The PGA Championship at Valhalla in Louisville, KY wrapped up the second round Friday after a weather delay pushed tee times back later in the morning. This however, was not the main storyline of the round. The tournament’s prohibitive favorite, Scottie Scheffler, was detained in the wee hours of the morning after a strange encounter trying to enter the course. Scheffler was arrested, booked, and processed on four charges, one felony and three misdemeanors, before being released and making it back to the tournament. The escapade did not phase Scottie, and after an additional delay that had Scheffler, Wyndham Clark,…
Author: Mathias Woerner
As baseball has developed and evolved over time, one of the sadder changes that has taken place in MLB is the deemphasis on the starting pitcher. Their role has been reduced and sometimes replaced in recent years with the growth of analytics on the management side and the pitcher development system on the player side. To counteract the trends over recent decades and reinvigorate the hype around the starting pitcher, there are a few things baseball can do. Starting pitching is not the only issue that baseball is dealing with. The pitch clock, substance checks and shift restrictions have uplifted…
A pair of home runs and a shutdown effort from the Pittsburgh Pirates bullpen helped the Buccos beat the Chicago Cubs 5-4 on Thursday night. A pair of youngsters led the effort with prospect Jared Jones taking the bump for Pittsburgh and Nick Gonzales launching a home run. This was Pittsburgh’s first win in their last three tries. It was another struggle for Justin Steele against Pittsburgh on Thursday. The Chicago Cubs ace let up two home runs and all five of the Pirates runs, suffering his first loss of the season. The Cubs offense was always chasing the Pirates…
The Chicago Cubs were able to salvage the final game in their three game set in Atlanta, taking on the Braves. Starting Pitcher Javier Assad continued his early season prowess with six blemish-free innings of baseball, before turning it over to the bullpen. Three runs in the first inning set the tone for the Chicago offense, a unit that tallied seven runs and 13 hits. The Atlanta Braves were unable to complete the sweep Wednesday night at home, falling to the Cubs 7-1. Charlie Morton got hit around early and the Atlanta bullpen could not stop the bleeding. The Braves…
The Chicago Cubs and Seattle Mariners executed a two-player trade that sends INF Jake Slaughter to the Pacific Northwest and brings RHP Tyson Miller to the north side of the Windy City. The early season injuries for both teams contributed to the desire to get this deal done. The May trade offers a tweak for both sides as they angle to get themselves in position to make a late season playoff push. Chicago Cubs Farm Prospect Returns http://gty.im/2151021602 The Chicago Cubs drafted Tyson Miller in the fourth round of the 2016 MLB Draft out of California Baptist University. The 28-year-old…
The Atlanta Braves took the second game of their three game set with the visiting Chicago Cubs by a wide margin, 7-0. Chris Sale tossed a dazzling seven innings of shutout baseball, continuing the dominance of the Atlanta pitching staff over the Chicago lineup. The second straight shutout gives the Braves their sixth win in their last seven tries. Jameson Taillon lasted only four innings in this one, allowing seven runs before getting chased from the mound. Taillon had been great in his first four outings of the year, but taking on the vaunted Atlanta lineup proved to be a…
The Atlanta Braves opened their series against the Chicago Cubs on Monday night. The NL East powerhouse emerged with a 2-0 victory on the strength of a 2-run sixth inning and four pitchers combining for a shutout. The star-laden Braves found some unlikely sources in the win and were able to keep pace with the division-leading Phillies. The Chicago Cubs wasted another strong outing from left-handed starter Shota Imanaga. Imanaga battled through the vaunted Atlanta lineup for five innings, even stranding three runners on base with Ronald Acuna Jr. at the plate in the fourth. Imanaga’s departure was greeted with…
The NBA Playoffs are in full swing. As the second round progresses, let’s take a look at basketball’s playoff format which has been discussed and dissected for many years. The Play-In Tournament was implemented to integrate more top players into the postseason and to generate more interest in the regular season. Now that this wrinkle has been in practice in some form or another for five seasons, let’s judge how the games have panned out, what it has meant for the postseason, and how it has influenced the regular season. On most accounts, the tournament has had little impact on…
Stellar starting pitching, dazzling defense, and a late push by the Chicago Cubs gave them a 5-0 victory over the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers. Javier Assad climbed into second place in the National League ERA race with six scoreless innings, and Dansby Swanson showed signs of getting out of his slump with a solo home run. With the series win at Wrigley, the Cubs pull ever closer to the Brewers in the NL Central race. In a division that should come down to these two teams and the Cincinnati Reds, every game between them counts. Even without Christian Yelich, the Brewers…
The San Diego Padres took the opening game of their series against the Chicago Cubs, 6-3. Yu Darvish threw five scoreless innings before handing the ball off to five relievers to finish Chicago off. A sixth inning onslaught gave the Padres the lead on the strength of three hits and propelled them to the victory. For the Chicago Cubs, Justin Steele made his return to the mound but was limited to 4 2/3 IP as he revs back up for the rest of the season. The sixth inning barrage by the Padres pummeled the Cubs bullpen and proved to be…
The Chicago Cubs and New York Mets opened their four-game series in Queens on Monday night. Both starting pitchers were dealing in this one: Luis Severino for New York and Jameson Taillon for Chicago. Both pitchers were cutting up hitters quickly, allowing them to get past the seventh inning, something not often seen in MLB these days. The game was decided by the bullpens after each starter allowed only one run. New York closer Edwin Díaz allowed Christopher Morel a ninth-inning two-run home run. Impromptu Chicago closer Héctor Neris walked two but ultimately shut down the bottom of the Mets…
The Miami Heat, playing without Jimmy Butler, kept the Chicago Bulls out of the playoffs. The Eastern Conference’s final play-in game was a blowout, with Miami winning 112-91. Chicago’s loss sends them into the offseason and raises questions about the direction of the franchise and what is to come of this veteran-laden team. The Chicago Bulls have been reticent to make moves over the past two seasons. The team has been under the leadership of Arturas Karnisovas for the last four seasons after the extended tenure of Gar Forman and Scott Paxson. The long-awaited move was lauded by Bulls fans…
The Chicago Cubs took down the Boston Red Sox in the first game of their three game series, 7-1. The Cubs got to Kutter Crawford early and often, peppering the Red Sox with base hits and constant action on the base paths. Shota Imanaga made it into the seventh inning, only allowing one run before handing the ball to Keegan Thompson, who shut the door on Boston for the rest of the night, securing the Cubs’ fourth consecutive victory. Chicago Cubs Rookie Continues Great Start http://gty.im/2149766032 Shota Imanaga added another impressive outing to start his career Friday night against the…
The Chicago Cubs completed a sweep of the Houston Astros Thursday afternoon. The final game of the series goes down as a 3-1 comeback victory. The comeback was sparked by top prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong getting his first career hit, a go-ahead 2-run home run that became the difference in the game. Rookie Wins Game with a Rocket http://gty.im/2150200195 Pete Crow-Armstrong played with the Cubs last year but had limited playing time or at-bats. After starting the season at AAA Iowa, he got the call to the major leagues with the injury to Cody Bellinger that placed him on the IL.…
The Western Conference play-in tournament concludes Friday night with a match-up between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Sacramento Kings. The Pelicans had the best record of any team in the play-in but faltered at home to the Los Angeles Lakers Tuesday night. The Sacramento Kings avenged their first-round loss from a season ago by taking down the Golden State Warriors at home, hoping that wasn’t the last time they light the beam this season. Zion-less New Orleans Pelicans Hope to Hold The New Orleans Pelicans entered the play-in tournament as the favorite to advance to face the Denver Nuggets.…
Chicago Cubs OF Seiya Suzuki is out of the lineup for today’s road contest against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Cubs everyday right-fielder is heading to the injured list with an oblique strain. The right fielder is out for a minimum of ten days, adding to the growing list of absences for Chicago early in this season. Oblique Strain Sidelines Suzuki http://gty.im/2148559403 Seiya Suzuki has gotten out to a good start in the 2024 season. The Japanese slugger is hitting .305 with a .368 OBP, .525 SLG and .893 OPS. The solid start is a continuation of Suzuki’s good performance that…
The Chicago Cubs cratered against the San Diego Padres after leading 8-0. A 9-8 loss on the West Coast set the team back a game in the standings but could spell doom far more impactful. For an early April bout, the dire consequences might be overstated for the 2024 season, but opens the door for conversations about the organization’s direction and where they are putting the team’s future. Cubs Falter on Road in San Diego Coming off a key series victory vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Cubs were looking good opening the 2024 season. Under new manager Craig Counsell,…
The NAIA is not affiliated with the more large-scale and well-known entity of college sports, the NCAA. The NCAA, National Collegiate Athletic Association, covers a majority of the collegiate athletics scene. The NAIA, however, makes up a not-so-insignificant sector of college sports. On Monday, April 8, the NAIA made a ruling on transgender athletes and their participation in collegiate athletics. NAIA Votes to Ban Transgender Athletes in Women’s Sports http://gty.im/2148321306 The NAIA Council of Presidents voted 20-0 to enact a new policy regarding transgender athletes. The policy comes into practice starting August 1 of this year. The new policy stipulates…
The Orlando Magic defeated the Chicago Bulls Sunday night, 113-98. Paulo Banchero led the way for Orlando with 24 pts, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. DeMar DeRozan’s 30 wasn’t enough as the Magic secured their 46th win of the year. Orlando now moves into a tie for 3rd in the Eastern Conference. For Chicago, the loss keeps them only one game ahead of Atlanta for the 9th seed and home-court advantage in the elimination play-in game. Orlando Overwhelms The Chicago Bulls Early http://gty.im/1396130910 With an opportunity to climb in the eastern conference standings, the Orlando Magic came out firing on…
The Chicago Bulls survived a late comeback attempt from the New York Knicks, 108-100. JaVonte Green set career highs in points and rebounds to help fuel the upset victory. The Bulls’ win helps keep them above the 10-seed Atlanta Hawks. For the New York Knicks, the defeat holds them in a fourth-place tie with the Orlando Magic. Chicago Bulls Nab Key Home Victory The Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks came into Friday night’s Eastern Conference match-up in the throes of playoff seeding battles. For the Bulls, they are firmly fixed into the second tier of play-in teams. While Chicago…
