rugby team – “Pressure is a privilege” – seemed to resonate.
“He just thrives in that situation,” Byrd said. “It narrows his focus. The moment isn’t too big for him.”
It seemed unlikely that Redman would even be in position to win the U.S. Amateur after qualifying. He was fortunate just to land in a 13-for-8 playoff, and his par was enough to secure his spot in match play.
All week, Clemson head coach Larry Penley and Redman have had a running joke: S&A. Survive and advance.
After the playoff, Redman texted his coach: “I guess I survived. Now I need to advance.”
And then he did, taking four of his five opponents to the 18th hole before hanging on to win.
On the eve of the championship match, Penley tapped out a final pep talk: “You have survived. You cannot advance any further. Now go out and let’s win this darn thing.”
All it took was one of the wildest performances ever.
After a shaky double-bogey start, Redman had 12 consecutive one-putts and shot a back-nine 30 to take a 1-up lead over Ghim into the lunch break.
Eight of the first 10 holes in the afternoon were halved with par, but Ghim began his comeback with a birdie on the 29th hole to square the match, then took a 2-up lead after pars on the 31st and 34th holes.
Two up with two to play, the Texas senior seemed on the verge of a redemptive performance. Just three years ago, he stood on the final hole of the U.S. Amateur Public Links with a 1-up lead, then blasted his tee shot of bounds. He made double bogey, then lost in the playoff, and he vowed not to make the same mistake twice.
But this loss was even more agonizing.
With Ghim looking at about 5 feet for birdie on 17 to seal the match, Redman eyed a must-make 60-footer for eagle.
“I’d reminded him all week that he was the best putter I’d ever seen,” said his caddie, Dean Emerson.
“You’re going to make this,” Redman told himself. “You’re going to make this.”
Playing at least 3 feet of break, Redman stroked his putt and began walking down the line.
His ball slammed into the back of the cup.
One down.
“His putting was insane,” Emerson said, and indeed it was – Redman sank four putts of at least 30 feet, and he holed countless testers inside 10 feet.
“He is a great putter,” Byrd said, “but today was epic.”
Then it was Ghim’s turn to gather himself.
Ghim’s father and caddie, Jeff, reminded him that he still was in control with a 1-up lead, but he opened the door with an approach shot that expired short of the green. Wasting little time, Redman carved a 9-iron up and around a tree that finished 9 feet from the cup.
Of course that one found the bottom of the cup, too.
“Those were two really heavy blows,” Ghim said.
What came next seemed inevitable, with one player sprinting toward the finish line, the other stumbling.
Redman smashed his 3-wood into the perfect spot, just short of the diabolical 10th green, while Ghim rope-hooked his tee shot into the hay left of the green. With no shot to go at the tucked flag, Ghim caught too much ball and sent his pitch shot screaming over the green, into a bunker. He had no shot from there, either, and he couldn’t hold the green with his bunker shot. After another mediocre bunker shot and missed 10-footer, he conceded Redman’s birdie. Redman played the last three holes in 4 under par.
“What can I do?” Ghim said.
The finish was awkward, with all of the contrasting emotions.
Redman barely cracked a smile all day, but he finally allowed himself to soak in the adulation. On the other side of the green was Ghim, who waited nearly three minutes to be interviewed on TV and stared vacantly into the distance.
“I gave everything I had,” he said, shaking his head, “and it just wasn’t enough.”
How Hollywood is that?
“This is the toughest match-play guy I’ve ever seen,” Miller said.
During his first year at Clemson, Redman worked with two sports psychologists and devoured a handful of mental-game books. Recently accepted into the school’s Honors College with an emphasis in mathematics, Redman takes a methodical approach to his game, but a message this spring from the coach of the New Zealand rugby team – “Pressure is a privilege” – seemed to resonate.
“He just thrives in that situation,” Byrd said. “It narrows his focus. The moment isn’t too big for him.”
It seemed unlikely that Redman would even be in position to win the U.S. Amateur after qualifying. He was fortunate just to land in a 13-for-8 playoff, and his par was enough to secure his spot in match play.
All week, Clemson head coach Larry Penley and Redman have had a running joke: S&A. Survive and advance.
After the playoff, Redman texted his coach: “I guess I survived. Now I need to advance.”
And then he did, taking four of his five opponents to the 18th hole before hanging on to win.
On the eve of the championship match, Penley tapped out a final pep talk: “You have survived. You cannot advance any further. Now go out and let’s win this darn thing.”
All it took was one of the wildest performances ever.
After a shaky double-bogey start, Redman had 12 consecutive one-putts and shot a back-nine 30 to take a 1-up lead over Ghim into the lunch break.
Eight of the first 10 holes in the afternoon were halved with par, but Ghim began his comeback with a birdie on the 29th hole to square the match, then took a 2-up lead after pars on the 31st and 34th holes.
Two up with two to play, the Texas senior seemed on the verge of a redemptive performance. Just three years ago, he stood on the final hole of the U.S. Amateur Public Links with a 1-up lead, then blasted his tee shot of bounds. He made double bogey, then lost in the playoff, and he vowed not to make the same mistake twice.
But this loss was even more agonizing.
With Ghim looking at about 5 feet for birdie on 17 to seal the match, Redman eyed a must-make 60-footer for eagle.
“I’d reminded him all week that he was the best putter I’d ever seen,” said his caddie, Dean Emerson.
“You’re going to make this,” Redman told himself. “You’re going to make this.”
Playing at least 3 feet of break, Redman stroked his putt and began walking down the line.
His ball slammed into the back of the cup.
One down.
“His putting was insane,” Emerson said, and indeed it was – Redman sank four putts of at least 30 feet, and he holed countless testers inside 10 feet.
“He is a great putter,” Byrd said, “but today was epic.”
Then it was Ghim’s turn to gather himself.
Ghim’s father and caddie, Jeff, reminded him that he still was in control with a 1-up lead, but he opened the door with an approach shot that expired short of the green. Wasting little time, Redman carved a 9-iron up and around a tree that finished 9 feet from the cup.
Of course that one found the bottom of the cup, too.
“Those were two really heavy blows,” Ghim said.
What came next seemed inevitable, with one player sprinting toward the finish line, the other stumbling.
Redman smashed his 3-wood into the perfect spot, just short of the diabolical 10th green, while Ghim rope-hooked his tee shot into the hay left of the green. With no shot to go at the tucked flag, Ghim caught too much ball and sent his pitch shot screaming over the green, into a bunker. He had no shot from there, either, and he couldn’t hold the green with his bunker shot. After another mediocre bunker shot and missed 10-footer, he conceded Redman’s birdie. Redman played the last three holes in 4 under par.
“What can I do?” Ghim said.
The finish was awkward, with all of the contrasting emotions.
Redman barely cracked a smile all day, but he finally allowed himself to soak in the adulation. On the other side of the green was Ghim, who waited nearly three minutes to be interviewed on TV and stared vacantly into the distance.
“I gave everything I had,” he said, shaking his head, “and it just wasn’t enough.”
How Hollywood is that?
By Dustin Long
Kyle Busch celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series auto race, Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017, in Bristol, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)
Yes, it’s Bristol, baby, but Saturday night it was Kyle Busch, baby, as Busch won the Night Race and completed his sweep of the Truck, Xfinity and Cup races this week at the half-mile track.
Busch passed rookie Erik Jones, seeking his first career Cup win, with 56 laps left and went on to score his second victory of the year. Busch held off a charge from Jones late, winding his way through traffic as Jones got held up.
“Man, Erik Jones put up a whale of a fight,” Busch told NBC Sports at the start/finish line. “That was all that I had. I was running with my tongue hanging out.”
Said Jones: “We race hard all night. We led a lot of laps. We did almost everything we needed to do. I wish we had a little bit more. It’s a bummer.”
Denny Hamlin placed third and was followed by Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch.
Busch’s victory and points leader Martin Truex Jr.’s woes (loose rear wheel and pit road penalty) kept Truex from clinching the regular-season title and 15 playoff points that go with it. Truex leads Busch by 101 points with two races to go until the playoffs begin.
STAGE 1 WINNER: Kyle Busch
STAGE 2 WINNER: Matt Kenseth
HOW DID KYLE BUSCH WIN: He had the best car, hunted the leaders and did what he had done this week after winning the Camping World Truck Series and Xfinity Series races this week at Bristol.
WHO HAD A GOOD NIGHT: Rookie Erik Jones led a race-high 260 laps and finished a career-best second. … Matt Kenseth rebounded from a speeding penalty to finish fourth. … Kurt Busch, making his 600th career Cup start, finished fifth even after hitting the wall during the race. .
WHO HAD A BAD NIGHT: Brad Keselowski suffered a cut left front tire after contact and was four laps down before Lap 10 of the race. He never recovered and finished 29th. … Martin Truex Jr., had to pit for a loose right rear wheel as the race started shortly after Lap 200. Truex then was penalized for an outside tire violation and was two laps behind the leaders after serving the penalty. He finished 21st.
QUOTE OF THE NIGHT: “I can’t fight as much as I want to fight on social. There’s a lot of trolls out there, so my guys do it for me, so I appreciate them and being able to do that,” winner Kyle Busch on the support of his fan base, Rowdy Nation.
NEXT: The Cup Series is off next weekend and returns to action Sept. 3 for the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on NBCSN.
Martin Truex Jr. still No. 1 in NASCAR Cup points, Kyle Busch up to 2nd after Bristol.
By Jerry Bonkowski
(Photo.www.cecildaily.com)
Martin Truex Jr. remains in command of the NASCAR Cup point standings with 951 points.
Saturday night’s race winner, Kyle Busch, climbed into second place in the points (850 points, 101 behind Truex), dislodging Kyle Larson (845 points, 106 behind Truex) from that spot.
Kevin Harvick remains in fourth position (824 points, 127 behind) followed by Denny Hamlin (753 points, 198 behind).
Kurt Busch, who finished fifth in the race, moved up to 13th in the standings in what was his 600th career NASCAR Cup start (see video above). He’s assured of a playoff spot after winning the season-opening Daytona 500.
Click here for the NASCAR Cup standings following Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Kyle Busch wins Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
By Daniel McFadin
(Photo/www.sportscoaster.com)
Kyle Busch once again dominated a NASCAR race at Bristol Motor Speedway, winning Friday night’s Food City 300.
Busch led 186 laps on the way to the win, his fifth Xfinity Series victory of the season.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver fended off the field in a nine-lap shootout following a late caution.
The top five was completed by Daniel Suarez, Elliott Sadler, Ty Dillon and Justin Allgaier.
Busch moved one step closer to a sweep of the race week. He won Wednesday’s Camping World Truck Series race. If he wins Saturday’s Cup race, it will be the second time he’s swept all three Bristol races after doing it in 2010.
Just like Wednesday, Busch fought through the field after a mid-race speeding penalty to earn the win.
“At least I didn’t have to come through (the field) in the last stage because everybody was pretty fast there tonight in the last stage,” Busch said. “I don’t know if I would have been able to make it all the way back up through there. Suárez gave us a heck of a run there. I was trying to push hard and he was closing in on us a little bit there before that last caution came out. Once that caution came out everything cooled down and my car wasn’t even close to what it was before, so I don’t know how I held on to it. The car was just so sideways.”
The win is Busch’s 91st in the Xfinity Series.
STAGE 1 WINNER: Kyle Busch
STAGE 2 WINNER: Kyle Busch
WHO HAD A GOOD NIGHT: Allgaier led twice for 75 laps and earned his sixth top five of the season … Sadler led once for 15 laps and clinched a spot in the playoffs … Ty Dillon earned his second top five of the season and beset finish in 19 starts … Joey Logano bounced back from a flat tire and going to two laps down to finish ninth.
WHO HAD A BAD NIGHT: Ryan Reed and Aric Almirola wrecked on Lap 25 after they pinched Spencer Gallagher on the backstretch. Almirola finished 38th. … Reed caused the following caution after damage from the previous wreck cut a tire, sending him into the wall. Reed finished 37th … Brendan Gaughan had one unscheduled pit stop for a tire rub. He was then involved in a crash with 15 to go after being tagged by Jeb Burton, who had lost a tire. He finished 30th … William Byron lost a tire with less than 10 to go and had to pit. He finished 22nd.
NOTABLE: With his win, Busch is nine wins away from reaching 100 Xfinity wins. Busch has said he’ll retire from Xfinity competition once he reaches 100 … Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 13th in his first Xfinity start of the year.
QUOTE OF THE NIGHT: “Two weeks in a row. I know he doesn’t have a lot of race and I like him a lot normally, but right now I’m going to knock the hell out of him. The first time he gave me a flat and the second time he says he blew a tire. If you know you’ve got a tire going then don’t drive underneath somebody. The last couple of weeks I’ve been driven with no respect. We put ourselves back in a decent spot and we’re going to go to Road America and win that sucker.” – Brendan Gaughan after his late wreck with Jeb Burton.
NEXT: Johnsonville 180 at Road America at 3 p.m. ET on Aug. 27 on NBC.
Points leader Elliott Sadler clinches Xfinity playoff spot after finishing third at Bristol.
By Daniel McFadin
(Photo/yellowhammernews.com)
Even though he hasn’t won this year, Elliott Sadler earned himself a spot in the Xfinity Series playoffs Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Sadler is the fourth driver to qualify for the playoffs. He joins Ryan Reed, William Byron and Justin Allgaier, who clinched spots through race wins.
The JR Motorsports driver and the series points leader finished third in the Food City 300 for his ninth top five of the year.
“Man, we had a great car,” Sadler told NBCSN. “I hit the wall with like 50 to go. Then I threw my water bottle out and it got in the jack man’s way, messed us up. We’re peaking at the right time.”
Sadler has led the Xfinity Series point standings for the last 10 races and following 20 of the 22 races this year.
Following Sadler in the top five is William Byron (-110), Allgaier (-136), Brennan Poole (-186) and Daniel Hemric (-206).
Brendan Gaughan is on the playoff bubble. He is 43 points above the cutoff line. Ross Chastain is 13th on the playoff grid.
Click here for the point standings.
SOCCER: In losing big showdown, Fire see why Toronto is best team in MLS.
By Dan Santaromita
(Photo/USA TODAY)
Saturday night was a big occasion for the Chicago Fire.
The Fire hosted league-leading Toronto FC in a meeting of two of the top three teams in the Eastern Conference standings. A crowd of 21,891, a Toyota Park record for a Fire regular season game, was there to see the improved Fire take on TFC’s deep and talented roster that features Sebastian Giovinco, Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore.
The tension of a big game was clear in the reactions from the crowd and the large section of traveling Toronto fans. The sellout home crowd was raucous, but couldn’t will the Fire to a win or even a draw.
The Fire simply ran into a better team in the 3-1 loss. Now the Fire are nine points behind Toronto with nine games to go and are in all likelihood out of the Supporters’ Shield race.
“I always say Toronto is doing a great job,” Fire midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger said. “They have up front Giovinco, Altidore. That’s a different category.”
Now the Fire’s focus turns to securing a good playoff seed and chasing down New York City FC for the second spot, and with it the first-round bye. The Fire’s club record nine-game home winning streak is a thing of the past and now the Fire have lost three in a row and five of six.
Given the recent schedule, it’s not as bad as it sounds. Four of those came on the road and losing to Toronto is no shame, even if it came at home. The Fire aren’t suddenly a bad team again, but they have fallen off from the team’s fast start to the summer.
“We played the first half of the season maybe over our limit, more than expected I would say, so we did a great job,” Schweinsteiger said. “Now, we can see what we are missing in our game and we have to find a way to come back and to win a game and we have to play all on a little bit better level.”
Three-game losing streaks have been very rare in Schweinsteiger’s career. The German played for Bayern Munich, the German national team and Manchester United. That’s the bluest of blue bloods in the sport. A three-game losing stretch for any of those teams is a full-blown crisis. Losing five of six? That’s something different for Schweinsteiger.
“Yes, it is,” Schweinsteiger said. “It is very frustrating, very disappointing. I absolutely don’t like that. It’s new.”
So is Schweinsteiger worried about the team’s recent slump?
“If you don’t win games, don’t make points, in a way yes,” he said.
While Schweinsteiger isn’t used to losing this regularly, the Fire are still in a decent position. They are still almost certainly going to make the playoffs and the schedule will get easier.
Three of the next four are back at Toyota Park and two of those are against the last place team in each conference, Minnesota and D.C.
Coach Veljko Paunovic is well aware that teams go through streaks, both good and bad, through an MLS season.
“This is like a marathon,” Paunovic said. “Things like this happen and you just have to stay positive and you actually have to know that every team in the league has these kind of moments. They come and they go so we just have to believe, keep working and keep the mood.”
Toronto beat the Fire with Giovinco, a former league MVP, not being much of a factor until he put the game away with a goal in the 90th minute. Altidore was very effective in holdup play and distribution, but only had one shot. With neither of TFC's highly-paid, talented strikers playing decisive roles in the match, the Fire still lost by two goals.
The Fire, which also lost 3-1 in Toronto back in April, got a glimpse of what the bar is at the top of the league and did so in front of a playoff-like atmosphere.
“It was a great rehearsal for us, playing against one of the best teams we could face in the playoffs,” Paunovic said.
Spurs 1-2 Chelsea: Alonso leads Blues to win.
By Nicholas Mendola
Photo/nbcsports.com)
Alonso scored a wonderful first half free kick, and David Luiz caused a turnover to help Pedro and Alonso produce an equalizer minutes after a Michy Batshuayi own goal helped Spurs to their lone goal.
Chelsea was lively out of the gate, and Alvaro Morata missed nodding a free header into the goal following Cesar Azpilicueta’s cross.
Harry Kane‘s low strike was fumbled by Thibaut Courtois in the 10th minute, as Spurs registered their first proper chance.
Morata nearly cause Hugo Lloris an embarrassing miscue but the Spurs keeper recovered to avoid the blushes.
Mousa Dembele‘s left-footed shot was flicked over the goal by Courtois for a corner, but int came to nothing as the match put 20 minutes in the books.
Alonso spun his free kick over the wall with vigor, missing a leaping Toby Alderweireld‘s head by inches before dipping hard to beat a flying Hugo Lloris.
Harry Kane then nearly bulled his way to a goal only to see his six-yard drive blocked by Courtois. The 39th minute saw Eriksen spin a perfect free kick toward the far post with not a single Spur finding its path.
Kane cranked a shot off the far post in the 42nd minute.
Kane’s backheeled pass met an outstanding run from Eriksen to start the second half, and Spurs were nearly level. Two corners were handled by Chelsea, and the score remained 1-0 to the visitors.
The match tightened up for a spell and Willian nearly broke it open with a long dribble and pass to Morata, whose shot was deflected out for a corner by Vertonghen. Victor Moses then tore a shot off the crossbar.
Willian then hit the near post moments later.
Spurs found their way level through the own goal, as Bakayoko gave away a dangerous free kick and Batshuayi headed Eriksen’s quality offering inside his own post.
That’s when Hugo Lloris’ quick throw was forced free by Luiz, and Pedro combined with Alonso to do the rest.
Huddersfield Town 1-0 Newcastle United: Mooy magic tops Magpies.
By Nicholas Mendola
(Photo/nbcsports.com)
In a game with very few chances, Aaron Mooy made his count as Huddersfield Town topped Newcastle United 1-0 at the John Smith’s Stadium on Sunday.
A match between two promoted sides looked very much like a second-tier affair aside from Mooy’s moment of brilliance just after halftime.
A boisterous stadium greeted the teams, and Town’s support was at full throat only to see Newcastle get the first chance when Dwight Gayle played Ayoze Perez into the 18 and saw the Spaniard’s shot blocked.
Town’s Elias Kachunga cut Chancel Mbemba with a high challenge, but it failed to see a card unlike two similar sending offs in the league on Saturday.
A series of sloppy plays by Newcastle allowed Aaron Mooy to test Rob Elliot, but he didn’t get enough on his low attempt to best the diving keeper.
Town remained the better money for an opener, and Tom Ince laced a hard shot at Elliot off a Christian Atsu turnover well into Newcastle’s end.
Matt Richie nearly opened the scoring against the run of play in the 16th minute when he thumped a far post effort that Jonas Lossl pushed wide for a corner.
The Magpies settled into the match, though, and had the better of the play for the final 15-20 minutes of the first half.
A terrible giveaway from Mikel Merino allowed Town a prime chance to take the lead, but Chancel Mbemba made a terrific sliding tackle inside his 18 and the Magpies handled a pair of corners.
Town took the lead in the 50th minute through Mooy, who worked a perfect 1-2 with Kachunga to curl home inside the far post from the paint of the 18-yard box.
That spurred Rafa Benitez to insert new signing Joselu for Gayle.
Quality chances remained at a premium when Merino played a long diagonal ball into the box for Javier Manquillo, but Lossl collected the pass back into the fray.
Atsu and Joselu traded passes before Lossl tipped Joselu’s low shot out for a corner. Ciaran Clark headed the ensuing corner to Perez who, alone in front of goal, blazed over the bar.
Joselu flicked another header into Lossl’s arms in the 84th minute.
La Liga & Serie A: Video replay used in Juve win, Atleti draws.
By Matt Reed
(Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images)
A roundup of Saturday’s action from around Spain and Italy’s top flights…
Everything that could go wrong did on Saturday for Atletico Madrid, but it was Girona’s gain as the promotion side began its La Liga journey with a draw. A first-half brace from Cristhian Stuani gave the hosts a 2-0 lead inside the opening 25 minutes, and from there, matters were made worse for Atleti when Antoine Griezmann was sent off in the 67th minute after picking up a second yellow card. Angel Correa pulled a goal back with 12 minutes remaining for Diego Simeone’s side, while Jose Gimenez tied the match in the 85th minute.
Celta Vigo 2-3 Real Sociedad
Future LA FC forward Carlos Vela played a key role for Real Sociedad in their comeback win over Celta Vigo. The Mexican international drew a penalty kick with two minutes to play in regulation, before Willian Jose buried the ensuing spot kick to give Sociedad the victory. Celta Vigo led at home twice on Saturday, but the visitors showed their resiliency, scoring twice in the final 10 minutes of play.
Sevilla 1-1 Espanyol
Clement Lenglet and Léo Baptistão scored on the afternoon in the draw, and despite Sevilla’s overwhelming possession the hosts couldn’t muster up enough to secure three points in the opener. The home side was reduced to 10 men with under 10 minutes remaining as well when second-half substitute Ever Banega was sent off.
Juventus 3-0 Cagliari
Everything was status quo for Juventus as they kicked off another season in Serie A as the reigning Italian champions. The Bianconeri controlled the flow of play throughout the match, limiting Cagliari to just two chances on target. Mario Mandzukic and Paulo Dybala struck in the first half to put Juve up 2-0 at the break, while Gonzalo Higuain tacked on a third finish in the second stanza.
Cagliari’s best chance came when Duje Cop was taken down in the box, prompting referee Fabio Maresca to utilize VAR for the first time in a Serie A match. After mulling the decision for a moment, Maresca pointed to the penalty spot, but Diego Farias’ attempt was saved by Gianluigi Buffon.
Hellas Verona 1-3 Napoli
Napoli boasted one of the top attacks in Europe last season, and the club didn’t waste any time in picking up where they left off. An own goal kicked things off for Napoli in the first half, before Arkadiusz Milik and Faouzi Ghoulam put the finishing touches on the match. Meanwhile, a late red card from Elseid Hysaj allowed Hellas to score their lone goal of the afternoon through Giampaolo Pazzini’s penalty finish.
PL roundup: Man Utd rolls; Arsenal falls.
By Nicholas Mendola
(Photo/nbcsports.com)
The wild first week of Premier League action wasn’t quite replicated on Saturday, but there were still plenty of talking points from the sophomore weekend.
We had another surprising loss, this time it was Arsenal at Stoke, and a second prolific day from Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United.
It’s all in the wrap, below.
Swansea City 0-4 Manchester United — RECAP
Manchester United was always in control at the Liberty Stadium, and led through Eric Bailly when a trio of Red Devils scored in neck-whipping fashion. Romelu Lukaku, Paul Pogba, and Anthony Martial scored in a span of 3:41 as United stayed atop the league thanks to a now plus-8 goal differential.
Stoke City 1-0 Arsenal — RECAP
Jese Rodriguez debuted in style for the bet365 Stadium faithful, combining with Saido Berahino for an early second half goal.
But Arsenal will feel rightly aggrieved after Alexandre Lacazette‘s would-be equalizer was wrongly pulled back for offside. The Gunners also had at least two penalty shouts go unheeded at the Potteries.
American center back Geoff Cameron played in a three-man back line for the Potters with Kurt Zouma and Ryan Shawcross
Southampton 3-2 West Ham United — RECAP
This one nearly went into the embarrassing column for Saints, who led 2-0 when Marko Arnautovic was given a straight red card for an elbow. Mexican national teamer Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez scored twice to level the score, but a controversial late foul by Pablo Zabaleta led to a penalty kick. Charlie Austin scored it, and Saints won the points.
Burnley 0-1 West Bromwich Albion — RECAP
The Clarets dominated this in a bid to go 2-0, but Hal Robson-Kanu scored before being subbed off in a 1-0 win for the Baggies. How one-sided was it? West Brom only completed 100 passes. They played 90 minutes, to be clear.
Bournemouth 0-2 Watford — RECAP
No pun needed, it’s simply appropriate to say the Hornets were buzzing in a fine away performance. A prone Richarlison scored his first Premier League goal, and Etienne Capoue added an insurance goal in a win for Marco Silva‘s men.
Leicester City 2-0 Brighton and Hove Albion — RECAP
Shinji Okazaki scored after less than a minute of play, and defender Harry Maguire added a goal in the second frame as the Foxes took care off the recently-promoted Gulls with relative ease.
Liverpool 1-0 Crystal Palace — RECAP
Frank De Boer‘s men nearly managed a point against their highly-favored hosts, but top attacker Sadio Mane kept up a string of starring performances with a late goal to win it for the Reds at Anfield.
NCAAFB: College football conference power rankings and big games that will affect them.
By Chip Patterson
College football conference power rankings and big games that will affect them.
There is always a lot of crowing about conference supremacy during media days. Whichever league finished the previous season with the most trophies puts them on display and has the chance to use its time at the microphone to fill the empty July news cycle with flattering stories and headlines.
The final years of the pre-College Football Playoff era were owned by the SEC. Not only did the SEC run off seven straight national titles, but it also recruited Missouri and Texas A&M from the Big 12 and inked a 20-year deal for a cable network. When Florida State bested Auburn in the final BCS Championship Game and Ohio State bounced Alabama from the first CFP, the perception of conference power shifted ever so slightly to entertain, for the first time since the early 2000s, that maybe another league could claim to be the best in college football.
With the top spot up for grabs, the ACC's coaches were more than happy to claim it for themselves after Clemson's national championship, Florida State's Orange Bowl win and Lamar Jackson's Heisman Trophy run headlined the most successful college football season in league history.
"There's one conference that had a winning record versus Power Five teams [in 2016]: the ACC," Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said at the ACC Football Kickoff. "One conference had a winning record versus ranked teams: the ACC. We had 11 bowl teams. We were 10-4 versus the SEC. There's a reason why we have played so well. We've won five bowl games in a row, and you know, I mean, it's not because I'm some great coach. I've got a good staff and all that. We've had good players. It's what we practice against every day, and it's what we play against week in and week out."
Now comes the hard part for the ACC: keeping that top spot.
It's been a relatively fast leap to the top of college football since West Virginia hung 70 on Clemson in the Orange Bowl in January 2012 -- prior to the 2012 season, the only BCS wins for the ACC were Florida State over Virginia Tech in the title game and Virginia Tech (as an ACC member) over Cincinnati. The coaching hires over the last five years have paid off, and with both Florida State and Clemson, the ACC has two national championship contenders going into the 2017 season.
But a big part of the perception of conference supremacy is performance against the rest of the Power Five. If that winning record against Power Five teams flips in 2017, the rest of the country will be quick to snap back at the choir of ACC coaches who spent July singing refrains of conference praise. So with that mind, we're going to present the first Conference Power Rankings of 2017 with an eye on the nonconference games that could shake up the rankings.
The final years of the pre-College Football Playoff era were owned by the SEC. Not only did the SEC run off seven straight national titles, but it also recruited Missouri and Texas A&M from the Big 12 and inked a 20-year deal for a cable network. When Florida State bested Auburn in the final BCS Championship Game and Ohio State bounced Alabama from the first CFP, the perception of conference power shifted ever so slightly to entertain, for the first time since the early 2000s, that maybe another league could claim to be the best in college football.
With the top spot up for grabs, the ACC's coaches were more than happy to claim it for themselves after Clemson's national championship, Florida State's Orange Bowl win and Lamar Jackson's Heisman Trophy run headlined the most successful college football season in league history.
"There's one conference that had a winning record versus Power Five teams [in 2016]: the ACC," Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said at the ACC Football Kickoff. "One conference had a winning record versus ranked teams: the ACC. We had 11 bowl teams. We were 10-4 versus the SEC. There's a reason why we have played so well. We've won five bowl games in a row, and you know, I mean, it's not because I'm some great coach. I've got a good staff and all that. We've had good players. It's what we practice against every day, and it's what we play against week in and week out."
Now comes the hard part for the ACC: keeping that top spot.
It's been a relatively fast leap to the top of college football since West Virginia hung 70 on Clemson in the Orange Bowl in January 2012 -- prior to the 2012 season, the only BCS wins for the ACC were Florida State over Virginia Tech in the title game and Virginia Tech (as an ACC member) over Cincinnati. The coaching hires over the last five years have paid off, and with both Florida State and Clemson, the ACC has two national championship contenders going into the 2017 season.
But a big part of the perception of conference supremacy is performance against the rest of the Power Five. If that winning record against Power Five teams flips in 2017, the rest of the country will be quick to snap back at the choir of ACC coaches who spent July singing refrains of conference praise. So with that mind, we're going to present the first Conference Power Rankings of 2017 with an eye on the nonconference games that could shake up the rankings.
| Rank | Conference |
Breakdown
|
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ACC | I think there are five teams with the right combination of talent, experience at the right spots and coaching to win the national championship this season. The ACC has two of those five teams with the Clemson and Florida State, and until this streak of wins in big-time nonconference games ends, they claim the top spot. |
| 2 | SEC | It's going to be a really fun season to watch the quarterbacks in the SEC. Jalen Hurts, Jacob Eason, Shea Patterson, Nick Fitzgerald and Jake Bentley were all thrown into the fire last year, and I'm fired up to see how each player has developed since their freshman season and what it means for each team and the conference as a whole. Throw in Jarrett Stidham and Drew Lock and there's an argument for the SEC as the league with the best signal-callers in the country. |
| 3 | Big Ten | Who joins Ohio State and Wisconsin at the top of the conference? Is Michigan's youth movement ready to take over and lead the Wolverines to their first conference title since 2004? Can Penn State continue to build on its breakthrough from 2016? The Big Ten is as competitive on a week-to-week basis as any league in the country but it's last two CFP participants have been shut out in the semifinals and there's too many unknowns to claim it as the best league in the country going into 2017. |
| 4 | Big 12 | The Big 12's perception hangs in the balance, and it will be shaped (for better or worse) by Lincoln Riley and Tom Herman. The 2017 season looks like one of those years where Mike Gundy -- now not only a man at 50 but a member of the old timers club in the Big 12 with Bill Snyder -- has an Oklahoma State team that is loaded and set to make some noise, but those outside of the league's footprint are going to overlook a TCU and West Virginia and judge the league on the state of OU and UT. |
| 5 | Pac-12 | The years of parity are over -- we think -- as USC has reasserted itself as a position of dominance in the Pac-12 South and Washington and Stanford are in control in the Pac-12 North. To have a nine-game conference schedule with 12 conference teams means no one really escapes with an "easy draw" and the rest of the league ends up beating each other up. The result is a crowded middle pack where the fifth best team isn't all that distinguishable from the 10th best, forcing an even heavier reliance on nonconference wins to showcase the conference's strength on a national stage. |
| 6 | AAC | As the modern day "Cradle of Coaches" on a conference level, the American Athletic Conference continues to face turnover as a reality of its current existence. The 2017 season is loaded with intrigue, from Charlie Strong's arrival at USF to the upset potential of teams like Tulsa, Memphis and Houston with some big non-conference games on the schedule. |
Games that will shake up these rankings
Aug. 31
Tulsa at Oklahoma State
Sept. 1
Tulsa at Oklahoma State
Sept. 1
- Colorado State vs. Colorado
- Washington at Rutgers
Sept. 2
- Michigan vs. Florida
- NC State vs. South Carolina
- Florida State vs. Alabama
- Cal at North Carolina
- Maryland at Texas
- BYU vs. LSU
Sept. 3
- Texas A&M at UCLA
- West Virginia vs. Virginia Tech
Sept. 4
Tennessee vs. Georgia Tech
Sept. 9
Tennessee vs. Georgia Tech
Sept. 9
- Oklahoma at Ohio State
- TCU at Arkansas
- Georgia at Notre Dame
- Northwestern at Duke
- Pittsburgh at Penn State
- Indiana at Virginia
- Auburn at Clemson
- Iowa at Iowa State
- Nebraska at Oregon
Sept. 15
- Illinois at USF
Sept. 16
- Texas at USC
- Oklahoma State at Pittsburgh
- UConn at Virginia
- Baylor at Duke
- Georgia Tech at UCF
- Wisconsin at BYU
- SMU at TCU
- Kansas State at Vanderbilt
- Arizona State at Texas Tech
- UCLA at Memphis
- Ole Miss at Cal
For 2017 at least, Atlanta is the capital of the college football world.
By Barrett Sallee
(Photo/Barrett Sallee/CBS Sports)
From Week 1 through the title game, everything runs through Atlanta this season.
Gary Stokan had a vision at the turn of the century: Make Atlanta the capital of the college football world. The president and CEO of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl has been instrumental in the rise of the bowl game to national prominence and rise of the culture of a city that has become a melting pot of college football fans throughout the country.
His vision will become a reality in 2017. When you pop on ESPN's College GameDay on Saturday morning of Week 1, the city of Atlanta will be its backdrop. It'll stay that way until confetti falls from the sky inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium in January 2018 and the 2017 national champion is crowned.
The first of two Chick-fil-A Kickoff Games on opening weekend is being billed as the "G.O.A.T." by the local staff as top-ranked Alabama will square off with No. 3 Florida State in one of the most compelling season openers in college football history. It certainly will be the biggest neutral-site season opener since the concept's resurgence a decade ago. The festivities will continue on Labor Day night with an unopposed game featuring No. 23 Tennessee and Georgia Tech, in early December with an SEC Championship Game that historically has at least one team in the national title race, in late December with a Peach Bowl that is in its fourth year as part of the New Year's Six, and finally in early January with the CFP National Championship.
Here's how it got to this point.
Evolution the Peach Bowl
Ten years ago, going to the Peach Bowl was considered more of a punishment than a reward. Stokan set out to change that long before it was welcomed into the New Year's Six.
"We thought that we could get into the BCS in 2006, but they went to a double-hosting model instead," he told CBS Sports. "When that didn't happen, we set out to create the BCS on the front side of the season when they legislated the 12th regular-season game."
Initially billed as the "Daytona 500 of college football," Stokan's vision to create a signature event at the front end of the season played a big part in the Peach Bowl itself become a major event on the back end. The success of the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game -- which had Clemson-Alabama, Virginia Tech-Alabama and North Carolina-LSU in its first three years of existence, proved to the college football world that Stokan's group was prepared to take its postseason Peach Bowl to the next level.
When the CFP created a group of six bowls that rotated the two national semifinals, Atlanta was the obvious choice.
A stadium built "from the fan up"
After three hours touring the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium earlier this month, one thing became clear -- Atlanta traded a reliable midsize SUV in the Georgia Dome for a top-of-the-line, luxury monster with all of the upgrades. Everything about the new digs -- which will host five aforementioned games this season -- screams fan-friendly.
It has 1,264 beer taps as opposed to the Georgia Dome's 30 and has incorporated several local craft beers into the rotation to complement the traditional staples. Food options vary wildly and include the southern-themed Gamechanger concept from Top Chef alum Kevin Gillespie and West Nest featuring local cuisine and employees from the Westside Works program that focuses on creating employment opportunities and job training for residents of the local neighborhood.
What's more, the prices for standard stadium food like hot dogs, sodas and water won't empty your pockets. Non-alcoholic drinks with refills, water, pretzels, popcorn and hot dogs at standard concession stands are $2; peanuts and pizza are $3; and a 12-ounce domestic beer is just $5.
The technology within the facility is incredible. A 360-degree, 63,000-foot halo board around the rim of the retractable roof that is visible from any of the permanent seating makes it easy to see the action from anywhere. The 4,000 miles of fiber and access points for all major cell carriers makes connectivity a breeze. A 101-foot video column adds a new dimension to a fan experience that rivals any stadium in America.
"I wondered about the sight lines, and they kept it really tight like the Georgia Dome," Stokan said. "It's going to be a special place. When you put two college teams with bands in there, it'll be an awesome atmosphere," Stokan said.
Quest for the Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame had been more of a theory than a facility toward the final years of its stint in South Bend, Indiana. Rumors of its imminent move away from the land of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish had been buzzing since the turn of the century.
In 2009, the National Football Foundation decided to move the facility to Atlanta and a state-of-the-art, high-tech, constantly evolving facility opened in August 2014. But Atlanta's push started long before an announcement of the move was ever made.
"The College Football Hall of Fame, that started in 2002 or 2003," Stokan said. "I pulled the concept to move it here off the table when the NASCAR Hall of Fame was being bid out. That started the vision to create the college football capital here."
The new facility has become home to many college football-related events since its doors open, including the 2016 Home Depot College Football Awards. It is part of a Centennial Olympic Park area that includes the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium, old Georgia Dome, Georgia Aquarium, World of Coke museum, thousands of hotel rooms and hundreds of dining options.
This year is the pinnacle.
The combination of a brand new, state-of-the-art stadium in an area that has become the center of a booming downtown, combined with a two-decade-long concerted effort from leaders within the Atlanta sports community to take ownership of a sport that its residents have valued for generations has elevated the city of Atlanta to the capital of the college football world.
NCAABKB: Kentucky Basketball Roster Review: John Calipari makes something out of something.
By Jeremy Chisenhall
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/56253609/usa_today_9966249.0.jpg)
(Photo/Jim Brown/USA TODAY Sports)
It took a lot of growing pains along the way, but John Calipari made his talented players even better this year.
Another year, another bunch of wildly out of touch hot takes about John Calipari being unable to coach the talent he gets.
Another year, another bunch of wildly out of touch hot takes about John Calipari being unable to coach the talent he gets.
“He gets the best recruiting class every year. Where are the National Championships?”
News flash: It’s not easy for 18-year-olds to play against guys that are as old as 23, with 3-4 years of college basketball experience under their belts. What John Calipari does in making these players better teammates, defenders and overall players in just a matter of months, is pretty incredible. And this year, his team showed more improvement than most expected.
Yes, Cal once again brought in a top-two recruiting class, featuring five five-star players (De’Aaron Fox, Malik Monk, Bam Adebayo, Sacha Killeya-Jones and Wenyen Gabriel) That’s always going to set you up for great expectations.
But with all the talent these guys have, they were still playing AAU ball months ago, where each man-on-man matchup is essentially its own one-on-one game. Getting them to work as a team, move the ball and communicate defensively was no small task. But by season’s end, Calipari had his team playing like a legitimate national title contender.
Calipari’s team started with all kinds of hype. They were touted as the fastest team in the nation, with speedster De’Aaron Fox, sharpshooter Malik Monk, and bruiser big man Bam Adebayo. They were long, lean and fast.
Immediately from the jump, the team put up points in a hurry. They scored 90 points or more seven times in the first nine games, and they beat the No. 13-ranked Michigan State Spartans without scoring 90 (or even 70, for that matter). The offense was there. But what wasn’t there was the defense, and Calipari had to work his team in that regard.
And he did, in multiple ways. Not only did the team get better mentally, but physically on the defensive end. Following an 88-66 loss against Florida, one in which many questioned the heart and determination of the players (specifically Malik Monk, we’ll get to that in a second), Kentucky went the last 14 games of the regular and postseason without allowing 80 points in a game.
The focus became less about speed, speed, speed, and more about playing to win the tough games; playing to win the tournament games. And while not every win was pretty in those final 14 games, Kentucky looked like a true tournament contender down the stretch.
But in order to become that true tournament contender, Cal had to deal with the growing pains that come with coaching freshmen. At times, Calipari gave his players a little bit too much freedom. It’s hard to fault him for that; when you tell your superstar shooting guard to go to the paint and instead he does this, you have to give him a little more freedom.
But when he goes on to shoot 1-9 from deep in the very next game against your in-state rival, maybe you have to revoke some of that freedom.
And I don’t think Calipari did that at first. And that’s why the criticism rained down as Monk laughed off a 22-point loss to the Florida Gators while hecklers sang happy birthday.
But things got better. Monk became a far more disciplined shooter, and Kentucky found its true leader, the man who Calipari developed into a star this year: De’Aaron Fox.
While he wasn’t the “seasoned veteran” that Isaiah Briscoe was, nor the attention-grabbing, clutch shooter that Malik Monk was, he was the motor to Kentucky’s drive. And once Calipari and the Cats realized that he was the guy on this team, things got a whole lot easier. There’s nothing that better sums up Fox’s growth than this quote from Calipari after Kentucky’s win over UCLA in the Sweet 16.
“He's grown, but what he's learned to do is play physical, not take a hit and fly, and throw a ball. He's learned to play through bumps. He's learned to work. He's understood the grind now. It took him a while. They think, well, I'm just going to go play. He shot 15 percent for a while. Like, dude, you can't miss every single shot. Now all of a sudden, if he's open, that ball is down.
“Second thing is he goes to the rim, and I know if he gets hit, he can still make it. Well, early in the season, he wasn't doing that. But I am so proud of him, and today all I did at halftime is say, guys, are you watching this game? They said, yeah, okay, good, then you know we're playing through De'Aaron Fox. The rest of you take a backseat, play off of him, but everything we're doing good is through him the whole half. And they were ecstatic. Good. Let's do it.”
If you don’t think Calipari is good at developing the talent he gets, all you have to do is look at Fox before and after coming to Kentucky in order to change your mind.
Umpires end protest after MLB commissioner Rob Manfred agrees to meet.
Umpires end protest after MLB commissioner Rob Manfred agrees to meet.
By Dayn Perry
As noted in this space, MLB umpires on Saturday wore white armbands to protest what they see as increasing verbal abuse from players. Specifically, a recent incident between Ian Kinsler of the Tigers and veteran umpire Angel Hernandez seemed to be the tipping point. Here's a look at the armband:
As noted in this space, MLB umpires on Saturday wore white armbands to protest what they see as increasing verbal abuse from players. Specifically, a recent incident between Ian Kinsler of the Tigers and veteran umpire Angel Hernandez seemed to be the tipping point. Here's a look at the armband:
Today WUA members agreed to the Commissioner's proposal to meet with the Union's Governing Board to discuss the concerns on which our white wristband protest is based. We appreciate the Commissioner's willingness to engage seriously on verbal attacks and other important issues that must be addressed. To demonstrate our good faith, MLB Umpires will remove the protest white wrist bands pending the requested meeting.
It of course remains to be seen whether Manfred takes any subsequent steps, but his willingness to meet with umpire reps indeed suggests that the conversation has started. For now, at least, the protest is on ice.
Collected holds off Arrogate in $1 million Pacific Classic.
By Beth Harris
Collected holds off Arrogate in $1 million Pacific Classic.
By Beth Harris
In a photo provided by Benoit Photo, owner Peter Fluor, right, celebrates with trainer Bob Baffert, left, after Collected's victory in the Grade I, $1 million TVG Pacific Classic horse race, Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017, at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif. (Benoit Photo via AP)
Watching Arrogate stuck in third most of the way around in the $1 million Pacific Classic on Saturday, Baffert said, ''It looked like it was going to be another flop.''
Not quite.
But the richest thoroughbred in the history of racing still lost his second straight race.
Collected beat 3-5 favorite Arrogate by a half-length, giving Baffert a 1-2 finish in the Grade 1 race.
''If you asked for a dream trip, it's that Collected wins and Arrogate shows up,'' said Peter Fluor, co-owner of Collected. ''As I told Bob before the race, 'I hope you run 1-2, but I have a preference.'''
Baffert earned his fifth Pacific Classic victory, one behind the late Bobby Frankel.
He watched the race on the big video board in the paddock rather than in the stands and stared at the screen with arms folded when Arrogate came up short yet again.
''He ran a good race, but we expect to see something else,'' Baffert said. ''I feel like my older son got beat by my younger son.''
Ridden by Martin Garcia, Collected ran 1 1/4 miles for the first time in 2:00.70 at the seaside track north of San Diego. He paid $8, $2.80 and $2.20 as the 3-1 second choice.
The 4-year-old chestnut colt held off the late rush of Arrogate, who was trying to bounce back after losing by 15 1/4 lengths in the San Diego Handicap. That defeat snapped Arrogate's seven-race winning streak.
''It was just a mistake to run him in the San Diego,'' Baffert said. ''I was so eager, like everybody else, to watch him run again.''
Arrogate returned $2.60 and $2.10 as the overwhelming 3-5 favorite. He has seven wins in 10 career starts and earnings of over $17 million. He's won at Saratoga, Santa Anita, Gulfstream and in Dubai.
He just hasn't figured out Del Mar.
''It just ain't his favorite right now,'' Smith said, ''but that doesn't mean we can't make a few changes and see what happens.''
Arrogate's loss brought back memories for Baffert.
''This race was a lot like American Pharoah's Saratoga race,'' he said of his Triple Crown champion who was later upset in the 2015 Travers. ''He dug in, ran hard and he just got beat by a nice horse.''
Accelerate, who beat Arrogate by 15 1/4 lengths in the San Diego, was another 3 3/4 lengths back in third. He paid $2.20.
Collected led all the way, while Accelerate chased him in second and Arrogate stalked them both in the third spot.
In the stretch, Garcia said, ''I could feel a big animal coming behind me. It's like when you are in a little car and you feel a big car, the noise is coming.''
In the closing strides, Arrogate rallied with Smith furiously working his whip on both sides.
''Better than the last one, but it's not good enough,'' Smith said. ''He's not running his A race. I'm not even sure he's running his B race, to be honest with you, and he's still only getting beat a little bit.''
That gives Baffert hope for the world championships.
''That last eighth of a mile, he was just throwing it down there. He was trying to get there badly,'' Baffert said. ''I can make some little changes with him. I know what needs to be done as long as he stays healthy.''
Collected earned an automatic berth in the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 4, a race Arrogate won last year.
''As long as he's healthy, I have a lot more confidence coming in here for the Breeders' Cup,'' Baffert said of Arrogate. ''I think he can come back.''
Collected became the first 4-year-old to win since Richard's Kid in 2009. The colt is 4-0 this year.
Curlin Road, co-owned by Colorado Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson, finished fourth in the seven-horse field. Hard Aces was fifth, followed by Royal Albert Hall and Donworth, who was second in the San Diego.
In other stakes:
- Dream Dancing nosed out Beau Recall to win the $300,000 Del Mar Oaks for 3-year-old fillies. Ridden by Julien Leparoux, Dream Dancing ran nine furlongs on turf in 1:48.06 and paid $15.20 to win. Madam Dancealot, the 7-2 favorite, was third. The Grade 1 win was worth $180,000.
- Hunt found a hole on the rail and rallied to win the $250,000 Del Mar Handicap by 3 1/4 lengths to earn a berth in the BC Turf in November. Ridden by Flavien Prat, Ireland-bred Hunt ran 1 3/8 miles on turf in 2:14.93 and paid $8.80 to win at 3-1 odds. Itsinthepost, the 5-2 favorite, was second. Flamboyant was another head back in third.
- Hunt found a hole on the rail and rallied to win the $250,000 Del Mar Handicap by 3 1/4 lengths to earn a berth in the BC Turf in November. Ridden by Flavien Prat, Ireland-bred Hunt ran 1 3/8 miles on turf in 2:14.93 and paid $8.80 to win at 3-1 odds. Itsinthepost, the 5-2 favorite, was second. Flamboyant was another head back in third.
On This Date in Sports History: Today is Monday, August 21, 2017.
Memoriesofhistory.com
1971 - Laura Baugh, at the age of 16, won the United State's Women's Amateur Golf tournament. She was the youngest winner in the history of the tournament.
1984 - Victoria Roche, a reserve outfielder, became the first girl to ever compete in a Little League World Series game.
2006 - Barry Bonds (San Francisco Giants) hit his 725th career homerun.
2009 - The Dallas Cowboys played their first game at their new stadium in Arlington, TX. During the preseason game, against the Tennessee Titans, the Titans' kicker hit the scoreboard hanging in the center of the stadium.
*****************************************************************
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment