Chicago Sun-Times

Physical Red Wings top Blackhawks to even series

Sun, 19 May 2013 02:42:31 -0500

Jonathan Toews and Henrik Zetterberg, joined at the hip-check for most of the game, were tangled yet again in front of the Red Wings goal crease midway through the second period of Saturday’s Game 2. Zetterberg wriggled his hands free and whacked Toews in the back of the neck, knocking him to the ice. Toews, shaken and stirred up, glowered as he slowly got to his feet. Before he could, Zetterberg shoved him right back to the ice. As Red Wings coach Mike Babcock so succinctly put it, “Series on.” Detroit’s 4-1 victory on Saturday afternoon did more than simply …

Adam Dunn leaves with back spasms as Sox fall to Angels

Sun, 19 May 2013 02:41:30 -0500

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Of all the maddening things that contributed to a 12-9 loss to the Los Angeles Angels that halted the White Sox’ winning streak at four games Saturday, the worst was seeing Adam Dunn leave because of back spasms. While Dunn downplayed the injury, which he suffered bending over in the batter’s box before he sharply singled in two runs in the fourth inning to give the Sox a 4-0 lead, backs issues are never good. Especially for a 260-pound man. Dunn talked as though he would be back in the lineup Sunday if he is able to …

Scott Feldman keeps rolling as Cubs thump Mets

Sun, 19 May 2013 02:41:08 -0500

How improbable is it for a team with a sub-.500 record to have one of the best starting rotations in baseball, with the possibility it can get better soon? That’s the question for the Cubs (18-24), whose starting staff has a 3.47 ERA, a major league-best .226 opposing batting average and 26 quality starts, tied for third in the National League. Imagine if Matt Garza returns to form quickly when he’s activated from the disabled list this week. ‘‘Potentially, if these guys keep throwing the ball the way they have the first six weeks, and with Garza coming back, once …

Long-shot Oxbow upsets Orb in Preakness

Sun, 19 May 2013 02:41:53 -0500

BALTIMORE — Right from the start, a horse trained by one not so over-the-hill Hall of Famer and ridden by another took control of the Preakness. The result: A huge upset and the end of any hopes for a Triple Crown attempt at the Belmont Stakes. Thanks to Oxbow’s wire-to-wire win Saturday over Kentucky Derby winner Orb, trainer D. Wayne Lukas and jockey Gary Stevens have themselves another classic to add to their stellar resumes. “I get paid to spoil dreams,” the 77-year-old Lukas said after his record 14th victory in a Triple Crown race. “Unfortunately we go over here …

TELANDER: Studying CTE as a bomb component

Sun, 19 May 2013 02:43:10 -0500

What if terrorist Tamerlan Tsarnaev was brain-damaged? What if the elder of the two alleged Boston Marathon bombers, who was killed three days after the April 15 attack, incurred brain trauma during his amateur boxing career and suffered the disabling effects of chronic traumatic encephalopathy? Would that make any difference? Would it help in any way to better understand the alleged killer and the tragedy he and his sibling supposedly caused? And would it tell us anything we don’t already know about the dangers of repetitive head blows from sports like boxing, football, hockey, soccer, etc.? CTE is the degenerative …

McGRATH: Chet Coppock still within broadcast range

Sat, 18 May 2013 23:02:00 -0500

Before their clumsy misstep Saturday, the Blackhawks had rolled into the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs with a swagger that underscored their championship aspirations. The Bulls were exposed in the second round of their playoffs, the satisfaction of overachievement diluted by conflicting feelings over Derrick Rose. As controversy over Wrigley Field renovations simmers, the sacred ballpark’s tenant looks less shabby than had been feared. The White Sox interrupted their freefall with two — two! — Adam Dunn home runs. DePaul is abandoning distant, depressing Rosemont for a mystery site that’s still six miles from campus. The Bears — …

Bulls in for some agony with coming roster losses

Sat, 18 May 2013 17:28:44 -0500

Goodbye, Nate Robinson. Arrivederci, Marco Belinelli. Good luck, Rip Hamilton. Hardly knew you, Daequan Cook. ‘‘We’ll see what the market calls for,’’ Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said repeatedly Thursday, one day after the Miami Heat sent the Bulls home for summer vacation by topping them 4-1 in the Eastern Conference semifinals. What the market calls for is some painful losses in the backcourt, with Robinson, Belinelli and Cook all free agents and the Bulls holding a $5 million option on Hamilton that they have no intention of picking up. So who’s in and who’s out when it comes to the …

One-man gang Ed Carpenter nails down Indy 500 pole

Sun, 19 May 2013 02:40:37 -0500

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis 500 is a Memorial Day tradition. But Ed Carpenter made a declaration of independents on Saturday when he captured the pole for this year’s race. By holding off the Andretti and Penske juggernauts in a nine-car shootout, Carpenter, who operates his own one-car team, struck a blow for the little guy. “This is awesome,’’ Carpenter said. “It’s bigger than our wins. It’s huge for the team. It’s definitely a landmark day. “But I want to make sure we keep our focus. I hope this is part one of a really magical month. We’re here for race …