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When Mike Elias was first introduced as the Orioles’ executive vice president and general manager in November 2018, he sat between brothers John and Louis Angelos as he promised to bring an “elite talent pipeline” to Baltimore. Now, that process again finds itself in the middle of the sons of principal owner Peter Angelos.On Saturday, Elias said he didn’t believe the lawsuit Louis Angelos filed last week against John Angelos and their mother, Georgia, partly regarding John’s handling of the club as the Orioles’ chairman and CEO, will have any impact on the team’s baseball operations department as it continues to oversee a rebuild now in its fifth season.Advertisement“It’s unfortunate and definitely not something that you like to see,” Elias told reporters gathered in the Orioles’ dugout at Camden Yards. “But, you know, this is a tough business. There’s always kind of crazy stuff going on in this business. We’ve had our challenges the last few years. We’re going to stay focused on the task at hand, work diligently, work smartly and keep doing the right thing for the Orioles. And I don’t think that this is going to have any impact on the play on the field or the team that you see.”Major League Baseball has encouraged Orioles icon Cal Ripken Jr. to join an ownership group if the team is sold, sources say.https://t.co/OAL9kmshEr— The Baltimore Sun (@baltimoresun) June 17, 2022

In his suit, Louis F. Angelos, 52, claimed John P. Angelos, 54, went against their 92-year-old father’s wishes in how he’s handled the family’s fortune, including ownership of the Orioles. Louis Angelos’ suit claims Peter Angelos, who has been in declining health for several years, wanted his sons to run the team equally but that John Angelos has seized control of the organization. The suit also claims that Georgia Angelos suggested selling the team, with John Angelos preventing a sale on at least one occasion.AdvertisementThe legal action brought the club’s future in Baltimore into question, though John Angelos has previously said, and reiterated in a statement following the suit, that the Orioles will play in the city “as long as Fort McHenry is standing watch over the Inner Harbor.” The team’s lease at Camden Yards, which includes a non-relocation clause, goes through the 2023 season.Elias is mentioned in the suit, with Louis Angelos claiming that his brother directed Elias to fire then-club executive and former Orioles outfielder Brady Anderson because of Anderson’s loyalty to their father. On Saturday, Elias noted how vital John Angelos was in his decision to join the Orioles almost four years ago, citing the respect he had for the owners he had previously worked under in Bill DeWitt as a scout for the St. Louis Cardinals and Jim Crane as a scouting director and assistant general manager for the Houston Astros.“When I came here, I had other options, and John was a big part of why I came,” Elias said. “I think that we’ve got things moving in the right direction. Like I said, it’s been a tough couple of years. We’ve had a lot to navigate. There were a lot of unique challenges to the Orioles, and we’ve still got a lot of challenges ahead of us, but I look at the shape that we’re in in terms of being set up for the future and still continue to feel very bullish about that and excited about the way that this team is playing and what’s going on in the farm system and what’s going on in the Warehouse. We’re just gonna power through this, as you do in this industry for a lot of different stuff.”Wife of Orioles owner Peter Angelos says she has ‘full faith’ in son John Angelos as head of the team https://t.co/YIbB5eMLlx— Baltimore Sun Sports (@BaltSunSports) June 15, 2022

Under Elias, the Orioles have dramatically reformatted their front office, building out an analytics department and diving into international amateur scouting at a far steeper level than the organization had previously. Those investments have come as the major league team has had diminutive payrolls; Elias’ first three seasons leading the front office have each resulted in a top-five draft pick, based on the standings of the previous year.Although the Orioles (29-37) again have a losing record more than a third of the way into the 2022 season, they are improved in many areas and have one of the best minor league systems in the sport, the products of which are beginning to reach the majors. Adley Rutschman, baseball’s top prospect, was called up last month, and Grayson Rodriguez, the sport’s top pitching prospect, was excelling in Triple-A before a lat muscle strain shut him down.“I think I’ve been very consistent about the stuff that I’ve said since being hired in 2018, dating back to that press conference,” Elias said. “The support and relationship that the baseball ops department has had with the ownership group and John, leading the team and leading the ownership group, has been phenomenal. It’s been nothing but constructive, and it will continue to be so. We’re set up with a very talented and stable management team, both in terms of the baseball ops department, but the business side. John’s added a lot of depth to the organization. We’ve had to make a lot of tough changes and necessary changes to the way that the Orioles have done business. And, you know, it’s been a difficult few years, and it’s been a difficult process, but I continue to have nothing but good things to say about the way that he’s been running the company since taking the helm.”

Baseball’s best rivalry grabs the national spotlight Sunday night when the Chicago White Sox and Houston Astros meet in the finale of a three-game series at Minute Maid Park.Tony La Russa vs. Dusty Baker remains the gold standard of managerial rivalries, a throwback to the days of Billy Martin-Whitey Herzog or Tommy Lasorda-Sparky Anderson, when the battle of wits in the dugouts was as intriguing as the pitching matchups.AdvertisementThe narrative La Russa and Baker don’t like each other has softened since La Russa’s return to the Sox dugout last year. The 2021 postseason matchup gave both managers an opportunity to speak kindly of each other, and they outdid themselves in praising their old foes the first three games of the series.Then Astros reliever Kendall Graveman plunked José Abreu in Game 4, and after the series-ending loss an angry La Russa questioned the Astros’ character.Advertisement“That’s just a character shortage there they should answer for,” he said. “If they don’t admit it, they’re very dishonest.”Baker responded there was no ill intent on Graveman’s part.“I beg to differ with Tony,” Baker said.Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker Jr., left, and Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa greet each other before Game 3 of a baseball American League Division Series, Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP)The Sox signed Graveman in the offseason, and the two rivals are back to being BFFs, at least for now.As everyone knows, Baker has “begged to differ” with La Russa a time or two in the past. But at least there have been no expletives shouted at each other from opposing dugouts in the latest iteration of the feud. Who says you can’t mellow with age?Baker, 72, became the 12th manager to join the 2,000-win club last month, and the 77-year-old La Russa ascended to second on the all-time win list last season. So the “Sunday Night Baseball” telecast no doubt will focus on the numbers that certify both as Hall of Fame managers. La Russa, obviously, already is in, while Baker should be a shoe-in as the first Black manager to reach 2,000 wins.But it’s not the number of wins that define these two. It’s their ability to survive in an era in which managing a baseball game might be the least of their responsibilities.It’s hard to pinpoint the most difficult part of a manager’s job in 2022.AdvertisementDealing with reporters who ask too many negative questions before and after games? With highly educated executives who throw analytical reports on their desks as though they’re equals? With general managers who insist on pregaming pitching moves hours before the first pitch is delivered? With fans who complain on Twitter and talk radio that the managers are out-of-touch? More than anyone else in the baseball hierarchy, they’re getting it from all sides. No one boos the GMs or presidents because they’re heard but rarely seen.Managing is a job for a young person, someone with energy, enthusiasm and the ability to work in tandem with bosses they may not agree with on how to beat an opponent. La Russa and Baker have adapted to the new norm in different ways. They still make their own decisions, wear their mistakes, ignore the outside noise and project an image of authority. They’re comfortable in their own skin, having already accomplished more than their peers.But Baker looks relaxed and happy in the Astros dugout, chewing on his ubiquitous toothpick and aging gracefully in what could be the final season of his career. La Russa often looks spent after White Sox losses. He has been more confrontational in postgame news conferences, questioning reporters for asking innocuous questions about his decision-making, and pretending to be surprised anyone could disagree with his decision to intentionally walk Trea Turner on a 1-2 count, a move panned by virtually everyone.The guy screaming “He has two strikes, Tony!” after Tony La Russa intentionally walked Trea Turner on a 1-2 count to pitch to Max Muncy who proceeded to hit a three-run homer is peak chef’s kiss. (via @NBCSWhiteSox)pic.twitter.com/C9yaR0ZdBU— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 9, 2022

“Fire Tony” chants erupted at White Sox Park one game during the last homestand. The 10-run inning off Sox pitchers during Friday’s 13-3 loss at Minute Maid Park didn’t exactly appease the anti-La Russa faction. Delegating bench coach Miguel Cairo to conduct the in-game interview with Apple TV announcers suggested La Russa felt he was too important to be bothered. Baker did his in-game interview.When the 2022 schedule was unveiled, this weekend was marked as the biggest series of the first half. The Sox could prove their worth against the team that ousted them in the postseason.AdvertisementFriday was a complete flop, spoiling the momentum from the sweep of the lowly Detroit Tigers. La Russa, it has been said, hates to lose. And whether he admits it or not, he probably hates losing to Baker more than most managers. Their battles have been legendary, often surrounding someone being hit by a pitch or some other perceived slight. It was at its most heated in 2003 and ‘04 when Baker arrived in Chicago and La Russa had yet to win his first of two titles in St. Louis.“The Cardinals back then, with Tony, they never did much wrong, (but felt) most people were doing wrong to them,” Baker recalled in a Tribune interview years later. “Know what I mean?”Baker changed the culture of losing and briefly was beloved on the North Side for sticking it to La Russa and the hated Cardinals. Then he made the unfortunate prediction in 2003 that if the Cardinals manager “thinks (the fight) has been on so far, he has a whole decade of us coming.”It turned out to be one year.“Boy was I wrong,” he said with a laugh years later. “I said that?”Baker’s point was the tide had turned, and the Cubs no longer were a laughingstock.Advertisement“The Cardinals didn’t like you beating them,” he said. “They weren’t used to the Cubs beating them. Most of the time they were used to having their way with the Cubs.”St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa and Chicago Cubs manager Dusty Baker meet with umpires prior to the start of a game at Wrigley Field on May 9, 2003. (BONNIE TRAFELET / CHICAGO TRIBUNE)Now the shoe is on the other foot. The Sox are the ones trying to challenge Baker’s Astros in the American League, but Houston is having their way with them in the first year-and-a-half of the La Russa reboot. Injuries have depleted the Sox, but La Russa left spring training talking up the team’s depth, so injuries should not be a viable excuse for their sub-.500 record.This could be the last season to watch La Russa and Baker go head to head, so savor every moment.Baker signed a one-year extension with the Astros after taking his team to the World Series in 2021 and losing to the Atlanta Braves. He’ll be a free agent again, and has given no indication he’s ready to retire. La Russa’s deal wasn’t announced in 2020, but sources told MLB Network contributor and New York Post columnist Jon Heyman that La Russa was signed through 2023 at $3.75 million per year.Entering Saturday afternoon’s game, both had an all-time winning percentage of .536, with La Russa ahead by a mere .0007 of a percentage point.Not that either one is counting, of course.

Naomi Osaka pulled out of Wimbledon on Saturday, citing a lingering problem with her left Achilles tendon and marking the second consecutive year she’s decided to sit out the grass-court Grand Slam tournament.The four-time major champion and former No. 1-ranked player posted a photo of herself on a grass court and wrote on Twitter: “my Achilles still isn’t right so I’ll see you next time.”AdvertisementOsaka has not played an official match since losing in the first round of the French Open to Amanda Anisimova 7-5, 6-4 on May 24. During that match, for which she said she took a painkiller, Osaka tried to stretch her tendon by tugging on the toe of her shoe at changeovers and squatting to flex her lower leg between points.After that defeat, Osaka said she was leaning toward missing Wimbledon because the professional tennis tours aren’t ranking points awarded — a response to the All England Club’s decision to bar all players from Russia and Belarus over the war in Ukraine.Advertisement“I’m not sure why, but I feel like if I play Wimbledon without points, it’s more like an exhibition. I know this isn’t true, right? But my brain just like feels that way. Whenever I think something is like an exhibition, I just can’t go at it 100%,” Osaka said then. “I didn’t even make my decision yet, but I’m leaning more towards not playing, given the current circumstances.”Eugenie Bouchard, who was the runner-up at the All England Club in 2014, announced Friday on social media that she would not play at Wimbledon because there are no ranking points available. Bouchard is working her way back from surgery on her right shoulder.Osaka did not play at Wimbledon a year ago as part of a mental health break she took after pulling out of the French Open before her second-round match.She has not won a match at the All England Club since getting to the third round in 2018. Osaka lost in the first round of Wimbledon in 2019, and the tournament was canceled in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.All four of Osaka’s Grand Slam titles came on hard courts: at the U.S. Open in 2018 and 2020 and at the Australian Open in 2019 and 2021.The 24-year-old Osaka has played only 17 matches this season and her ranking fell to No. 43 this week.

When a colleague pulled out his iPhone in the Chicago Cubs clubhouse Thursday afternoon to show a factoid he received from the team’s historian, my head began to spin.After the four-game sweep by the San Diego Padres, the Cubs had been outscored by 20 or more runs in back-to-back series for only the second time in franchise history. The other time it happened was in September 1879, when the Cubs were outscored by the Providence Grays by 20 runs (29-9) and the Boston Braves by 23 (31-8).AdvertisementOf all the bad teams in Cubs history, we finally have a matching set, separated by only 143 years.I wondered how the 1879 Cubs handled their beatings. Did they have stand-up players like closer David Robertson or catcher Willson Contreras who stepped up Thursday and faced media members after the embarrassing losing streak reached 10 games? Was the manager on the hot seat afterward? Did Cubs fans of 1879 ignore the drubbings on the field and focus on building the longest beer cup snake known to modern man at Lake Front Park?AdvertisementThanks to modern technology — a subscription to the Chicago Tribune — I was able to find some answers.The Tribune, which turned 175 on June 10, did not employ a baseball beat writer back in 1879, when the Cubs were known as the White Stockings, Rutherford B. Hayes was president and the telephone had just been invented three years earlier.The 1879 team was managed by Cap Anson, a first baseman who led the White Stockings to the National League pennant in 1876, the first year of the new league. Anson later was called “baseball’s first superstar” by the Society for American Baseball Research, which wrote: “So good was Anson’s bat control that he struck out only once during the 1878 season and twice in 1879.” Cubs slugger Patrick Wisdom, who can strike out three times in one afternoon, is no Cap Anson.Adrian “Cap” Anson, right, was manager of the Chicago White Stockings, the predecessors of the Cubs, from 1877 to 1897. There was no account of the 17-8 loss in Boston on Sept. 10, 1879, the first time in Cubs history the team had lost consecutive series by 20 or more runs. The big sporting news in the Tribune’s Sept. 11 edition was that Syracuse, one of the eight NL clubs, had disbanded, canceling the three games scheduled in New York that weekend with the White Stockings. (The 2022 Cubs would have no such luck. The Atlanta Braves not only refused to disband, they arrived in town Friday riding a 14-game win streak.)As it turned out, Anson’s 1879 team had more dissension than manager David Ross’s 2022 version, which has been controversy-free so far. Under the news of Syracuse folding was an item on the release of right fielder George Shaffer, who apparently was a talkative fellow nicknamed “Orator.”“A good many people in Chicago during the present season have objected to George Shaffer… on the ground that he was too much of a ‘chinner,’” the paper reported. “The Tribune has on several occasions alluded to the peculiarity of this young man, but out of consideration for him did not state, as it might have done, in addition to being noisy and troublesome on the field, Shaffer was the far worst kind of disorganizer. Even going so far not so long ago to charge another member of the nine to selling games, thus starting a rumor, that spread all over the country, that there was crookedness in the White Stockings camp.”This was before baseball rumors spread on Twitter or TikTok, because, you know, the phone had just been invented. That meant Orator Shaffer’s rumor the White Stockings had been selling (throwing) games was spread by a combination of word of mouth, the telegraph and newspapers.Anyways, Shaffer — whose baseball encyclopedia listing is spelled “Shafer” — had been in a “rough and tumble fight” outside a Boston hotel with teammate Ed Williamson, according to the Tribune. Shaffer was “badly worst and somewhat used up by the encounter,” the report said, and demanded his immediate release.AdvertisementThis was the kind of dust-up White Sox general manager Rick Hahn would refer to as a “nothing burger,” but the Tribune reported the White Stockings refused to release Shaffer until it could telegraph the team president in Chicago. White Stockings president William Hulbert eventually sent a telegraph back to Boston stating it was imperative to release Shaffer, who no longer would orate in Chicago.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.The Tribune item ended with the unnamed author taking one last shot at Shaffer, concluding Hulbert’s actions would be endorsed “by the Chicago public to a man.” Even 143 years ago Tribune sports writers were trying to dump unpopular players. Imagine that.That was the end of the saga, and the Tribune virtually ignored the White Stockings the next couple weeks. But the paper provided a brief summary of the team’s up-and-down season in a Sept. 28 article headlined: “Providence Wins the Pennant.” The story mentions the White Stockings’ 14-1 start in May, and the slew of injuries that followed: “The Chicago boom continued with great force until the 1st of July, and then began the chapter of accidents and misfortunes that landed the team in third place.”The Trib report was particularly harsh on White Stockings pitcher Terry Larkin, one of the team’s two starters, who went 31-23 with a 2.44 ERA in 58 starts, with 57 complete games:“For the loss of power, Larkin was alone to blame. He is simply an addition to the long list of ball-players who have ruined themselves by dissipation. They deserve no pity and seldom see any.”The story included the long list of injuries that doomed the 1879 White Stockings, who went 4-12 in September to finish fourth with a 46-33 record.AdvertisementIf you believe the adage “what goes around, comes around,” there could be hope for Ross’ 2022 Cubs. Despite enduring back-to-back series beatings that no team in franchise history would match until now, the 1879 White Stockings would go on to capture three straight NL pennants from 1880-82, a couple decades before the first World Series.And just like in 1879, you can read about it here.

Coach Matt Eberflus was quick to point out the Chicago Bears spent the spring mixing and matching players at a variety of positions when asked about Braxton Jones appearing with the starters at left tackle earlier this month.Indeed, the Bears were shuffling the lineup at a couple of spots, but Eberflus and the Bears surely understand why particular attention is paid to the offensive line, the area general manager Ryan Poles talked about improving when he was hired.AdvertisementIf you’re handicapping the field at left tackle before the team opens training camp July 26, the day veterans will report to Halas Hall, Larry Borom and Jones are the leading candidates. Borom, a fifth-round pick last year, spent the offseason program at both tackle positions, and Jones has emerged as an option.“I’ll be honest with you, I was definitely a little bit surprised,” Jones said of his reaction when he was told to run with the starters. “That surprise went away quick. It was thrown on me and it’s time to go. It has been something that’s really good for me to get that speed, the speed of going against guys like Roquan Smith. That’s crazy, you know. It has been valuable for sure.”Advertisement[ Bears coach Matt Eberflus doubles down on his demand to players: ‘Get your track shoes ready’ ]Whether Jones gets a shot at the left tackle job when training camp opens remains to be seen. Real evaluation of play in the trenches begins when the pads go on, but the Bears had to have seen something in Jones to give him a look.Eberflus, offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and offensive line coach Chris Morgan will have plenty to sort through. They were rotating Sam Mustipher and Dakota Dozier at right guard, but Dozier was carted off Tuesday with what a source said is a left knee injury. Borom and Teven Jenkins, a second-round pick a year ago, played with the starters at right tackle. Ultimately the organization needs to identify its five best linemen and figure out how they fit.It’s possible the Bears are intrigued by one of the lineups they’ve used so far. Or there could be an entirely new lineup they want to explore in training camp, but Jones is eager to show up next month and battle.Chicago Bears tackle Braxton Jones stretches at rookie minicamp, May 6, 2022, at Halas Hall in Lake Forest. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)“I assume it’s going to be a lot different,” he said. “Even though we’re getting a good look right now in terms of speed with linebackers, you’re not necessarily getting a bull rush. You’re not getting somebody right down your face. It’ll change big time, and from now until July 22nd when I come back is going to be huge for me. I’ve got to gain ground on guys. I’ve got to get stronger.“Fifth-round guy, but it doesn’t matter. I have an opportunity here, and it’s a great opportunity to gain ground on some guys. I’ve got to get stronger, quicker, all that stuff, sharper in the playbook. It’s really important for me when I go home to have a plan, and I do have a plan, making sure I’m following that plan.”Jones, 6-foot-5, 310 pounds, popped on the radar of the Senior Bowl staff in spring 2021. Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy said three members of his staff went to evaluate Jones during his senior season at Southern Utah to confirm what they had seen on film. Some believe Jones’ junior tape was better than last season, which could be why he remained on the board into Day 3.“The talent is all there,” Nagy said. “He’s a really twitched up athlete. The pass-set stuff, the redirect, he looked like an NFL left tackle on his junior tape. We were really high on him.“The biggest thing is just lower-body development. He needs to get stronger in his lower half, which will come over time. If that is the one thing you need to improve, NFL teams feel good about that. It’s hard to make a guy longer or twitchier. You can always put some bulk or strength on them.”Advertisement[ Column: Chicago Bears offensive line still has big questions — and moving parts — as shown by Teven Jenkins and Braxton Jones ]Jones said Morgan has been stressing the need for him to be more effective and consistent with his hands to take advantage of his 35⅜-inch arms.“The biggest thing (in) my transition from college to the NFL or college to the Senior Bowl to the NFL and just in these OTAs is throwing my hands,” Jones said. “In college, I was really reserved with my hands and I didn’t use my long arms to my advantage. They’re a big thing for me and they’re going to help me be really good in this league. They’ve gotten better.”Nagy admitted it is unusual for Day 3 rookie offensive linemen to work their way into a starting role, especially at left tackle, and there’s a lot of ground to cover between now and Week 1 for Jones to earn a job.“I am not totally surprised because he has that kind of talent,” said Nagy, who noted Jones excelled in one-on-one pass rush drills during the Senior Bowl week. “He definitely has left tackle starter talent. Did I think he would get there Year 1? Probably not.“It’s hard with the big guys when you’re not in pads. That forum sets up really well for Braxton because he is such a good foot athlete and he can get out there and dance with you in pass protection. You’ve got to put the pads on in August and see how that all shakes out.”Whether Jones can put himself in position to play in Year 1 remains to be seen, but the Bears have a prospect worth investing time in. And if they can address the left tackle question with a Day 3 pick, whether it’s in 2022 or 2023, Poles would be off to a good start on the offensive line.Advertisement“Everybody is competing,” Jones said. “Rotating or whatever you want to call it, it’s all competition. I’m competing for a job, maybe a guy who is behind me is competing for a job, and maybe the right tackle on the other side is competing for my job. You never know.”

Kahleah Copper had season highs with 23 points and 10 rebounds, Emma Meesseman scored 17 points and grabbed a season-best 12 rebounds and the Chicago Sky beat the Atlanta Dream 106-100 in overtime Friday night at Wintrust Arena.Allie Quigley also scored 17 points, Azurá Stevens and Rebekah Gardner added 15 apiece and Courtney Vandersloot had 11 for the Sky (10-4).AdvertisementMeesseman made a jumper, Copper hit a 3-pointer and, after Rhyne Howard made a layup on the other end, Quigley hit another 3 to give the Sky a 99-93 lead about 2 minutes into overtime. The Dream (7-8) twice trimmed their deficit to two points, but Stevens answered each time — the first with a pair of free throws to make it 101-97 with 1 minute, 27 seconds to play and the second with a 3-pointer that gave the Sky a five-point lead with less than a minute to go.AD Durr scored 21 points and McDonald finished with 20 for the Dream. Howard and Cheyenne Parker added 16 points apiece and Destiny Slocum scored a career-high 10.AdvertisementRuthy Hebard hit a jumper to give the Sky their biggest lead of the game at 71-53 midway through the third quarter, but the Dream responded with an 18-2 run that trimmed their deficit to 73-71 after McDonald and Slocum made back-to-back 3-pointers to cap the spurt.McDonald converted a three-point play before Parker made two free throws to give the Dream a one-point lead with 31.4 seconds left in regulation, but Copper made 1-of-2 free throws with 19 seconds remaining to tie it at 91. Howard missed a potential winning 3-point shot in the closing seconds. Naz Hillmon grabbed the offensive rebound, but her put-back attempt was blocked by Stevens to force overtime.

OMAHA, Neb. — John Michael Bertrand and two relievers held Texas’ potent offense in check, and Notre Dame scored in all kinds of ways in a 7-3 victory Friday night in its first College World Series game in 20 years.The Irish (41-15) carried over their momentum from eliminating No. 1 overall seed Tennessee in the super regionals with a strong all-around performance against the program making its record 38th appearance in Omaha.AdvertisementNotre Dame will play Oklahoma on Sunday. The Longhorns (47-21) will face rival Texas A&M in an elimination game.Bertrand (10-3), roughed up in his start against Tennessee last week, limited the Longhorns to three runs on six hits in 5 ⅓ innings. Alex Rao and Jack Findlay gave up no hits in 3 ⅓ innings, with Findlay earning his fourth save.AdvertisementNotre Dame’s Jared Miller, right, celebrates his home run with Carter Putz during the first inning of a College World Series game against Texas on Friday in Omaha, Neb. The Irish won 7-3. (John Peterson/AP)The Irish scored six runs on nine hits against Texas starter Pete Hansen (11-3). They picked up single runs on Jared Miller’s home run in the first inning, an RBI groundout in the third and a safety squeeze in the fourth, and they scored three more in the fifth on Tristan Stevens’ balk and a couple of singles.Carter Putz’s homer in the ninth gave the Irish a four-run lead.The Longhorns arrived in Omaha with a program-record 128 homers, most among the CWS teams and fourth nationally, and had hit three or more home runs in each of its previous four games. They mustered only six singles against the Irish and were the only team in the first two CWS games to not hit a homer.Douglas Hodo II had an RBI single, and the Longhorns scored on a squeeze play and wild pitch.

BROOKLINE, Mass. — For every Collin Morikawa and his back-to-back years winning a major is a Joel Dahmen, who only four years ago would have been thrilled even to play in one.Jon Rahm is the defending U.S. Open champion, one shot out of the lead. He will be playing on the weekend at The Country Club with Hayden Buckley, who studied while playing at Missouri because he figured he would need to find a job after college.AdvertisementThe dozen players separated by two shots going into the weekend include the top three players in the world rankings and four of the top seven — Masters champion Scottie Scheffler, Rahm, Rory McIlroy and Morikawa. Nick Hardy, an Illinois and Glenbrook North alumnus, is among five golfers two strokes back. Nick Hardy putts on the fifth hole during the second round of the U.S. Open on Friday at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass. (Julio Cortez/AP)“I think it’s great for the game of golf that the highest-ranked players and the best players are up there, especially in the tournament where truly the best player ends up winning,” Rahm said.AdvertisementIt also includes two PGA Tour rookies and two players who have never won on tour.Indeed, this U.S. Open has something for everyone. It just doesn’t have Phil Mickelson, who missed the cut by eight shots.Morikawa was searching for something in his game and found a “baby draw” instead of his traditional fade, and it’s been working beautifully at Brookline. He matched the low score of the championship Friday with a 4-under 66 for a share of the lead with Dahmen, the cancer survivor and popular everyman in golf.Collin Morikawa reacts after putting on the ninth hole during the second round of the U.S. Open on Friday at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass. (Julio Cortez/AP)Rahm did his best to keep pace with an eagle and a series of big par putts that felt just as valuable. Rahm had a 67 and was in the group of five players one shot behind. That included McIlroy, coming of a win at the Canadian Open, who was never more entertaining.McIlroy was two holes into his round when an errant approach landed in waist-high fescue. He took a hack. And then another. The third try finally found the green, and he holed a 25-foot putt to salvage a double bogey.McIlroy hit his stride on the back nine with three birdies over his last four holes for a 69.“After 36 holes in a major championship, that’s all you want to do is put yourself right in the mix going into the weekend,” McIlroy said. “For a little part of the day there, it seemed like I was going to be a few more behind. But I dug deep and played the last eight holes really, really well.”Not to be overlooked was Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world, who chipped in from thick rough short of the par-5 14th green for an eagle that brought the Texan back into the mix with a 67. He was two shots behind.AdvertisementMorikawa, Rahm and Scheffler have combined to win four of the last nine majors. And then there’s McIlroy, who has four majors but none since 2014.Jon Rahm hits on the sixth hole during the second round of the U.S. Open on Friday at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass. (Charlie Riedel/AP)“It’s the U.S. Open. No one has taken it deep so far and run away,” Morikawa said. “The last few days is a huge confidence booster for me heading into this weekend, and hopefully we can make some separation somehow.”The idea of the U.S. Open is to identify the best players. Some of them require some introductions to major championship contention on the weekend.Start with Dahmen, who will never be accused of taking himself too seriously, even if he takes his game seriously. He thought about withdrawing from the 36-hole qualifier twice last week before it started and after the first round.But he stuck it out, and with a 68 on Friday plays in the final group of a major for the first time. He joined Morikawa at 5-under 135.“We don’t tee off until 3:45 tomorrow. I typically have to be home at 5 for dinner,” Dahmen said. “So this will be different, for sure.”AdvertisementThe group one shot behind includes Buckley, who wasn’t in the U.S. Open until making a 20-foot birdie putt in a playoff for the last spot in his qualifier 11 days ago.He was fading, like so many others, with three bogeys during a five-hole stretch around the turn when he got back on track. Birdies on the last two holes gave him another 68.Also at 136 were Aaron Wise, with one PGA Tour victory and nothing better than a tie for 17th in his nine previous majors; and Beau Hossler, who featured on the weekend at Olympic Club as a teenage amateur in 2012 but hasn’t been heard of since then in the majors.They were examples that the U.S. Open being open to all doesn’t just stop with qualifying for the right to play the toughest test in golf.The weekend won’t have Mickelson, hardly a surprise. He took a four-month hiatus over his inflammatory remarks about the PGA Tour and the Saudi-backed league he was promoting, wound up joining LIV Golf and returned to competition last week with poor results.The U.S. Open was a slightly stronger test and Mickelson was exposed, particularly on the greens, with rounds of 78-73 to miss the cut. His next stop is Oregon in two weeks for another LIV Golf event, 54 holes and no cut.AdvertisementMcIlroy never panicked after his double bogey. He took advantage of the birdie chances on the drivable par-4 fifth and the short par-5 eighth. And he finished strong to get right in the mix, his main goal going into the weekend.Rory McIlroy reacts after a putt on the 18th hole during the second round of the U.S. Open on Friday at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass. (Charles Krupa/AP)Adding to the anticipation for McIlroy was seeing so many familiar names at the top.“You want to go up against the best to try to bring the best out of yourself,” McIlroy said. “And to see Collin and Jon and Scottie and Sam (Burns) up there and whoever else, that’s what major championship golf is all about. That’s what competition is all about.“And that’s at the heart of this game. I’m excited to be in that mix going into the weekend.”

HOUSTON — Chicago White Sox third baseman Yoán Moncada left the game Friday against the Houston Astros in the third inning with right hamstring tightness.He is being evaluated, the Sox said.AdvertisementMoncada talked with the training staff in the dugout at Minute Maid Park after grounding out to shortstop Aledmys Díaz in the second inning. He remained in the game for the bottom of the second. Josh Harrison replaced him in the third.Yoán Moncada left the game with right hamstring tightness and is being further evaluated.— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) June 18, 2022

Moncada is slashing .179/.230/.292 with three homers and 12 RBIs in 29 games. He began the season on the injured list with a right oblique strain and played his first game May 9. He experienced quad discomfort, limiting his playing time in late May.AdvertisementMoncada had a career-high five hits Wednesday in a 13-0 victory against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Moncada went 5-for-6 with five RBIs, hitting a three-run home run in the first, a single in the fourth, a double in the sixth and RBI singles in the eighth and ninth.

HOUSTON — Michael Kopech gave a thumbs-up after a bullpen session Thursday at Minute Maid Park.The right-hander passed his tests, putting him in line to start Sunday for the Chicago White Sox against the Houston Astros.Advertisement“The big test for me was (Thursday) having that bullpen and seeing if it would be extra sore (Friday) and how it was going to feel,” Kopech said Friday. “I came in and it felt better (Friday) than it did (Thursday). It’s a good sign. I’m improving every day. I think I’ll be ready to go.”Kopech left his last start Sunday against the Texas Rangers after two-thirds of an inning with right knee discomfort. He exited after throwing 13 pitches.Advertisement“I definitely didn’t think it was going to be this quick,” Kopech said. “I don’t know what it was, but the way it felt and not being able to bear weight on it when I got on the mound and tried to throw another pitch, I definitely thought it would be pretty bad news. I’m definitely grateful for what I did get.”He hobbled off the mound after throwing a pitch to Adolis García in the first inning at Guaranteed Rate Field.White Sox starting pitcher Michael Kopech reacts after suffering a right knee injury in the first inning against the Rangers on June 12, 2022, at Guaranteed Rate Field. (Quinn Harris / Getty Images)After a discussion with the training staff, Kopech went back on the mound to prepare for a warmup pitch. He stopped just as he was beginning, walked behind the mound and threw the ball to the ground in frustration. But after the game, Kopech said he was relieved to hear it wasn’t a more serious injury, and manager Tony La Russa brought up the possibility of Kopech pitching in Houston.“I came back with surprisingly good news from that and every day has been surprisingly better,” Kopech said. “If you had asked me (Sunday) if this would be the case, I probably would have been pretty doubtful about it. I feel good.”The good news meant he didn’t have to miss extended time.“I think there would have been that thought if there was anything structurally going on,” Kopech said. “But looking at the MRI and seeing the movements I’ve been able to make in a short amount of time since, I just don’t think there’s any point in doing that. Try to keep going.”As far as having to keep tabs on the knee the rest of the season, Kopech said, “I think TBD,”“For the most part, where I’m at with it, I think I’m going to feel it for the rest of the year probably,” Kopech said. “But it’s just being able to tolerate it, and I can tolerate it. As long as it’s not painful and getting in the way of me doing what I need to do, I can deal with a little discomfort.Advertisement“But it’s gotten better day to day. Who knows? Maybe by Sunday I’m not feeling anything at all.”Kopech threw between 30-35 pitches Thursday. La Russa liked what he saw.“He feels great,” La Russa said. “He’s ready.”White Sox starting pitcher Michael Kopech, right, is checked on by a team trainer after suffering an injury during the first inning of a game against the Rangers on June 12, 2022, at Guaranteed Rate Field. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)Kopech has been one of the team’s top pitchers as he moved back into the rotation after spending most of 2021 in the bullpen. He’s 2-2 with a 1.92 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 11 starts. He has limited opponents to one hit while pitching at least five innings in four of his starts.One of his best outings came in a Sunday night game. Kopech allowed one hit with six strikeouts and two walks in seven innings in Game 2 of a May 22 doubleheader against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. He retired the first 17 batters before Rob Brantly broke up the perfect game with a two-out double in the sixth.He’s set for another opportunity on that stage, this time in his home state. Kopech resides in Tyler, Texas.Advertisement“As far as how it feels physically, the humidity reminds me of home,” Kopech said. “Definitely being closer to the family and closer to some friends that I’m familiar with over here, I’m excited.”