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The Chicago Blackhawks aren’t expected to make a big splash in free agency this summer, but one signing certainly has raised eyebrows: Max Domi.The team reportedly opened Wednesday’s signing period by reaching deals with the controversial center, who last played for the Carolina Hurricanes, and former Los Angeles Kings winger Andreas Athanasiou. Both were unrestricted free agents. The Athletic’s Scott Powers first reported the moves.AdvertisementDomi, 27, has irked some peers, coaches and fans with his actions on and off the ice, such as tweeting remarks about immigration in 2017 and sucker-punching Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad in during a preseason game in 2018, which led to a suspension.The seven-year veteran split last season between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Hurricanes and had 11 goals and 28 assists.AdvertisementA former Detroit Red Wings draft pick, Athanasiou, 27, had 11 goals and six assists in 28 games for the Kings last season.Hawks general manager Kyle Davidson was scheduled to address media Wednesday during the third day of development camp but the session was postponed.Meanwhile, despite teams possibly clamoring — to widely varying degrees — for Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Seth Jones, it doesn’t yet appear any of them will be moving on from Chicago to escape Davidson’s rebuild.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.At least not at the moment.TSN analyst Pierre LeBrun tweeted Wednesday that he spoke with Pat Brisson, the three players’ agent, and said they are taking a measured approach so far. “Brisson says while they’re not necessarily in agreement with the direction the team is taking,” LeBrun tweeted, “they will let the dust settle first and then patiently make the best decisions for each player as it pertains to their respective careers.”Kane and Toews have been vocal about their desire for a quicker turnaround for the team — a year or two — than what Davidson has expressed to reporters, which has ranged from three to five years, or longer.Trading Alex DeBrincat and Kirby Dach on draft day certainly sets back the Hawks’ timeline and forces Kane, Toews and Jones to reevaluate their future with the Hawks.AdvertisementLeBrun’s report aligned with what Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli was hearing.“A number of teams have inquired about Patrick Kane in recent days, but they’ve been told a trade is unlikely at this time,” he tweeted.A number of teams have inquired about Patrick Kane in recent days, but they’ve been told a trade is unlikely at this time.Kane and #Blackhawks have been in continuous dialogue. He’d like to see how season goes, and it would be an in-season move – if at all.@DailyFaceoff— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) July 13, 2022

TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays fired manager Charlie Montoyo on Wednesday and promoted bench coach John Schneider to interim manager for the remainder of the season.Triple-A manager Casey Candaele was named interim bench coach.AdvertisementThe 13th manager in Blue Jays history and the first from Puerto Rico, Montoyo went 236-236 in parts of four seasons. The Blue Jays beat the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday to snap a four-game losing streak and improve to 46-42, which would put them in a playoffs as a wild-card team if the season ended Wednesday despite being in fourth place in the AL East.The Blue Jays are 3-9 in July. They went 1-6 on a trip against the Oakland Athletics and Seattle Mariners.AdvertisementThe Jays’ skid started July 2, when they were swept in a doubleheader against the Tampa Bay Rays. Montoyo and first-base coach Mark Budzinksi left the dugout during Game 2 after learning of the death of Budzinski’s teenage daughter, Julia.Several members of the Blue Jays organization flew together to Virginia on Monday’s off day to attend Julia Budzinski’s funeral.Montoyo, 57, replaced John Gibbons as Blue Jays manager after the 2018 season. Montoyo’s contract was extended through 2023 on April 1.Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo walks on the field after Bradley Zimmer was hit by a pitch during the seventh inning against the Mariners on Thursday in Seattle. (Ted S. Warren/AP)Montoyo oversaw a tumultuous period in Blue Jays history, with the team playing home games in three cities last season, including two minor-league parks, because of border restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Jays also played their 2020 home schedule at their Triple-A stadium in Buffalo, N.Y.Montoyo led the Jays to a 32-28 record and a wild-card spot in the expanded playoffs after the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, but the Blue Jays were swept by the eventual AL champion Rays in the opening round. The Jays went 91-71 in 2021 and missed tying for the AL wild card by one game.Before joining the Blue Jays, Montoyo spent six seasons on the Rays’ major-league coaching staff, including his final three as bench coach. He spent 18 seasons as a minor-league manager in the Rays system and also worked with the Puerto Rican team at the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

It’s a small development that has virtually no impact on the ice, but its symbolism is significant.The Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday opened up the locker room for media to interview players at Fifth Third Arena.AdvertisementAs any fan who has been watching video or news footage of interviews probably knows, locker rooms at the Hawks’ practice facility and the United Center generally have been closed to outsiders since the pandemic.And it was like the floodgates opened, a mix of voice recorders and TV cameras dashing over to some of the team’s top prospects sitting at their stalls.AdvertisementPredictably, someone stepped on the logo before a staff member called attention to it. You probably can’t blame the “outsiders” for forgetting about that old taboo — that’s how long it has been.Here are three things we learned at camp.The Blackhawks made it official: Anders Sörensen is the Rockford IceHogs’ permanent coach, removing the interim label.“Excited, right?” Sörensen said during development camp at Fifth Third Arena. “Proud to be part of what’s going on in our organization here, looking forward to everything.”It’s a critical role in the Hawks rebuild, and the team was impressed by how Sörensen, 47, stepped up last season when former IceHogs coach Derek King was promoted to replace Jeremy Colliton, who was fired Nov. 6.Sörensen, 47, led the IceHogs to a 35-26-4-1 record and their first playoff appearance since 2018.Making the playoffs is a valuable experience, but at the minor-league level it’s about how the players get there — and beyond.“The biggest thing for us is the habits” Sörensen said. “What habits they have that are going to carry them to be able to play in the NHL. Once they leave us and they go play for (new Hawks coach) Luke (Richardson), it’s going to be what habits they have to be able to stay up there and stay in the lineup.”AdvertisementThe top “habit” — play fast — sounds more like an attribute: Either you have it or you don’t.The Hawks kept speed in mind at the draft and declined to tender qualifying offers to several prospects from the previous front office regime.Said Sörensen: “We want to play with pace, we want to play fast, we want to be fast down the middle, we want to be competitive, a lot of things I’m sure you’ve heard us talk about here the last three to four months are the biggest things we’re talking about.“I haven’t had time to sit down yet with Luke and go through how he wants to play, he’s going to kind of dictate how we play down there, so the biggest thing for us is their habits.””I jokingly tell those guys, ‘We’re your caddies. We’re telling you to hit the 7-iron, if you want to hit the 8-iron, that’s up to you.'”– Anders Sorensen, who was officially named Rockford IceHogs head coach today, on his approach to player development pic.twitter.com/qxfK95E54f— Phillip Thompson (@_phil_thompson) July 12, 2022

As King often lamented, and Sörensen agrees, that just because you teach certain habits doesn’t mean the players always listen — some of them are still teenagers.“We’re here to serve them,” Sörensen. “I jokingly sometimes tell those guys, ‘We’re your caddies.’ We’re telling you to hit the 7-iron. If you want to hit the 8-iron, that’s up to you.Advertisement“We’re just helping you guys out here, and that’s really what it comes down to for me.”Kirby, a restricted free agent, was traded to the Montreal Canadiens Thursday, for first- and third-round picks that were used to select forwards Frank Nazar and Gavin Hayes.For Hawks fans still reeling from Alex DeBrincat’s trade, it was another draft-day stunner. That included one Dach fan in particular.“It’s kind of upsetting,” said Kirby’s brother Colton, a fellow center and Hawks second-round pick in 2021. “You think you’re going to play your career with your brother. But it’s a new path for me, so I’m excited.”Colton said the Dach family was “a little bit shell-shocked” at first before the news sank in.”I think as a family we were a little bit shellshocked for the first few minutes of it, then we let it sink in and started to slowly realize what was really going down.”– Colton Dach on the Dach family’s reaction when the Blackhawks traded older brother Kirby to Montreal pic.twitter.com/noX9AKMKzk— Phillip Thompson (@_phil_thompson) July 12, 2022

Colton said his brother advised him to focus on camp and do his best, and the younger Dach said he has been growing: “My neck’s been getting a little bit thicker.”AdvertisementSörensen has noticed physical changes in Dach and defensive prospect Nolan Allan.“I think they’re starting to look like men now,” Sörensen said. “I remember seeing them early last year at the rookie tournament and I think both of them have filled out a little bit. They look a little bit more mature, they act a little bit more mature and I think their habits have improved.”Even with Hawks prospects broken up into four teams, a height advantage isn’t easy to come by.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Case in point, Team Savard defenseman Louis Crevier is 6-foot-8, but so is Team Murray forward Riku Tohila, though they’ve yet to face off against each other.“I saw him yesterday at dinner,” Crevier said with a big smile. “It was one of the first times I saw someone the same height, so it was pretty fun.”Not so much fun for 6-6 defenseman Alex Vlasic, who’s used to towering over people.Advertisement“When I first got here I felt small,” he said. “(There are) some guys that are taller than me, which is weird.“Our team, we had some challenges today. We have a pretty big team on our squad and we had some ladders and sprints and push-ups to do, so our team kind of struggled with that.”It wasn’t all bad for Vlasic. He had the goal of the day during four-on-four drills, crossing in front of the goalie for backhander.“That was pretty sweet,” he said.

Chicago Cubs co-owner Laura Ricketts has had preliminary conversations with Sky principal owner Michael Alter about becoming a potential investor in the WNBA team, multiple sources told the Tribune.One source said Ricketts and her wife, Brooke Skinner, are considering the opportunity because it aligns with their philanthropic mission.AdvertisementSince the Sky won the 2021 WNBA Finals, Alter has stated he is open to adding investors. That possibility has progressed since his offseason comments, according to a source close to the matter.“Brooke and I would love to support the Sky in any way we can,” Ricketts told the Tribune. “We really respect, admire and appreciate all that Michael Alter has done for that team. They are one of a few (WNBA) teams that weren’t started in connection with an NBA team, and so the challenges that has had and the impact that has had on the team makes Michael’s investment all the more impressive and I really appreciate that.”AdvertisementAlter did not confirm any conversations with Ricketts have occurred but did offer thoughts on why she would be an ideal investor.“Hypothetically, she is a very prominent owner of a sports team,” Alter told the Tribune. “She has been a big fan of this league for a long time and has been active civically here in Chicago, which is very important to us. If she’s someone who wanted to be involved and had an interest, then we would certainly talk to her about it.”[ [Don’t miss] Title IX played a big part in Laura Ricketts’ life. ‘The impact is immeasurable,’ the Cubs co-owner and MLB groundbreaker says. ]One source said talks between the two owners are “still at the preliminary stage” with details of Ricketts’ potential involvement still being discussed.The sides are already in business after the Cubs’ Marquee Sports Network reached a multiyear deal with the Sky in May for the cable channel to broadcast a select number of Sky games. A source close to the situation said Ricketts was heavily involved in pushing that deal through.Since joining the WNBA in 2006, the Sky have had a reputation for not providing the same resources as other teams in the league. They don’t own a private training facility, and practices are conducted at Sachs Recreation Center in Deerfield — 30 miles from Wintrust Arena.Sky coach and general manager James Wade said the team has added more accommodations for players every year since he was hired in 2018. Over the offseason, the Sky added features such as post-practice meals, massages, customized ice tubs and expanded coaching and training staffs.Wade said the team purchased a $50,000 AlterG anti-gravity treadmill at Sachs Recreation Center and now has its own weight room at the practice facility.ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 18Chicago Sky’s Candace Parker celebrates a layup after missing a couple shots during the first half of the WNBA All-Star Game at Wintrust Arena on July 10, 2022. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)“We just feel taken care of,” Sky point guard Courtney Vandersloot said. “It can be simple things like a massage or food after practice. That is so important for us as athletes, and we never had access to that before. Other teams have kitchens at their practice facilities and it’s something you can take for granted, but eating is such an important thing for what we do.Advertisement“We don’t have time to take care of ourselves and they heard that. They have done an amazing job and we have felt that big difference.”Alter said if the Sky were to add investors, it wouldn’t be because of a lack of financial resources but instead to help drive up the value of the franchise.“I’ve been working to build this league for 17 years,” Alter said. “One of the things that I’ve been very focused on is demonstrating how the value of the franchises has increased over the years. One way to validate that is to go out and raise capital with third parties at a certain value.”Sources told the Tribune that talks are too early for Ricketts’ potential role with the Sky to be determined. However, the consensus is she would fit the league mold of a possible investor.[ [Don’t miss] WNBA players balance activist roles as political turmoil hangs over All-Star weekend ]Across the WNBA, the importance of ownership representing the league’s stance on human rights is pronounced. In 2020, players campaigned against former Atlanta Dream owner and U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., after she spoke out against the Black Lives Matter movement. She later sold the team and lost the Senate race to Raphael Warnock, whom the players advocated for, wearing “Vote Warnock” T-shirts to their games.Ricketts and Skinner have been huge advocates for LGBTQ+ rights in Chicago. The WNBA features members of that community, including Sky guards Vandersloot and her wife, Allie Quigley. Sky players who spoke to the Tribune reiterated their desire to have members of ownership align with the league’s social values.Advertisement“It’s really important,” forward Azurá Stevens said. “When you do business with good people, it starts at the top and trickles down to the bottom. It’s super important to have someone who is aligned with women deserving more because if they don’t feel that way, this isn’t the right room for them.”Chicago Tribune reporter Meghan Montemurro contributed.James Kay is a freelance reporter for the Chicago Tribune.

Little mistakes have added up lately for the Chicago Cubs.For a team sitting one game out of last place in the division but with a stretch of four straight series wins before last weekend’s sweep in Los Angeles, clean play can be the separator. The suddenly hot Baltimore Orioles — a team that lost 110 games last year — were the latest to take advantage of the Cubs failing to produce an all-around game.AdvertisementWith one out and runners on the corners in the sixth inning Tuesday night and the Cubs trailing by one run, Seiya Suzuki got doubled off third base on Nico Hoerner’s lineout to third to end the inning. The Cubs did not have another baserunner over the final three innings of a 4-2 loss at Wrigley Field.The Cubs (34-53) have lost five consecutive games and seven of nine. The Orioles’ nine-game winning streak is their longest in one season since 1999.AdvertisementThe Cubs committed an error for a fourth consecutive game, which prevented starter Adrian Sampson from getting through the sixth. Left-hander Brandon Hughes entered with one out after Ramon Urias singled off Sampson to put runners on first and second. Hughes induced a double play to overcome Patrick Wisdom’s fielding error to open the inning.[ [Don’t miss] Willson Contreras is ‘blessed’ to share the All-Star stage with his brother William. ‘It will be amazing,’ the Cubs catcher says. ]While the error didn’t lead to a run, it forced manager David Ross to call on his heavily used bullpen sooner rather than let Sampson, at 91 pitches, potentially pitch through a would-be two-out single by Urias.The Cubs have 13 errors in their last 12 games, including four multi-error games.Ross didn’t want to speculate on reasons for the recent defensive miscues, though he mentioned they could stem from fatigue.“Just like hitting, you’re going to go through some times that you’re not fielding it cleanly,” Ross said. “And sometimes those things stand out and compound. It’s just one of those things we’ll keep working on and try to get better at.”Ian Happ homered in his first at-bat at Wrigley since making the All-Star team. Runs in the first and second didn’t hold up as the Cubs recorded only four more hits, all singles.

Candace Parker had 31 points and 11 rebounds, Kahleah Copper scored 23 points on 9-of-14 shooting and the Chicago Sky pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat the Atlanta Dream 90-75 on Tuesday night at Wintrust Arena.Emma Meesseman added 10 points, six rebounds and a season-high eight assists for the Sky (17-6).AdvertisementAari McDonald hit a 3-pointer that gave the Dream a 70-65 lead with 7:50 to play, but the Sky scored the next 15 points. The Dream went scoreless for nearly five minutes and the Sky never trailed again. Meesseman either scored or assisted on 18 of the Sky’s 30 fourth-quarter points.Cheyenne Parker led the Dream (10-13) with 14 points. McDonald and Tiffany Hayes scored 12 apiece and former Northwestern star Nia Coffey added 11.AdvertisementThe Sky, who have won seven of their last eight games, shot 53% overall, had 24 assists on 35 field goals and forced 17 turnovers, including 11 steals.

Shortly before Sunday’s game in Los Angeles, a text message popped up on Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras’ phone.His younger brother, William, sent him a photo of an envelope — the one players receive when they are invited to the All-Star Game. AdvertisementWilliam, who won a World Series ring last year with the Atlanta Braves, not only will join Willson on the National League team for next week’s game at Dodger Stadium, but for the first time since 1992, a pair of brothers will start an All-Star Game together. Willson was voted in by fans as the starting catcher, while William is replacing the injured Bryce Harper as the NL designated hitter. Knowing what awaits them next week, Willson thought back to when he was a kid playing baseball on the patio with William at their home in Venezuela using a stick and plastic ball.Advertisement[ [Don’t miss] After All-Star Game honor, Willson Contreras makes it clear: ‘I would love nothing more than play for the Chicago Cubs the rest of my life’ ]“It will be amazing to spend the time with my brother on the same field,” Willson said before Tuesday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles at Wrigley Field. “That’s something we haven’t done since we were kids.”Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.William, 24, is a first-time All-Star, but Willson, 30 — who earned his third All-Star start — doesn’t plan to advise him on what to expect. He prefers to let his brother soak in the environment.“I want him to get that figured out all by himself,” Willson said. “I know how I felt the first time that I went to the All-Star Game, and it was a great experience. I know that he will me ask whatever questions he needs to ask over there, but I want him to find out himself.”Cubs catcher Willson Contreras walks through the dugout after the second inning against the Orioles on Tuesday July 12, 2022, at Wrigley Field. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)The Braves’ William Contreras gets high-fives in the dugout after hitting a two-run home run against the Cardinals on July 5, 2022, in Atlanta. (Curtis Compton / Curtis.Compton@ajc.com/AP)The All-Star Game adds another chapter to a memorable season for the brothers. In late April, they shared a big-league field together for the first time during the Cubs’ three-game series in Atlanta. Before one game, Willson and William memorably exchanged lineup cards, prompting Willson to become emotional talking about the moment after the game.Then on June 18, the Contrerases played against each other at Wrigley Field, both getting the start behind the plate.“We’re blessed,” Willson said. “Those are blessed moments. … There’s no specific word to describe how I feel and how my family feels. This is the first time that I’ve got my whole family in the USA and everything happened, like, back-to-back. Hopefully it keeps coming.”Their parents, Wuiliam and Olga, and other brother, Willmer, are expected to join them in Los Angeles for the All-Star festivities.“They deserve it more than I do, especially my mom and dad,” Willson said. “They did everything that they could do to raise three kids in a poor neighborhood, and that’s not an easy job. They deserve it more than I do to go there.”

Artūras Karnišovas isn’t overwhelmingly optimistic about Lonzo Ball’s recovery nearly six months after the Chicago Bulls point guard suffered a knee injury.The Bulls vice president of basketball operations voiced uncertainty about whether Ball will be ready for training camp during an on-air interview in the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s NBA Summer League game against the Toronto Raptors.Advertisement“He’s progressing. That’s as much as I can say,” Karnišovas said during the NBA TV telecast. “He’s getting better — probably not at the speed that we would like, but he is getting better. Hopefully he’s going to be ready for training camp, (but) that’s just our hopes.”Karnišovas’ lack of optimism matched that of general manager Marc Eversley, who said on draft night last month that Ball hasn’t been able to scrimmage.AdvertisementBall was sidelined in January with a meniscus injury that ultimately ended his first season in Chicago. Before the injury, he averaged 13 points, 5.1 assists and 1.8 steals, providing a smothering defensive presence that anchored the Bulls in transition.After weeks of attempting to rehabilitate without an operation, Ball underwent meniscus surgery and eventually was shut down for the remainder of the season. His recovery was complicated by a deep bone bruise suffered before the meniscus injury, which repeatedly forced him to shut down efforts to ramp back up to full speed because of lingering pain.[ [Don’t miss] Zach LaVine says, ‘My heart was in Chicago,’ in signing a maximum deal with the Bulls — and he’s ‘excited’ to welcome his 1st child ]Ball was set to return to a California specialist in May after the season ended, but the Bulls have provided only vague updates since.“It’s very frustrating,” Ball said during his exit interview on April 28. “This year we had a lot of promise and I don’t think it was met, mainly due to a lot of health issues. But you can’t change your past. I think everything happens for a reason. For me now it’s just about moving forward and getting ready.”Injuries have been a consistent detriment for Ball, who has yet to play a full season without an injury in his five years in the NBA. During his tenures with the Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans, he suffered a sprained MCL, a torn ankle ligament and injuries to his adductor, knee, hip flexor, shoulder and thumb.Ball has played only 64.6% of the total regular-season games possible in his career and never has logged more than 63 games in a season. This pattern is a major concern for the Bulls, who saw Ball as a game-changer — and his injury as a back-breaking loss as their 2021-22 season came crashing to a disappointing close.Two months remain before Ball needs to be at full speed — or relatively close to it — for training camp. But warning bells may be in order if he isn’t available by then.

CLEVELAND — Andrew Vaughn’s grounder just squeaked between third baseman José Ramírez and shortstop Amed Rosario for a two-out single in the first inning.The Chicago White Sox wouldn’t get another hit against Cleveland Guardians starter Shane Bieber until an infield single by José Abreu with one out in the seventh.AdvertisementBieber has often given the Sox fits, and Tuesday was no different. The Sox were limited to three hits in a 4-1 loss in the first game of a split doubleheader at Progressive Field.“He threw the ball well,” Sox second baseman Josh Harrison said. “That’s baseball. Sometimes you’re going to have guys that have outings like that. He pounded the zone. That’s pretty much what a lot of starting pitchers want to do. He lived down in the zone, got his outs.Advertisement“He got a couple of double plays, ground balls when he needed them. Sometimes you’re going to run into guys that have a day like that.”[ [Don’t miss] Column: Ken Williams to the rescue? More like another maddening moment in a miserable White Sox season. ]Bieber went the distance, striking out seven with no walks.“I don’t know how many balls he threw over the middle of the plate — once in a while to get ahead — but (he had) command the whole game,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said. “So I give him credit.“Our plan was try to hit more balls to the middle. We rolled over a few, but when that ball is spinning in on you or spinning away, it’s hard to. The pitcher deserves the credit.”Bieber entered Tuesday with a 6-2 record in 13 career starts against the Sox. His 2.48 ERA against them was his second-lowest against any American League opponent behind only the Baltimore Orioles (0.75).Davis Martin kept the Sox in the game, allowing four runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and two walks in six innings.Martin took a liner near his right shoulder in the second but recovered and turned a double play — and remained in the game.The Guardians scored three runs in the third, all with two outs. Ramírez had a two-run single to make it 3-0.Advertisement“I liked how I attacked the zone,” Martin said of his overall outing. “This team is a good hitting team. They are a contact team. They are going to get their singles. I’d say probably three things: Walking (Myles) Straw (with one out in the fifth), the fastball that leaked in to Rosario for the double (in the fifth) and just when we faced Jose Ramírez. He’s an All-Star for a reason.“Can’t let him beat you and I pitched too into the zone against him. I should have been a little bit more, hey, let’s try to move it off the plate or try to get him to chase. There’s guys on base. He wants his RBIs. Let’s see if we can get him to chase. If he doesn’t? Fine. Let’s go to the next guy.”[ [Don’t miss] White Sox drop the opener of an 8-game trip after Ken Williams reportedly addressed the ‘underachieving’ team ]The third inning featured less-than-stellar defense from the Sox. Austin Hedges reached on a grounder that third baseman Yoán Moncada couldn’t cleanly field for an infield hit. Hedges scored with two outs when Rosario’s liner to left-center fell for a double. Left fielder Eloy Jiménez did not take a direct path to the ball.With runners on second and third and two outs, the Sox elected to pitch to Ramírez, who knocked in two with a single to right.“We were going to pitch Ramírez tough, and probably the mistake he made there, puts the ball over the plate (and) it’s a single,” La Russa said. “Still was a ground ball, found a hole.”Rosario drove in Straw with the double in the fifth. Ramírez came up and was intentionally walked after fouling off a pitch.AdvertisementWhite Sox starter Davis Martin delivers in the first inning in the first game of a doubleheader against the Guardians on Tuesday, July 12, 2022, in Cleveland. (David Dermer/AP)“The second time we were pitching around (Ramírez) too,” La Russa said. “Even then, pitch tough. Because sometimes then you get the guy, they get themselves out. And if they get good patience, it’s like an unintentional intentional walk.“So that’s what (pitching coach) Ethan (Katz) went out to say, and the first pitch was on the plate. He fouled it off, so I said, well, put him on (with the intentional walk). I just think it’s lack of experience for Davis and understanding more about that situation. Because he’s smart enough to know to pitch off the plate and he got it on, cost him two runs (in the third). He was supposed to do it again (in the fifth) and after one strike, said no.”[ [Don’t miss] Dylan Cease, left off the All-Star team, is focused on improving. ‘There’s still room to get better,’ the White Sox starter says. ]The Sox showed some signs of coming together offensively in the seventh. Jiménez followed Abreu’s single with one of his own, bringing home Vaughn for the team’s only run. Gavin Sheets represented the tying run but grounded into an inning-ending double play.Bieber retired the side in order in the eighth and ninth as the Sox dropped to 1-6 this season against the Guardians.“Nothing’s missing,” Harrison said. “We’ve just got to put it together day in and day out and be consistent.”

A new face is joining the crowd as the Chicago Bears completely rebuild at wide receiver, where they have Darnell Mooney and a cast of newcomers.The Bears are acquiring N’Keal Harry, a former first-round draft pick by the New England Patriots, in a trade for their 2024 seventh-round pick. NFL Media first reported the deal.AdvertisementHarry was a bust in New England as the 32nd  pick in the 2019 draft — selected ahead of A.J. Brown, Deebo Samuel, DK Metcalf, Diontae Johnson and Terry McLaurin — but the Bears are buying low and getting a player who should be motivated entering the final year of his rookie contract. Harry reportedly requested a trade before last season, but that didn’t materialize. Now he has a new home where the depth chart is wide open two weeks before training camp.AdvertisementThe Arizona State product totaled only 57 catches for 598 yards and four touchdowns over 33 games in his first three seasons. He had 12 catches for 184 yards and no scores in 12 games last season.Harry was very productive for the Sun Devils in three seasons, especially in 2017 and 2018, when he combined for 2,230 yards and 17 touchdowns. The 6-foot-4, 225-pounder was able to use his size and strength to overpower defenders in college but hasn’t been a physical presence in the NFL.The Bears have competition for playing time in Byron Pringle, signed to a one-year, $4.125 million contract, and third-round pick Velus Jones. Equanimeous St. Brown, Dante Pettis, Tajae Sharpe and 2021 sixth-round pick Dazz Newsome also are part of a crowded room.It’s a minimal investment for the Bears. Maybe a fresh start will prove to be what Harry needs.