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The next Chicago White Sox manager was talking with fans Thursday on a beautiful afternoon on the South Side.There was much to discuss, and he had no problem telling them the truth, because he doesn’t know any other way to operate.AdvertisementOf course, it’s probably too early to speculate who will take over for Tony La Russa when the Sox manager decides he’s done, and we’ve already established he’s not going to be fired for the team’s unimpressive start.Suffice to say plenty of candidates will be throwing their hats into the mix, knowing the Sox are built to win and need only a few fixes to get over the hump. And the early favorite has to be former catcher A.J. Pierzynski, an analyst for Fox Sports who also gets paid by the Sox as an ambassador, the role he was in Thursday during the series finale against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Guaranteed Rate Field.AdvertisementFirst things first: Pierzynski doesn’t believe the 77-year-old La Russa is going anywhere soon.“They have a team that’s supposed to win, right?” Pierzynski said in an interview outside the Bards Room. “And I think they still will. I don’t think he’s going unless something drastic or crazy happens. I don’t think he’s going anywhere anytime soon. He still seems to enjoy it when I talk to him. He still seems to enjoy the day-to-day grind.“Tony likes coming to the park. Every time I see him he’s got a smile on his face and he’s excited.”[ [Don’t miss] Column: Fire Tony La Russa? Not happening, so Chicago White Sox fans need to learn to just deal with it. ][ [Don’t miss] Chicago White Sox pause Eloy Jiménez’s rehab assignment because of ‘normal leg soreness’ ]Connie Mack was the oldest manager in history at age 87, so maybe La Russa wants to last 10 more years and break the record. But this seems like a make-or-break year for the Sox manager. If they don’t make the postseason, it would be difficult to rationalize another chance in 2023.Pierzynski, meanwhile, has made no bones about his interest in managing one day. He has seen Aaron Boone, David Ross and others go directly from the TV booth to the dugout, and many Sox fans have told him they’d like to see him run the show.“I think other people have said it more than I’ve ever really thought about it,” he said. “I still obviously have a lot of friends here, and they send me tweets and stuff (saying that), and people send me articles.“Listen, I’m not actively out there pursuing it or (hoping) for anything to happen to Tony for me to do that. But if something happened, and all the cards lined up and the chips fell into place. … If (Chairman) Jerry Reinsdorf calls me and says ‘Can you come in for this interview?’ it’s going to be really hard for me to say no.”If that happens, hopefully Reinsdorf would include general manager Rick Hahn in the process.AdvertisementWhite Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski smiles after hitting an RBI single against the Orioles on July 18, 2009, at U.S. Cellular Field. (Nuccio DiNuzzo / Chicago Tribune)Pierzynski makes sense for several reasons.He’s close to Reinsdorf. Pierzynski knows the game. Sox fans love him, and he loves them back. The marketing department could better sell the team to fans with a known entity like Pierzynski.And of the last four Sox hires, two — Ozzie Guillen and Robin Ventura — have been former players and one was La Russa, a former Sox manager. The only outlier was Rick Renteria, who helped guide the rebuild through the tough times until being booted for the La Russa reboot.Pierzynski caused some commotion on Twitter during a recent Cubs-Sox game when he questioned why La Russa left starter Johnny Cueto in the game. Though he’s paid by the Sox for being an ambassador, it hasn’t prevented Pierzynski from speaking when he’s assigned to Sox games for Fox.“No, because I tell the truth,” he said. “I don’t criticize them. I tell the truth. And if they’re playing bad … they know they’re playing bad. I work for them but not in the baseball department. I think the fans are smart enough to know (what’s going on). I’m not going to be all rainbows and unicorns about a team that’s under .500 when I do a Sox game and they play badly.“I try to be as positive as I can. But if I see something and I don’t agree with it, well. … La Russa might say, ‘Well, I don’t agree with your life choice.’ It’s your opinion. I didn’t blast him. I just said I think you should’ve taken him out, and here’s why. And he can argue ‘Here’s why I didn’t take him out.’ Advertisement“I’m sure he probably looks back and says, ‘Maybe he was right?’ I don’t know. Right?”ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 16White Sox manager Tony La Russa watches from the dugout on Sept. 12, 2021, at Guaranteed Rate Field. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)Hmm. Not sure about that.“I’ve talked with him, and I don’t think he cares,” Pierzynski said. “He does the best job he can and that’s it. You can’t worry about what everyone else is saying. My job on TV is to tell the people at home what’s happening, and you take guesses.“Sometimes you’re right. More times you’re wrong than you are right. From up here (in the booth) it’s much easier to look down and say, ‘Why aren’t they playing better?’ I’m not in the dugout. I get information, but we don’t get everything.”Pierzynski pointed out objectivity is part of his job description as an analyst, as was evident during the Cubs-Sox telecast with Sox radio broadcaster Len Kasper.“Len and I were just honest, (saying) the Sox aren’t playing well, as everybody knows,” he said. “You don’t single out a player. You tell what their numbers are, what you see. The players deep down know that. I always felt that as long as you don’t get personal (it’s fair).”AdvertisementPierzynski is happy with his current job, so if he never gets that call from Reinsdorf, he’ll be fine.But Reinsdorf knows where to find him. He’ll be here talking to Sox fans, and more important, listening to Sox fans.

Chicago White Sox left fielder Eloy Jiménez — working his way back from a right hamstring tendon tear — is experiencing “normal leg soreness,” general manager Rick Hahn said Thursday.“In order to knock it out of him, we are going to return him from the rehab assignment which essentially stops the 20-day clock,” Hahn said. “We are fairly confident that we will be able to put him back on a rehab assignment as soon as next week.”AdvertisementJiménez has been out since April 23, when he tore the hamstring tendon behind his right knee, requiring surgery. He began a rehab assignment May 28 with Triple-A Charlotte.Hahn said the original 20-day minor-league rehab clock was set to expire next week.Advertisement“Doing this move allows us to remove any of the time pressure from the original 20-day clock,” Hahn said. “In terms of this normal leg soreness, as I would describe it, it is normal from the standpoint that both (pitcher) Lance (Lynn) and (catcher) Yasmani (Grandal) — who had similar procedures — experienced it as well. The difference was with both those players, they experienced it in Chicago as part of their ramp up. For whatever reason, as much as they pushed Eloy, he never really felt anything.“Now on two groundouts he felt it running to first base. It caused some concern for him. There is a little inflammation that comes from this tugging experience of the … neo-tendon which is more or less scar tissue that does take a day or two to settle down. We don’t believe this is going to be a long term issue, but we are pulling him off the rehab assignment in order to stop the 20-day clock.”Jiménez will be remaining in Charlotte, N.C., for treatment.The original estimate for Jiménez’s timeline to return from the injury was six to eight weeks.“I wouldn’t call it a setback,” Hahn said. “It slowed us down. The hope was when he originally went out on these 20 days, that we weren’t going to use all 20 and that we possibly would have him back, probably not this homestand, but on the road trip. Now that won’t happen.“But it’s not a new injury. It’s not a re-aggravation. It’s part of the process. It’s part of the process that is slowing us down a little bit. It should not have any long term effect on him other than slowing his return to Chicago.”Jiménez is slashing .235/.316/.235 in six games with Charlotte.“Two days ago, or before this most recent grab, Eloy was saying he feels great,” Hahn said. “The only issue is his timing at the plate. This could be a matter of how much longer until he felt himself at the plate. Hopefully we get him back out there next week and it’s a matter of building up his rhythm.”AdvertisementJiménez has to be out five days and then the Sox can request a new 20 days. As far as how long Jiménez would need once he begins the rehab assignment again, Hahn said it “depends on when we restart.”“If we restarted Tuesday at the start of the next series, then maybe we are talking a week or a week-plus,” Hahn said. “If for whatever reason we can’t restart him until next weekend, then maybe it’s a little more time given the added layoff from the plate appearances.“But we feel pretty good that after a few days of treatment we should be able to get him back out there.”Sox manager Tony La Russa provided an update on Lynn, who made his third rehab start Wednesday as he recovers from right knee surgery. Lynn allowed seven runs on nine hits in three innings at Louisville.“Got a text that said he felt good,” La Russa said Thursday. “He threw a lot of pitches (77) so he didn’t finish the five innings, but he’s optimistic that he’ll join us. I think the thing now is to evaluate how he feels (Thursday) and (Friday) before they make the final decision, but he was optimistic.”

Rich Harvest Farms, a lush private golf course near Aurora, might not seem like a natural setting for geopolitical intrigue and moral quandaries, but they will arrive as surely as the morning dew when the LIV Golf Invitational Series comes to Illinois in September.The fledgling rival to the PGA Tour is attracting big names with big money and generating controversy to match. The series, which started Thursday at a course in England, is backed by the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia, and critics call it a textbook example of “sports washing” intended to gloss over the kingdom’s dismal human rights record.AdvertisementSome scorn the events and those playing in them. The PGA on Thursday suspended 17 LIV participants from its tour, while USA Today columnist Christine Brennan accused Phil Mickelson, the best-known defector, of “going into business with murderers.”LIV organizers, led by golf legend Greg Norman, retort that their tour is taking a fresh approach to the game and giving lucrative new opportunities to its players. Rich Harvest Farms says their event will showcase pro golf in an underserved part of the country and raise money for worthy causes.Advertisement“The opportunity to bring men’s professional golf to Chicago and support local charities was one we couldn’t pass up,” said Alex Kline-Wedeen, the course’s executive vice president of marketing.Jerry Rich is the owner and designer of Rich Harvest Farms golf course in Sugar Grove, shown here in 2008. The course was host of the 2009 Solheim Cup. (Nancy Stone/Chicago Tribune)It’s unclear how much fans will care about the politics once the series lands in Illinois. Chicago golfer Reid Politsch, who has volunteered at Rich Harvest Farms events, said locals hungry for big-time golf will no doubt be excited to see some of the game’s superstars up close.He won’t be among them, though.“It all comes down to where the money comes from,” he said. “That doesn’t sit well with me.”Andrés Martinez of Arizona State University’s Global Sport Institute said authoritarian regimes have long sought to associate themselves with sports for the same reason carmakers and beer brewers advertise during games: to win over fans.Traditionally, he said, that meant hosting massive global events such as the Olympics or the World Cup, but more recently governments and state-owned companies have bought stadium naming rights, advertising on team jerseys or even the teams themselves.Saudi royals were late to the path blazed by their peers in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, both heavily invested in soccer, but they’re catching up quickly. Just last year, the kingdom hosted its first Formula 1 auto race while its sovereign wealth fund bought Newcastle United, a once-proud English soccer team whose fans cheered their ultrarich new owners.But what the Saudis are doing with the LIV series is something new, Martinez said.Advertisement“It’s more advanced in that you’re starting to see this split — setting up an entirely parallel system of competition where the rewards will be (so immense) that they’re disrupting and starting to overtake the traditional system.”Chief Executive of LIV Golf, Greg Norman, left, and Saudi golf federation Chief Executive Majed Al Sorour, right, leave the 1st tee on the first day of the LIV Golf Invitational Series event at The Centurion Club in St. Albans, north of London, on June 9, 2022. (Adrian Dennis/Getty-AFP)Saudi Arabia’s rising sports profile comes with considerable baggage. Human rights advocates say its government has performed mass executions, oppressed women, LGBT people and dissidents and committed war crimes during its military conflict in neighboring Yemen.Most notoriously, U.S. intelligence concluded that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, authorized a hit squad’s killing of U.S.-based journalist and regime critic Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul (bin Salman has denied the allegation).“They’re scary (expletives) to get involved with,” Mickelson told journalist Alan Shipnuck before he joined the LIV tour. “Knowing all of this, why would I even consider it? Because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape how the PGA Tour operates.”His complaint that the PGA doesn’t fairly compensate its players is not an issue with the LIV tour. The Golf Channel said Mickelson is getting $200 million for participating — more than twice as much as he has made in prize money during his entire career — while other stars reportedly received their own nine-figure deals.The payout isn’t the only thing that’s different. LIV events will feature a shotgun start, putting all 48 golfers on the course at once, and won’t have a cut line, so every player will compete throughout each 54-hole event. Participants will also be placed onto four-man teams that have names such as Fireballs and Niblicks.AdvertisementSuch novelties appeal to golf fans who told the Tribune that traditional events have gotten stale. Some called the uproar over LIV a case of selective outrage, noting that the PGA runs a tour in China and that another organizing body, the Ladies European Tour, holds events in Saudi Arabia.“I think it’s impossible to ask a group of professional athletes to be held to a higher standard in terms of doing business or taking money (from) someone who has questionable ethics and dirty money when our own government does business with the same regimes,” said Cory Fanning, a golf fan from downstate Le Roy.Paul Poast, an international relations expert at the University of Chicago, said the Saudis might be getting extra scrutiny because the LIV tour is upsetting the established order of an entire sport. But they might have calculated that the potential payoff is worth the heat, he said.“It has a bigger footprint than just simply sponsoring a team, where people don’t even think twice about it,” he said. “That’s what I think the motivation is. It’s a way of getting a lot of the benefit (similar) to hosting an Olympics or World Cup, but being able to do it in a manner that’s more sustainable and long term.”Kline-Wedeen deflected the Tribune’s questions about the LIV tour’s Saudi links, saying Rich Harvest Farms decided to host the event so it could contribute proceeds to several charitable causes, including the Kids Golf Foundation of Illinois, a caddie scholarship program and relief for Ukranian refugees.He also said the event will return pro golf to the Chicago area, which local fans complain is routinely ignored by tour schedulers. Rich Harvest Farms has hosted plenty of college tournaments and one Solheim Cup, which pits professional women golfers from the U.S. against their European counterparts, but never a PGA event, Kline-Weeden said.AdvertisementTeam Europe’s Maria Hjorth of Sweden and Catriona Matthew of Scotland make their way up the first hole during a practice round for the Solheim Cup golf tournament on Aug. 20, 2009, at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove. (Mike Groll / Associated Press)While a LIV stop scheduled near Portland later this month has generated local resistance — 11 mayors issued a letter decrying the event and warning of possible protests — Kline-Wedeen said that hasn’t been the case at Rich Harvest Farms, which is in Sugar Grove.“The local community and government have been extremely supportive of this from the moment that we talked about doing it,” he said.Sugar Grove Village President Jennifer Konen did not respond to a request for comment.Martinez said sports washing might be reaching a turning point. He noted that the Women’s Tennis Association suspended events in China out of concern for the well-being of Peng Shuai, a player who disappeared from public view after accusing a government official of sexual assault, and that Gazprom, a state-owned energy company in Russia, had sponsorships canceled following the invasion of Ukraine.“We’re seeing a growth of consumer awareness around many products we consume,” he said. “People are more prone to ask questions. What does that mean when it comes to sport? That’s a very intriguing question and what human rights activists are trying to impress upon people.”But Andy Johnson, who lives in Chicago’s west suburbs and founded thefriedegg.com, a website about golf and golf course architecture, thought the LIV tour might avoid that fate.AdvertisementHe said its organizers have been savvy about recruiting golfers with big followings and scheduling events in golf-starved locales. As for protesters, he doubted many will want to trek to Sugar Grove, 45 miles west of Chicago.Besides, he said, the public fury might well be spent when the tour reaches Illinois.“Typically with sports washing, it fades away,” he said. “That’s the goal of the whole thing. The more tournaments they play, the more normal it’s going to become.”jkeilman@chicagotribune.comTwitter @JohnKeilman

Catcher Willson Contreras and the Chicago Cubs avoided an arbitration hearing scheduled for later in the day, agreeing Thursday to a one-year contract for $9.625 million.The agreement was at the midpoint between the $10.25 million Contreras had asked for and the $9 million the Cubs had offered when figures were exchanged on March 22.AdvertisementContreras, 30, hit .237 with 21 homers and 57 RBIs in 128 games last season, leading National League catchers in assists for the third time. The two-time All-Star is batting .277 with 10 homers and 23 RBIs this season. He is eligible for free agency after the World Series.No statistics or evidence from after March 1 would have been admissible in arbitration other than contract and salary comparisons. The timing was set when Major League Baseball and the players’ association agreed to the deal that ended the lockout.

Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson and other PGA Tour members who teed off in the Saudi-funded golf league Thursday are no longer eligible for PGA Tour events under penalties Commissioner Jay Monahan shared soon after the first tee shot was struck.Still to be determined is whether those players are ever welcome back.AdvertisementThe ban includes participation in the Presidents Cup, which would involve the South African trio of Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel and Branden Grace.[ [Don’t miss] Phil Mickelson the latest golfer to sign up for the Saudi-funded LIV Golf Invitational — ending his 4-month hiatus ]The USGA already has said eligible players can still compete in the U.S. Open next week. The PGA Tour does not run the majors.AdvertisementIn a memo sent to tour members, Monahan said that even if players resigned from the tour ahead of the first LIV Golf Invitational outside London, they will not be allowed to play PGA Tour events as a nonmember by getting a sponsor exemption.Nine players have resigned from the PGA Tour, a list that includes Johnson and Sergio Garcia. Mickelson, who earned lifetime membership with his 45 PGA Tour titles, has not.[ [Don’t miss] Arlo White, the Chicago Fire’s occasional voice, will be the lead announcer for the controversial new LIV Golf series ]“These players have made their choice for their own financial-based reasons,” Monahan wrote. “But they can’t demand the same PGA Tour membership benefits, considerations, opportunities and platform as you. The expectation disrespects you, our fans and our partners.”At issue is players competing without a conflicting event release from the PGA Tour. Players typically receive three such releases a year, but Monahan denied releases for the LIV Golf Invitational because it is an eight-tournament series that has five events in the United States.The tour does not allow releases for events in North America.“We have followed the tournament regulations from start to finish in responding to those players who have decided to turn their backs on the PGA Tour by willfully violating a regulation,” he wrote.

The Chicago Bears were back at practice Wednesday at Halas Hall after the NFL stripped them of Tuesday’s practice for violating league rules that prohibit live contact.Along with explanations from players and coach Matt Eberflus about those violations, here are four things we heard as the Bears wrap up their third week of organized team activities.AdvertisementEberflus said early on that they planned to test players at different spots on the offensive line during offseason practices, and he showed that Wednesday.The Bears started practices in May with Larry Borom at left tackle and Teven Jenkins on the right side. But Borom, who started eight games at right tackle as a rookie last season, was back on the right side Wednesday. Jenkins, a 2021 second-round pick, took reps at second-team right tackle while Jones got experience with the first team.AdvertisementBears tackle Braxton Jones stretches at rookie minicamp at Halas Hall on May 6, 2022, in Lake Forest. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)“We’re just trying to find the best combinations of people, especially when you’re looking at the offensive line,” Eberflus said. “Who’s the best five guys out there so we can succeed? And it creates competition when you do that, when you’re moving guys around. Who can function at different spots and who can really execute?”The Bears drafted Jones out of Southern Utah in the fifth round after he started 11 games at left tackle in his final college season.“Braxton is a tough kid, very athletic,” Bears guard Cody Whitehair said. “He’s got really long arms as well. He’s learning. As hard as that is to be thrown in the fire like that, I feel like he has responded well and I’m excited to see what he can bring.”[ [Don’t miss] Bears 2022 schedule: Here’s who they’ll play — and our predictions for each matchup ]Eberflus has been hesitant to provide reasons for individual absences during OTAs, but he did say Gordon was in the building this week.Safety Eddie Jackson and edge rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad were present at the Walter Payton Center but didn’t participate on the field. Edge rusher Robert Quinn, who has not been spotted during OTAs, again was absent. The Bears have a mandatory minicamp next week.ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 11 Meet the Chicago Bears’ 2022 NFL draft class. (Jae C. Hong/AP)With Gordon out, Jaylon Johnson was back with the first-team defense after Eberflus had played him on the second team two weeks ago. Eberflus said then not to read too much into the grouping.“We were just assessing him where he was, and he’s done a great job with that,” Eberflus said Wednesday. “He’s learning the defense. It takes him a while to learn the defense because he just was coming in, so that takes a couple of days to figure out: ‘Hey, what is this call? What is that call?’ And he’s done a great job. He played really good today.”Safety DeAndre Houston-Carson had a pair of interceptions against Fields, including one during a two-minute drill in which Fields’ pass glanced off the hands of wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown. Johnson also had a nice pass breakup.AdvertisementBut Eberflus said it was a different story Monday, when the offense had an “outstanding day” with 11 chunk passes and one chunk run.[ [Don’t miss] The spring praise for Bears QB Justin Fields is flowing. But how much does it really mean? ]“That’s going to happen during the course of the game, so we understand that and I’ll talk to the players about this,” Eberflus said. “Sometimes it’s, ‘Hey, that team has a really good offense,’ so our defense is really going to have to step up and play while our offense is going to have to dominate that game or vice versa.”Jones was upbeat about his first couple of months with the Bears after signing a two-year, $12 million contract to be their three-technique defensive tackle. He is enjoying getting to know a young group of defensive linemen — and he also feels like he fits well within Eberflus’ defense.“It’s that penetrating three-technique, get off the ball and really just effort,” Jones said. “That’s kind of the staple of my game … flying around, making tackles and making plays and being disruptive. I feel like I fit in. I feel like I’m at home in this scheme.”Bears defensive lineman Justin Jones stretches April 20, 2022, at Halas Hall in Lake Forest. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)Eberflus said the Bears had “visual evidence” from Jones’ time with the Los Angeles Chargers that he would fit the role. And Eberflus has been pleased with what he has seen.“I love the athletic ability, I love the man, I love his attitude,” Eberflus said. “He’s working super hard, and again, the evaluation will continue to go all the way through training camp.Advertisement“When we put the pads on, then we get our true evaluation. But where he is right now, we are extremely excited about that.”

EUGENE, Ore. — Notre Dame junior Dylan Jacobs overcame a fall to win the 10,000 meters on the opening day of the NCAA Track and Field Championships on Wednesday.Jacobs — an Orland Park native and Sandburg graduate — took the lead on the final lap and held off runner-up Alex Maier of Oklahoma State to cross the finish line in 28 minutes, 12.32 seconds. Northern Arizona’s Abdihamid Nur was third.Advertisement“I went down and I was like, ‘Well, that happened. I got to get back up and finish now,’” Jacobs said about his tumble on the track at Hayward Field.Southeast Missouri State senior Logan Blomquist won the hammer with a personal best of 240 feet, 8 inches (73.37 meters) in the final round.Advertisement“I was nervous, knowing it came down to one final throw and that was it,” Blomquist said. “I’ve worked so hard for so long for this moment.Dylan Jacobs of Notre Dame reacts after winning the 10,000 meters at the NCAA Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field on June 8, 2022, in Eugene, Ore. (Steph Chambers / Getty Images)Tennessee freshman Wayne Pinnock won the men’s long jump at 26-3. Texas senior Adrian Piperi won the shot put at 70-7¼.Penn sophomore Marc Minichello won the javelin with a personal best of 266-3. Princeton junior Sondre Guttormsen took the pole vault at 18-10¼.The rest of the events Wednesday were semifinals. Oregon’s Micah Williams ran the 100 in 10.03 to lead the field for the final Friday.NCAA indoor champion Javonte’ Harding of North Carolina A&T had the top finish in the 200 semifinals in 19.98, but he was disqualified for a lane violation. Harding qualified for the 100 final.The track and field championships alternate between men’s and women’s events, with the women set to open their meet Thursday.

The Chicago White Sox had one hit — a single by Jake Burger — against talented Los Angeles Dodgers starter Tony Gonsolin heading to the bottom of the fifth Wednesday.They were down three runs when the offense appeared to be gaining momentum.AdvertisementBurger led off with a homer to left. Gavin Sheets doubled and AJ Pollock walked.But the promising inning fizzled and the Sox were held in check the rest of the way, falling 4-1 in front of 25,078 at Guaranteed Rate Field.AdvertisementGonsolin got Danny Mendick to hit a grounder to shortstop Trea Turner, which turned into a force at second. Leury García struck out and Luis Robert flied out to center to end the team’s most serious threat.“It wasn’t the best night,” García said. “But we have to just keep working and try to get better. We know we can get better.”[ [Don’t miss] ‘You form a lot of bonds’: White Sox OF AJ Pollock enjoys reunion with his former Dodgers teammates ]The Sox were limited to four hits, two by Burger. Gonsolin (7-0) allowed one run on three hits with five strikeouts and a walk in six innings.“I give credit where credit is due: The pitcher has a (1.58) ERA and he’s undefeated,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said. “So evidently it wasn’t a piece of cake. But we did have two real good chances to add a run in the fourth and the (fifth).“We didn’t get them over, didn’t get them in. So when a guy is pitching that well, every chance you get, you’ve got to mark and we didn’t.”Dodgers starting pitcher Tony Gonsolin puts on his hoodie in the dugout after the sixth inning Wednesday, June 8, 2022, at Guaranteed Rate Field. (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP)The first four hitters in the Sox lineup — García, Luis Robert, Yoán Moncada and José Abreu — went a combined 0-for-15 with a hit-by-pitch for Robert in the fourth.“I feel like (bleep) at the plate,” said García, who struck out three times. “But I give it all I got. That’s all I got. I give it 100% and struck out three times. Nobody wants three strikeouts. But I just have to keep working and all the situations, they’re going to change.”Robert stole second in the fourth and advanced on a flyout to third, where he was stranded. The Sox left two more runners on in the fifth.AdvertisementAsked if he’s considering drastic changes to the lineup, La Russa said: “I consider everything. I also consider we won three in a row (entering Wednesday), so I’m not dumping a club just because they got beat one game where a guy with a 1.00 ERA shuts us down.”The Dodgers struck early against Sox starter Johnny Cueto (0-3).Turner singled with two outs in the first and Will Smith followed with a home run to left.Cody Bellinger led off the second with a homer to right, giving the Dodgers a 3-0 lead.“It was just a pitch that I hung in the middle of the strike zone and he took advantage of it,” Cueto said through an interpreter of Bellinger’s homer. “But after that, I got better.“It was just a mistake, that pitch, and after that I focused on trying to (locate) my pitches down in the zone.”AdvertisementCueto retired 15 of the final 17 batters he faced, allowing only a walk in the fifth and a single in the sixth. He exited after six innings, allowing the three runs on four hits with five strikeouts and one walk.“He’s buzzard luck as far as we haven’t been scoring a lot, but we don’t score at all for him,” La Russa said. “But he’s a pro. He keeps going out there and keeping us close. … He’s very impressive.”White Sox starting pitcher Johnny Cueto delivers during the first inning Wednesday, June 8, 2022, at Guaranteed Rate Field. (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP)The Sox have been held to three runs or fewer in four of Cueto’s five starts. The one time they surpassed the mark was in his Sox debut May 16 in Kansas City, where Robert hit a two-run homer in the 10th for a 5-3 victory.“My focus is just to do my best every time I’m on the mound,” Cueto said. “I can’t focus on what happens around me. I just do my job and focus on that.”The solid pitching continued for the Sox, but so did the offensive inconsistencies.“Our offense got shut down and there were some at-bats that were not fun to take,” La Russa said. “I know the guys aren’t happy with them. To me, when a guy is pitching well against you and you have a couple of situations, you at least get a mark. You’ve got to mark.Advertisement“If it turns out to be a crooked number, that’s good too. But we didn’t do it.”

BOSTON — Jaylen Brown scored 27 points, Jayson Tatum added 26 and the Boston Celtics beat back another third-quarter onslaught by the Golden State Warriors in a 116-100 victory Wednesday night that gave them a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals.Marcus Smart added 24 points.AdvertisementStephen Curry led Golden State with 31 points and six 3-pointers. He had 15 points in a 33-25 third quarter for the Warriors but was hurt late in the fourth after Al Horford rolled into his leg on a loose ball. It was similar to a play during the regular season in which Smart dived into Curry’s legs while chasing a loose ball.Klay Thompson broke out of a finals slump and finished with 25 points and five 3s.AdvertisementGame 4 is Friday in Boston.The previous 39 times teams split the first two games of the finals, the winner of Game 3 went on to win the series 82% of the time.Feeding off the energy of the first TD Garden crowd to see an NBA Finals game since their last trip in 2010, the Celtics started fast and led by as many as 18 points in the first half.

WASHINGTON — Ariel Atkins scored 19 points, Natasha Cloud made two free throws with six seconds left and the Washington Mystics held off the Chicago Sky 84-82 on Wednesday night to avenge a loss Sunday.The Mystics closed the first half on an 11-3 run to take a 45-40 lead and extended it to 57-42 after scoring 12 of the first 14 points of the third quarter. But the Mystics were held to 15 points in the fourth as the Sky battled back.AdvertisementThe Sky’s Candace Parker had a shot blocked but got her own rebound and converted a three-point play with 27.9 seconds left to tie it at 82. Cloud dribbled down the clock, drove to the basket and was fouled before making two free throws.After a timeout, the Sky got it inside to Parker, but her left-handed layup didn’t hit the rim as time expired.AdvertisementAlysha Clark added a season-high 18 points, Shakira Austin scored 14 and Cloud finished with 11 for the Mystics (8-5). Atkins also had seven rebounds and five assists.Tianna Hawkins started the second half in place of the Mystics’ Elena Delle Donne, who played just seven minutes before leaving with lower back tightness.Parker had 16 points and nine rebounds for the Sky (7-4), who beat the Mystics 91-82 on Sunday at Wintrust Arena. Kahleah Copper and Rebekah Gardner each added 12 points, and Allie Quigley and Azurá Stevens had 11 points apiece.