MLB Awards Watch: An epic MVP race, Cy Young picks and more
Cody Bellinger and Christian Yelich are in an NL MVP battle for the ages. Whom do we favor? Plus, the aces and rookies most likely to raise the hardware in 2019.
CHICAGO Teams
2019 NHL draft primer: Answering the 25 biggest last-minute questions
Expectations for Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko. The team that must ace the draft. Odds we see a first-round goalie. All that and more from our experts.
Maddon awed by HR boom: It's 'extraterrestrial'
Cubs manager Joe Maddon wondered what's going on with the baseball this season, after his team and the White Sox combined to hit five homers in the first four innings on Wednesday.
Jesse Rogers ESPN Staff Writer
The Cubs are calling up a top pitching prospect as righty Adbert Alzolay will take the place of Tim Collins who was designated for assignment. The Cubs believe Alzolay is on top of his game right now as Theo Epstein said recently his curveball was the best he's seen from him. Fellow Venezuelan and Cubs catcher Willson Contreras had this to say: “I hear really good stuff about him. Really good fastball command. Good spin rate. He's striking people out, he's throwing hard and it makes me proud. I know where he comes from, how hard he works every day to be here and finally his day has come.” A home grown pitcher has been a rare sight at Wrigley Field under Epstein. Alzolay could pitch in relief as soon as Thursday night.
Jesse Rogers ESPN Staff Writer
Watch Willson Contreras discuss his 2 homer night including his first grand slam since the last time he faced the White Sox.
Contreras powers Cubs past Giolito, White Sox 7-3
Willson Contreras homered twice and drove in five runs, and the Chicago Cubs handed Lucas Giolito his first loss since April by downing the Chicago White Sox 7-3 on Wednesday night.
Garcia starts game with lead-off homer for White Sox (0:30)
Bote hits solo homer in 4th (0:29)
Contreras cranks 2 home runs in Cubs' win (0:51)
Vandersloot scores 24 points, Sky beat Liberty 91-83
Courtney Vandersloot had 25 points, eight rebounds and six assists to help the Chicago Sky beat the New York Liberty 91-83 on Wednesday night.
Ex-commish Vincent hails ChiSox plan on netting
Former MLB commissioner Fay Vincent has expressed unqualified support for Chicago White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf's initiative to extend safety netting to the foul poles at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Why unlikely leadoff man Kyle Schwarber makes the Cubs so dangerous
"It gives us a lot of punch to start the game." Schwarber isn't a traditional top-of-the-order hitter, but the Chicago slugger is finding success in his second attempt in the role.
BBTN: CHW's Youth, Powerful Yankees, Power 10
Buster and Karl Ravech discuss the emergence of Eloy Jimenez, the Yankees' powerful lineup and the umpire union's response to Manny Machado (12:58). Plus, Derrick Goold with some "Inside Heat" on the Cardinals (33:00), "Hembo Knows" (47:48) and the latest Power 10 (53:18).
The most important commitments so far in the 2020 class
Many of college football's top programs are already reloading their rosters for 2020, such as Alabama adding elite athlete Drew Sanders. Here are some of the biggest commitments.
Jimenez, traded by Cubs, wins it for ChiSox in 9th
White Sox rookie Eloy Jimenez beat the team that traded him with a ninth-inning home run Tuesday night at Wrigley Field.
Schwarber smacks another leadoff homer (0:56)
Jiménez homers in 9th to power White Sox past Cubs, 3-1
Eloy Jimenez hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the ninth inning in his first game against his first major league organization, helping the Chicago White Sox beat the Chicago Cubs 3-1 on Tuesday night.
Jimenez hits the White Sox's go-ahead homer in the 9th (0:33)
Jesse Rogers ESPN Staff Writer
The Cubs got a first pitch HR from Kyle Schwarber and that was it on offense as Ivan Nova and Sox relievers shut them down in a 3-1 loss. In a drama filled moment, former Cubs prospect Eloy Jimenez hit a go-ahead ninth inning home run off of Pedro Strop to secure the win for the White Sox.
Hamels reaches milestone in 8-K outing (0:55)
William Weinbaum ESPN
Contacted by ESPN's Outside the Lines about the White Sox' plans to extend netting to the foul poles at Guaranteed Rate Field, Chicago native Erwin Goldbloom said, "Go Sox! I hope it's a start — somebody had to do it and I hope now the rest of teams will follow." Goldbloom's wife Linda died in August after a foul ball into the loge, above netting behind home plate, struck her in the head at Dodger Stadium. His daughter Jana Brody said Tuesday, "I'm thrilled they are taking action...the only other thing I want is to raise it behind the backstop, but I'll take it."
Ex-Michigan QB Peters to Illinois as grad transfer
Quarterback Brandon Peters announced on Tuesday that he is transferring to Illinois, where he will attend graduate school and have two years of eligibility remaining.
Cubs plan to go slowly with injured Hendricks
The Chicago Cubs plan to move slowly with Kyle Hendricks after tests confirmed the right-hander is dealing with a shoulder impingement.
Cubs' Kimbrel throws 1-2-3 seventh in Triple A
The Chicago Cubs still won't put a timeline on Craig Kimbrel coming up, but he took his first steps toward returning to the majors after throwing eight pitches in Triple-A.
Kimbrel has perfect minor league debut for Cubs (0:26)
ESPN Chicago 1000
NBA: 2018-19 Central Standings
MLB: 2019 NL Central Standings
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | 40 | 33 | .548 | - | W1 |
| Milwaukee | 40 | 34 | .541 | 0.5 | L3 |
| St. Louis | 38 | 35 | .521 | 2 | W1 |
| Cincinnati | 34 | 38 | .472 | 5.5 | W4 |
| Pittsburgh | 33 | 40 | .452 | 7 | W1 |
MLB: 2019 AL Central Standings
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | 48 | 25 | .658 | - | L1 |
| Cleveland | 39 | 34 | .534 | 9 | W2 |
| Chicago | 35 | 37 | .486 | 12.5 | L1 |
| Detroit | 26 | 44 | .371 | 20.5 | L1 |
| Kansas City | 25 | 49 | .338 | 23.5 | L1 |