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“Go Cubs Go” reverberated through the home clubhouse postgame Friday at Wrigley Field as players belted along to the song.The Chicago Cubs’ season-high 10-game losing streak had come up against the Atlanta Braves’ franchise-record-tying 14-game winning streak. So when small ball in the eighth inning produced the game’s lone run on Christopher Morel’s sacrifice fly and David Robertson worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth to secure the 1-0 win, they had plenty to celebrate.AdvertisementThe Cubs — finally — were back in the win column.Friday marked the first time since Sept. 15, 1999, that a team with a double-digit losing streak beat a team on a double-digit winning streak, according to Elias Sports Bureau.Advertisement“Look, we’ve had some ugly ones lately, but I haven’t questioned the effort or the intensity of the guys at all,” manager David Ross said. “And nobody’s been making excuses. … There’s something about a starting pitcher going out and setting the tone.”Right-hander Keegan Thompson delivered the type of start the Cubs desperately needed. Coming off bad starts in Baltimore and New York in which he was tagged for a combined 12 runs (10 earned) in 3⅔ innings left Thompson searching to get back on track. Ultimately he and the Cubs determined pitch selection, not mechanics, were at the root of his struggles.Cubs starting pitcher Keegan Thompson delivers during the second inning against the Braves on Friday at Wrigley Field. (Chase Agnello-Dean / Getty Images)Thompson needed to throw more fastballs. Well, the Braves certainly saw plenty en route to Thompson pitching into the seventh inning for the first time in his major-league career. Thompson’s four-seam fastball accounted for 52% of his 92 pitches, getting 10 whiffs and nine called strikes with the pitch. His 18 total swings and misses were the most by a Cubs pitcher this season.“My core belief — and I’m probably not the norm in the new age — is you pitch with your fastball, especially the starter,” Ross said. “He did that today. That was what you do. Nobody took good swings.”Thompson made a conscious effort to go to his fastball early and often against the Braves. He knew how important it would be to establish his fastball, a pitch that has been important during his successful outings this season. Thompson admitted he got away from throwing his fastball in his previous two starts when he was roughed up.Rather than overthinking his mechanics, Thompson believes finding the right tempo and timing combined with more fastballs and attacking hitters are his keys to success.“I think it was trying to place balls the last time instead of just going after guys and staying in the zone and letting them put it in play,” Thompson said. “There was a couple of fastballs that were hit in one of my outings and I think it just took me away from it. I was throwing more offspeed stuff or two seams instead.”The only time the Braves advanced a baserunner past first against Thompson came on a soft fly ball in the fifth inning. It landed inside the white chalk as right fielder Jason Heyward was unable to reach it before the ball bounced out of play for a ground-rule double. Orlando Arcia’s fluky double had a .010 expected average. Thompson responded by striking out Michael Harris II for a career-high ninth strikeout to keep the game scoreless.AdvertisementA seven-pitch sixth resulted in Ross sending Thompson back out for the seventh on a batter-by-batter approach. Thompson’s day ended after a four-pitch walk to Matt Olson, the Braves’ first hitter of the inning. But unlike other days during the Cubs’ losing streak, the bullpen threw zeros. Morel’s heroics capped the Cubs doing the little things right in the eighth. Pinch hitter Jonathan Villar walked and advanced on Andrelton Simmons’ sacrifice bunt. Villar stole third base during Morel’s at-bat and beat Harris’ throw home.The Cubs’ Jonathan Villar, left, scores on a sacrifice fly by Christopher Morel as Braves catcher Travis d’Arnaud applies a late tag during the eighth inning Friday at Wrigley Field. (Nam Y. Huh / AP)The Cubs’ Jonathan Villar slides home safely before the tag from Braves catcher Travis d’Arnaud to score the winning run in the eighth inning on Friday at Wrigley Field. (Chase Agnello-Dean / Getty Images)Morel had struck out three times against starter Charlie Morton before coming through with the go-ahead RBI against the Braves bullpen. Before Morel’s final plate appearance, Willson Contreras told him not to chase the low stuff like he did in his previous at-bats and look to attack something high.“Just the small things, that’s what (Ross) said to us is going to be the key to winning games,” Morel said through an interpreter.Thompson has an opportunity to build off his stellar performance as he tries to establish himself as a big-league starter. He set a career high in innings (six-plus) and strikeouts while holding a hot Braves offense to two hits and two walks.“He’s back,” an impressed Contreras said afterward.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Pitching coach Tommy Hottovy talked with Thompson ahead of Friday’s start and put his two ugly road outings in perspective: “You’ve had really good stretches, chalk it up to having a bad week.” AdvertisementIt was important for Thompson to how to compete even when things aren’t going well. Hottovy said those struggles didn’t change the Cubs’ minds at all about what Thompson can do as a starter.“That’s part of learning in this league,” Hottovy told the Tribune. “You can learn a lot having success. You learn way more when you fail.”The Cubs will continue to lean on their less-experienced starters, particularly Thompson and Justin Steele, with three veteran pitchers on the injured list. Marcus Stroman (right shoulder inflammation) might return the soonest, though after playing catch Friday he couldn’t put a timeline on his return. Stroman hopes it will be a few weeks “give or take.”Thompson’s ability to bounce back Friday rather than letting two bad starts snowball into extended struggles is a great development for the 27 year old.“It does show a lot about Keegan because for a good while there he goes and has a couple hiccups that you tend to want to abort ship and try to correct everything,” said Yan Gomes, who caught him Friday. “He’s not the kind of guy that is. For him is just like almost having that bulk mentality of just come out, throw as hard as you can and throw all your pitches with major conviction.“He’s got the potential to be a tremendous starter. He’s just got to find himself a little bit more, and you’re starting to see big spurts of that.”

DETROIT — The Michigan Supreme Court on Friday rejected a final appeal from sports doctor Larry Nassar, who was sentenced to decades in prison for sexually assaulting gymnasts, including Olympic medalists.Attorneys for Nassar said he was treated unfairly in 2018 and deserved a new hearing, based on vengeful remarks by a judge who called him a “monster” who would “wither” in prison like the wicked witch in “The Wizard of Oz.”Advertisement“I just signed your death warrant,” Ingham County Judge Rosemarie Aquilina said of Nassar’s 40-year sentence.The state Supreme Court said Nassar’s appeal was a “close question” and that it had “concerns” over the judge’s conduct. But the court also noted that Aquilina, despite her provocative comments, stuck to the sentencing agreement worked out by lawyers in the case.Advertisement“We decline to expend additional judicial resources and further subject the victims in this case to additional trauma where the questions at hand present nothing more than an academic exercise,” the court said in a two-page order.More than 150 victims spoke or submitted statements during an extraordinary seven-day hearing in Aquilina’s court more than four years ago.“It’s over. … Almost six years after I filed the police report, it’s finally over,” Rachael Denhollander, the first woman to publicly accuse Nassar, said Friday on Twitter.It’s over. MI Supreme Court declined to hear Larry’s appeal.Almost six years after I filed the police report, it’s finally over. https://t.co/cleZxOqTsM— Rachael Denhollander (@R_Denhollander) June 17, 2022

Nassar pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting gymnasts and other athletes with his hands under the guise of medical treatment for hip and leg injuries. He worked at Michigan State University and at Indianapolis-based USA Gymnastics, traveling the world with the elites of the sport.“Our Constitution does not allow for cruel and unusual punishment,” Aquilina told Nassar. “If it did, I have to say I might allow what he did to all of these beautiful souls, these young women in their childhood. I would allow someone or many people to do to him what he did to others.”Nassar subsequently received another 40-year sentence in a separate case in a neighboring county.He is currently in federal prison for child pornography crimes in a different case that grew out of the same investigation. The sentences effectively mean Nassar, 58, will spend the rest of his life behind bars.The Nassar case turned Aquilina into a celebrity. She appeared at the 2018 ESPY awards in Los Angeles, where his victims were honored. The judge said she trademarked her name after it started appearing on T-shirts, including one worn by actress Natalie Portman on “Saturday Night Live.”AdvertisementThe scandal hasn’t faded. More than 100 women, including Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles, are collectively seeking more than $1 billion from the federal government for the FBI’s failure to stop Nassar when agents became aware of allegations against him in 2015. He was arrested by Michigan State University police in 2016, more than a year later.Michigan State, which was accused of missing chances over many years to stop Nassar, agreed to pay $500 million to more than 300 women and girls who were assaulted by him. USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee made a $380 million settlement.

BROOKLINE, Mass. — Phil Mickelson’s tee shot on No. 3 landed in the rough to the right, and when he arrived at his ball he saw a man sitting on the ground, holding an icepack to his right temple, with medical staff gathered around.Mickelson went over and gave the man a glove and apologized. One problem: It was Sam Horsfield’s shot from the neighboring sixth hole that hit him.Advertisement“It’s just instinct,” Mickelson said, drawing laughter from the gallery. “I would normally think it’s me.”That’s how things went for the six-time U.S. Open runner-up at The Country Club this week: a series of apologies, interrupted by a whole lot of bad golf shots.Advertisement“Wish I had played better,” Mickelson, who declined to talk to reporters, said in a transcript that was distributed by the USGA on Friday after he followed a first-round 78 with a 3-over 73 to miss the cut.The plus-11 finish left him in the clubhouse ahead of just one PGA Tour regular and far beneath the projected cut line of 4 over.“It was OK. I had a good day,” he said.Phil Mickelson greets fans during the second round of the U.S. Open at The Country Club. (Robert F. Bukaty/AP)A six-time major champion who has become the face of the Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf tour, Mickelson was competing on American soil for the first time in more than four months. But if the fans held his cash grab against him, they didn’t let it show.“Phil, liven it up!”“Long live Phil!”“You’ve got work to do!”“A 62 makes the cut, Phil!”Advertisement“You and me forever, baby!”“Call it a comeback, Phil!”And fans in a tent next to the sixth tee sang him “Happy Birthday.”“The fans here have always been terrific, and they really support all sports,” Mickelson said, according to the transcript. “I love it when we bring golf here because they create a really special atmosphere.”But Mickelson had little else to smile about. Starting on the 10th hole, he made back-to-back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 13-14-15 and needed a 15-footer to save par on the third hole after nearly winding up in the gallery with his drive.He wasn’t as lucky on No. 4, a 493-yard par 4, where he missed a 12-foot par putt and left himself almost as much coming back for bogey. But the 52-year-old left-hander — his birthday was actually Thursday — followed with back-to-back birdies.AdvertisementHe sank a 43-foot putt from the front apron on the fifth hole and an even longer one on the sixth, both times acknowledging the crowd’s cheers with a thumbs-up and wave. On his way to the seventh tee, he gave his ball to a 9-year-old girl standing by the ropes.“I enjoyed the week,” said Mickelson, who left Brookline still needing a U.S. Open victory to complete his career Grand Slam. “It was spectacular to come back to such a historic course, and I thought the setup was remarkable. Just really showcased what a special place this is.”

Nominated for the title of greatest U.S. woman athlete of the past 25 years in an election sponsored by the Women’s Sports Foundation, five stars, from left, Wilma Rudolph, Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert Lloyd, Billie Jean King and Mary Decker, get together in New York, Sept. 10, 1984. (Marty Lederhandler/AP)

A StubHub site upgrade has been creating issues for some Chicago Cubs fans.StubHub’s platform underwent an upgrade June 6 in what was expected to improve its capabilities. When it was implemented, the company expected some areas of the site might experience breakages. However, the changes triggered a range of issues that impacted Cubs fans’ ability to sell and buy tickets.AdvertisementThe main problems featured an inability to post season tickets for sale, transfer purchased tickets to the buyer, remove ticket listings and missing inventory for individual Cubs games. There also have been instances in which posted tickets have erroneously been allowed to sell twice.StubHub removed all MLB ticket listings for games between June 6-9 when they initiated the application overhaul. Since then, the Cubs’ Tuesday home game against the San Diego Padres was also removed and did not show on their site, preventing the sale of any tickets that day through the fan resale site.Advertisement“We have unfortunately seen some bugs resurface since initially being resolved earlier this week,” a StubHub spokesperson told the Tribune. “As with all issues we have experienced as a result of the update, we are working to resolve them quickly and on a daily basis. The MLB integration is a sophisticated one that has a number of codependent systems, all of which are critical to get right for a fully reliable and smooth process for both the season ticket holders and our buyers. Correcting these issues is our No. 1 priority.”Fans applaud as Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras (40) walks to the dugout May 16, 2022, after hitting a grand slam during the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)StubHub anticipates it will take them the next few weeks for the majority of breakage driven by the upgrade to be fixed.Viagogo purchased StubHub from eBay in 2020, and the merger was approved in September. When Viagogo took over, the plan was to combine the best aspects and capabilities of each platform. That required system upgrades on StubHub to create improved functionality. In the process, which began last week, site breakages have occurred.StubHub says “issues are being resolved on a rolling basis” and the company believes its initial weeks-based timeline for the site to be fully upgraded and operational remains accurate.In the short-term, though, Cubs fans might be affected when selling or buying tickets on the platform.The Cubs are aware of the situation.“This issue is certainly not ideal for any customer who is looking to use the platform and, to be frank, it’s downright frustrating and unacceptable from a fan’s point of view,” a Cubs spokesperson told the Tribune. “We certainly share in that feeling. But that said, I think it’s also important to note that StubHub has been a longtime partner. They have certainly been accessible and transparent throughout this whole process to help resolve this issue. They’ve given us every reassurance that they’re working very hard to fix this as quickly as possible.”AdvertisementChicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.The Cubs are not the only major-league team impacted. StubHub, an official MLB ticket partner, indicated varying issues with their platform have affected an unspecified number of teams. “We are in frequent communication with StubHub on this matter,” MLB said in a statement to the Tribune. “They have assured us that they are working hard to resolve this as soon as possible for the benefit of our fans.”Certain features on the site are still being implemented, including a ballpark seat map, that StubHub described as a “multiweek phase.”For Cubs fans who have been prevented from posting their tickets for sale since StubHub’s site issues began June 7, the glitches have been a frustrating hindrance to potentially recoup money for summer games at Wrigley Field — even during the team’s 10-game losing streak. Breakages on the site led some Cubs ticket holders to try to sell their tickets on social media over the last week.It is not yet clear whether StubHub will offer some sort of compensation for fans who attempted to sell their tickets.Advertisement“We do not guarantee the sale of any listing on our site, however, unique and exceptional instances warrant considerations to support sellers above and beyond our policy,” a company spokesperson said. “We are actively reviewing where errors were made with active or completed sales and considering how we may make this right for sellers.”

DETROIT — Liam Hendriks is used to getting the final three outs as the Chicago White Sox closer.Recently, he has been limited to watching the action unfold.Advertisement”I was going stir crazy in the bullpen (Tuesday),” Hendriks said before Wednesday’s game against the Detroit Tigers.The right-hander is recovering after being placed on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with a right forearm strain.Advertisement”I’ve had a tear in my UCL since ‘08,” Hendriks said. “It’s been there, that’s been manageable, I’ve been able to deal with it. But over the course of this year my elbow has been constantly inflamed a little more than usual.“It got to the point where it was inflamed, it was getting a little uncertain, there’s a slight forearm strain in there, so we’re taking care of that. The ligament hasn’t changed, nothing has changed on any other end that way, so it’s a mild strain, hopefully get back out there. They say three weeks, I’m targeting July 1.”Hendriks last pitched Friday, when he struck out one in a scoreless ninth to wrap up an 8-3 win against the Texas Rangers at Guaranteed Rate Field.White Sox closer Liam Hendriks celebrates getting the save as they defeat the Cubs, May 4, 2022, at Wrigley Field. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)Kendall Graveman handled ninth-inning duties Monday in a 9-5 win against the Tigers. Reynaldo López got the ball in the ninth Tuesday in a 5-1 victory after Joe Kelly pitched a scoreless eighth. José Ruiz got the final out Wedneday in a 13-0 win.If the Sox are in a save situation this weekend in Houston, Graveman — who spent parts of last season pitching for the Astros — or Kelly are the most likely options.Graveman has 12 career saves, including two this season. He was a starter with the Oakland A’s from 2015-18 before working out of the bullpen with the Seattle Mariners. Kelly has five career saves, two coming last year with the Los Angeles Dodgers.“Kendall’s got experience saving games, you saw that last year (with Seattle),” Sox general manager Rick Hahn said Tuesday. “Certainly capable of doing it. Joe Kelly certainly has the stuff to pull it off. And in various situations, we might have to mix and match a little bit. With (Aaron) Bummer down, he’s obviously currently not an option, but some point when he returns, hopefully in the next couple of weeks, he’ll probably be in that mix as well if Liam’s not active yet.”Bummer went on the injured list retroactive to June 9 with a left lat strain. The left-hander, who has a 3.06 ERA, nine holds and one save, was out May 7-22 with a right knee strain.Advertisement“I’ve been talking to you guys more about coming in and off the injured list than anything,” Bummer said Tuesday. “It’s frustrating, especially when I felt like I was starting to roll, both times. I thought I was throwing the ball pretty well, taking steps forward. It’s frustrating to be sitting on the sidelines again, but hopefully it’s a short stint and we’ll be back and be able to continue that groove.”Tanner Banks stepped up recently as a left-handed option. He threw two hitless innings Sunday against the Rangers and one the next night against the Tigers.“I’m really trying to bear down and trust my routine every day and trust my approach,” Banks said Tuesday. “Try to eliminate thinking as much as I can through pregame preparation and then just try to throw strikes and let my defense do their job. And they have.”The bullpen has been tested — including last weekend with consecutive extra-inning games against the Rangers. Hendriks, who has a 2.81 ERA and 16 saves, is looking forward to getting back in that mix.“It’s a matter of getting this done safely and getting me back out there to pitch, that’s the big thing for me,” he said. “I also want to be able to go when I get back and not be coddled or babied. Be able to go back-to-back.“I’m not concerned with it long term at all. You see forearm flexor strain (is a) precursor to a lot of things. But there’s been no change in my ligament, and that’s the good thing. That was one of the relieving parts of it. There was no damage to that, just a slight sprain.”AdvertisementMeanwhile, he’ll be watching his fellow relievers contribute.“We’ve got a lot of guys who are willing to come in,” Hendriks said. “We’ve had a lot of guys over there with a higher workload than they would have had in previous years. Some guys making their debuts, guys who have never pitched in back-to-back games. Doing that from the get-go it’s always going to wear on you a little bit.“But luckily we’ve got a couple veterans toward the end there that will help out, (and) once the starters get rolling and start getting into deeper games, we’re going to be searching for (relief) innings out there.”

BOSTON — The Golden State Warriors are NBA champions once again, topping the Boston Celtics 103-90 on Thursday night for their fourth title in the last eight seasons.Stephen Curry scored 34 points for the Warriors, who claimed the franchise’s seventh championship. And this one completed a journey unlike any other after a run of five consecutive Finals, then a plummet to the bottom of the NBA and now a return to greatness just two seasons after having the league’s worst record.AdvertisementFor Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala, it’s a fourth championship. The first three came in 2015, 2017 and 2018, when the Warriors were dynastic and made five consecutive trips to the Finals.Curry was named the Finals MVP for the first time. AdvertisementInjuries, including ones that sidelined Thompson for 2 ½ years, and roster changes changed everything. But this season, with Thompson returning around the midway point, the Warriors were finally back.Back on top too. Champions again, denying the storied Celtics what would have been their record 18th championship, one that would have allowed them to break a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers for the most in league history.This tale for the Warriors ended much differently than what was their most recent Finals appearance against the Toronto Raptors in 2019, one that saw Kevin Durant tear his Achilles in Game 5 and then Thompson tear his ACL in what became the Raptors’ title-clincher in Game 6.The aftermath of that loss was exacerbated by Durant’s decision to leave that summer in free agency to join the Brooklyn Nets and Thompson’s Achilles injury while rehabilitating his knee injury.It thrust a Warriors team into a rebuild that became a reload. The Warriors used their two-year hiatus from the NBA’s biggest stages to retool their roster — adding a past No. 1 draft pick in Andrew Wiggins, who excelled in his first Finals, along with another rising star in Jordan Poole.It all clicked. For coach Steve Kerr, it’s a ninth championship overall after winning five as a player. He’s the sixth coach to capture four titles, joining Phil Jackson, Red Auerbach, John Kundla, Gregg Popovich and Pat Riley.Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 34 points. Al Horford added 19. Jayson Tatum finished with 13 points but shot just 6 of 18 from the field. The Celtics also committed 22 turnovers, dropping to 1-8 this postseason when committing 16 or more.It was just the fifth defeat in 22 title-series appearances for the Celtics, who turned its season around to have a chance at this crown. The Celtics were 25-25 after 50 games, then went on an absolute tear to get to the Finals and nearly claim what would have been just the franchise’s second championship since 1986.

NEW YORK — Atlanta, Houston, Miami, Philadelphia, Seattle and Kansas City, Mo., were the newcomers among the 11 U.S. sites picked to host games at the 2026 World Cup, while Baltimore, Cincinnati, Denver, Nashville, Tenn., and Orlando, Fla., were left out. Arlington, Texas; East Rutherford, N.J.; Foxborough, Mass., and Inglewood and Santa Clara, Calif, were the holdovers.AdvertisementFIFA announced its selections Thursday for the first World Cup with three co-hosts, also picking three Mexican cities and two in Canada.The U.S. selections included none of the nine stadiums used at the 1994 World Cup. The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., and Orlando’s Camping World Stadium were the only ones remaining in contention, and they were among the sites dropped in the final round.AdvertisementNew stadiums were selected in five areas used in 1994. AT&T Stadium in Texas replaced Dallas’ Cotton Bowl; SoFi Stadium in Inglewood took over for Pasadena’s Rose Bowl; and Levi’s Stadium instead of Stanford Stadium.Your #FIFAWorldCup 2026 Host Cities:🇺🇸Atlanta🇺🇸Boston🇺🇸Dallas🇲🇽Guadalajara🇺🇸Houston🇺🇸Kansas City🇺🇸Los Angeles🇲🇽Mexico City🇺🇸Miami🇲🇽Monterrey🇺🇸New York / New Jersey🇺🇸Philadelphia🇺🇸San Francisco Bay Area🇺🇸Seattle🇨🇦Toronto🇨🇦Vancouver— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 16, 2022

Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford and Gillette Stadium in Foxborough replaced torn-down stadiums that were adjacent.Orlando’s Camping World was dropped among existing 1994 venues. The Detroit area, where the old Pontiac Silverdome was host to games, was cut in 2018, and Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium was dropped after FedEx Field in Landover, Md., dropped out. Washington’s RFK Stadium was used in 1994.Chicago, which hosted the 1994 opener at Solider Field, refused to bid, citing FIFA’s economic demands.Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca, which hosted the 1970 and ‘86 finals and will become the first stadium in three World Cups, was selected along with Guadalajara’s Estadio Akron and Monterrey’s Estadio BBVA.Toronto’s BMO Field and Vancouver, British Columbia’s B.C. Place were picked while Edmonton, Alberta’s Commonwealth Stadium was dropped.The bid plan envisioned 60 games in the U.S., including all from the quarterfinals on, and 10 each in Mexico and Canada.Specific sites for each round will be announced later.

BROOKLINE, Mass. — Adam Hadwin wasn’t officially in the U.S. Open until eight days ago. He walked off The Country Club on Thursday with his best score ever in a major for a one-shot lead.With the focus finally shifting away from Saudi-backed rival league, who’s going and who’s staying on the PGA Tour, Hadwin opened with a 4-under 66 on a breezy but not overly punishing day at Brookline.AdvertisementThe lingering thoughts of the rival league came from Rory McIlroy, not from anything he said but with the golf he played.It was another bold statement as McIlroy didn’t make a bogey until his final hole — his brief fit of anger revealed as much desire as frustration — for a 67. That left him in the large chasing pack with four players who had to go through 36-hole qualifying.AdvertisementCallum Tarren of England, David Lingmerth of Sweden, MJ Daffue of South Africa and Joel Dahmen also were at 67.Adam Hadwin watches his shot on the 17th hole during the first round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at The Country Club. (Julio Cortez/AP)At the opposite end was Phil Mickelson, who celebrated his 52nd birthday — on the golf course, anyway — with a four-putt double bogey on his way to a 78.Hadwin ran off three straight birdies to finish the front nine in 31, and he only dropped one shot on the back nine for his 66. His previous low score in a major was 68 on three occasions, most recently the first round of the 2020 PGA Championship at Harding Park.McIlroy has become a leading voice on the PGA Tour over the last few years, particularly with his rebuke of the Saudi-funded series that is disrupting golf. Thursday was a reminder he’s pretty good at his day job, too.McIlroy made two straight birdies late in his round to become the first player to reach 4 under, only to miss the ninth green and make his only bogey.At the moment, McIlroy isn’t concerned with his strong stance against LIV Golf.“It’s been eight years since I won a major,” he said. “And I just want to get my hands on one again.”Even with a good start, and coming off a victory last week in the Canadian Open, it doesn’t figure to be easy for McIlroy or anyone else. The Country Club might be as accommodating as it gets all week, with moderate wind and cloud cover keeping the sun from making greens crispy and firm.AdvertisementAnd the best anyone could do was a 66.The group at 68 included two-time major winner Dustin Johnson, Justin Rose and Matt Fitzpatrick, who won the U.S. Amateur at Brookline in 2013.For McIlroy, it was his second straight major — and third time in his last four U.S. Opens — he opened with a score under par. There is confidence in his game for winning last week in Toronto, and there is passion rare for a Thursday unless the game is going badly.He tried to drive the reachable par-4 fifth hole and caught an awkward lie in the thick collar above a bunker, forcing him to stand in the sand. He hit that into another bunker, and then twice slammed the club into the sand out of frustration. But he managed to save par.“You’re going to encounter things at a U.S. Open, whether they be lies or stuff like that, that you just don’t really encounter any other week,” he said. “It’s hard not to get frustrated because I’m walking up there going, ‘Just come back into the bunker.’ The thickest rough on the course is around the edges of the bunker. So I was sort of cursing the USGA whenever I was going up to the ball.”And then from the ninth fairway, his approach sailed to the right and he flung his club. He couldn’t save par on that one and had to accept a 67 — not a bad start, and no apologies for his few outbursts of emotion.Advertisement“Almost to remind yourself sometimes how much it means to you,” he said.There’s a lot on the table outside of golf, too, with 13 players at the U.S. Open who took part in the Saudi-backed LIV Golf last week, leading the PGA Tour to suspend those members.McIlroy, the first to shut down talk of rival leagues in 2020, spoke passionately this week about building on the legacy handed down by Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. For those taking the guaranteed money for 54-hole events, he said it felt like “the easy way out.”But now it’s time for golf, and there a vibe of relief that focus could turn to a U.S. Open that first came to Brookline more than a century ago. Thursday was more about birdies and bogeys — mostly the latter in a U.S. Open — and a place in history.No other major is more open — roughly half the 156-man field has to qualify — and it showed. Seven of the top 13 came through qualifiers, including Hadwin. He was first alternate out of the Dallas section and got in when Paul Casey withdrew because of an ailing back.Dahmen debated whether to go a 36-hole qualifier 10 days ago in Ohio. The U.S. Open is hard and he had been beat up from travel and pedestrian results. Plus, it was supposed to rain. But he went anyway, and he qualified with one shot to spare.AdvertisementLingmerth was in the same qualifier and had to play 36 holes and then some because of a 5-for-1 playoff for the final spot. That went to Hayden Buckley — he was among those at 68 on Thursday — and Lingmerth was first alternate. He got in when Martin Kaymer withdrew.

The Chicago Cubs’ losing streak reached 10 games Thursday with a 6-4 loss to the San Diego Padres before 30,096 on a sweltering afternoon at Wrigley Field.The Cubs (23-40) fell into a last-place tie with the Cincinnati Reds in the National League Central. And it doesn’t get any easier this weekend as the defending champion Atlanta Braves come to town riding a 14-game winning streak.AdvertisementKeegan Thompson faces the Braves’ Charlie Morton on Friday in the series opener.The stumbling Cubs were outscored by a combined 49 runs in back-to-back series by the New York Yankees (28-5) and Padres (41-15). According to Cubs historian Ed Hartig, it’s the team’s worst run differential in back-to-back series in franchise history, breaking a record set in 1999.AdvertisementThe 1999 Cubs were outscored by a combined 47 runs by the Milwaukee Brewers (17 runs) and Philadelphia Phillies (30) in back-to-back series in late June and early July. The Phillies scored 41 runs in the three games, the most since the franchise came into existence in 1911.San Diego Padres left fielder Jurickson Profar, right, and infielder Ha-Seong Kim celebrate after Profar hit a solo home run off Cubs reliever David Robertson in the eighth inning Thursday at Wrigley Field. The Padres won 6-4. (Charles Rex Arbogast / AP)When the Cubs lost 6-2 in the finale in Philadelphia, keeping the Phillies under double digits was treated as a moral victory.“It feels like we won,” general manager Ed Lynch said in the postgame clubhouse.The Cubs’ loss to the Padres on Thursday — completing a four-game sweep — also meant they were outscored by at least 20 runs in back-to-back series for the first time in 143 years, according to Hartig. The last time that happened was in September 1879, when the Providence Grays outscored the Cubs by 20 runs (29-9) and the Boston Braves by 23 (31-8).