Chicago Sun-Times

Baseball by the numbers with Bill Chuck

Sun, 15 Sep 2013 02:42:38 -0500

This week’s names and numbers in baseball: The no-worry nine for Chicago 1. The most losses the White Sox ever had in the second half of the season was in 1932 when they went 21-54 (.280). They finished the year 49-102 (.325). 2. The most losses the Cubs ever had in the second half of the season was in 1980 when they went 30-55 (.353). They finished the year 64-98 (395). 3. The Sox’ Matt Lindstrom is tied with the Baltimore Orioles’ Jim Johnson for inducing the most GIDP for a reliever (15). 4. For the second consecutive season, the …

David Price’s complete game lifts Rays to playoffs, win over Rangers

Mon, 30 Sep 2013 22:50:23 -0500

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - Team Tarmac has landed in the American League playoffs. Evan Longoria once again provided a crucial final-game home run, augmenting a stellar complete-game performance by David Price to lead the Tampa Bay Rays to a 5-2 victory over the Texas Rangers on Monday night in the league’s wild-card tiebreaker game. That sends the Rays to Cleveland to face the Indians in Wednesday night’s wild-card game, that winner headed to the Division Series in Boston that will begin on Friday. The Rays punched their ticket to the postseason by sweeping three games early last week at Yankee Stadium, …

Rays to playoffs again after 5-2 win over Rangers

Mon, 30 Sep 2013 22:30:00 -0500

BC-BBA--Rays-Rangers,146URGENTRays to playoffs again after 5-2 win over RangersAP Photo ARL110, ARL108, ARL123, ARL122, ARL120, ARL117, ARL114, ARL112Eds: APNewsNow. Rays 5, Rangers 2. With AP Photos.By STEPHEN HAWKINSAP Sports WriterARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — David Price threw a complete game, Evan Longoria had a two-run homer among his three hits and the Tampa Bay Rays are in the playoffs again after a 5-2 win over Texas in the AL wild-card tiebreaker Monday night.The Rays face another do-or-die game Wednesday night at Cleveland in the AL wild-card game. Tampa Bay is in the playoffs for the fourth time in six seasons.Price (10-8), …

Rays to playoffs again after 5-2 win over Rangers

Mon, 30 Sep 2013 22:28:00 -0500

Henderson Alvarez throws crazy no-hitter vs. Tigers

Sun, 29 Sep 2013 15:44:36 -0500

MIAMI — Henderson Alvarez pitched a no-hitter with a most bizarre ending, celebrating in the on-deck circle when the Miami Marlins scored on a two-out wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth inning to beat the AL Central champion Detroit Tigers 1-0 Sunday. After Alvarez finished off the ninth with the game scoreless, he had to wait to see if it would become an official no-hitter. A Major League Baseball ruling in 1991 said only complete games of nine or more innings with no hits would count. The Marlins loaded the bases and with pinch-hitter Greg Dobbs at bat, …

Baseball by the numbers with Bill Chuck

Sun, 29 Sep 2013 02:42:32 -0500

This week’s names and numbers in baseball: CUBS NINE TO KNOW 1. After games on April 4, the Cubs were 2-1 and tied for first place in the National League Central, the last time they were in first place this season. It was also their high point in games above .500. 2. The Cubs’ highest-scoring game this season came in a Jay Cutler-sounding 14-6 victory against the Astros on June 23. The only other game in which the Cubs scored in double figures was Aug. 19, when they beat the Nationals 11-1. 3. The Cubs longest game of the season …

No Cubs, White Sox on list of MLB’s 20 top-selling jerseys

Thu, 26 Sep 2013 23:08:45 -0500

When it comes to jersey sales, fans aren’t buying what the Cubs and Sox are selling. Neither team had a representative in MLB’s list of the top 20 selling jerseys since the All-Star break. Though the Pirates have been one of baseball’s best stories this season, they play in the nation’s 23rd-ranked media market. Chicago is No. 3. Yet, there are no Cubs or Sox on the list, while the Pirates’ Andrew McCutchen is No. 8. Major markets, except for Chicago, were well-represented. The Yankees and Mets combined for five spots, the Dodgers and Angels four, while the Orioles and …

Bud Selig to retire in January 2015

Thu, 26 Sep 2013 14:24:01 -0500

Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig says he plans to retire in January 2015. The 79-year-old Selig has repeatedly said since 2003 that his retirement was imminent, but Thursday marked the first time he issued a formal statement.

Man stabbed to death after Dodgers-Giants game in San Francisco

Thu, 26 Sep 2013 11:03:58 -0500

A man was stabbed to death after a fight broke out near San Francisco’s AT&T Park, where the Giants were playing the Los Angeles Dodgers, authorities said.

Tigers clinch AL Central title for 3rd straight season

Wed, 25 Sep 2013 22:54:38 -0500

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Max Scherzer earned his 21st win and the Detroit Tigers clinched their third straight AL Central title, beating the Minnesota Twins 1-0 on Wednesday night. Torii Hunter’s single followed a leadoff triple by Austin Jackson in the first inning, and that was all Scherzer (21-3) and the Tigers needed to start the party. Scherzer gave up two singles in seven innings. Jose Veras and Drew Smyly teamed up for the eighth and Joaquin Benoit worked the ninth for his 24th save in 25 tries. A few dozen Tigers fans in attendance at Target Field cheered from their …

Paul Konerko out of White Sox lineup with bruised kneecap

Wed, 25 Sep 2013 18:26:58 -0500

CLEVELAND -- White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko won’t play against the Cleveland Indians Wednesday because of a bruised right kneecap suffered when he fouled a pitch off his knee during the eighth inning of Tuesday’s 5-4 loss. Konerko said it was “kind of embarrassing to foul a ball off your back leg.” The 37-year-old first baseman, who is second on the franchise’s all-time home run and RBI lists, is batting .248 with 11 homers and 53 RBI in 122 games. He said he expects to play when the Sox host the Kansas City Royals in a four-game season-ending series …

Cardinals’ Michael Wacha loses no-hitter with 2 outs in 9th

Tue, 24 Sep 2013 22:06:47 -0500

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Cardinals rookie Michael Wacha lost his no-hit bid on Ryan Zimmerman’s infield single with two outs in the ninth inning, and St. Louis beat the Washington Nationals 2-0 Tuesday night to close in on the NL Central title. Making his ninth career start, Wacha came about as close as possible to finishing off the third no-hitter in the majors this season. Instead, he became the third pitcher to have a bid broken up with one out to go. Zimmerman hit a chopper just over Wacha’s glove — the pitcher said he thought it nicked his mitt …

Mariano Rivera’s bobblehead late to Yankee Stadium

Tue, 24 Sep 2013 22:06:01 -0500

NEW YORK — Mariano Rivera always enters late in the game. His bobblehead doll did the same thing. The New York Yankees were forced to hand out vouchers for the giveaway honoring the career saves leader to the first 18,000 fans who arrived for Tuesday night’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays because of a transportation issue. A public address announcement in the bottom of the third inning said the bouncy figurines were now available to be picked up. The promotion comes on the opening night of the Yankees’ final three-game home series of the regular season. Rivera said before …

VIDEO: Orioles’ Manny Machado leaves game with horrific leg injury

Mon, 23 Sep 2013 17:54:35 -0500

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado has been taken off the field on a stretcher after injuring his left leg running out an infield single. Machado’s leg buckled when he reached the first-base bag in the seventh inning of Monday’s game at Tampa Bay. Machado was in obvious pain while being treated on the infield dirt near first by team trainers and stadium medical officials. Baltimore manager Buck Showalter patted Machado several times near the shoulder before the stretcher was moved from the playing field. …

Metallica performs as Mariano Rivera says goodbye at Yankee Stadium

Sun, 22 Sep 2013 18:37:17 -0500

NEW YORK -- Throughout the day at Yankee Stadium dedicated to honoring Mariano Rivera, current and former teammates and managers alike kept pointing out how such a personal celebration ran counter to the way Rivera conducted himself. “Every single year, if anybody had a chance to admire what they’d done, he’d be one of those guys,” Rivera’s manager for 12 years, Joe Torre, said of Rivera on Sunday. “Because it wasn’t time to stop doing.” But that time is almost here, not because Rivera has seen his performance dip, even at 43 years old, but because Rivera himself is ending …

Baseball by the numbers with Bill Chuck

Sun, 22 Sep 2013 02:39:03 -0500

This week’s names and numbers in baseball: CHICAGO NINE TO KNOW 1. For those of you who keep track of such things, the most combined losses in a season for the two Chicago teams was 191 in 1948. The White Sox went 51-101, and the Cubs went 64-90. 2. Through Thursday, the Sox had scored three runs or fewer 77 times (15-62). The Cubs had done it 75 times (16-59). 3. Dayan Viciedo and Adam Dunn each hit a walk-off home run this season for the Sox, but no Cubs player had done it. 4. Anthony Rizzo leads the Cubs …