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”Yep,” McPhee replied, smiling briefly before turning his attention back to his phone.

And if they get it, the Golden Knights will be Pacific Division champions.

Jonathan Marchessault’s goal 22 seconds into overtime lifted Vegas to a 4-3 victory over the St. Louis Blues, inching the playoff-bound expansion team closer to a division title in its inaugural season.

The Golden Knights (49-22-7) can win the Pacific with a point in Saturday’s home game against San Jose.

”We’re trying to get as many points as we can,” Vegas coach Gerard Gallant said. ”Somebody told me we’re one point away from clinching the division and that’s what the goal is. Let’s keep battling hard, and playing hard, and winning as many games as we can. I really don’t care who we beat, and the next season will start soon enough.”

St. Louis (43-28-6, 92 points) currently holds the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference, one point back of Anaheim (93). Colorado (92) is tied with the Blues Ricky Wagner Jersey , who hold the tiebreaker.

St. Louis, whose season-best, six-game win streak ended, has now earned points in six of its last seven road games (4-1-2).

Marchessault scored two goals, while William Karlsson and James Neal also scored for Vegas. Malcolm Subban improved to 12-3-2 after stopping 21 shots.

Barely into overtime, Marchessault took the puck by himself into the zone, skated by two defenders before circling to the point and firing a long wrist shot past Jake Allen for the game-winner.

”We had a great effort and I think it was a real good positive game for us,” Marchessault said. ”It was a big game tonight. I think it would be great for our fans (to clinch the division), they’ve been awesome all year. To get the win and clinch the Pacific would be awesome. Whoever we face, we just need to play well and I’m sure tomorrow is going to be a good game.”

Patrik Berglund, Brayden Schenn and Chris Thorburn scored for the Blues. Allen Marqise Lee Jersey , who is now 8-1-1 in his last 10 starts, made 22 saves.

”We fought hard. This is really good hockey team and we knew it was going to be a close game, so not surprised to see it go to overtime, you get into 3-on-3 hockey and anything can happen out there,” St. Louis coach Mike Yeo said. ”There are some things that we have to be a little bit better at … I think we could’ve moved the puck a little bit better tonight. Credit to them, they check well, and they pressure you hard.”

But it was the Blues setting the tone early, when Alexander Steen fed Berglund from behind the net, and he smacked home his 13th of the season.

Karlsson tied the game with his 41st of the season, a short-handed breakaway courtesy of a perfect pass from Cody Eakin. Marchessault gave Vegas a brief 2-1 lead with a stroke from a side angle.

Schenn tied the game later in the period when he took a pass from Jaden Schwartz and beat a shielded Subban from the right circle.

After a rather quiet period, Tomas Tatar tapped the puck to Erik Haula Cole Beasley Jersey , who touch-passed to Neal, who snapped a 12-game drought by going top shelf to beat Allen and give Vegas a 3-2 lead with 3:25 left in the second.

Scottie Upshall’s pass from behind the net found Thorburn creeping at the doorstep and the right wing slipped it through Subban’s five-hole to knot the game at 3 with 13:46 left.

”Overall, they played really well, they’re working hard and they’re finding a way to win hockey games,” Gallant said. ”We got down early, but I love the way we played. We competed the whole 60 minutes. We played a hell of a hockey game tonight against a real good team.”

NOTES

Schwartz has 21 points in 27 games since returning from a lower-body injury on Jan. 25. … Neal is now one game from playing in his 700th career game and five points shy from his 500th career point. … Marchessault is one game away from his 200th career game.

UP NEXT

St. Louis: Visits Arizona on Saturday.

Vegas: Hosts San Jose on Saturday.

The Raiders announced Humm's death on Wednesday, calling him a true Raider for his seven years with the team.

Humm had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1988 and was in a wheelchair for more than 20 years. The Las Vegas Review Journal said he died Tuesday night at a hospital in Las Vegas.

Humm was a starter for three seasons at Nebraska, leading the team to top-10 finishes each season. He was a second-team All-American in 1974 when he finished fifth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy.

"I recall that getting Dave to Nebraska was one of the most intense recruiting battles we ever won," retired Nebraska coach Tom Osborne said. "At the time Mark Sanchez Jersey , you could take as many visits as you wanted, and Dave took 12 or 13 visits, including one to Bear Bryant and Alabama."

Humm was a fifth-round draft pick by the Raiders in 1975 and was a backup on Super Bowl-winning teams in the 1976 and 1983 seasons. He played 95 games over 10 seasons with the Raiders, Buffalo and the Colts. He started one game for Baltimore in 1981 and threw for 753 yards in his career.

"Most importantly, Dave was a very good person, and in our conversations he always talked about how great his life was despite the circumstances of battling multiple sclerosis for many years," Osborne said. "He was also a great father to his daughter, Courtney."

Humm also was part of the Raiders' radio broadcasts for several years after his career ended.

With the leadership of LeBron James Josh Sitton Jersey , anything is possible.

As James comes from Cleveland to Los Angeles looking to take the Lakers to more championships with a blockbuster $154 million contract announced this week, he could also push those two 1990s properties closer to reality and go from part-time presence to major player in Hollywood.

James hasn’t yet spoken about his plans for Los Angeles. But if he wants to, he’s already shown he can act, and not just in that good-for-an-athlete way.

His one real film role, playing himself in the 2015 Amy Schumer film ”Trainwreck,” directed by Judd Apatow, won big raves.

The Associated Press’ Lindsey Bahr called him ”a comedic revelation.” Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post said he showed ”expert, deadpan timing.”

James’ co-stars agreed.

”He was really good. Like everything with him it was very effortless,” said Bill Hader, who played the movie’s male lead with James as his sidekick and previously acted with James when he hosted ”Saturday Night Live.” ”He’s always listening. I know actors that don’t listen, they’re just waiting to say their line. He listened.”

Hader said there was frequent improvisation on ”Trainwreck,” and LeBron easily kept up with the sketch comedy pros like Hader.

”You’ll never believe this, but he was super confident,” Hader told the AP with a laugh by phone from the Toronto set of the film ”It 2.”

”But not cocky,” Hader added.

”I remember Chris Rock was on set and rattled off a line suggestion really fast for LeBron Anthony Brown Jersey , and LeBron said it back during the scene verbatim,” Hader said. ”I remember thinking, ”I can’t do that.”

He wouldn’t be the first Laker to try acting. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O’Neal had their share of famous, and infamous roles. And Kobe Bryant ended up with an unlikely Academy Award for an animated short based on a poem he wrote about basketball.

Whether or not he appears on screen, James has already begun a major media career that can only get a boost from LA.

Gone are the days when athletes had to be in a major market to make it in film and television, as James himself has shown through his years building his brand in Cleveland.

But there’s nothing like face-time for becoming a force in Hollywood.

James and his business partner Maverick Carter have a production company, SpringHill Entertainment, that has a deal with Warner Bros. and office space on the legendary movie company’s lot, where he could become a regular.

”Certainly the proximity will make it easier for LeBron personally to be part of future projects,” said David Schwab, an executive vice president at Octagon, a global sports and entertainment marketing and management firm. ”The advantage of a market like New York, Los Angeles and Golden State is the ability to have coffee, lunch or dinner daily” with key decision makers. ”In a smaller market you don’t get those consistent opportunities,” he said.

Schwab said James’ partners at Warner Bros. and elsewhere are most likely ”excited that he’s in Los Angeles as they could possibly use LeBron personally to close business deals with future partners of their own.”

James Bennie Fowler III Jersey , via SpringHill and his digital film company Uninterrupted has already brought some projects to big and small screens, with many more in the works. Here are some highlights:

– ”Space Jam 2.” The idea of James reviving the 1996 movie starring another candidate for greatest basketball player of all time, Michael Jordan, has been in circulation for several years. The movie with Jordan battling animated aliens alongside Bugs Bunny and his Warner Bros. cartoon buddies brought mixed reviews and eyerolls at the time, but has become a cult classic. Justin Lin of the ”Fast & Furious” films has been attached as director.

– ”House Party.” Stephen Glover and Jamal Olori of ”Atlanta” are writing a script that James and SpringHill hope will revive the franchise that starred Kid n’ Play and spawned three big-screen sequels from 1990 to 1994.

– ”Smallfoot.” James will have another chance to show off his comic chops as the voice of a skeptical yeti in Warner Bros’ animated film.

– ”Now We’re Talking.” A digital comedy series on Uninterrupted that features two rival professional football quarterbacks who become broadcasters and frequent pro athlete cameos is about to enter its second season.

– SpringHill is also producing several more television projects including the game shows ”The Wall” and ”Do or Dare” and ”Rise Up,” a documentary about the civil rights movement for the History Channel.

—

Matt Carpenter helped the St. Louis Cardinals beat two-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber in a way no one has before, then he stuck around to make some history of his own.

Carpenter homered twice, matched a career best with five hits and helped chase Kluber in the shortest start of the right-hander’s career in the Cardinals’ 11-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday night.

Carpenter, who also scored a career-best five runs, is the 19th player ever with five hits, including two home runs, and five runs in a game. He’s the first Cardinals player to do it.

”I don’t know, that leaves me kind of speechless,” said Carpenter, who also drove in three. ”It’s pretty cool. Wow Michael Johnson Jersey , there’s been some really good players come through here. You would have figured somebody would have put together a night better than that.”

Kluber (11-4) allowed six runs in 1 2/3 innings and has lost two of his past three decisions. He gave up six hits, including homers to Carpenter and Jose Martinez, and walked one on 48 pitches.

Prior to Tuesday, Kluber’s shortest start had been two innings against the Tampa Bay Rays in 2013. His previous low this year was a five-inning game on June 15 against Minnesota when he took his third loss of the season.

”He’s human,” manager Terry Francona said. ”Don’t think guys go 35 starts without having a bump in the road.”

It was a far cry from his only other appearance against the Cardinals. He struck out a career-best 18 in a 2-0 victory on May 13, 2015.

Carlos Martinez (4-4) settled down after a rough first inning for his first victory since May 2. He had lost three straight decisions over his previous five starts. He went six innings, allowing two runs, six hits and a walk while striking out eight.

St. Louis has won four straight after struggling through a 2-8 stretch. Cleveland entered the series on a seven-game winning streak before dropping the first two of this three-game set.

The Indians used three singles and a walk to take a 2-0 lead in the first but had only three more singles against Martinez and none after the starter was pulled.

Carpenter answered the Indians’ fast start with his 14th home run. It was Carpenter’s third leadoff homer of the year and 18th in his career. He also led off the eighth with his 15th homer, a solo shot, on a 5-for-5 night. The five hits matched a mark he set June 14, 2014 at Kansas City, and he was a triple shy of the cycle.

”I don’t think you wish for a home run not to be a home run, but it would have been cool to do,” he said of the cycle. ”It’s something I’ve never done, but I’ll take the home run Byron Jones Jersey , too.”

St. Louis manager Mike Matheny made several fielding changes in the late innings to let players get some rest. He said he considered pulling Carpenter but decided the potential cycle meant more than a couple of innings off.

”It was on our mind, but this is special for him and special for our fans,” Matheny said. ”When he’s on, it’s impressive to watch his approach and what he can do when he’s got his swing going right.”

Jose Martinez’s 12th home run, a three-run blast to left field, chased Kluber. Kolten Wong added a two-run shot in the third, his sixth of the season.

RAIN DELAY

Tuesday’s game was delayed 1-hour, 26-minutes by rain, marking the second consecutive game between the Indians and Cardinals that was affected by inclement weather. The first pitch Monday was pushed back 1-hour, 21-minutes because of a thunderstorm.

TRAINING ROOM

Indians: RHP Carlos Carrasco is scheduled to throw 40 pitches off the mound Wednesday in St. Louis. If all goes well, he could begin his rehab assignment Saturday. Carrasco is currently on the 10-day disabled list with right elbow contusion.

Cardinals: SS Yairo Munoz was pulled after the third inning with a left ankle contusion. He fouled a ball off his leg during his last at-bat before grounding out to short and was replaced by Greg Garcia to start the fourth.

UP NEXT

Indians: RHP Shane Bieber (2-0, 2.45) makes his fourth start of his rookie season. After allowing 18 hits in his first two appearances, he gave up four but struck out nine and blanked the Tigers through seven innings in his last outing.

Cardinals: RHP Jack Flaherty (3-2, 2.50) is coming off his best start of his rookie year. He allowed a season-low one hit and tied a season-high with 13 strikeouts but didn’t figure in the decision in the 2-1 loss at Milwaukee. He’s given up two runs on six hits in his previous 18 1/3 innings over three games.

—

De'Anthony Melton Jersey

The veteran cornerback has never seen such a compilation of speed amassed at one position on a roster in any of his 10 NFL training camps.

”Oh man Leonard Floyd Jersey , we got some fast receivers,” Munnerlyn said. ”I was like, `Wow, almost everyone runs a 4.4 or lower. That’s crazy.’ We have some speed on this team – and we probably needed it.”

That’s an understatement.

The Panthers offense stagnated last season as quarterback Cam Newton found himself with no deep threats after Ted Ginn Jr. left to sign with the New Orleans Saints as a free agent and youngsters Curtis Samuel and Damierre Byrd went down with injuries.

The trickledown effect of not having anyone to stretch the field, combined with three-time 1,000 yard receiving tight end Greg Olsen missing most of the season with a foot injury made Newton’s job last season extremely difficult. It also played havoc with the team’s running game as opposing defenses were able to walk an extra defender into the box. Carolina still finished 11-5 and earned a wild card despite finishing 19th in offense but lacked the firepower to make a run in the NFC playoffs.

General manager Marty Hurney wasn’t about to let that happen again.

The Panthers upgraded their speed at wide receiver by trading for Torrey Smith, signing free agent Jarius Wright and selecting the elusive D.J. Moore from Maryland in the first round of the NFL draft.

Smith has averaged 16.4 yards per catch during his seven NFL seasons with the Ravens, 49ers and, most recently, the Super Bowl champion Eagles. Wright joins the Panthers after six seasons with the Vikings, where he worked under new Panthers offensive coordinator Norv Turner and averaged 13.3 yards per catch. Moore caught 80 passes last season at Maryland and earned a reputation as a receiver who makes defenders miss and piles up yards after the catch.

With Samuel and Byrd coming back from injuries Sherrick McManis Jersey , Newton should have no shortage of options when it comes to stretching the field.

”I think we would probably have the fastest track team in the NFL for sure,” Wright said. ”We got a 1A and a 1B team. That’s how fast our receiving corps is.”

Coach Ron Rivera is quietly optimistic.

He said the Panthers ”have some speed that we haven’t had in a while” at the wide receiver and defensive back positions.

”I think that is a good thing for us,” Rivera said. ”We can be a fast team.”

All of that is good news for Newton, who was limited to 22 touchdown passes and 16 interceptions in 2017 – two years after throwing 35 TD passes and 10 interceptions while earning league MVP honors and leading the Panthers to the Super Bowl.

The logical thinking is if defenses have to honor the deep threat it will allow Olsen and No. 1 receiver Devin Funchess to work underneath the coverage – and also free up rushing lanes for running back Christian McCaffrey and Newton, the team’s leading rusher last season.

Funchess may not be the fastest wide receiver on the roster, but he figures to play a huge role in the passing game.

He moved over to the ”X” position, or No. 1 receiver spot, during the middle of last season after the Panthers abruptly traded former No. 1 draft pick Kelvin Benjamin to the Buffalo Bills.

Funchess and Benjamin were considered similar possession-type receivers, and Hurney said at the time he wanted to get more speed on the field.

Funchess responded with some solid games in Benjamin’s absence, and finished the season with 63 receptions for 840 yards and eight touchdowns despite routinely seeing double coverage. He’ll have plenty of motivation to improve on that production given that he’ll become an unrestricted free agent after the season.

”I focus on strictly football and that part has nothing to do with me,” Funchess said. ”If (the Panthers) want to (get a deal done) Matt Paradis Jersey , they can. … I’m out here to play football, work with coach Turner, work with the rest of the wide receivers, and talk a little trash to (Panthers linebacker) Thomas Davis.”

Wright likes what he sees so far from the wideouts.

”I think we have one of the best groups in the NFL,” Wright said. ”We have so many guys that bring a lot of different things to the game. But every guy can run out there. With so many playmakers, an experienced offensive coordinator and an MVP quarterback like Cam Newton our offense should be rolling.”

—

Kings coach John Stevens told Dustin Brown last summer he could still be a 20-goal scorer in the NHL after failing to hit that threshold for five consecutive seasons.

In retrospect, Stevens might have undersold what Brown is still capable of achieving.

Brown scored his fourth goal of the game 23 seconds into overtime and the Kings moved into third place in the Pacific Division with a 5-4 win over the Minnesota Wild on Thursday night.

Brown scored on a one-timer from the left circle to put the Kings one point ahead of Anaheim in the division, with Anze Kopitar setting up his 28th goal of the season. Brown set a career high with his 61st point.

”I thought his game was trending in the right direction last year,” Stevens said. ”I said if you’re not at least a 20-goal scorer again, then I don’t know what I’m doing. And he kind of laughed, but you could see he believed it Jeremiah George Jersey , too. And he is.”

Brown is the 14th player in Kings history to score four goals in a game and the second to do so this season. Kopitar did it on March 22 against Colorado.

Tobias Rieder also scored, and Daniel Brickley had an assist for his first point in his NHL debut. Jonathan Quick made 23 saves for the Kings’ fourth win in five games.

Drew Doughty had an assist to become the fourth Kings defenseman with 50 in a season. Doughty also set a career high with his 60th point.

Matt Dumba scored for the second straight game, and Nate Prosser had a short-handed goal for the Wild, who will play Winnipeg in the first round of the playoffs.

Ryan Murphy and Eric Staal each had a goal, and Alex Stalock made 23 saves. Mikko Koivu had three assists and Mikael Granlund had two assists.

Brown got his first hat trick since Feb. 25, 2012, by scoring with 49.3 seconds left in the second.

Prosser tied it at 4-4 at 9:24 of the third period after Staal scored his 41st at 5:42 during a delayed penalty to cut the deficit to 4-3.

”There’s a lot of good you can take from this game,” Wild coach Bruce Boudreau said. ”You battled back against the team that’s the best third-period team in the League. They stayed with the program and consequently got rewarded for it a little bit.”

Brown got the Kings on the board 55 seconds into the game, but Murphy tied the game at 1 when his shot into traffic redirected off Christian Folin and past Quick at 3:12, and Dumba put the Wild ahead at 5:02.

But Brown kept creating scoring chances. He made it 2-all when he scored during a 5-on-3 power play at 7:42, waiting at the front of the net to score off Jeff Carter’s centering pass.

”You just plug away really Adrian Amos Jersey ,” Brown said of his turnaround. ”I got an opportunity this year to play big minutes and be a huge part of the team. That’s probably the more important thing is that I was able to help the team make the playoffs.”

However, Brown was more concerned with how the Kings let the Wild back into the game and what it might portend headed into the playoffs.

”I don’t know what it is in our DNA, but we seem to make it hard on ourselves a lot,” Brown said. ”The thing is we do that and then we come back and win, so the stats probably lie a little bit when you see the record holding a lead after two periods. We try to get heroics every night, which is probably something we need to avoid next week.”

NOTES: Kings F Torrey Mitchell and D Paul LaDue did not play because of flu-like symptoms. The Kings recalled F Jonny Brodzinski and D Oscar Fantenberg from their AHL affiliate on Thursday, but both were scratched against the Wild. … The Wild signed D Louis Belpedio to a two-year, entry-level contract on Thursday. Belpedio, a third-round draft pick of the Wild in 2014 who played college hockey at Miami of Ohio, could make his NHL debut on Saturday.

UP NEXT

Wild: Visit the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night.

Kings: Host the Dallas Stars on Saturday night.

—

Landry Shamet Jersey

The three-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman is healthy after two injury-riddled seasons and has his sights set on helping lift a struggling franchise. But while he is ”feeling great Kevin White Jersey ,” Long also sounded more like a grizzled veteran than a wide-eyed rookie.

Pin that on some of his teammates.

”I don’t know half of the references they make to pop culture,” Long said. ”I used to understand all the rap songs, and I don’t understand half of them now, unless I listen to Future. They’re just young guys, just young dudes. I used to know guys from watching college football, and now there’s guys I didn’t even know that came through. You watch them play and you’re like, `Wow.’ We’re really lucky to have these young players. (General manager Ryan Pace) has done a great job bringing in a lot of talent.”

The moves Pace made in the offseason have the Bears thinking bigger things are in store after four straight last-place finishes in the NFC North and five consecutive seasons without a winning record.

They’re banking on quarterback Mitchell Trubisky after trading up a spot to draft him with the No. 2 overall pick last year. Pace set out to surround him with the pieces he needs to develop this offseason, hiring coach Matt Nagy to replace the fired John Fox and giving him an overhauled set of targets.

The most notable addition was former Jacksonville Jaguars Pro Bowl receiver Allen Robinson. He tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in last year’s opener and missed the remainder of the season.

Chicago also brought in former Philadelphia tight end Trey Burton Jeremy Vujnovich Jersey , who threw a memorable touchdown pass to quarterback Nick Foles in the Eagles’ Super Bowl victory over New England, and Atlanta receiver Taylor Gabriel.

With Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen at running back, the Bears believe they have a deep and potentially explosive offense. And a healthy Long at right guard sure would help open holes for them, not to mention protect Trubisky.

”That means a lot because when he’s out there he can just throw people around,” said Howard, who has run for more than 1,100 yards in each of his first two seasons. ”Just having him out there feels great.”

At 29, he has been limited to 18 games over the past two seasons after appearing in 47 of a possible 48 while making the Pro Bowl his first three years. The 6-foot-6 Malik Jackson Jersey , 316-pound Long has undergone shoulder, elbow and neck surgeries since he last played on Dec. 3. A major ankle injury added to the misery in recent years.

Long’s painful run actually started with a torn labrum during the 2016 preseason. He was planning to repair it after that year. But the ankle injury he suffered late in that season required surgery and forced him to put off tending to the shoulder.

Long went into last season far from 100 percent, and the shoulder injury led to the neck problem. After being held back during offseason workouts, he cleared a hurdle when he participated without restrictions in the first training camp practice on Friday. He had a scheduled day off Saturday, with Nagy saying it’s ”just part of the process” and that it won’t be his last one.

Nagy said he wasn’t sure exactly how many off days Long will get. But he said the Bears plan to space them out ”based off his body and where he’s at.”

A healthy Long gives them strength and quickness and brings leadership to an offense with young players in key spots. Trubisky (23), Robinson (24), Howard (23) and Cohen (22) are all under 25. Rookie James Daniels could play an important role at left guard or center, and center Cody Whitehair is only entering his third year.

”(Long is) an imposing figure Cam Newton Jersey , a big guy who can move,” Nagy said. ”He’s athletic. The other thing I like about Kyle is that he’s a leader. He takes control of that offensive line. So he’s just going to continue to keep doing that and when we get out here with the pads, you’ll be able to see some of that strength.”

Notes: The impasse with rookie LB Roquan Smith continued. Chicago’s first-round draft pick at No. 8 overall, he remained unsigned and missed his second practice. … LB Aaron Lynch sat out after suffering a hamstring injury in Friday’s practice.

—

The Buffalo Bills continue shuffling their defensive front during the first week of training camp by signing end Ryan Russell.

Russell is listed at 6-foot-5 and 267 pounds, and has three seasons of NFL experience, including the past two with Tampa Bay. He had two sacks in 14 games, including six starts, with the Buccaneers last season.

He was selected by Dallas in the fifth round of the 2015 draft out of Purdue Marshall Faulk Jersey , but appeared in just one game for the Cowboys.

Buffalo freed up room on its roster on Sunday by releasing Owa Odighizuwa, an offseason free agent addition. Odighizuwa was attempting to resume his career after missing all of last season, when he was cut by the New York Giants shortly after being issued a four-game NFL suspension for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancers.

The Bills opened training camp Thursday by signing defensive tackle John Hughes.

Injuries have depleted Buffalo's depth at tight end. Nick O'Leary missed practice Sunday because of an injury to his right foot. Logan Thomas did not return to practice Sunday after hurting his shoulder.

Buffalo is off Monday and resumes camp Tuesday in suburban Rochester.

CHICAGO — As the NBA’s regular season draws to a close Brendan Langley Jersey , both the Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons approach their final game looking ahead to what’s ahead. And in both cases, a fair amount of uncertainty exists.

The Bulls head into Wednesday’s season finale against the Pistons having lost 10 of their past 13 games — including three straight — hoping to still have a shot at a prime lottery slot in this summer’s draft.

Detroit, meanwhile, faces another year without a playoff berth, which has left the future of coach Stan Van Gundy in question.

Still Andrew Luck Jersey , with one seemingly meaningless game remaining, both the Bulls and Pistons — regardless of the difficulties they have faced this season — won’t concede anything.

Chicago (27-54) enters Wednesday’s game with the league’s seventh-worst record. The Bulls dropped a 114-105 decision to the Brooklyn Nets on Monday and finished the loss off with a collection of young talent that remains in the evaluation phase as Chicago continues to rebuild around the core of rookie Lauri Markkanen and guards Kris Dunn and Zach LaVine.

Still, despite this year’s struggles, coach Fred Hoiberg is quick to point out that he appreciates the effort he continues to get from his team despite the fact by now the Bulls are merely aiming to improve their draft position the best they can.

“I thought we really went out and competed at a high level,” Hoiberg told reporters after Monday’s loss Rashaan Gaulden Jersey , according to the Chicago Sun-Times. “I thought we had great effort for 48 minutes.

“We’re obviously putting a lot of guys in a lot of different positions that they have not been in during the course of the year, but I thought each and every guy that stepped on the floor competed at a high level. That’s what it’s all about right now.”

The Pistons are coming off a 108-98 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Monday when Detroit (38-43) relinquished an early 17-point loss. The Pistons played without starters Blake Griffin (right ankle bruise), Reggie Bullock (sore left knee) and Andre Drummond (sore Achilles tendon) and are likely to again be short-handed Wednesday against the Bulls.

The changes that could be coming after a disappointing season could be arriving sooner rather than later.

Pistons owner Tom Gores told reporters Monday that he will meet with Van Gundy next week to discuss what needs to change following a campaign in which the Pistons failed to make the playoffs for the third time in the past four years.

Van Gundy has one year remaining on his five-year, $35 million deal.

“I’m just not sure what they are and he’s been working the whole season so I need to hear from Stan,” Gores told reporters Pernell McPhee Jersey , according to the Detroit Free Press. “I can tell you he’s an extremely dedicated man so I think he’s been good for our franchise.”

Still, Van Gundy understands the reality of the situation and knows that the Pistons only winning 38 games after winning 14 of their first 16 games won’t go unnoticed when it comes to the decision Gores has to make.

“It’s fine, I have no problem,” Van Gundy told reporters before Monday’s game, according to the Free Press. “Our record is what it is you’ve got to accept that and the judgment that goes with that.”

“I have great confidence the team will be good Logan Cooke Jersey , but you still got to own the 38 wins right now. You can’t run from that.”

Maybe not quite 16-1 this time around Mike Singletary Jersey , sure, yet plenty capable of another remarkable run.

”I always knew everybody on our team had a good spirit, a good energy for the game,” said Durant, the reigning NBA Finals MVP. ”We might have lost some games and had some tough stretches but that doesn’t define everybody here as an individual player. I’m kind of positive on, optimistic on each of these guys and how we approach the game no matter what the score of some of those games. I’m glad we can kind of learn from those tough times and continue to move forward.”

The Warriors have been hurt and humbled. Beaten handily and beat up hard. Two-time MVP Stephen Curry is expected to be sidelined the entire first round with a knee injury. Four All-Stars – Curry, Durant, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson – were out together at times, too.

On Saturday afternoon, Golden State begins its championship quest with Game 1 of the best-of-seven first round against the San Antonio Spurs at Oracle Arena.

”We learned a lot,” coach Steve Kerr said. ”Every experience that you gain you can learn from. This has been such a chaotic month with all the injuries and the meaningless games. We’ve been frustrated. We haven’t performed very well. The good news is we have performed well for four years Vontaze Burfict Jersey , so we know who we are. We know what we’re about. We know this team well, we know the Spurs well, so we know what we have to do. We’ve got to go do it. The last month is meaningless now. Everything starts over.”

Some of that is what Kerr gained from Spurs coach Gregg Popovich: ”You take whatever is in front of you and you embrace it.”

Here are some key story lines for the Spurs-Warriors series, a rematch of last season’s Western Conference Finals swept by Golden State:

A SPECIAL FRIENDSHIP

Kerr hardly played during four seasons with San Antonio late in his career.

Still, Popovich is one of his favorite people – even if he wants nothing more than to eliminate his dear friend.

”Pop doesn’t like to see me lose. I like to see him lose. He’s had way too much success already,” Kerr cracked. ”I think sometimes Pop needs to be humbled a little bit. So I’m looking to really rub it in and enjoy if we’re able to beat them.”

Kerr added: ”I want Pop to win against anybody else. We’re that close. He’s my mentor and he’s somebody I feel incredibly strongly about in terms of who he is and what he did for me in my life, and what he’s doing for my son right now.”

NO CURRY OR KAWHI

Golden State has gone without Curry for 16 of the last 17 games as he worked back from another injury to his troublesome right ankle only to sprain the medial collateral ligament in his left knee in his return March 23.

Curry is scheduled to be re-evaluated Saturday yet Kerr noted that ”he’s not close to playing.”

The Warriors also aren’t expecting to see Spurs star Kawhi Leonard. He played in only nine regular-season games because of a lingering right quadriceps injury.

DEFENSIVE SWAGGER

Durant and Green insist it’s time to start taking defense more seriously.

”Now we can focus in on what we always do good here, it’s flying around on defense, moving the basketball,” Durant said.

The Spurs realize the challenges.

”They are smart, they are long Patrick DiMarco Jersey ,” Manu Ginobili said. ”They are very quick to switch back to the matchups they want. They’ve got a lot of long wings that recover very quick. … There’s a reason why they’ve been winning so many games.”

SPURS STRUGGLES

While the Warriors endured a stretch of seven losses in 10 games, the Spurs dealt with their own eight-game skid down the stretch.

And San Antonio went just 14-27 on the road.

Even if the Spurs’ 2017 series with the Warriors was swift, this is a fresh chance.

”It’s a new year,” LaMarcus Aldridge said. ”This team has fought and put ourselves in a position to be here. Last year is last year.”

CENTER BY COMMITTEE

It might be Zaza Pachulia. Maybe JaVale McGee. Or Kevon Looney. David West will get his minutes, too.

Each offers something uniquely different as the Warriors go with a center-by-committee approach.

Kerr isn’t saying which big man he will start – he’s not giving Popovich any early clues. And Kerr said he and Spurs staffer and son, Nick, are cutting off communication for a couple of weeks.

—

23. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (15-4)

LAST SEASON: New England stumbled early, losing twice in first four games. Patriots recovered and won 11 of final 12 behind MVP season of quarterback Tom Brady. He dazzled at age 40, throwing for 4,577 yards, 32 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He did so despite reported friction between himself Rashard Higgins Jersey , coach Bill Belichick and team owner Robert Kraft following midseason trade of backup Jimmy Garoppolo to San Francisco. But defensive inconsistency was Patriots' biggest issue throughout season and it caught up with them in Super Bowl loss to Philadelphia. It included mysterious benching of cornerback Malcolm Butler, who wound up leaving at start of free agency.

THEY NEED: OL, LB, CB, DE, QB

THEY DON'T NEED: TE, RB, WR

POSSIBLE FIRST PICK: T Kolton Miller, UCLA; T Mike McGlinchey, Notre Dame; LB Rashaan Evans, Alabama; DE-LB Harold Landry Michael Johnson Jersey , Boston College; CB Mike Hughes, UCF.

OUTLOOK: Roster will look different following free agency departures of Butler (Titans), LT Nate Solder (Giants), WR Danny Amendola (Dolphins), RB Dion Lewis (Titans) and trade of WR Brandin Cooks (Rams). They've addressed some holes already: New England traded for WR-KR Cordarrelle Patterson, CB Jason McCourty and DT Danny Shelton, while signing veteran DE Adrian Clayborn and RB Jeremy Hill. TE Rob Gronkowski has subtly hinted at retiring sooner rather than later, which could throw wrinkle into Patriots' long-term approach. But they have plenty to work with thanks to five selections in first 95 picks, including two in first round (23rd and 31st overall).

Ketel Marte and Alex Avila each hit two-run homers and the Diamondbacks scored eight runs in the first three innings to power their way to a 9-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday night.

”We just did a good job of being aggressive in the zone Demarcus Walker Jersey ,” Arizona center fielder Jon Jay said. ”You saw guys put some good barrels on balls and we were ready to hit right from the start.”

Marte’s blast capped a three-run first, while Avila’s shot in the third extended the NL West-leading Diamondbacks’ advantage to 8-0.

Jay doubled in each of the first two innings, the second of which drove in two runs. The center fielder is hitting .340 in 13 games since being acquired June 6 from Kansas City in a trade.

”I feel very fortunate to have been traded here,” Jay said. ”It’s a great group of guys who know how to go about their business. You can see why this team is successful.”

Staked to the early cushion, Zack Godley (8-5) won his third straight start. He gave up three runs – two earned – and four hits in six innings with five strikeouts and three walks.

”A lot of times it’s hard to pitch in games like this because you can lose your concentration with the big lead, but he kept making pitches Da'Shawn Hand Jersey ,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said.

Godley, though, said he didn’t feel any pressure in trying to hold the eight-run advantage.

”Heck, I’ll take eight runs in the first three innings every time,” he said with a smile.

Avila finished with three RBIs as he also doubled home a run in the ninth. The veteran catcher entered the game hitting .109.

Chad Kuhl (5-5) lasted just two-plus innings and was lifted following Avila’s homer. Kuhl was tagged for eight runs and eight hits after allowing three earned runs or less in seven of his previous eight starts.

”I don’t think balls were coming out (of his hand) as they have for whatever that reason may be,” Kuhl said. ”I just felt like tonight was a little bit different. They hammered balls over the plate. You just try your best to move on from this one.”

Kuhl was supposed to pitch Wednesday night against Milwaukee but the game was rained out after a delay of slightly more than two hours. Lovullo thought that might have worked in the Diamondbacks’ favor.

”He had to reverse his game plan Jon Weeks Jersey ,” Lovullo said. ”He thought he was starting against the Brewers and then he had less than a day to prepare for us. That’s difficult.”

Pittsburgh rookie Austin Meadows had three hits.

Daniel Descalso’s sacrifice fly brought home the game’s first run before Marte followed with his sixth home run into the right-field stands. Paul Goldschmidt singled in Jay in the second to make it 6-0.

Francisco Cervelli hit an RBI single in the fourth inning for the Pirates. Starling Marte doubled in a run and scored on Colin Moran’s sacrifice fly in the sixth.

The Diamondbacks have scored 35 runs in going 3-1 against Pittsburgh this season.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Diamondbacks: RHP Shelby Miller (Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery) rejoined the team following four minor league rehab starts and is scheduled to be activated from the disabled list Monday to pitch at Miami. Miller was injured April 22, 2017, while facing the Los Angeles Dodgers. He will take the rotation spot of RHP Matt Koch, who was optioned to Triple-A Reno, while RHP Jake Barrett was recalled from the Aces to provide extra bullpen help and got the final out.

Pirates: RHP AJ Schugel (right shoulder discomfort) has started playing catch on flat ground at the team’s spring training facility in Bradenton, Florida. The reliever has been on the DL all season.

TIME TO MAKE UP

Wednesday’s rainout will be made up July 14 when the Pirates and Brewers play a traditional doubleheader starting at 12:35 p.m. ET.

UP NEXT

Diamondbacks: LHP Patrick Corbin (6-5 Carlos Hyde Jersey , 3.48 ERA) is 1-2 with a 5.90 ERA in five career starts against the Pirates.

Pirates: RHP Ivan Nova (4-5, 4.42) has won both starts with a 1.54 ERA since being activated from the DL on June 10. He missed two weeks with a sprained right ring finger.

—

The first day in pads was a brutal one of the Panthers, as they might have lost a key component of their offense.

Right tackle Daryl Williams, who was named second team All-Pro last year and was in line for a large contract extension, was carted off the field with a right knee injury Saturday morning.

Via the team’s official website, coach Ron Rivera said Williams was going to be taken back to Charlotte for more tests.

During practice Joe Looney Jersey , Williams was replaced by 2017 second-round pick Taylor Moton, and he’d be the likely replacement if Williams misses significant time.

There were some discussions about a contract extension for Williams this offseason, but they apparently never got that close to reaching a deal. That makes the timing of the injury horrible, as he’s entering the final year of his rookie deal.

There’s good news as it comes to that largely useless video posted by NFL senior V.P. of officiating Al Riveron regarding the new rule against lowering the helmet and making contact with an opponent: It’s been revised both to ditch the Commodore 64 graphics and Nick Kwiatkoski Jersey , more importantly, to add animation that highlights which player is or isn’t complying with the rule.

Here’s the bad news: It still lacks narration or explanation, making it only slightly less useless than it was. (It’s not clear why Riveron didn’t simply do a video that includes his explanation as to why a given play is or isn’t a foul.)

Here’s my quick assessment of the six plays shown on the video, with the first three not a foul and the last three examples of a violation.

In the first play not involving a foul, Rams safety Steven Parker closes in to make a form tackle. As he approaches the ball carrier, Parker LOWERS HIS HELMET. If the ball carrier had shifted slightly to his right (Parker’s left), Parker would have struck the opponent with the lowered helmet, and it would have been a foul.

In the second, Jets safety J.J. Wilcox approaches the Falcons receiver and Wilcox instinctively LOWERS HIS HELMET. Wilcox actually makes contact against the receiver with the helmet. So why wasn’t it a foul? As the grossly broad lowering-the-helmet rule is written, it should have been.

In the third, Jets cornerback Jeremy Clark makes a form tackle on a kickoff return. Just before impact Britton Colquitt Jersey , Clark LOWERS HIS HELMET. Clark manages to deliver the blow without making contact against the opponent with Clark’s helmet.

As to the two situations that clearly aren’t fouls, the outcome is driven more by happenstance than technique. Basically, Parker and Clark got lucky, in that the opponent didn’t move into the path of the lowered helmet. If they had, it would have been a foul, based on the manner in which the rule is written.

In the first play showing a violation, a Rams defender chases down a ball carrier and, at the point of impact, instinctively dips his helmet and makes contact. Technically, it’s a foul. But what was the player supposed to do differently? There will be many plays in which the defender won’t be able to square up and make a form tackle. If what the defender did in that case is a foul, what could he have done that wouldn’t have been a foul — other than sprint down the field and circle back in the hopes of maybe being able to approach him from the front?

In the second play Adam Shaheen Jersey , Browns tight end Orson Charles goes in motion from right to left before the snap, then goes back to the right and delivers a block that seals the path to the ball carrier. Charles instinctively lowers his helmet and seems to make contact with the helmet against the Giants defender Charles is trying to block. Again, what could he have done differently, other than collide with the defender while standing straight up, and in turn been blown up by the lower man? (An arguably more obviously foul appears on that play, when Giants defensive back Orion Stewart, wearing No. 45, performs a head-down lunge into the ball carrier while he is being tackled.)

The third play represents a mirror image of the second one, with a Saints player moving left to right to block Jaguars defensive lineman Lyndon Johnson, who lowers his helmet just before colliding with the blocker. It happens quickly, but it definitely appears to be a violation of both the letter and the spirit of the rule; Johnson could have at least tried to move his helmet to the side instead of putting his helmet in the blocker’s stomach.

Bottom line? The rule continues to be far too broad Tyron Smith Jersey , its application will far too often be driven by chance and randomness, and it’s becoming far too late to implement a meaningful fix that requires the blow to be forcible and that carves out any incidental contact that happens while the tackler or blocker is attempting to deliver a hit without making contact with the helmet.

In 22 days, this rule will be applied to games that count.

The Jaguars are poised to sign All-Pro guard Andrew Norwell and speedy receiver Donte Moncrief in free agency Thursday, according to two people familiar with negotiations. The people spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity Tuesday because NFL teams are prohibited from announcing signings until free agency officially begins Wednesday afternoon.

Norwell is expected to sign a five-year, $66.5 million contract that includes $30 million guaranteed, one of the people said. That would make him one of the highest-paid offensive linemen in the league.

Another person with knowledge of contract talks with receiver Marqise Lee says the team has agreed to terms with Lee on a four-year deal worth $38 million. It includes $18 million guaranteed.

Lee and Moncrief will be counted on to try to fill the void left by losing former Pro Bowl receiver Allen Robinson, who is headed to Chicago. Lee led the Jaguars in receiving in 2017, catching 56 balls for 702 yards and three touchdowns. Moncrief had 26 receptions for 391 yards and two scores with Indianapolis.

Moncrief has the speed to loosen up eight- and nine-man defensive fronts.

The Jaguars made the ground game a priority when coach Doug Marrone and top executive Tom Coughlin took over in January 2017. They selected bruising running back Leonard Fournette and left tackle Cam Robinson in the first two rounds of the NFL draft last year and dedicated the offseason to becoming a more physical team up front. They also made Brandon Linder one of the NFL's highest-paid centers.

Norwell is expected to slide into Jacksonville's offensive line at left guard, between Robinson and Linder. The Jaguars have used five different starters at the position the last two seasons.

Although Jacksonville led the NFL in rushing in 2017, the running game stalled late in the season and barely was a factor in the playoffs. The Jaguars averaged 141.4 yards a game last season, but they topped 100 yards just twice in the final six games.

Norwell should help make Jacksonville's line Telvin Smith Jersey , especially the left side, one of the best in the AFC.

He was the No. 1 offensive lineman available in free agency, a first-team All-Pro selection who didn't allow a sack or a quarterback hit in 2017, according to Pro Football Focus. He started 45 of 48 games over the past three seasons and helped the Panthers finished fourth, 10th, and second, respectively, in rushing.

Moncrief and Lee have shown big-play ability despite a slew of injuries.

But neither looks like the go-to guy Robinson was expected to be. The Jags likely will end up relying on those two along with promising youngsters Dede Westbrook, Keelan Cole and Rashad Greene in 2018.

Nick Nurse spent almost three decades paying his coaching dues Chris Harris Jr Jersey , toiling with teams in Britain, Italy and Belgium, college basketball and the G League.

The chance he’s long coveted has finally arrived.

Nurse has agreed to become the next coach of the Toronto Raptors, a person with direct knowledge of the hire told The Associated Press on Tuesday. Nurse will be replacing his former boss Royce Freeman Jersey , Dwane Casey – under whom he spent the past five seasons as a Raptors assistant. Casey was fired after the Raptors were swept out of the second round of this year’s playoffs by Cleveland.

Nurse and the Raptors were completing contract terms Tuesday, according to the person who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been announced. ESPN first reported the hiring.

The move seems to suggest there will be at least some continuity between what the Raptors have been doing and what they’ll do on his watch. Toronto went 59-23 this season, the best record in the Eastern Conference and second-best record in the NBA behind only Houston – and Nurse was in charge of the offense, led by All-Star guards DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry.

The decision comes a month after Casey was let go and one day after he was hired by the Detroit Pistons as their new coach. The Raptors always raved about Casey’s work ethic Randy Gregory Jersey , and Nurse took note.

”I’ve learned a lot about preparation from him, the seriousness of attention to detail,” Nurse told Canada’s Sportsnet in February. ”He’s been around the league a long time and he’s seen it all. That’s the biggest thing. We have to prepare the players and can’t leave any stone unturned. We have to know everything the other team is doing and really work hard and grind it out.”

Nurse graduated from Northern Iowa and got his first head coaching position at Grand View College when he was only 23 – some 27 years ago. He spent more than a decade in Europe, was an assistant coach for Britain at the 2012 London Olympics Adam Vinatieri Jersey , is a past G League coach of the year and coached Rio Grande to that league’s title in 2013.

The Eagles posted a video Thursday on Twitter of Dorenbos receiving a Super Bowl ring. Dorenbos was a popular figure in the Eagles locker room, known for his gregarious personality and for entertaining teammates with magic tricks.

He was traded to the Saints before the start of last season but retired in September when it was discovered he needed heart surgery, ending his football career.

Dorenbos learned magic as a kid to help him cope with the death of his mother, who was killed by his father. He performed on NBC’s ”America’s Got Talent” in 2016 and finished in third place.

6:25 p.m.

Rapper Meek Mill says he believes a lot of important people are depending on him now that he’s out of prison.

Mill is telling Lester Holt of NBC Nightly News in an interview being broadcast Wednesday those are the people ”going through the same thing I’m going through.”

Mill’s lawyers spent months battling to get Mill freed on bail after he was sentenced to prison for probation violations.

He was released Tuesday after Pennsylvania’s highest court ordered the sentencing judge to free him while he appeals decade-old gun and drug convictions likely to get thrown out.

Mill’s lawyers say he never should have been jailed. Criminal justice reform advocates say there are many others like him wrongly behind bars.

The interview will run on both the Nightly News and Dateline NBC.

—

12:15 a.m.

Philadelphia-born rapper Meek Mill has attended an NBA playoff game in his first public appearance since being released from prison while he appeals decade-old gun and drug convictions.

Following a five-month campaign by his supporters to get him out Kendall Wright Jersey , the state Supreme Court on Tuesday directed a Philadelphia judge who had jailed him to immediately issue an order releasing him on unsecured bail.

Mill, whose real name is Robert Rihmeek Williams, was sentenced in November to two to four years behind bars for probation violations.

He was taken from the prison in Chester by helicopter to nearby Philadelphia, where he rang the ceremonial bell at the start of Game 5 of the Philadelphia 76ers–Miami Heat playoff series.

The rapper wore a Joel Embiid jersey and sat courtside during the game.

Baez stole home and the Willson Contreras hit a tie-breaking homer to lead the Cubs past the Detroit Tigers 5-2 on Wednesday for their sixth straight victory.

“Who’s more exciting to watch than he,” Maddon said of Baez. “He is, I’d say, in that top-10 kind of part of the Rat Pack from back in the day. He’s one of those guys.”

“He sashayed in with Sinatra. That’s how he plays baseball.”

Baez capped an eventful trip around the bases by stealing home in the fourth to tie it at 2. He singled to lead off the inning, then Detroit starter Francisco Liriano picked him off first base. But first baseman John Hicks‘ throw to second sailed into left field and Baez advanced to third.

Baez sprinted home when Liriano tried pick off Addison Russell at first. Hicks’ throw to catcher James McCann was quick and accurate Sean Lee Jersey , but Baez slid head-first and touched the plate before McCann could tag him.

“As soon as I got to third, I was just ready from the first pitch,” Baez said. “I just went for it.

“I used to slide head-first (as a kid) and get stuck and not go through the bag or whatever,” Baez added. “I was kind of worried about it because I didn’t want to do the scorpion.”

But instead of ending up with his tail in the air, Baez slid just outside of the plate and reached in.

“It was a close play, obviously,” McCann said. “He put a swim move on me”

Conditions at Wrigley Field favored the longball, with a game-time temperature of 92 degrees Marcell Dareus Jersey , a heat index of 102 and the wind blowing out. Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire left the dugout midway through the game with what bench coach Steve Liddle called “being overheated.”

David Bote hit his first homer while Detroit got solo shots from Nick Castellanos and Hicks, but was swept by the Cubs in the two-game interleague set and has dropped 13 of 15.

Bote, playing third in place of injured Kris Bryant, smacked his drive into the batter’s eye shrubs in straight-away center on the first pitch he faced in the second to tie it at 1 in the second.

Contreras homered in the sixth to put the Cubs ahead 3-2 and then added a two-run double in the seventh.

Chicago starter Jose Quintana (7-6) allowed two runs on five hits through six innings to win for the first time since May 31. Liriano (3-5) permitted three runs on five hits and five walks in his third outing -and third loss – since returning from the disabled list.

“We’ve got to keep playing, keep grinding, and hopefully things are going to turn around for us,” Liriano said.

Brandon Morrow pitched the ninth for his 19th save in 20 chances.

Castellanos hit his 14th homer, and third in five games Ryan Griffin Jersey , to left in the first to put Detroit ahead 1-0. In each game of the Cubs’ winning streak, the opponent has scored first.

Hicks’ shot in the third landed halfway up the left-center bleachers and put the Tigers back in front, 2-1.

BOTE BIT

Bote played his 15th game in the majors and entered hitting .241. The 25-year-old was recalled from Triple-A Iowa for the third time this season on June 26.

ROSTER MOVE:

The Cubs recalled C/INF Victor Caratini from Triple-A Iowa and designated C Chris Gimenez for assignment. Caratini started at first base on Wednesday as Anthony Rizzo didn’t enter the game until he pinch hit in the sixth.

Caratini was on the Cubs’ opening day roster, then was sent to the minors on May 25 for more playing time. With Iowa, the 24-year-old batted .313 with four home runs and 22 RBIs in 32 games. He’s a switch-hitter who can play the infield and catch.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cubs: Although he was eligible to come off the disabled list on Tuesday, the earliest INF/OF Bryant (left shoulder inflammation) will return is Friday. Maddon said Bryant was still feeling some soreness. . Maddon said RHP Yu Darvish (right triceps inflammation, right elbow impingement/inflammation) is feeling better, but there’s no timetable for him to resume throwing. Darvish got a fresh opinion and a cortisone shot from Dr. Keith Meister last Friday in Texas after suffering pain in a bullpen session in Los Angeles on Thursday. “We want to develop a plan to get him back out there as soon as possible Christine Michael Sr Jersey ,” Maddon said.

UP NEXT:

Tigers: LHP Matthew Boyd (4-6, 4.18) faces the Rangers RHP Yovani Gallardo (2-0, 9.00) on Thursday as Detroit opens a four-game home series versus Texas.

Cubs: Following a day off on Thursday, Chicago sends LHP Mike Montgomery (3-2, 3.55) to the mound against RHP Tyler Mahle (6-6, 3.83) to open a three-game set against the Reds at Wrigley Field.