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HOUSTON — Thorleifur Úlfarsson and Darwin Quintero scored first-half goals and Steve Clark made them stand up in the Houston Dynamo’s 2-0 victory against the Chicago Fire on Saturday.The Fire (3-8-5, 14 points) have won only one of their last 11 matches and are tied for the fewest points in MLS. AdvertisementÚlfarsson picked up his second goal of the season when he found the net in the 23rd minute for the Dynamo (6-7-3). Quintero scored in the second minute of stoppage time. Adam Lundqvist assisted on Quintero’s sixth goal of the season.Clark had four saves.AdvertisementThe Fire (3-8-5) outshot the Dynamo 17-11, but the Dynamo had a 5-4 edge in shots on goal. Gabriel Slonina finished with three saves for the Fire.

The Chicago Wolves won their third Calder Cup and fifth championship overall, defeating the Springfield Thunderbirds 4-0 in Game 5 of the best-of-seven series Saturday in Springfield, Mass. Alex Lyon made 28 saves for the shutout, and Andrew Poturalski, David Gust, Josh Leivo and Max Lajoie scored for the Wolves, who won four straight in the series after losing the opener in overtime. AdvertisementLeivo, who scored 15 playoff goals, was named the postseason most valuable player. The Wolves, based in northwest suburban Rosemont, also won Calder Cups in 2002 and 2008, adding to their two Turner Cups in the IHL in 1998 and 2000. They are the American Hockey League affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes. Advertisement The Thunderbirds, who are the AHL affiliate of the St. Louis Blues, won the series opener 5-4 in overtime Sunday at Allstate Arena. But the Wolves took Game 2 the next night in Rosemont, then won three straight road games: 4-0 on Wednesday, 4-2 on Friday and Saturday’s clincher.

Tony La Russa had a simple answer after the latest setback for the Chicago White Sox.“The problem is whenever we’ve pitched well, they’ve pitched better, whenever we hit, they’ve hit better,” the manager said. “You get outplayed, you lose games.”AdvertisementThe Sox dropped their fourth straight, falling to the Baltimore Orioles 6-2 in front of 29,282 at Guaranteed Rate Field. The Orioles scored four runs in the seventh to pull away.“They’re pitching us well,” La Russa said. “We’ll figure something else to do. There’s always something else you can do.”AdvertisementWhite Sox manager Tony La Russa looks on during the first inning of a game against the Orioles on Saturday at Guaranteed Rate Field. The Sox lost 6-2. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)The Sox need to figure it out soon.They began the four-game series Thursday with an opportunity for some momentum ahead of a West Coast trip and a chance to get back over .500, playing a team that is last in the American League East.Instead they’ve lost the first three, getting outscored 14-3 in the process. The Orioles (34-39) have one more win than the Sox (33-37).“It’s part of the ups and downs of a season,” said Sox starter Lance Lynn, who allowed six runs (five earned) on six hits with eight strikeouts and a walk in 6⅔ innings. “You know that you’re going to go through stretches where you’re playing well and you’re going to go through stretches where you’re not playing well.“As professionals you’ve got to show up and be ready to play the next day, and we’re doing that. Sometimes it doesn’t equate to a win on the field, but we’re giving everything we’ve got and as long as we keep doing that, everybody shows up and gives us what we’ve got, we’re going to be all right.”White Sox starting pitcher Lance Lynn delivers against the Orioles during the first inning Saturday at Guaranteed Rate Field. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)Some of the issues that have hurt the team much of this season were on display again Saturday.The defense had a mistake at a critical time. The Orioles took a 2-1 lead in the fifth when Jorge Mateo scored on a fielding error by shortstop Leury García.Offensively, the Sox couldn’t find any sustained success for the third straight day against Orioles pitching. They had six hits and only one in the final five innings. The Sox lost the series opener 4-0 and had just one hit in Friday’s 4-1 defeat.Advertisement“They’ve made good pitches,” Sox catcher Reese McGuire said. “They’re attacking the strike zone. It seems they’re getting ahead 0-1, we’re trying to be ready to hit early in the count. I think they’re playing awesome defense. We hit a lot of balls awfully hard in the gaps in the last day or two, and they’ve running them down, making diving catches, down the right-field line.“(And they’re) keeping us off second on hits when they are getting in the hole. … But I think this team is close to clicking and getting rolling.”The question becomes how can the Sox get clicking as a whole.After the start of the game was delayed 1 hour, 21 minutes because of rain, Lenyn Sosa provided a brief spark in his first major-league start. The second baseman made a nice defensive play to catch a sinking line drive for the final out in the top of the third. He reached in the bottom of the inning on an error and scored from first on Luis Robert’s bloop single when the throw back to the infield got away from Orioles shortstop Jorge Mateo.White Sox center fielder Luis Robert hits a single during the third inning against the Orioles on Saturday at Guaranteed Rate Field. Lenyn Sosa scored on the play after the throw back to the infield got away from rioles shortstop Jorge Mateo. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)“I thought Sosa was impressive,” La Russa said. “He’s built a reputation. He’s very sound fundamentally. He’s exciting for us, and you can tell he’s not afraid up here. That’s a positive from today.”Lynn took a step forward in his third start of the season after returning from right knee surgery in the spring to repair a torn tendon, although the right-hander was more focused on the result. Advertisement“It felt like a loss,” he said. “That’s the only way to look at it. We’ve got to be better, I’ve got to finish outings. That’s where I’m at right now. Stuff’s there, I’ve just got to finish outings.”The Sox trailed 2-1 in the seventh when Lynn faced a bases-loaded challenge after Cedric Mullins reached on an infield hit.There were two outs and Lynn was at 108 pitches.“I was confident it was his inning,” La Russa said.Lynn hit Trey Mancini on the next pitch, bringing home a run to make it 3-1.“Didn’t finish the outing, and that’s what happens,” Lynn said. “Got to finish, got to make the pitch. Didn’t do it.”AdvertisementJosé Ruiz entered and Austin Hays drove in three with a double, essentially putting the game out of reach.White Sox center fielder Luis Robert chases the ball on a three-run double from the Orioles’ Austin Hays in the seventh inning Saturday at Guaranteed Rate Field. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)White Sox reliever Jose Ruiz wipes his face after the Orioles’ Austin Hays hit a three-run double during the seventh inning Saturday at Guaranteed Rate Field. The Sox lost 6-2. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)And so a homestand that began with two promising wins against the Toronto Blue Jays wraps up Sunday with the Sox looking to salvage one game against the Orioles.“No one likes to lose, so they’re going to show up (Sunday) ready to go, and that’s all you ask,” Lynn said. “Put in your work, get ready to go. We’ve got another one (Sunday) and be there for your teammates. And that’s what we’re going to do.”

ST. LOUIS — Adrian Sampson admitted to being mad when Chicago Cubs manager David Ross called him into his office last weekend and told him he was being sent down to Triple-A Iowa.Sampson had just pitched 4 ⅔ shutout innings of relief against the Atlanta Braves and figured he was safe for the time being.Advertisement“I was a little upset,” Sampson said Saturday after a 5-3 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. “I think I handled it not the best, but I thought I told him what I wanted to tell him. You have to be careful when things like that happen. You say the wrong thing and it deters people from wanting to keep you around. I tried to be precise with my words and told him I was not happy with the decision.”Sampson eventually cooled down and realized the Cubs were going to do “what’s best for the Cubs.” An injury to Daniel Norris gave the Cubs the chance to bring Sampson back from Iowa, and he found himself in the starting rotation Saturday.AdvertisementCubs starting pitcher Adrian Sampson delivers to the Cardinals during the first inning Saturday in St. Louis. (Jeff Roberson/AP)“We sent him down last time after a really good performance that saved our bullpen,” Ross said. “It’s a negative message after a really good performance. But he stayed true to himself and now he’s back here making a start for us. Things work out.”Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Sampson pitched five strong innings, allowing two runs on four hits with five strikeouts in 97-degree heat. He left trailing 2-1 and got a no-decision after the Cubs tied it at 3 on Rafael Ortega’s two-run, eighth-inning home run.But the Cardinals came back to score a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning off Mark Leiter Jr. and held on to even the series at a game apiece. The Cubs are 0-35 this season when trailing after seven innings.Cardinals designated hitter Edmundo Sosa scores past Cubs catcher Willson Contreras during the eighth Saturday in St. Louis. The Cardinals scored twice in the inning for a 5-3 win. (Jeff Roberson/AP)Alec Mills starts the series finale Sunday.Sampson, 30, was acquired off waivers from the Seattle Mariners on May 13 but designated for assignment eight days later before getting a chance to pitch. He signed a minor-league deal with the Cubs on May 31, continuing his up-and-down-and-up-again career that seems to be on the rebound again.He wasn’t surprised that he was sent down as a reliever, told the manager it was the wrong decision and called up as a starter in the same week.“Baseball is weird, so nothing surprises me anymore,” he said. “I’ve seen it all.”Maybe, but it’s only June and he plays for the Cubs, so chances are he hasn’t seen it all just yet.

ST. LOUIS — Sunday marks the 10th anniversary of the call-up of Anthony Rizzo, one of the most important days of the Chicago Cubs rebuild.“I guess we’ll be the face of the franchise — me, him and a couple other young guys in here,” shortstop Starlin Castro said after Rizzo’s arrival. “Let’s see what we can do.”AdvertisementYou know the rest of the story.Rizzo became a Wrigley Field legend, signed a team-friendly deal, helped the Cubs win their first World Series since 1908, asked for big money when his contract came up and was dealt to the New York Yankees in the last great summer sell-off.AdvertisementWhile Rizzo thrives on the best team in baseball, Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer has embarked on another rebuild (or semi-rebuild), trying to figure out which young star can become the next face of the franchise and which players are expendable.The Cubs’ 5-3 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on a sweltering afternoon Saturday at Busch Stadium failed to provide any clues.Willson Contreras, the Cubs’ best and most popular player, is expected to follow Rizzo out of town after asking to be compensated as one of the game’s top catchers. Christopher Morel could be the Rizzo of the current rebuild but might be too raw to have great expectations thrust on his shoulders. Ian Happ is a Rizzo protege and emerging as a fixture in left field. But like Contreras, Happ might be too valuable to keep in an organization that needs to stock prospects.Cubs catcher Willson Contreras hits a two-run homer during the first inning against the Cardinals on June 2 at Wrigley Field. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)Meanwhile, Cubs president of business operations Crane Kenney goes about the business of making money for the Ricketts family, repeating the familiar refrain that all the money brought in goes right back into Hoyer’s budget. On Friday, when Dead & Company played the first of two concerts at Wrigley and DraftKings held a ceremony to sign a steel beam in the three-story sportsbook scheduled to open at the ballpark in 2023, Kenney told The Athletic the money will all go to the betterment of the team.“So concerts, activities like (the sportsbook), are just additive to the budget, which, as I say, all of the budget in this building, everything that’s generated inside goes to the baseball operations team after we pay our fixed expenses,” Kenney said. “Jed decides when and how much of it to spend. And Jed was clear last week that he did not spend all of his budget this year. So it’s his choice what he does with those revenues, but this is all helpful to that process.”The narrative of the Cubs saving money for a rainy day down road is a familiar one. Chairman Tom Ricketts declared in November 2018 that many teams “would rather have dry powder a year from now.” He later signed off on a six-year, $126 million deal for pitcher Yu Darvish, then had Hoyer unload him after three seasons to start another rebuild.It’s impossible to refute the notion the Cubs will spend the “saved” money down the road because we won’t know the truth for a few years at least. That’s the true genius of the Cubs.When recently discussing last summer’s sell-off of high-priced talent for mostly low-level prospects, Hoyer said: “They’re probably going to be evaluated in 2027 for real, and I think that’s the way it should be.”AdvertisementIn other words, you can’t judge Hoyer’s big moves for another five years, just as you can’t criticize the Cubs for not spending money they’re currently “saving” until we find out in a few years if they’ve actually lived up to their word.The list of revenue-enhancing projects includes the video boards and massive advertising sprawl at once-ad-free Wrigley, the boutique hotel across the street, the office building, the purchase of almost every rooftop club, the Marquee Sports Network and the premium clubs and upgraded suites.The sportsbook annex to Wrigley is just the latest addition to the Cubs’ coffers. So where is all the money going if it’s not going to the payroll? Are the “fixed expenses” really that high?Cubs fans have no one to blame but themselves for this mess. The Cubs were seventh in average attendance Saturday depite the having the fifth worst record in baseball and the second highest Fan Cost Index — $364.83 for a family of four — according to Team Marketing Report.Something does not compute.Cubs president of business operations Crane Kenney on June 6, 2019, at Wrigley Field. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)Kenney certainly isn’t the first Cubs executive to try to sell fans on the idea that all the money is going right back into the team. After a 97-loss season in 2000, the Cubs increased ticket prices by an average of 16%, which then-President Andy MacPhail said was necessary to compete in a division with four teams that recently had built new stadiums.Advertisement“We’re here to win, and whatever additional revenues are generated through ticket-price increases will be put back into the product, whether it’s payroll, player development or wherever,” MacPhail told the Tribune on Nov. 8, 2000. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me decade after decade, shame on me.But whatever works. The Cubs don’t mind repeating the line as long as fans keep buying tickets. Kenney did it again on WSCR-AM 670 on Saturday morning, even offering apologies for repeating himself.They are able to get away with it because no one calls out Kenney for his repeated comments.The Cubs are living on past glory to rationalize the high ticket prices, selling iconic Wrigley Field in advertisements and maintaining the “next great Cubs team” is on its way with the “saved” money for free agents and prospects currently playing in the low minors.Perhaps they should heed the words of Kyle Hendricks, who struggled all season but pitched a gem Friday night in a 3-0 Cubs win in the series opener. Afterward, Hendricks refused to use his start as an indicator he felt like his old self.AdvertisementChicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.“Somewhat, but it feels so long ago,” he said. “I’m really trying to focus on where I’m at right now and just seeing the game for what it is, taking it and knowing where to go and making my pitches.”Hendricks, 32, might not be the same pitcher as when he captured the National League ERA title in 2016 at 26. We all get older. Few of us get better.The Cubs aren’t the same organization they were a decade ago, with many more revenue-producers and opportunities to contend on an annual basis. Yet they continue to trot out the same old narrative and expect their fans to swallow it whole.Hoyer said last week that he spoke with Ricketts and Kenney about the team’s struggles, and both had questions for him.“You’d be sort of not paying attention or not doing your job if you’re not asking questions about why we’re struggling in certain areas,” Hoyer said. “Some of it I think is obvious, and some of it is more nuanced. But I think everyone is asking questions, and they should be asking questions.”Some of us are asking questions.AdvertisementBut we’re getting the same old answers.

The 2022 Yankees, a galactic force, were brought back to this planet on Saturday. They didn’t just lose, they got no-hit, as Astros’ pitchers Cristian Javier, Hector Neris and Ryan Pressly turned in a historic performance, leading Houston to a 3-0 win in front of a stunned Yankee Stadium crowd.“It’s obviously shocking, we have a really good lineup,” said Yankee third baseman Josh Donaldson, who said the possibility of a no-hitter started to sink in around the seventh inning.Advertisement“I was just trying to stay calm,” Javier told reporters in Houston’s clubhouse. “In the bullpen before the game, pitches were doing what I wanted them to do, and I was able to have a good game today.”This is the 14th no-hitter in Astros’ history and third time they’ve tag teamed one. It’s also the Astros’ second combined no-hitter at Yankee Stadium, joining a six-man effort on June 11, 2003. That day in 2003 was the last time the Yankees had been on the wrong end of a no-hitter.AdvertisementHouston’s three pitchers allowed four base runners. Javier walked a guy, Neris walked two and third baseman Alex Bregman committed a throwing error. They teamed up for 15 strikeouts, picking on Giancarlo Stanton for three of them.The pitcher’s duel between Javier and Gerrit Cole went to Javier, who threw seven no-hit, no-run innings with 13 strikeouts but was lifted after a career-high 115 pitches. Reliever Hector Neris walked two of the first three batters he faced before getting two tension-filled outs to bring the no-no into the ninth. Neris’ inning was by far the most nerve-wracking from a Houston perspective, as Pressly closed things with a 1-2-3 inning featuring two K’s.“This is special for me, and for us too,” said Neris, who chose Houston in free agency during December. “The Astros are the best team right now. We play well, we play together.”“I don’t know about pressure or anything like that,” Pressly said when asked about the weight of saving a no-hitter. “I just wanted to make quality pitches.”Cole had his ace stuff as well, but rookie J.J. Matijevic (playing his seventh game in the big leagues) ambushed him for one of the most unlikely home runs of the season. Matijevic’s homer and bat flip were both extremely non-rookie-like, and his handiwork gave the Astros a 1-0 lead in the seventh inning.Astros’ J.J. Matijevic (13) rounds the bases after hitting a seventh-inning home run off Gerrit Cole. (Noah K. Murray/AP)Javier was popping the glove all day, mixing a mid-90s fastball with a curveball that dipped all the way down to 74 mph. He threw enough strikes to continually get ahead, but not too many to where he became predictable or vulnerable to loud contact. His only walk came in the first inning to Donaldson. After that, the 25-year-old Dominican retired 17 Yankees in a row before Donaldson reached on Bregman’s throwing error in the seventh. Javier gathered himself after the error with a brief mound visit from his infielders, a long contemplative stand behind the mound and a deep breath. Then came two strikeouts of Stanton and Gleyber Torres, taking the sun-baked crowd right back out of the game after the error briefly energized them.“I was trying to stay in sync with [catcher Martin] Maldonado,” Javier said. “He was giving me good energy.”“He was really good with his fastball and we just couldn’t seem to get on time with it all day,” Aaron Boone said afterward. “He was dominant today and, credit to him, he shut us down.”AdvertisementEvery hitter in the Yankees’ lineup looked hapless against Javier, but the six through nine hitters were particularly futile. Aaron Hicks, Jose Trevino, Marwin Gonzalez and Joey Gallo combined for five strikeouts in their eight plate appearances off Javier and only saw one three-ball count.Cristian Javier (Noah K. Murray/AP)It’s time to talk about Gallo. The Yankees can’t move him any further down in the order, even if Gallo’s disposition says he’d love to move down, perhaps into the nearest underground chamber where nobody can watch him strike out any more.Since hitting a home run in Toronto on June 17 (which came when the Yankees were already winning 10-3), Gallo is 0-for-17 with 10 strikeouts. His great defense is a minor saving grace, but when it comes in a corner outfield spot, it’s not nearly as important as his hitting, which has become nonexistent.Gallo does not have any more minor league options, meaning the Yankees can’t just send him to Triple-A and bring up Miguel Andujar or Estevan Florial to take his spot. The only way out is through, whether that’s through busting his season-long slump or potentially through a transaction that ends with him on a different team.On the flip side, the $324 million transaction the Yankees made for Cole looks pretty dang good. Cole gave them seven innings on Saturday, striking out eight Astros and really only making one mistake, the fastball to Matijevic that leaked into the lefty’s down-and-in power zone. Despite a strong performance that kept his old team off the scoreboard for the first six innings, Cole was saddled with a tough luck loss.Two losses in a row qualifies as noteworthy for these Yankees, who hadn’t dropped consecutive games since May 28 and 29. The last time they lost two straight home games was May 22 and 23, losses that are part of their only three-game losing streak of the season.AdvertisementWhen you’re winning at an extraordinary pace like the Yankees are, you might as well make the losses extraordinary as well.“Teams are going to go through this stuff,” Trevino said. “We’ll just see how we answer in the next few days.”

TALLAHASSEE — Link Jarrett, who led Notre Dame to the College World Series for the first time in 20 years, is Florida State’s new coach.Florida State announced the hiring Friday, three days after the Irish’s season ended in the CWS. Jarrett, voted national coach of the year by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, will be introduced at a news conference Monday.AdvertisementThe move was anticipated. Jarrett is a Tallahassee native, FSU graduate and two-time All-America shortstop for the Seminoles (1993-94), and a former assistant (2003).“He’s a Seminole through and through and there is no question that he will dedicate himself to the success of our student-athletes and his team,” athletic director Mike Alford said. “I know he is excited to be returning home and we are just as excited to welcome him and his family.”AdvertisementFlorida State fired Mike Martin Jr. on June 10 after the Seminoles failed to advance out of the NCAA regionals for a second straight year. Martin went 77-54 overall in three seasons, and Alford said the program had underachieved.Jarrett went 86-32 in three seasons at Notre Dame, a .729 winning percentage that was second-best in the country.The Irish were a No. 2 regional seed this year and had to travel to Statesboro, Georgia, for regionals, where they swept three games before going to Knoxville and winning a three-game Super Regional against No. 1 national seed Tennessee.Notre Dame beat Texas in its CWS opener before losses to Oklahoma and Texas A&M ended its season at 41-17.“I’m humbled to become the next head coach at Florida State,” Jarrett said. “Having the opportunity to come home and lead this storied program is something I take great pride in.”

Austin Voth and four relievers combined on a one-hitter, Jorge Mateo had a heated exchange with Chicago White Sox starter Michael Kopech after getting nailed by a pitch and the Baltimore Orioles won 4-1 on Friday night at Guaranteed Rate Field. Voth, normally a reliever, went three innings in his second start. He gave up an RBI double to Jake Burger in the second for the White Sox’s only hit.AdvertisementJoey Krehbiel (3-3) worked 2 ⅓ perfect innings before Bryan Baker and Cionel Pérez each got four outs. Jorge López pitched the ninth for his 13th save in 15 chances, helping the Orioles win their third straight and fourth in five games.After outscoring the Washington Nationals and the White Sox by a combined 11-0 over the previous two games, the Orioles cruised in this one too.AdvertisementThe only real drama occurred in the second inning after Kopech (2-4) retired the first two batters. He nailed Mateo near the left shoulder and upper back with a similar pitch to the one that hit Sox second baseman Josh Harrison on Thursday.White Sox and Orioles players exchange words after the Orioles’ Jorge Mateo was hit by pitch from White Sox starter Michael Kopech during the second inning Friday at Guaranteed Rate Field. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)Mateo had some words for Kopech. The benches and bullpens emptied, but no punches were thrown. Orioles manager Brandon Hyde argued with crew chief Marvin Hudson, and both teams were issued warnings.Mateo stole second and came around on a single by Richie Martin to make it 2-0.Cedric Mullins led off the game with a bunt single and scored on a wild pitch.Rookie Adley Rutschman doubled in the fourth and scored on a balk. Austin Hays added an RBI double in the eighth to extend the lead to 4-1.The White Sox dropped their third in a row, and Kopech lost his second straight start. The right-hander went six-plus innings, allowing three runs and three hits.White Sox third baseman Yoán Moncada (right hamstring strain) might be ready to return from the 10-day injured list when he is eligible Tuesday, manager Tony La Russa said. … Center fielder Luis Robert was back in the lineup after being held out Thursday because of an unspecified injury.

ST. LOUIS — There’s no question Kyle Hendricks has suffered through some difficult starts in 2022, his second straight subpar season with the Chicago Cubs.Hendricks came into Friday’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals having allowed six runs or more in four of his 13 starts, leading to a bloated earned-run average of 5.43. It’s not the Hendricks the Cubs have come to expect, though it’s also not the same kind of contending team he has enjoyed playing for during the bulk of his career.AdvertisementBut Cubs fans got a glimpse of vintage Hendricks on Friday night at Busch Stadium, and it was every bit as good as they remembered.Hendricks tossed 7 ⅓ shutout innings in a 3-0 victory before 46,524, the largest crowd of the season at Busch.AdvertisementCubs starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks delivers during the first inning against the Cardinals on Friday in St. Louis. Hendricks gave up five hits in 7 1/3 shutout innings of a 3-0 Cubs victory. (Jeff Roberson / AP)The Cubs won for only the fifth time in 19 games, silencing the first-place Cardinals in the opener of their first series of the season in St. Louis.Hendricks allowed five hits while striking out six and walking one in a 91-pitch outing, improving to 3-6. Chris Martin and David Robertson finished if off, with Robertson collecting his ninth save in 12 opportunities.Hendricks allowed only two base runners in the first five innings. Juan Yepez singled with two outs in the second but was thrown out at second to end the inning. Paul Goldschmidt walked with two outs in the fifth before Hendricks retired Brendan Donovan on a fly to center.After Dylan Carlson singled to open the eighth and Harrison Bader doubled, Hendricks struck out pinch hitter Lars Nootbar before being replaced by Martin. The Cubs reliever induced a comebacker to the mound and a soft liner to short to strand the runners.The Cubs scored their runs on Nico Hoerner’s two-run homer in the second off rookie Andre Pallante and Ian Happ’s RBI double in the fifth. Happ came into the night with a .367 average in his previous 22 games, quietly emerging as the co-leader of the offense along with Willson Contreras.Cubs shortstop Nico Hoerner rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the second inning against the Cardinals on Friday in St. Louis. (Jeff Roberson / AP)Manager David Ross before the game said Happ has proved he’s an “All-Star caliber” player.“Ian has been our All-Star, he and Willson,” Ross said. “Those guys have really stood out above the rest for us. It’s nice to see the veteran guys play that consistently.”

ST. LOUIS — When the lockout ended and Chicago Cubs President Jed Hoyer began filling out the roster with veterans on one-year deals, the working theory was he would try to flip most of them for a prospect or two at the trade deadline.That sign-and-flip strategy worked well for Theo Epstein during the original rebuild with players such as Paul Maholm, Scott Feldman, Jason Hammel and others bringing back younger talent in trades including Jake Arrieta, Pedro Strop and Addison Russell.AdvertisementHoyer signed Andrelton Simmons, Mychal Givens, Daniel Norris, David Robertson, Robert Gsellman, Jonathan Villar, Clint Frazier, Drew Smyly and others in the spring, keeping the payroll low and hoping for the best.But in the rebuild that’s not a rebuild, the sign-and-flip has so far become the sign-and-flop.AdvertisementOnly Robertson has put up good enough numbers to bring back some quality in return, and three of the veterans already have been designated for assignment.Gsellman and Frazier were DFA’d earlier this month, eventually cleared waivers and were outrighted to Triple-A Iowa. On Friday it was Villar who was DFA’d shortly after seeing his name in the Cubs starting lineup for the opener of a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals.Villar, 31, signed a one-year, $6 million deal with a mutual option for $4.5 million for 2023. He’ll be paid an estimated $3.4 million of his remaining ‘22 salary if the Cubs don’t find a taker. Villar hit .222 in 46 games with two home runs and 15 RBIs and only .175 in June after being on the injured list with a mouth injury from a freak training accident.Villar’s roster spot was made vulnerable because of the return of infielder David Bote, who had left shoulder surgery after the 2021 season and recently was sidelined during a rehab stint at Iowa with what was described a dizziness.Cubs infielder David Bote rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the Rockies on Aug. 25, 2021, at Wrigley Field. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)Manager David Ross said Bote would get a chance to play regularly — he started at second base Friday, batting seventh. Second baseman Nick Madrigal is on the IL with a groin injury.“He’ll play second base a lot, and I think he’ll give Patrick (Wisdom) a breather at third every once in a while,” Ross said of Bote. “We haven’t really had a lot of bodies to fill that role, and ‘Wis’ has been dealing with … well, everybody is dealing with a little stuff when you play every day.”Christopher Morel appears to be solidifying a spot in center field after being moved around when he came up from Double-A Tennessee, though Ross said the rookie is still an option at third. Morel recently said he feels most comfortable at third base but is willing to play anywhere.Bote declined to elaborate on his dizzy spells at Iowa but said he lost 20 pounds or so from last season and couldn’t keep his weight up.Advertisement“We’re still trying to figure out what the exact cause of the thing is,” he said. “It was just one of those things where I was losing a bunch of weight fast. I couldn’t keep any weight on. I was nauseous and dizzy and just wanted to make sure nothing was seriously going wrong, especially for as long as it had been going on. … There was like 48 hours straight where I just laid in bed. I couldn’t do anything.”Bote, 29, who signed a five-year, $15 million extension in 2019 with two team-option years, said he felt “goose bumps” returning to the field Friday after so much time away. He hit .200 in 2020 and .199 last season but said he made some tweaks to his approach and feels more comfortable at the plate.What kind of tweaks?“It’s all baseball,” Bote said, declining to offer specifics.While Bote was searching for answers to the cause of his dizzy spells, so too was Cubs bullpen coach Chris Young, who was hospitalized Thursday in Pittsburgh after feeling lightheaded in the pen. Young said Friday that he was fine until the moment of his health issue early in the game.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.“I was dapping up all the relievers and felt great and sat down and (said) ‘I don’t feel great,’ ” he said. “Then 60 seconds later, (I knew) I needed a little bit of help.”AdvertisementYoung said he was well-hydrated and wasn’t suffering from heat exhaustion. On Friday he still had no idea what had happened.“I just got really hot and had some hives and some things that were tough,” he said. “I’ve talked to our doctor and he’s incredible. We don’t really have a working theory. … Thank goodness it happened (at the park) and (trainers PJ Mainville and Nick Frangella) were there to take care of it.”Ross said Young came up to him in the dugout late in Thursday’s game after returning from the hospital.“You can’t get rid of me that easily,” Young told Ross.But Ross added it was a “scary feeling” Thursday not knowing “what’s going on in that moment.”Fortunately Young was OK and back dapping again Friday in the Cubs bullpen.