Golden Play of the Week: I-Cubs first homerun of the season
Our Golden Play of the Week is a salute to the Iowa Cubs and opening day at Principal Park. It's scoreless in the second inning when Ben Cowles hits a two-run homerun to deep center. It's the first of the season for the I-Cubs. The I-Cubs go on to win the game 6-3.
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New York Times
34 minutes ago
- New York Times
Phillies' Jesús Luzardo rebounds after making changes to address potential tipping
PHILADELPHIA — Jesús Luzardo is a superstitious man, so he changed his hair this week for the third time in three starts. The cornrows, installed after a 12-run nightmare, disappeared following an eight-run outing. The makings of a mustache appeared on his face. 'For now,' Luzardo said. 'We'll see how long it lasts.' The lefty had another new thing: He stepped onto the Citizens Bank Park grass Wednesday afternoon with a bigger glove. Advertisement Whenever a Chicago Cubs runner reached base, Luzardo unveiled a new delivery from the stretch. He held his glove higher and closer to the Phillies crest across his chest. He looked more attentive to every movement he made whenever a runner was on second base. He hid the ball — and his pitch grip — better. He silenced Chicago's lineup, which averages the most runs per game in MLB, with 10 strikeouts and no walks over six innings. The lone run he allowed came after Nick Castellanos missed a catchable foul ball. Luzardo looked more like the breakout pitcher from his first 11 starts with the Phillies and not like the one who surrendered an unfathomable 20 runs in his previous two starts. 'There's a lot of things that we tinkered with,' Luzardo said. 'The biggest thing was attention to detail.' In the PitchCom era, teams no longer have to devote energy toward legal sign-stealing tactics. That means more attention on how opposing pitchers and catchers move. Most baseball people would argue every pitcher has a tell; it's a matter of how actionable it is. The sport is filled with paranoia because, as they say, baseball is like life. Rumors are rampant about teams using machine-learning artificial intelligence to analyze rival pitchers. Often, tipping is a convenient excuse for a struggling pitcher. It's hard to know how much it affects a given performance. Some pitchers would rather not hear about it unless a coach or analyst has legitimate evidence. The Phillies wondered what happened in last October's National League Division Series when the New York Mets ravaged their productive bullpen. Some harbored conspiracy theories about pitchers tipping. The team wanted to rise above that in 2025. Phillies pitching coaches have focused this season on more consistent movements on the mound. That is one way to remove tipping as a potential excuse. Advertisement Luzardo was convinced last week, following his start in Toronto, that something was amiss. He scoured video and saw Blue Jays runners on second base leaning certain ways on specific pitches. He went down a rabbit hole. He likes numbers, and he noticed a massive anomaly. He had allowed six hits over his first 11 starts whenever a runner was on second base. Opponents batted .143 (6-for-42) with a .167 slugging percentage in those situations. But, during his two disastrous outings, hitters were 9-for-10 (including two homers and a double) with a runner on second base. It was too obvious to be a coincidence, Luzardo said. As Luzardo did his research, Phillies coaches and analysts conducted theirs. Luzardo went to work with Mark Lowy, the club's 33-year-old assistant pitching coach. The Phillies weren't sure how much Luzardo was giving away, but it became clear that he was not helping matters by 'pre-gripping' the ball before stuffing it in his glove. A runner on second or a first-base coach could see it. Luzardo and Lowy, along with pitching coach Caleb Cotham and bullpen coach Cesar Ramos, tinkered with different glove positions in the bullpen between starts. They settled on one. Luzardo carried it into Wednesday's game. Carson Kelly and Justin Turner lashed consecutive singles to begin the second inning. Luzardo struck out the next three hitters — Nico Hoerner with a slider, Matt Shaw with a changeup and Vidal Bruján with a sweeping slider. He slapped his bigger glove with his left hand and looked to the sky. By then, internet sleuths had pinpointed Luzardo's tweaks. Nothing like stress testing new mechanics in a big-league game. Jesús Luzardo, Changeups (both with a runner on 2B) Old hand position is in Red outline. — Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 11, 2025 Maybe it didn't make a huge difference. But Luzardo was armed with the confidence that he had solved something. That can be empowering. 'Maybe a little bit,' Phillies manager Rob Thomson said, 'but I think it's more about execution than anything else.' The manager has a point. Those runners in the previous two starts had to reach second base somehow, so it wasn't all down to this specific tell. Even if he was tipping, there was something unsustainable about how the previous two outings went: Opponents had 22 hits on 30 balls in play against Luzardo. That is an absurd rate. Advertisement 'We all just knew it was a matter of time,' Kyle Schwarber said after a 7-2 Phillies win. 'I think it was kind of just a two-blip thing, right? Don't get me wrong, there's always going to be bumps throughout the course of the season. I feel like he handles it well. He studies himself, and he wants to address what he's doing wrong. That's the impressive thing about him. It was just a matter of time for him.' This win carried added importance; the Phillies clinched the season series against the Cubs. That could factor into a potential postseason tiebreaker — or determine home-field advantage in a series. Luzardo was one of the biggest reasons the Phillies captured the season series. He allowed one earned run in 12 innings over two starts against Chicago. 'It's three plus pitches,' Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. 'It's a really good fastball, a good changeup, and a good breaking ball. I mean, he did have two rough starts. That's a good pitcher.' Since the offseason trade with Miami, these initial months with Luzardo have been a learning process for everyone involved. The Phillies had high hopes for Luzardo. They are learning the 27-year-old pitcher can be pushed. He wants to be pushed. He might even need it. If he needed a 20-run horror to teach him this lesson, so be it. 'He's a really nice guy off the field,' Thomson said. 'When he gets on that hill, he's a bear. He really is.' Luzardo has emerged as someone who fits well on a team with the highest aspirations. He'll keep growing that mustache after six strong innings erased the agony. 'I don't think anyone else on the planet wanted it more than I did,' Luzardo said. 'It's a relief.' — The Athletic's Sahadev Sharma contributed to this report.
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
Pope Leo XIV rocks White Sox hat at the Vatican in new photos
Pope Leo XIV brought his White Sox fandom to the Vatican on Wednesday. While holding a general audience in St. Peter's Square, the Chicago-bred pontiff was photographed wearing a black White Sox cap as he greeted onlookers, including a bride and groom who appeared to be fellow fans of the AL Central club. Pope Leo XIV's sports allegiances were thrust into the spotlight in May when he made history after being elected the first American pope. He succeeded Pope Francis, who died in April at the age of 88 after a lengthy battle with double pneumonia. 6 Pope Leo XIV was seen wearing a Chicago White Sox hat at the Vatican on June 11, 2025. AFP via Getty Images 6 The American-born pope greeted newlyweds in his White Sox hat. REUTERS The pope's brother, John Prevost, quickly set the record straight over which Chicago baseball team his sibling preferred amid Cubs chatter. 'He was never ever a Cubs fan, so I don't know where that came from,' Prevost told local Chicago station WGN TV. 'He was always a Sox fan. Our mother was a Cubs fan. I don't know, maybe that clued in there and our dad was a Cardinals fan, so I don't know where all that came from. 'And all the aunts, our mom's family was from the north side, so that's why they were Cubs fans.' 6 Pope Leo XIV waved to onlookers in St. Peter's Square on June 11, 2025. Getty Images 6 The pope's sports allegiances were thrust into the spotlight after he was elected. REUTERS Born Robert Francis Prevost, the Windy City native has a publicized history of supporting the White Sox, as resurfaced video showed him wearing team gear during Game 1 of the 2005 World Series against the Astros. Chicago swept Houston in four games. 6 Pope Leo XIV was elected the first American pope in May 2025. REUTERS 6 The White Sox commemorated Pope Leo XIV with a graphic at Rate Field in May 2025. AP Last month, the White Sox installed a Pope Leo XIV graphic at Rate Field in honor of their most famous fan. Beyond the White Sox, who lost a record 121 games last season, Pope Leo XIV is also a Villanova Wildcat, having graduated from the university in 1977. Knicks fans were hopeful Pope Leo's Villanova ties would fuel a championship berth with former Wildcats Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges. The Knicks ultimately lost to the Pacers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals.
CBS News
3 hours ago
- CBS News
Schwarber and Bohm homer, Luzardo strikes out 10 to lead Philadelphia Phillies past Chicago Cubs 7-2
Kyle Schwarber homered, Alec Bohm hit a solo shot and had four RBIs, and Jesús Luzardo struck out 10 in six innings to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a 7-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday. The Phillies rebounded from a 1-5 road trip (and losers of nine of 10 games overall) to take two of three at home from the Cubs. The offense that's been punchless this month perked up against the Cubs with five extra-base hits. Nick Castellanos also knocked his first triple of the year, and Max Kepler and Trea Turner both doubled. The slugging returned to Philadelphia. So did a dazzling outing from Luzardo. The left-hander who posted 20 strikeouts in consecutive starts in late May and had a 2.15 ERA was rocked in his last two starts. Luzardo (6-2) gave up 21 runs in 5 2/3 innings over his last two outings and his ERA ballooned to 4.46. Luzardo didn't walk a batter in this one, allowed only one run and recorded his fourth double-digit strikeout game in his 15th start. Max Lazar worked two innings of relief and Michael Mercado tossed a scoreless ninth for the Phillies. The Phillies scored three runs in the first off Cubs starter Ben Brown (3-5) and Schwarber hit his 21st homer of the season in the third. Bohm added a two-RBI single in the fourth and a solo shot in the eighth for a 7-1 lead. Key moment Luzardo gave up consecutive singles to open the second inning before he struck out the side. Key stat Luzardo is the first Phillies pitcher with four or more double-digit strikeout games in their first 15 starts with the team since Steve Carlton had five in 1972. Up next The Cubs return home Thursday to open a four-game series against Pittsburgh. They send RHP Jameson Taillon (6-3, 3.54 ERA) to the mound against Pirates LHP Andrew Heaney (3-4, 3.24 ERA). The Phillies are off Thursday. LHP Ranger Suárez (4-1, 2.70 ERA) gets the start Friday when the Phillies host Toronto in the opener of a three-game set. The Blue Jays did not name a starter.
