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LONDON — Phil Mickelson, a chief recruiter for a Saudi-funded rival league to the PGA Tour, is ending his four-month hiatus by adding his name to the 48-man field for the LIV Golf Invitational that starts Friday outside London.Mickelson will be joining Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia and three other former major champions in a 54-hole tournament at Centurion Golf Club with $25 million in prize money and $4 million going to the individual winner.Advertisement“I am ready to come back to play the game I love but after 32 years this new path is a fresh start, one that is exciting for me at this stage of my career,” Mickelson said in a statement posted on social media.Mickelson also said he would be playing the last two majors, starting June 16 in the U.S. Open at The Country Club outside Boston.AdvertisementHe said the “transformative” new league would allow him to focus on a healthier approach to life on and off the course. Mickelson did not mention the signing fee, which is likely to be every bit of the $125 million or more reportedly paid to Johnson.It will be Mickelson’s first time playing since Feb. 6 at the Saudi International, where he first began to draw attention to how he was leaning when he accused the PGA Tour of “obnoxious greed” in an interview with Golf Digest.Two weeks later, Alan Shipnuck published excerpts from his unauthorized biography on Mickelson in which the six-time major champion acknowledged Saudi Arabia’s human rights atrocities, including the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, but said it was worth getting involved if it meant getting leverage to make changes on the PGA Tour.Mickelson also said he and three other top players paid attorneys to write the operating agreement of the new league. He apologized for what he said were reckless comments, without mentioning the PGA Tour.But then he was out of view for four months, skipping the Masters and the PGA Championship, which he had won the year before at age 50 to become the oldest major champion in history.Mickelson apologized again in Monday’s statement, adding that he “empathizes” with those who disagree with his decision to leave the PGA Tour for a league funded primarily by the Public Investment Fund in Saudi Arabia.“His contributions to the sport and connection to fans around the globe cannot be overstated and we are grateful to have him,” said Greg Norman, the CEO and commissioner of LIV Golf Investments. “He strengthens an exciting field for London where we’re proud to launch a new era for golf.”The PGA Tour did not grant releases for any of its 14 members who have signed up for the rival series, a list that also includes Louis Oosthuizen, Martin Kaymer and Charl Schwartzel.AdvertisementFive other players from the Asian Tour were added as exemptions.Even as Mickelson was the leader in trying to get players to join, his name was left off the original field list that was released on Tuesday. The Daily Telegraph reported Johnson, at No. 15 the highest-ranked player in the world, received upward of $125 million to join.The decision likely means the end of Mickelson’s career on the PGA Tour as players who defect are likely to face suspensions for violating tour regulations by playing overseas without a release.Mickelson has 45 career PGA Tour victories and has amassed nearly $100 million in career earnings on the PGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions. He won his first tour event in 1991 when he was an amateur at Arizona State and his most recent title last year at the PGA.The LIV Golf Invitational is the first of eight such tournaments, with five of them scheduled for the United States, two of them on courses owned by former President Donald Trump.At least six players in the field already have resigned their PGA Tour memberships. Kevin Na announced his decision on social media. The manager for Garcia, Oosthuizen, Schwartzel and Branden Grace said they have resigned, too.AdvertisementAs much as he was promoting a new concept, Mickelson appeared to be the one who caused the Saudi league to lose momentum with his interviews in February that disparaged the Saudis (“scary mother-(expletives)”) and the PGA Tour (“A dictatorship. They divide and conquer.”)All the top players — including Johnson — pledged their support for the PGA Tour. Johnson later changed his mind.

Sometimes, if you look closely, you can spot the blue band on Frank Schwindel’s wrist.For Schwindel, his Team Ryker wristband is a visual connection to the 7-year-old Chicago Cubs fan who calls the first baseman his best friend.AdvertisementSchwindel’s bond with Ryker Colón began in January at a meet-and-greet event through Club 400, a nonprofit founded by a Cubs fan. It spawned a link between Schwindel and the Colón family.Ryker is one of 17 children in the world with a JAG2 gene mutation. Doctors categorize his condition as a form of muscular dystrophy; however, the rare disease does not have a name. Ryker no longer can walk and uses a power wheelchair.AdvertisementNone of it stopped him from playing catch that night with Schwindel, who hopes wearing the Team Ryker wristband will bring awareness to the disease.[ [Don’t miss] The day Caleb Kilian has been waiting for turns into the ‘best day of my life’ for the 25-year-old Cubs pitcher ]“Whatever I can do that brightens someone’s day,” Schwindel told the Tribune. “Being able to connect with people and give a kid like Ryker smiles and hope where you don’t give up and keep the faith. Anything can happen.”After the Cubs’ April 22 game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Schwindel shared a photo on his Instagram story of him wearing the blue Team Ryker wristband. He requested some be mailed to him, keeping one for himself while putting the rest on a table in the Cubs clubhouse for any of his teammates to grab. Reliever Scott Effross was among those to take one, displaying it on a shelf in his locker.Cubs fan Ryker Colón, 7, wears a wristband reading “Team Ryker” while playing with toy cars at a Club 400 charity event featuring Cubs pitcher Marcus Stroman on May 27, 2022, in Lake in the Hills. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)Schwindel continues to stay in touch with the Colóns and gets regular updates from Ryker’s father, Eddie. He gave the family his tickets to attend a Cubs game this summer.“The worst part is not knowing,” Schwindel said. “It’s tough to see, and especially me being a dad now, you just want what’s best for your kids. And it’s got to be tough, seeing them struggle or not being able to do the things they want to do.“I just want to help them out and just know that we’re thinking about them.”Stewart McVicar launched Club 400 in 2014 after spending four years building the ultimate Cubs fan dwelling in the tricked-out basement of his Lake in the Hills home.The space features all the knickknacks and mementos a Cubs fan could dream of, ranging from a plethora of signed jerseys and baseballs to a neon-lit replica of the Wrigley Field marquee to a one-of-a-kind life-size bobblehead of Anthony Rizzo.AdvertisementInside the Club 400 charity space, featuring Cubs memorabilia, on May 27, 2022, in Lake in the Hills. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)During the summer of 2020, McVicar hosted limited tours because of COVID-19 and asked Cubs fans to nominate someone deserving. Eddie Colón nominated Ryker and 10-year-old son Aramis, named after former Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez.The Colóns were chosen and made the three-hour drive from their home in Muscatine, Iowa. At the time, Ryker still was walking and wore a helmet because he had been falling.“They gave the boys the best tour ever,” Eddie said.Three months after the visit, McVicar reached out to Eddie through Facebook to check in on the family and asked about Ryker and his backstory. They kept in touch online and through Club 400.At one point, friends of Eddie in Muscatine reached out to McVicar because of his fundraising background and the medical costs associated with Ryker’s condition. It took months of persuading before Eddie agreed to let McVicar and Club 400 feature them.[ [Don’t miss] How Matt Swarmer’s unique slider is bringing the 28-year-old Cubs rookie big-league success ]On Sept. 10, Club 400 hosted a fundraiser for the Colóns with former Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster as the special guest. The event raised $40,000, all of which went to the family.Advertisement“Kids are so resilient, they can teach us all a lesson of when we’re going through tough times to remember to smile and be thankful for what we have, and he has an amazing support system around him,” Dempster told the Tribune. “Here’s a kid who life has taken so much away from him with his challenges, and that’s OK. He doesn’t see them as challenges. He sees them as opportunities. And that’s pretty special. He’s fun to be around.”Club 400 has raised $600,000 over the last eight years for numerous charitable causes with a goal to reach $1 million. Its most recent event on May 27 featured pitcher Marcus Stroman and partnered with his charity, HDMH Foundation, and The Lost Boyz, an organization that provides baseball and softball to youths in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood.“Ryker is one of the great things that came out of COVID,” McVicar said. “Not only do we help them a little bit — and we can’t always solve the problems — but easing the burdens are a good thing. It’s not me. It’s the community of the people that follow Club 400 that makes things happen.”The Club 400 events and network help find connections to other resources, especially medical ones. It was through people in Club 400 that Eddie and his wife, Brandi, were able to get Ryker into Shriners Hospitals for Children in Chicago. Although Shriners wasn’t able to help with Ryker’s disease, the hospital reassured the Colóns they had been seeing the right people in the neurology field.A Club 400 member also reached out to a chiropractor 90 minutes from Muscatine where the Colóns travel for Ryker once a week. They used to go three times a week but cut back because of Aramis’ travel baseball practice schedule.“It’s a struggle for us to try to let anybody watch Ryker just because it’s a lot,” Eddie said. “People say, ‘You guys need some time away,’ but it’s not that easy because, yes, they’re not going to let anything happen to him. But to carry him from the kitchen, from the living room to the restroom, that’s a lot of work.”AdvertisementEver since Ryker was little, hospital visits were common.Eddie recalls how, at birth, Ryker had a constant cough, one that still lingers today. Nobody could figure out what was causing the issue. Then in 2018, the Colóns realized something wasn’t right when 3-year-old Ryker frequently fell. He was fitted with a helmet.Eddie and Brandi’s focus and questions shifted: Why was he losing mobility? Why was it hard for Ryker to keep his head up?“Basically he’s been going to doctors his entire life,” Eddie said.That has included three surgeries, including one on Ryker’s right ear in early May. While in the hospital, he watched a Cubs game with his dad while wearing a Team Ryker band. Ryker let the nurses know Schwindel had one on too, “and they thought that was so cool,” Eddie said.Cubs first baseman Frank Schwindel signs autographs during a rain delay of a Cubs-Pirates game April 24, 2022, at Wrigley Field. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)Among the various doctor visits was a four-year span of trips to the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital, where the family did not gain any answers. For the last two years, the Colóns have taken Ryker to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, where they at least learned one notable insight into Ryker’s condition.AdvertisementA muscle biopsy revealed the rarity of Ryker’s disease. The clinic kept some of Ryker’s muscle fat tissue and tests it every year because medical advancements are constantly changing. The most recent test revealed the variant in the JAG2 gene.The Colóns were told researchers in Florida and the Netherlands keep files of the 17 children worldwide with the mutation and are trying to crossmatch data and information to identify any common links.“The genetic doctor said some kids at birth were severe and they couldn’t walk at all and they need a lot of help, and then there are some that developed it in the teens,” Eddie said. “And then there’s some like Ryker that early on it started going that way.”Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.The Colóns have researched muscular dystrophy to gain insight into Ryker’s ailments. But despite doctors recommending he attend camps for kids with muscular dystrophy, Ryker does not qualify right now because his disease remains unnamed.[ [Don’t miss] Christopher Morel continues to be a ‘spark’ and highlight for the Cubs ]With Ryker unable to walk, the Colóns utilize a heavy-duty stroller at home to move him around. A chairlift gets Ryker upstairs to his bedroom.When a Mayo Clinic geneticist initially discussed wheelchair transportation for Ryker, Eddie was very hesitant. He worried about the impact on Ryker at school, namely the attention it would attract from classmates and how they would treat him.AdvertisementBut having seen how Ryker is welcomed by Aramis’ friends — many of whom have siblings Ryker’s age who include him in everything — Eddie relaxed at the thought of Ryker using an electric wheelchair. It’s now Ryker’s source of movement at school.“I know people are going to say stuff, but at school everybody wants to be around Ryker,” Eddie said. “Everybody loves him. I drop him at school and he gets get surrounded by, like, 12 kids.”What comes next is unclear. The Colóns are hopeful that raising awareness of Ryker’s disease will help unearth more information, more understanding of his condition and, hopefully, even a cure. While they don’t promise Ryker he will walk again, his family does everything it can to give him a childhood like any other 7-year-old boy growing up in Muscatine, Iowa.But how many of them can say they have a best friend on the Cubs?

Juan Yepez singled home automatic runner Nolan Gorman to lead off the 11th inning, Brendan Donovan doubled in an insurance run and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 5-3 on Sunday night at Wrigley Field.Yepez lined his tiebreaking hit and Donovan delivered off Daniel Norris (0-4), who had pitched a perfect 10th.AdvertisementGenesis Cabrera (3-1) tossed four innings in relief of Adam Wainwright, including a perfect 11th, and allowed a run on two hits for the win.The Cardinals won for the sixth time in eight games and took the rubber match of a five-game series. They tied it at 3 in the ninth after the Cubs broke through for a 3-2 lead in the eighth.AdvertisementHarrison Bader’s second hit of the game was a triple to the wall in center off Rowan Wick leading off the ninth. Bader scored on a single by pinch hitter Lars Nootbaar, tying the game and dealing Wick his first blown save in five chances.Cubs pinch hitter P.J. Higgins looped an RBI double down the right-field line off Cabrera to break a 2-2 tie in the eighth. It scored Patrick Wisdom, who had lined his second double of the game.Jason Heyward and Frank Schwindel had RBIs to give the Cubs a 2-0 lead. Nolan Arenado singled in two runs in the fifth to tie it.Paul Goldschmidt chopped a pair of infield hits, stretching his on-base streak to a career-high 42 games. The NL batting leader has hit safely in two straight after his 25-game hitting streak ended in the opener of Saturday’s doubleheader.Cardinals designated hitter Albert Pujols continued to inch up baseball’s all-time lists. The 42-year-old singled off Wisdom’s glove in the fourth for his 3,319th hit, tying him with Paul Molitor for ninth. He also played in his 3,001st game, tying him with Cal Ripken Jr. for eighth.Cubs center fielder Christopher Morel loses his bat during the ninth inning at Wrigley Field on Sunday, June 5, 2022. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)Cubs rookie Christopher Morel singled up the middle in the third to push his career-starting on-base streak to 20 games, extending a franchise record. Nico Hoerner had a double among two hits and scored a run.Both starters were workmanlike in seven-inning no-decisions.Wainwright allowed two runs while scattering nine hits and two walks. He struck out none.AdvertisementChicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Justin Steele limited the Cardinals to two runs (one earned) on seven hits. Steele’s solid outing was his longest this season and tied for the longest of his career. The second-year Cubs left-hander hasn’t won since April 9.The Cubs took a 1-0 lead in the first on Schwindel’s sac fly.Hoerner legged out a double down the line in left in the fourth and scored on Heyward’s single to make it 2-0.The Cardinals tied it in the fifth on three straight singles, with Arenado’s smash up the middle driving in the runs.Wainwright and Yadier Molina made their 315th start as batterymates, third in major-league history. They’re one game behind the Boston/Milwaukee Braves duo of Warren Spahn and Del Crandall for second place.Cubs manager David Ross said rookie OF Seiya Suzuki (sprained left ring finger) batted in the cage Sunday and could resume full baseball activities Tuesday. … Ross said INF Jonathan Villar (mouth injury) could return when the Cubs play in Baltimore on Tuesday. … LHP Wade Miley (left shoulder strain) tossed a bullpen session Sunday.AdvertisementCubs RHP Keegan Thompson (6-0, 1.99) faces Orioles RHP Kyle Bradish (1-3, 6.82) on Tuesday in Baltimore.

STATESBORO, Ga. — Jack Findlay got the final four outs, surviving a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the ninth inning, and Notre Dame won the Statesboro Regional with a 2-1 victory over Texas Tech on Sunday.The Irish (38-14), the No. 2 seed in the regional, beat third-seeded Texas Tech twice by a run and No. 16 overall seed and regional host Georgia Southern 6-4 in winning a berth in the super regionals.AdvertisementNotre Dame will face Tennessee — the No. 1 overall seed and top-ranked team in the country — in a best-of-three super regional next weekend in Knoxville, Tenn.Findlay entered in the eighth with two outs, two on and a run in after Alex Rao walked the only batter he faced in relief of starter John Bertrand (9-2). Findlay struck out Owen Washburn to end the threat.AdvertisementParker Kelly singled with one out to get the Red Raiders (39-22) going against Findlay in the ninth. Cooper Swanson walked and Kelly moved to third on Easton Murrell’s flyout to right.Swanson stole second and Findlay plunked Cole Stilwell on a 1-2 pitch to load the bases, but Findlay induced a groundout to first by No. 3 batter Jace Jung for his second save of the season.Notre Dame took a 1-0 in the third when Spencer Myers doubled and scored on Ryan Cole’s single to left. The Irish scored again in the fourth when Zack Prajzner doubled and scored on a two-out single by Cole.Texas Tech scored when Murrell doubled with one out and scored on Jung’s two-out single.Bertrand worked the first 7⅔ innings for Notre Dame. He allowed one run on nine hits, striking out seven without a walk.

SAN FRANCISCO — Stephen Curry scored 29 points, Jordan Poole connected from just inside midcourt to cap a huge third-quarter run and the Golden State Warriors beat the Boston Celtics 107-88 on Sunday night in Game 2 to even the NBA Finals.Poole finished with 17 points for the Warriors, who outscored the Celtics 35-14 in the third quarter to turn a two-point halftime lead into a 23-point edge. And when the Warriors scored the first six points of the fourth, the Celtics waved the surrender flag and emptied their bench.AdvertisementThe Warriors also got 12 points from Kevon Looney on 6-for-6 shooting and 11 apiece from Andrew Wiggins and Klay Thompson.Jayson Tatum scored 21 of his 28 points in the first half for the Celtics. Jaylen Brown added 17 but fought through a 5-for-17 shooting night, and Derrick White scored 12.AdvertisementJust like in Game 1, a huge run decided everything. The Celtics went on a 48-18 run in the second half to decide the opener; the Warriors didn’t wait that long in Game 2, going on a 43-14 burst from late in the first half until early in the fourth quarter to turn a tie game into an absolute runaway.Game 3 is Wednesday in Boston.

Emma Meesseman had 13 points, six assists, five steals and four rebounds against her old team, Candace Parker had a double-double and the Chicago Sky defeated the Washington Mystics 91-82 on Sunday at Wintrust Arena.The Sky took control in the third quarter, outscoring the Mystics 31-22 to take a 67-56 lead when Dana Evans hit a half-court shot at the buzzer.AdvertisementKahleah Copper led the Sky (7-3) with 15 points. Parker had 12 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, and Evans scored 12.It was the Sky’s second win over the Mystics this season, and they’ll go for the sweep Wednesday in Washington. The Mystics hope to have coach Mike Thibault and assistant coach Shelley Patterson back after they missed the game because of health and safety protocols. Associate head coach Eric Thibault was the acting head coach.AdvertisementMystics leading scorer Elena Delle Donne sat out the game to rest.Tiana Hawkins had 21 points off the bench for the Mystics (7-5), and Myisha Hines-Allen added 13 and surpassed 500 career rebounds.The Sky were 9 of 20 from 3-point range and shot 55% overall. The Mystics were 8 of 23 from deep and shot 45%.The Sky led 36-34 at halftime but quickly got the lead to 10 as Meesseman and Copper combined for 11 points and a 47-37 advantage on Messeman’s assist to Copper at the 7:27 mark.Parker’s two free throws a couple of minutes into the fourth quarter had the lead at 75-58.

MADISON, Ill. — Joey Logano watched helplessly as Kyle Busch drove away from him on a late restart Sunday, seemingly ending his hopes of delivering a much-needed win for Team Penske in the NASCAR Cup Series debut at World Wide Technology Raceway — the St. Louis-area track formerly known as Gateway.Kevin Harvick’s wreck with five laps left gave Logano another chance.AdvertisementHe took advantage of overtime, too, winning a drag race with Busch into the first corner in overtime, then jockeying briefly for the lead before pulling away to take the white flag and eventually Logano’s second win of the season.“It doesn’t get much better than that, racing for the lead like that with Kyle, one of the best, crossing each other back and forth,” said Logano, who made it a banner day for Team Penske, which won the IndyCar race with Will Power earlier in the day in Detroit. “I knew it was coming. I did it to him. I knew he was going to do it to me.”AdvertisementThe victory must have felt even sweeter for Team Penske given its recent struggles. In the last five points races, Logano has the only top-10 finish for the entire team with his victory last month at Darlington.Kurt Busch finished third in Sunday’s Enjoy Illinois 300 with Logano’s teammate, Ryan Blaney, in fourth and Aric Almirola in fifth.“I’m way out of breath here,” Logano said. “What a great car. Really fast.”Ross Chastain was fast all day too; he just couldn’t stop hitting people. He got into Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott at different points in the race, leading both to retaliate on the track.“It was terrible driving,” Chastain said afterward. “It’s one thing to do it once. I kept driving into guys. At this level I have to be better than that. It’s a shame. I had all these people believing in me. They deserve better.”By the end, Logano had watched Kyle Busch drive away on a restart with 13 laps remaining, only to get a reprieve when Harvick crashed with five to go. That led to a green-white-checkered finish at the 1¼-mile hairpin east of St. Louis, where Busch chose the outside lane as Logano drove his No. 22 car to the inside once again.Joey Logano takes the checkered flag at World Wide Technology Raceway on Sunday, June 5, 2022, in Madison, Ill. (Jeff Roberson/AP)Joey Logano, right, celebrates with members of his crew after winning a NASCAR Cup Series race Sunday, June 5, 2022, in Madison, Ill. (Jeff Roberson/AP)This time it was Logano who won the race to Turn 1 and moved in front of Busch, who crossed him over and took the lead into the sweeping third and fourth turns. That’s where Logano went low and pulled ahead, gaining the space he needed to pull away when Busch got a little sideways coming out of Turn 4.“We stayed in the running all day and fought hard,” Logano said, “and thought maybe we could, and that was it.”AdvertisementThe first Cup Series race at World Wide Technology Raceway, nestled just across the Mississippi River from the Gateway Arch and downtown St. Louis, produced a thrilling throwback to the early years of NASCAR, when tempers in the cars ran just as hot as the temperature outside — it soared over 90 degrees Fahrenheit in the sun.Chastain had a lot to do with it.The trouble for the eighth-generation watermelon farmer began in Stage 2, when Chastain ran up on Hamlin’s rear coming out of the tight first and second turns and sent the No. 11 into the outside wall.“I owe half the field an apology and words aren’t going to fix it,” Chastain said. “I’ll have to pay for it on the track.”Indeed, Hamlin spent the rest of the afternoon trying to get even: He nearly drove Chastain down onto the grass down the back stretch, then slowed to a crawl around the track and nearly kept him from making the minimum speed.“It’s good he takes responsibility, but ultimately it ruined our day,” Hamlin said. “We were racing hard there for a while on the inside. He tried to keep sliding up in front of us and wasn’t able to because I wasn’t willing to just back off and let him slide up front. It didn’t take long before he tucked behind us that he wrecked us.”AdvertisementHamlin wound up with some support when Chastain got into Elliott’s quarter panel later in the stage, spinning him out. And when the race resumed, Elliott nearly nudged Chastain into the wall before Hamlin took another swipe at him.All the drama kept a sellout crowd of more than 60,000 on their feet in the blistering afternoon sun. Chastain wound up finishing seventh, Elliott was 21st and Hamlin finished 11 laps down in 34th place.“We all have learned the hard way,” Hamlin said. “We’ve all had it come back around on us, and it’ll be no different.”

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Chicago White Sox lead — once six runs — was down to one entering the seventh inning Sunday against the Tampa Bay Rays.Manager Tony La Russa called on relievers Aaron Bummer, Kendall Graveman and Liam Hendriks — and each got the job done, helping the Sox hold on for a 6-5 victory in front of 11,162 at Tropicana Field.Advertisement“The offense went off early, gave us that big lead and the bullpen shut it down for three innings after I was done,” Sox starter Lucas Giolito said. “A win is a win. And wins are huge.”The Sox took two of three in the series, with both victories by one run.Advertisement[ [Don’t miss] Eloy Jiménez and Lance Lynn are ‘on time so far’ as the White Sox stars rehab injuries in Triple A ]The runs came late Saturday for the Sox with a three-run eighth featuring a go-ahead two-run homer by Jake Burger sparking a 3-2 win.The runs came early Sunday as the Sox scored four in the first and two in the second. The Rays got within 6-5 after scoring four runs in the sixth.Bummer, Graveman and Hendriks combined to give up one hit while striking out five in the final three innings.White Sox manager Tony LaRussa motions to the field from the dugout during the first inning against the Rays on Sunday, June 5, 2022, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP)“In Toronto, (we) lost some really tough games,” La Russa said of last week’s three-game sweep. “Lost the first game (of the Rays series), come back and beat them twice. See what our record is (25-27), but we’ve got guts, we like to compete and we’re tough enough.“There’s some times we’ve just got to execute better, no doubt about it. That’s the key going forward, to play better, sometimes to pitch better. But the other part, the talent is there and the toughness is there. That counts for a lot.”The Sox set a season high with 16 hits, three each from Andrew Vaughn and Luis Robert. Vaughn drove in one and scored twice. Robert had one RBI.Burger doubled twice and had two RBIs. Yasmani Grandal also had two RBIsEight players in the starting lineup had at least one hit.AdvertisementBurger drove in two in the first with a double. It was just the fourth hit in 36 at-bats with the bases loaded for the Sox this season.“(I) was able to control my emotions for that at-bat,” Burger said.Grandal followed with a check-swing single to right that brought home two more.“We just had to take advantage of getting good pitches and getting them out over the plate,” Vaughn said of the approach against Rays starter Ryan Yarbrough, who allowed six runs on eight hits in 1⅔ innings.Giolito had a four-run lead before he threw his first pitch.The Sox added two more for the right-hander in the second. Vaughn drove in a run with a double and scored on Robert’s single to left.AdvertisementAndrew Vaughn (25) is congratulated by White Sox teammate Yasmani Grandal (24) after Vaughn scored on a hit by Jake Burger during the first inning Sunday, June 5, 2022, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP)“You have a big lead to work with, you just go out there and want to attack the strike zone,” Giolito said.He said he was able to do that “for the most part.”“That last inning, falling behind a couple of guys and not putting guys away, but all in all, got through six innings and maintained the lead,” Giolito said. “Made it a little too interesting though.”Giolito allowed five runs (two earned) on eight hits with three strikeouts and two walks.The Rays took advantage of an error by Grandal at first base during the four-run sixth, which included a two-run homer by Mike Zunino.[ [Don’t miss] José Abreu is heating up at the plate but his focus is on helping the White Sox rebound ]“Throughout the start it was a bit of a battle, working with runners on base,” Giolito said. “Getting some big double plays, defense was great.Advertisement”But kind of like my last start (Tuesday against the Blue Jays with) the (four-run) fifth inning — this start the sixth — just didn’t execute pitches when I needed a few more executed pitches to get out of it relatively unscathed and maintain a big lead for us.”That’s where the relievers stepped in.“It’s a good feeling knowing that when my day’s done, got some guys coming in to shut it down,” Giolito said.White Sox starter Lucas Giolito pitches in the first inning Sunday, June 5, 2022, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP)Bummer allowed one hit and struck out one in a scoreless seventh. Graveman struck out the side in the eighth and Hendriks had one strikeout in a 1-2-3 ninth for his 16th save.“That’s how our front office built the bullpen,” La Russa said.After getting swept in Toronto, the Sox bounced back with an impressive series win against the Rays.Advertisement“Big momentum builders for us,” Giolito said. “The road trip did not start off well. It was important to find a little of our groove and win this series so we can go home, enjoy the off day (Monday) and keep that momentum going back at home.”

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A number of Tampa Bay Rays players decided not to wear rainbow-colored logos on their uniforms as part of the team’s annual Pride Night on Saturday that recognized the LGBTQ community.Rays manager Kevin Cash addressed it after Sunday’s game, saying he doesn’t think it will negatively affect the clubhouse because discussions among the players over the past few weeks were constructive and emphasized the value of differing perspectives.Advertisement“First and foremost, I think the organization has done a really good thing to have Pride Nights supporting our gay community to come out and have a nice night at the ballpark,” Cash said. “Impressed that our players have had those conversations and we want to support our players that choose to wear or choose not to wear to the best of our capabilities.”Reliever Jason Adam was among those who opted out and said it was a “faith-based decision.”Advertisement“It’s just what we believe the lifestyle he’s (Jesus) encouraged us to live for our good, not to withhold,” Adam told the Tampa Bay Times. “But we love these men and women, we care about them and we want them to feel safe and welcome here.”Detail of the Tampa Bay Rays pride burst logo celebrating Pride Month during a game against the Chicago White Sox at Tropicana Field on Saturday, June 4, 2022, in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Julio Aguilar/Getty Images North America/TNS)Earlier this year, Florida legislators passed a law, which Gov. Ron DeSantis signed, that forbids classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade. Critics argue that the law’s true intent is to marginalize LGBTQ people and their families.Members of the LGBTQ community took part in pregame activities and mini LGBTQ flags were given out to fans.Saturday’s attendance was 19,452, above the season average of 16,868. The turnout for Sunday’s series finale against the Chicago White Sox was 11,162.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Tony La Russa exchanged texts with Chicago White Sox pitcher Lance Lynn and left fielder Eloy Jiménez, who are rehabbing with Triple-A Charlotte.“They’re both encouraged about the way they’re going,” the Sox manager said Sunday morning at Tropicana Field.AdvertisementLynn made his second rehab start Friday, allowing three runs on four hits with two strikeouts and a walk in four innings against Memphis.“Lance said he’s got five innings (scheduled) on Wednesday,” La Russa said. “Getting close.”AdvertisementJiménez started in left field Sunday and went 0-for-2. He’s slashing .200/.294/.200 (3-for-15) in five games with the Knights.La Russa said Jiménez’s timeline calls for a few more games with Charlotte: “They don’t feel his legs are ready yet.” Jiménez has been out since April 23, when he tore the hamstring tendon behind his right knee, requiring surgery. Lynn is working his way back from right knee surgery to repair a torn tendon.“They’re on time so far,” La Russa said. “Sooner the better.”