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NEW YORK — Here are three takeaways from the series at Yankee Stadium, where Chicago White Sox won two of the three games against the New York Yankees.Tim Anderson heard boos when he stepped to the plate during the second game of Sunday’s doubleheader.AdvertisementThe Sox shortstop silenced the crowd in a memorable fashion in the eighth inning, connecting for a three-run home run. It served as an exclamation point in a 5-0 victory.“That speaks huge to the character of Tim and what we’re trying to be in this clubhouse, and that’s a family,” Sox pitcher Michael Kopech said. “That was one of the cooler things I’ve seen, watching an entire crowd that’s showing low class toward him, booing him, calling him ‘Jackie’ and all that stuff, and then hitting a homer and putting us right back in a good position to win.Advertisement“Got nothing but respect for him.”As he headed for home plate, Anderson did a signature move, giving the “shh” signal.Tim Anderson rounds the bases after hitting a three-run home run during the eighth inning of Game 2 a doubleheader against the Yankees on May 22, 2022. (Sarah Stier / Getty Images)Anderson had three hits a day after words were exchanged with New York Yankees third baseman/designated hitter Josh Donaldson during the third inning of Saturday’s game.“Basically tried to call me Jackie Robinson: ‘What’s up, Jackie?’” Anderson said. “He made the comment and it was disrespectful and I don’t think it was called for. It was unnecessary.”The benches cleared before Donaldson’s fifth-inning at-bat after he and Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal had a conversation.Donaldson admitted after the game, “I called him Jackie,” later adding: “I thought that was a joke between him and I because we have talked about it before. … He’s called himself Jackie Robinson (referencing a 2019 Sports Illustrated story). That’s why I thought it was funny between us.”It was an explanation that rubbed Sox closer Liam Hendriks the wrong way.[ [Don’t miss] Column: A teachable moment — and the true meaning of Jackie Robinson’s legacy to Black baseball players ]“Usually you have inside jokes with people you get along with, not people that don’t get along at all,” Hendriks said before Sunday’s doubleheader.AdvertisementSox manager Tony La Russa was surprised by the boos Sunday night, but definitely not the results from Anderson, who is slashing .359/.400/.517 with five home runs and 18 RBIs.“Think about the game he had under those circumstances,” La Russa said. “That made it special. But he’s had that kind of game a lot this year.”The Sox placed Kopech on the paternity list Tuesday. He returned after the birth of his second son, Vander, on Friday.“My mind hasn’t been on baseball until (Saturday),” Kopech said.He added with a laugh, “That probably helped me quite a bit.”White Sox starting pitcher Michael Kopech throws in the sixth inning of Game 2 of the doubleheader against the Yankees on May 22, 2022. (John Minchillo/AP)Kopech had an incredible outing in Game 2 of the doubleheader, allowing one hit with six strikeouts and two walks in seven innings. He retired the first 17 batters before Rob Brantly broke up his perfect game with a two-out double in the sixth.Advertisement“I was still doing everything that I needed to do back in Chicago, throwing and working out,” Kopech said of his week. “But I was definitely more focused on the baby I had on the way, and he came and he was healthy. And then I got a call that I needed to come back, and I showed up and tried to get refocused.”Kopech retired the final 13 batters in his May 15 start against the Yankees at Guaranteed Rate Field. Combine that with Sunday, and that’s 30 straight hitters.“I felt like I got into a rhythm the last time I faced them and I started off in a rhythm today and tried not to lose that,” Kopech said. “I like to face a good team and they’re a great team.”He lowered his ERA to 1.29 in earning his first win of the season.“My man just had a baby the other day and I was telling him dad strength got him 10 extra pitches in that game,” Sox outfielder/first baseman Andrew Vaughn said with a laugh. “It was awesome to see that. He’s been throwing the ball so well and we finally got him some runs.”[ [Don’t miss] Chicago White Sox — with Lucas Giolito back and Lance Lynn 3 weeks away — could soon have 7 starters: ‘We hope we have that problem’ ]Kopech capped a tremendous day of pitching for the Sox.AdvertisementJohnny Cueto started it off in Game 1, allowing six hits in six-plus scoreless innings. Joe Kelly entered with two runners on and no outs in the seventh, working out of the jam without allowing a run. Kendall Graveman bounced back after surrendering a solo homer to Aaron Judge, giving the Sox a chance to win before Hendriks closed out the Game 1 win with two strikeouts in a perfect ninth.The Sox loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth inning in the second game of the doubleheader.Two force plays at the plate and a strikeout later, they came up empty.But they finally broke loose in the eighth.“I was looking at the scoreboard, I said ‘We’ve got eight hits, let’s do something right here,’” Vaughn said. “And then some good things happened.”The Sox scored five runs on five hits. The runs, RBI singles by Vaughn and Reese McGuire, and Anderson’s three-run homer, all came with two outs.AdvertisementThe Sox also had clutch hits late in first game of the doubleheader, with AJ Pollock breaking the tie in the ninth with a solo shot and Adam Engel driving in Vaughn with a double.The Sox know they have work to do with runners in scoring position. They are 11th in the American League with a .227 average in that category (73-for-322).They went 3-for-13 in that department Saturday and 2-for-8 in Game 1 of Sunday’s doubleheader. They were 4-for-15 in Game 2, with the eighth-inning breakthrough leading the way, helping the Sox finish 5-3 on their two-city road trip.“It’s one of those things you can laugh about later, all the opportunities that we had,” La Russa said. “We’re going to work on that man on third (situation). We’ll get better. And then to explode like that (in the eighth), this game you can never figure it.”
Time and time again, the relationship between player and manager forces the manager to mindlessly defend their player, sticking up for their guy no matter what the situation may be.Whether someone on the other side pimps a home run, or an umpire rings someone on their team up on a pitch well off the plate, the manager’s job is to stand up for their own.AdvertisementBut when it came to Josh Donaldson’s misguided taunt of White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson, a Black player whom Donaldson referred to as “Jackie,” it was refreshing to see Yankees manager Aaron Boone go with his heart over his managerial duties.“When I first heard the name Jackie, I was really taken aback,” Boone said on Sunday. “Frankly, I was upset about it myself.”AdvertisementBoone went on to say that even if there was some previous relationship between the players, which Donaldson believed made the comment more of a playful joke, he doesn’t think that’s something his white third baseman should say to a Black person.From a human perspective, that’s a fairly easy statement to make. Not making racially driven jokes about people is a pretty easy thing to get on board with. But so often in the past, managers across Major League Baseball have let the name on the front of their jersey dictate their decisions. If the person under fire is on their team, the manager will often lean on empty statements about needing more information or reviewing things internally, even if it’s clear as day that their guy screwed up.That’s not what Boone did at all. While he acknowledged that the context of the situation is important — Anderson said he felt like “today’s Jackie Robinson” in a 2019 interview and Donaldson told reporters that he’s called Anderson the name before in jest without it being an issue — Boone also drew a pretty hard line, by MLB manager standards, against Donaldson’s comments. In saying that he wants the notorious agitator to “rein it in” and “read the room,” Boone went about as close to denouncing his own player as a manager can.Boone and his wife Laura have two Black children, Jeanel and Sergot, whom they adopted from Haiti. During the 2020 season, in the wake of Jacob Blake being shot seven times in the back by a police officer in Kenosha, Wisc., Boone broke down in a press conference when discussing how hard and heavy that year had been.Aaron Boone: “It’s been a hard and heavy year, and a heartbreaking year in so many ways.”Giancarlo Stanton: “When are people finally going to listen?” pic.twitter.com/ibN8QRispj— YES Network (@YESNetwork) August 28, 2020
“A heartbreaking year in so many ways,” Boone said on Aug. 28, 2020, five days after Blake was shot. He briefly got up and left that press conference to compose himself emotionally before returning.“I think that’s the case for a lot of people of all different backgrounds and races. My prayer is that we continue — even though we’re going through some dark times — [so] that at the end of this, we’re better. That’s my continued prayer.”An incident like the one Donaldson created is a pretty direct opposition to Boone’s wishes. While Donaldson is adamant that he invoked Jackie Robinson’s name as part of a wink-wink joke with Anderson, the fact of the matter is that Anderson didn’t appreciate it. Or, as David Cone put it during Sunday’s broadcast, “If Tim Anderson felt disrespected, that’s good enough for me.”In situations where someone from a historically oppressed group voices an issue with someone from outside that group’s treatment of them, particularly on issues of race, it’s rarely a good idea to side with the outsider. Instead, as many marginalized people have been saying for years (including Giancarlo Stanton on the same day of Boone’s teary-eyed plea for improvement), it’s of paramount importance to simply listen.AdvertisementBoone got that right over the weekend. While he didn’t go as far as fully planting his flag on the White Sox’s side, Boone did say that Donaldson should not have gone there and hopes that the first-year Yankee understands the significance of what he said. That is more than many managers likely would have said, and Boone deserves some kudos for separating his pinstripe loyalty from real life issues that transcend the baseball diamond.It’s not about scoring “woke points” or trying to publicly posture in a way that makes you look like a good person. It’s about doing the right thing and acknowledging when someone is upset about the way they were treated because of the color of the skin.Aaron Boone seems to understand that. Josh Donaldson — who said he apologized if Anderson deemed it disrespectful, not “I apologize for saying something out of bounds” — could benefit from taking a page out of his skipper’s book.
The Chicago Bears are in their second week of organized team activities at Halas Hall, continuing to adapt as new coach Matt Eberflus and his assistants get their program up and running. The Bears will hold three practices this week with Tuesday’s session open to reporters.As the team continues to grind through the spring, here’s the inside slant on three notable storylines.AdvertisementTwenty-two weeks from now, a prime-time audience should be treated to an intriguing duel between quarterbacks Justin Fields and Mac Jones. Chicago Bears at New England Patriots. On the “Monday Night Football” stage. Another head-to-head showdown between Class of 2021 QBs.That was one of the “must circle” games for the Bears when their schedule was released.Advertisement[ Chicago Bears 2022 schedule: Here’s who they’ll play — and our predictions for each matchup ]The Bears took an aggressive swing at addressing the quarterback position in the 2021 draft, giving up their first- and fourth-round picks in 2022 plus a 2021 fifth-rounder to vault from No. 20 to No. 11. General manager Ryan Pace, coach Matt Nagy and their staffs had their eyes on Fields, convinced he would emerge as a transcendent star with his arm strength, athleticism and poise and passion. But that also meant the organization passed over Jones, who went into the draft lauded for his ability to process but still wound up as the fifth and final quarterback taken in the first round.Jones was selected at No. 15 behind Trevor Lawrence (No. 1), Zach Wilson (No. 2), Trey Lance (No. 3) and Fields but went on to have the best season of the five. Jones beat out Cam Newton for the starting job in training camp, found his comfort early and completed 67.6% of his passes for 3,801 yards and 22 touchdowns in 17 starts. He posted a 92.5 passer rating as a rookie, propelled the Patriots into the playoffs as a wild card and played in the Pro Bowl as an alternate.At this point in the post-Tom Brady era, the Patriots feel as if they have their quarterback box checked for years to come.Shrewd patience in letting the 2021 draft board come to them or just plain old serendipity?Said new ESPN “Monday Night Football” commentator Joe Buck: “One thing we’ll never know — because he’ll never say — is did Bill Belichick luck into Mac Jones? Did he know that Mac Jones was still going to be there?”ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 119Bears quarterback Justin Fields scores in the fourth quarter against the 49ers at Soldier Field on Oct. 31, 2021. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)Furthermore, did Belichick have any inkling Jones would be so comfortable and productive as a rookie? Or, if given the first run through the 2021 quarterback buffet line, might the Patriots have ranked Jones fourth or fifth in their preferred pecking order?Whatever the case, Buck and ESPN color analyst Troy Aikman are eager to have the call of the Week 7 Jones-Fields clash this fall.“You have those two going head to head?” Buck said. “And two big markets on a Monday night? Can’t wait.”AdvertisementJones and Fields head into their second seasons undergoing significant transitions. Fields faces a more extreme climb, adapting to a new coach in Matt Eberflus and a new offensive coordinator in Luke Getsy, who is installing a new system at Halas Hall while entrusting much of Fields’ daily development to new quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko.Jones is crossing a different bridge after longtime Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels left in January to become the Las Vegas Raiders coach. In vintage Belichick form, the Patriots have yet to name a replacement for McDaniels, to this point refusing to designate a new coordinator in charge of calling plays and overseeing the development of Jones and the offense.“I’m not big on titles,” Belichick said in March.Still, amid change, Aikman said he will judge Fields’ progress the same way he will judge all the second-year quarterbacks in 2022.“Ultimately it’s based on wins,” Aikman said. “But does he help the team win? Does he play the position the way the position needs to be played in those moments when winning and losing is hanging in the balance?”Aikman would like to see Fields’ capabilities translate to on-field production.Advertisement“There’s no doubt in my mind that he can do that,” Aikman said. “Because he has done it. He’s done it at a high level in college (at Ohio State).”ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 37Quarterback Justin Fields works out on May 17, 2022, during OTAs at Halas Hall. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)While acknowledging that Fields’ rookie-season inconsistencies were caused by myriad factors, Aikman also doesn’t want the quarterback to use the Bears’ widespread 2022 changes as a convenient fallback excuse for struggling.“There will be discussions — as I’m sure there already have been in Chicago — about Justin Fields having to learn a new offense, a new scheme, those kinds of things,” Aikman said. “But it’s only problematic if they bring in someone who’s (not) good. If they bring in an offensive guy who’s good, who can coordinate that offense and get the best out of the players they have, then it’s a good move.”In other words, Getsy’s fingerprints will be all over the offensive progress.After a 1-15 rookie season with the Dallas Cowboys in 1989, Aikman was given David Shula as his new quarterbacks coach for Year 2. The next season the Cowboys hired Norv Turner as offensive coordinator and began a run in which they made the playoffs in eight of nine seasons while winning three Super Bowls.In that case, Aikman stressed, change was beneficial.Advertisement“It was welcomed with open arms,” he said. “(Norv) was fantastic. And we immediately went from the worst offense in football to a top-10 offense.“(With the Bears), we’ll find out in time.”Certainly, Fields’ late-October trip to Foxborough, Mass., sets up to be one of the more exciting matchups and perhaps the best measuring-stick game on the front half of the Bears’ schedule, the chance to compete against Jones and have the two respective offensives be compared side by side will be interesting.It also will open the door for renewed conversations about where the careers of each young quarterback seem to be headed.[ ‘A complete reset’: Chicago Bears are challenging Jaylon Johnson to earn the trust of new coach Matt Eberflus ]Five or six years ago, there seemed to be escalating worry about how the NFL would transition when its fraternity of quarterback legends faded from the picture. Where would the league go without Eli Manning, Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger, without Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers?Heading into the 2022 season, the pack of young quarterback stars is solid. Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert. Perhaps even Kyler Murray, Deshaun Watson and Dak Prescott.AdvertisementSaid Aikman: “The league has been in good hands and continues to be in good hands with the young quarterbacks we have in the game right now.”The big question here, of course, is which Class of 2021 quarterbacks can barge into that conversation. And will the Bears be in good hands for the foreseeable future with Fields at the controls of their offense?During a span of 2½ hours on April 30, Bears general manager Ryan Poles navigated the final day of the NFL draft with purpose, deciding it was most practical to go on an offensive line shopping spree. Poles added two tackles and two interior linemen to his roster.Braxton Jones from Southern UtahZachary Thomas from San Diego StateDoug Kramer from IllinoisJa’Tyre Carter from SouthernOf most significance in Poles’ mind, he was adding competition to the position room at Halas Hall that holds a special place in his heart.From a distance, Bears starting center Lucas Patrick pumped a fist.ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 11 Meet the Chicago Bears’ 2022 NFL draft class. (Jae C. Hong/AP)“It’s great,” Patrick said. “Bring 30 guys in. We can only have five (starters) and it’s only going to push guys further. It’s going to push me further. I’m going to push other guys further.”AdvertisementThe enthusiasm in Patrick’s voice was unmistakable.“I’m so fired up that our GM is a former offensive lineman,” he said, “because I think he gets it to the core — what it takes to build an offensive line. It’s (about being) tough, competitive, smart. Just guys who love football and want to compete.”The Bears still have a long way to go to fully fortify the line. And it was notable that even with that flurry of Day 3 draft picks Poles’ investment in the offensive line was modest at best throughout this offseason.Patrick was the team’s biggest offensive signing in free agency, arriving on a two-year, $8 million deal. But Poles used three Day 2 draft selections on other positions before starting his line binge with the selection of Jones in Round 5 at pick No. 168. (By that point, 27 offensive linemen had been selected.)Still, even as Poles understands the need to upgrade the talent on the offensive line, he sees an opening to build depth, create competition and establish an edge right away. To that last mission, Patrick’s arrival is still being celebrated at Halas Hall.The former Green Bay Packer has, well, um, a tone-setting personality, which is a nice way of cleaning up Poles’ glowing compliment of Patrick from earlier this spring.Advertisement“He’s a prick,” Poles said, “and he knows it.”Just to elaborate a little bit …“That’s how he survives,” Poles added. “And that’s what we need up front. Just (playing offensive line) myself, that’s contagious. Other people either have got to go with it or you just don’t fit in.”[ Column: Excitement, surprise, hope. The NFL draft delivered it all for the Chicago Bears. ]Following one of the practices last week, Patrick described the aggressive mentality he brings to work.“Football is played a certain way. It’s not a contact sport. It’s a collision sport,” he said. “And as the offensive line we have two duties, whether it’s run or pass. If it’s a run, we’re denting the defense. If it’s a pass, we’re setting a wall.“That’s the expectation every man should have when they put on a Chicago Bears helmet as an offensive lineman.”AdvertisementAs of now, Patrick and left guard Cody Whitehair might be the only two linemen who are certain Week 1 starters. Second-year tackles Teven Jenkins and Larry Borom will be evaluated as possible first-unit contributors, on the right and left sides, respectively. Veteran Sam Mustipher has been working with the starters at right guard with a lot left to prove to the coaching staff and front office. And Poles hopes none of his linemen feel complacent and that a few of his rookies can emerge as legitimate competitors for starting roles.During OTAs and into next month’s minicamp, Patrick sees an opportunity for the line to make significant progress.“Get better, compete and get tough,” he said.He also highlighted the arrival of a pack of hungry rookies as a means of staying sharper himself.“They see different things; they are asking me questions,” Patrick said. “And I have got to be even more on top of my game with what I know mentally because I know they are going to ask a ton of questions.”ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 46Head coach Matt Eberflus walks the field, April 19, 2022, during Chicago Bears minicamp at Halas Hall. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)Patrick said former Packer Corey Linsley helped show him the ropes as a young player, teaching him the professional approach and dogged mindset needed to excel in the NFL.Advertisement“He never took anything for granted,” Patrick said. “He showed up to work every day. He had fun, too, and let us see his personality. But at the end of the day, it was work. He helped instill the fact that this isn’t about us. It’s about our families and providing and setting up brighter and better futures by working hard and doing the right things.”Now Patrick is intent on paying that forward with the younger linemen at Halas Hall, hoping to use his experience, knowledge and a bit of his nasty edge to help the Bears offensive line turn a corner.Eberflus isn’t ready yet to designate team captains for 2022. As of last week, he said he hadn’t even cemented a philosophy on whether to name seasonlong captains or spread that role out among players week by week. Still, Eberflus was adamant that he has had his eyes open since his first day on the job, looking to identify leaders to help propel the Bears forward.“The leadership on a football team is the No. 1 priority you have to establish,” he said. “That starts with the coaches. But what’s more important is the leadership in the locker room.”It’s still early in Eberflus’ tenure. His first Bears team is just in Phase 3 of the offseason program. Organized team activities continue this week and will last into June in Lake Forest. A mandatory minicamp is on the itinerary next month before the team separates for a summer break and reconvenes for training camp in late July.[ Meet the Chicago Bears’ 11 picks from the 2022 NFL draft, from cornerback Kyler Gordon to punter Trenton Gill ]At every step along the way, Eberflus is watching to see which players have the work ethic, focus and energy to become tone-setters.Advertisement“I love to observe people,” Eberflus said. “Being a good leader is about action. It’s about doing the things you need to do and (it’s about) execution on the football field first. A lot of our guys are rising to the top (in that regard).”Eventually, Eberflus senses, the team’s best leaders will be obvious.“I let it happen organically, just by observing it,” he said. “I set the parameters and the standards of our football team, how we operate. And the guys that operate in that way certainly can be themselves, no question about it. But the cream will rise to the top. It always does. This is my 30th year as a coach and I’ve seen it every single year. It will rise to the top.”Ideally, Eberflus said, he would like to have an obvious leader at each position group. With the Bears still in the middle of a roster overhaul, the team’s identity and chemistry is still taking shape. Of the 90 players who participated in last week’s OTAs, 56 weren’t with the organization last season.Over time, the captain question will have more obvious answers.“You hold guys to the standard,” Eberflus said. “What will happen then is, ‘Oh, there’s one, there’s one, there’s one and there’s one.’ … We’re working to get that and we’ll see where it goes.”ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 24New Bears coach Matt Eberflus and new general manager Ryan Poles pose with a helmet after being introduced on Jan. 31, 2022, at Halas Hall. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 30Virginia McCaskey, the daughter of George Halas, took over as majority owner of the Chicago Bears in 1983. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
NEW YORK — Héber Araujo dos Santos scored on a penalty kick in the 28th minute and Sean Johnson made it stand up as New York City FC defeated the Chicago Fire 1-0 on Sunday.NYCFC (7-3-2) at least temporarily moved two points ahead of the Philadelphia Union for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. The Union visited the Portland Timbers on Sunday night. NYCFC began the day in a four-way tie for second with Orlando, Montreal and the New York Red Bulls.AdvertisementJohnson, a former Fire goalkeeper (2010-16), didn’t have to make a save until the 90th minute. Jhon Duran got off the lone shot on goal for the Fire (2-6-5), whose winless streak reached nine games since a 2-0-2 start.NYCFC outshot the Fire 15-10 and had five shots on goal.AdvertisementValentín Castellanos, the defending Golden Boot winner, did not play for NYCFC because of a card-accumulation suspension.
TULSA, Okla. — Justin Thomas is a major champion again when he least expected it.Thomas matched a PGA Championship record Sunday when he rallied from a seven-shot deficit at Southern Hills, then saved his most exquisite shot-making for a three-hole playoff to defeat Will Zalatoris.AdvertisementHe closed with a 3-under 67, matching the low score of a final round made difficult more by nerves than the wind. He seized control in the playoff with a 3-wood to 35 feet on the 301-yard 17th hole for a two-putt birdie.He tapped in for par at No. 18 for his second major — added to the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow — and stood erect with a smile, a mixture of joy and disbelief.Advertisement“I was asked early in the week what lead is safe and I said, ‘No lead,’” Thomas said. “I can’t believe I found myself in a playoff.”Thomas needed plenty of help, and Mito Pereira provided it in a tragic finish. The 27-year-old from Chile, playing in only his second major, took a one-shot lead to the final hole and drove into a creek to make double bogey.It was the first time since Phil Mickelson in the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot that a player lost a one-shot lead on the final hole to lose a major.Zalatoris looked like he had thrown away his chances for a first major — and first PGA Tour victory — when he three-putted from just outside 20 feet on the 16th hole. But he responded with a birdie from the bunker at the 17th and holed an 8-foot par putt on the 18th for a 71.He joined Thomas at 5-under 275, and they played on when Pereira faltered.Justin Thomas poses with the Wanamaker Trophy with his dad, Mike, after winning the PGA Championship in a playoff against Will Zalatoris at Southern Hills Country Club on Sunday, May 22, 2022, in Tulsa, Okla. (Sue Ogrocki/AP)Thomas, who had gone 14 months since his last victory at The Players Championship, now has a PGA Tour victory in each of his last eight years and moves to No. 5 in the world.John Mahaffey in the 1978 PGA Championship at Oakmont was the other player to come from seven shots behind on the final day. He also won in a playoff over Tom Watson and Jerry Pate.Thomas was still seven shots behind when he made his remarkable run, a mixture of key birdies and keeping mistakes off his card. It started with a 65-foot birdie putt from just short of the green to a back pin on the par-3 11th. He edged closer with an 18-foot birdie on the next hole.AdvertisementHe was lurking, while the leading pack behind him was leaking oil.Zalatoris and Cameron Young each caught Pereira, ever so briefly. All of them found trouble in the rough and in the sand. Thomas nearly holed a long bunker shot on the 16th, made birdie from a left bunker on the reachable 17th and had a 10-foot birdie putt he thought he needed at the end.He missed — but got a reprieve.Pereira was on the cusp of becoming Chile’s first major champion and giving South America the career Grand Slam.Even after five bogeys, he never lost the lead and delivered clutch par saves from the bunker left of the ninth green and from well behind the 10th green. None was bigger than his 12-foot putt on the 16th to stay one shot ahead.It all came undone with one swing.AdvertisementHis sawed-off swing with the driver, so effective on the previous hole, peeled to the right and into the creek down the right side of the 18th fairway. After a penalty drop, his approach up the hill started left and never cut back, landing in the rough. His chip rolled off the back edge of the green.Mito Pereira leaves the 18th green after his final round of the PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club on Sunday, May 22, 2022, in Tulsa, Okla. (Matt York/AP)His double bogey gave him a 75, a hard-luck end to such a promising week.“On Monday, I just wanted to make the cut. On Sunday, I wanted to win,” Pereira said. “I’ll take this to learn for the future.”Young, whose father is a longtime PGA professional, also will look back at missed chances. Playing with Zalatoris, a former roommate at Wake Forest, Young was in the mix all day and was briefly tied for the lead. His hopes ended on the 16th went he found a bunker right of the green, blasted out weakly to 30 feet and three-putted for a double bogey. He closed with a 71.Matt Fitzpatrick of England, who played in the final group with Pereira, also stayed in range, two shots behind until his sloppy bogey on the 17th. He shot 73 and tied for fifth with Tommy Fleetwood (67) and Chris Kirk (68).Rory McIlroy made a brief run with four straight birdies on the front nine, putting him at 4 under for the tournament. He was 2 over the rest of the way and finished eighth.AdvertisementIn eight majors at Southern Hills, it was the first time a player rallied from any margin to win, and it was only the second playoff. Retief Goosen won the other in the 2001 U.S. Open after he three-putted from 12 feet on the final hole. At least he got another chance, unlike Pereira.Six of the seven previous major champions at Southern Hills are in the World Golf Hall of Fame. The 29-year-old Thomas, now with two majors among his 15 career PGA Tour victories, is surely headed there one day.
NEW YORK — Johnny Cueto was terrific in his Chicago White Sox debut last Monday in Kansas City.He was even more impressive in his second start of the season Sunday against the New York Yankees.AdvertisementThe veteran right-hander allowed six hits in six-plus scoreless innings at Yankee Stadium but did not factor in the decision. The Sox gave up a late lead only to respond with two in the ninth for a 3-1 victory in Game 1 of a doubleheader.“He’s an artist,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said. “It’s fun to watch him pitch a game. And that’s what he’s been, an outstanding starting pitcher, because he gives you a different look four times in a game.”AdvertisementAJ Pollock put the Sox ahead in the ninth with a leadoff homer to left on a 1-0 fastball from Yankees reliever Aroldis Chapman.“You’ve got to stay short to him,” Pollock said. “He’s got some good velocity, good cut on his fastball, so just trying to hit a line drive and it worked out.”Andrew Vaughn drew a one-out walk, moved to second on a wild pitch and to third on a passed ball before scoring on a double by Adam Engel, making it 3-1. Liam Hendriks struck out two in a perfect ninth for his 13th save.It was a nice bounce-back performance by the Sox after the Yankees tied the score at 1 in the eighth when Aaron Judge homered to left on an 0-2 sinker against reliever Kendall Graveman.The Yankees put two on with one out in the inning, but Graveman rebounded to get Josh Donaldson to fly out to center and Aaron Hicks to pop out to third.“Most times when you do that, (you) lose your concentration and there is another run on the board,” La Russa said of Graveman. “He got the zero afterward, gave us a chance to win.”Cueto put the Sox in an excellent position early.“I had good command of all my pitches today and they had very good movement and I was able to locate them up and down the zone,” Cueto, who was receiving fluids in the aftermath of Game 1, said in a statement. “That was the key to keep the Yankees off-balanced today.”AdvertisementThe Sox went ahead 1-0 on an RBI single by Yasmani Grandal in the fourth.And Cueto kept “dealing,” as Pollock said. He struck out five and walked two in the 95-pitch outing.“He’s been awesome for us,” Pollock said. “Works fast and has all sorts of pitches to get them off-balanced. Shimmy shake (delivery). It’s awesome to play behind him. It’s great having him out there for the first game of a doubleheader because of the tone he just set for us.”Cueto has pitched 12 scoreless innings, the third-longest streak for a Sox starter at the beginning of his tenure with the team since 1974, according to STATS. Ken Brett pitched 17 scoreless innings in 1976 and Jack McDowell went 13 innings in 1987.Cueto allowed two hits and struck out seven in six scoreless innings against the Royals.“When (general manager) Rick (Hahn) mentioned that we were going to be able to bring him into the organization, he has a special relationship with our pitching coach (Ethan Katz) because they were in San Francisco together (in 2020),” La Russa said. “Ethan was watching the videos (before Cueto’s arrival from Triple-A Charlotte) and said, ‘Man, he’s throwing free and easy. That’s vintage stuff.’”AdvertisementCueto exited after allowing two singles to begin the seventh. Joe Kelly struck out Marwin Gonzalez, picked off Hicks at second and struck out Jose Trevino to maintain the one-run lead.“Kelly was just perfect,” La Russa said.The Yankees got the run in the eighth, but Pollock came though with the big hit in the ninth to give the Sox what La Russa called a “hard-earned” victory.
Patrick Wisdom grinned as he pulled on a gray T-shirt that read “SCHWISDOM” across the front.Nothing more needed to be said.AdvertisementWisdom and Frank Schwindel hit consecutive homers against Ian Kennedy in the eighth inning, and the Chicago Cubs beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-4 on Sunday at Wrigley Field to avoid a four-game sweep.Wisdom had a bouncer go just foul right before he connected for his ninth homer, sending a leadoff shot deep to center field. Schwindel then drove a 1-0 pitch from Kennedy (3-3) into the bleachers in left for his fourth homer.Advertisement“I was riding the momentum right there,” Schwindel said. “So I think that was the intent on the swing.”Cubs designated hitter Frank Schwindel (18) celebrates his home run with Patrick Wisdom in the eighth inning Sunday, May 22, 2022, at Wrigley Field. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)Schwindel and Wisdom also hit consecutive homers during the Cubs’ 7-6 loss Saturday. The last time the same two Cubs hit back-to-back homers in consecutive games was Hall of Famer Ernie Banks and Jim Hickman on Aug. 23-24, 1969, according to the team.“We feed off each other’s energy, so it’s been great,” Wisdom said.P.J. Higgins drove in three runs with his first career triple for the Cubs. Keegan Thompson (4-0) worked three innings of one-run ball for the win.The Cubs had dropped four in a row, blowing a 4-0 lead Saturday.Ketel Marte and Pavin Smith each had two hits for the Diamondbacks, who were trying for their first sweep at Wrigley Field since Aug. 9-11, 1999. David Peralta snapped a tie with a fielder’s choice that drove in Geraldo Perdomo in the seventh.The Diamondbacks had lost six in a row before they arrived in Chicago, including a four-game sweep by the Dodgers.“I thought overall these past four games, I was proud of the way we came back after what we did in (Los Angeles),” manager Torey Lovullo said. “We were in a position to sweep a team on the road. We just couldn’t get it done.”AdvertisementThe Cubs grabbed the lead in the second. With two out and the bases loaded, Higgins lined his second big-league hit into the corner in right and used a headfirst slide to beat the throw into third.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Before Higgins’ clutch swing, it looked as if Merrill Kelly might escape the inning unscathed. After the first three batters reached — including Wisdom’s infield single on a popup that dropped in front of third baseman Drew Ellis — Alfonso Rivas struck out looking and Andrelton Simmons fouled out.“Huge knock for us,” manager David Ross said. “Huge.”The Diamondbacks rallied in the sixth, tying it at 3-3 on two-out RBI singles by Marte, Smith and Jake McCarthy. Marte’s hit drove in Ellis, who led off with a double to center for the team’s first extra-base hit against Wade Miley.Cubs starting pitcher Wade Miley reacts as he allows three Diamondbacks runs in the sixth inning Sunday, May 22, 2022, at Wrigley Field. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)Diamondbacks: 3B Josh Rojas (bruised left hand) was held out. Lovullo said he doesn’t think Rojas will need a stint on the injured list. Ellis was recalled from Triple-A Reno and INF Yonny Hernandez was sent down. … Lovullo said he talked to SS Nick Ahmed on Saturday, and he has a text chain going with C Jose Herrera, LHP Kyle Nelson and OF Cooper Hummel. Herrera, Nelson and Hummel are on the IL because of COVID-19 protocol, and Ahmed also is on the IL with an unspecified issue. Lovullo said all four players are doing well.Cubs: C Willson Contreras (right hamstring) is day to day after he left Saturday’s 7-6 loss in the third inning. Higgins was promoted from Triple-A Iowa, and INF Ildemaro Vargas was designated for assignment. … INF Nico Hoerner (right ankle) hit on the field, and Ross said Hoerner planned to take some ground balls. INF Nick Madrigal (low back strain) played catch. Ross said he thinks Madrigal will need a rehab stint in the minors, but Hoerner could return as soon as the upcoming series in Cincinnati.AdvertisementDiamondbacks: RHP Zach Davies (2-2, 4.35 ERA) starts Monday night against the Kansas City Royals in the opener of a nine-game homestand. RHP Zack Greinke (0-2, 3.48 ERA) takes the mound for the Royals.Cubs: LHP Drew Smyly (1-5, 3.97 ERA) pitches Monday night in Cincinnati in the opener of a four-game series. The Reds have not announced their starter.
WASHINGTON — Candace Parker finished with her second career triple-double and the Chicago Sky pulled away in the second half to beat the Washington Mystics 82-73 on Sunday.Parker totaled 16 points, 13 rebounds and picked up a 10th assist on a basket by Allie Quigley with 21.2 seconds remaining.AdvertisementIt was the 11th triple-double in WNBA history. Parker joins Sheryl Swoopes and Sky teammate Courtney Vandersloot as the only players to accomplish the feat twice.“It means a lot,” Parker said. “To be in the company with Sloot, who does it on a regular basis and will end up leading the league in assists, and Sheryl Swoopes — I grew up watching her play and idolizing her. To be in that company. I realize there are more that are coming behind me. Hoping coaches are watching post players, point forwards, that’s where it’s at.”AdvertisementParker was the sixth player to post a triple-double when she pulled it off in 2017 against the San Antonio Stars. Sabrina Ionescu of the New York Liberty was the last to record a triple-double, accomplishing the feat in May 2021 against the Minnesota Lynx.Azurá Stevens scored 13 off the bench for the Sky (3-2). Quigley and Kahleah Copper added 12 points apiece, while Emma Meesseman and reserve Rebekah Gardner scored 11.Ariel Atkins had 20 points to lead the Mystics (5-2), who led 42-38 at halftime before being outscored 23-13 in the third quarter.Elena Delle Donne pitched in with 17 points, seven rebounds and three steals for the Mystics, who fell a game behind the first-place Las Vegas Aces.
NEW YORK — Chicago White Sox closer Liam Hendriks wasn’t buying Josh Donaldson’s explanation for the New York Yankees third baseman’s comments to Tim Anderson during Saturday’s game at Yankee Stadium. “Basically tried to call me Jackie Robinson: ‘What’s up, Jackie?’” Anderson said after the Sox’s 7-5 loss, describing what led to a discussion with Donaldson after the third inning. “He made the comment and it was disrespectful and I don’t think it was called for. It was unnecessary.”AdvertisementThe benches cleared before Donaldson’s at-bat in the fifth inning.Donaldson admitted after the game, “I called him Jackie,” later adding: “I thought that was a joke between him and I because we have talked about it before. … He’s called himself Jackie Robinson. That’s why I thought it was funny between us.”AdvertisementThat explanation did not sit well with Hendriks.Umpires, left, call for calm while White Sox third base coach Joe McEwing (99), second from right, holds back shortstop Tim Anderson (7) during a game against the Yankees on May 21, 2022. (Bebeto Matthews/AP)“Usually you have inside jokes with people you get along with, not people that don’t get along at all,” Hendriks said Sunday. “So that statement right there was complete bull(bleep).“My feelings toward the individual in question are pretty well-documented in the fact that we don’t get along. The fact I have now spoken to four separate clubhouses he’s been in and as a whole, none of them get along. So trying to whip out that narrative is complete and utter bull(bleep).”Donaldson’s “Jackie” reference dates to a 2019 Sports Illustrated article that came out soon after Anderson’s bat flip against the Kansas City Royals and subsequent plunking made news.The article discussed a “have-fun barrier.”“I kind of feel like today’s Jackie Robinson,” Anderson said in the article. “That’s huge to say. But it’s cool, man, because he changed the game, and I feel like I’m getting to a point to where I need to change the game.”[ [Don’t miss] Column: A teachable moment — and the true meaning of Jackie Robinson’s legacy to Black baseball players ]The article pointed out in the next sentence Anderson’s “point is more nuanced than it might sound.”Donaldson said Saturday: “My meaning of that is not any term trying to be racist by any fact of the matter. It was just off of an interview.”AdvertisementHe later added: “Just trying to defuse it, make light like, ‘Hey, we’re not trying to start any brawls or anything like that.’ Obviously he deemed that it was disrespectful and if he did, I apologize. That’s not what I was trying to do by any manner.”Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson and White Sox baserunner Tim Anderson share words in the first inning of a game at Guaranteed Rate Field on May 13, 2022. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)Hendriks said Donaldson’s comments during the game were “just completely unacceptable,”“And then trying to whip it out like an inside joke is horse(bleep),” Hendriks said. “They don’t have those sorts of things going on. That’s like getting into an argument, like having an inside joke with a guy you’re nemeses with, per se.“That ain’t it. That’s not how it went down in this clubhouse and I don’t understand how he ever thought about it like that. It’s just straight delusional.”Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal exchanged words with Donaldson before the fifth-inning at-bat, and both dugouts and bullpens emptied.“I’m really happy with (Grandal’s) decision to confront him at the plate,” Hendriks said. “That shows how strong this clubhouse is. That shows the brotherhood in this clubhouse that we have going on. We’re going to go to bat for everyone in this clubhouse, no matter who they are, no matter what’s going on. We’re going to take care of them.Advertisement“(Sox manager) Tony (La Russa) wears the shirt that says ‘Family’ every single day, and that’s what it is, a family. We take care of our own, and if something happens that we don’t think is right, we’re going to speak up.”[ [Sign up now] Get the latest Chicago sports news in your inbox each morning ]La Russa said Sunday he was “curious to see what the Yankee organization says.”“It’s not really important what I say here,” La Russa said. “(Yankees manager) Aaron (Boone), he’s between a rock and a hard place there. I know him, I know his family and I know he doesn’t approve.“But I’m really waiting to hear what the Yankees say. I know what they represent, right? ‘God Bless America’ (in the) seventh inning. So I’m waiting to hear what they say.”Major League Baseball is looking into the incident, according to reports.“Whenever they reach a conclusion, I’m sure you’ll hear it,” La Russa said. “I know you’re looking at MLB. That’s why I said I’m anxious to know what the Yankees are saying because MLB has been crystal clear for years on how they feel about something like that.Advertisement“I hope (the Yankees) would echo Major League Baseball, where there’s no situation where that’ll be tolerated. I’ve respected the Yankees organization for a long time, so I’m just curious.”
Chad Brown’s heart sang as he watched the Preakness unfold according to the plan he and Seth Klarman had concocted six weeks earlier.Using all their best data and intuition, the trainer and owner had guessed Baltimore would be the place to strike with their fast, tough, inexperienced colt, Early Voting. And for the second time in five years, here was the proof that Brown and Klarman knew what they were doing by skipping the Kentucky Derby.Advertisement“Everything lined up,” Brown said Sunday after traveling back to his home base in New York overnight.Early Voting, ridden by jockey Jose L. Ortiz and leading runner-up Epicenter, won the 147th Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on Saturday. (Vincent Alban/Baltimore Sun)But this triumph of analysis sucked any forward momentum out of a Triple Crown series that had already featured a Preakness buildup devoid of Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike. Early Voting will not go on to the June 11 Belmont Stakes, just as Rich Strike did not go on to the Preakness after his 80-1 dream run in the Derby. Racing fans are left to wonder if the Triple Crown series is really a series at all.AdvertisementNot since Justify’s Triple Crown in 2018 have we seen a horse win even two of the three races.That possibility is still on the table, with Rich Strike expected to headline the field for the Belmont. But the Derby winner’s owner, Rick Dawson, skipped the Preakness because he was uncomfortable running his horse on two weeks’ rest. His decision — lauded by many as a welcome sign of care for Rich Strike’s health — effectively severed the Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont into three distinct events rather than the traditional gauntlet for elite 3-year-olds.With neither Early Voting nor Epicenter (runner-up in the Derby and Preakness) pointed for the Belmont, fans will have to wait until the summer (if then) for the high-profile rematches that usually spice up the Triple Crown.What’s left to say then as the carnival moves away from Pimlico Race Course?With neither Early Voting, blanketed with flowers with jockey Jose L. Ortiz leading the way, nor Epicenter pointed for the Belmont, fans will have to wait until the summer (if then) for the high-profile rematches that usually spice up the Triple Crown. (KENNETH K. LAM/Baltimore Sun)This year was billed as a return to normal for Baltimore’s largest spring event, with pandemic-era crowd restrictions lifted and the infield reopened for accompanying parties and concerts. That narrative proved partially true, but with no Derby winner on hand and the heat dissuading some patrons, the Preakness was not all the way back to peak form. The crowd, described by The Stronach Group as “60,000-plus,” was less than half the pre-pandemic norm, though the track operator said at least some of that was by design. The customary roar when nine contenders entered the starting gate was less full-throated, with plenty of empty chairs visible along the track’s apron. The joy surrounding Rich Strike’s shocking charge in Kentucky was not replicable, no matter how perfect a race Early Voting ran.That takes nothing away from what Brown and Klarman, who grew up three blocks from Pimlico, accomplished. Picking the right race has always been a vital part of the trainer’s art, and as Klarman suggested, Brown might be better at it than anyone in the game. It makes sense that a wildly successful hedge fund manager would partner with such a horseman, and they have made their mark on the sport in addition to building a close friendship.Their 2017 Preakness win with Cloud Computing was a monument to effective planning, a classic victory pulled from a horse that showed no sign of greatness either before or after the third Saturday in May. Early Voting might prove to be a more accomplished racer, but he too benefited from Brown and Klarman’s restraint in avoiding the 20-horse maelstrom of the Derby. Theirs might not be the most romantic approach, but it paid off.And let’s not forget jockey Jose Ortiz, who recognized that charging after the early lead, Early Voting’s expected setting, was not the right play on Saturday. His patience in the race fit the theme around this Preakness champion.AdvertisementJoel Rosario, the jockey for Epicenter, speaks to owner Steve Asmussen after finishing runner-up at the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on Saturday. (Vincent Alban/Baltimore Sun)Steve Asmussen, meanwhile, could only stew in another evening of disappointment. The most prolific winner in North American history has every reason to believe Epicenter is the best 3-year-old in the land, but he has neither a Derby nor Preakness victory to show for it. Asmussen was perplexed as he watched Epicenter fall so far back early in the race. He was still in seventh 3/4 of a mile in, not the plan for a colt that dominated his Derby prep races from more forward placements.Owner Ron Winchell speculated Sunday that his horse was “a little flat” because of the quick two-week turnaround from the Derby. His sharpest efforts have come off five- and six-week breaks.Epicenter could still be headed for a great career; Asmussen-trained Gun Runner (Early Voting’s sire, coincidentally) won American Horse of the Year honors a year after he finished third in the Kentucky Derby and skipped the other two Triple Crown races. But if that’s his destiny, it will have to wait.Asmussen did leave Pimlico with a $50,000 bonus for achieving the best overall results of any trainer across Preakness weekend.The story that captured the most prerace attention, 86-year-old D. Wayne Lukas’ bid for a seventh Preakness win with the filly Secret Oath, also ended in disappointment. She “made a big, sweeping run” in Lukas’ words, to move up from ninth at the half-mile mark to fourth at the finish. But Secret Oath too is done with the Triple Crown series and will prepare for battles against other fillies in the summer and fall.Of the nine Preakness runners, only third-place finisher Creative Minister, who validated his owners’ $150,000 decision to add him to the field, seems certain to head for the Belmont, though fifth-place Skippylongstocking could join him.Advertisement154th BELMONT STAKESFinal leg of Triple Crown seriesElmont, New YorkJune 11TV: Chs. 11, 4 (coverage begins 5 p.m.)