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The brackets were officially unveiled for the 2022 NCAA men’s and women’s lacrosse tournaments Sunday night, with a few surprises. Here’s what you need to know:In the 18-team men’s field, Maryland received the No. 1 overall seed after going 14-0 and beating Rutgers, 17-7, in the Big Ten Tournament championship. Here’s a look at the teams and their resumes, including Rating Percentage Index (RPI), which takes into account strength of schedule:AdvertisementNo. 1 seed Maryland: 14-0, Big Ten champion, 1st in RPINo. 2 seed Georgetown: 15-1, Big East champion, 2nd in RPINo. 3 seed Penn: 10-4, Ivy League champion, 4th in RPINo. 4 seed Yale: 11-4, Ivy League finalist, 6th in RPINo. 5 seed Princeton: 9-4, 5th in Ivy League, 3rd in RPINo. 6 seed Rutgers: 13-3, Big Ten finalist, 5th in RPINo. 7 seed Cornell: 11-4, Ivy League semifinalist, 8th in RPINo. 8 seed Brown: 10-5, Ivy League semifinalist, 10th in RPIBoston University: 12-4, Patriot League champion, 12th in RPIDelaware: 11-5, Colonial Athletic Association champion, 25th in RPIHarvard: 8-4, 6th in Ivy League, 15th in RPIManhattan: 8-6, Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference champion, 48th in RPIOhio State: 10-5, Big Ten semifinalist, 14th in RPIRichmond: 11-4, Southern Conference champion, 13th in RPIRobert Morris: 10-5, ASUN Conference champion, 29th in RPISaint Joseph’s: 14-3, Northeast Conference champion, 16th in RPIVermont: 11-6, America East champion, 35th in RPIVirginia: 11-3, Atlantic Coast Conference champion, 9th in RPIIn the 29-team women’s tournament, Atlantic Coast Conference champion North Carolina secured the No. 1 seed, while ACC runner-up Boston College received the No. 3 seed. Maryland, which won the Big Ten Tournament title for the first time since 2018, got the No. 2 seed. Here’s a look at the teams and their resumes:No. 1 seed North Carolina: 18-0, ACC champion, 1st in RPINo. 2 seed Maryland: 16-1, Big Ten champion, 2nd in RPINo. 3 seed Boston College: 16-3, ACC finalist, 3rd in RPINo. 4 seed Northwestern: 13-4, Big Ten semifinalist, 4th in RPINo. 5 seed Syracuse: 13-5, ACC quarterfinalist, 6th in RPINo. 6 seed Loyola Maryland: 19-1, Patriot League champion, 8th in RPINo. 7 seed Florida: 15-4, American Athletic Conference champion, 5th in RPINo. 8 seed Stony Brook: 14-2, America East regular-season champion*, 9th in RPICentral Michigan: 12-7, Mid-American Conference champion, 74th in RPIConnecticut: 13-4, Big East finalist, 14th in RPIDenver: 17-2, Big East champion, 10th in RPIDrexel: 11-7, Colonial Athletic Association champion, 42nd in RPIDuke: 15-3, ACC quarterfinalist, 13th in RPIFairfield: 12-6, Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference champion, 38th in RPIJacksonville: 13-4, ASUN Conference champion, 21st in RPIJames Madison: 13-4, CAA regular-season champion*, 11th in RPIJohns Hopkins: 10-8, Big Ten semifinalist, 15th in RPIMassachusetts: 16-3, Atlantic 10 finalist, 20th in RPIMercer: 13-4, Big South champion, 39th in RPIMichigan: 10-6, 4th in Big Ten, 18th in RPIMount St. Mary’s: 15-4, Northeast Conference champion, 45th in RPINotre Dame: 9-9, ACC semifinalist, 16th in RPIPrinceton: 13-3, Ivy League champion, 12th in RPIRutgers: 15-3, Big Ten finalist, 7th in RPISaint Joseph’s: 14-6, Atlantic 10 champion, 30th in RPISouthern California: 13-4, Pac-12 semifinalist, 17th in RPIStanford: 12-6, Pac-12 champion, 27th in RPIVermont: 14-4, America East champion, 33rd in RPIVirginia: 9-9, ACC semifinalist, 19th in RPI*- Stony Brook and James Madison were not allowed to participate in their conference tournaments because of their universities’ decisions to leave the America East and the Colonial Athletic Association, respectively, beginning the 2022-23 academic year.AdvertisementHere’s a look at some of the notable teams on the men’s side who didn’t make the cut:Duke: 11-6, 3rd in ACC, 7th in RPINotre Dame: 8-4, 2nd in ACC, 11th in RPIArmy West Point: 12-4, Patriot League finalist, 18th in RPIJacksonville: 14-3, Southern Conference finalist, 24th in RPIVillanova: 9-6, Big East finalist, 19th in RPIDenver: 9-6, Big East semifinalist, 20th in RPIJohns Hopkins: 7-9, Big Ten semifinalist, 21st in RPINorth Carolina: 8-6, 4th in ACC, 17th in RPISyracuse: 4-10, 5th in ACC, 30th in RPIFirst-round games begin for the men’s tournament on Wednesday, while the women’s tournament gets underway Friday. Here’s a look at the schedule:MENFirst roundManhattan at Vermont, Wednesday, 6 p.m.Robert Morris at Delaware, Wednesday, 7 p.m.Second roundBoston University at No. 5 seed Princeton, Saturday, noonRichmond at No. 3 seed Penn, Saturday, 2:30 p.m.Saint Joseph’s at No. 4 seed Yale, Saturday, 5 p.m.Virginia at No. 8 seed Brown, Saturday, 7:30 p.m.Manhattan/Vermont at No. 1 seed Maryland, Sunday, noonHarvard at No. 6 seed Rutgers, Sunday, 2:30 p.m.Ohio State at No. 7 seed Cornell, Sunday, 5 p.m.Delaware/Robert Morris at No. 2 seed Georgetown, Sunday, 7:30 p.m.WOMENChicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.First roundDrexel at No. 8 seed Stony Brook, Friday, noonRutgers vs. Saint Joseph’s, Friday, 2:30 p.m. (at Stony Brook, New York)Duke vs. Johns Hopkins, Friday, 3 p.m. (at College Park)Mount St. Mary’s at No. 6 seed Loyola Maryland, Friday, 3 p.m.Denver vs. Vermont, Friday, 4 p.m. (at Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts)Fairfield at No. 5 seed Syracuse, Friday, 4 p.m.Southern California vs. Virginia, Friday, 5 p.m. (at Chapel Hill, North Carolina)Mercer at No. 7 seed Florida, Friday, 5 p.m.Central Michigan at No. 4 seed Northwestern, Friday, 5 p.m.Massachusetts vs. Princeton, Friday, 7 p.m.Connecticut vs. James Madison, Friday, 7 p.m. (at Loyola Maryland)Jacksonville vs. Stanford, Friday, 7:30 p.m. (at Gainesville, Florida)Notre Dame vs. Michigan, Friday, 8 p.m.Second roundAdvertisementSouthern California/Virginia at No. 1 seed North Carolina, Sunday, noonDuke/Johns Hopkins at No. 2 seed Maryland, Sunday, 2:30 p.m.Denver/Vermont at No. 3 seed Boston College, Sunday, 1 p.m.ESPNU will broadcast all of the men’s tournament games leading up to the quarterfinals. The semifinals will be broadcast on ESPN2, and the championship game will be televised on ESPN.The first and second rounds of the women’s tournament will be livestreamed on ESPN+. ESPNU will broadcast the quarterfinals and semifinals, and the championship game will be televised on ESPN.As is tradition, the champions will be crowned on Memorial Day weekend.The men’s semifinals and championship game will be held Saturday, May 28, and Monday, May 30, at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut.The women’s semifinals and championship game will take place Friday, May 27, and Sunday, May 29, at Johns Hopkins’ Homewood Field in Baltimore.

A Dallas Mavericks fan was ejected from the American Airlines Center during Sunday’s Game 4 against the Phoenix Suns.After the game ended, Paul tweeted “Wanna fine players for saying stuff to the fans but the fans can put they hands on our families….f— that!!”AdvertisementESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported soon after that Paul’s mother Robin “had hands put on her by Dallas fans” and Paul’s wife Jada “was also pushed.”Chris Paul’s Game 4 went from bad to worse. (Tony Gutierrez/AP)Paul’s children witnessed the incident, too.AdvertisementThe Mavericks were quick to respond.“The Dallas Mavericks are aware of an incident between a fan and the family of Chris Paul. It was unacceptable behavior and will not be tolerated. The Mavericks, along with American Airlines Center, swiftly removed the fan from today’s game,” the team said in a statement.The Mavs won the game, 111-101, partly because an uncharacteristic performance by Paul, who fouled out with nearly 9 minutes remaining in the 4th quarter.

Walker Buehler pitched seven sparkling innings in his 100th career start, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the sliding Chicago Cubs 7-1 on Sunday night for their sixth consecutive victory.Buehler (4-1), a two-time All-Star who made his big-league debut in 2017, improved to 3-0 with a 0.43 ERA over his last three outings. The right-hander allowed one run and four hits, struck out six and walked two.AdvertisementCody Bellinger had three hits for the Dodgers and Justin Turner and Freddie Freeman each contributed a sacrifice fly. Mookie Betts went 2 for 5 while extending his hitting streak to a team-high nine games.The Cubs lost for the 14th time in 17 games. They had only three runs and 15 hits in the three-game sweep.AdvertisementThe Cubs had to shuffle their rotation after Marcus Stroman was scratched, and then they lost Justin Steele to a left hand injury.[ [Don’t miss] Column: It might be ‘tough to watch’ at times, but Seiya Suzuki and the Cubs are trying to stay patient ]Stroman was placed on the injured list without a designation, likely meaning the right-hander was shelved by a COVID-19-related issue.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Steele (1-4) stepped in, making his first appearance since April 30. But he departed before the fifth inning, sidelined by left thumb soreness.The Dodgers jumped all over Michael Rucker after Steele trudged into the dugout. With the bases loaded and none out in the fifth, Gavin Lux scored on Trea Turner’s double-play ball for a 3-1 lead. Then Betts scampered home on a wild pitch.Freeman’s sacrifice fly made it 5-1 in the seventh, and the NL West leaders tacked on two more runs in the ninth — helped by shortstop Nico Hoerner’s error.Dodgers: Manager Dave Roberts said LHP Victor González (elbow) will have arthroscopic surgery Wednesday. Roberts said it is a scope and the team hopes González will be able to return this season. … RHP Blake Treinen (right shoulder inflammation) was slated for an MRI on Monday, but Roberts said he doesn’t think Treinen will see the doctor now. The plan is to try rehab, Roberts said, with the hope of getting the reliever back after the All-Star break. … LHP Andrew Heaney (shoulder inflammation) plans to play catch Monday. “He’s doing great,” Roberts said. “He’s in a good frame of mind.”Cubs: 3B Patrick Wisdom was out of the starting lineup, but manager David Ross said Wisdom was feeling better. He left the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader because of a bruised left ankle.Dodgers: LHP Julio Urías (2-1, 1.88 ERA) gets the ball Monday night in Pittsburgh. LHP José Quintana (0-1, 3.38) starts for the Pirates.AdvertisementCubs: RHP Kyle Hendricks (1-3, 5.64 ERA) starts Monday night in San Diego in the opener of a six-game trip. LHP MacKenzie Gore (2-0, 1.71) takes the mound for the Padres.

BOSTON — The Chicago White Sox had decisions to make.They led the Boston Red Sox by a run in the ninth inning Sunday. Closer Liam Hendriks and fellow relievers Kendall Graveman and Aaron Bummer were unavailable.AdvertisementThe White Sox called on José Ruiz and rookie Bennett Sousa, and both got big outs to preserve a 3-2 victory in front of 28,602 at Fenway Park.“Luckily in college (at Virginia) I was a closer for my junior and senior year, so I had a little bit of experience doing it,” Sousa said. “Even through the minor leagues I had a few saves. So I’m used to being at that end of the bullpen and understanding that the hardest three outs are the last three outs.Advertisement[ [Don’t miss] Gavin Sheets’ adjustments in his 2nd White Sox season include beating the shift — and facing the Green Monster ]“But the key is not to let the pressure get too big, even though it’s Fenway Park, first time and that tying run is on second base. Just execute pitches and stay within yourself and hopefully good things happen.”Dallas Keuchel pitched six strong innings and relievers Ryan Burr, Matt Foster, Ruiz and Sousa came through as the White Sox completed a three-game sweep and extended their winning streak to six.It was Sousa’s first big-league save.“He’s earned that,” manager Tony La Russa said. “You’ve got confidence in him, keep pitching him. We can’t win without the depth.”White Sox reliever Bennett Sousa is congratulated by catcher Reese McGuire after earning his first major-league save against the Red Sox on Sunday, May 8, 2022, at Fenway Park in Boston. (Mary Schwalm / AP)Hendriks earned a save in the first five games of the winning streak, including victories Friday and Saturday at Fenway Park. The White Sox rested him Sunday.Graveman is healthy, La Russa said, noting that the right-hander warmed up Saturday and the White Sox held off on going in his direction Sunday.La Russa said Bummer felt a “tug” on the back of his right knee during his last appearance Friday and is headed to the injured list, a move that will accompany Joe Kelly’s arrival after a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte.Burr, Foster, Ruiz and Sousa combined for five strikeouts and one hit in three innings.Advertisement“Those guys have been doing it since Day 1, really,” La Russa said. “Sousa’s done a really good job, Foster has saved us and Ruiz. Burr, the first guy that had to do it in the seventh, that’s big.White Sox starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel talks with catcher Reese McGuire during the sixth inning Sunday, May 8, 2022, in Boston. (Mary Schwalm / AP)“Nothing bigger than Dallas pitching six innings, two runs. That’s the biggest. I saw good movement and good command.”Keuchel (2-3) allowed two runs on eight hits with five strikeouts and one walk in six innings, his longest outing of the season.“This is a great step forward,” he said. “Winds were a little tricky at first, just trying to corral the strike zone and what it was going to do on the game mound. The bullpen mound had a different cross path with the wind than it did on the game mound.“Fortunate to get some early contact and really calm down that first inning with 20-plus pitches. Definitely a step in the right direction.”The White Sox gave him a lead with three runs in the third. Leury García drove in one with an infield single and José Abreu drove in two with a double. Abreu had four hits and four RBIs in the series.Advertisement“He’s been making that kind of contact (this season),” La Russa said. “He’s hitting the ball hard for longer than the production shows.”The Red Sox scored twice in the sixth to make it 3-2. Burr pitched a perfect seventh and Foster struck out the 2-3-4 hitters in the eighth.J.D. Martinez doubled against Ruiz to start the ninth. Christian Vázquez popped out to second and Ruiz struck out Alex Verdugo.The chess match went to another level. With the left-handed-hitting Jackie Bradley Jr. due up, the White Sox called on the left-handed Sousa.“I’d rather have the left-hander against Bradley,” La Russa said. “He’s gotten some big hits against our right-handers in the series.”The Red Sox countered by bringing the right-handed-hitting Kevin Plawecki off the bench to face Sousa.AdvertisementWhite Sox reliever Bennett Sousa pitches during the ninth inning Sunday, May 8, 2022, in Boston. (Mary Schwalm / AP)“I saw the lefties were at the bottom of the order there,” Sousa said, “and I kind of figured that would be a spot for me to come in and get the job done. (Ruiz) got the first two outs, which was great. And all I had to do was get one.”Sousa got Plawecki to fly out to center fielder Luis Robert for the final out. With the win, the White Sox (14-13) are over .500 for the first time since April 20, when they were 6-5.“As soon as it was in the air, I knew it would be an out because the wind was crazy today,” Sousa said. “That was really exciting. I gave (catcher) Reese (McGuire) a big hug.“It was awesome. One out. Go in there, get the job done and end with a sweep.”

The offense the Chicago Bears are beginning to install is based on versatility, and the team is seeking as many players as it can find who can master multiple tasks. That’s according to offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, who spoke with the media Sunday morning after the Bears wrapped up a three-day rookie minicamp at Halas Hall that should get the newcomers up to speed when they’re mixed in with veterans later this month.AdvertisementFrom the meeting room to the weight room to the huddle, first-year players got a crash course in how the Bears will conduct business. An update from Getsy was timely because so much change is expected for an offense that consistently has ranked near the bottom of the league in many key categories.The Bears might open the season with only four offensive starters who were in the same role in Week 1 of 2021: left guard Cody Whitehair, wide receiver Darnell Mooney, running back David Montgomery and tight end Cole Kmet.AdvertisementHere are three topics Getsy addressed.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)If Fields solves the Bears’ decades-long struggle at the position, everyone from general manager Ryan Poles to coach Matt Eberflus and Getsy would get a huge head start in this process.“I’ve been super impressed with him,” Getsy said. “There’s no one in this building that works harder than him. There’s no one that cares more than him. We’re off to a great start.“He’s really accepted this challenge. We’re asking a lot of him to learn a lot of new things. He’s been a pleasure to work with.”[ [Don’t miss] Column: How Trestan Ebner’s fast-acting agent — and his sister’s cellphone — connected the Bears with the Baylor RB ]Getsy said the dynamic between him and Fields has been excellent and a buy-in from all parties is the only way Fields can perform dramatically better than he did as a rookie.“I was raised on that — that the play caller and the quarterback have to have a great relationship,” Getsy said. “We have to be on the same page always.“That’s where I’ve felt like he’s grown. He’s communicating with me so well now, things that he’s feeling, things that he sees, so that part of it has just been tremendous for a young guy to be able to do that. These three or four months that we’ve been together, it’s been a lot of fun.”ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 11 Meet the Chicago Bears’ 2022 NFL draft class. (Jae C. Hong/AP)Getsy said the receiver group — which is led by Mooney and includes Byron Pringle, Equanimeous St. Brown and third-round pick Velus Jones — is growing more comfortable with Fields.AdvertisementGetsy said “guys were spinning a little” during the voluntary minicamp last month, but more time on task with Fields — with the receivers running routes on air — has helped.[ [Don’t miss] Bears Q&A: Why didn’t GM Ryan Poles get more help for QB Justin Fields? How many starters did they draft? ]“Of course everybody wants Davante Adams,” Getsy said. “But Davante wasn’t Davante until he became Davante. I think the system will enable some of these guys to play at their potential. We’ll give them an opportunity to show what they’ve got.“It’s just that experience of playing with the quarterback and teaching him the body languages, the signals you want to send to him when you’re ready to make a break. You can see that happening every single day, how much more comfortable these guys are getting and how comfortable Justin is getting with those guys.”Bears wide receivers Velus Jones Jr. (12) and Chris Finke (8) at rookie minicamp at Halas Hall on Friday, May 6, 2022, in Lake Forest. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)Getsy said Jones arrived Thursday wearing a suit, and the former Tennessee and USC wideout also bought a whiteboard to aid with learning the offense on his own and has proved to be a good note taker.“He’s a physically mature dude,” Getsy said. “He can handle this league — you can see that already. The speed just jumped at you on the tape. When that guy gets the ball in his hands, he looks like 4.3 on the field. Not many guys can do that, and that is what stood out about this guy. He has a chance to score every time he touches the ball.”[ [Don’t miss] Bears draft class is older with more college experience — a byproduct of COVID-19. Could it be deeper too? ]The key to Jones’ development will be helping him master different roles in the offense without stunting his progress. That can be a challenge for young wide receivers adjusting to the NFL.Advertisement“That’s what the whole offense is built around, the versatility of everyone,” Getsy said. “We want guys that can do a bunch of different things. We don’t want just one guy that can run down the field … (or) one guy that can run a choice route. “He definitely has that versatility, so that’s really cool. It was fun to see this weekend.”

MLB’s broadcasts aren’t just play by play and commentary of the action on the field.We get hilarious base running accidents. We get reaction to what TV viewers didn’t see in real time. We get wholesome moments.AdvertisementSo every week this season, we’re rounding up some of our favorite hilarious, botched, and/or outlandish calls and moments over baseball’s broadcasts.Advertisement

This doesn’t happen. Horses at odds of nearly 81-1 don’t win the Kentucky Derby. Jockeys who have never won any big stakes race of any kind don’t win the Kentucky Derby. Owners with fewer than 10 career wins don’t win the Kentucky Derby.Rich Strike and his connections disagree with those sentiments.AdvertisementOne of the biggest upsets in racing history happened Saturday in the Kentucky Derby, when Rich Strike shocked the establishment by running past everyone and winning the first leg of this year’s Triple Crown series.Those who bet $2 to win on Rich Strike got $163.60 in return. Not bad for about two minutes of work. For jockey Sonny Leon, trainer Eric Reed and owner Rick Dawson, the result was life-changing. Leon was racing Friday at a little-known track in Cincinnati called Balterra Park. Reed’s biggest win before Saturday was with a filly called Satans Quick Chick in a Grade 2 race nearly 12 years ago. Dawson, a half-hour or so after the Derby, rhetorically asked a question to anyone within earshot.Advertisement“What planet is this?” Dawson said.Indeed, it’s a whole new world that he’s part of now. And a 3-year-old colt that was much closer to last place than first for most of the race Saturday made it all happen.Rich Strike, lower right, comes down the final straightaway on the way to winning the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby on May 7, 2022. (Charlie Riedel/AP)Good luck for him, bad luck for another. The Kentucky Derby can’t have more than 20 horses in the field. Rich Strike was 21st on the list. If one of the 20 horses that qualified didn’t scratch (the racing word for withdraw) from the race before 9 a.m. Friday, Rich Strike’s Derby plan would have ended.At 8:45 a.m. Friday, the call came: No scratches. Reed texted his father: “Didn’t happen.” The security guard working the barn and protecting Rich Strike was sent home. Plans were being made to run Rich Strike in a race this week in New York instead.Around that time, the connections for Ethereal Road — trained by D. Wayne Lukas — told Derby officials that they were pulling out of the race. Reed got another call at 8:55 telling him not to move the horse, then another call a minute or two later with the official word.They were in.“What just happened?” Reed asked.AdvertisementTurns out, history was starting to happen.Think of the horses like race cars. There’s a finite amount of fuel in the tank. The faster you burn the fuel, the quicker the tank empties. And that’s exactly what happened in the Kentucky Derby.Summer Is Tomorrow was the leader after a quarter-mile, or two furlongs. He covered that distance in 21.78 seconds — the fastest time in Kentucky Derby history. No horse can sustain that pace for 1 1/4 miles. And Summer Is Tomorrow wound up finishing last in the 20-horse field, 64 1/2 lengths behind Rich Strike.It wasn’t just Summer Is Tomorrow. Many horses went out on a blistering pace, because so many trainers and jockeys had decided their best move was to get close to the lead for the opening portions of the race.The biggest indicator that this was going to be a wild finish probably came when track announcer Larry Collmus briefly stopped his rundown of which horse was where in the field at the half-mile mark. “The opening half-mile was — WHOA! — blazing fast, 45.36 seconds,” Collmus said.Those fuel tanks were emptying far faster than anticipated.AdvertisementAt that half-mile mark, Rich Strike was ahead of only two horses. He was sitting in 18th place.Rich Strike, with Sonny Leon aboard, crosses the finish line to win the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby on May 7, 2022. (Jeff Roberson/AP)Two answers: He ran by some, and some, as they say in racing, stopped running.Technically, that last part isn’t true. All 20 horses were “running” when they crossed the finish line. Nobody “stopped.” But some simply ran out of gas, meaning their all-out sprints had become little more than a gallop or a jog.Rich Strike had tons of fuel left. He also had one other major advantage: He was near the rail.It’s simple math: The closer one is to the rail, the shorter of a distance one has to run. Most of the contending horses as the leaders turned into the stretch and headed home were fanned out wide across the track, moves that made their trips a bit longer.This is where Leon had a huge decision to make. He had to get around Messier, one of the early leaders who was fading fast. Leon decided to veer slightly to his right and get around Messier, then dove back down toward the rail to finish Rich Strike’s run. It was almost as if nobody saw him coming.AdvertisementThey saw him at the end. That’s all that mattered.If we knew that, everyone would have cashed their Derby tickets. Rich Strike had just one win coming into the race (though, in fairness, it was by 17 1/4 lengths, which is impressive regardless of the level of competition).He’s a closer. He hadn’t won any of his last five races but made late moves in all of them, going from sixth to third, seventh to fifth, eighth to third, 11th to fourth and 11th to third. Passing horses down the stretch is apparently his favorite pastime. Handicappers definitely missed that.But reputations also matter. Frankly, not many horseplayers knew who Leon was, or who Reed was, before Saturday.They do now.“It’s a horse race, and anybody can win,” Reed said. “And the toteboard doesn’t mean a thing.”AdvertisementThe Preakness is May 21 at Pimlico, and it would seem like Rich Strike will head there to see if he can move one win away from grabbing the most improbable Triple Crown ever.“That’s probably the plan,” Reed said Sunday. “I’m not going to do a whole lot with him and I don’t like to run back quick. You get one like this in a lifetime and you have to protect him.”ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 29A spectator walks the grounds prior to the running of the 148th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 7, 2022, in Louisville, Kentucky. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

Seiya Suzuki was a man of few words late Saturday night when asked if he’d ever experienced anything like playing in unseasonably cold conditions at Wrigley Field.“No, never have,” Suzuki said through an interpreter.AdvertisementWas he freezing out there?“It’s really cold,” the outfielder replied.AdvertisementTrue enough, but naturally it’s expected to warm up this week while the Cubs are out of town.Suzuki is getting a valuable lesson on life as a Cub. When Chairman Tom Ricketts and president Jed Hoyer courted the Japanese star with a virtual reality presentation of what it would be like to play in Wrigley, they probably left out the cold, rainy and windy days we had most of April. [ [Don’t miss] Seiya Suzuki: Get to know the new Chicago Cubs outfielder ]Suzuki got off to a hot start and was named National League Rookie of the Month for April, but his first prolonged slump has coincided with the recent Cubs’ regression.When the Cubs beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 21-0 with 23 hits on a summerlike day at Wrigley on April 23, all was well in Wrigleyville. In the 11 games since, leading into Sunday night’s ESPN game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Cubs have hit .182 and scored a combined 21 runs while going 2-9 to fall nine games behind the first-place Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central.Seiya Suzuki singles during the fourth inning of Game 1 against the Dodgers on May 7, 2022. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)Suzuki batted .136 (6 for 44) with no home runs and 2 RBIs over that stretch with 15 strikeouts and only two walks. He’s not the sole reason the Cubs have fallen into the abyss — the rest of the lineup has been inconsistent and Cubs starters ranked 27th Sunday with a 5.30 ERA.But the Cubs have made Suzuki the centerpiece of their new-look team, as his five-year, $85 million deal suggests.“It’s a team sport, and even though individually you’re doing well, it doesn’t really help the team and you can’t get a win by yourself,” Suzuki said. “It’s all about staying together as a team and that’s what we’ve been doing these past couple weeks.“I’m just getting unlucky and I think the most important thing is staying consistent and keep on working as a team.”Advertisement[ [Don’t miss] How do 10 ex-Chicago Cubs stack up after 1 month of 2022? Here’s a ranking, with Anthony Rizzo leading the way. ]After the Cubs were swept by the Dodgers Saturday, walking nine men in the nightcap, catcher Willson Contreras admitted “it’s really tough to even watch, to be honest.”The loss was their 13th in their last 16 games and dropped the Cubs to 4-10 at home.“Losing sucks, I’ll tell you that,” Contreras said. ”That’s all I can say.”After Contreras hit a fifth-inning home run in Game 2 of the doubleheader to pull the Cubs to within two, he waved his arms wildly after crossing home plate, seemingly exhorting the fans to get loud. But he said afterward his gesture was aimed at his teammates, not fans.Willson Contreras reacts after scoring against the Dodgers during the first inning of Game 2 on May 7, 2022. (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP)“I’m trying to lift this team up,” he said. “I’m trying to do my best to pass my energy to everybody. That’s just me. I’m trying to support my team.“I know it’s been a really tough stretch, but as I told Nico (Hoerner) earlier, a lot of time we focus so much on results that we end up frustrated instead of enjoying the moment, enjoying just playing baseball. Then the results are going to happen.AdvertisementChicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.“As a human, you fall into (a trap of) wanting the results right away. A lot of times, baseball doesn’t work that way.”It won’t get any easier for the Cubs as they embark on a six-game trip Monday to San Diego and Arizona. The Padres are neck-and-neck with the first-place Dodgers in the NL West — the game’s strongest division — and the rebuilding Diamondbacks have rebounded from a 6-11 start to get back to .500 entering Sunday.[ [Don’t miss] Willson Contreras’ bigger Chicago Cubs leadership role is fueled by years of listening — and putting in work ]Manager David Ross needs left-hander Justin Steele, who is pitching on eight days rest, to show durability after lasting three or fewer innings in his last three starts. Ross employed veteran Daniel Norris as an opener Saturday, but watched him implode with three straight walks and yanked him after only seven batters.Keegan Thompson appears to be Ross’ best bet at joining the rotation down the road, but Thompson is still learning on the job. He walked three in 2 ⅓ innings Saturday, forcing in a run and giving up a three-run double to Mookie Betts. Thompson admitted he was “going too quick, the game got a little too fast” on him.The Cubs were bound to go through some growing pains in 2022 after the sell-off of ‘21, so fans will have to be patient with Steele, Thompson, Suzuki, Hoerner and the other young players who figure to still be around when they hope to turn the corner on the rebuild. There’s no doubt it’s going to be “tough to watch” at times, as Contreras said.But seeing how Ross and his team gets past this stretch will be interesting to observe.Advertisement“Obviously we’re losing games and we’re not in a great situation right now, condition-wise,” Suzuki said. “But it’s a long season and it’s part of the season, so we just want to get over it.”

BOSTON — The Chicago White Sox inserted center fielder Luis Robert in the No. 2 slot of the batting order for Sunday’s series finale against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.But manager Tony La Russa anticipates having third baseman Yoán Moncada in that spot Monday against the Cleveland Guardians at Guaranteed Rate Field.Advertisement“I told Robert, ‘We like you hitting fourth but I’m moving you to second (Sunday), but you’ll be back at fourth (Monday),” La Russa said before Sunday’s game. “Moncada is swinging the bat well and he adds a lot to the lineup at that spot. So that gives him a chance to spark us.”Moncada is expected back after a rehab stint with the Knights. And it’s likely he’ll be joined by reliever Joe Kelly, who has also been rehabbing with Charlotte.AdvertisementMoncada suffered a right oblique strain on the final day of spring training and went on the injured list April 5. Kelly has been working his way back all spring from a right biceps nerve injury suffered last season.“Kelly, we are going to embrace him with open arms,” La Russa said.Moncada slashed .318/.360/.636 with one double, two home runs and five RBIs in six games with Charlotte.“We are excited to get him back, period,” La Russa said. “But add the exclamation mark with the way (Triple-A manager) Wes (Helms) is talking about how he’s working, great frame of mind and really getting the bat out.”Kelly did not allow a hit and struck out three in three innings with Charlotte. He’ll add depth to the Sox bullpen.“The true rubber-armed reliever is more rare now than ever,” La Russa said. “Most guys are launching their pitches. They are not finessing it. So there are days, a lot of days, those guys shouldn’t pitch back to back.“Now all of a sudden, you have Kelly to pitch that seventh or eighth.”White Sox reliever Joe Kelly poses on photo day at spring training on March 16, 2022. (Rick Scuteri/AP)La Russa recalled watching Kelly during spring training in 2011 while managing the St. Louis Cardinals.Advertisement“I remember we always had the competitive batting practices and I was behind the cage with (pitching coach Dave) Duncan and we saw this guy and he was like — explosive fastball, curve ball, slider, change, athletic as all,” La Russa said. “‘Who is this guy?’“At the end of the spring, they were going to send him to A ball. And I went, ‘I want to manage A Ball.’ (The Cardinals) brought him up in (2012) and he did good and they traded him to Boston (in 2014). I was with Boston (as an executive) when he was here the championship year (in 2018).“So, knock on wood, keep him healthy. He’s a serious competitor.”

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Eric Reed, his hair a tad mussed, stepped out of an SUV on Sunday morning to check on the horse that had changed his life the night before.“I haven’t slept yet,” he said.AdvertisementNo surprise that his nerves did not settle quickly after he watched his 80-1 long shot, Rich Strike, run down a pack of more celebrated horses to win the 148th Kentucky Derby.The new champ looked none the worse for wear as camera people gathered to capture his morning bath outside Barn 17. Reed said Rich Strike ate all of his dinner Saturday night and was moving well. Television viewers saw him gnawing on his pony after the Derby, suggesting the effort did not drain him of his fight.Advertisement“I think he thought he had another horse to beat,” Reed joked. “I don’t think we got to the bottom of him yesterday.”Does that mean Rich Strike will be ready to go May 21 in the Preakness Stakes? Reed said that’s what he and owner Rick Dawson want, though they won’t commit until they’ve observed Rich Strike for a few days at his home barn in Lexington.Preakness officials called Sunday morning to extend a formal invitation. “That’s the plan,” Reed said into a cellphone. If he does go, Rich Strike will ship from Kentucky in time to spend a few mornings on the track at unfamiliar Pimlico Race Course.Reed has never been to Baltimore but said “The Wire” is one of his favorite television programs. He owns an “Omar’s Coming” sweatshirt.The 57-year-old trainer, anonymous to the wider racing world until Saturday night, is a natural character. The pinkie on his right hand was painted with gold nail polish, a ritual he began 12 years ago with his daughter, Martha, who thought he needed an extra boost when he took a talented mare, Rinterval, to challenge the great Zenyatta.“You guys want to get a better picture?” Reed said Sunday morning. Then he took off his right shoe to reveal all his toe nails were painted gold as well.From left, trainer Eric Reed, jockey Sonny Leon and owner Rick Dawson celebrate with the trophy after Rich Strike won the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on Saturday in Louisville, Ky. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)Elsewhere at Churchill Downs, trainer Steve Asmussen did not rule out taking Derby runner-up Epicenter to Baltimore for a Preakness rematch.“He came out of the race good, so we’ll just try to move forward,” Asmussen said. “I haven’t spoken to [owner] Ron [Winchell], but I will speak with him later, and we’ll figure out what we’re going to do next.”AdvertisementIn 2007, one of Asmussen’s greatest horses, Curlin, finished third in the Derby and bounced back to win the Preakness. Two years later, he saddled Rachel Alexandra for her Preakness victory.Other contenders had already begun lining up to take a shot at Rich Strike.Early Voting qualified for the Derby after running an impressive second in the April 9 Wood Memorial, but his trainer, Chad Brown, and his owner, Baltimore native Seth Klarman, opted to hold off for the Preakness. Five years earlier, they chose the same approach with Cloud Computing, and their patience paid off with a win in the second leg of the Triple Crown.“The horse is doing super,” Brown said of Early Voting. “He’s only had three career starts. He hadn’t had anywhere near the adversity in some of his starts that [morning-line Derby favorite] Zandon had. There’s still a little bit of a question with that horse at a mile and a quarter, so I thought going a mile and 3/16 [in the Preakness], getting six weeks rest instead of four, running in a 14-horse field instead of 20, it’s probably more fair for the future of the horse. And I have a tremendously patient owner with Seth Klarman … so it was a pretty easy decision to do the right thing by the horse.”The decision set up Early Voting to be a popular choice in the Preakness, where he’ll try to take advantage of tired Derby horses as Cloud Computing did in 2017.Brown said third-place Derby finisher Zandon would ship back to New York on Monday but left open the possibility that he might join Early Voting in the Preakness field.AdvertisementMeanwhile, six-time Preakness winner D. Wayne Lukas said he might enter his Kentucky Oaks winner, Secret Oath, in the second leg of the Triple Crown. She’s also a candidate for the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes the day before.“We’re tickled to see her come out of that tough race and to be bouncing around here this morning,” the 86-year-old Lukas said the day after the Oaks. “The Preakness is an option but so is the Black-Eyed Susan. The big difference is a million dollars and a Grade 1. It would be nice to get her a second Grade 1 [win].”Swiss Skydiver won the Preakness after finishing runner-up in the Oaks in 2020. Rachel Alexandra won the Oaks in 2009 and turned around to beat Mine That Bird, a 50-1 Derby winner, at Pimlico. A similar scenario could be appealing to Lukas, who loves to push his horses into the biggest races.Maryland-bred Joe could bring local flavor to the Preakness coming off his victory in the April 16 Federico Tesio Stakes at Laurel Park. Owner Stuart Grant said he and trainer Mike Trombetta would assess the competition coming out of the Derby before entering Joe, a four-time winner in six career starts.“I guess we’ll see how the Derby goes [and] we’ll see how our horse continues to progress,” Grant said last week. “It’s a nice position to be in. I’m very happy with how Joe’s done.”Trainer Kenny McPeek said Creative Minister, an impressive winner on the Derby undercard, is a possibility for the Preakness. He’ll watch how eighth-place Derby finisher Smile Happy recovers before deciding what’s next for him.AdvertisementUntil Rich Strike unexpectedly joined the Derby field Friday morning, Reed thought he’d spend Saturday on a lake fishing with his father. He’s not used to being a target in a nationally televised race with a crowd of 100,000-plus focused on his every move. But he did not seem daunted by the prospect.He thought his life in racing might be over six years ago when a fire ravaged his barn and killed 23 horses. So this is all the best kind of gravy.“I’m so happy to be here on a bright, sunny day,” he said. “And everyone’s happy.”147th Preakness StakesPimlico Race CourseMay 21AdvertisementTV: Chs. 11, 4 (coverage begins at 2 p.m.)