The Illinois baseball team closed out their season with a doubleheader split at Rutgers. The Illini ended the season at 22-22. Illinois has now finished at or above .500 in 15-of-16 seasons under head coach Dan Hartleb.

llinois came out in game one swinging. Jackson Raper was the second batter of the game and gave the Illini a 1-0 lead on a solo home run. The Illini never trailed in the contest.

Jacob Campbell (3-for-4, 2B, HR, career-high 5 RBI, 2 R) led the way offensively. In the second inning, Campbell hit a double that barely missed being a home run. Then, in the third Campbell had a bases-loaded two-run single. He would cap off his game with a three-run home run in the sixth to left field.

Brody Harding also added his first career home run in the fourth inning. Justin Janas went 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored, while Nathan Aide and Cam McDonald each contributed a pair of RBIs too.

LHP Nathan Lavender (W, 6.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 10 SO) had one of his best starts of the season. Lavender was in control for the entire game. His only run allowed was a solo home run in the fourth inning.

The second game got off to a good start for the Illini. They built a 2-0 lead from a Justin Janas RBI fielder's choice in the first and a Kellen Sarver solo homer in the second.

Rutgers (21-23) responded with three runs of their own in the bottom of the second to take the lead. The Scarlet Knights held that lead for the remainder of the game.

Jacob Campbell hit his second home run of the day in the fourth inning to cut the deficit to 4-3, but that was as close as the Illini would get.

RHP Riley Gowens (L, 3.1 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO) suffered the loss despite some misfortune in the second inning that allowed three unearned runs to score after a two-out fielding error.

Lucas Giolito struck out 12 and the Chicago White Sox sent Baltimore to its 13th straight loss, beating the Orioles 3-1 Sunday.

Nick Madrigal hit a tiebreaking triple in the seventh inning as the White Sox completed a four-game sweep. The AL Central leaders have won six of seven and climbed a season-high 12 games over .500.

Giolito (5-4) allowed a run, three hits and three walks in seven innings. His 12 strikeouts were one shy of his career high.

The Orioles loaded the bases against Giolito in the sixth with a bunt single and two walks before Anthony Santander struck out and Maikel Franco fouled out. Baltimore scored just seven runs in the series.

Liam Hendriks pitched a perfect ninth for his 13th save and third in three games.

It was 1-all in the seventh when Tim Anderson singled, stole second, took third on a wild pickoff throw by Dillon Tate (0-3) and scored on Madrigal's triple. Yoan Moncada followed with an RBI single.

Anderson, Madrigal and Moncada had two hits apiece. DJ Stewart homered and Cedric Mullins had two hits for the Orioles.

Stewart homered off Giolito in the third.

Billy Hamilton hit a solo shot off Keegan Akin in the Chicago third. 

Akin allowed a run and five hits in 4 2/3 innings in his first start of the season.

Adam Plutko replaced Akin and walked Jose Abreu to load the bases in the fifth. Yermin Mercedes grounded out to end the inning.

Tyler Mahle worked five sharp innings, Eugenio Suarez homered and the Cincinnati Reds cooled off the Chicago Cubs with a 5-1 victory Sunday.

Tyler Naquin drove in two runs for Cincinnati, and Nick Castellanos had two hits. Jonathan India also had two hits and drove in a run.

Castellanos extended his hitting streak to 16 games, the longest active streak in the majors.

Mahle (4-2) retired his first 12 batters. The right-hander allowed one hit, struck out eight and walked one.

The Cubs put their first two batter on in the fifth, but Mahle struck out Rafael Ortega, Patrick Wisdom and Eric Sogard to get out of the inning.

Tejay Antone got four outs for his third save.

Kris Bryant hit an RBI single in the eighth for Chicago's only run. Jake Arrieta (5-5) permitted five runs - two earned - and six hits in 3 2/3 innings.

Cincinnati jumped in front with three in the first.

After Naquin's bases-loaded sacrifice fly, Kyle Farmer hit a bouncer to Bryant at first. Bryant bobbled the ball before throwing to second for the forceout.

But the call was reversed after a Cincinnati challenge, and Tyler Stephenson was ruled safe to load the bases. Bryant was charged with an error.

Arrieta then hit Tucker Barnhart with the first pitch after the delay. India followed with an infield single to make it 3-0.

Suarez led off the fourth with a long drive to left for his 12th homer. A throwing error on third baseman Wisdom led to Naquin's two-out RBI single, chasing Arrieta.

Ketel Marte hit a tying 457-foot home run in the third inning and go-ahead, two-run single in the fourth, helping the Arizona Diamondbacks stop a 13-game losing streak with a 9-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday.

Matt Peacock (2-1) got his first big league win as a starting pitcher, throwing 78 pitches in his third career start. He gave up two runs and six hits in six innings, struck out six and walked none.

Josh Reddick had three hits and an RBI for Arizona, which took advantage of three errors to score two unearned runs.

Dylan Carlson hits two hits and a homer and Andrew Knizner had two hits and an RBI for the Cardinals, who had won four in a row.

Kwang Hyun Kim allowed four runs and a career-high nine hits in five innings

.

Carlson's first-inning homer and Knizner's RBI double in the second build a 2-0 lead, and Tim Locastro's RBI single in the second and Marte's third homer this season tied the score.

Marte's single after he fouled off five pitches in a nine-pitch at-bat put Arizona ahead 4-2.

Shortstop Edmundo Sosa's second error of the game, when dropped the ball while trying to take it out of his glove on Locastro's leadoff grounder, led to to a five-run sixth.

The sloppy sixth inning included Carson Kelly's four-pitch, bases-loaded walk from Tyler Webb - the Cardinals' 14th bases-loaded walk this season - that followed an intentional walk to Marte,

Eduardo Escobar had an RBI single off Webb, Christian Walker and Reddick hit run-scoring singles against Jake Woodford and Nick Ahmed' had an RBI grounder that third baseman Jose Rondon threw past first for the Cardinals' third error.

Helio Castroneves became just the fourth four-time winner of the Indy 500 on Sunday in front of 135,000 fans at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, easily the largest and loudest sporting event since the start of the pandemic.

Castroneves found himself in a closing duel with one of the young stars, but he passed Alex Palou for good with two laps remaining and beat him by 0.4928 seconds for the victory.

Taylor Henry went the distance and shut out Monticello as Tolono Unity blanked Monticello 6-0 Thursday in Illini Prairie Conference girl's softball action from Tolono. 

Henry struck out 13 as the Lady Rockets took advantage of 4 Monticello errors.

Henry, Grace Frye, and Reece Sarver collected two hits apiece. Hailey Flesch drove in three for the Lady Rockets.

Addison Wallace and Mackenzie Daniels walked for the Lady Sages who were two of the only three base runners Thursday.

Monticello wraps up its regular season Monday hosting Pontiac and travels to Pontiac Tuesday.

Jacob Trusner drove in five runs helping pace Monticello past Tolono Unity 10-3 in a makeshift game Illini Prairie Conference boy's baseball matchup Thursday from Tolono.

Rain rolled into Monticello around 2:15 and washed out the possibility of playing at Monticello High School, so around 2:30 pm, school officials announced the game was being played at Tolono Unity High School. 

The change in scenery did not slow the Sages offense as Trusner finished with three hits, Biniam Lienhart reached base three times with three walks, Andrew Rudolph walked twice and Joey Sprinkle added a pair of hits.

Dawlton Chupp went five innings, allowing a run and struck out three. Tristan Foran pitched two innings allowing two runs to close out the win and struck out two.

Monticello will wrap up its 2021 regular season next week when they host Pontiac on Memorial Day Monday and then travel to Pontiac Tuesday.

The Blue Ridge Lady Knights upped its record to 11-4 on Senior Day with a 9-6 win over Armstrong-Potomac in non-conference girl's softball action from Farmer City Thursday. 

Avery Place picked up her sixth win of the year in circle and added two RBIs at the plate. Ashlyn Voyles hit her 3rd home run of the year, a two-run shot in the 3rd. Farrah Michaels, Lexi Young, and Cassie Zimmerman added 2 hits apiece. 

The Lady Knights travel to take on Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond this afternoon in Lincoln Prairie Action. 

As heard on WHOW, Dylan Cease struck out 10, Yermin Mercedes homered and drove in three, and the Chicago White Sox handed the Baltimore Orioles their 10th straight loss, 5-1 on Thursday night.

Cease (3-1) threw a career-high 111 pitches and allowed one earned run over six innings. He stumbled following a 19-minute rain delay before first pitch, allowing a single and hitting a batter before retiring his next eight and 15 of the next 18.

Baltimore's Trey Mancini was hit by a pitch in the first inning and left with a bruised right elbow. X-rays were negative. The first baseman entered Thursday second in the majors with 42 RBIs a year after being diagnosed with colon cancer.

Billy Hamilton gave Chicago a 2-1 lead with an RBI single grounded up the middle against Dillon Tate (0-2) in the sixth.

Jose Abreu doubled in a run and Mercedes plated two more with a double in the seventh.

AL Central-leading Chicago bounced back after losing to St. Louis on Wednesday and still has not lost consecutive games at home this season.

Baltimore left-hander Bruce Zimmermann allowed a run and six hits over five innings after allowing five earned runs in three innings against the Washington Nationals on Saturday.

The 10th straight loss matched the Orioles' longest skid since dropping 10 in a row from June 12-21, 2019.

Mercedes hit his seventh home run of the season in the second inning, drilling Zimmermann's 3-0 fastball into left field to give Chicago a 1-0 lead.

Freddy Galvis tied it in the fourth when he hit Cease's knuckle-curve just over the right-field fence for his seventh home run of the season.

Cease allowed two hits to start the sixth inning before getting out of a jam with two strikeouts and a flyout to center field. The right-hander allowed four hits with two walks.

Orioles right-hander Matt Harvey (3-5, 6.31 ERA) and White Sox left-hander Dallas Keuchel (3-1, 4.28 ERA) start on Friday. Harvey has allowed at least five earned runs in his last three starts. Keuchel matched his shortest outing (4.0 IP) of the season against the Yankees on Sunday.

Armstrong-Potomac jumped out to a 5-0 lead after four innings and held off Blue Ridge 10-6 in boy's baseball action from Farmer City Thursday.

Freshman Kollin Asbury finished 1-for-4 with a run-scoring double for Armstrong. Asbury also stole four bases as the Trojans stole 14 bases as a team. 

Freshman Nathan Rogers finished 2-for-5 with two RBIs.

Cole Stephens paced the Knights offense finishing 2-for-4 and Wyatt Danner-Duncan drove in three. 

The Knights drop to 3-11 overall and will look forward to Regional play next Wednesday when they travel to Argenta-Oreana for a quarterfinal matchup.

Javy Baez's latest bit of sorcery led to a comedy of errors by the reeling Pittsburgh Pirates, keying a two-run rally in a 5-3 victory on Thursday.

Baez hit reverse and chaos ensued, as tends to happen whenever the livewire Chicago Cubs shortstop is on the basepaths. With teammate Willson Contreras on second and two outs in the third inning, Baez hit a routine grounder to third baseman Erik Gonzalez. Gonzalez's throw to Craig at first was a little up the line, pulling Craig off the bag. No biggie. All Craig had to do was tag Baez or touch first. The inning should have been over.

It wasn't. What followed was 40 seconds of madness that will likely follow Baez and Craig no matter where their careers take them.

Baez hit the brakes to avoid Craig's glove and started backtracking toward the plate. Craig curiously decided to follow Baez.

The move bought enough time for Contreras to round third and sprint home. Craig attempted a flip to catcher Michael Perez, but Contreras slid under the tag while Baez took off for first. Perez's throw to first sailed past second baseman Adam Frazier attempting to cover the bag, allowing Baez to race to second.

At any point in time, if the ball gets to first before Baez does, the out is recorded, the run doesn't count and life goes on. It didn't, encapsulating a season that is quickly slipping away for the Pirates.

Baez ended up scoring moments later on a single by Ian Happ to give the Cubs a three-run lead they wouldn't relinquish, adding another chapter to his burgeoning resume as one of baseball's most exhilarating - and occasionally erratic - players in the game in the process.

Kris Bryant hit his 11th home run, and Patrick Wisdom added his first home run since 2018 for the Cubs, who have won eight of nine. Contreras, Bryant and Wisdom finished with two hits each.

Kyle Hendricks (5-4) overcame solo home runs by Perez, Gregory Polanco and Bryan Reynolds to win his third straight start. Hendricks allowed three runs and six hits in seven innings with five strikeouts and no walks. Ryan Tepera worked 1 1/3 innings for his first save in three years.

Hendricks improved to 4-1 with a 2.67 ERA, part of an overall surge by the Cubs following a sluggish start that has them fighting with St. Louis for early control of the NL Central.

Anthony Rizzo out of the lineup for a second straight day with lower-back tightness. Rizzo has been dealing with some stiffness recently and it popped back up again Wednesday morning.

The Cubs return to Wrigley Field for a three-game set against NL Central rival Cincinnati on Friday. Adbert Alzolay (2-4, 4.30 ERA) gets the nod for Chicago.

Yadier Molina ripped a game-winning hit and lead the Cardinals to a 5-4 win Thursday night over the Arizona Diamondbacks, who have lost 11 straight games.

Molina was doing what the 38-year-old catcher has done for nearly two decades, throwing his body around behind the plate, blocking pitches from the Cardinals' stable full of hard-throwing relievers.

Then came the 10th inning, and the St. Louis star still had the energy to rip a game-winning hit.

The Cardinals won despite blowing a 4-0 lead. Carlos Martinez took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and O'Neill hit a two-run homer in his return from the injured list.

The Diamondbacks clawed their way back with a big seventh. The first six batters reached base - punctuated by Pavin Smith's two-run double - and they cut the deficit to 4-3. Smith came up big again in the eighth, driving a tying double into the left-center gap that scored Ketel Marte.

Martinez was brilliant through six innings but ran into trouble in the seventh, allowing three straight hits and getting pulled from the game after David Peralta's RBI double. He retired the first nine batters he faced, including six strikeouts. He didn't allow a baserunner until Josh Rojas led off the fourth with a walk.

He struck out six and allowed three earned runs.

Genesis Cabrera relieved Martinez but allowed all three batters he faced to reach base, including Smith's two-run double, which cut the Cardinals' lead to 4-3. Ryan Helsley was able to keep the lead despite entering the game in a no-out, bases-loaded jam, pumping 99 mph fastballs past Carson Kelly and Andy Young before Rojas hit a harmless groundout to second base.

O'Neill crushed a 451-foot homer to center field in his first at-bat since a fracture in his left middle finger kept him out of the lineup for nearly two weeks. The ball bounced off the scoreboard in center, which is high above the 413-foot sign.

Arizona's Jon Duplantier was moved into a starting role on Thursday after Matt Peacock was scratched because of a non-COVID-19 illness. It was the 26-year-old's first appearance in the big leagues since 2019, when he made 15 appearances, including three starts.

The right-hander got off to a good start, striking out leadoff hitter Tommy Edman on three pitches. But he ran into trouble in the second, giving up O'Neill's long homer and walking Goldschmidt with the bases loaded. He gave up four earned runs over 4 2/3 innings.

Alex Reyes (3-1) got the win with a scoreless ninth.

The D-backs will send Madison Bumgarner (4-4, 4.53) to the mound on Friday to face Cardinals RHP Johan Oviedo (0-2, 5.74 ERA).

The Mt. Pulaski Hilltoppers started fast and Drew Martin shut down Central A&M on the mound in a 10-0, five-inning win Wednesday in non-conference boy's baseball action from Mt. Pulaski.

Martin threw four shutout innings allowing just a hit and struck out eight. Luke Farris pitched a scoreless fifth inning to finish the win. He threw just 50 pitches, 38 for strikes. 

Martin went 2-for-3 with a triple and an RBI, Jackson Fricke and Garrett Fitzpatrick each drove in a pair. 

The Hilltoppers stay undefeated at 16-0. They Springfield Lutheran Friday. Mt. Pulaski pounded Springfield 20-2 back in early May. 

Jessie Martin finished a triple short of the cycle leading Tuscola past Clinton 8-2 in Central Illinois Conference girl's softball action Wednesday at Clinton High School.

Martin finished 3-for-3 with three runs batted in and three runs scored. Kendyl Ring finished 3-for-4 and Ella Boyer was 2-for-4 for the Lady Warriors. 

The Lady Maroons were led by Ashley Armstrong who was 3-for-3 with an RBI and Heidi Humble drove in the other run for Clinton. 

The Lady Warriors remain unbeaten at 18-0 as they now await postseason play starting next week. 

The Lady Maroons are 2-11 overall and travel to Sullivan this afternoon. 

Toledo-Cumberland outlasted Blue Ridge in a 14-12 girl's softball slugfest Wednesday in Farmer City. 

Cassie Zimmerman led the way for Blue Ridge finishing 4 for 5 with 3 RBI. Lexi Young was 3 for 4 with 3 RBI, and Abby Bolen added 2 hits and 2 RBI.

Despite the defeat, the Lady Knights are 10-4 overall. They host Armstrong-Potomac this afternoon. 

The Blue Ridge could not get anything going offensively as Toledo-Cumberland shut the Knights down in a 17-0 win Wednesday from Farmer City in high school boy's baseball action.

Ben Wallace led the Blue Ridge offense finishing 2-for-3. Kolby Kramer went 1-for-3. 

Blue Ridge drops to 3-10. They'll host Armstrong-Potomac this afternoon.

Giovanny Gallegos came in to a sticky situation, with the St. Louis Cardinals clinging to a one-run lead and two on in the seventh inning. It quickly became a heated one.

Umpire Joe West ordered him to switch caps because there apparently was sunscreen on the bill. Manager Mike Shildt, thinking his player was unfairly singled out, got ejected during an animated argument.

That overshadowed everything else in the Cardinals' 4-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday.

Tommy Edman homered twice, and the Cardinals avoided a three-game sweep.

Shildt was ejected with one out in the seventh, after Genesis Cabrera hit Yoan Moncada, putting runners on first and second.

The Cardinals brought in Giovanny Gallegos. West, who on Tuesday set Major League Baseball's record for most games umpired, said second-base ump Dan Bellino noticed a substance on the brim of the pitcher's cap.

West said Gallegos told him it was sunscreen. Even so, he made the pitcher switch caps before throwing a pitch because ''we don't want anybody to be accused of cheating or any of that stuff.'' The cap was sent to the commissioner's office.

Shildt, who was tossed for the second time this season, said he appreciated the motivation. But he questioned why there was enforcement.

Once the situation cooled, Gallegos squashed the threat, striking out AL MVP Jose Abreu and Mercedes.

Edman connected against Carlos Rodon (5-2) in the third and Aaron Bummer in the eighth for a 2-0 lead. Edmundo Sosa added a two-run single in the ninth, and the NL Central-leading Cardinals came away with the win after losing four of five.

John Gant (3-2) dodged bases-loaded jams in the first and third innings while pitching into the sixth.

The Cardinals committed two errors, raising their series total to seven, yet managed to stop a five-game road losing streak.

St. Louis also denied White Sox skipper Tony La Russa a sweep in his first series managing against St. Louis, the franchise the Hall of Famer guided two World Series championships from 1996 to 2011.

Rodon came through with another solid start, giving up one hit in six innings. The left-hander struck out 10 after whiffing a career-high 13 against the New York Yankees last week and did not walk a batter, though he hit two.

AL Central-leading Chicago was 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position.

Gant gave up five hits and walked three. The right-hander exited after Andrew Vaughn reached on a throwing error by third baseman Max Moroff leading off the sixth.

St. Louis begins a four-game series at struggling Arizona, with RHP Carlos Martinez (3-4, 4.18 ERA) starting for the Cardinals and RHP Matt Peacock (1-1, 4.91) pitching for the Diamondbacks.

Dylan Cease (2-1, 3.18) looks to bounce back from a loss to the New York Yankees as the White Sox open a four-game series against Baltimore. Bruce Zimmermann (2-3, 5.59) gets the ball for the Orioles.

Trevor Williams pitched six innings and singled twice against his former team, helping the streaking Chicago Cubs top the stumbling Pittsburgh Pirates 4-1 on Wednesday night.

Chicago won for the fifth time in six games and stayed a half-game back of NL Central-leading St. Louis. David Bote hit a two-run homer for the Cubs, and Kris Bryant had three hits and two RBIs.

Williams (3-2) permitted one run and three hits in his first win since April 17. He struck out seven and walked none.

Williams allowed seven runs in 7 1/3 innings in his two previous starts against Pittsburgh this year. He spent his first five seasons with the Pirates before being released in November.

After allowing a one-out triple by Ben Gamel in the first inning, Williams retired 14 batters in a row.

Williams also went 2 for 3 at the plate, helping Chicago score in the second and sixth.

Craig Kimbrel pitched the ninth for his 11th save of the season and No. 359 for his career, moving into 11th place on baseball's list. Chicago relievers have surrendered only one unearned run in 32 1/3 innings in the last 10 games.

Pittsburgh dropped its fifth straight game. Rookie Wil Crowe (0-3) recorded just four outs.

Rafael Ortega drew a leadoff walk in the second and Bote followed with a drive to center field.

Bryant added an RBI single.

Winless in nine career starts, Crowe allowed five hits and walked two.

Bryant made it 4-0 when he singled in Eric Sogard in the sixth. Sogard finished with two hits.

The Pirates got their lone run in the sixth when Kevin Newman led off with a double and scored on Erik Gonzalez's single.

Gamel and Newman each had two of Pittsburgh's five hits.

Rain delayed the start of the game by 26 minutes.

Kyle Hendricks (4-4, 4.74 ERA) is scheduled to start the series finale Thursday against Pirates LHP Tyler Anderson (3-4, 4.73 ERA). Hendricks has allowed two runs or less in eight of his last nine starts in Pittsburgh. Anderson tied a career high by getting tagged for nine runs in five innings by Atlanta in his last start.

The Clinton Maroons put up a six-spot in the second inning but Decatur St. Teresa rallied past Clinton 7-6 in Central Illinois Conference high school baseabll action Tuesday at Clinton High School.

The Maroons drew ten walks, six coming after its six-run second inning. Andrew Pagel and Brennan Wolfe finished 1-for-1 for Clinton. Jaxson White pitched into the fifth inning allowing seven runs, four were earned. White walked six, struck out three and allowed five hits. Zeke Hickman finished the final 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. 

The Maroons committed four errors. 

Michael Martini drove in three for the Bulldogs and Matthew Brummer finished 2-for-4.

The Maroons drop to 3-8. They are schedule to travel to Sullivan Thursday.

Freshman Luke Teschke pitched six innings of one-run ball and the Monticello Sages used a balanced offensive attack to beat Tolono Unity 7-1 Tuesday afternoon in Illini Prairie Conference boy's baseball action from Tolono.

During pregame warmups, the Rockets put aside their long-standing rivalry with Monticello to honor Officer Chris Oberheim with Unity and Monticello logos wrapped in the caption "UNITED FOR 703" - referencing Officer Oberheim's badge number in the Champaign Police Department, who was tragically killed last week during a domestic dispute.

Once the game started, it was all Sages. Joey Sprinkle led the Sages with three hits with a pair of RBIs. Jacob Trusner drove in two fr the Sages.

Teschke allowed an earned run and struck out six. Cole Smith closed the door on the victory with a scoreless seventh inning. 

The Sages are scheduled to host Unity Thursday.

The Mt. Pulaski Hilltoppers went deep to their bench as their offense continued to roll with an 18-1, five-inning victory over Judah Christian in non-conference boy's baseball action Tuesday in Mt. Pulaski. 

Grant Davis with 2-for-2 with triple and three runs batted in and three runs scored. Garrett Fitzpatrick doubled as part of a 2-for-2 afternoon with two RBIs and two runs scored. Lucas Kuhlman was 2-for-2 with a double, three RBIs, and two runs scored. 

Evan Cooper was 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Brayden Killion, Jack Halsey, and Hunter Kretzinger came off the bench with RBI hits for the Hilltoppers. Jackson Fricke had a double as well.

Mt. Pulaski remains unbeaten, improving to 15-0. They host Central A&M this afternoon. 

The Hilltoppers had a cancellation for this Saturday and Coach Joel Washko on social media Tuesday put out a call to high school coaches for a game if interested. 

Monticello senior tailback Chris Brown was named a first-team all-state selection in Class 3A on Tuesday. 

The Sangamo Conference dominated the 3A selections as 6-foot-4 offensive lineman Cooper Starks from North Mac and Williamsville High School's Conor McCormick was selected as a first-team quarterback and Tyler Rapp was selected at offensive line. 

Maroa-Forsyth quarterback Wade Jostes was a first-team selection in Class 2A. Additionally, Bryson Boes was selected as a first-team tailback. Decatur St. Teresa's Denim Cook and Tuscola's Grant Hardwick were first-team selections. 

IVC's Kam Wollard was a first-team selection in Class 4A.

The high school football season was played this past March and April due to COVID. 

Lucas Giolito pitched six effective innings, beating Jack Flaherty and leading the Chicago White Sox to an 8-3 victory over the sloppy St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night.

In a major league matchup of former high school teammates, the cooler hand prevailed. Earlier in his career, during his bumpy rise from top prospect to major league ace, Giolito said he might have mishandled a hyped matchup like the one with Flaherty.

The Harvard-Westlake High reunion also had a little history behind the plate, with Joe West working a record 5,376th regular-season game, snapping a tie with Hall of Fame umpire Bill Klem.

West was saluted by many of his longtime friends, including country music veterans Garth Brooks, Emmylou Harris and The Oak Ridge Boys, during an experience that he described as humbling.

Giolito (4-4) permitted two runs - one earned - and six hits in his second straight win, easily getting the better of a shaky Flaherty hurt by another poor defensive performance by the Cardinals.

Flaherty (8-1), leading the majors in wins, lasted just 3 2/3 innings in his shortest outing of the season. He was charged with three earned runs and six hits.

Jose Abreu homered and drove in four runs for Chicago, which earned its second straight win since it was swept by the Yankees over the weekend. Liam Hendriks entered with the bases loaded in the ninth and struck out the side for his 10th save.

St. Louis committed a season-high three errors in its fourth loss in five games, one night after it had two errors in the series opener. Flaherty hit two batters and threw two of the Cardinals' three wild pitches, running its NL-high total to 30.

Giolito, Flaherty and Atlanta Braves pitcher Max Fried were teammates at Harvard-Westlake in Southern California, where their pitching coach was Ethan Katz, who was hired as White Sox pitching coach in November. Matt LaCour, who coached the trio in high school and now serves as the school's athletic director, also attended the game.

Shortstop Edmundo Sosa and right fielder Tommy Edman each committed an error in the first, helping Chicago score two runs without a hit. Flaherty threw two wild pitches and Arenado committed an error as the AL Central leaders added three more in the second.

Abreu helped put it away with his 10th homer in the fourth, making it 7-2 with a two-run shot to left against Flaherty. The reigning AL MVP also had a run-scoring groundout in the first and an RBI single in the sixth.

Cardinals right-hander John Gant (3-3, 2.04 ERA) and White Sox left-hander Carlos Rodon (5-1, 1.27 ERA) start the series finale on Wednesday. Gant is 3-1 with a 1.40 ERA over his last five appearances. Rodon is coming off a dominant performance against the Yankees, striking out a career-high 13 over six shutout innings in a no-decision on Friday.

Joc Pederson hit two home runs, Jake Arrieta beat Pittsburgh for the third time this season and the Chicago Cubs defeated the Pirates 4-3 Tuesday night.

Pederson hit a solo shot in the third inning, and his two-run blast in the fifth tied it at 3. It was the 16th multihomer game of Pederson's career, and he doubled his season homer total to four.

The leadoff-hitting left fielder also doubled and is hitting .369 in May. He had a .137 batting average in April after the longtime Los Angeles Dodger was signed as a free agent in the offseason.

Arrieta put the Cubs in a 3-0 hole after two innings but settled down to raise his record to 3-0 against Pittsburgh in 2021. He has a 15-6 lifetime record versus the Pirates.

Arrieta (5-4) went five innings and gave up three runs - two earned - on five hits with seven strikeouts and one walk.

Four Cubs relievers combined for four scoreless innings, with Craig Kimbrel working the ninth for his 10th save. The bullpen has allowed only one unearned run over its last 29 2/3 innings.

Kimbrel gave up a leadoff double to Cole Tucker but retired the next three batters. He moved into a tie for 11th place on the MLB all-time saves list with Troy Percival with his 358th.

Chicago won for the seventh time in nine games and is 14-7 in May. Pittsburgh lost again in its first game back home following a 1-5 road trip.

Both of Pederson's longballs came off rookie Cody Ponce (0-1), who was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis earlier in the day to make his first start of season and fourth of his career.

Ponce allowed four runs in five innings while taking the rotation spot of Trevor Cahill, who was placed on the injured list last weekend. The Cubs got nine hits off Ponce, who struck out two and walked one.

Trevor Williams (2-2, 5.97 ERA) starts against rookie Pirates RHP Wil Crowe (0-2, 4.91) on Wednesday night. Williams is 0-1 in two starts this season against the Pirates, who released him last December, and has allowed seven runs in 7 1/3 innings. Crowe will be looking for his first career win in his ninth start and 10th appearance.

As heard on WHOW, the Clinton Lady Maroons defeat the St. Teresa Lady Bulldogs by a score of 11-1 on Tuesday night. The Maroons were led by Ashley Armstong. She got the win, pitching 6 innings, only allowing one run on 4 hits while striking out 5 and walking one. Armstong was 1 for 4 batting with an RBI triple. The B-Roc Designs Player of The Game Savanna Clifton was 3 for 4 batting with 2 RBIs and 3 base hits. Maddie Scott was 2 for 2 batting with 2 base hits and 2 RBIs.

The Bulldogs were led by JD Huddleston who was 1 for 2 batting with an RBI triple.

With the win, the Maroons improve to 2-10 overall and 2-8 on the conference. The Bulldogs fall to 2-13 overall and 1-11 on the conference.

Tune in Wednesday, June 1st as the Clinton Maroons take on Tri-Valley. You can hear the game live on The Big 1520/AM/92.3 FM/106.5 FM WHOW, online at dewittdailynews.com, at the WHOW mobile app and at Amazon Alexa. 

Cole Cunningham threw six shutout innings as Tuscola used a balanced offensive attack to beat Clinton 11-0 in Central Illinois Conference boy's baseball action Monday afternoon at Clinton High School.

The Maroons were unable to take advantage of six errors committed by the Warriors, managing just three hits, highlighted by a Mason Walker double.

Cunningham issued a walk and struck out five. Brooks Cluver allowed six runs, three were earned in 2 2/3 innings. He walked three, struck out one and allowed seven hits. Benjamin Atkins allowed four runs, three were earned in 2 1/3 innings of relief. He allowed five hits and issued two walks. Walker allowed a run in an inning of relief. 

Haven Hatfield paced the Warriors' offense going 3-for-5 with a double and two runs batted in. Colton Musgrave was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Patrick Pierce finished 3-for-4 and Peyton Armstrong went 2-for-4. 

The Maroons drop to 3-7 overall while Tuscola improves to 8-6. 

The Maroons host Decatur St. Teresa this afternoon.

Jack Buckalew overcame a slow start and Monticello rallied past Bloomington Central Catholic 7-4 in Illini Prairie Conference boy's baseball action Monday afternoon in Bloomington.

Buckalew allowed four second-inning runs but his offense picked him up with a four-run third inning and then held off the Saints offense the rest of the way. Buckalew allowed eight hits and struck out ten. 

Jared Lockmiller had three hits while Biniam Leinhart had two hits. Jake Edmondson and Lockmiller had two RBIs apiece. Tristan Foran drove in a run for the Sages. 

Monticello is 9-5 overall and will travel to Tolono to take on rival Unity this afternoon. 

Avery Place picked up her fifth win with a complete game shutout and Blue Ridge shut out Tri-County 12-0 in Lincoln Prairie Conference girl's softball action from Oakland Monday afternoon. 

Place added three hits and two runs batted in. Jasmine Bennett and Farrah Michaels had 3 hits a piece. Cassie Zimmerman drove in 3 runs for the Lady Knights. 

Blue Ridge will host Toledo-Cumberland Wednesday afternoon. 

The Mt. Pulaski Hilltoppers boy's baseball team continued its strong play with a 15-4, five-inning win over Tomahawk Conference rival Midwest Central Monday in Manito.

AJ Bailey set the table with four walks at the top of the Mt. Pulaski order and scored three times. Grant Davis doubled twice in a 3-for-4 afternoon with a pair of RBIs. Evan Cooper finished 3-for-5 with three runs batted in. Gavin Smith, Jackson Fricke and Garrett Fitzpatrick doubled as each Mt. Pulaski starter reached base. 

Bailey, Drew Martin, Landon Smith, Gavin Smith and Fitzpatrick each had an RBI.

Cooper went five innings for the win. He allowed three runs on seven hits with a walk and eight strikeouts. 

The Hilltoppers are 14-0 and will host Judah Christian this afternoon.

Bloomington Central Catholic scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and rallied past Monticello 5-2 in Illini Prairie Conference girl's softball action Monday in Bloomington.

Josie Nelson drove in both the Lady Sages runs and Addison Wallace had two hits for Monticello. 

Shay Boman and Lizzie Stiverson drew walks for Monticello who falls to 14-11.

The Lady Sages return to action Thursday hosting Tolono Unity. 

The Blue Ridge Knights started slow and fell 11-3 in Lincoln Prairie Conference boy's baseball action Monday afternoon in Oakland.

Despite three hits from Isaiah Dalton and two hits from Cole Stephens, the Knights fell behind 9-0 after three innings. 

Dalton drove in a run. Victor Reynolds had an RBI for Blue Ridge. Dylan Coffee allowed five runs, three were earned in three innings. He struck out two, walked three and allowed six hits. Dylan Kelley allowed six runs, four were earned, in two innings of relief. Kolby Kramer pitched a scoreless inning. 

Blue Ridge drops to 3-9 overall and will host Toledo-Cumberland on Wednesday.

As heard on WHOW, White Sox manager Tony La Russa wound up a winner in his first game against the team that ensured his Hall of Fame induction as Chicago beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-1 Monday night behind Lance Lynn's arm and Andrew Vaughn's bat.

The victory ended a three-game skid for the AL Central leaders, who were swept by the New York Yankees after winning 10 of 13. The NL Central-leading Cardinals dropped their second straight.

Lynn (5-1) held the Cardinals hitless for 5 1/3 innings. Vaughn hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the sixth.

Lynn (5-1), who debuted with St. Louis and relieved in the Game 7 World Series win that closed La Russa' time with the Cardinals in 2011, pitched hitless ball until Paul Goldschmidt's RBI single in the sixth.

Lynn allowed three hits while striking out four with three walks in seven innings. Michael Kopech worked the last two innings, fanning three.

Vaughn connected off Kwang Hyun Kim (1-2) to score Yermin Mercedes for a 2-1 lead in the sixth. Tim Anderson added a two-run double off reliever Daniel Ponce de Leon later in the inning.

Mercedes had a sacrifice fly off Kodi Whitley in the seventh.

Harrison Bader left the game with what the club called a right-side rib injury after diving for and missing Nick Madrigal's blooper in the bottom of the third. He rolled over the ball while diving but Shildt said the medical staff is optimistic there's no fracture.

St. Louis sends Jack Flaherty (8-0, 2.53) against former high school teammate Lucas Giolito (3-4, 4.35) on Tuesday night.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers wasn’t present for the first day of organized team activities Monday, and his future with the team remains uncertain.

Rodgers confirmed in an ESPN interview that he wasn't at Monday's session. Although these OTAs are voluntary, Rodgers generally has participated in them in the past.

Rodgers’ decision to stay away comes amid reports that the reigning MVP wants out of Green Bay, where he has spent his entire NFL career. Rodgers was noncommittal about his future during his ESPN interview, but did detail some of his frustrations.

ESPN reported in the hours before the draft that the three-time MVP doesn’t want to return to the Packers. Later that week, Packers CEO Mark Murphy wrote in a column posted on the Packers’ website that the team “is very much aware” of Rodgers’ concerns and that “this is an issue that we have been working on for several months.”

Murphy acknowledged in his column that he, general manager Brian Gutekunst and coach Matt LaFleur all had visited Rodgers on a number of occasions during this offseason.

Gutekunst has said the team has no plans to trade Rodgers, who has three years remaining on his contract. Packers officials have said they want to keep Rodgers in Green Bay in 2021 and beyond.

Rodgers’ long-term future has been a subject of major speculation across the NFL ever since the Packers traded up four spots in the first round to select Utah State quarterback Jordan Love with the 26th overall pick in the 2020 draft.

The Packers didn’t notify Rodgers beforehand about their plans to select a quarterback in the first round. Rodgers said less than a month later that the Packers’ decision to draft Love surprised him and complicated his hopes of finishing his career in Green Bay.

Kellen Sarver and Jackson Raper all went deep on a hot Sunday afternoon at Illinois Field but the weekend series finale went in favor of Penn State 13-4 from Champaign as the Illini had its five-game winning streak snapped.

All four runs for the Illini came via the long ball. Sarver hit a solo home run in the second inning and Raper (2-for-4, HR, 3 RBI, R) smacked a three-run shot in the fifth inning. Sarver's home run comes on the heels of a multi-home run game on Saturday night when he had a career-high six RBIs.

Penn State (17-23) used the long ball on their side with three home runs of their own. Curtis Robison had two home runs in the game. He hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning and a three-run shot in the ninth inning. Cole Bartels hit the other homer in the second inning, a three-run blast to get the scoring started. They would never trail in the game.

RHP Riley Gowens (L, 3.1 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 2 SO) did not have his best stuff on Sunday and Penn State was able to jump on him. The Illini used five pitchers out of the bullpen.

Illinois has hit 38 home runs in their last 29 games after only four home runs in their first 12 games.

The Illini won 9-0 Friday and 14-8 Saturday.

Illinois (21-20) will travel to Rutgers next weekend for their final series of the 2021 season.

Javier Baez hit a two-run homer in the 10th inning to break a scoreless tie and propel the Chicago Cubs to a 2-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday night.

Baez hit an 0-1 slider from Alex Reyes (2-1) 417 feet onto the center-field batter's eye for his 11th home run of the season. It was just the second earned run allowed by Reyes in 25 innings this season.

Craig Kimbrel (1-2) recorded the final four outs to improve Chicago's record to 4-4 in extra-inning contests.

Wainwright did not earn a decision despite allowing just one hit and one walk with seven strikeouts in eight innings.

Zach Davies had three strikeouts in five scoreless innings, allowing four hits and three walks. He was removed for a pinch hitter after throwing 75 pitches.

Nolan Arenado hit a sacrifice fly to lead off the bottom of the 10th on a night St. Louis went 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position.

Harrison Bader doubled on a grounder just inside the third-base bag and just out of third baseman David Bote's reach to lead off the fourth inning, but was doubled off second base on Justin Williams' soft liner to Nico Hoerner. Edmundo Sosa doubled but was left at second after Lane Thomas walked and Wainwright struck out.

St. Louis loaded the bases with no outs in the seventh when pitcher Ryan Tepera threw wide to first base on Wainwright's bunt attempt. Tepera got Tommy Edman to ground into a fielder's choice, Paul Goldschmidt to pop out to catcher Willson Contreras and struck out Arenado on eight pitches to escape trouble.

David Ross was ejected by plate umpire Erich Bacchus for arguing balls and strikes in the top of the fourth after an 0-1 pitch to Kris Bryant was ruled a strike despite appearing to come in below his knees. It was Ross' third career ejection as a manager and second this season.

Jake Arrieta (4-4, 4.46) gets the start to open a three game series in Pittsburgh. The Pirates have not announced a starting pitcher.

Kwang Hyun Kim (1-1, 2.73 ERA) in the opener of a three-game series at the Chicago White Sox. Former Cardinals manager Tony La Russa will start former Cardinals RHP Lance Lynn (4-1, 1.55 ERA) in his first game managing against his former team.

Liam Hendriks forced in the game-ending run with a bases-loaded walk to the 6-foot-7 slugger in the ninth inning, and the New York Yankees overcame Aroldis Chapman's first blown save of the year to beat the Chicago White Sox 5-4 on Sunday and extend their winning streak to a season-high six games.

An afternoon that began with Jameson Taillon completing a historic scoreless turn through the New York rotation ended with the Yankees' second walk-off win during a three-game sweep of the AL Central leaders, New York's fourth walk-off win in its last five home games. The Yankees are 23-9 since a 5-10 start.

Judge thought this was his first game-ending RBI since Double-A, when his 10th-inning homer lifted Trenton over Portland on April 16, 2015, more than a year before the debut of a big league career that has included a pair of All-Star selections.

New York led 4-3 before pinch-hitter Andrew Vaughn's one-out homer, an opposite-field shot to right in the ninth off Chapman (4-0), who blew a save for the first time in 12 chances this year and gave up his first earned run. Vaughn sprinted around the bases.

Clint Frazier, who missed the previous five starts with a stiff neck, singled off Aaron Bummer (0-3) leading off the bottom half for his first three-hit game this year, lifting his average to .171. Frazier stole his second base of the game as Brett Gardner struck out, and AL batting champion DJ LeMahieu was intentionally walked.

Tyler Wade hit a slow six-hopper to Nick Madrigal and beat the throw from the charging second baseman for an infield single.

Hendriks came in to face Judge, who memorably hit a go-ahead, two-run homer off him in the first inning of the 2018 AL wild-card game against Oakland.

Judge swung under a 97.7 mph fastball near his neck, took a slider in the dirt and another that sailed high. Hendriks missed badly upstairs with a fastball and, with catcher Zack Collins targeting the low, outside corner, threw a fastball that wound up nearly a foot above the strike zone.

Judge softly threw down his bat as Frazier trotted home with the Yankees' first walk-off walk since Juan Miranda against Boston on Sept. 26, 2010.

Taillon pitched two-hit ball over five innings and extended the scoreless streak for Yankees starters to 35 innings following Corey Kluber's no-hitter at Texas and seven-inning shutdowns by Domingo German, Jordan Montgomery and Gerrit Cole. The 35 scoreless innings matched a string in 1947 for the second-longest in team history behind 40 innings in 1932, according to STATS. New York strung together five straight scoreless starts for the first time - the first by any team since Washington from June 20-25, 2015.

Chicago (26-19) has lost three straight for the first time this year. The White Sox grounded into a pair of double plays, a day after hitting into four and two days after grounding into a triple play.

Gleyber Torres hit a two-run single in the first off Dallas Keuchel after the four-time Gold Glove winner misplayed Luke Voit's comebacker - the ball bounded off where the mound meets the grass - for his first error since September 2017, leading to a pair of unearned runs.

New York built a 3-0 lead with a run-scoring double-play grounder in the fifth after loading the bases against Keuchel, who lasted four-plus innings.

Jose Abreu's 450-foot, two-run homer in the sixth off Wandy Peralta went over the visitors' bullpen in left and cut the gap to 3-2, but shortstop Tim Anderson made a run-scoring throwing erro r while trying to complete a double play in the bottom half.

Yasmani Grandal homered in the seventh against Chad Green, a ball a fan behind the right-field wall caught over Frazier's glove.

Lance Lynn (4-1) starts a homestand opener Monday against St. Louis, pitting Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa against the team he managed from 1996-2011 and led to three NL pennants and two World Series titles.

Philipp Grubauer made 18 saves and Gabriel Landeskog scored the go-ahead goal in the second period as the Colorado Avalanche completed a four-game sweep of the St. Louis Blues with a 5-2 win Sunday in Game 4 of the West Division series.

Brandon Saad, Mikko Rantanen, Nathan MacKinnon and Valeri Nichushkin also scored for Colorado, which recorded its first series sweep since beating Vancouver in the 2001 Western Conference quarterfinal round.

The Avalanche outscored the Blues 20-7 and trailed for only 7:12 over the four games. Grubauer stopped 103 of 110 shots over the four games.

Vladimir Tarasenko scored twice for St. Louis, which was swept for the first time since losing to the Los Angeles Kings in the second round in 2012.

Landeskog tipped in a shot from Samuel Girard at 14:53 of the second period to break a 1-1 tie.

Saad scored on a shot from the high slot off a pass from Cale Makar just over three minutes earlier. Grubauer got an assist on the play.

Landeskog finished with two goals and six assists in recording a point in every game of the series.

Colorado has won nine of the last 10 playoff games against St. Louis, including seven in a row.

Chase Elliott’s Texas Grand Prix victory after 54 of the expected 68 laps at the Circuit of the Americas was win No. 800 for Chevrolet and No. 268 for Hendrick Motorsports, which tied Petty Enterprises for most victories.

Elliott managed the slipping and sliding, the standing water and the poor visibility that made it hard for drivers to see just a few feet in front of them.

And when NASCAR’s debut at the Circuit of the Americas ended early because of poor racing conditions in the rain, Elliott had earned not just his first victory of the season, but also historic ones for Hendrick Motorsports and Chevrolet.

Sunday’s race will be notable for ending defending Cup champion Elliott’s winless drought, and for putting the drivers through a soggy and occasionally muddy mess before it was ended under the second red flag of the afternoon as the rain only got worse.

Elliott’s teammate, Kyle Larson, and Team Penske’s Joey Logano rounded out the top three.

Elliott earned his sixth career road course victory, and has won five of the last six road races in the Cup Series. He has 12 Cup wins overall.

The race call was a disappointing finish to the series’ first run at a track built for Formula One, and organizers will have to decide if they want to make the Austin track a regular stop.

The rain started on the opening lap. The trickiest section to drive was the long, high-speed straight as the drivers risked hydroplaning or not being able to see through the spray kicked up by the cars around them.

The worst crash came when Cole Custer, seeking a visible racing line, smashed into the back of Martin Truex Jr. — who had just hit Michael McDowell — and Custer’s front end briefly burst into a fireball on lap 25. Both drivers were checked at the medical center and released.

Larson shrugged off some of the concerns. He was in late position to challenge Elliott for the win before the race ended.

Tyler Reddick earned his first career Cup Series pole position and the first road course pole for Richard Childress Racing since Dale Earnhardt at Watkins Glen in 1996.

Reddick was just seven months old when Earnhardt led 54 laps of that race despite driving with a broken collarbone and sternum suffered in a crash two weeks earlier at Talladega. Earnhardt waved off his reserve driver at the first pit stop that day, but ultimately faded to a sixth-place finish.

Reddick finished ninth Sunday.

NASCAR heads to North Carolina for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway next Sunday before a return to road racing at Sonoma Raceway.

Phil Mickelson closed with a 1-over 73 to win by two over Brooks Koepka and Louis Oosthuizen at Kiawah Island, where thousands upon thousands of euphoric fans wanted a piece of the history he delivered Sunday in the PGA Championship..

For all the thrills and spills that have defined his 30 years of pure theater, his latest act gave Mickelson his own place in the game.

A major champion at age 50, the oldest in the 161 years of major championship golf.

That final walk toward a two-shot victory was as much stress as he faced over the final hour, and it was a bit scary until Mickelson emerged out of the masses and flashed a thumbs-up.

He made two early birdies with that magical wedge game that never left him, and then let a cast of challengers fall too far behind to catching him in the shifting wind off the Atlantic.

Julius Boros for 53 years held the distinction of golf’s oldest major champion. He was 48 when he won the 1968 PGA Championship in San Antonio.

Mickelson became the 10th player to win majors in three decades, an elite list that starts with Harry Vardon and was most recently achieved by Tiger Woods.

Woods, who won the Masters in 2019 at age 43 after four back surgeries, was among to send a tweet of congratulations.

Three months after 43-year-old Tom Brady won a seventh Super Bowl, Mickelson added to this year of ageless wonders.

Mickelson became the first player in PGA Tour history to win tournaments 30 years apart. The first of his 45 titles was in 1991 when he was still a junior at Arizona State.

Koepka and Oosthuizen had their chances, but only briefly. Koepka was 4 over on the three par 5s he faced when the game was still on and closed with a 74. Oosthuizen hit into the water as he was trying to make a final run and shot 73.

Mickelson finished at 6-under 282.

The victory came one week after Mickelson accepted a special exemption into the U.S. Open because at No. 115 in the world and winless the last two years, he no longer was exempt from qualifying. As recently as a month ago, he was concerned that he could not keep his focus for 18 holes and kept throwing away shots that set him back.

And then he beat the strongest field of the year — 99 of the top 100 players — and made it look easy at times.

The PGA Championship had the largest and loudest crowd since the return from the COVID-19 pandemic -- the PGA of America said it limited tickets to 10,000, and it seemed like twice that many -- and it clear what they wanted to see.

The opening hour made it seem as though the final day could belong to anyone. The wind finished its switch to the opposite direction from the opening rounds, and while there was low scoring early, Mickelson and Koepka traded brilliance and blunder.

Koepka flew the green with a wedge on the par-5 second hole, could only chip it about 6 feet to get out of an impossible lie and made double bogey, a three-shot swing when Mickelson hit a deft pitch from thick grass behind the green.

Mickelson holed a sand shot from short of the green on the par-5 third, only for Koepka to tie for the lead with a two-shot swing on the sixth hole when he made birdie and Lefty missed the green well to the right.

Kevin Streelman briefly had a share of the lead. Oosthuizen was lurking, even though it took him seven holes to make a birdie.

Oosthuizen, coming off a birdie to get within three, had to lay up out of the thick grass on the 13th and then sent his third shot right of the flag and into the water, making triple bogey.

Just like that, Mickelson was up by five and headed toward the inward holes, the wind at his back on the way home with what seemed like the entire state of South Carolina at his side.

The next stop is the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, the only major keeping Mickelson from the career Grand Slam.

Jared Lockmiller singled in the go-ahead run in the top of the tenth inning as Monticello outlasted Maroa-Forsyth 5-4 in a classic high school non-conference baseball game Friday afternoon in Forsyth.

Monticello led most of the game as the Trojans squandered several scoring chances early.

But trailing 4-1, the Trojans rallied in the bottom of the 7th inning. Kadin Mauer singled to center with one out. Evan Foster lined out to second base for the second out. ISU-commit Ethan Willoughby walked to put runners at first and second. Anthony Campbell split the right-centerfield gap and drove in Mauer and Willoughby to make the score 4-3. Jaxson Grubbs then singled in Campbell to tie the score.

Logan Chupp, who escaped a sixth-inning, bases loaded and zero outs jam, got Reid Fitzpatrick to ground out to third ending the threat, sending the game to extra innings. 

Neither team threatened in the extra frames until Monticello’s Joey Sprinkle singled with one out in the top of the tenth inning. With Andrew Rudolph batting, Sprinkle got a late jump on a pitch in the dirt and slid under a nice throw from Rhys Sams-Moore and a late tag from Willoughby at second base. 

Rudolph ground back to the pitcher but Lockmiller laced a single to center scoring Sprinkle. 

Jack Buckalew got around a lead-off single to close out the win for the Sages.

Sprinkle pitched five effective innings of one-run ball on the hill for Monticello. He allowed four hits and struck out six to zero walks. 

The Trojans missed chances on multiple occasions for six innings, but the biggest opportunity wasted was in the sixth inning when Rudolph uncharacteristically allowed a lead-off single to Willoughby, then walked Campbell on four pitches and walked Grubbs on five pitches to load the bases with no outs.

Chupp relieved Rudolph and got Fitzpatrick to bounce to Sprinkle at third who threw to catcher Thomas Swartz for the force at the plate. Then Grant Reid hit a slow roller to Sprinkle at third again, Sprinkle again threw home for the force and Chupp struck out Sams-Moore to end the threat.

Biniam Lienhart (bin-E-um Linn-heart) had a very efficient day at the play. In the third inning with runners at first and second, he perfectly sacrificed over the base runners and both came home to score on a Tristan Foran sac-fly and Jake Edmondson RBI single for an early 2-0 lead.

Buckalew brought home Lockmiller, who doubled with one out, in the fourth inning to make it 3-0. 

Leinhart singled with one out in the fifth, stole second base, and singled when Foran reached base on a fielding error at second base.

Mauer pitched six effective innings for the Trojans. He allowed four runs, three were earned, on five hits with a walk and five strikeouts. 

Campbell pitched the seventh, ninth, and tenth innings for the Trojans sandwiched by a scoreless inning from Willoughby in the eighth inning. 

Monticello improves to 8-5 on the season while the Trojans drop to 11-2. 

Maroa-Forsyth takes on Williamsville on Saturday. The Sages will travel to Tolono Unity next Tuesday.

Ron Bass has been named the new football coach at Clinton High School.

Clinton Athletic Director Matt Koeppel made the announcement Wednesday afternoon and cites Coach Bass's successful tenure at Tri-Valley High School as the team's defensive coordinator.

Coach Bass will be an eighth-grade teacher and Koeppel believes having him in the hallways of the junior high school will be a huge plus in recruiting kids to the program. Koeppel says an initial meet-and-greet with Coach Bass was very successful. 

Koeppel hopes in June to have a meet-the-coach night where the community can come in and meet Coach Bass. He says this could be beneficial as the summer programs get started very soon and increase interest in the program. 

A four-run fifth innning helped the Clinton Maroons get past Central A&M 7-2 Thursday afternoon in Central Illinois Conference boy's baseball action from Clinton High School.

Josh Carter pitched four effective innings for the win allowings two runs, three hits, issued seven walks and struck out six. 

Brooks Cluver threw three scoreless innings of relief for the Clinton walking one and striking out two. 

Jaxson White finished 2-for-4, Mason Walker was 2-for-2 and Wes Harrold drove in two runs as part of a 2-for-3 afternoon.

Because of standing water issues at Central A&M High School, the game was moved to be played in Clinton. 

The Maroons imrpove to 3-5 overall in it's almost exclusive CIC schedule for the 2021 baseball season.

The Maroons host Meridian this afternoon. 

Ashley Armstrong was outdueled by Central A&M's Morgan Malone as the Lady Raiders downed Clinton 3-2 in Central Illinois Conference girl's softball action from Central A&M High School Thursday.

Malone went seven innings and held off a late rally by the Lady Maroons allowing two runs, seven hits, a walk and struck out eight. 

Heidi Humble's two-run double in the top of the sixth inning broke up Malone's shutout bid. Brooke Reeves was 2-for-4 and Savannah Clifton finished 2-for-3 to lead the Clinton offense.

Chloe Jones drove in two runs despite going 0-for-3 and Carson Bugg was 2-for-3 with an RBI for the Lady Raiders. 

Clinton drops to 2-6 overall and will host Meridian this afternoon.

Dawlton Chupp allowed four first-inning runs but settled down to go six innings and Monticello rallied early to get past Bloomington Central Catholic 12-8 in Illini Prairie Conference boy's baseball action Thursday afternoon from Monticello.

Prior to Thursday's contest, the Sages took several moments to show support for their fellow athletes in the softball program as the Lady Sages mourned the loss of Chris Oberheim, the Champaign Police Officer killed Wednesday in a domestic dispute in Champaign.

Officer Oberheim, whose daughter Avery is a senior on the softball team, was very involved in the Monticello summer softball programs. 

Chupp allowed four first-inning runs but his offense came to his support with a ten-run first inning.

Tristan Foran and Andrew Rudolph had three hits apiece and Joey Sprinkle drove in three to pace the Sages offense. 

Chupp struck out six allowing just a run after the four-run first. Cole Smith closed out the win allowing three runs in the top of the seventh inning.

Monticello improves to 7-5 overall. They travel to Maroa-Forsyth this afternoon for non-conference action. Hear today's action on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com. 

The Clinton Maroon's boy's baseball team has received the ninth seed in the Decatur Millikin Super-Sectional as the IHSA announced seedings for the upcoming boy's baseball and girl's softball postseasons.

The Lady Maroons softball team is also the ninth seed in the Millikin Super-Sectional. 

The Monticello Lady Sages received the fifth seed in the sub-sectional of the Decatur Millikin Super-Sectional. Maroa-Forsyth is the fourth seed in the same sub-sectional. Tuscola is the top seed. 

Bloomington Central Catholic received the top-seed in their sub-sectional of the Decatur Millikin Super-Sectional. Tri-Valley is the fifth seed in that sub-sectional. 

In boy's baseball postseason seeding, Maroa-Forsyth is the top seed of the sub-sectional with Clinton, while Monticello is the fifth seed and Tri-Valley is the eighth seed.

In Class 1A, Mt. Pulaski is a sub-sectional top seed of the Normal ISU Super-Sectional. In the Hilltoppers sub-sectional, LeRoy is the two seed, Warrensburg-Latham is the three seed, Decatur St. Teresa is the fourth seed, Decatur LSA the ffifth seed, Fisher the sixth seed, Heyworth is the seventh seed, Argenta-Oreana is the eighth seed, Blue Ridge the ninth seed and Cerro Gordo-Bement is the tenth seed. 

Baseball and softball regionals will be played at the higher seed's home field as a part of the pandemic altered 2021 season. 

Russell Westbrook nearly produced a triple-double Thursday night, Bradley Beal scored 25 points and the Wizards reached the NBA playoffs as the Eastern Conference's No. 8 seed by overwhelming the Indiana Pacers 142-115 in the play-in round Thursday night.

Washington led by as many as 38 and now faces Joel Embiid and the No. 1 seed Philadelphia 76ers in the first round, marking quite a turnaround for Brooks' crew, which was 17-32 before going on a 17-6 run over the regular season's last six weeks.

A little more than a week after breaking Oscar Robertson's career record for most regular-season triple-doubles, Westbrook finished Thursday with 18 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists, and it was Beal - second in the NBA in scoring two years in a row - whose 3-pointer opened up a 30-point lead at 98-68 with about four minutes left in the third quarter.

Domantas Sabonis had 19 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists before fouling out early in the fourth quarter for the Pacers, whose run of five consecutive playoff appearances ended in coach Nate Bjorkgren's first year in charge.

Rui Hachimura scored 18 points for Washington. 

The Pacers were missing Caris LeVert (COVID-19 protocols), Myles Turner (right foot), T.J. Warren (left foot) and Jeremy Lamb (left knee).

Ian Happ homered twice and drove in three runs, helping Chicago beat the Washington Nationals 5-2 on Thursday.

Kris Bryant and Willson Contreras got the day off for rest, but the Cubs went ahead to stay on Happ's two-run shot into the basket in right with two out in the third inning. He also led off the fifth with his sixth homer on a 0-2 pitch from Austin Voth with the wind blowing out on a warm afternoon at Wrigley Field.

Nick Martini had a sacrifice fly and Joc Pederson singled home a run as Chicago won for the fifth time in seven games.

It was Happ's first multihomer game since Sept. 5 against St. Louis and No. 8 for his big league career. The switch-hitting outfielder is batting .375 (12 for 32) with five homers and 10 RBIs in eight May games.

Pederson also is rolling along nicely for Chicago, which moved back over .500 at 22-21. He collected two more hits and is batting .417 (20 for 48) in his last 12 games.

Josh Bell and Kyle Schwarber hit back-to-back homers for Washington in the first, but Joe Ross (2-4) lasted just 3 2/3 innings in his second straight loss. The right-hander was charged with four runs, two earned, and five hits.

The Cubs' bullpen has a scoreless streak of 17 1/3 innings over the team's last five games. It began the day with a 3.24 ERA for the season, second-best in the NL.

Kyle Hendricks (3-4, 5.27 ERA) starts Friday night in the opener of a three-game series at St. Louis. RHP Carlos Martinez (3-4, 4.35 ERA) takes the mound for the NL Central-leading Cardinals.

Hearts were heavy and emotions were high as Monticello fell to Bloomington Central Catholic 8-1 in Illini Prairie Conference girl’s softball action from Monticello High School Thursday afternoon in Monticello.

The tragic death of Champaign Police Officer Chris Oberheim touched the Monticello softball program especially close as Officer Oberheim was very involved in summer coaching for many players on this year’s team and several teams past. His daughter, Avery, is a senior on this year’s Lady Sages squad.

Thursday, the district held a touching ceremony honoring Officer Oberheim that featured dozens and dozens of uniformed officers from all over central Illinois. 

But when it came time for softball, BCC was too much for the Lady Sages.

Macy Hicks held the Lady Saints in check for 6 ? innings but a three run double by Izzie Kostelnick in the top of the seventh inning put the game out of reach. 

Trailing 4-1, Hicks struck out Adie Wait to start the seventh, but allowed a double to Addison Cervantes, a single to Emily York and walked Elyssa Stenger to load the bases. 

Kostelnick muscled a drive through a hard wind into the right-centerfield gap scoring all three base runners chasing Hicks from the game.

Kostelnick would come around to score on Gabi Hurie’s base hit later in the inning as BCC improved to 14-7 overall. 

Hannah Ubinger led the Lady Sages offensively with two hits. 

Avery Oberheim was greeted to loud cheers in each of her three plate appearances and blooped a base hit into shallow left field in the sixth inning and was lifted to hugs from teammates and cheers from a large gathering of family, friends and law enforcement. 

The Lady Sages drop to 11-10 overall.

Drew Martin threw a perfect game and Mt. Pulaski got by Delavan 3-0 in Tomahawk Conference boy's baseball action Wednesday in Delavan.

Martin struck out 11 and drove in a run at the plate with a double. The Heartland Community College commit showed why he had interest from Division I prior to the pandemic. 

Evan Cooper finished 2-for-3 for the Hilltoppers with an RBI and AJ Bailey walked three times.

The Hilltoppers improve to 12-0. They host Cerro Gordo-Bement this afternoon.

Avery Place and Sydnee Evans combined for a one hit shut out as Blue Ridge raced out to an early lead and never looked back in a 15-0, 4-inning win over Cerro Gordo-Bement Wednesday in Lincoln Prairie girl's softball action from Farmer City.

The Lady Knights jumped out quickly soring nine runs in the first inning. 

Avery Place was 2-for-3 with five RBIs, Ashlyn Voyles added two hits and two RBIs. Farrah Michaels added two hits and an RBI, and Cassie Zimmerman drove in two runs. 

The Lady Knights are 8-3 overall and will host Donovan Friday afternoon. 

The Blue Ridge Knights scored in every inning of a five-inning 14-2 ten-run rule win over Cerro Gordo-Bement in Lincoln Prairie boy's baseball action Wednesday in Farmer City.

Cole Stephens finished 4-for-4 to lead the Knights offensive output finishing a home run short of the cycle. Stephens drove in three runs and scored four times. Isaiah Dalton finished 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs. 

Dylan Kelly was 3-for-4 with two doubles and a run batted in. Wes Jones, Ben Wallace, Riley Pruitt, Tyler Nihcols and Kelly stole bases for Blue Ridge. 

Stephens threw a scoreless 1/3 of an inning to start the game, Dalton fired 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, walking four and striking out four. 

Tyler Coffee finihsed the final inning allowing a run, a hit, two walks and struck out two. 

The Knights improve to 3-7 and will host Donovan on Friday afternoon. 

Lucas Giolito gave up two hits over eight innings with a season-high 11 strikeouts, guiding the White Sox over the Minnesota Twins 2-1 on Wednesday.

Giolito (3-4) threw 111 pitches in his longest start of the year, another stride forward after a rough first month. The third-inning fastball that Nelson Cruz hit to center for his 10th home run accounted for Minnesota's only runner past second base. Cruz also singled in the first.

Giolito faced the minimum batters from the fourth inning on.

Liam Hendricks pitched a perfect ninth for his ninth save in 11 chances, celebrating a game-ending strikeout of Max Kepler with a shout and an exaggerated arm pump. The White Sox are 14-2 after losses this year.

The White Sox just finished a 13-game stretch against the Twins and Kansas City Royals at 10-3.

Leury Garcia hit a leadoff double against Matt Shoemaker (2-5) in the fifth inning and scored the tying run on an infield single by Adam Eaton. Then Garcia gave the White Sox the lead with an RBI single in the sixth, zapping whatever spark the Twins were seeking from their 5-4 comeback win on Tuesday. Shoemaker finished six innings for the third time this season, one sign of encouragement for a Twins team that has lost 11 of its last 14.

Jose Abreu sat out for the third straight game with left ankle inflammation. With an off day on Thursday, La Russa said he still has ''fingers crossed'' that the team's home run and RBI leader will return to the lineup this weekend in New York.

Carlos Rodon (5-1, 1.47 ERA) will pitch the opener of the three-game series against the New York Yankees on Friday. He took his first loss in his previous turn against Kansas City, the only time he's allowed more than one earned run this season.

Juan Soto homered off Wrigley Field's right-field scoreboard, helping Max Scherzer win his third straight decision in the Washington Nationals' 4-3 win over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night.

Soto became the 16th player to hit the scoreboard that was installed in 2012, hitting a 421-foot drive on a 3-2 slider in the fifth from Jake Arrieta (4-4) that gave Washington a 4-1 lead. Soto also singled twice.

Scherzer (4-2) allowed two runs and five hits in five innings with eight strikeouts and four walks. The three-time Cy Young Award winner labored at times against the Cubs but has given up just four runs over his last four starts.

Ian Happ's RBI single had pulled the Cubs to 4-2 in the fifth.

Arrieta allowed four runs and seven hits in five innings in his second start since coming off the injured list caused by a cut in his right thumb. Washington stopped the Cubs' three-game winning streak and dropped Chicago to 21-21.

Happ and Nico Hoerner had RBIs for the Cubs, who slipped to 21-21. Jake Arrieta (4-4) yielded four runs on seven hits in five innings in his second start since coming off the injured list.

Nico Hoerner's bloop single in the second drove in the first run.

Trea Turner hit an RBI single in the third and scored on a wild pitch, and Victor Robles' run-scoring single gave Washington a 3-1 lead in the fourth. Robles would have reached second, but tripped over first base and stayed down for a few minutes while training staff checked his right ankle.

Joe Ross (2-3, 5.80) faces Chicago RHP Trevor Williams (2-2, 6.27) in the series finale on Thursday.

Jack Flaherty earned his major league-leading eighth win of the season as the St. Louis Cardinals scored five runs in the second inning to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-5 on Wednesday night.

Flaherty (8-0) allowed two runs on four hits and four walks while striking out seven in six innings of work. He is the first Cardinals pitcher to win eight straight starts since John Tudor and Joaquin Andujar each accomplished the feat in 1985.

Alex Reyes struck out the side in the ninth to earn his 13th save in as many opportunities.

Paul Goldschmidt had three hits and two RBIs as the Cardinals improved to 5-0 against Pittsburgh this season.

Gregory Polanco hit a two-run home run to right field in the fifth inning. It was his fourth of the season and the first allowed by Flaherty in four May starts.

Miles Mikolas (right shoulder) will be activated off the injured list to start against the Chicago Cubs on Saturday. Mikolas will be making his season debut after missing the entire 2020 season with a right flexor tendon. Carlos Martinez (3-4, 4.35 ERA) will be activated from the injured list to start the opener of a three-game series Friday night against the Chicago Cubs.

Nathan MacKinnon capped his first career playoff hat trick with an empty-net goal to help the Colorado Avalanche pull away late for a 6-3 win over St. Louis in Game 2 on Wednesday night after the Blues avoided a pregame virus scare that nearly sidelined several players.

The difficult-to-defend MacKinnon now has five goals and two assists in a series the Avalanche lead 2-0.

Joonas Donskoi scored twice and Brandon Saad added an empty-netter.

Trailing 3-0, Sammy Blais scored for St. Louis in the second and Brayden Schenn added another with 9:53 remaining to make it a one-goal game. Schenn's power-play goal followed Nazem Kadri being assessed a five-minute penalty for an illegal check to the head of Justin Faulk.

MacKinnon gave Colorado a 4-2 lead with 4:35 remaining, only to see Mike Hoffman score 15 seconds later. Saad scored an empty-netter with 2:09 left and MacKinnon added another with 11.9 seconds remaining, with fans tossing hats onto the ice in celebration.

MacKinnon's hat trick was the first in the postseason by an Avalanche player in 24 years.

MacKinnon also had an assist.

Philipp Grubauer finished with 32 saves.

Donskoi scored 35 seconds into the game, the second-fastest goal to start a playoff game in Colorado/Quebec history, according to NHL research. The fastest was 29 seconds by Quebec's Wilf Paiement in Game 2 of the 1982 division finals.

The anxiety level for St. Louis increased well before puck even dropped when several Blues players returned positive COVID-19 tests. Later, they were cleared after the results from a lab were investigated with follow-up tests coming back negative.

Among those missing from the morning skate were forwards Vladimir Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz, along with goaltender Jordan Binnington.

The Blues remained without leading scorer David Perron, who's been on the COVID-19 protocol list since the weekend.

Game 3 will be Friday in St. Louis.

A lone midweek game this season due to a postponement in April ended with Illinois defeating No. 25 Indiana 3-2 in extra innings at Bart Kaufman Field. 

Taylor Jackson hit a go-ahead solo home run to left field in the 10th inning.

The Illini pitching staff recorded 15 strikeouts on the heels of a 13-strikeout performance on Sunday at Iowa and 16 strikeouts on Saturday. Illinois sent seven pitchers to the mound in the game.

The Illini struck first with two runs in the second inning. A fielding error off the bat of Kellen Sarver brought in Justin Janas and a safety squeeze from Cal Hejza scored Sarver. That was all the scoring from Illinois until Jackson's home run in the 10th.

Indiana (24-13) tied the game with an RBI double by Morgan Colopy and a sacrifice fly from Grant Richardson concluded the Hoosiers scoring.

Freshman RHP Clayton Johnson (2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 2 SO) made his first career start and was able to keep the Hoosiers off the scoreboard early. After Johnson departed, Illinois did not allow a walk the remainder of the game.

RHP Jack Crowder (2-0) received the win after pitching a scoreless ninth inning and LHP Cole Kirschsieper earned his third save of the season for his work in the tenth. RHP Grant Leader (2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, career-high 6 SO) provided some length in the middle innings.

Illinois (19-19) will return home to play Penn State in their final series of the season at Illinois Field.

Shay Boman drove in three runs helping lead Monticello past Rantoul 8-7 in Illini Prairie Conference girl's softball action Tuesday from Rantoul

Boman had three hits and Marla Miller had a pair of walks for the Lady Sages.

Macy Hicks pitched 3 2/3 innings and Avery Oberheim finished the final 3 1/3 innings for the Lady Sages. 

Monticello will host Bloomington Central Catholic Thursday afternoon. Hear the action on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com. 

Luke Teschke was effect over 5 1/3 innings and helped lead Monticello past Rantoul 3-1 in Illini Prairie Conference boy's baseball action Tuesday from Rantoul.

Teschke allowed a run, four hits and struck out 11. Jack Buckalew finished the final 1 2/3 of perfect ball with four strikeouts. 

Joey Sprinkle reached base twice via the walk for Monticello and Tristan Foran drove in a run to lead the Sages. 

Monticello hosts Bloomington Central Catholic Thursday afternoon.

As heard on WHOW, Miguel Sano homered three times, Jorge Polanco hit a game-ending RBI single and the Minnesota Twins beat Yermin Mercedes and the Chicago White Sox 5-4 on Tuesday night.

Mercedes was the center of attention once again, one day after he hit a controversial homer in the ninth inning of Chicago's 16-4 victory. Twins reliever Tyler Duffey was ejected for throwing behind Mercedes in the seventh, and that seemed to spark the slumping Twins.

Sano's two-run drive off Aaron Bummer (0-2) with one out in the eighth tied it at 4. With two out and runners on second and third in the ninth, Polanco singled to right against Liam Hendriks.

The Twins had dropped two in a row, including an ugly 16-4 loss to AL Central-leading Chicago on Monday night. Taylor Rogers (1-2) got three outs for the win.

Jake Lamb and Yasmani Grandal homered for the White Sox, who had won three of four. Lance Lynn pitched six innings of two-run ball.

Mercedes had Minnesota's attention after he connected Monday night, driving a 3-0 pitch from infielder Willians Astudillo deep to center in the ninth. White Sox manager Tony La Russa said Mercedes made a mistake, and the Hall of Fame skipper apologized to the Twins.

With one out in the seventh Tuesday night and the White Sox up 4-2, Mercedes came to the plate and Duffey threw the first pitch of the at-bat behind the slugger's legs. Duffey and Baldelli then were ejected by plate umpire Jim Reynolds.

Lucas Giolito (2-4, 4.97 ERA) starts the Wednesday afternoon series finale for Chicago, while Minnesota will start RHP Matt Shoemaker (2-4, 6.62 ERA).

Nolan Arenado hit a two-run homer, his fourth in four games, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-2 Tuesday night.

Tommy Edman added three singles and drove in two runs for St. Louis. which returned home after dropping three straight at the Padres to win its fourth consecutive game this season against Pittsburgh.

Arenado hit his 10th homer in the first inning. With two outs, Arenado sent a 2-0 pitch into the left-field seats to score Dylan Carlson, who drew a walk.

St. Louis went ahead 4-0 in the second on a two-out bloop single against the shift to shallow left by Edman, scoring Harrison Bader and Edmundo Sosa, who drove in a run in the third on a two-out double. It was the first RBI of the season for Sosa, who is playing in place of regular starter Paul DeJong, who is on the Injured List.

Pittsburgh scored twice in the fifth on a fielder's choice and single by Erik Gonzalez, cutting the St. Louis lead to 5-2.

John Gant (3-3) threw 5 1/3 innings to earn the win. He allowed two runs and five hits.

Alex Reyes pitched the ninth to record his 12th save in 12 chances.

Brubaker (3-3), who had been charged with two earned runs or fewer in six of his first seven starts, gave up five runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Trevor Cahill (1-4, 5.97) is to start Wednesday's series finale game for the Pirates against RHP Jack Flaherty (7-0, 2.47). Flaherty blanked the Brewers over six innings last Thursday's for his major league-leading seventh win.

David Bote and Ian Happ homered, and the Chicago Cubs beat the Washington Nationals 6-3 on Tuesday night.

Chicago slugger Anthony Rizzo left the game because of tightness in his lower back, but the Cubs got enough big hits to come away with another win after pounding Jon Lester the previous day in his return to Wrigley Field.

Bote broke a 3-all tie with a two-run homer against reliever Will Harris (0-1) in the sixth inning. Happ made it 6-3 with his drive to the basket in left-center against Wander Suero leading off the eighth.

Willson Contereras had two hits, including a two-run single in the third against new dad Patrick Corbin. Bryant singled twice and drove in a run.

Keegan Thompson (2-1) tossed 1 1/3 innings after Zach Davies pitched into the sixth. Thompson also got his first major league hit when he singled in the sixth.

Craig Kimbrel worked the ninth for his eighth save in 10 chances as the Cubs won for the fourth time in five games.

Davies gave up three runs and seven hits. The right-hander exited after former Cubs infielder Starlin Castro homered leading off the sixth and Josh Harrison singled.

Davies also laid down two sacrifice bunts, setting up Contreras' hit in the third and Bryant's RBI single in the fifth.

Corbin went five innings, allowing three runs and eight hits. The two-time All-Star rejoined the team following the birth of his first child, Weston Alan, last week.

Cubs manager David Ross said Rizzo slipped leaving the box when he grounded out to end a two-run third and is day to day.

Rizzo did some stretches at first base prior to the fourth. Ross and a trainer went out to check on him.

Rizzo remained in the game. But he couldn't handle Kyle Schwarber's grounder leading off the inning, resulting in an error.

He was replaced as a precaution in the fifth, with Bryant moving from right field to first base. Jason Heyward went in to play right and took Rizzo's spot in the batting order.

Nationals ace Max Scherzer (3-2, 2.10 ERA) and Cubs RHP Jake Arrieta (4-3, 4.10) get the ball Wednesday in a matchup of Cy Young Award winners as the teams continue their four-game series.

Arrieta is 2-1 with a 1.59 ERA in three starts at Wrigley Field this season. Scherzer is 2-0 in his past three outings.

Domantas Sabonis had 14 points, 21 rebounds and nine assists, and the short-handed Pacers routed the Charlotte Hornets 144-117 in the Eastern Conference's first play-in game Tuesday.

Sabonis' reaction to the Hornets' attempt to clog the middle changed the game. Doug McDermott scored 16 of his 21 points in the first quarter as the Pacers started 7 of 11 from 3-point range - a decisive flurry that put Charlotte in a big hole.

The ninth-seeded Pacers snapped a franchise-worst nine-game losing streak in the postseason, earning their first win since blowing out Cleveland in Game 6 of a first-round series in April 2018.

And they got it done without Caris LeVert, who was placed in the league's health and safety protocol before the game.

Now Indiana needs one more win to secure a sixth consecutive playoff appearance. The Pacers visit No. 8 Washington on Thursday night.

It was no fun for the Hornets, who were led by Miles Bridges with 23 points. Former Indiana University star Cody Zeller had 17.

The Hornets finished the season with six straight losses. The difference Tuesday showed right from the start - playoff experience.

Oshae Brissett scored 23 points while T.J. McConnell had 17 points, five rebounds and four steals. 
McDermott has scored in double figures in a career-best 14 straight games. The Pacers won despite missing LeVert, starting center Myles Turner (right foot), starting forward T.J. Warren (left foot) and key backup Jeremy Lamb (left knee). 

The Pacers travel to Washington to face the Wizards on Thursday, with the winner claiming the East's final playoff spot. Charlotte heads home for the offseason.

The Pacers have won four of their last six. 

As heard on WHOW, Nick Madrigal had three hits, including his first major league homer, and Danny Mendick launched his first career grand slam as the Chicago White Sox beat the struggling Minnesota Twins 16-4 on Monday night.

Seven players had multiple hits for Chicago, which posted season highs in hits (18) and runs. The White Sox have won nine of their past 11 games, including four straight wins against Minnesota.

Dallas Keuchel (3-1) was the beneficiary, pitching seven innings and allowing three runs on seven hits.

J.A. Happ (2-2) was roughed up again by the White Sox. The left-hander permitted six runs in 3 2/3 innings and has given up 15 runs to Chicago in his past two starts.

Happ had allowed just six runs in his first five starts for the Twins after signing as a free agent in the offseason. His ERA has risen from 1.91 to 5.35 in the past two starts.

Josh Donaldson hit a two-run homer and Rob Refsnyder had four hits for Minnesota, which has lost seven of eight.

The White Sox have enjoyed facing left-handed pitching in 2021. They started the day with an .853 OPS against left-handers to lead the majors. St. Louis was second with an .814 mark.

Jose Abreu will miss the entire series with left ankle inflammation. Abreu was injured sliding into home plate Sunday. X-rays were negative and an MRI showed inflammation. La Russa said Abreu will possibly return for Friday night's game in New York after an off day on Thursday.

Chicago right-hander Lance Lynn (4-1, 1.30 ERA) will make his first start in Minnesota since he was traded from the Twins to the New York Yankees in 2018. Lynn earned a win against Minnesota in his last start on May 13 when he gave up just an unearned run in five innings. RHP Michael Pineda (2-2, 2.79) will start for the Twins. Pineda allowed three runs in 5 1/3 innings opposite Lynn that day.

Willson Contreras and the Chicago Cubs heaped praise on Jon Lester and Kyle Schwarber in their return to Wrigley Field on Monday. They even shared some of their candy.

That was about as far as they were willing to go when it came to their warm welcome for their former teammates.

Contreras, Jason Heyward and Javier Baez homered off Lester in his return to Chicago, leading the Cubs to a 7-3 victory over the Washington Nationals.

Lester and Schwarber, two key members of Chicago's 2016 World Series championship team, heard loud cheers all night long in their first game against their former team. Contreras put his arm around Schwarber's shoulders before he batted in the first inning, and the catcher gave Lester a brief hug when the pitcher was at the plate in the third.

Schwarber went out to his position in left field and found some candy that Kris Bryant left for his former teammate. Schwarber said he had a Twix bar out on the field, and then connected for a two-run homer in his next at-bat in the fourth.

Schwarber's sixth homer landed in the bleachers in center. Per the custom at Chicago's iconic ballpark - even for old friends like the affable Schwarber - the ball was thrown back onto the field.

In between the standing ovations, sweet treats and all the cheering for Lester and Schwarber, the Cubs were mostly business during their third win in four games.

Adbert Alzolay (2-3) pitched five innings of three-run ball in his first win since April 29. Second baseman Nico Hoerner robbed Starlin Castro of a bases-loaded hit with a terrific diving stop in the eighth. Eric Sogard and Heyward tacked on run-scoring singles to help Chicago close it out.

Trea Turner hit his 10th homer for Washington, which had won three of four. Josh Bell reached three times on two singles and a walk.

Left-hander Patrick Corbin (2-3, 6.19 ERA) pitches for Washington on Tuesday, and right-hander Zach Davies (2-2, 5.60 ERA) starts for Chicago. Corbin is 2-0 with a 2.70 ERA in three May starts. Davies also has pitched well this month, allowing two earned runs in 16 1/3 innings.

Nathan MacKinnon scored the tiebreaking goal 30 seconds into the third period and wrapped it up with an empty-netter, Philipp Grubauer stopped 22 shots and the Avalanche beat the St. Louis Blues 4-1 on Monday night in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series.

Gabriel Landeskog found an early way to calm down the Colorado Avalanche - he dropped the gloves and brawled.

That fighting spirit energized a roaring crowd - biggest of the season - and certainly rubbed off on the team.

Landeskog recorded a ''Gordie Howe hat trick'' with a goal, assist and a fighting major, which he earned in the first period by sticking up for a teammate following a big hit.

It breathed some energy into the Avalanche.

Landeskog added a third-period goal by tipping in a blue-line blast from MacKinnon and assists on both of MacKinnon's goals. Cale Makar got things started for the Presidents' Trophy-winning Avalanche with a power-play goal in the first period.

Jordan Kyrou scored his first postseason goal for a Blues team missing leading scorer David Perron, who's out due to the NHL's virus protocols.

Colorado kept Jordan Binnington busy through the first two periods, outshooting the Blues by a 32-16 margin. They finally were able to solve him in the third with MacKinnon leading the way.

Binnington finished with 46 saves.

MacKinnon showed no signs of rust after missing four of the last five games with a lower-body injury. His three-point night gives the speedy forward 22 goals and 35 assists in 41 career playoff games.

His 1.39 points-per-game average is the fourth-highest in Stanley Cup playoff history (minimum 25 games). He trails only Wayne Gretzky (1.84), Mario Lemieux (1.61) and Barry Pederson (1.53).

Grubauer was sensational all game. He's coming off a regular season in which he won a career-best 30 games.

Kyrou tied the game at 1-all with 3:29 remaining in the second period.

Binnington made an astonishing stop in the second while down on the ice and with the puck on the stick of Mikko Rantanen down low. Rantanen tried to lift it over Binnington, who raised his left pad just in time to deflect Rantanen's shot.

Moments later at the other end, Mike Hoffman had an open net on a wrap-around, only to have defenseman Ryan Graves slide over and poke the puck away with his stick.

Makar scored a power-play goal late in the first period as the young defenseman picked up where he left off last postseason. In 2020, Makar had 15 points (four goals, 11 assists) over 15 playoff games.

Midway through the first, there was the all-out brawl between Blues forward Brayden Schenn and Landeskog. The catalyst was an open-ice collision by Schenn on Rantanen that drew the wrath of Landeskog.

The tension could be high all series after the Blues and Avalanche faced each other eight times in the regular season. Colorado won the season series 5-3.

Game 2 is Wednesday.

The Illinois baseball team defeated Iowa 6-2 on Sunday afternoon in front of a sellout crowd of 1,132 people at Duane Banks Field. 

Justin Janas continued his consistent hitting at the plate, finishing the day 5-for-5 with a double, RBI and run scored. He is the first Illinois batter with five hits in a game since Jason Goldstein on May 10, 2015 vs. Rutgers.

The Illinois offense was able to get an early 2-0 lead courtesy of a Nathan Aide RBI double in the second inning and an RBI single from Janas in the third. Iowa (22-16) erased that deficit in the bottom of the third with two runs of their own.

The Illini broke through for good in the fifth inning when they put up four runs. Ryan Hampe hit a 2-run homer to left field before Taylor Jackson hit a two-out, two-run single to get the score to where it ended at 6-2.

RHP Riley Gowens (W, 5.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 3 BB, career-high 9 SO) gave the Illini a solid start and the bullpen finished the rest. LHP Alex Vera (2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO), RHP Ty Rybarczyk (0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO) and LHP Cole Kirschsieper (1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO) combined to throw the final four scoreless innings.

The Illini won two out of three in the series and have now won back-to-back series on the road. Illini southpaw Nathan Lavender dominated on Saturday afternoon in Illinois' 14-1 victory. Lavender struck out the side in the first, third and fifth innings, striking out 13 for the game and earned his team-best sixth win of the season and is now tied for the second-most victories in the Big Ten.

Jackson Raper (2-for-5, 2B, RBI, R), Nathan Aide (1-for-3, 2 RBI, 2 R) and Jacob Campbell (2-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI, R) led the Illini offense. 

Illinois lost Friday 5-4.

Illinois (18-19) will travel to Bloomington, Indiana, on Tuesday to play a makeup game against the Indiana Hoosiers at 2 p.m. CT.

Jack Anderson and Jake McCaw led the Illinois State baseball team in a 2-1 loss against Missouri State as the program celebrated Senior Day on Sunday at Duffy Bass Field. 

Anderson threw six and two-thirds innings, allowing two runs while striking out four. McCaw had three hits, including a double and a triple to lead the offensive efforts for Illinois State (21-30 overall, 11-13 Missouri Valley Conference). 

The Redbirds got the lead-off batter on in the final four innings but were unable to scratch across the tying run. 

Sean Sinisko fired a complete in game two, fanning six batters while limiting MSU to five hits as the Redbirds won 4-3 on a walk-off error in game one and 3-1 in game two on Saturday at Duffy Bass Field. McCaw launched a home run in game two to lead the Redbird offensive attack. 

Colton Johnson moved into 7th in school history with 231 career strikeouts after recording five strikeouts in six and two-thirds innings, allowing four hits, and one earned run and the Redbirds took down Missouri State, 4-2. ISU received a key solo home run by freshman Ryan Cermak en route to snapping its six-game losing streak. 

Illinois State is scheduled to face Bradley for a three-game series over May 20-22. 

Kyle Hendricks took a shutout into the ninth inning and the Chicago Cubs defeated the Detroit Tigers 5-1 on Sunday.

Hendricks (3-4) allowed eight hits and struck out a season-high eight in eight-plus innings without allowing a walk.

Dan Winkler appeared to get Jonathan Schoop to hit into a game-ending double play with runners on the corners, but the call at first was overturned after a review, allowing Detroit to score its only run.

Ian Happ had three hits, including a homer, and was aggressive on the bases as the Cubs won for the second time in six games.

Matthew Boyd (2-4) gave up four earned runs in six innings. He is 0-3 in his last five starts.

The Cubs scored in the third with some alert baserunning. With runners on first and second and one out, Kris Bryant beat out a possible 4-6-3 double play and Happ kept going from second, hustling home ahead of first baseman Jonathan Schoop's throw to the plate.

Happ made it 2-0 in the fourth with a two-out bloop over the infield, turning it into an RBI double when the Tigers didn't cover second.

David Bote's RBI double gave the Cubs a 3-0 lead in the sixth and he took third as right fielder Robbie Grossman's throw home sailed over the cut-off man. Nico Hoerner drove him home with a sacrifice fly and Happ made it 5-0 with a solo homer.

The Cubs host the Washington Nationals on Monday in the first of a four-game series. Chicago's Albert Alzolay (1-3, 4.50) is scheduled to start while Jon Lester (0-1, 2.25) returns to Wrigley Field for Washington. Lester pitched the last six years with the Cubs, helping them win the 2016 World Series.

As heard on WHOW, Wade Davis bounced a wild pitch that allowed Jose Abreu to dash home with the game-ending run, and the Chicago White Sox rallied in the ninth inning to beat the Kansas City 4-3 on Sunday on a call that left the Royals fuming.

Kansas City led 3-2 when Tim Anderson doubled off Davis (0-2) leading off the ninth.

Adam Eaton sacrificed and, with the infield in, Yoan Moncada lined a run-scoring single to center. Abreu was hit just above the left elbow by an 82 mph knuckle curve.

Yermin Mercedes singled sharply to right and Whit Merrifield, a second baseman making his second appearance in right field this season, made a throw on the fly to catcher Cam Gallagher. Moncada, sliding headfirst, was tagged out near the left shoulder.

Abreu, injured Friday in a collision with Hunter Dozier, dashed home when Davis bounced a knuckle-curve off Gallagher, and Davis' 21st pitch of the inning ricocheted about 15 feet up the first-base the line.

Gallagher retrieved the ball and made a leaping tag attempt. Abreu missed the plate with his left leg but got his left arm on the the plate just ahead of Gallagher's mitt.

Second-year big league umpire Edwin Moscoso signaled safe, and the call was upheld after a video review.

Matt Foster (2-1) struck out two in a perfect ninth. completing a six-hitter that gave Chicago a four-game split. The Royals had lost their previous four series, going 1-12 in that span.

Adam Eaton homered for AL Central-leading Chicago, which has not lost consecutive games since April 15-17.

Salvador Perez, who left Saturday's game in the eighth with left groin tightness, went 1 for 2 with a walk as the Royals' designated hitter.

Perez hit a sacrifice fly in the first off Dylan Cease, who allowed an unearned run and three hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Chicago went ahead in the fifth when Eaton hit a two-run homer off Brady Singer, who gave up two runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings.

Kansas City took a 3-2 lead in the seventh when Aaron Bummer relieved Codi Heuer with two on, Merrifield hit a tying single and Carlos Santana followed with a sacrifice fly, a drive Eaton leaped to grab at the fence in right.

Dallas Keuchel (2-1, 4.53 ERA) starts the opener of a three-game series at Minnesota on Monday night. LHP J.A. Happ (2-1, 4.26) goes for the Twins.

Ivan Castillo had a pinch RBI single for his first big league hit to cap a go-ahead, four-run rally in the fourth inning of a 5-3 victory against the NL Central-leading St. Louis Cardinals that completed a three-game sweep.

 COVID-19 outbreak that sidelined star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. and three other key position players hasn't slowed the San Diego Padres in the slightest.

On Sunday, it was a cast of call-ups that came up big for the Padres. 

The Padres are 5-1 since Tuesday, when Tatis tested positive for the coronavirus before a game at Colorado and right fielder Wil Myers and first baseman Eric Hosmer were pulled from the game. A positive test was returned for Myers while Hosmer was put in the contact tracing protocol. Also Tuesday, infielder/outfielder Jurickson Profar and utilityman Jorge Mateo were sidelined because of contact tracing.

It was the first meeting between the teams since the Padres took two of three from the Cardinals to win a wild-card playoff series last season.

The Padres had to bring up several minor leaguers, and three of them had a hand in the rally in the fourth, when the Padres scored four runs with the benefit of just two hits. Three of the runs were unearned because of a throwing error on eight-time NL Gold Glove Award winner Nolan Arenado on Manny Machado's grounder, leading to a rough inning for left-hander Kwang Hyun Kim.

After Arenado airmailed the throw to first, Machado was forced on Jake Cronenworth's grounder. The next four Padres batters reached and the bases were loaded three times. Kim issued consecutive bases-loaded walks to Tucupita Marcano, who was recalled from Triple-A on Tuesday, and rookie Kim Ha-seong to tie the game at 2.

Genesis Cabrera relieved Kim and Patrick Kivlehan, brought up from Triple-A on Wednesday, gave the Padres the lead with a sacrifice fly. Castillo, pinch-hitting for rookie starter Ryan Weathers, hit an opposite-field single to right for a 4-2 lead.

Kim (1-1) allowed four runs, one earned, and two hits in 3 1/3 innings, with three strikeouts and three walks.

Weathers allowed two runs on four hits in four innings, including Arenado's two-run homer in the first, his ninth. Dinelson Lamet (1-0), who finished fourth in the NL Cy Young Award balloting in 2020, piggybacked on Weathers' start and went two innings, allowing one run and two hits while striking out two and walking two.

Mark Melancon pitched the ninth for his big league-leading 14th save in as many chances.

Weathers also got his first big league hit, a single up the middle with two outs in the third.

Lamet is being brought back slowly from an elbow issue that forced him out of his final regular-season start of 2020 and sidelined him during the playoffs. He has made three starts this year, going two innings each time, and had a stint on the IL with right forearm inflammation.

Lamet pitched a perfect fifth, including two strikeouts.

John Gant (2-3, 1.83 ERA) is scheduled to start Tuesday night in the opener of a two-game home series against the Pittsburgh Pirates, who will counter with RHP JT Brubaker (3-2, 2.58).

Oshae Brissett scored a career-best 31 points and Domantas Sabonis added 25 points and 16 rebounds and the Indiana Pacers beat the Toronto Raptors 125-113 to lock up the Eastern Conference's ninth seed.

Indiana snapped a two-game losing streak and secured home-court advantage for Tuesday's play-in game against the 10th-seeded Charlotte Hornets.

The Pacers were 1-2 against Charlotte and lost 114-97 in Indiana on April 2. The Hornets were outscored 36-20 in Sunday's fourth quarter and lost 115-110 to Washington, which secured the No. 8 seed.

Up as much as 18 in Sunday's third quarter, Indiana allowed Toronto's makeshift lineup to get within 110-101 late in the fourth. Sabonis then sealed the game with a put-back layup, an assist to Brissett for a 3-pointer and a jumper.

Sabonis returned from a one-game absence because of a left quad injury and earned his 48th double-double and his 14th game with at least 15 rebounds. He also had five assists and three steals for Indiana, which was still without Malcolm Brogdon, Myles Turner, Aaron Holiday, Jeremy Lamb and Edmond Sumner.

Doug McDermott scored 20 points, while Caris LaVert added 13 points before leaving at halftime with a migraine. Kelan Martin scored 13 points for Indiana, which shot 50.5% for the game.

Brissett, who signed two 10-day contracts in April prior to signing for the rest of the season, easily topped his previous career high of 23 points set on April 21 against Oklahoma City. Brissett, who played with the Raptors for 19 games last season, hurt Toronto by making 10 of 16 shots and 5 of 8 3s. He added 10 rebounds.

Toronto point guard Malachi Flynn scored a career-best 27 points and hit five 3-pointers. Stanley Johnson scored 24 points and DeAndre Bembry had 23 for Toronto, which lost its final seven regular-season games and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2013.

Pacers Coach Nate Bjorkman said Turner has already been ruled out of Tuesday's game. Turner, who hasn't played since April 18 because of a toe injury, ranks first in the NBA in blocked shots at 3.4 a game. Brogdon, out since April 29 with a hamstring injury, worked out prior to the game and ran timed sprints under the supervision of a trainer.

Thaddeus Young scored 20 points, Coby White added 19 and the Chicago Bulls beat Milwaukee 118-112 with Giannis Antetokounmpo and the rest of the Bucks' starters missing the regular-season finale Sunday night.

The Bucks ruled Khris Middleton out because of lingering soreness in his left ankle, then scratched Antetokounmpo and the rest of the starters, once it became clear the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, was out of reach.

The Brooklyn Nets clinched the position by beating the Cleveland Cavaliers. That locked Milwaukee into the third spot and a first-round matchup against the Miami Heat.

Bucks rookie Jordan Nwora set career highs with 34 points and 14 rebounds. Jeff Teague scored 23. But with its top players out, Milwaukee came up short after winning eight of nine.

The Bulls prevented the Bucks from becoming the first NBA team to go unbeaten in its division, with an 11-1 mark against the Central. Chicago also snapped a 12-game losing streak against Milwaukee.

Lauri Markkanen scored 17, Ryan Arcidiacono set season highs with 14 points and four 3-pointers, and the Bulls finished their first season under coach Billy Donovan on a winning note - even though Zach Lavine (right knee tendinitis) and Nikola Vucevic (hip) did not play. 

Bulls Coach Billy Donovan is missing the playoffs for the first time in six seasons as an NBA coach. He got there each of the past five years with Oklahoma City. 

Alex Bowman parked the No. 48 Chevrolet in its familiar spot in victory lane at Dover International Speedway, leading a 1-2-3-4 finish for Hendrick Motorsports on Sunday.

Bowman led Hendrick to only the fourth top-four sweep by a single team in NASCAR Cup Series history. Kyle Larson led a race-high 263 laps and finished second, Chase Elliott was third and William Byron fourth.

The milestones kept coming at the Monster Mile. Hendrick Motorsports won its 267th career NASCAR race, one shy of the team record held by Petty Enterprises.

Bowman — who added he’s “had my share of doubters” throughout his career — won his second race of the season and passed 1,000 laps led in his career. But the victory celebration at the Monster Mile had to seem familiar for Hendrick Motorsports. Jimmie Johnson, the seven-time NASCAR champion now in IndyCar, won a track-record 11 times at Dover in the 48.

Turns out, Johnson’s successor is just as adept at handling the rigors of the concrete mile track.

Bowman has followed two of NASCAR’s biggest superstars, first taking the wheel of the No. 88 after Dale Earnhardt Jr. retired and made the move to the 48 this season.

He’s tried to escape their large shadows by doing things his own way — though after early struggles in his career at Dover, he texted Johnson for tips that he followed to this day.

Bowman and crew chief Greg Ives put their spin into the game plan and flawless pit road execution help the 48 win this season for the first time since April at Richmond. Bowman joined Martin Truex Jr. as the only driver this season with multiple victories.

Joey Logano of Joe Gibbs Racing was the best of the rest in fifth.

A year after fans were not allowed to attend and Dover held two Cup races on the same weekend, a sellout crowd of 20,000 fans was announced at the Monster Mile and they were ready to bust loose.

Going mostly maskless — though Miles the Monster wore his — fans formed a deep line at the Chase Elliott souvenir hauler inside the fan zone. Dover also partnered with the Delaware Division of Public Health and about 100 fans received the one-shot Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine on Sunday and another 50 or so did the same a day earlier during the Xfinity race.

Aric Almirola’s woeful season continued at Dover when his No. 10 Ford slammed into the wall with less than 100 laps left in the race. Almirola crashed out for the second straight week and the Stewart-Haas Racing driver has only one top-10 finish in 2021.

Dover wrapped its only NASCAR weekend of the season. The track traditionally held two NASCAR weekends but moved one race date to Nashville Superspeedway. Nashville will have a Cup race on June 20. The 1.33-mile concrete track was built in 2001 by Dover Motorsports and hosted NASCAR and IndyCar events until 2011. Nashville Superspeedway held Xfinity and Truck events, as well as IndyCar races from 2001 until 2011. Dover hosted one race weekend in 1969 and 1970 and then held two races every season from 1971 to 2020.

NASCAR heads to Texas and the Circuit of the Americas for a road course race. COTA joined Indianapolis and Road America in rural Wisconsin as new road course events on a 2021 schedule that already included Sonoma Raceway, Watkins Glen and the Charlotte Roval.

Warrensburg-Latham scored four third inning runs and held down the Clinton Maroons for a 5-1 win Friday afternoon in Central Illinois Conference boy’s baseball action in Warrensburg.

Joey Young threw six innings of one-run ball. He allowed six hits, a walk and struck out twelve.

The Cardinals were led by Brayden Closs who went 2-for-3 with a triple and RBI. Greg Allen finished 2-for-2 with an RBI and Jacob Six had a two-run double.

Dominick Thayer pitched 2 ? innings of scoreless relief of Jaxson White. Thayer issued two walks and struck out five. White went 3 ? innings allowing six runs, five earned and struck out a batter while issuing eight walks. 

Thayer doubled in a run and Caiden Rich had a triple for the Maroons.

Conner Henne pitched a scoreless inning of relief for the Cardinals.

The Cardinals improve to 8-3 overall and are 4-1 in conference. The Maroons drop to 2-5 overall, all their contests have been in conference play.

The two teams will meet again Monday afternoon at Clinton High School. 

The Warrensburg-Latham Lady Cardinals swept a Friday doubleheader with the Clinton Lady Maroon 10-0, 14-5 in Central Illinois Conference girl’s softball action in Warrensburg.

In the first game, Sarah Mills and Chloe Griffin had base hits. Brooke Reeves and Kylie Raymer walked as the only base runners for the Lady Maroons offense. 

Clinton drops to 1-8 overall and will host Meridian Monday in Central Illinois Conference action.

Sydnee Evans picked up her 4th win of the season helping lead Blue Ridge past Fisher 4-1 in non-conference girl’s softball action Friday afternoon in Fisher.

Evans went seven innings allowing an unearned run with three strikeouts. Ashlyn Voyles had three hits with two doubles. Jasmine Bennett and Cassie Zimmerman had two hits apiece while Avery Place hit her first home run of the season, a two-run home run. 

The Lady Knights are 7-3 overall and travel to Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond for Lincoln Prairie action.

Grant Davis went 3-for-4 with three RBIs, Gavin Smith threw three innings of one-run ball helping lead Mt. Pulaski past Peoria Heights in non-conference boy’s baseball action Friday afternoon in Peoria. 

Smith doubled as part of his three-hit effort. Davis walked six and struck out six allowing a run and four hits in three innings. 

AJ Bailey threw three innings of scoreless relief. He walked two, struck out one and allowed three hits. Bailey Also tripled, walked twice and scored three runs from the lead-off spot in the lineup. 

Evan Cooper scored twice and drove in a run despite going hitless. Drew Martin singled in a run. Garrett Fitzpatrick finished 2-for-3 with a walk. 

The Hilltoppers remain undefeated, improving to 11-0. They travel to Delavan for Tomahawk Conference action Monday.

The Monticello Sages scored four first-inning runs and never looked back in a 9-5 win over Champaign St. Thomas More Thursday afternoon in Illini Prairie Conference boy's baseball action in Champaign.

Andrew Rudolph and Biniam Leinhart recorded two hits apiece, Jake Edmondson reached base three times via walks as the Sages needed only eight hits and took advantage of erratic STM pitching.

Dawlton Chupp threw four innings for the win. He struck out two. Luke Teschke and Cole Smith helped close out the win for the Sages in relief.

Monticello split the mid-week home-and-home set with the Sabers after a 2-1 loss on Tuesday. 

Monticello improves to 5-5 overall and will travel to Rantoul on Monday.

For the second straight game, the Monticello Lady Sages blanked Champaign St. Thomas More in five innings, 14-0 on Thursday in Illini Prairie Conference girl's softball action from Champaign.

Following Macy Hicks' five inning no-hitter on Tuesday, Avery Oberheim pitched five innings of one-hit ball. She struck out six. 

Addison Wallace led the way offensively for the Lady Sages with four hits. Mackenzie Daniels had three hits and Shay Boman added two. Daniels and Lizzie Stiverson each drove in three runs apiece.

Monticello is 10-7 overall and will host Meridian in non-conference girl's softball action tomorrow (Saturday) morning.

A relatively quiet game had a wild ending as Blue Ridge rallied past Martinsville 10-8 in non-conference boy's baseball action from Farmer City Thursday.

Trailing 1-0 after 4 1/2 innings, the Knights rallied for four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning for a 4-1 lead, but Martinsville answered with a seven-run sixth inning to take the 8-4 lead.

But the Knights weren't going down without a fight and rallied for six runs of their own in the bottom half of the sixth to make the score 10-8 and Kolby Kramer finished the game with a scoreless seventh inning.

Isaiah Dalton finished 3-for-4 with three runs batted in for Blue Ridge. Cole Stephens finished 2-for-4 nad Ben Wallace was 2-for-3. Both recorded doubles. 

Dylan Kelley was 3-for-4 with a double, two runs batted in and scored a run. 

Stephens started strong for the Knights but the wheels started to fall off in the sixth inning, as he went 5 1/3 innings, allowing eight runs, four were earned, and issued seven walks. He struck out four. 

Kremer struck out three in 1 1/3 innings of relief for the win. 

The Knights improve to 2-6 overall. They travel to Decatur LSA for a Lincoln Prairie Conference matchup Saturday.

Sydnee Evans pitched seven innings but was done in by a poor defensive performance as Blue Ridge fell to Martinsville 5-4 in non-conference girl's softball action Thursday from Farmer City. 

Evans went 7 innings and allowed only one earned run on 3 hits with four strikeouts. But 6 errors by the defense behind her was the difference. 

Lily Summers was 2 for 2 including a solo home run - first of her career. Ashlyn Voyles added a two-run home run for her second of the year. 

The Lady Knights drop to 6-3 on the season and travel to Fisher this afternoon. 

Bass fishing team's around central Illinois will head to Carlyle Lake later this month for the high school bass fishing state finals.

Central Illinois Outdoors host Jared White has a lot of those team's on this week's program....

Central Illinois Outdoors airs every:

Saturday at 10a on 870 WTIM - Taylorville

Sunday at 8a on 1520 WHOW - Clinton

Sunday at 8a on 106.5FM - Bloomington/Normal

Sunday at 8a on 96.5TheWinner-Taylorville

Monday podcast here at centralillinoisoutdoors.com. 

As heard on WHOW, Tim Anderson and Jake Lamb homered, Billy Hamilton made a leaping catch at the wall to end a bases-loaded threat and the Chicago White Sox beat the Minnesota Twins 4-2 Thursday for their sixth straight win.

Lance Lynn (4-1) struck out nine in five innings for Chicago, which has won seven of eight while sweeping two straight series. Liam Hendriks retired the last five Minnesota batters for his seventh save in nine chances.

Max Kepler homered for the Twins, who have lost four straight and eight of nine to fall 10 games behind the AL Central leaders. Michael Pineda (2-2) slowed down a White Sox offense that had scored at least nine runs in four straight games but lost after Minnesota failed to cash in on a pair of bases-loaded chances.

Anderson drove Pineda's first pitch of the game into the left field stands and Lamb hit the top of the right-center field wall in the third. Andrew Vaughn and Yermin Mercedes added RBI singles in the sixth and eighth.

Trevor Larnach scored on Lynn's fourth-inning throwing error and the Twins then loaded the bases but failed to take the lead after Hamilton leaped a foot from the left-center wall to grab Kyle Garlick's drive.

The fleet-footed Hamilton also ranged into deep left-center field for Luis Arraez's line drive with two on and one out in the eighth.

Lynn loaded them again an inning later by walking Larnach but got himself out of the jam when Mitch Garver struck out looking at his 111th and final pitch. Lynn allowed two hits with three walks and won his third straight start.

Pineda allowed four hits and three walks while striking out a season-high seven.

Kepler homered off Jose Ruiz in the eighth.

Both clubs announced plans to allow more fans to attend games in the coming weeks. The White Sox will expand from 25% to 60% capacity beginning May 24 and also will open COVID-19 vaccination sites in the park. Fans who receive the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine at the site will receive a food and merchandise credit.

Lucas Giolito (2-3, 4.54) faces RHP Brad Keller (2-4, 7.31) in the opener of Friday's twinbill. The Royals will name a starter for the second contest after this afternoon's game at Detroit. Hear all of today's action on WHOW.

Jack Flaherty became the major leagues' first seven-game winner this year with a 2-0 victory over Milwaukee on Thursday as the Brewers' Corbin Burnes extended his streak to 58 consecutive strikeouts before his first walk.

Flaherty had been 0-3 with a 7.07 ERA at the ballpark.

Flaherty (7-0) allowed four hits, struck out six and walked two to help the Cardinals win a three-game series that featured dominant starting pitching. Nolan Arenado's first-inning RBI single that put St. Louis ahead for good marked the only time in this series that either team scored before the sixth inning.

Heading into Thursday's game, Flaherty had enjoyed the most run support of any big league pitcher.

In his first appearance since April 26, Burnes (2-3) struck out nine among his first 14 outs before walking Tommy Edman with two outs in the fifth.

After starting Edman with a curveball for a called strike, Burnes threw a changeup and three straight cutters, the last a 3-1 pitch that sailed high.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Burnes' 58 strikeouts without a walk were the most by a major league pitcher within the same season since at least 1893, when the mound moved to its current distance from the plate of 60 feet, 6 inches.

Gerrit Cole of the New York Yankees extended his active streak to 56 strikeouts without a walk on Wednesday at Tampa Bay. Cole has walked three this season.

Burnes allowed one run and five hits in five innings with nine strikeouts as he returned from the injured list after a positive test for coronavirus, which he said left him asymptomatic. He opted against getting vaccinated for what he said were personal reasons.

Although Burnes has a 1.57 ERA, the Brewers have gone 2-4 in his six starts - scoring a total of one run in the four losses.

Alex Reyes remained perfect in 11 save chances by striking out Tyrone Taylor to strand two runners. The Brewers went 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position.

Counsell was ejected in the third inning after arguing a ruling with Dylan Carlson at the plate.

Carlson hadn't run on a grounder up the first-base line because he believed the ball was foul. First-base umpire Jim Reynolds initially ruled the ball fair, but the umpiring crew conferred and the call was changed to a foul ball.

The Cardinals begin a three-game series at San Diego on Friday. The scheduled starting pitchers are Johan Oviedo (0-1, 4.61) for the Cardinals and Joe Musgrove (2-4, 3.00) for the Padres.

Giannis Antetokounmpo dominated with 40 points, 15 rebounds and six assists to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 142-133 victory over the Indiana Pacers.

He threw down six uncontested dunks against a Pacers squad missing four starters and then saw All-Star forward Domantas Sabonis exit with a quad injury in the third quarter. That freed up room for Antetokounmpo to make 14 of 18 shots from the field. And he continually got fouled, which led to hitting 11 of 16 free throws.

The Bucks opened the third quarter on a 10-0 run.

Antetokounmpo had 11 points in the quarter, after which the visitors had a 13-point cushion. Coupled with center Brook Lopez scoring 21 inside, the Bucks had a 78-50 edge in points in the paint.

The Bucks moved within a game of the Brooklyn Nets for the Eastern Conference's No. 2 playoff seed.

Khris Middleton added 22 points and Holiday finished with 20 points and 14 assists.

The Pacers dressed just 10 players, then lost Sabonis after he took a knee to the quad. He had 10 points, 14 assists and six rebounds, and wanted to keep playing. But the team played it safe.

Indiana kept pace for a half with 3-pointers. Justin Holiday, Jrue's older brother, hit six in the first quarter as the home team took a 39-38 lead into the break. He didn't hit one in the second quarter, but the Pacers had 13 3s by halftime and trailed just 69-66.

Justin Holiday led the Pacers with 26 points. T.J. McConnell added 23, and Doug McDermott and Oshae Brissett each had 19.

The Bucks made 23 of 31 free throws while the Pacers converted 12 of 15. Milwaukee was whistled for just 10 fouls to the Pacers' 22.

The Pacers host Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday.

Zach LaVine scored 24 points, Lauri Markkanen added 20 and the Chicago Bulls beat the short-handed Toronto Raptors 114-102 on Thursday night.

The Bulls pulled within two games of idle Washington with two remaining for 10th place in the Eastern Conference and the final play-in spot. Chicago led by 24 in the third quarter, with the Raptors holding out their best players, and came away with the win despite a big effort by Stanley Johnson.

LaVine, coming off a 41-point in Tuesday's loss to Brooklyn, scored 16 in the second half.

Markkanen made six 3-pointers - one shy of his season-high.

Coby White had 17 points and 10 assists. Nikola Vucevic added 16 points and 16 rebounds to help the Bulls win for the fourth time in five games.

Johnson led Toronto with a career-high 35 points. The sixth-year pro nailed six 3s and grabbed 10 rebounds while playing turnover-free ball.

Rookie Jalen Harris scored a personal-best 17. Malachi Flynn added 16 points. But Toronto lost for the eighth time in nine games.

Considering the Raptors used eight players and were missing their top six scorers, with Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, Kyle Lowry, OG Anunoby, Gary Trent Jr. and Chris Boucher injured or resting, this one went about as expected.

It was 48-39 when Thaddeus Young scored on a put-back with about 7 1/2 remaining in the first half, kicking off a nine-point spurt. White punctuated it with a thunderous fast-break dunk on Johnson, drawing a roar from the crowd.

The Bulls led 66-47 at the half and got it up to 24 in the third before Toronto pulled within 12 entering the fourth.

A 3-pointer by Johnson made it 103-92 with just under six minutes remaining. But Markkanen answered with one of his own and White scored on a floater.

The Bulls were without C Daniel Theis (strained right hip) and F Troy Brown Jr. (sprained left ankle). Chicago shot 54.2% overall and made 17 of 36 3-pointers. 

The Bulls visit Brooklyn on Saturday.

David Perron, Brayden Schenn, and Jordan Kyrou each scored twice and the St. Louis Blues scored seven straight goals to erase a first-period deficit and beat the Minnesota Wild 7-3 on Thursday night.

Zach Sanford also scored Jordan Binnington made 17 saves. The Blues are locked into fourth place in the West Division, and will face Colorado in the first round of the playoffs.

Nico Sturm, Marcus Foligno, and Ryan Suter scored and Kappo Kahkonen stopped 20 shots for Minnesota, set to face Vegas in the playoffs.

Kahkonen had won four in a row. He finished the season with a Wild rookie-record 16 victories.

Schenn scored his second goal of the game and 16th of the season with 5:57 remaining in the second period to put St. Louis ahead 4-3. It marked the fourth time this season the Blues scored four goals in a period.

Perron scored his first goal of the game, tying it at 3 with 8:27 to go in the second period. He followed it up with a power play goal 5:50 into the third period to give him 19 goals and 58 points in 56 games. He became the first Blues player to average a point per game in the regular season since Pavol Demitra in 2002-03.

Kyrou scored his 13th and 14th goals later in the third period to effectively put the game out of reach.

Blues LW Jaden Schwartz was scratched for rest and D Colton Parayko sat and is day-to-day with general wear and tear.

Two Shelbyville pitchers combined to no-hit the Clinton Maroons in a 14-0 win in Central Illinois Conference boy's baseball action Wednesday from Clinton High School.

The Maroons mustered just a walk and committed four errors.

Freshman Brooks Cluver allowed five runs, one was earned, in an inning of work. 

The Maroons dropped to 2-4 overall. 

They will travel to Warrensburg-Latham on Friday.

Evan Cooper threw seven solid innings and Drew Martin drove in a pair of runs as Mt. Pulaski downed Argenta-Oreana 4-1 in non-conference boy's baseball action Wednesday in Argenta.

Cooper allowed an unearned run and six hits. He issued a walk and struck out eight. Martin finished 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and AJ Bailey finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored for the Hilltoppers.

Connor Durham was effective in six innings of work for A-O. Durham allowed four runs, two earned, on seven hits with three walks and struck out seven. 

Brock Lyerly and Brylan McHood each finished 2-for-3 for the Bombers. 

A-O drops to 1-7.

Landon Smith and Lucas Kuhlman had RBIs for the Hilltoppers who improve to 10-0. They'll travel to Peoria Heights Friday.

Rookie Andrew Vaughn hit his first career home run, Yasmani Grandal connected for the second straight day and the Chicago White Sox beat the Minnesota Twins 13-8 Wednesday night for their fifth win in a row.

Jose Abreu drove in three runs and Billy Hamilton matched his career high with four hits and also scored three times. The White Sox have won six of seven, boosting the best record in the majors to 21-13.

Nelson Cruz hit his ninth homer for the Twins, who have dropped three straight and seven of eight. Josh Donaldson drove in three runs.

Dallas Keuchel (2-1) won for the first time since April 18. He retired nine straight after giving up three runs in the first three innings, including Cruz's homer in the first. He left after 5 2/3 innings, surrendering eight hits and six earned runs while striking out just one.

J.A. Happ (2-1) was tagged for nine runs in 3 1/3 innings, including Vaughn's two-run homer in the fourth. Grandal went deep in the fifth off reliever Shaun Anderson.

Abreu drove in a run with his first triple since 2019 and Yermin Mercedes followed him with an RBI single in the first to give Chicago the lead for good. Vaughn's solo homer started the scoring in a five-run fifth and Abreu ended it with a two-run single.

Hamilton tripled and doubled in his third career four-hit game and also stole a base.

Chicago has outscored its opponents by a majors-best 72 runs this season and has scored at least nine runs in each of its last four games.

Minnesota's Michael Pineda (2-1, 2.43) faces fellow right-hander Lynn (3-1, 1.52) in Thursday afternoon's series finale.

Amed Rosario's bases-loaded single with two outs in the 10th inning gave the Cleveland Indians a 2-1 win over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday.

Rosario, who drove in Cleveland's first run with a sixth-inning double, singled to right on a 1-1 pitch from Keegan Thompson (1-1), giving the Indians a sweep of the two-game series.

Cleveland has won eight of nine and 12 of 15.

Chicago threatened in every inning except the eighth but finished 1 for 15 with runners in scoring position and stranded 15 baserunners. Joc Pederson drove in the Cubs' only run with a double in the sixth.

Josh Naylor began the 10th at second base for Cleveland. Jordan Luplow walked, Rene Rivera sacrificed and pinch-hitter Harold Ramirez was intentionally walked. The Cubs employed a five-man infield and Thompson got Cesar Hernandez to pop out before Rosario ended it.

Nick Martini was the Cubs' automatic runner in the 10th against Karinchak (1-0). Jason Heyward walked, but ldemaro Vargas struck out attempting to bunt. Pederson popped out, and Eric Sogard took a called third strike.

Willson Contreras was 4 for 5 for the Cubs.

Kris Bryant, who was removed from Tuesday's game because of a sinus issue, came in to pinch-hit in the seventh. He was hit on the left hand by a pitch from Cal Quantrill to load the bases and replaced by Martini.

Shortstop Javier Baez returned after being scratched Tuesday because of lower back tightness. Baez went 1 for 4 with three strikeouts.

Pederson's sixth-inning hit snapped an 0-for-18 skid with runners in scoring position for Chicago. The Cubs were 2 for 27 with runners in scoring position and stranded 25 baserunners in the two games.

Zach Davies gave the run back in the sixth on doubles by Hernandez and Rosario. The right-hander worked 5 1/3 innings.

Sam Hentges pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings in his first major league start. The 6-foot-6 left-hander allowed a baserunner in every inning.

Cubs Manager David Ross hopes RHP Jake Arrieta (right thumb abrasion) will come off the injured list and start Friday when Chicago opens a series at Detroit. Arrieta (3-3, 4.31 ERA) threw a bullpen session Wednesday.

Travis Shaw hit a tiebreaking double and Avisail Garcia added a two-run homer in the eighth as the Brewers defeated the Cardinals 4-1 on Wednesday night. That outburst was possible only because a wild pitch foiled Ryan Helsey's apparent inning-ending strikeout of Daniel Vogelbach.

The Brewers were on the verge of going down in order in the eighth when a stroke of luck kept the inning going.

Given new life, the Brewers broke out of their collective hitting slump and snapped the St. Louis Cardinals' four-game winning streak.

After Vogelbach reached first, Shaw hit a double to right-center off Helsley (3-1) that brought home pinch-runner Pablo Reyes. Garcia capped the outburst with a towering homer to left-center that was projected at 442 feet.

The Brewers gained a measure of revenge after losing 6-1 to the NL Central-leading Cardinals in 11 innings a night earlier. The Cardinals came from behind to win Tuesday despite getting just two hits in the first 10 innings.

The Cardinals had tied the game in the top of the eighth on Tyler O'Neill's homer to right off Brandon Woodruff, who struck out 10 and gave up just three hits and one walk in 7 2/3 splendid innings.

Woodruff, who has a 1.19 ERA over his last seven starts, carried a no-hitter into the sixth.

Devin Williams (1-0) retired Tommy Edman on a grounder with a runner on first to make sure the Cardinals did no more damage in the eighth.

The Cardinals brought the potential tying run to the plate with one out in the ninth after Paul Goldschmidt doubled and Nolan Arenado walked, but Josh Hader retired Edmundo Sosa on a fielder's choice and struck out Yadier Molina to earn his eighth save.

Milwaukee's eighth-inning rally was a fitting climax on a night when the Brewers found creative ways to score runs. That was most apparent in the sixth inning as Milwaukee broke a scoreless tie.

With runners on first and second, Shaw greeted reliever Genesis Cabrera with a deep fly to center.

Center fielder Harrison Bader fell down, but somehow managed to make the catch while on his side in the warning-track dirt.

As Bader tried to get the ball out of his glove, the ball instead rolled past him and headed toward the wall, forcing him to go back to retrieve it.

Lorenzo Cain took off from second and came all the way home as his headfirst slide easily beat the throw to the plate. The play was scored a flyout with Cain coming home on Bader's error.

Paul DeJong left in the fifth inning with left side tightness. Manager Mike Shildt said DeJong will undergo an MRI.

Corbin Burnes (2-2, 1.53 ERA) returns from the injured list to match up with St. Louis RHP Jack Flaherty (6-0, 2.83) as the three-game series concludes Thursday afternoon.

Ville Husso stopped 31 shots for his first career shutout and David Perron had a goal and two assists in the St. Louis Blues' 4-0 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday night.

Torey Krug, Ivan Barbashev and Jaden Schwartz also scored. The Blues have won two in a row and seven of 11.

After winning four of its previous five, Minnesota was locked into the third spot in the West Division with the loss. St. Louis had already nailed down the fourth spot.

The teams will finish the regular season Thursday night in St. Louis.

Husso improved to 9-6-1. It was the first shutout of the season for the Blues leaving Buffalo as the only team without a shutout in this truncated 56-game season.

St. Louis defenseman Colton Parayko saved the puck for Husso, who said his parents were watching back home in Helsinki, Finland. where the contest began just after 4 a.m.

Barbashev stuffed in the rebound of Perron's shot midway through the first period. Schwartz scored while falling to the ice to push the lead to 2-0 late in the opening period.

Krug scored his first goal since Jan. 23 off a pass from Ryan O'Reilly midway through the second period.

The Blues have reached the post-season for the third year in a row and the ninth time in the last 10 seasons. They will face either Vegas or Colorado.

The Blues announced they will increase capacity to 5,000 for the upcoming playoffs. They were limited to 4,100 fans per game during the regular season.

As heard on WHOW, the Clinton Lady Maroons fell to the Shelbyville Lady Rams by a score of 14-25 on Wednesday night. The Maroons were led by the B-Roc Designs Player of the GameHeidi Humble who was 3 for 4 batting, had a home run, and 3 RBIs. Kianna Easton was 2 for 4 batting with a homerun and 4 RBIs.

The Rams were led by Ali McCarter who was 5 for 6 batting with a home run, 2 base hits, and 3 RBIs. MiKayla Boehmwas 2 for 5 batting with 2 homeruns and 5 RBIs.

With the loss, the Maroons fall to 1-6 overall. The Rams improve to 3-3 overall.

The Lady Maroons face Warrensburg-Lathem Friday, May 14th. Tune in Tuesday, May 18th as the Clinton Maroons take on Tuscola. You can hear the game live The Big 1520/AM/92.3 FM/106.5 FM WHOW, online at dewittdailynews.com, at the WHOW mobile app and at Amazon Alexa.

Hannah Uebinger drove in three runs, Macy Hicks threw five no-hit innings Monticello rolled Champaign St. Thomas More 10-0 in Illini Prairie Conference girl's softball action from Monticello Tuesday.

Mackenzie Daniels and Lizzie Stiverson each had a pair of RBIs for the Lady Sages. Addison Wallace and Marissa Miller reached base via walk. 

Hicks struck out seven. 

The Lady Sages improve to 9-7 overall and will travel to STM on Thursday. 

Avery Place picked up her third win of the season and also drove in two runs as the Blue Ridge Lady Knights beat Iroquois West 15-5 in non-conference girl's softball action Tuesday from Blue Ridge High School.

Place finished 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Jasmine Bennett drove in 3 runs. Farrah Michaels tripled and scored three times. Lexi Young walked three times for Blue Ridge. 

The Lady Knights improve to 6-2 overall and will host Martinsville Thursday. 

As heard on WHOW, Jose Abreu hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the sixth inning and the Chicago White Sox won their fourth straight, 9-3 over the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night.

Abreu went deep to left center on the first pitch he saw from Jorge Alcala (0-1) for his seventh homer. He narrowly missed another one in the third when Max Kepler reached over the right-center wall to catch Abreu's drive. The AL MVP had two hits and scored three runs.

Yasmani Grandal lofted a three-run homer in the second for first-place Chicago.

It was just the sixth multi-homer game for the White Sox, who are missing slugging young outfielders Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert with long-term injuries.

Garrett Crochet (1-2), the second of five Chicago relievers, worked two-thirds of an inning for his first career win. The 6-foot-6 lefty was reinstated from the IL last Friday after recovering from an upper back strain.

Tim Anderson and Adam Eaton each had two hits and drove in insurance runs in the seventh. Leury Garcia and Nick Madrigal added RBI singles in the eighth for Chicago.

Jorge Polanco had a solo shot among two hits for Minnesota, which has dropped two straight and five of six. Nelson Cruz, Willans Astudillo and Andrelton Simmons each had two hits.

White Sox starter Dylan Cease, coming off two dominant outings, labored at times in allowing three runs on five hits in five innings. He struck out seven, walked two and hit two batters.

Minnesota's Kenta Maeda allowed three runs on four hits in five innings.

Twins LHP J.A. Happ (2-0, 1.99 ERA) faces White Sox LHP Dallas Keuchel (1-1, 3.79) on Wednesday night. Hear tonight's action after Clinton softball on WHOW with pregame at 6:30 pm and first pitch at 7:10.

With a 7-1 lead through three innings, Iriquois West scored 16 unanswered runs thanks to eight-run innings in the fourth and fifth innings in a 17-7 win Tuesday in non-conference boy's baseball action from Farmer City.

Tyler Nichols finished 2-for-3 for the Knights. Wyatt Danner-Duncan drove in a pair of runs. Ben Wallace, Victor Reynolds, and Ben Potter recorded RBIs as well.

Wallace and Reynolds also had a stolen base.

Blue Ridge falls to 1-6 on the season and will host Martinsville on Thursday.

Paul Goldschmidt and Tyler O'Neill homered off Brad Boxberger in the 11th inning to help the Cardinals beat the Milwaukee Brewers 6-1 on Tuesday night for their fourth straight victory.

St. Louis has won 10 of its last 12 and is tied with San Francisco for the best record in the majors. The Cardinals won this one despite mustering just two hits in the first 10 innings.

Goldschmidt broke a 1-all tie when he sent the first pitch he saw from Boxberger (0-1) well over the wall in left-center field for a two-run blast.

After Nolan Arenado doubled and Andrew Knizner was hit by a pitch, O'Neill delivered a three-run shot.

The Brewers wasted a brilliant effort from starter Freddy Peralta, who struck out eight and gave up just one hit and one walk in seven shutout innings.

Cardinals reliever Alex Reyes (2-0) pitched two scoreless innings, wiggling out of trouble both times.

Reyes struck out Tyrone Taylor in the 10th to strand runners on third and second. The Brewers loaded the bases with one out in the 11th, but Reyes struck out Jackie Bradley Jr. and Billy McKinney to end the game.

After Peralta shut them down, the Cardinals tied the game in the eighth by snapping reliever Devin Williams' string of six consecutive scoreless appearances.

Bader singled and Matt Carpenter walked to start the rally. Bader advanced to third on Tommy Edman's flyball and scored on Dylan Carlson's sacrifice fly.

The Brewers broke a scoreless tie in the sixth off Cardinals starter Kwang Hyun Kim when Lorenzo Cain hit a leadoff double and scored on Travis Shaw's ground-rule double.

Kim struck out six, walked one and allowed five hits in 5 1/3 innings.

The latest sign that things are slowly returning to normal at American Family Field came with the return of the famed sausage races midway through the sixth inning.

John Gant (2-3, 2.15) starts for the Cardinals and Brandon Woodruff (2-1, 1.73) pitches for the Brewers as this three-game series continues Wednesday.

Shane Bieber pitched out of some early trouble before extending his own strikeout record and Cesar Hernandez hit a two-run homer, sending the Indians to a 3-2 win over the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday.

Bieber (4-2) struck out eight and has now fanned at least that many in 20 consecutive starts, a major league mark he builds on every time out. The right-hander's streak was in jeopardy, but he got Nick Martini for strikeout No. 8 in the seventh - on his 117th pitch.

Bieber wasn't as sharp as usual, giving up nine hits, a homer and needing a career-high 121 pitches to go 6 2-3 innings.

James Karinchak finished the seventh and worked the eighth. Emmanuel Clase gave up two singles in the ninth, but got Matt Duffy to bounce into a game-ending double play for his seventh save.

Hernandez homered in the fifth off Adbert Alzolay (1-3), who matched Bieber for six innings.

Jose Ramirez added a solo homer for the up-and-down Indians, who have been no-hit twice but won seven of eight.

Eric Sogard homered for the Cubs, who made Bieber work hard and were close to chasing him several times.

With his pitch count climbing in the seventh, Bieber gave up a leadoff walk to Joc Pederson and then won a nine-pitch battle with Martini to increase his record. On the strikeout, Pederson was thrown out stealing by catcher Austin Hedges - a huge double play for Bieber.

Hernandez's third homer pushed the Indians ahead 3-2.

With one out, Alzolay hit Andres Gimenez on the right hand with a pitch initially called a foul ball. Francona won a replay challenge, and after Gimenez stole second, Hernandez made Alzolay pay with his shot to right.

Sogard snapped a 1-1 tie in the fifth with his first homer since Aug. 29, when he was with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Bieber got ahead in the count and just missed striking out Sogard with a borderline 2-2 pitch that plate umpire Stu Scheurwater called a ball.

Sogard, who moved from second base to shortstop when starter Javier Baez was scratched with lower back tightness, then drove a 3-2 pitch that just ducked inside the right-field foul pole.

Bieber's first pitch was an early sign he might struggle.

Pederson ripped his 94 mph fastball back at the right-hander, who alertly snagged the comebacker, which had an exit velocity of 112 mph.

Indians rookie LHP Sam Hentges (1-0) makes his first career start after being rained out Sunday and faces Cubs RHP Zach Davies (2-2).

Kevin Durant had 21 points and eight assists, and the Brooklyn Nets beat the Chicago Bulls 115-107 on Tuesday night despite Zach LaVine's 41 points.

Joe Harris added 17 points and Bruce Brown had 15 points and 10 rebounds as Brooklyn won its second straight after a four-game slide.

Chicago had its three-game winning streak - and probably its postseason hopes - end.

Brooklyn, which lost guard Kyrie Irving to an apparent facial injury early in the second half, led 93-74 at the start of the final period and sat its starters for most of the period. LaVine, who had 12 points in the fourth, forced them back in by scoring eight straight to cut the lead to 102-91 with 4:54 to play.

Durant and Jeff Green each had baskets in the final few minutes to keep the Bulls from rallying all the way back.

Green added 14 points and Nicolas Claxton had 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Chicago, in desperate need of a win, helped doom itself by staying under 40% from the floor until the final minutes. Coby White finished with 16 points and Nikola Vucevic added 12 points and 12 rebounds.

The Bulls fell three games behind idle Washington for the final spot in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament and will need to win their final three and hope for help from either the Wizards or Indiana to secure a berth.

Brooklyn, meanwhile, remains ahead of Milwaukee in the race for the second seed in the conference playoffs.

The Nets had a double-digit lead before the game was four minutes old and kept the margin there most of the first half before going to intermission up 64-51.

Kyrie Irving caught an elbow from Vucevic in the right side of his face when the two were going for a rebound early in the third quarter. He knelt to the floor as the play went the other way and walked to the dressing room after being helped off the floor by a trainer. He did not return to the game after scoring 13 points with five assists in 21 minutes.

The Bulls host Toronto on Thursday.

Domantas Sabonis recorded his ninth triple-double of the season with 16 points, 15 assists and 13 rebounds and Caris LeVert added 24 points to help the Pacers rally for a 103-94 play-in round clinching victory.

Indiana has won three of its last four after finding the energy and effort that seemed to be missing for weeks.

This one was especially pleasant, too, because they ended the 76ers season-long winning streak at eight and prevented them from capturing the conference's top seed for the first time since 2000-01.

A Philadelphia win or losses by the Milwaukee Bucks or Brooklyn Nets would have ended the race for the top spot.

Instead, Brooklyn is two games back and Milwaukee trails by 3 1/2.

This wasn't typical 76ers basketball, either. Joel Embiid sat out with a non-COVID-19 related illness and though Tobias Harris scored 27 points and Ben Simmons finished with 13, Philadelphia scored just 32 points in the second half - 13 in the third quarter when Indiana got back into the game.

Indiana trailed almost the entire first three quarters before taking a 75-72 lead late in the third.

When Philadelphia answered with an 8-0 run, the Pacers wouldn't go away. They fought back to tie the score on at 92 on Sabonis' dunk with 4:34 left, took the lead on LeVert's two free throws with 3:44 to go and never trailed again.

The Pacers host Milwaukee on Thursday in their second-to-last home game.

Champaign St. Thomas More sophomore Adam Price threw a complete game and held off a late charge by Monticello as the Sabers took down the Sages 2-1 in Illini Prairie Conference boy’s baseball action Tuesday from Monticello High School.

A day after getting shut out at the hands of IVC, Monticello’s bats went quiet again, mustering just three hits. Trailing 2-0 entering the 7th inning, Joey Sprinkle led the inning off with a single to left. Jared Lockmiller looked like he was going to ground into a double play but STM was unable to record an out on a ground ball to second base. A bunt by Andrew Rudolph was misplayed in front of the mound loading the bases with no one out. 

But Price struck out Nick Teschke. Thomas Swartz singled in a run to make it 2-1 and Price struck out Cole Smith and Biniam Lienhart to end the threat and the game.

Will Hoerner had an RBI hit capping a two-run third inning for the Sabers. 

STM moves to 4-9 on the season while Monticello drops to 4-5. The two teams will meet up again Thursday in Champaign.

Heidi Humble came up a single short of the cycle and drove in five runs, Savannah Clifton had four hits and three runs batted in as the Clinton Lady Maroons held off Sullivan 10-7 Monday afternoon in Central Illinois Conference girl's softball action from Clinton High School.

Humble doubled, tripled and homered as part of a 3-for-4 afternoon. Clifton drove in three runs as part of her 4-for-4 afternoon. Brooke Reeves finished 1-for-3 with three runs scored and walked twice and Kylie Raymer had an RBI for the Lady Maroons. Chloe Griffin finished 3-for-5 with a double for Clinton.

Ashley Armstrong pitched seven innings to pick up the win in circle.

Monday's win was the the first of the season for Clinton as they improve to 1-5 overall. They will host Shelbyville Wednesday. Hear the action on The Big 1520/AM/92.3 FM/106.5 FM WHOW, online at dewittdailynews.com, at the WHOW mobile app and at Amazon Alexa.

Nate Cooley broke a scoreless tie in the top of the sixth inning with a home run to left field and IVC blanked Monticello 2-0 Monday afternoon in Illini Prairie Conference boy's baseball action from Monticello High School.

Jack Buckalew and Nick Humbracht matched scoreless innings in a quick game as Humbracht went the distance for the complete game, two-hit shutout with six strikeouts. 

Buckalew finished six innings of one-run ball and struck out six.

Cam Wollard finished 2-for-4 for IVC who improves to 10-3 on the season.

The Sages drop to 4-4 overall and will host Champaign St. Thomas More this afternoon. Hear today's action on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com.

The Clinton Maroons used a balanced attack to roll past Sullivan 14-4 in a ten-run-rule, five-inning win Monday at Clinton High School in Central Illinois Conference boys baseball action.

Brooks Cluver and Zeke Hickman walked three times apiece and recorded hits. Dominick Thayer and Jaxson White each had a hit, White walked twice, and Caiden Rich drove in a run with a double.

Josh Carter picked up the win with five innings pitched allowing four runs, three were earned, with four walks and three strikeouts and permitted seven hits.

The Maroons are 2-3 overall and will host Shelbyville Wednesday.

Drew Martin pitched into the seventh inning and Mt. Pulaski scored two runs late to double Athens 4-2 in Tomahawk Conference boy's baseball action Monday afternoon in Athens.

Martin finished 6 2/3 and Evan Cooper recorded a strikeout for the final out of the ballgame to clinch the Hilltoppers ninth victory of the year and remained undefeated.

AJ Bailey finished 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI. Thanks to four errors from Athens, Mt. Pulaski hitters only recorded two RBIs as Lucas Kuhlman had the other RBI and scored twice. Kuhlman finished 0-for-2. Cooper, Martin, Grant Davis and Clayton Aylesworth recorded hits for the Hilltoppers.

Martin struck out 12 and walked three, allowing two runs, one was earned and allowed only one hit. 

Mt. Pulaski continues a busy week at Argenta-Oreana Wednesday afternoon. 

Domantas Sabonis had 21 points, 20 rebounds and nine assists as the Indiana Pacers strengthened their hold on a play-in tournament spot with a 111-102 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night.

Kelan Martin scored a career-high 25 points and Caris LeVert had 20 points and 10 assists for the Pacers, who moved one-half game ahead of Washington into ninth place in the Eastern Conference. The Wizards were beaten 125-124 in Atlanta.

Indiana reduced its magic number for clinching a play-in berth to two with four games remaining. Chicago is 11th -- one spot outside of the play-in tourney -- and the Pacers are now within a game of eighth-place Charlotte.

Collin Sexton scored 25 points for the Cavaliers in their 11th straight loss, matching the eighth-longest skid in team history. Rookie Isaac Okoro had 22 points and 10 rebounds and Dean Wade had 19 points and 12 rebounds in their first career double-doubles.

A Sabonis layup put Indiana in front for good at 93-91 with 6:09 left, beginning a 9-1 run that gave it an eight-point lead. The Cavaliers, who were ahead by double-digits in the first half, never got closer than five in the final four minutes.

Justin Holiday scored 11 points and T.J. McConnell had 10 points and seven assists as Indiana's bench outscored Cleveland's 47-17. Sabonis added four blocked shots and two steals, falling one assist shy of his ninth triple-double of the season.

Sabonis notched his 45th double-double of the season, five shy of his franchise record set in 2019-2020.

The Pacers host Philadelphia on Tuesday. Indiana begins a three-game homestand that also includes the Bucks and Lakers.

Justin Faulk scored 46 seconds into overtime and the St. Louis Blues defeated the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 on Monday night.

Tyler Bozak also scored and Jordan Binnington made 26 saves for the Blues, who are locked into the fourth seed in the West Division and will play Colorado or Vegas in the first round of the playoffs.

Faulk and David Perron sprung a 2-on-1 rush after Ryan O'Reilly won the opening faceoff in overtime, and Faulk won it with a wrist shot for his seventh goal.

Alex Iafallo scored, Calvin Petersen made 17 saves and the Kings wrapped up their home schedule with four straight losses.

St. Louis finished 15-9-4 on the road this season.

Blues defenseman Torey Krug returned after missing five games because of an upper-body injury, and Berube expects several other injured players could get at least one game in before the playoffs start.

That group includes forwards Vladimir Tarasenko and Sammy Blais, and defenseman Vince Dunn.

Dunn has missed nine games because of an upper-body injury, Blais four games due to an upper-body injury, and Tarasenko four games with a lower-body injury.

The Blues host the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday night.

Jason Robertson scored 4:30 into overtime, and the Dallas Stars rallied to beat the Chicago Blackhawks 5-4 on Monday night in the final game of the season for each team.

Miro Heiskanen had a goal and an assist for Dallas (23-19-14), which had dropped six of seven. Joe Pavelski, Jason Dickinson and Joel Kiviranta also scored, and Jake Oettinger made 19 saves.

The Stars controlled play for most of the night, finishing with a 50-23 advantage in shots on goal. But they trailed 4-2 before Kiviranta and Dickinson scored 1:54 apart midway through the third period.

Radek Faksa received a double minor for high-sticking late in regulation, but Dallas killed off the penalty. Jamie Benn then had a shot that trickled past Blackhawks goaltender Collin Delia, and Robertson knocked it home for his 17th on the year.

Delia made 45 stops and Alex DeBrincat extended his goal-scoring streak to seven in a row, but Chicago (24-25-7) finished the season with seven losses in its last nine games. DeBrincat, Dylan Strome, Pius Suter and Vinnie Hinostroza each had a goal and an assist.

Forwards Patrick Kane, Dominik Kubalik and David Kampf played in every game for the Blackhawks. 

A three-run third inning broke the seal on a pitchers duel and IVC got by Monticello 6-2 in Illini Prairie Conference girl’s softball action from Monticello High School Monday afternoon.

Alaina Creamer crushed a two-run double off the fence in left field was all the support sophomore Katie Petran needed for the Lady Grey Ghosts.

Petran threw seven effective innings of two run ball striking out 16 and walking zero batters. She allowed two earned runs on five hits. 

Marley Williamson, Skylar Boze, Creamer and Mandy Moore had three hits apiece as the top of the order did most of the damage for IVC. Williamson scored three runs Creamer and Moore each drove in three runs. 

The Lady Sages were led by Mackenzie Daniels’ RBI base hit. Addison Wallace tripled and scored a run. Hannah Ubinger stole a base for the Monticello.

The Lady Sages fall to 7-7 while IVC improved to 4-7.

The Maroa-Forsyth Lady Trojans jumped out to a quick lead on the Clinton Lady Maroons and rolled to a 10-1 non-conference girl's softball action Saturday in Forsyth.

Payton Roberts drove in three runs from the eighth spot in the lineup with a home run. Ella Mann added a two-run home run. Kate Aupperle drove in a pair of runs as well for the Lady Trojans.

Marina Rohman pitched seven innings of one-run ball, allowing four hits, a walk, and struck out six.

Savannah Clifton finished 1-for-3 with an RBI for the Lady Maroons only run. Chloe Griffin, Heidi Humble and Kianna Easton all recorded hits for Clinton.

The Lady Trojans improve to 4-3 overall. The Lady Trojans embark on a busy week. After a Monday game at Argenta-Oreana, they travel to Riverton Tuesday, host Charleston Wednesday, travel to PORTA Thursday then travel to North Mac Friday and host Tremont Saturday. 

The Lady Maroons drop to 1-4 overall and host Sullivan today. 

The Illinois State baseball team fell in the series finale at Dallas Baptist by a 3-0 scoreline Sunday at Horner Ballpark, continuing its six-game losing streak.

Illinois State (18-29 overall, 8-12 Missouri Valley Conference) was led by two hits from junior Kyle Soberano. Luke Eldred threw five scoreless innings for Dallas Baptist (29-11 overall, 14-2 MVC), which limited the 'Birds to three hits.

Illinois State is scheduled to face Missouri State in a four-game set from May 14-16. The Friday game is at 2:00 p.m. CT on ESPNU. 

The Illinois baseball team fell in both games of their doubleheader with Maryland on Saturday at Illinois Field. 

Trailing 5-1 in the ninth inning, the Illini loaded the bases. Jacob Campbell connected on a two-out, 2-run double off the wall in left field that nearly left the park. Campbell finished the game 2-for-3 with the double and two RBI.

The other run for the Illini came in the fourth inning on an RBI fielder's choice off the bat of Justin Janas.

The Illini got out to a 1-0 lead in the third inning after a two-out rally. Jackson Raper singled, Ryan Hampe walked and then Janas came up and lined an RBI single to right-center field. The Terrapins were able to take the lead in the top of the fourth and held it for the rest of the game.

Justin Janas has reached base safely in a career-high 16 games and Brody Harding has an eight-game on-base streak.

Maryland (21-14) took the series with both wins.

As heard on WHOW, Yermin Mercedes and Jose Abreu had three RBI's each to help the Chicago White Sox beat Kansas City 9-3 on Sunday, finishing off a three-game sweep and handing the Royals their eighth consecutive loss.

The Royals went winless on its seven-game homestand. They opened the homestand up 1 1/2 games in the division but leave their friendly confides back 3 1/2 games. They were swept by the Indians earlier in the week.

Lucas Giolito (2-3) gave up one run, four hits, two walks and fanned two in five innings of work and got the win. It's the first run allowed by a Chicago starter in five games as they've gone 29 1/3 innings and have a 0.31 ERA in that stretch.

Kansas City got its first lead since Wednesday after Whit Merrifield doubled and eventually scored two batters later in the first inning. It was a promising start after snapping a 28-inning scoreless streak on Saturday night, but they didn't lead again after that point.

The next half inning, Mercedes hit a triple to right field - the first in his career - scoring Abreu and a double in the third scoring Yoan Moncada and Yasmani Grandal.

Danny Mendick kept his hot bat going with an RBI-single to right field to lead 3-1.

Leury Garcia added another run on an RBI single to score Andrew Vaughan in the sixth.

The Royals had the bases loaded with one out in the sixth, but only managed one run on an RBI from Michael A. Taylor.

Abreu singled in two RBI's in the seventh and one more in the ninth.

Mike Minor (2-2) got the loss and went five innings giving up five earned runs, five hits, two walks and struck out seven. 

Chicago hosts Minnesota on Tuesday to open a week-long homestand with Dylan Cease (2-0, 2.37) on the hill. Kansas City starts a seven-game road trip beginning in Detroit on Tuesday.

Nolan Arenado homered against his former team, Adam Wainwright pitched a three-hit ball into the ninth inning and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Colorado Rockies 2-0 on Sunday.

Yadier Molina hit an RBI double and Ryan Helsley got Josh Fuentes to ground into a game-ending double play with the bases loaded. St. Louis completed a three-game sweep and has won nine of 11 overall.

Colorado dropped to a major league-worst 2-14 on the road.

Arenado was acquired from the Rockies in a blockbuster trade in early February after the star third baseman spent the first eight years of his career with Colorado.

Arenado has reached safely in 18 of the last 20 games.

Wainwright (2-3) struck out five and walked three over 8 1/3 innings, improving to 11-1 against the Rockies. He retired nine batters in a row at one point and eight straight during another stretch.

The 39-year-old right-hander fell two outs short of his 11th career shutout. His last one came in 2016. The veteran simply keeps plugging along.

Helsley earned his second major league save and first this season.

Arenado homered leading off the second against German Marquez (1-4), who allowed two runs, one earned, in six innings. Marquez struck out six and walked three.

Molina added a run-scoring double in the fourth.

St. Louis improved to 14-4 since April 23, the best record in the majors during that span.

The Rockies have lost 22 games - 13 by two runs or fewer.

Kwang Hyun Kim (1-0, 3.06 ERA) will face Brewers RHP Freddy Peralta (3-1, 3.38) in the first of a three-game set on Tuesday in Milwaukee. The Cardinals are 9-2 in games started by Kim in his career, including a 4-0 mark this season.

Tyler Anderson pitched eight solid innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates held on in the ninth, beating the Cubs 6-5 Sunday and ending Chicago's five-game winning streak.

Wilmer Difo had three hits and drove in three runs as the Pirates won for just the third time in their last 20 games at Wrigley Field.

Held to two runs and four hits by Anderson (3-3), the Cubs made it close in the ninth.

Reliever Kyle Crick hit Anthony Rizzo with a pitch and walked Kris Bryant before getting David Bote on a flyout. Richard Rodriguez took over and gave up an RBI single to Joc Pederson singled with two outs that made it 6-3.

Ildemaro Vargas hit a two-run double, but Rodriguez retired pinch-hitter Javier Baez on a grounder to end it for his sixth save.

Kyle Hendricks (2-4) allowed six runs - four earned - and nine hits in five innings.

Todd Frazier and Kevin Newman had two hits apiece for the Pirates, who scored their highest run total in nine games.

Anderson struck out six and walked one to beat the Cubs for the first time in three starts this season. He retired his final 13 batters.

Pederson had three hits for the Cubs, who were trying for their first undefeated homestand of at least six games since August 2015, when they beat San Francisco in four games and Milwaukee in three.

The Pirates scored four times in the first. Jacob Stallings had an RBI grounder with the bases loaded, Difo hit a two-run single off Hendricks and Vargas made a throwing error from shortstop.

Difo added an RBI triple and another run scored on third baseman Matt Duffy's error for a 6-1 lead in the third. Hendricks threw a seven-inning complete game win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday in his last start.

Adbert Alzolay (1-2, 4.50) is expected to start Tuesday at Cleveland to begin a two-game series after Monday's off day. RHP Shane Bieber (3-2, 2.98) will pitch for the Indians.

Alex DeBrincat scored two more goals, Kevin Lankinen made 37 saves and the Blackhawks welcomed fans back to the United Center with a 4-2 victory over the Dallas Stars on Sunday night.

Chicago hosted a crowd of 3,820 for its first home game with fans in almost 14 months. It was the last U.S.-based NHL team to open its doors to the public during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Two of the biggest cheers of the night were for DeBrincat, who extended his goal-scoring streak to six in a row. He scored on a power play in the first period and then helped close it out when he made it 4-2 with his 31st of the season with 3:12 left.

The Blackhawks had 10 rookies in the lineup for their penultimate game of the season, and they did enough to hold off Dallas in the Stars' first game since they were eliminated from playoff contention.

Brandon Hagel had a goal and an assist in Chicago's second straight win. MacKenzie Entwistle became the ninth player to score his first career goal with the Blackhawks this year.

Dallas lost for the sixth time in seven games. Denis Gurianov and Mark Pysyk scored for the Stars, and Anton Khudobin made 21 stops.

Dallas was eliminated from playoff contention when Nashville clinched the final spot in the Central Division with a 3-1 victory over Carolina on Saturday night. With the Stars out of the race, coach Rick Bowness decided to rest banged-up forwards Tyler Seguin and Roope Hintz for the final two games.

The Stars lost to Tampa Bay in the Stanley Cup Final in September, but they were hit hard by injuries this year. They also had to deal with a COVID-19 outbreak in January and a winter storm in mid-February that shuffled their schedule.

Chicago was bounced from the playoff race when it lost 5-2 at Carolina last Monday, part of a late-season fade for the Blackhawks after contending for much of the year. 

After Dallas controlled the play early on, the Blackhawks jumped in front when Entwistle finished a pretty passing sequence 6:23 into the first. Gurianov then tied it at 1 with his 12th of the season, but Hagel put Chicago ahead to stay when he finished a breakaway at 10:31.

The teams play again Monday night.

Nikola Vucevic had 29 points and 16 rebounds and the Chicago Bulls kept their play-in chances alive with an 108-94 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night.

Zach LaVine scored 30 points as the Bulls (29-39) moved within 2 1/2 games of the Indiana Pacers (31-36) for the last Eastern Conference play-in spot.

Chicago, which also got 21 points from Coby White, had lost five of six.

Detroit, which lost for the ninth time in 11 games, played without leading scorer Jerami Grant (knee) and point guard Cory Joseph (ankle). Rookies Killian Hayes (21 points), Saddiq Bey (20) and Isaiah Stewart (19) combined for 60 points and 21 rebounds.

Chicago outshot the Pistons 54.5% to 37.5% while building a comfortable 57-39 halftime lead. LaVine had 16 points while Vucevic added 14 points and nine rebounds.

The Pistons were within 15 at 83-68 at the end of the third quarter, but never seriously threatened in the final 12 minutes.

The Bulls host the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night as the Bulls try to earn a play-in spot.

Justin Allgaier held off teammate Josh Berry in overtime to win the Xfinity event at Darlington, becoming two of three JR Motorsports racers to finish in the top six.

Allgaier didn’t move in front until the final 10 laps, when he passed Berry for the lead. Then the race’s eighth and final caution five laps later set up the two-lap overtime shootout that Allgaier claimed for his first win at the track nicknamed “Too Tough To Tame.”

Allgaier’s Chevrolet featured a paint scheme driven by the late Dale Earnhardt in the 2000 Daytona 500.

It was Allgaier’s second win in the past four races and his 16th career Xfinity victory.

Martin Truex, Jr. led 248 of the 293 laps for his 30th career victory in NASCAR’s top series holding off a late charge from Kyle Larson to win for the third time this season and take home the Goodyear 400 from Darlington. 

Barely pushed much of the race, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver suddenly saw Larson catching up in the closing laps.

The victory gave Truex some payback at Darlington from the last time here last September, when he led 196 laps, yet finished 22nd after tangling for the lead late with Chase Elliott.

This time, Truex made sure he had no issues by running out front — often holding a 10-second lead on the field — to win for the second time at the track “Too Tough To Tame.”

He took control midway through the first of three stages, moving in front on a restart and settling in for a long ride up front. Truex led the final 21 laps to take the first stage, then the last 36 as he collected the second stage win by some 14 seconds over his JGR teammate Kyle Busch.

Truex broke out when racing resumed for the final stage and easily managed a couple of rounds of green-flag pits stops to stay ahead.

Larson was second with Truex’s teammate, Kyle Busch, third. William Byron was fourth and Denny Hamlin, who came in as the NASCAR points’ leader, was fifth.

Larson charged hard to catch up, even using a dramatic sliding pass between Ryan Newman and Tyler Reddick to keep chasing the lead.

Kyle Busch followed up his first win of the season at Kansas last week with a solid third place at Darlington. It was Busch’s sixth top 10 finish in his last seven races here. Busch’s lone victory at Darlington came in 2008.

NASCAR heads to Dover International Speedway for another triple-header weekend where the Camping World Truck Series and Xfinity Series will take place before the Cup Series race at the Monster Mile. Kevin Harvick won the Cup Series event there in 2020, part of his season best nine victories.

The finishing stretch at Quail Hollow snapped Rory McIlroy back to reality. He hit a 7-iron safely over the water on the 17th, and caddie Harry Diamond wisely talked him into taking a penalty drop from a dangerous lie in a hazard on the closing hole. He two-putted from 45 feet for bogey, a 3-under 68 and a one-shot victory.

Abraham Ancer finished runner-up for the fourth time in his career as he seeks his first title. Ancer wasn’t part of the picture until he ran off three straight birdies late that briefly gave him a share of the lead, and nearly closed with a fourth birdie when his 35-foot putt on No. 18 grazed the lip. He shot 66.

But this was about McIlroy and the second-longest winless drought of his career, who until this week had not played on the weekend in two months.

Locked in a tight race among Keith Mitchell, Gary Woodland and then Ancer, McIlroy delivered the goods on the back nine. He holed a 10-foot par putt on the par-3 13th. He got up-and-down for birdie with splendid bunker shots on the reachable par-4 14th and the par-5 15th.

He won for the 19th time on the PGA Tour, and 27th time worldwide.

It was a tough finish for Mitchell, who started the final round with a two-shot lead and quickly stretched it to three shots with a 6-iron out of a fairway bunker into a stiffening breeze to 12 feet for birdie.

But his short game let him down all day, leading to bogeys on the fifth and sixth holes that cost him the lead, and on the 14th hole and 15th holes when he had to settle for pars after being in position for birdies.

Mitchell needed to finish alone in second to qualify for the PGA Championship through the money list. But he dropped a shot on the 17th and closed with a 72 to tie for third with Viktor Hovland, who had a 67.

The Clinton Maroons powered past Decatur St. Teresa 14-8 in Central Illinois Conference boy’s baseball action Friday afternoon in Decatur. 

Dominick Thayer finished 2-for-5 with four RBIs. Josh Carter doubled and drove in two. Zeke Hickman finished 2-for-4.

Jaxson White went three innings on the mound for Clinton allowing five runs, only two were earned, on two hits with six walks and three strikeouts. Brooks Cluver pitched four innings of relief for th win allowing three runs, two were earned. He also walked six and struck out five and permitted four hits.

Chord Miller finished 3-for-5 with two RBIs for the Bulldogs.

The Maroons improved to 1-3 overall and 1-3 in the CIC. They host Sullivan Monday.

After the Clinton Lady Maroons scored two runs in the top of the 7th inning to take a 3-2 lead, Decatur St. Teresa scored two runs in the bottom half of the inning to walk off with a 4-3 win Friday afternoon at Decatur St. Teresa High School.

Brooke Reeves drove in two runs and Savannah Clifton added an RBI for the Lady Maroons. 

Ashley Armstrong pitched well in circle for the Lady Maroons despite taking the loss. In 6 ? innings, Armstrong allowed four runs, two earned, on four hits with six walks and seven strikeouts.

With the loss, the Lady Maroons drop to 0-4. They’ll travel to Forsyth Saturday to take on Maroa-Forsyth at 10 am.

Sydney Evans pitched seven innings of effective ball and the Blue Ridge Lady Knights rallied past Westville 6-3 in girl’s softball action in Farmer City.

Evans allowed three runs, none were earned, and struck out seven.

The Lady Knights scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning with RBIs from Lily Summers, Sydnee Evans, Ashlyn Voyles and Avery Place.

Blue Ridge improves to 5-2 overall. They host Iroquois West Tuesday.

Westville scored four runs in the sixth inning and rolled past Blue Ridge in boy’s baseball action Friday afternoon in Farmer City.

Landen Haurez finished 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and two runs scored to pace the Tigers. 

Bryce Burnett, hitting in the nine-spot for Westville, drove in two runs finishing 1-for-3. Drew Wichtowski and Ethan McMasters had RBIs for the Tigers who pumped out 10 hits. 

Cole Stephens for Blue Ridge finished 2-for-4 with two doubles. Kolby Kramer hit a double. 

The Knights drop to 1-5. They host Iroquois West Tuesday.

Mt. Pulaski scored another 20 runs Friday afternoon to continue its dominance through the early season blasting Springfield Lutheran 20-2 Friday afternoon in Springfield.

Heartland Community College commit Drew Martin hit two home runs and drove in five runs. Gavin Smith drove in three runs with a double. AJ Bailey, Grant Davis, and Lucas Kuhlman drove in a pair of runs for the Hilltoppers. Kuhlman and Garrett Fitzpatrick doubled. 

Evan Cooper pitched three innings of one run, unearned ball. Cooper struck out five and walked none.

Smith struggled through an inning of hitless ball but walked four and struck out three, allowing a run. Luke Farris pitched an inning of shutout ball with a walk and two strikeouts.

Mt. Pulaski improves to 8-0 and will travel to Athens Monday.

Joey Sprinkle came up a home run short of the cycle helping Monticello get past Paxton-Buckley-Loda 11-1 in non-conference boy’s baseball action.

Sprinkle laced a two-run first inning triple through a stiff wind in the first inning to put Montcello up 2-1 against PBL’s no. 1 pitcher Brett Giese. 

WIth Andrew Rudolph at the plate, Sprinkle scored on a wild pitch to make the score 3-1. After Rudolph walked and stole second, Logan Chupp scored Rudolph on an RBI single to make it 4-1.

That was all the support freshman Luke Teschke would need as he pitched five one-run innings for the win. Teschke allowed just two hits with five walks and nine strikeouts. 

Jared Lockmiller hit three consecutive RBI singles to finish 3-for-4 with three RBIs. 

Sprinkle would have been a double short of the cycle if not for the stiff wind blowing left to right at Monticello High School. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Sprinkle sent a 3-2 drive deep to left and even bat-flipped on his way down the first base line but the wind knocked down what would’ve been a sure fire home run on most days. Sprinkle settled for a double, his third hit of the afternoon.

Tristan Foran finished 2-for-4 with a run scored.

Jarred Gronsky walked twice and scored the only run for the Panthers.

Monticello improves to 4-3 overall. They’ll host IVC Monday afternoon.

PBL drops to 6-2. 

Monticello held off IVC 5-3 in Illini Prairie Conference girl's softball from Chillicothe Thursday afternoon.

Mackenzie Daniels hit a 3-run home run third inning to stake the Lady Sages to a 3-1 lead and Addison Wallace drove in two insurance runs in the sixth to make the score 5-1. 

The Lady Grey Ghosts scored two in the bottom of the seventh inning but Avery Oberheim came in to close out the victory in relief of Macy Hicks. 

Hicks went 6 1/3 innings allowing three runs, two earned, 12 hits and issued a walk.

Wallace paced the Lady Sages offense finishing 2-for-3 with a triple. Josie Nelson finished 2-for-2 with a walk and scored a run. Oberheim, Daniels, Lizzie Stiverson, Hannah Uebinger, and Shay Boman each recorded hits. 

The Lady Sages are 6-5 overall. They travel to Charleston this afternoon. 

The Mt. Pulaski Hilltoppers scored 14 first-inning runs en route to a dominating 19-0, 3-inning win over Arthur Christian in non-conference high school boy's baseball action from Mt. Pulaski High School Thursday.

Drew Martin tripled, Clayton Aylesworth and Landon Smith doubled to highlight an offensive onslaught for the Hilltoppers. 

AJ Bailey, Evan Cooper, Martin, Smith, Lucas Kuhlman, and Ayleworth drove in runs as Coach Joel Waskho was able to go deep into his bench to find at-bats for most of his roster.

Bailey threw two perfect innings with a walk and six strikeouts. Luke Farris pitched a perfect inning of relief with two strikeouts. 

The Hilltoppers remain perfect on the season at 7-0 and will hit the road for a non-conference game thisa afternoon. 

Jake Edmondson, Andrew Rudolph and Joey Sprinkle all recorded two hits as Monticello rolled IVC 10-2 in Illini Prairie Conference boy's baseball action from Chillicothe Thursday afternoon.

Rudolph drove in five runs, Cole Dasher had three RBIs and Sprinkle drove in two runs. 

Dawlton Chupp threw 5 1/3 innings with four strikeouts for the win. 

The Sages imrpvoe to 3-3 overall and will host Paxton-Buckley-Loda in non-conference action this afternoon. Hear all the action on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com. 

You'll get your fix of fishing talk on this week's episode of Central Illinois Outdoors.

Host Jared White has a loaded lineup including the President of the Illinois Farm Bureau who is not only a farmer but an avid outdoorsman. It's the highlight of a loaded lineup...

Catch Central Illinois Outdoors with Jared White:

Saturday at 10a on 870 WTIM - Taylorville

Sunday at 8a on 1520 WHOW - Clinton

Sunday at 8a on 106.5FM - Bloomington/Normal

Sunday at 8a on 96.5TheWinner-Taylorville

Monday podcast at centralillinoisoutdoors.com 

Nikola Vucevic had 29 points and 14 rebounds, Zach LaVine returned to the Bulls lineupe and had 13 points after missing 11 games due to the league's health and safety protocols, and the Bulls swept the season series from the Charlotte Hornets with a 120-99 win on Thursday night.

Chicago is a long shot to make the postseason, still 3 1/2 games behind Washington for the final spot in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament. The Bulls have six games remaining; the Wizards have five.

P.J. Washington, who missed Charlotte's last game for the birth of his child, had 24 points on six 3-pointers. Malik Monk added 20 points off the bench for the Hornets, who played without Gordon Hayward, Miles Bridges and Devonte Graham.

Charlotte could have clinched a spot in the play-in tournament had it won.

But Vucevic would have none of it. He returned after missing two games with right adductor tightness and dominated. Looking fresh, he made 12 of 24 shots from the field and was 5 of 7 from 3-point range, helping opening things up for his teammates.

The Bulls, who beat the Hornets by 13 and 17 points in the two previous meetings, jumped out to a 48-33 lead this time.

It appeared Charlotte might make a game of it after hitting 8 of 13 3-point attempts in the second quarter to cut the lead to five, but the Bulls extended their lead to 22 entering the fourth quarter.

The Bulls host Boston tonight.

Taijuan Walker allowed one hit in seven innings and the Mets scored three runs on bases-loaded walks to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-1 on Thursday.

Walker (2-1) struck out eight and walked none as the Mets salvaged a split after dropping the first two of the four-game series in St. Louis. New York won despite leaving 17 runners on base, tying a team record for a nine-inning game.

Walker set the tone by striking out the side in the first inning. He retired the final 18 batters he faced after Paul DeJong reached on a fielder's choice and throwing error that set up the Cardinals' lone run in the second.

Trevor May struck out two in a perfect eighth and Edwin Diaz pitched around a pair of hits in the ninth to earn his fourth save in as many tries.

The Mets scored twice in the fifth without a hit. Pete Alonso reached on an error and Cardinals pitchers John Gant and Kodi Whitley combined to walk the next four batters as the Mets took a 2-1 lead.

New York tacked on two more runs in the eighth courtesy of another bases-loaded walk from right-hander Jake Woodford to Alonso and an RBI single by Dominic Smith.

Gant struggled with his control all game, needing 98 pitches to get through 4 1/3 innings. He walked six and struck out five as St. Louis dropped its second straight after having won six in a row.

Gant (2-3) stranded eight baserunners in the first four innings, including wiggling out of a bases-load jam in the third by striking out Smith looking and getting a dazzling catch in foul territory by left fielder Justin Williams on Kevin Pillar's drive.

The Mets had at least one baserunner in every inning, aided by 11 total walks.

Harrison Bader's sacrifice fly scored Nolan Arenado to give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead in the second. Jonathan Villar's throwing error allowed Arenado to get into scoring position. Alonso saved a bigger inning by making a diving catch and keeping his foot on the first base bag on another errant throw from third baseman Villar.

The start of the game was delayed 15 minutes due to rain and there was another 17-minute delay in the sixth.

Miles Mikolas (right shoulder) began his rehab assignment Wednesday night in a start for Memphis against visiting Durham. He allowed two runs in 2 1/3 innings and struck out three.

Jacob deGrom (right lat inflammation) played catch Thursday and hopes to throw a bullpen session Friday, putting him on track to start Sunday against Arizona at Citi Field. 

Jack Flaherty (5-0, 3.41 ERA) takes on former Cardinals LHP Austin Gomber (2-3, 5.90 ERA) and Colorado on Friday night in the first of three games at Busch Stadium. Gomber was traded to Colorado on Feb. 1 in the Arenado deal.

Caris LeVert scored 31 points, including nine in the final 2:17, and the Pacers defeated the Atlanta Hawks 133-126 on Thursday night.

LeVert twice hit jumpers with his team ahead by only one point late. The Hawks missed a pair of 3-pointers that could have tied the game before the Pacers pulled away.

LeVert also had 12 assists for his first double-double since being acquired by the Pacers in January. All-Star forward Domantas Sabonis scored 30 points on 12-of-14 shooting with nine assists.

The Pacers had dropped four of five, the latest loss considered by reserve guard T.J. McConnell as ''unacceptable'' and ''easily'' the worst of the season. He arrived Thursday fired up, too.

McConnell scored 13 of his 19 points in the second quarter.

Trae Young led the Hawks with 30 points and 10 assists. Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 28 and John Collins 25.

The Hawks, the Southeast Division leaders who had won three in a row, looked like the struggling team from the outset as the Pacers led 36-26 after the first quarter and 72-58 at halftime.

The Pacers host the Wizards on Saturday night.

Alex DeBrincat beat Petr Mrazek at 2:02 of overtime to help the Chicago Blackhawks rally past the NHL-leading Carolina Hurricanes 2-1 on Thursday night, salvaging the final game of a three-game set.

Collin Delia had 36 saves for the Blackhawks, who were eliminated from postseason contention Monday to start the series and gave up 11 goals in the first two losses to the Hurricanes.

This time, the Blackhawks found themselves facing a 1-0 deficit until deep into regulation despite getting numerous rushes and breakaway chances. Riley Stillman's redirect marked his first NHL goal at 16:59 of the third and tied the game.

Then DeBrincat fired one from between the circles past Mrazek - who went from flirting with a shutout to taking a loss - to end a six-game skid.

Martin Necas scored a short-handed goal for the Hurricanes, who are chasing the Presidents' Trophy. They had won five straight and this marked their 13th straight game with at least a point in the standings, though they stumbled to close their regular-season home slate.

Chicago lost forward Brett Connolly late in the second period when he collided with Carolina's Steven Lorentz and ended up face down on the ice. He was eventually helped to the tunnel with 2:20 left and was ruled out for the third.

The Blackhawks host Dallas on Sunday to start a home doubleheader to close the schedule.

The Clinton Maroons boy's bass fishing team is sectional champions.

Head Coach Tim Potts told Regional Radio News the Maroons had the biggest five fish and the single biggest fish to take home the Sectional Championship.

The Maroons head to Carlyle for the State tournament at Carlyle Lake in Clinton County. Coach Potts says there will be protocols for scouting the lake and allowing the kids time to practice before the tournament later this month.

The Maroons last had a tournament nearly a month ago. They'll get on the water practicing ahead of State May 21-22.

As heard on WHOW, the Clinton Maroons fell to the Central A&M Raiders by a score of 13-6 on Wednesday night in Central Illinois Conference boy's baseball action from Clinton High School. 

The Maroons were led by the B-Roc Designs Player of the Game, Freshman Mason Walker. Walker was 3 for 4 with a run scored. He pitched 2 innings and gave up 5 runs on 3 hits while walking 4 and striking out 4. Junior Dominic Fair took the loss on the mound. Fair allowed 8 runs in 4 innings on 6 hits but struck out 8. Brooks Cluver had 2 RBIs and Jaxson White was 2 for 2 with 3 runs scored.

The Raiders were led by Freshman Gavin Houchins. Houchins took the win on the mound, he pitched 4 plus innings, gave up 3 runs on 4 hits, struck out 5. At the plate, he was 2 for 4 with 3 runs batted in.

With the loss, the Maroons fall to 0-3 overall. The Raiders improve to 1-2 overall.

The Maroons travel to Decatur to take on St. Teresa High School Friday afternoon

Hear more Clinton High School sports on WHOW when Lady Maroons take on Shelbyville on Wednesday, May 12th. The next Maroons baseball broadcast takes place against Tuscola on Tuesday, May 18th. You can hear the game live The Big 1520 AM/92.3 FM/106.5 FM WHOW and online at dewittdailynews.com, at the WHOW mobile app, and at Amazon Alexa.

The Central A&M Lady Raiders jumped out to a 9-1 lead after 2 1/2 innings but a valiant Clinton rally fell short late as the Lady Maroons fell 9-7 Wednesday in Central Illinois Conference girl's softball action from Clinton High School.

The Lady Maroons cut the deficit to 9-4 after three innings with a three-run third. A run in the fifth made 9-5 and then a rally in the seventh fell short as Clinton scratched across a pair of runs for the final 9-7 tally.

Morgan Malone homered and drove in four runs for the Lady Raiders finishing 2-for-4. Julia Braundmeier scored twice. 

Malone allowed three earned runs in seven innings pitched. She allowed six hits, issued three walks and struck out eight. 

Morgan Fortune finished 2-for-4 for Clinton and drove in five runs. Kianna Easton and Brooke Reeves scored twice. Kylie Raymer and Easton had RBIs for the Lady Maroons.

Easton started for Clinton in circle and allowed nine runs, five were earned on three hits, issued seven walks and struck out three. Reeves pitched five scoreless innings in relief and allow two hits, two walks and struck out three.

The Lady Maroons drop to 0-3 on the season. They travel to Decatur St. Teresa Friday afternoon.

Avery Place struck out nine in five innings and recorded three hits and a pair of runs batted in leading Blue Ridge past Chrisman 13-3 in non-conference girl's softball action Wednesday afternoon.

Abby Bolen, Lexi Young, Ashlyn Voyles, and Farrah Michaels drove in 2 runs a piece for the Lady Knights who won their second ten-run rule game of the season.

They improve to 4-2 overall and will host Westville Friday.

Cincinnati's Joey Votto fractured his left thumb during a 10-inning, 1-0 win over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday.

Votto was hit by a Dallas Keuchel pitch in the fourth inning. Votto remained in the game, but in the sixth was replaced at first base by Kyle Farmer.

Votto is not expected to need surgery but could miss up to a month. Hit by a pitch for the 61st time, Votto is hitting .286 on the homestand, which included his 300th home run. He has raised his average to .226 with five homers and 17 RBIs.

Kyle Farmer is among the options at first.

Jesse Winker hit a winning single in the 10th inning after Chicago's Leury Garcia was caught stealing in the top half.

Cincinnati's Sonny Gray and Keuchel both pitched shutout ball, allowing two hits each in seven innings.

It was only the fourth scoreless tie through nine innings in Great American Ball Park's history, the first since 2010.

Cincinnati stopped its 18-inning scoreless streak as Liam Hendriks (1-1) lost for the first time since signing a $54 million, four-year contract with the White Sox as a free agent.

With automatic runner Tucker Barnhart on second, Nick Senzel singled against Hendriks leading off the 10th as Barnhart took third. Jesse Winker fouled off three pitches before lining the eighth offering from Hendricks into center field. Barnhart scored without a throw.

Hendriks got Barnhart to ground into a bases-loaded groundout that ended the ninth, then started the 10th as the automatic runner on second.

Lucas Sims (1-1) walked Yasmani Grandal leading off. Garcia grounded into a forceout that left runners at the corners and, with Billy Hamilton at the plate, Barnhart threw out Garcia trying to steal second.

Hamilton then struck out.

Chicago, trying to contend despite losing outfielders Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert to injuries this season, lost for the fourth time in its last 12 games.

Gray struck out eight. He has 19 strikeouts over his last 12 2/3 innings.

Gray extended his major league record of allowing six or fewer hits to 48 consecutive starts.

Both teams were a combined 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position through eight innings, stranding 11 runners. There were 29 runners left on base in all, 15 by the Reds.

Carlos Rodon (4-0, 0.72 ERA) starts Friday at Kansas City. He is the first White Sox pitcher to win his first four starts opening a season since Chris Sale won nine to begin 2016. Hear the action on WHOW with pregame at 6:30 and first pitch at 7:10.

Anthony Rizzo capped Chicago's two-run 11th inning with an RBI single, and the Cubs beat the struggling Los Angeles Dodgers 6-5 on Wednesday night to complete the sweep.

Chicago's Matt Duffy tied it when he drove in Willson Contreras with a two-out single against Garrett Cleavinger (0-3). Duffy stole third and pinch-hitter Tony Wolters walked before Rizzo - who entered the game in the 10th - singled on a sharp grounder to left.

Alec Mills (2-0) got the win despite giving up two runs in two innings. Jake Marisnick homered, and the Cubs swept three from the Dodgers at Wrigley Field for the first time since 2008.

The Dodgers lost for the 13th time in 17 games since a 13-2 start. 

Los Angeles' Max Muncy homered for the second straight game when he connected against Adbert Alzolay in the fourth. He also hit an RBI double in the 10th and scored in the 11th.

Walker Buehler pitched six solid innings. But the Dodgers were unable to protect the late leads they built.

A throwing error by shortstop Corey Seager trying to force a runner at second in the eighth helped lead to a tying run for the Cubs. And in the extra innings, things really got wild.

Muncy put the Dodgers ahead 4-3 in the 10th with his two-out double off the ivy in left-center, though Justin Turner got thrown out trying to score on the play. The Dodgers challenged the play, but the call was upheld.

The Cubs tied it against Kenley Jansen in the bottom half on Joc Pederson's sacrifice fly to deep right against his former team. And after Muncy scored on Matt Beaty's force in the 11th, Chicago pulled it out in the bottom half.

Chicago's Adbert Alzolay allowed two runs and three hits in five innings. The right-hander struck out seven and walked one.

Zach Davies (1-2, 8.22 ERA) looks to end a string of five winless starts when the Cubs open a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday. Davies hasn't won since April 4, when he beat Pittsburgh in his Cubs debut. RHP Trevor Cahill (1-3, 7.40 ERA) starts for Pittsburgh.

Paul DeJong hit a two-run homer, Paul Goldschmidt added a solo shot off Marcus Stroman and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the New York Mets 4-1 in a doubleheader opener on Wednesday that extended their winning streak to six.

Kwang Hyun Kim pitched four innings, combining with Ryan Hemsley (3-0), Giovanny Gallegos and Alex Reyes (ninth save in nine chances) on a two-hitter.

While the Mets received uplifting news earlier in the day when manager Luis Rojas said ace Jacob deGrom could return to the rotation on Sunday, skidding New York did little at the plate in its first game after hitting coach Chili Davis was fired and replaced by Hugh Quattlebaum.

The late-night firing Monday occurred after Mets stars Pete Alonso and Michael Conforto praised Donnie Stevenson, an apparently fictional hitting coach.

James McCann hit into a run-scoring forceout, and New York's batting average dropped to .235 with a major league-low 77 runs. The Mets went 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position, its RISP average falling to a big league-worst .198. New York has lost five of seven and is 11-13.

Stroman (3-3) lost his third straight start, allowing four runs - two earned - and seven hits in five innings.

This was the NL Central-leading Cardinals' first doubleheader of the season, shortened to seven-inning games under pandemic rules. The Mets were playing in their third twin bill in just over a month.

Kim gave up one run and two hits.

Tomas Nido hit a two-run homer and Jonathan Villar added a solo shot and an RBI single, powering the New York Mets over the St. Louis Cardinals 7-2 on Wednesday night for a doubleheader split.

The loss ended a six-game winning streak for the NL Central-leading Cardinals (19-13).

New York went 11 for 50 in the doubleheader and is hitting .238 with a major league-low 84 runs. The Mets are batting .207 with runners in scoring position after going 4 for 16, including 0 for 5 in the opener.

Nido's homer highlighted a three-run second against Johan Oviedo (0-1), a 6-foot-5, 255-pound rookie, who allowed four runs and five hits in four innings.

Miguel Castro pitched one inning in his first start since July 15, 2018, and Jordan Yamamoto (1-0) gave up one run and four hits in 2 2/3 innings following his recall from Triple-A Syracuse. where he was set to start in the season opener.

Pinch-hitter Dylan Carlson, who left the opener in the fifth inning with a bruised right shin, had an RBI single in the fourth inning of the nightcap.

Pinch-hitter Justin Williams beat out an infield single in the sixth.

Taijuan Walker (1-1) is to start Thursday's series finale for the Mets against RHP John Gant (2-2).

Marvin Bagley III kept Sacramento's slim playoff hopes alive Wednesday night with a breakthrough performance - scoring a season-high 31 points and grabbing 12 rebounds to lead the Kings past the Indiana Pacers 104-93.

Delon Wright added 23 points as Sacramento won its fourth straight - all on the road - and swept the two-game series with the Pacers for the first time in five years. The Kings started the day 3 1/2 games behind San Antonio in the chase for the West's final play-in spot.

Indiana was led by Domantas Sabonis, who fell just short of his eighth triple-double this season with 17 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists. The Pacers were trying to become the first team since Phoenix in 2009 to top the 140-point mark in three consecutive games.

But after missing 85 games over the past two seasons, Bagley finally delivered with 24 points, eight rebounds and going 12 of 17 from the field in the first half as Sacramento pulled out to a 56-47 lead.

Buddy Hield and Richaun Holmes spurred an early second-half scoring flurry that put the Kinds in complete control midway through the third quarter with a 76-56 lead.

Indiana never recovered.

Caris LeVert scored 14 points and T.J. McConnell had 11 points, seven assists and three steals. Indiana committed 21 turnovers. 

The Pacers will try to win its seventh straight home game against Atlanta on Thursday.

Keith Hernandez, an All-Star first baseman, was voted in by fans into the Cardinals Hall of Fame. 

Hernandez was a two-time All-Star during 10 years in St. Louis and part of the 1982 World Series champions. A three-time All-Star with the Mets and an 11-time Gold Glove, he entered the Mets' Hall of Fame in 1997. 

''I enjoyed playing in both places,'' Hernandez said.

Troy Terry scored the shootout winner in the Anaheim Ducks' 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday night.

Haydn Fleury and Max Jones scored in regulation for the Ducks. Anthony Stolarz made 25 saves and stopped all three attempts in the shootout.

Terry beat Jordan Binnington with a forehand-backhand combination in the second round of the shootout. Stolarz stopped Ryan O'Reilly in the next round to secure the win.

Mike Hoffman and Kyle Clifford scored for the Blues. Jordan Binnington made 33 saves.

The Blues entered the game with a chance to clinch the fourth playoff spot in the West Division with a win and a Los Angeles loss.

Hoffman scored his team-high seventh power play to give the Blues a 1-0 lead with 6:27 left in the first period. St. Louis has scored a power play goal in 11 of its last 12 games.

Jones tied it for the Ducks, tipping in Sam Carrick's shot with 7:03 left in the second period. It was the second goal in the last three games for Jones.

Fleury's third goal of the season broke a 1-1 tie for the Ducks at the 2:15 mark of the third period. Terry started the play by winning the puck from Jordan Kyrou in the corner and feeding Fleury in the left circle for a one-timer.

Clifford tied it back up for the Blues three minutes later, deflecting an Ivan Barbashev feed into the net for his fourth goal of the season.

Blues at Vegas on Friday night.

NASCAR’s next generation race car is finally here after two years of hype and hope that it will revolutionize the stock car series.

How can a spec car radically change a sport?

Competition. Cost containment. Manufacturer relevance.

The Next Gen car, first proposed in 2018 and originally set to debut this season until the pandemic delayed it until 2022, is a first-of-its-kind collaboration between NASCAR and its partners. All parties had to work toward creating a car that served the entire industry.

The long overdue unveiling Wednesday was much like a pre-pandemic NASCAR affair. Hall of Famers Richard Petty, Rick Hendrick and Joe Gibbs were part of a masked audience when reigning Cup Series champion Chase Elliott, Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin drove their respective Chevrolet Camaro, Ford Mustang and Toyota Camry into a darkened Charlotte auditorium.

It was the first public look at the most significant change to the Cup cars since the present “Car of Tomorrow” model was introduced in 2007.

For the first time in NASCAR’s 73-year history, single-source manufacturers will build the chassis, provide parts and supply the carbon composite bodies. But each individual manufacturer has the flexibility to design the shell to at last resemble the Camaros, Mustangs and Camrys anybody can drive off the car lot.

The Next Gen also led NASCAR to modern upgrades found on today’s street cars — rack-and-pinion steering, independent rear suspension, bigger wheels and upgraded connectivity to allow for an in-car camera in every vehicle. There is also the ability to adapt as technology changes.

As heard on WHOW, the Clinton Maroons fell to the Central A&M Raiders by a score of 6-13 on Wednesday night. The Maroons were led by the B-Roc Designs Player of the Game, Freshman Mason Walker. Walker was 3 for 4 with a run scored. He pitched 2 innings and gave up 5 runs on 3 hits while walking 4 and striking out 4. Junior Dominic Fair took the loss on the mound. Fair allowed 8 runs in 4 innings on 6 hits but struck out 8. Brooks Cluver had 2 runs added in. Jaxson White was 2 for 2 with 3 runs scored.

The Raiders were led by Freshman Gavin Houchins. Houchins took the win on the mound, he pitched 4 plus innings, gave up 3 runs on 4 hits, struck out 5. At the plate, he was 2 for 4 with 3 runs batted in.

With the loss, the Maroons fall to 0-3 overall. The Raiders improve to 1-2 overall.

The Lady Maroons take on Shelbyville on Wednesday, May 12th. The Maroons take on Tuscola on Tuesday, May 18th. You can hear the game live The Big 1520 AM/92.3 FM/106.5 FM WHOW and online at dewittdailynews.com, at the WHOW mobile app, and at Amazon Alexa.

As heard on WHOW, Dylan Cease threw one-hit ball for six innings, struck out 11 and amazingly got three hits in his first pro plate appearances as Chicago routed the Cincinnati Reds 9-0.

Cease doubled and singled twice before getting pulled for a pinch-hitter.

Cease is the first American League pitcher since Jarrod Washburn in 2001 to have a three-hit game. He is the first White Sox pitcher with three hits in a game since Tom Bradley on May 14, 1972, against Baltimore, a year before the designated hitter came into play.

Cease (2-0) became the second White Sox pitcher to have three or more hits and 10 or more strikeouts in a game, joining Red Faber on April 15, 1915, at St. Louis. Cease also tied his career for strikeouts.

After the first pitch was delayed more than an hour by rain, the White Sox roughed up Jeff Hoffman (2-2) for three runs in the first.

Abreu, who had two hits in his previous 19 at-bats, hit his sixth homer of the season. Abreu had a pair of hits and three RBIs as the White Sox for the eighth time in 11 games.

Cease's first career hit loaded the bases and Anderson delivered a two-run single. Anderson had two hits and drove in three runs.

Hoffman lasted 2 1/3 innings, his shortest outing of the season.

Cease did not allow a hit until Tucker Barnhart's single to begin the fifth. Barnhart had the only two hits for the Reds.

Luis Robert was diagnosed with a Grade 3 right hip flexor strain and placed on the 10-day injured list after suffering the injury running to first base in Sunday's game. Robert is not expected to resume baseball activity for 12 to 16 weeks.

Dallas Keuchel, who has 17 strikeouts over 18 innings but no-decisions in three career starts against the Reds, will be opposed by RHP Sonny Gray, who is making his fourth start since coming off the injured list with a muscle strain in his back. Gray is 4-0 with a 3.55 ERA in four career starts against the White Sox.

Clayton Kershaw lasted just one inning in the shortest start of his stellar career while Kyle Hendricks pitched a complete game for the Chicago Cubs in a 7-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday in the opener of a split doubleheader.

Exactly 11 years after he went just 1 1/3 innings against Milwaukee in what was his shortest start, Kershaw (4-3) didn't last long in this one.

The three-time NL Cy Young Award winner gave up four runs and four hits, including an RBI single by Anthony Rizzo and three-run double by David Bote. He faced nine batters in a 39-pitch inning as his ERA rose from 2.09 to 2.95. The Dodgers lost for the seventh time in nine games.

Hendricks (2-3) went seven innings in his sixth career complete game and the longest outing for the Cubs this season. He gave up seven hits, struck out six and walked one while lowering his ERA from 7.54 to 6.07.

Hendricks did not allow a run until pinch-hitter Keibert Ruiz homered with one out in the seventh.

The Cubs, who had lost seven of nine, coasted despite shortstop Javier Baez making three errors. Jake Marisnick homered for Chicago.

Kershaw hadn't allowed four or more runs in an inning of a regular-season game since a four-run sixth against Philadelphia on Sept. 18, 2017. The only other time he allowed four or more in a first inning was on Aug. 28, 2008, when he got tagged for five at Washington.

Kershaw gave up a one-out double to Kris Bryant, and things unraveled for him from there.

Rizzo followed with an RBI single. Baez walked and Matt Duffy singled to load the bases before Bote drove a three-run double off the wall in left-center to make it 4-0.

The Chicago Cubs placed former NL Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta on the 10-day injured list because of an abrasion on his right thumb. They also placed 2B Nico Hoerner (strained left forearm) and reliever Dan Winkler (right triceps tendinitis) on the IL, recalled left-handed pitcher Kyle Ryan and right-hander Keegan Thompson and selected INF Ildemaro Vargas from Triple-A Iowa. 

Manager David Ross said OF Ian Happ (bruised ribs), taken from the field in a cart following a collision with Hoerner during Sunday's loss at Cincinnati, was improving though still ''super sore'' and considered day to day. He added that tests showed Happ did not suffer a concussion.

Trevopr Bauer didn't get through the fifth in the nightcap, and the Chicago Cubs beat the Dodgers 7-1 and 4-3 Tuesday to sweep a day-night doubleheader.

The Dodgers sent Kershaw and Bauer to the mound, hoping two of baseball's best pitchers would put the brakes on this recent skid. Instead, they came away with two more losses.

Kershaw lasted one inning in the shortest start of his stellar career in the first game of the Tuesday doubleheader.

Kris Bryant started the inning on second and moved up on Anthony Rizzo's grounder. Bote singed to right on a 2-2 pitch from Garrett Cleavinger (0-2) for his fourth career walk-off hit.

The Cubs squeezed that one out even though they were 2 for 20 with runners in scoring position.

Bote's hit gave Justin Steele (1-0) his first career win. And Chicago took two from the World Series champions after losing seven of nine.

Bauer threw 90 pitches in 4 1/3 innings. The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner allowed one run and four hits while striking out seven as the Dodgers lost for the eighth time in 10 games.

Jason Heyward gave the Cubs a 1-0 lead when he homered leading off the fourth.

Max Muncy tied it with his drive against Chicago closer Craig Kimbrel in the seventh, forcing extra innings.

Edwin Rios scored on a wild pitch in the eighth before pinch-hitter Justin Turner hit a solo homer against Dillon Maples to give Los Angeles a 3-1 lead.

But the Cubs answered in the bottom half. Javier Baez - who entered in the sixth - launched a two-run drive against Mitch White with two outs.

Chicago's Keegan Thompson pitched two-hit ball over 3 2/3 scoreless innings in his first career start and second appearance.

Exactly 11 years after he went just 1 1/3 innings against Milwaukee in what was his shortest start, Kershaw (4-3) didn't last long in the first game.

The three-time NL Cy Young Award winner gave up four runs and four hits, including an RBI single by Rizzo and a big hit by Bote. He faced nine batters in a 39-pitch inning as his ERA rose from 2.09 to 2.95.

Walker Buehler (1-0, 3.16 ERA) starts for Los Angeles while RHP Adbert Alzolay (1-2, 4.71) fills in for Arrieta today.

The scheduled game Tuesday night between the New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals was postponed because of rain.

The teams will make it up Wednesday as part of a single-admission doubleheader beginning at 4:15 p.m. CT. Both games will be set for seven innings.

Mets right-hander Marcus Stroman (3-2, 1.86 ERA) will pitch against St. Louis lefty Kwang Hyun Kim (1-0, 3.29) in the opener. Cardinals righty Johan Oviedo (0-0, 2.79) gets the ball in the nightcap, but the Mets had not announced a starter yet.

Tuesday night's game was delayed at the outset and called after a 38-minute wait.

New York ace Jacob deGrom had been slated to start but was scratched in the afternoon due to tightness on his right side. Relief pitcher Miguel Castro was penciled in to start instead.

An MRI on deGrom showed inflammation of the latissimus dorsi muscle, a back muscle that connects the upper arm to the spine and the hip. He won't throw for a few days.

The two-time Cy Young Award winner is off to a dominant start tis season with 59 strikeouts, four walks and an 0.51 ERA in five starts covering 35 innings.

Cardinals right-hander Jordan Hicks was placed on the 10-day injured list with elbow inflammation. President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak said Hicks will be out at least four weeks.

Andrei Svechnikov ended an eight-game goal drought by scoring twice in Carolina's 6-3 win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night, keeping the Hurricanes in control of the race for home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs.

Svechnikov also had an assist on Teravainen's third-period goal for the Hurricanes, who rallied from a 2-0 deficit. Teuvo Teravainen also had a three-point game, assisting on both of Svechnikov's goals.

The line's third member, Sebastian Aho, followed his hat trick in Monday's win against the Blackhawks with a pair of third-period assists to push his point streak to nine games.

It's a reminder of just how good Carolina's top line can be now that Teravainen is back after

missing 32 of 33 because of a concussion.

Nino Niederreiter scored twice and joined Martin Necas with an empty-net goal to clinch this one, while Petr Mrazek finished with 27 saves in his first appearance in nearly two weeks after suffering a lower-body injury.

Carolina won its fifth straight game and claimed at least a point for the 12th straight outing.

Alex DeBrincat scored twice for the Blackhawks, who were eliminated from the playoff race with Monday's 5-2 loss here. This was Chicago's sixth straight loss.

The Blackhawks jumped to a 2-0 first-period lead when DeBrincat got loose on a short-handed breakaway, followed by the first NHL goal for Mike Hardman.

That lead wouldn't hold, as Niederreiter and Svechnikov each scored in the second period - followed by the Hurricanes rolling to four third-period goals. Necas' goal proved critical to closing this one out, as he scored from nearly center ice only seconds after the Blackhawks had pulled Collin Delia on a late power play facing a 4-3 deficit.

Teravainen has scored in three of five games since his return.

Carolina entered Tuesday with 77 points, two more than fellow Central Division team Florida for the NHL's best record. Vegas was third with 74 points after losing Monday at Minnesota.

Carolina was the only one of those teams in action Tuesday night on a light five-game league slate.

The teams take a day off before closing their three-game set Thursday in the Hurricanes' final home game.

Josh Carter for Clinton and Nathan Koester for Tuscola locked in a pitchers duel as the Warriors overcame a shaky start to beat the Maroons 5-3 in Central Illinois Conference boy's baseball action.

The Maroons jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the first inning. Dominick Thayer drove in a run in the three-run first. 

But the Warriors rallied to cut the deficit to 3-2 after three innings and scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to take the 5-3 lead.

Four Maroons errors did not help Jaxson White who pitched an inning of relief of Carter as he allowed two unearned runs.

Carter went five innings and allowed three runs, two were earned. He allowed three hits and permitted two walks to two strikeouts. 

Koester went six innings for Tuscola allowing three unearned runs on just one hit with seven strikeouts and walked four batters. 

The Maroons drop to 0-2 overall while the Warriors improve to 1-3. 

Clinton will host Central A&M Wednesday afternoon. Hear the action on The Big 1520 AM/92.3 FM/106.5 FM WHOW and online at dewittdailynews.com, at the WHOW mobile app and at Amazon Alexa.

A four-run third inning helped the Blue Ridge Knights hold off Arcola late in a 6-5 win in Lincoln Prairie Conference boy's baseball action Monday in Farmer City.

Tyler Nichols led the way for the Knights finishing 3-for-3 with a triple, three RBIs, and a run scored. Nichols' triple was the only extra-base hit for the Blue Ridge.

Wes Jones, Riley Pruitt, Wyatt Danner-Duncan, and Dylan Coffee recorded hits for Blue Ridge. Jones, Pruitt, and Victor Reynolds drove in runs.

Trailing 2-1 in the top of the third, the Knights scratched across four runs to take the 5-2 lead. Arcola cut the deficit to 5-4 after four innings. Blue Ridge would add a much-needed run in the sixth and held off Arcola in the seventh as they plated a run with a late rally. 

Isaiah Dalton walked twice and stole three bases, Reynolds had two swipes as the Knights had eight steals as a team. 

Dalton went five innings, allowing four runs - three were earned - on three hits, seven walks, and struck out eight. 

Cole Stephens went two innings allowing a run, a hit, issued a walk, and struck out one. 

The Knights improve to 1-3 overall and will take on Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond in Lovington Wednesday. 

Farrah Michaels went 3-for-3 but it wasn't enough as Arcola toppled Blue Ridge 13-3 in Lincoln Prairie girl's softball action Monday in Farmer City.

The Lady Knights drop to 3-2 overall and will host Chrisman Wednesday. 

The game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs scheduled for Monday night was postponed because the forecast called for inclement weather.

The teams will now play a split doubleheader at Wrigley Field on Tuesday. The first game is set for 1:20 p.m. and the nightcap will begin at 6:40 p.m.

Both games will be seven innings.

Clayton Kershaw and Trevor Bauer will pitch for Los Angeles. Kyle Hendricks will face Kershaw in Game 1, but the Cubs did not announce their starter for the second game.

Adam Wainwright came off the COVID-19 injured list and hung tough, St. Louis got a lights-out performance from its bullpen and the Cardinals beat the New York Mets 6-5 Monday night for their fifth straight win.

The Cardinals were clinging to a one-run lead in the ninth with two outs and a runner on base when the lights at Busch Stadium flickered, then went out for a moment.

When play resumed, reliever Alex Reyes walked Pete Alonso before retiring Dominic Smith on a flyball for the final out.

After the game, the Mets fired hitting coach Chili Davis and assistant hitting coach Tom Slater. New York has struggled badly with runners in scoring position this season, a trouble spot last year as well when Davis worked remotely because of coronavirus concerns.

Several accomplished hitters are off to slow starts for the Mets, including $341 million newcomer Francisco Lindor.

Nolan Arenado and Harrison Bader homered to back Wainwright's first win of the season. Four Cardinals relievers combined for 3 1/3 hitless innings.

Wainwright (1-3) had been out because of virus contact tracing. He fell behind 5-2 in the third inning, but didn't give up any more runs before leaving with two outs in the sixth.

Genesis Cabrera and Giovanny Gallegos combined for 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. Reyes worked around a pair of walks in the ninth to earn his eighth save - he has not allowed an earned run in 14 1/3 innings this season.

Joey Lucchesi (0-2) allowed six runs on seven hits in 2 2/3 innings after being recalled from the Mets' alternate training site to make the start. He has not pitched into the fourth inning in any of his three starts this season.

Smith drove in a run on a groundout and Kevin Pillar hit a two-run homer to put the Mets up in the third.

Arenado answered with a three-run drive in the bottom half to make it 5-all. His fifth home run of the season landed in the left-field bullpen. Paul DeJong and Tyler O'Neill followed with doubles to put St. Louis ahead.

Bader hit a 450-foot home run to the left field bleachers, a solo drive that made it 2-all in the second. He connected a day after hitting his first homer of the season.

Tommy Edman led off the first inning with a triple and scored on Dylan Carlson's sacrifice fly.

Wainwright hit Tomas Nido in the elbow with the bases loaded to tie it in the second. Two batters later, Jeff McNeil walked to put the Mets up 2-1.

Wainwright reached 1,000 strikeouts at the current Busch Stadium when he fanned Smith in the second inning. Wainwright is the first Cardinals pitcher to have 1,000 strikeouts at a home ballpark and 24th in major league history to accomplish the feat.

The Mets send RHP Jacob deGrom (2-2, 0.51 ERA) to the mound. deGrom's 59 strikeouts are tied with Nolan Ryan for the most all-time through a pitcher's first five starts. The Cardinals plan to counter with RHP Johan Oviedo (0-0, 2.79 ERA), who needs to be added to the active roster after having been optioned out on April 28.

Russell Westbrook had the third game in NBA history with 20-plus rebounds and 20-plus assists - he and Wilt Chamberlain have the other two - and the surging Washington Wizards moved closer to Indiana in the Eastern Conference playoff standings by outgunning the Pacers 154-141 on Monday night.

Westbrook had 14 points to go along with his career-high 21 rebounds and career-high-tying 24 assists, his league-leading 32nd triple-double of the season. He has 178 triple-doubles, three short of Oscar Robertson's record, with seven games remaining for Washington.

Magic Johnson had 138 triple-doubles, and Scott Brooks - who coached Westbrook for seven seasons in Oklahoma City before they reunited in Washington this season - said he now believes Westbrook is the second-best point guard in NBA history behind Johnson.

Rui Hachimura scored 27 points and Bradley Beal had 26 as Washington scored a season-high and moved within one-half game of Indiana for ninth place in the East. Teams that finish between seventh and 10th will enter the league's new play-in tournament for the main playoff draw.

The Wizards earned the tiebreaker over the Pacers by winning the first two meetings. The teams meet one more time this season at Indiana on Saturday.

Domantas Sabonis had 32 points and 20 rebounds and Caris LeVert scored 33 points for the Pacers, who have lost three of four. Eight Pacers finished in double figures as Indiana scored mostly at will, forcing the high-powered Wizards to work hard deep into the fourth quarter.

Sabonis played with Westbrook in 2016-17.

Washington finished the first half with a 20-8 run over the final 4:15 to take an 82-66 lead at the break. Westbrook had three of his 11 second-quarter assists during that stretch. It was Washington's highest-scoring first half of the season.

Westbrook had 14 assists and 12 rebounds at the half while taking just three shots.

Westbrook's layup with 10:23 left in the third clinched his triple-double. His 32 are the fourth most in any NBA season; he holds the record with 42.

One game removed from scoring a franchise record 152 points, the Pacers allowed a season-high in points as Washington shot 61.2% from the field.

The Pacers host Sacramento on Wednesday in the first of three straight at home.

Robert Bortuzzo got his first goal of the season and Brayden Schenn also scored, leading the St. Louis Blues to a 3-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Monday night.

Jordan Binnington had 19 saves to earn his 70th career win, becoming the 10th goaltender in Blues history to reach the mark. The Blues have won seven of their last nine against the Ducks and are 5-1-1 this season against Anaheim.

Ryan O'Reilly added an empty-netter to seal the win.

Ryan Getzlaf scored for Anaheim and John Gibson had 29 saves.

St. Louis took a 1-0 lead at 5:52 when Schenn snapped a wrist shot by Gibson for a power-play goal. Schenn has seven points in seven games against the Ducks this season.

Bortuzzo gave St. Louis a 2-1 lead at 2:13 of the third period. From behind the net, Jordan Kyrou saw Bortuzzo in the slot and his wrist shot found the back of the net. It was Bortuzzo's 17th goal in his 10-year NHL career. His last goal came March 8, 2020, at Chicago.

The Blues have won six of their last eight games at home. The win puts St. Louis five points ahead of Arizona for the final playoff spot in the West Division. The Blues have three games in hand on Arizona, which hosted Los Angeles Monday.

The teams meet again Wednesday in St. Louis.

Sebastian Aho scored twice in the second period on the way to a hat trick, helping the Carolina Hurricanes beat Chicago 5-2 on Monday night and eliminate the Blackhawks from postseason contention.

Dougie Hamilton and Martin Necas also scored for the Hurricanes, who entered this game leading the race for the Presidents' Trophy and home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs. They led nearly the entire way, going up 2-0 in the opening period and then getting Aho's scores to blow the game open en route to their fourth straight win.

Carolina has earned a point in 11 straight games, winning eight since clinching a third straight playoff trip.

Aho got his first goal when he buried a pass from Andrei Svechnikov - who stayed on his feet to lead a terrific charge up the middle of the ice for the 2-on-1 chance at 4:42 of the second.

Aho followed that minutes later by finding himself alone in front of the crease on the power play. That gave him time to set up and perfectly redirect the puck high past Malcolm Subban off a low pass from Hamilton.

That lifted Carolina to a 4-0 lead by midway through the period, pushed Aho's point streak to eight games and knocked Subban from the game in favor of Collin Delia.

Aho capped his night by beating Patrick Kane to a puck and scoring the empty-net putaway at 18:44 to earn the hat trick.

Ian Mitchell and Alex DeBrincat scored for Chicago, which also had a goal from Philipp Kurashev disallowed on replay review because Pius Suter impaired Alex Nedeljkovic's ability to play his crease position.

Chicago, sitting at sixth in the eight-team Central Division, has lost five straight and seven of nine to end its postseason chances.

The teams meet Tuesday in the second game of a three-game set as the Hurricanes close their home schedule.

The Mt. Pulaski Hilltoppers scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning for a walk-off, 10-0, 10-run rule victory over Illini Central in Tomahawk Conference baseball action Monday evening.

Landon Smith and Garrett Fitzpatrick drove in two runs apiece, AJ Bailey and Lucas Kuhlman each finished 2-for-4 as the Hilltoppers continued their offensive dominance. Drew Martin, Gavin Smith and Kuhlman each added RBIs.

Landon Smith allowed four hits in four shutout innings, striking out two and Gavin Smith allowed a walk in two hitless innings of relief. Gavin Smith struck out five. 

The Hilltoppers are 6-0 and host Cornerstone Christian tomorrow afternoon. 

The Clinton Lady Maroons managed just two hits in a 12-0 defeat to Tuscola Monday evening from Tuscola in Central Illinois Conference girls softball action.

Morgan Fortune and Kylie Raymer recorded hits for the Lady Maroons who are 0-2 on the season.

Ashley Armstrong allowed 12 runs but six were earned with three walks to one strikeout. 
 

The Lady Maroons get a day off before hosting Central A&M Wednesday at Clinton High School. 

Jackson Raper hit for the cycle as Illinois came out on top in the first game on Sunday with a final score of 13-7 in seven innings. 

Raper led the way for the Illini offense finishing 4-for-5 with seven RBI. In the first inning, Raper connected on a 2-run homer to give Illinois the early lead. Then, he hit a 2-run single in the fourth inning. Next, Raper lined an RBI triple to the gap in right-center field. He would complete the cycle with a 2-run double in the seventh inning. He is the first Illinois batter to hit for the cycle since Justin Parr vs. Purdue on April 14, 2013.

Riley Gowens (3.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 BB, 2 SO) was not as sharp as a week ago when he threw seven hitless innings. Gowens gave up four solo home runs in the game and worked with runners on base a majority of the day.

Cole Kirschsieper (1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO) came on for a second straight day to lock it down late. He extended his scoreless streak to 11.2 innings.

Similar to the second game on Saturday, the Illini got an early lead in the first inning. Justin Janas and Sarver each had RBI singles to put the Illini ahead 2-0 but it was all Michigan after that as the Wolverines routed the Illini 19-4. 

Michigan (21-11) put up seven runs in the bottom of the first, including a grand slam off the bat of Ted Burton. The Wolverines had 10 unanswered runs after four innings and continued attacking all game. The game concluded with a final score of 19-4 after seven innings.

Sarver (2-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, R) hit a solo home run in the sixth inning. The home run was his fourth of the season, matching his 2019 total.

Grant Leader (1.0 IP, 6 H, 7 R, 1 BB, 1 SO) started the contest. Illini pitchers struggled in game two with it being the fourth game in two days.

The Illini split two games with Michigan on Saturday winning 5-4 in the first contest and losing 18-8 in the second game. The weekend pod at Northwestern was adjusted as Northwestern paused team activities for at least one week due to health and safety concerns within the program.

Illinois (15-16) will return home next weekend to face Maryland in a three-game series at Illinois Field. Friday is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT, Saturday is set for 4 p.m. CT and Sunday will begin at 11 a.m. CT on Big Ten Network.

The Illinois State baseball team fell, 7-4, at Valparaiso in Sunday's series finale at Emory G. Bauer Field.

Illinois State (18-25 overall, 8-8 Missouri Valley Conference) was led by three hits by sophomore Jake McCaw and home runs from senior Jordan Libman, freshman Ryan Cermak, and junior Jack Butler. 

The Redbirds led 1-0 after two innings and 3-2 after four innings before Riley Dent recorded a key home run for Valparaiso (11-23 overall, 6-10 MVC) to put VU up two.

Libman led off the game with a home run down the right field line.

Valpo plated two unearned runs in the 3rd inning to take a 2-1 lead. 

Cermak's two-run homer in the 4th put the Redbirds back up but Valparaiso tied it in the 5th at 3-3 and led 6-3 after seven innings. 

A single by fourth-year junior Kyle Soberano cut the deficit to 6-4 but Valpo tacked on an insurance run that proved to be needed in the bottom of the 8th. 

Jack Butler blasted a two-run home run in the 9th, but the Redbirds were unable to scratch across another run.

Valpo took the series opener Friday, 3-2. The Redbirds rebounded to take the opener of a Saturday doubleheader 12-3 but dropped the second game 17-13. 

Illinois State is scheduled to travel to MVC-leader Dallas Baptist for four games starting Friday.

As heard on WHOW, Jose Ramirez and Cesar Hernandez homered, Amed Rosario had three hits and the Cleveland Indians beat the Chicago White Sox 5-0 on Sunday.

Zach Plesac and three relievers limited the White Sox to four hits as Cleveland took two of three in a series between AL Central foes that both made the playoffs last year. The Indians have won five of their last seven.

Andrew Vaughn had two hits for the White Sox, who had won seven of nine.

Ramirez hit a two-run shot - his eighth homer of the season - off Codi Heuer in a three-run seventh inning.

Hernandez connected for a solo drive off Lucas Giolito to put the Indians ahead in the third. Giolito has allowed six homers in six starts.

Rosario tripled and scored on third baseman Yoan Moncada's error when Moncada and shortstop Tim Anderson bumped into each other trying to field a popup in the fourth.

Plesac (2-3) allowed three hits and four walks while striking out six in 5 2/3 innings. He fanned Jake Lamb with the bases loaded in the third after issuing back-to-back walks and hitting Jose Abreu with a pitch.

Plesac also escaped trouble in the fourth when he struck out Anderson with two on. In two previous starts against Chicago, the right-hander had allowed 12 runs over 5 2/3 innings.

Giolito (1-3) struck out eight and allowed two runs - one earned - in 5 1/3 innings. He had given up 12 runs (11 earned) in his last 7 2/3 innings.

Luis Robert (strained right hip flexor) will go on the injured list, Tony La Russa said. Robert exited after beating out an infield single in the first inning. X-rays were negative, and he will be evaluated Monday.

After an off day Monday, Cease (1-0, 2.96) is expected to start Tuesday to begin a two-game interleague series at Cincinnati. RHP Jeff Hoffman (2-1, 3.33) will take the mound for the Reds.

Carlos Martinez pitched eight marvelous innings, Harrison Bader hit an early three-run homer and the St. Louis Cardinals blanked the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-0 on Sunday for a three-game sweep.

St. Louis has won seven straight against the Pirates and is 20-6 versus Pittsburgh since the start of the 2019 season. The sweep was the second in three series for the Cardinals, who have won eight of 10 overall.

Bader's home run came with one out in the second inning. Paul DeJong walked, Tyler O'Neill singled and, after Andrew Knizner's fielder's choice, Bader drilled a 1-1 slider left up in the zone by rookie Wil Crowe (0-1).

It was Bader's first home run of the season in his third game since returning from a forearm injury.

Martinez (2-4) was effective and efficient, allowing five hits and two walks. He struck out just three, but leaned on his cutter and got 10 groundouts and three double plays.

Alex Reyes retired the side in order in the ninth for his seventh save.

The Pirates went 0 for 8 with runners on base. No Pittsburgh player had more than one hit, and the Pirates did not get more than one hit in any inning.

Making his second major league start, Crowe dealt with traffic in every inning, partially thanks to four walks and a hit batter. He needed 97 pitches to get through five.

Crowe made the most of his first big league opportunity to hit, sending a single down the third-base line and drawing a walk in two trips to the plate.

Adam Wainwright (0-3, 4.08 ERA) is scheduled to start against the New York Mets to begin a seven-game homestand Monday. Wainwright was placed on the COVID-19 injured list Thursday due to contact tracing, but is eligible to be removed Monday. Shildt said Wainwright has repeatedly tested negative.

The Green Bay Packers believe they found ideal candidates to fill their biggest positional needs and upgraded a star-studded roster as they attempt to make a Super Bowl run.

But that won’t be a realistic short-term goal if star quarterback and reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers is playing elsewhere.

Rodgers’ reported desire to leave the Packers overshadowed any draft moves the team made over the past three days, even as team officials maintained confidence they’d have him back this fall.

While Rodgers was attending the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, the Packers were finishing up their draft by taking Mississippi offensive lineman Royce Newman in the fourth round (142nd overall), Florida defensive tackle T.J. Slaton (173rd) and Appalachian State cornerback Shemar Jean-Charles (178th) in the fifth, Wisconsin offensive lineman Cole Van Lanen (214th) and Boston College linebacker Isaiah McDuffie (220th) in the sixth and Mississippi State running back Kylin Hill (256th) in the seventh.

That followed the selections of Georgia cornerback Eric Stokes in the first round, Ohio State center Josh Myers in the second round and Clemson receiver Amari Rodgers in the third round.

Van Lanen gets to live out a childhood dream after growing up about 10 to 15 minutes from Lambeau Field. The graduate of Green Bay's Bay Port High School didn’t initially realize what was happening when the Packers called to welcome him to the organization.

Gutekunst said the Packers were torn between Myers and Amari Rodgers while making their second-round pick. They ended up landing both. Green Bay gave up a fourth-round pick to move up seven spots in the third round to take Rodgers.

Trading up to draft quarterback Justin Fields in the first round and tackle Teven Jenkins in the second round of the NFL draft only started the process of fortifying the offense for the Chicago Bears.

They had plenty of work to do after being mired near the bottom of NFL offensive statistics for the last two seasons. So they wound up making their first five picks on the offensive side, including a second tackle in Round 5 in Missouri’s Larry Borom.

After trading in each of the first two rounds, the Bears used the 151st pick they acquired in the move up for Jenkins to take Borom. Then they traded again.

In Round 6 they traded down nine spots to 217 and acquired a seventh-round pick.

They selected running back Khalil Herbert of Virginia Tech at No. 217, then with their two other sixth-round picks they drafted North Carolina wide receiver Dazz Newsome and, finally, their first defensive pick, Oregon cornerback Thomas Graham Jr. They closed in Round 7 with 24-year-old BYU defensive lineman Khyiris Tonga.

Newsome is also a punt returner and Herbert has returned kicks.

The Bears are looking for special teams help after they didn’t sign back return man Cordarrelle Patterson.

The draft provided little help for new Bears defensive coordinator Sean Desai, but Pace said that side is solid.

The Bears have veteran free agent Desmond Trufant in place to replace lost free agent Kyle Fuller. Graham could compete either at that spot or at nickel cornerback with Duke Shelley as Buster Skrine's replacement.

Kyle Busch was perfect on a pair of late restarts and won a two-lap sprint to the finish at Kansas Speedway, becoming the 10th different winner through the first 11 races of a topsy-turvy NASCAR Cup Series season.

On his 36th birthday, no less.

Busch thought he had a third-place car Sunday. His crew chief, Ben Beshore, though it was good enough for second.

Busch had stalked Kyle Larson all afternoon before beating him on a late restart to take the lead. Then, after another caution in the closing laps, Busch followed up his Truck Series win Saturday night by earning another trip to victory lane.

It’s his 17th straight season with a win, tying David Pearson for second on the all-time list and moving him within one of Richard Petty’s record streak. It also was his first with Beshore calling the shots from the pit box, and it gives Joe Gibbs Racing three drivers qualified for the playoffs along with Martin Truex Jr. and Christopher Bell.

Kevin Harvick overcame a tire mishap on a late pit stop and took advantage of some chaos on the final restart to finish second. Brad Keselowski dominated the early laps before following his win at Talladega last week by finishing third, and Matt DiBenedetto and Chase Elliott rounded out the top five.

Larson led a race-high 132 laps before his day ended in 19th place and bitter disappointment.

Even after he was beaten by Busch on that late restart, he had another chance when Bell got sideways in Turn 4 to bring out another caution. But on the restart with two laps to go, Larson got trapped behind Ryan Blaney and wound up getting him sideways while trying to give him a push, taking both of them out of contention.

It was nearly a perfect finish for his team owner, Rick Hendrick, whose late son Ricky won his only Truck Series race at Kansas in 2001. Just as Larson did in winning at Las Vegas, he was driving the red, white and blue paint scheme that was nearly identical to the one Hendrick drove 20 years ago.

Ricky Hendrick died along with nine others in a plane crash on Oct. 24, 2004, near Martinsville, Virginia.

Denny Hamlin, also searching for his first win, had a similarly frustrating finish. He had taken the lead on a restart with 32 to go before Larson applied pressure from behind and Hamlin wound up slapping the wall to bring out a caution.

DiBenedetto has quietly stacked up three straight top-10 runs for Wood Brothers Racing. He was ninth at Richmond and nearly won at Talladega before finishing fifth. His fourth-place run Sunday was his best of the season.

It’s the annual Throwback Weekend at Darlington, when teams roll out old-school paint schemes for the Cup Series race on Sunday. Among those so far revealed: Larson in his first go-kart’s colors, Elliott in the Hooters colors of Alan Kulwicki, Joey Logano honoring Mario Andretti’s first F1 win in 1971 and William Byron paying homage to Neil Bonnett.