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Cubs manager David Ross, left, holds back catcher Willson Contreras, right, who was ejected after arguing a strike call on Jason Heyward in the ninth inning of a game against the Diamondbacks on Saturday at Wrigley Field. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
“That’s probably the only thing that kind of sucked, I remember telling (hitting coach) Frank (Menechino) after I sat down, after it happened, I told Frank the only reason it happened is because I missed that first fastball, I should have hit it out and then just trot around the bases,” Grandal said. “It sucked. Definitely trending up, starting to feel way better at the plate, behind the plate. But as long as I can come back at the end and hopefully get to the point where I was heading toward the postseason, that’s huge. The postseason is where it counts.”
The Olympics like the idea of “streetball” because they’re doing everything they can to inject the busy summer program with sports that will attract a younger, more international audience. Skateboarding, surfing, sport climbing and, three years from now in Paris, break dancing (The ’80s called, they want their boom box back) are among the new sports also chosen to service this mission.
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 20: (L-R) Gold medalists Breanna Stewart #9, Maya Moore #7, head coach Geno Auriemma, Tina Charles #14, Sue Bird #6 and Diana Taurasi #12 of United States pose for photos after the Women’s Basketball competition on Day 15 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Carioca Arena 1 on August 20, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) ** OUTS – ELSENT, FPG, CM – OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD ** (Tom Pennington / Getty Images)
U.S. coach Vlatko Andonovski made five changes to the starting lineup he used against Sweden, giving Carli Lloyd the start over Morgan, Megan Rapinoe for Press, Ertz for Sam Mewis, Emily Sonnett for O’Hara, and Tierna Davidson for captain Becky Sauerbrunn.
USA’s Olivia Smoliga, with teammate Allison Schmitt, cheers as Natalie Hinds completes the anchor leg of the women’s 400-meter freestyle relay in the preliminaries, July 24, 2021 at the Tokyo Aquatics Center during the Tokyo Olympics. The relay team finished second in their heat and advanced to the final on Sunday. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Richard Carapaz of Ecuador, center, who won the gold medal, fist pumps bronze medal winner Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia, as silver medal winner Wout van Aert of Belgium watches, after the men’s cycling road race at the 2020 Summer Olympics, July 24, 2021, in Oyama, Japan. (Thibault Camus / AP)
Olivia Smoliga, center, with teammates Allison Schmitt and Catie de Loof react as Natalie Hinds completes the anchor leg of the women’s 400-meter freestyle relay in the preliminaries July 24, 2021 at the Tokyo Aquatics Center during the Tokyo Olympics. The U.S. relay team finished second in their heat and advanced to the final. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
“Across the board, even at Triple A, you’ve got to be able to make adjustments,” he said. “Understand how they’re pitching you. Right now, I hit a couple of games where I struggled a little bit. It’s try not to do too much. Just being able to control my emotions, control my breathing, slowing down the game a little bit more. That’s the next step.”
“We make it a definite policy that we play against the other team, we do not play against the umpires,” La Russa said. “They have a very difficult job. You get your team to play with emotion, that’s how you succeed and compete, and in a situation like that we got emotional. But if you play nine innings or 8½ innings, a couple of those calls did not decide it.