MAGAZINE

WEEK 21WWW.LMDMAG.COM MAY 2018

2 - 3

The Chicago Fire (3-6-2, 11 pts.) fell 3-2 against the Houston Dynamo (4-3-3, 15 pts.) on Sunday at Toyota Park. The Fire rallied from an early 1-0 deficit to take a 2-1 lead at the break thanks to goals from Nemanja Nikolić and Diego Campos. However, the Dynamo tallied twice to knock off Chicago for the first time in their last eight regular season meetings at Toyota Park. Houston opened the scoring early in the first half after Tomás Martínez sprung Romell Quioto with a through ball near mid-field. Quioto dribbled into the box and beat Fire goalkeeper Richard Sánchez to make it 1-0. Nikolić scored his sixth goal of the season to level the match at 1-1 in the 14th minute. Schweinsteiger led Brandon Vincent into the box with a lofted pass, and the third-year left back centered with a first-touch header. Nikolić darted inside a Dynamo defender to polish off the chance on the doorstep. Campos opened his MLS account moments later to give the Fire a 2-1 lead. Kevin Ellis was first to a deflected Schweinsteiger cross, clipping a pass to Nikolić at the top of the box. Nikolić surveyed the scene and slid a weighted ball through Houston’s back line and into the path of Campos, leaving the rookie midfielder one-on-one with Dynamo goalkeeper Joe Willis for a tap-in finish. Alberth Elis equalized from the penalty spot for the Dynamo in the 57th minute after Sánchez was whistled for a foul in the box. Elis doubled his haul 16 minutes later to give the Dynamo their decisive 3-2 advantage. Elis took a pass from Óscar Boniek García near midfield and raced into the box before tucking his shot inside the far post. The Fire next face Orlando City SC on Saturday, May 26 at Orlando City Stadium (6:15 p.m. CT Pre-Game Show presented by CIBC / 6:30 p.m. CT kickoff on ESPN+ and Univision Deportes Chicago 1200AM).

Chicago Fire 2:3 Houston Dynamo May 20, 2018 – Toyota Park Attendance: 14,206

Scoring Summary:HOU – Romell Quioto (Tomás Martínez) 4’CHI – Nemanja Nikolić (Brandon Vincent, Bastian Schweinsteiger) 14 ‘CHI – Diego Campos (Nemanja Nikolić, Kevin Ellis) 16’HOU – Alberth Elis (penalty kick) 57’HOU – Alberth Elis (Óscar Boniek García) 73’

Misconduct Summary:CHI – Mo Adams (caution) 38’HOU – Óscar Boniek García (caution) 67’HOU – Romell Quioto (caution) 79’HOU – Alberth Elis (caution) 80’CHI – Richard Sánchez (caution) 83’CHI – Rafael Ramos (caution) 90’+1’HOU – Joe Willis (caution) 90’+6’

Chicago Fire: Richard Sánchez; Kevin Ellis (Rafael Ramos 87’), Johan Kappelhof, Grant Lillard, Brandon Vincent; Mo Adams (Alan Gordon 73’), Bastian Schweinsteiger ©, Tony Tchani; Diego Campos, Nemanja Nikolić, Aleksandar Katai (Daniel Johnson 60’).

Subs not used: Patrick McLain, Jorge Corrales, Jonathan Campbell, Brandt Bronico. Shots: 6; Shots On-Goal: 3; Fouls: 10; Saves: 2; Offsides: 2; Corners: 3.

Houston Dynamo: Joe Willis; Andrew Wenger, Adolfo Machado, Alejandro Fuenmayor, DaMarcus Beasley ©; Óscar Boniek García, Eric Alexander; Alberth Elis, Tomás Martínez (Arturo Álvarez 87’), Romell Quioto (Luis Gil 85’); Mauro Manotas (Leonardo 78’).

Subs not used: Chris Seitz, Adam Lundqvist, Eric Bird, Memo Rodríguez. Shots: 13; Shots On-Goal: 5; Fouls: 11; Saves: 1; Offsides: 1; Corners: 10.

CREDIT: CHICAGO FIRE SOCCER CLUB

3WWW.LMDMAG.COM

Chicago Fire Fall 3-2 Against Houston Dynamo at Toyota Park

4 WWW.LMDMAG.COM

The Red Stars earned a point on the road after battling to a 0-0 draw against Seattle Reign FC. Chicago continues its undefeated streak on the road.

The first half showed equal opportunities from both sides, but neither Seattle nor Chicago could find their way to the back of the net.

Seattle saw an opportunity in the seventh minute as Jodie Taylor received the ball inside the box with no one on her. Goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher was able to make a sliding save and the shot deflected off the keeper’s foot out of danger.

Nearing halftime, Danielle Colaprico’s corner kick fell to the far post, where it was headed on to Arin Gilliland. The defender then headed it toward the net from close range, but goalkeeper Lydia Wil-liams was able to swat it away. Off the rebound, Sam Johnson took an off-balance strike, falling into the hands of Williams, leaving the match at a scoreless stalemate to open the second half.

The second 90 minutes showed much the same of the first, as both sides found a couple chances in their attacking third.

Off a free kick, Sofia Huerta was able to strike it past the Seattle wall, but Williams was there to easily catch the ball and send it back into play. Naeher also found herself needed as Megan Rapinoe struck a ball from outside the box to be pushed over the crossbar by the Chicago keeper.

In what could’ve been a game winner for Seattle, Rapinoe picked up a loose ball but the quick shot was deflected by the Chicago backline, leaving the game at a 0-0 draw.

The Red Stars are back in Chicago for Lifetime’s Game of the Week on Saturday, May 26, against the Orlando Pride. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT and will be broadcast live on Lifetime.

MAJOR SAVES:CHI – Alyssa Naeher (7’) – Right out of the gate, the Reign found their first look at a goal at the feet of Jodie Taylor. Receiving the ball inside the box, Taylor was able to control with no defenders to threaten. Taking a touch, Taylor tried to softly put it past Alyssa Naeher on the ground, but Naeher’s quick reflexes stopped the Reign’s only true chance for a goal in the first half.

CHI – Alyssa Naeher (68’) – As Seattle started to stretch the field, Jess Fishlock found Megan Rapinoe wide up the field. Controlling the ball, Rapinoe was able to cut back and find her way to the middle of the field, just outside the box. Making her first major strike of the match, Rapinoe sent the ball high toward the net, but Naeher was able to skim the ball over the crossbar.

CHICAGO RED STARS MATCH REPORT

MATCH: Chicago Red Stars vs. Seattle Reign FCDATE: Saturday, May 19; 9:00 p.m. CTVENUE: Memorial Stadium; Seattle, WashingtonBROADCAST: NWSL app, go90 appATTENDANCE: 3,597WEATHER: 66 degrees, cloudy

SCORING SUMMARY: 1 2 FCHI 0 0 0SEA 0 0 0

Chicago Red Stars Lineup: 1-Alyssa Naeher; 14-Sarah Gorden, 5-Katie Naughton, 16-Sam Johnson, 3-Arin Gillil-

Chicago Splits a Point with Scoreless Draw in Seattle

and; 24-Danielle Colaprico, 2-Nikki Stanton, 8-Julie Ertz (capt.) (12-Yuki Nagasato, 75); 11-Sofia Huerta, 4-Alyssa Mautz, 20-Sam KerrSubstitutes: 7-Taylor Comeau, 13-Lauren Kaskie, 15-Michele Vasconcelos, 19-Summer Green, 21-Emily Boyd, 22-Rosie WhiteHead coach: Rory Dames

Seattle Reign FC Lineup: 1-Lydia Williams; 7-Steph Cately, 19-Kristen McNabb, 24-Alyssa Kleiner, 3-Lauren Barnes; 6-Allie Long, 20-Jess Fishlock (17-Beverly Yanez, 87), 20-Rumi Utsugi; 9-Nahomi Kawasumi (22-Jasmyne Spencer, 72), 15-Megan Rapinoe (capt.), 14-Jodie TaylorSubstitutes: 8-Theresa Nielsen, 11-Elizabeth Addo, 12-Morgan Andrews, 18-Michelle Betos, 26-Maddie BauerHead coach: Vlatko Andonovski

STATS SUMMARY: CHI/SEAShots: 11/10Shots on Goal: 4/4Saves: 4/4Fouls: 12/10Offsides: 2/4

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY:CHI – Nikki Stanton (caution) 26’CHI – Katie Naughton (caution) 46’SEA – Kristen McNabb (caution) 86’CHI – Danielle Colaprico (caution) 90+3’

OFFICIALS:Referee: Ekaterina KorolevaAssistant Referees: Chris Elliott, Joshua Haimes4th Official: Sya Magee

CREDIT: CHICAGO RED STARS

WWW.LMDMAG.COM6

After pulling Welington Castillo from Monday night's 3-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox manager Rick Renteria praised the veteran catcher. "That's uncharacteristic of him," Renteria said. "He's always going to give you a lot of energy." Coming to the plate in the sixth inning with the Sox trailing 3-2 and runners on second and third with no outs, Castillo popped out to Orioles first baseman Chris Davis. He was obviously frustrated, but Castillo did not run to first base. In the seventh, Omar Narvaez was the White Sox's catcher. Renteria said it was important to bench Castillo. "It's setting the tone, not only for here but for the minor leagues," Renteria said. "For me, it's really simple. I've got to do this so everybody understands what we're trying to do here." Castillo was unavailable for comment after the game. "(Renteria) said in spring training he has to make an ex-ample of whoever doesn't go by the rules," said Sox starter Hector Santiago, who took the loss after allowing 3 solo home runs in 6 innings. "It's for the young guys coming up, so they can know how to play the game hard, 27 outs. Who knows if (Castillo) runs down there and maybe distracts the first baseman and the ball falls in, you never know."

The day after:Welington Castillo was behind the plate Sunday when Reynaldo Lopez delivered his best major-league start.In the White Sox's 3-0 win over Texas, Lopez pitched a career-high 8 innings and didn't allow a run while giving up 2 hits."He had really good life on his fastball," Castillo said. "We were attacking the strike zone in and out with the fastball and changing speeds when we needed to change. That's the type of guy that he is and we hope that he continues to pitch the way he did yesterday." After picking up his first win of the season, Lopez boldly claimed, "I'm the best. I'm not saying the other guys are not, I'm just saying that's the confidence I have."Castillo also praised the 24-year-old righty. "He can be really good," Castillo said. "He's blessed. God blessed him with the ability of the arm he has and the type of pitcher that he is. He just has to continue to work hard and perform out there."

Help wanted:With Avisail Garcia (hamstring) and Nicky Delmonico (fractured hand) on the disabled list and expected to be side-lined until at least late June, the White Sox desperately need outfield depth. On Monday, they signed Michael Saunders and assigned the 31-year-old outfielder to Class AAA Charlotte. Last week, Saunders asked for and was granted his release from Class AAA Norfolk, the Orioles' top minor-league team. In 25 games, Saunders batted .161 with 1 home run and 14 RBI. A veteran of nine seasons with Seattle, Toronto and Philadelphia, Saunders was an all-star in 2016 while batting .253 with 24 homers and 57 RBI for the Blue Jays.

Around the horn:Dylan Covey gets the start for the White Sox on Wednesday night against Baltimore. The right-hander started Game 2 of a doubleheader at Kansas City on April 28 and allowed 4 runs on 7 hits and 3 walks in 6 innings … Tim Anderson drew his 14th walk Monday, a career high. The Sox's shortstop had 13 walks last year and in 2016 … Class AA Birming-ham catcher/designated hitter Seby Zavala was placed on the disabled list with a nagging wrist injury. Zavala leads the Southern League with 10 home runs.

CREDIT: Scot Gregorhttp://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20180521/castillo-benched-in-chicago-white-soxs-3-2-loss-to-orioles

Castillo benched in Chicago White Sox's 3-2 loss to Orioles

A pivotal moment for Chicago Cubs righty Yu Darvish came in the fourth inning on Sunday. He had just walked Cincinnati Reds starter Tyler Mahle and was showing some signs of frustration. It wasn't the first time he had issued a free pass to the opposing pitcher this season, and with two Reds on base and two outs, it was anyone's guess what would happen next. Darvish had imploded in other similar situations in a Cubs uniform, so first baseman Anthony Rizzo decided to pay him a visit. "He walked the pitcher," Rizzo recalled after the Cubs' 6-1 win. "He's walked the pitcher a couple of times. He was pissed. I've gotten to know him. You just go over and calm him down a bit. I said, 'Don't worry, we'll score some runs for you.'" It took one pitch for Darvish to get out of the jam as he induced Billy Hamilton to pop up to shortstop Javier Baez. Inning over. "I was trying to calm myself, letting the frustration come out," Darvish said through his interpreter about that mo-ment. "I was thinking of saying something out loud, to get it out of my system, and Rizzo came over and said the same thing, 'You look very frustrated. Let's keep it together.'" The rest of the day went smooth for the 31-year-old as he earned his first win as a Cub and 150th overall, combining his time in the majors with his years in Japan. "He's one of the best," Rizzo said. "Happy he's in the win column." The difference for Darvish, who came into the outing with a 5.56 ERA, was his fastball. According to ESPN Stats & Information, opponents were hitting .333 in at-bats that ended on it before Sunday's start. And the pitch was missing bats only 17 percent of the time. But the Reds couldn't catch up to it, earning just one hit in 12 at-bats that ended on fastballs, while whiffing 36 percent of the time on it. "The difference was, after the first inning, he really gained command of his fastball," manager Joe Maddon said. "Dotting that up at 95 and 96 mph ... My take on him is when he gets into a rhythm out there, it's almost like he stops thinking and just starts pitching. I think he has a tendency to overthink things. When he gets the ball back from the catcher, sees sign, sees glove and throws it, man he gets really good, fast." Getting past that first inning was another big moment for Darvish. His command was off to start the game as he loaded the bases on a walk, single and hit-by-pitch. Was the implosion going to come earlier than usual? "My off-speed and my fastball weren't there in the first inning," Darvish said. "I'm still changing my mechanics, so there is still room to wiggle." Darvish gave up a run, but that's all the damage he would allow after throwing 39 pitches in the first inning. Amazing-ly, Maddon almost sent him out for the seventh inning, as his pitch count was just 94 at that point. He gave the Cubs hope that he has turned the corner with his new team. He allowed just two hits in six innings. He also pitched well in his last outing but only lasted four innings due to cramping. "It's definitely a confidence boost, the last two outings, including today," Darvish said. "I'm eager to go out there and do what I do every time." Darvish was aided by back-to-back home runs by Kyle Schwarber and Baez. Later, Schwarber got ejected for the first time in his career due to arguing a high strike-three call by plate umpire John Tumpane. "I flipped my bat and said it was high, and I said a choice word in there," Schwarber explained. "I don't want to show him up. I wasn't looking at him. And then he just threw me out, and that's when I kind of lost it, because I didn't think that ejection was necessary." Baez came in between Schwarber and the umpire before things escalated, and the ejection didn't have an effect on the outcome of the game. That's because Darvish buckled down in two innings that could have gone south on him. The Cubs' starting rotation has been better of late, which isn't lost on Darvish. "Not only does everyone else have wins, but their stuff, in general, is just better than mine," Darvish said. "Going forward, that has an effect." In the end, it's just one game, but he has to start somewhere. And the idea of taking a moment for himself when the pressure mounts is something Darvish says he'll take with him moving forward. He'll take a breath and perhaps get a visit from a teammate. It worked Sunday, finally earning Darvish a W with the Cubs. "One win is much better than zero wins, so hopefully I can ride the wave," Darvish said. "After the game, Rizzo came up to me and said, 'You looked very frustrated out there.' That made me laugh."

CREDIT: Jesse Rogers ESPN Staff Writer http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/23557144/yu-darvish-toughs-start-gets-first-chicago-cubs-win

Yu Darvish overcomes frustrations to get first win with Cubs

WWW.LMDMAG.COM 7