Author: staff

MILWAUKEE — One of Billy Donovan’s more endearing qualities as Chicago Bulls coach is his willingness to say what he believes instead of always reverting to “coachspeak” when times are tough.When the Bulls got off to a great start in November and early December, Donovan warned against complacency, pointing out they needed improvement in several areas.AdvertisementDonovan was forced to start reserves Javonte Green and Ayo Dosunmu in place of unavailable regulars Zach LaVine and Alex Caruso in the Bulls’ season-ending 116-100 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday. And he didn’t try to sugarcoat the difficulties of the task at hand.Before the game, Donovan pointed to the Bulls’ first game in Milwaukee back on Jan. 21, when they played without LaVine and still were in the game in the final minute, and to other stretches they played without Lonzo Ball, Caruso or Nikola Vučević. A win with an undermanned team was not out of the question.Advertisement“At times maybe we have not been quite talented enough to get over the hump, but I do like the spirit of our guys in terms of the fact that they’ve kept themselves ready,” Donovan said before Game 5. “And, listen, stranger things have happened.”Donovan added that he wanted his players to “at least walk off the floor and go, ‘We got beat tonight,’ rather than, ‘Woe is me,’ or ‘How are we going to do this with Alex out and Zach out?’”Not many coaches would go into an elimination game stating the obvious. But Donovan is comfortable in his own skin.[ [Don’t miss] Column: Mission impossible? With their season on the line, the Bulls will have to rely on reserves to save the day. ]The Bulls went down in Game 5 as expected, and now it’s time for the autopsy. Should Bulls fans focus on the progress more than the ending?“I don’t know,” Donovan said. “You have to look at the season’s totality. I know with our schedule the way it was on the back end, after the All-Star break was really challenging and difficult. I think it made us better, although we absorbed a lot of losses, and going into this series playing against the defending champions, I don’t think that can do anything but help you get better.“But we’ll never know what our team would have really looked like with what we had to endure, and that’s the part I appreciate the most about these guys. Because it would’ve been very easy for them to make excuses, complain, get frustrated, get down, and they never did that. They always kept their spirit up and came to work.”It was a roller-coaster season that in the end was rewarding for the individual moments, if not the ending.“We had a lot of ups and downs,” DeMar DeRozan said. “It was a hell of a ride. It’s going to be something I’m pretty sure I’m going to look back on in a couple of weeks and start to miss it even more. It don’t always play out how you want, but you learn so much from it.”AdvertisementIt’s true the Bulls played over their heads at times this season and the talent level was lacking. They never addressed their size disadvantage, which became more glaring when Patrick Williams suffered a wrist injury in a fall against the New York Knicks in the fifth game of the season. Instead of a trade-deadline move, they took a flier on Tristan Thompson, who didn’t work out.Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu (12) heads to the bench during a timeout in the third quarter of Game 5 on Wednesday, April 27, 2022, in Milwaukee. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)Green and Dosunmu, a second-round pick, started 45 and 40 games, respectively. Unproven players Alfonzo McKinnie and Malcolm Hill were brought in during the season and given minutes because of injuries, a COVID-19 outbreak and a lack of depth.It was one thing after another.And when the Bulls finally regressed and lost 15 of 21 games from Feb. 26 to April 10 to fall from first to sixth in the Eastern Conference race, Donovan rested his starters for the regular-season finale in Minnesota, where the reserves pulled out a meaningless win over the Timberwolves.Still, the Bulls won 46 games, a fact that gets lost in the late season collapse that remained fresh in our minds. Since Phil Jackson departed after the sixth title in 1997-98, the Bulls have had eight coaches, not including interims. Only Donovan, Tom Thibodeau and Scott Skiles have won 46 or more games in a season.The Bulls need veteran help, and free agents such as Victor Oladipo, who played under Donovan in Oklahoma City, will be available.AdvertisementDeRozan said he’s fine with talking to players this summer about what it’s like playing in Chicago.“Yeah, I’m all with wanting to compete and win,” he said. “Not just compete in the regular season. Compete for a championship. That’s my only goal right now. Whatever it is I can do, or if I can try to help to do that, definitely.”DeRozan said he never has been asked to recruit, but “for the most part, if guys reach out and there’s an opportunity for me to have conversations with guys that would like to join, why not?”[ [Don’t miss] How the Bulls’ 1st-round playoff series vs. the Bucks unfolded ]Donovan also should be able to draw some players to Chicago. He has faced adversity throughout his professional coaching career but nothing like this season guiding the Bulls.He came to Chicago with a stellar record in Oklahoma City, where his .608 winning percentage ranked 11th among coaches with five or more years of experience. But after Kevin Durant helped lead the Thunder to the 2016 Western Conference finals before losing to the Golden State Warriors — and then joined the Warriors as a free agent — Donovan’s Thunder teams lost in the first round four straight seasons.After mutually agreeing to part after that season, Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas quickly swooped in and signed Donovan to a deal reportedly worth $24 million over four years.AdvertisementBulls coach Billy Donovan stands on the sideline in the fourth quarter of Game 5 on Wednesday, April 27, 2022, in Milwaukee. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)Halfway in, Donovan has a .500 record (77-77), though he had no chance to win last season with a rebuilding team.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.So how should Donovan be judged?There’s little doubt the Bulls players are in Donovan’s corner. He always has been known as a player’s coach and is respected by his peers.“I think Billy Donovan could coach on Mars,” Marquette coach Shaka Smart told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, adding: “He’s universally adored by people that know him and work for him.”There wasn’t much Donovan could do in this series, and he said the Bulls will “have to work harder” next season just to get back to the playoffs.“Just because we got to this point, there’s nothing guaranteed next year,” he said. “What our approach and mentality is going to be like this offseason and going into training camp is going to be critically important for us to build off of some of the positive things that happened this year.”AdvertisementThere was little doubt the Bulls made progress in 2021-22 and provided moments that will last for years.Whether the regression took some of the shine off the season is a question for Karnišovas to answer.

MILWAUKEE — The Chicago Bulls season ended with an air of inevitability Wednesday night as the team crumpled against the Milwaukee Bucks in a 116-100 Game 5 loss to close their best-of-seven first-round series.The Bulls’ chances went from unlikely to grim after starters Alex Caruso (concussion) and Zach LaVine (COVID-19) were both ruled out of Game 5 early Wednesday. Bucks fans weren’t excited as they trickled into Fiserv Forum — they were expectant.AdvertisementEven Bulls coach Billy Donovan arrived in Milwaukee with dimmed positivity.“We’ll see what happens tonight,” Donovan said before the game. “Look, stranger things have happened.”AdvertisementThe only unexpected part of the loss was DeMar DeRozan’s stat line.Without LaVine available to balance the scoring, the weight of the Bulls offense fell fully onto DeRozan’s shoulders. After his 41-point performance in their Game 2 victory, the Bulls knew what DeRozan is capable of under duress — but so did the Bucks, who spent the night throwing themselves in the All-Star forward’s way.DeRozan couldn’t cut through the swarm of Bucks defenders who surrounded him anytime he touched the ball. Every look DeRozan took at the basket was obscured by a double or triple team, and he took only one shot in the first quarter.DeRozan finished with 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting despite spending only five minutes on the bench.The Bucks were clearly content to allow any other player in a Bulls jersey to take a shot — so long as it wasn’t DeRozan. The tactic paid off in spades. Time after time, DeRozan drove into a triple team, then flipped the ball out to the perimeter. But each time, the result was the same. Air ball. Brick. Turnover. The Bulls moved the ball more fluidly than they had in most of the series, but none of that mattered when the shots didn’t fall.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.The Bulls shot 42.4% from the field and made just 15 of their franchise-record 52 attempts behind the 3-point arc (28.8%). Rookie Ayo Dosunmu started his first playoff game in place of Caruso at point guard and finished with eight points and one assist. Coby White finished an ice-cold shooting series with 17 points on 4-for-13 3-point shooting.Patrick Williams led the Bulls in scoring with 22 points but couldn’t match the aggression of the Bucks at the rim. Nikola Vučević scored 19 points and went 3-for-9 from 3-point range.AdvertisementThe loss capped a dismal offensive series against the Bucks. The Bulls finished the five games shooting less than 40% from the field and averaging 95.2 points.Things got ugly by the 9:41 mark of the second quarter, when the Bucks doubled the score at 40-20. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 33 points as they shot 49.4% from the field. The Bulls halved the deficit in the third quarter, but a flurry of six 3-pointers helped the Bucks rumble back to a 20-point lead.The loss left a sour note at the end of a season of growth for the Bulls, who returned to the postseason and finished with a winning record for the first time in five years. DeRozan’s arrival in Chicago sparked a season of broken records and winning streaks.But a litany of injuries — from Williams’ wrist surgery and Lonzo Ball’s season-ending meniscus tear to Caruso’s concussion in Game 4 — clouded the potential of the improved Bulls roster.

In March, their rally for LGBTQ rights was cut short after bullhorn-wielding counterprotesters crashed the event.But on Wednesday the Illinois Standing for Queer & Trans Communities rally returned, with organizers saying they would not be silenced.AdvertisementSpeakers, including Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, decried a wave of anti-LGBTQ bills introduced across the country in recent months and called attention to issues in Illinois, including the deaths of two Black transgender women in March.“I’m here today because I will not be silenced, because I stand with you,” Pritzker told 120 people at Federal Plaza in the Loop. “Because we have so much that we need to stand up for, to protect, to fight for.”AdvertisementIllinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton speaks at a rally against the Florida law critics call the “Don’t Say Gay” bill and other anti-LGBTQ and anti-transgender legislation nationwide at Federal Plaza in Chicago on April 27, 2022. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)Among the bills protesters oppose: a high-profile Florida law that opponents call the “don’t say gay” bill, which limits classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in grades K-3. In a similar vein, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott recently said he wants state employees to conduct child abuse investigations of parents who provide gender-affirming care to their transgender children.But speakers also criticized a broader wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation — 240 bills introduced this year alone, according to Equality Illinois Deputy Director Mony Ruiz-Velasco, including two bills in Illinois.The Illinois bills include HB 4082, which would prohibit transgender girls from playing on competitive girls sports teams at their schools, and HB 5349, which would require parents to opt in to sex education. Currently, sexual education is provided unless parents opt out.Neither of the two Illinois bills has advanced far in the state legislature.People rally against the Florida law critics call the “Don’t Say Gay” bill and other anti-LGBTQ and anti-transgender legislation nationwide at Federal Plaza in Chicago on April 27, 2022. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)“We are here to reclaim our space and our voice and to send a loud, strong and visible signal that we will not be silenced,” said Ruiz-Velasco.In March, an NBC News analysis found that 238 state bills seeking to limit LGBTQ rights had been proposed this year, up from just 41 in 2018.Speakers at the rally called attention to violence and discrimination against transgender Americans, particularly women of color. Two Black transgender women were found dead in the Chicago area last month: Evanston LGBTQ activist Elise Malary, whose body was found in Lake Michigan on March 17, and Chicagoan Tatiana “Tee Tee” Whetstone, 33, who was found dead in a garbage bin March 18. Whetstone’s death was ruled a homicide.The rally, hosted by more than 20 organizations, including Equality Illinois, was originally planned for March 28. But organizers said they had to halt the original rally due to safety concerns after “aggressive” disruptions by loud counterprotesters including yelling and pushing through the crowd.AdvertisementOrganizations hosting the rally included AIDS Foundation of Chicago, ACLU of Illinois, Association of Latina/o/x Motivating Action, Bisexual Queer Alliance Chicago, Brave Space Alliance, Center on Halsted, Chicago House and Social Service Agency, Equality Illinois, Golden Rainbows of Illinois South, Indivisible Chicago, Lambda Legal Defense & Education Fund, Life is Work, Peoria Proud and PFLAG Council of Northern Illinois.nschoenberg@chicagotribune.comAdvertisementAdvertisement

ComEd customers will begin receiving a credit for about $20 per month in June, an unexpected dividend from the state’s bailout of three struggling nuclear power plants last fall.The carbon mitigation credit, which will show up as a new line item on ComEd bills through May 2023, will save the average customer $237 over a year, the Illinois Commerce Commission announced Wednesday.AdvertisementThe estimated $1 billion credit reflects a dramatic reversal of fortune for Illinois ratepayers and a trio of nuclear plants that were subsidized as part of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act. In September, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the clean energy bill into law, which requires Illinois utilities to get 40% of their power from renewable sources such as solar and wind by 2030. The bill also provided funding to support the Byron, Dresden and Braidwood nuclear plants as clean energy sources.Byron Generating Station in Byron, Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2021. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)ComEd parent company Exelon had threatened to close the underperforming Byron and Dresden plants without legislative action. The nuclear bailout was expected to cost ComEd ratepayers $700 million over five years, but rising energy prices combined with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have suddenly made the three nuclear plants more profitable.AdvertisementChicago-based Exelon spun off Constellation, its former power generation subsidiary, into a stand-alone company in February.“To date, Illinois consumers have not paid a penny to nuclear plants under the law, and instead will be receiving a substantial credit,” Constellation spokesman Paul Adams said in a statement Wednesday. “Should energy prices fall again, the law ensures that these plants have the financial security to remain in operation and continue to advance the state’s ambitious climate goals.”While Adams said the state’s clean energy bill is “working exactly as intended,” the $1.7 billion swing from a ratepayer-funded subsidy to a credit was not the outcome many had expected when it was enacted last fall.“It is a surprise,” said David Kolata, executive director of the Citizens Utility Board, a nonprofit Illinois watchdog group. “But the main driver of energy prices being higher is the Russian invasion, and I don’t know if people predicted that.”Kolata said the clean energy bill acts as a hedge against fluctuating energy prices for both Constellation and the ratepayers. The subsidy provides certainty for the nuclear plants, which before the passage of the bill said they couldn’t compete with cheaper energy from fossil fuels and subsidized renewable sources such as wind and solar. With the sudden spike in energy prices, the bill now protects the consumers.“This was in the bill, because if the nuclear plants don’t need the money, they shouldn’t get the money,” Kolata said. “We’re getting a refund being paid for by the nuclear plants, because they’re earning more than they agreed to.”While consumers are coming out ahead in year one, lower energy prices could swing the nuclear plant bailout back to a ratepayer-funded subsidy in subsequent years, Kolata said.The credit will appear on ComEd bills beginning in June on a line item called “Carbon-Free Energy Resource Adjustment.”AdvertisementEarlier this month, ComEd filed with the ICC for a proposed $199 million increase in electricity delivery charges, seeking the largest rate hike since 2014. If approved by state regulators, it would add $2.20 per month to the average residential customer bill beginning in January 2023.ComEd delivers electricity to more than 4 million customers across northern Illinois.rchannick@chicagotribune.com

ComEd customers will begin receiving a credit for about $20 per month in June, an unexpected dividend from the state’s bailout of three struggling nuclear power plants last fall.The carbon mitigation credit, which will show up as a new line item on ComEd bills through May 2023, will save the average customer $237 over a year, the Illinois Commerce Commission announced Wednesday.AdvertisementThe estimated $1 billion credit reflects a dramatic reversal of fortune for Illinois ratepayers and a trio of nuclear plants that were subsidized as part of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act. In September, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the clean energy bill into law, which requires Illinois utilities to get 40% of their power from renewable sources such as solar and wind by 2030. The bill also provided funding to support the Byron, Dresden and Braidwood nuclear plants as clean energy sources.Byron Generating Station in Byron, Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2021. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)ComEd parent company Exelon had threatened to close the underperforming Byron and Dresden plants without legislative action. The nuclear bailout was expected to cost ComEd ratepayers $700 million over five years, but rising energy prices combined with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have suddenly made the three nuclear plants more profitable.AdvertisementChicago-based Exelon spun off Constellation, its former power generation subsidiary, into a stand-alone company in February.“To date, Illinois consumers have not paid a penny to nuclear plants under the law, and instead will be receiving a substantial credit,” Constellation spokesman Paul Adams said in a statement Wednesday. “Should energy prices fall again, the law ensures that these plants have the financial security to remain in operation and continue to advance the state’s ambitious climate goals.”While Adams said the state’s clean energy bill is “working exactly as intended,” the $1.7 billion swing from a ratepayer-funded subsidy to a credit was not the outcome many had expected when it was enacted last fall.“It is a surprise,” said David Kolata, executive director of the Citizens Utility Board, a nonprofit Illinois watchdog group. “But the main driver of energy prices being higher is the Russian invasion, and I don’t know if people predicted that.”Kolata said the clean energy bill acts as a hedge against fluctuating energy prices for both Constellation and the ratepayers. The subsidy provides certainty for the nuclear plants, which before the passage of the bill said they couldn’t compete with cheaper energy from fossil fuels and subsidized renewable sources such as wind and solar. With the sudden spike in energy prices, the bill now protects the consumers.“This was in the bill, because if the nuclear plants don’t need the money, they shouldn’t get the money,” Kolata said. “We’re getting a refund being paid for by the nuclear plants, because they’re earning more than they agreed to.”While consumers are coming out ahead in year one, lower energy prices could swing the nuclear plant bailout back to a ratepayer-funded subsidy in subsequent years, Kolata said.The credit will appear on ComEd bills beginning in June on a line item called “Carbon-Free Energy Resource Adjustment.”AdvertisementEarlier this month, ComEd filed with the ICC for a proposed $199 million increase in electricity delivery charges, seeking the largest rate hike since 2014. If approved by state regulators, it would add $2.20 per month to the average residential customer bill beginning in January 2023.ComEd delivers electricity to more than 4 million customers across northern Illinois.rchannick@chicagotribune.com

ATLANTA — The Chicago Cubs will be waiting a little longer for their short-term injured pitchers to join the team.Left-hander Wade Miley threw 46 pitches Wednesday afternoon, getting in three up-downs during a simulated game at Truist Park. The Cubs want to see how he feels before determining his next steps, but Miley is getting closer to going on a rehab assignment.AdvertisementThe veteran shouldn’t need more than two rehab outings before coming off the injured list. Given his experience and understanding of his body, Miley might need only one rehab start.Right-hander Alec Mills was slated to make a rehab start Friday for Triple-A Iowa; however, he won’t pitch after feeling tightness in his right quadriceps while working out Tuesday. Mills will get a couple of days off before the Cubs implement his throwing schedule. He could throw another bullpen session before making his next rehab start.Advertisement[ [Don’t miss] 3 observations from the Cubs’ 3-1 loss to the Braves, including Marcus Stroman’s slider-sinker combination ]Outfielder Clint Frazier, who went on the IL on April 20 after an appendectomy, is expected to go on a rehab assignment once he has fully healed. An appendectomy typically takes four weeks to come back from for hitters. Frazier likely would have been optioned to Iowa when big-league rosters reduce from 28 to 26 players Monday. He was one of six outfielders on the Cubs active roster before going on the IL. A rehab stint would give him a chance to get in a rhythm at the plate after starting five of the Cubs’ first 12 games.The Cubs have four players on the 60-day IL who can’t be activated before June 6.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Infielder David Bote, who is coming back from left shoulder surgery, likely will begin a rehab assignment in mid- to late May if he continues to trend in the right direction. That would put Bote on track to be activated as soon as he is eligible.[ [Don’t miss] A minor setback to Andrelton Simmons’ right shoulder continues to test the Cubs infield depth ]There isn’t an obvious spot on the big-league roster for Bote based on the current roster construction. While injuries could change that by the time Bote is full go, he does have a minor-league option the Cubs could use.Right-hander Adbert Alzolay (right shoulder strain) is working out but not throwing yet. The team hopes Alzolay will begin the ramp-up process soon.Part of the benefit of being on the 60-day IL is a pitcher coming off an injury like Alzolay’s has ample time to build arm and shoulder strength. Alzolay reported to spring training with the shoulder issue and got a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection in early March. If the Cubs bring him back as a reliever, it would shorten the length of his rehab.[ [Don’t miss] Is the Cubs offense for real? 5 numbers highlighting the good — and bad — so far this season. ]Left-hander Brad Wieck (left elbow strain) had a PRP injection in late March and is further behind Alzolay. He isn’t expected to return until the second half of the season.AdvertisementRight-hander Manuel Rodríguez (right elbow strain) received a PRP shot with the hope of avoiding surgery. The Cubs will know more about Rodríguez’s outlook after he begins a throwing program in a couple of weeks.Left-hander Steven Brault is on the Triple-A IL after an MRI during his physical in March showed a triceps issue. He is going through a strengthening program for his arm with a return possibly three months away.

Ford Motor Co. reported Wednesday that it lost $3.1 billion in the first quarter, weighed down by its investment in an electric-vehicle startup, and its revenue slid as a shortage of chips limited the supply of pickups and SUVs in North America.Company executives pointed away from the loss and toward results that excluded the lower value of its stake in Rivian. Ford said that it made $2.3 billion in pretax profit and is still on track to hit its full-year target for that measurement.AdvertisementFord said it sold 966,000 vehicles in the first quarter, down 9% from a year earlier.Sun visors are installed on a Ford F-150 Lightning Electric pickup truck on a factory line in Dearborn, Mich., April 4, 2022. Ford Motor said on Wednesday, April 27, 2022, that it lost $3.1 billion in the first three months of the year because of a sharp drop in the stock price of Rivian, an electric vehicle start-up that Ford has taken a stake in. (Sylvia Jarrus/The New York Times)Chief Financial Officer John Lawler said the quarter produced mixed results.Advertisement“Clearly the demand for our new products is very strong,” Lawler said, “yet we continue to have issues with supply of chips, which constrained us, and in particular here in North America, it hit us disproportionately on our large vehicles.”The chip shortage has caused Ford and General Motors to close multiple North American factories for a week or two at a time, including plants that build popular full-size pickups.Ford executives said they also faced inflationary pressure from suppliers, but have been able to recover that in higher vehicles prices. They said additional increases were possible if inflation continues to run high.The company said this week that it has built about 2,000 copies of its new electric pickup, the F-150 Lightning, at a plant near Detroit and would begin delivering them to customers. The truck is critical to Ford’s hopes of gaining a bigger share of electric-vehicle sales.CEO Jim Farley said Wednesday that buyers of the F-150 Lightning are generally not traditional truck owners.“The customer profile is dramatically younger. It’s in states like California and New York that we normally don’t sell full-size trucks,” he said on a call with analysts.The appeal of electric vehicles to younger consumers helped drive investor interest in Rivian. Ford’s 12% stake was worth more than $10 billion after the startup’s IPO in November. But after nearly touching $180, the shares have since tumbled — they closed Wednesday at $31.22 — dragging down the value of Ford’s stake.Ford’s loss contrasted with General Motors, which reported a $2.94 billion quarterly profit on Tuesday.AdvertisementThe first-quarter loss of $3.11 billion compared with a profit of $3.26 billion in the same period last year. Revenue skidded 9% lower that a year ago, to $34.48 billion. Ford said it earned 38 cents a share in the latest quarter after adjusting to exclude one-time items.Analysts expected Ford to earn an adjusted 37 cents per share on revenue of $34.53 billion, according to a FactSet survey.The company based in Dearborn, Michigan, stood by its target of achieving full-year earnings before interest and taxes of $11.5 billion to $12.5 billion.Ford’s shares rose about 1% in after-hours trading after gaining 1% during the regular session.

Chicago White Sox starter Dylan Cease had a no-hitter through five innings.But nothing comes easy when you’re on a losing streak, and by the time Wednesday’s game against the Kansas City Royals reached the bottom of the seventh, a three-run Sox lead had vanished and the score was tied.AdvertisementManager Tony La Russa noticed an encouraging mood in the dugout.“Keep playing, keep playing, find a way,” La Russa said.AdvertisementThe Sox did just that.Left fielder Andrew Vaughn broke the tie with a three-run homer in the seventh and the Sox snapped their eight-game slide by beating the Royals 7-3 in front of 12,363 at Guaranteed Rate Field.“It’s a game of baseball, a game of failure, it’s going to happen a lot,” Vaughn said of the losing streak. “We just kept grinding, going out there every single day and doing our best. We have 140 more to go at least, so just keep going and keep playing.”Vaughn went 2 for 4 with four RBIs as the Sox won for the first time since beating the Tampa Bay Rays on April 16.“I don’t know what our record is going to be when we get to the end, but it’s going to be whatever we’re good enough to perform,” La Russa said. “Because the head, heart and the guts are there. We’ve got plenty of that.”They received a strong pitching performance from Cease, who allowed two runs on three hits with nine strikeouts and three walks in six innings.“He was exceptional,” La Russa said.AdvertisementCease retired the first 13 batters before issuing a one-out walk in the fifth. He carried the no-hitter into the sixth, when Edward Olivares began the inning with an infield single.Cease said he was thinking of the no-hitter “a little bit.”“But it’s definitely not the main focus,” he said. “It’s noticing it more than just sitting there and dwelling on it.”Bloop hits to right and left field in the sixth drove in runs, cutting the Sox lead to 3-2. The Royals tied it with a sacrifice fly an inning later.It could have been a “here they go again” moment.Instead, the Sox bounced back with a two-out rally in the bottom of the seventh.AdvertisementDanny Mendick and Tim Anderson singled. The Royals brought in Scott Barlow, and Vaughn hit the first pitch over the left-field wall, giving the Sox a 6-3 lead.“I was just looking for a good pitch,” Vaughn said. “I got a fastball middle up and put a good swing on it.”Vaughn leads the Sox with four home runs.“There were a lot of times during (2021) where he was our best run producer,” La Russa said. “Then toward the end he got a little tired maybe. But he’s a better hitter than he was last year, and he was good last year.”The Sox added a run in the eighth. The seven runs were their most since a 10-1 win April 10 in Detroit.“This is definitely something to build off,” Vaughn said. “Great at-bats, but we still have more in the tank.”AdvertisementLa Russa marked the end of the losing streak with a little dance as he entered Guaranteed Rate Field’s conference center for postgame interviews.“It’s a lot more fun winning,” said third baseman Jake Burger, who went 3 for 4 with a solo home run. “Everybody’s laughing, having a good time, music’s bumping when you come back in (the clubhouse).“We want to keep it that way.”Center fielder Luis Robert continued to rehab from a groin strain suffered April 21 in Cleveland. He has not played since.“He’s stepping up the workout every day,” La Russa said before Wednesday’s game. “When he can do everything without any discomfort, that’s when he’s green-lighted as far as I’m concerned because of all his activity, whether he’s playing defense or offense.“As of (Tuesday), he still felt a little something when he moved side to side. So that has to disappear.”AdvertisementYasmani Grandal served as the designated hitter after leaving Tuesday’s game with “soreness in his legs.” Grandal went 1 for 3 with a walk and a run Wednesday.Third baseman Yoán Moncada expects to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte on Saturday. Reliever Joe Kelly is slated to pitch for Charlotte on Sunday.

The Archdiocese of Chicago has settled sex abuse claims for $800,000 against five clergymen, including the Rev. George Clements, a well-known Catholic priest and civil rights activist who died in 2019 at 87, according to a settlement document and the lawyer handling the case.Clements was a prominent and sometimes controversial figure in Chicago, recognized for his civil rights work and social justice advocacy. He was known as the first Catholic priest to adopt a child, eventually adopting four sons. His life inspired a made-for-TV movie, “The Father Clements Story,” that aired in 1987.AdvertisementHe served as pastor at Holy Angels Parish in the Bronzeville neighborhood from 1969 to 1991, marched with Martin Luther King Jr. in Chicago, Alabama and Mississippi and was the second Black priest to be ordained in the Chicago Archdiocese. He also served in a number of other Chicago-area parishes, including St. Ambrose Parish from July 6, 1957, to July 6, 1962; and St. Dorothy Parish from July 7, 1962, to June 19, 1969.Cardinal Blase Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, asked Clements to step aside from active ministry in 2019 due to an allegation of sex abuse of a minor that occurred in 1974 while he was pastor of Holy Angels Parish.AdvertisementMitchell Garabedian, a Boston-based attorney who represents the plaintiffs, said the settlement stemmed from an investigation and mediation. Because the claim fell outside of the statute of limitations, a lawsuit was not filed.Garabedian said the abuse claim was from about 1974 to 1979 when the child was 7 to 12 years old while Clements was assigned to Holy Angels Church.The Rev. George Clements during a service in Chicago on Jan. 28, 1991. (Fred Jewell / AP)The archdiocese did not admit wrongdoing in the settlement, which was filed in February, according to the document. A spokesperson for the archdiocese said it does not comment on lawsuits, claims or settlements.The Archdiocese also settled claims against Brother Edward Courtney, the Rev. Michael Weston, the Rev. Daniel Holihan and the Rev. Joseph Fitzharris.Courtney was a teacher at Leo High School on the South Side. The settlement involved a claim of abuse of a victim of around 14 or 15 in 1970 to 1971 in the school, Garabedian said.Weston was accused of abusing a 13-year-old in 1978 while assigned to St. Julie Billiart’s Church in Tinley Park, Holihan, a 6- or 7-year-old in the 1960s while assigned to St. Aloysius’ Church in Chicago, and Fitzharris, a 12-year-old in 1975 while assigned to St. Fidelis’ Church in Chicago.Holihan and Fitzharris have been named in previous settlements, according to Tribune archives.Each individual settlement claim was in the “low six figures,” Garabedian said. He called on Cupich to add Clements to the archdiocese’s public list of clergymen who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse.Advertisement“It is an honor and privilege to represent clergy sexual abuse victims who are changing the world for the better by reporting clergy sexual abuse,” he said.mabuckley@chicagotribune.com

This season has been a challenge for the Chicago Blackhawks and Jonathan Toews in particular.When you run it all down — a comeback from Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS), a nine-game winless streak to start the season, a coaching change, a monthlong stint in concussion protocol and a recent eight-game winless stretch during which the Hawks were officially eliminated from the playoffs — it could take a lot out of anyone.AdvertisementBut Toews reported Wednesday that he’s “feeling like myself again.”Asked more about his health — including his battle with CIRS, which saps his energy and makes him feel abnormal at times — Toews said: “I wouldn’t say there were any setbacks, but I’ve seen progress all year, physically and mentally and everything in between.Advertisement“Let’s face it, if you don’t come into a season in shape, ready to go at your peak, the game’s just getting younger and faster and our schedule is crazy, so it’s really hard to get ahead of the game when you come in way behind the eight-ball.”He said missing a month after suffering the concussion in late January “was huge for me, just to be able to get that rest.” And he received an emotional lift from playing his 1,000th game on March 31.Still, on the ice, Toews didn’t come close to what he produced in his prime. He entered Wednesday night’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights with 12 goals and 25 assists in 69 games.“Obviously not what I expected out of myself, even though I missed an entire season (in 2020-21),” he said. “Was definitely more challenging than I expected it to be. I feel like I learned more about myself and the game than any of those years where we were on top of the world.” The question is whether he’s ready to endure at least one more season under similar conditions with his eight-year contract running out next season.Patrick Kane, Toews’ partner in three Stanley Cup runs between 2010 and 2015, said Tuesday the front office’s rebuilding mission doesn’t necessarily conflict with his and other veterans’ desire for a quick turnaround. Kane cited the Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers as examples of teams that blossomed ahead of schedule.Jonathan Toews says he agrees with Patrick Kane about the speed of the Blackhawks rebuild:“I think if a lot of different guys are given the right environment and right opportunity and keep taking steps forward, I think things can turn around pretty fast.” pic.twitter.com/HLx1TgJZrc— Phillip Thompson (@_phil_thompson) April 27, 2022

“I agree with him in that sense,” Toews said. “Like we’ve seen with other teams, things can turn around pretty quickly. If a lot of different guys are given the right environment and right opportunity and keep taking steps forward, I think things —.“You don’t want to make excuses when you look back on a season like this, but there are just so many things that made it feel like we’re working against the grain always. Whether it was the losing streak to start the season, goal droughts, just go down the list. … If we can all take those learning opportunities from it and all get better individually, I see us all improving quite a bit.”AdvertisementAlex DeBrincat expressed similar sentiments this week, and defenseman Seth Jones joined the chorus Wednesday.“If we have a good foundation, a good system for guys to come in and learn together, it can happen quicker than you expect,” Jones said. “L.A.’s went pretty quick, quicker than a lot of people thought. Anaheim was pretty good this year as well. I don’t think they realized how good they could be.”Jones and Toews both pointed to players who are already in the locker room stepping up. “The message definitely has to be that all this trial and error, all this pain, all the ups and downs of the season has to be for something,” Toews said. “Each guy has to figure out what that means to him and what they want out of their life and their hockey career, and if we can all find ways to be better individual players and people and teammates, then there’s huge potential there.”To realize that potential, however, the Hawks need talent in the pipeline. New general manager Kyle Davidson said the previous administration, of which he was a part, was guilty of taking “from the future to build the present,” and he vowed not to fall into the trap of mortgaging the future for quick fixes.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Interim coach Derek King coached many of the rookies and prospects in Rockford who form the Hawks’ nucleus of the future. His intimate knowledge of the younger players lends a unique perspective on whether Toews’ and Kane’s view of the rebuild is grounded in reality.Advertisement“I think it is realistic,” King said, “but you’ve got to add a couple more older guys. That’s what we talked about, the mentors for the (Kirby) Dachs and (MacKenzie) Entwistles and (Reese) Johnsons, all these guys coming up and … draft picks that are coming in.”To see it come to fruition, Toews likely would have to stick around longer than his final season under contract. Does he have the appetite to shepherd the next generation through growing pains after possibly missing the playoffs for the fifth time in six seasons?And it’s no given Davidson would offer him an extension anyway, given his age (34 on Friday), declining play and current salary-cap hit of $10.5 million. There’s a monetary and opportunity cost to keeping Toews around, and the Hawks wouldn’t pay it just for nostalgia’s sake.Kane said Tuesday he hasn’t talked to Davidson about the future, and Toews declined to reveal whether he has had recent discussions with the GM.“I’m not going to comment on after next season because I have no idea. I think if anything these last few years have taught me is just to stay in the moment and not look too far ahead or not too far behind.”—Jonathan Toews on his future with the Blackhawks beyond next season pic.twitter.com/G2vhs6i8Gm— Phillip Thompson (@_phil_thompson) April 27, 2022

“It’ll be good for me to hear his take on how he sees the big picture, how he sees where I fit in with that,” Toews said. “I’m not going to comment on after next season because I have no idea. If anything these last few years have taught me to stay in the moment and not look too far ahead or too far behind.”