News » ss, Coffey missed part of his jun

LOS ANGELES -- Corey Seager has become an NL MVP Award candidate as a rookie with timely homers and a big batting average.He made himself the difference in a game Sunday just by running hard to second base.Brock Stewart and four relievers combined on a four-hitter and Andrew Toles scored on a fielders choice in the eighth inning thanks to Seagers hustle, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers over Jon Lester and the Chicago Cubs 1-0.With one out in the eighth, pinch-hitter Toles was hit by a pitch, and then Trevor Cahill (3-4) threw away Howie Kendricks short roller, allowing Toles to reach third.After an intentional walk to Seager and a strikeout, Adrian Gonzalez hit a soft grounder to the left side, away from the shifted Cubs defense. Javier Baez stumbled backward to field it and made a casual throw to late-arriving second baseman Ben Zobrist. Umpires ruled a sliding Seager beat Zobrist to the bag, allowing Toles to score, and a review upheld the call.As soon as I saw him (Baez) throw to second I knew I had a chance of being safe, Seager said. Fortunately, it worked out for us.Seagers right foot slid into the base with Zobrists left foot barely inches from coming down on the bag.I didnt expect to be late on the play, but we didnt communicate on the play, Baez said. (Seager) beat the throw. Next time, I will be better and will be in my spot.We made a mental mistake at second and it costs us, Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. (Javier Baez is) a young player but he has as much instinct for this game as anyone Ive ever seen. Im not going to beat up my guys.The Dodgers took two of three from the Cubs over the weekend and maintained a two-game lead over the San Francisco Giants in the NL West.Stewart struck out eight over five innings of two-hit ball, and then Jesse Chavez, Grant Dayton, Joe Blanton and Kenley Jansen closed up shop. Blanton (5-2) got the win and Jansen got three outs for his 39th save.Were very excited for Brock, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. We believe in Brock. He was throwing his fastball, slider and change pitches with conviction.Stewart began the season with Class A Rancho Cucamonga and was making just this third big league start. He struck out eight of the first 12 batters to set a career high and struck out six in a row during one stretch.He also got his first major league hit with a single in the third off Lester. He was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the fifth after throwing 80 pitches.I could have thrown more, but it is not my decision, he said. And we got the win and that is all that matters.Lester struck out six and pitched three-hit ball over six innings, and the Cubs also four-hit the Dodgers.I felt efficient early in the game but in the fifth and sixth innings they ran deep counts and made me work, Lester.Kendrick walked to lead off the first and reached third on an errant pickoff attempt by catcher David Ross, but Lester struck out Seager, Justin Turner and Gonzalez successively to end the threat.DISASTER AVERTEDSeager and second baseman Charlie Culberson bumped into each other and nearly dropped a pop-up by Addison Russell in the eighth inning. Both players called for the ball beyond second base, and Seager got his glove on it first but was brushed by Culberson. The ball popped out of Seagers glove and hit off Culbersons mitt before Seager barehanded it for the third out.TRAINERS ROOMCubs: RHP John Lackey (right shoulder strain) will throw a bullpen session Monday at home, and manager Joe Maddon said Lackey is scheduled to throw a second bullpen session during Chicagos homestand before a decision is made about when he will be activated.Dodgers: OF Andre Ethier (broken right tibia) went 0 for 3 and played four innings in right field for Rancho Cucamonga on Saturday night in his second rehab game. Hes been out since spring training. ... Louis Coleman (right shoulder fatigue) is on rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City and has tossed scoreless innings in three rehab games there and with the rookie-level Arizona League Dodgers.ROAD WARRIORSEntering this game, the Cubs (37-27) were one of two NL teams at least 10 games over .500 on the road. The St. Louis Cardinals were the other (38-24).UP NEXTCubs: RHP Jake Arrieta (16-5, 2.62) will open a seven-game homestand Monday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Last time out, Arrieta gave up two hits in eight scoreless innings to earn his league-leading 16th victory against the San Diego Padres.Dodgers: RHP Kenta Maeda (13-7, 3.37) will start at Colorado on Monday. He has gone 5-0 in his last six starts and has limited opposing hitters to a .226 average. Donovan Mitchell Jazz Jersey . James, who turned 29 on Monday, injured his groin Friday during the Heats overtime loss at Sacramento. He sat out the following game, a 108-107 win Saturday in Portland, before coming back to help send the Nuggets to their seventh consecutive loss. Pete Maravich Jersey . - Chris Tierney snapped a tie with a power-play goal late in the third period as the London Knights rallied from a 3-0 deficit to beat the Erie Otters 5-3 in Ontario Hockey League action on Wednesday. http://www.jazzauthentic.com/kids-tony-bradley-jazz-jersey/ . The 18-year-old American had five birdies in her bogey-free round for a 17-under total of 196. Lee held the overnight lead but mixed three birdies with two bogeys for a 70. Rudy Gobert Jazz Jersey . Woodson said during a radio interview Thursday that the Knicks Carmelo Anthony doesnt get the same calls as other superstars. Jeff Hornacek Jazz Jersey . -- There were so many positives from the Orlando Magics first victory of the season that it was hard for coach Jacque Vaughn to stop praising his players. Newcomers dont take long to make a splash in college basketball -- not in this world of one-and-dones and transfers. Over the next two weeks, we will look at the top five newcomers in each of the 10 biggest conferences. Next up is the Big Ten.Expected and unexpected -- thats the best way to sum up the Big Tens incoming crop of freshmen. Some -- most, even -- are going where youd expect the top players to go, to the established programs with the national reputations. But in a league that sometimes seems stagnant, if not downright boring, some signs of change are coming, with a handful of players taking risks on teams that are trying desperately to upset the status quo.Heres a look at the top newcomers in the Big Ten:Miles Bridges, Michigan State Spartans Bridges could be the latest in a long line of Flintstones to make his mark with the Spartans. Ranked eighth in his class, the small forward from Flint, Michigan, anchors a stellar recruiting class for coach Tom Izzo, a crew of freshmen that should help Spartans fans cope with the loss of Denzel Valentine a little more easily. Bridges already has shown he has serious ups --?check out this video of him touching the top of the backboard -- but hes got a lot more than hops. Built like a linebacker, hes a power wing who can score but also has the blue-collar workman skills that Izzo loves. The last Flintstones -- Mateen Cleaves, Morris Peterson and Charlie Bell -- did pretty well for Michigan State, winning a national title in 2000. While its a lot to ask of Bridges to do that on his own, its not out of the question with the rest of the class hes bringing, along with what the Spartans have returning.Josh Langford, Michigan State Spartans See above? Sort of. Langford isnt the same player as Bridges, but the same rules apply. Hes yet another reason ?this could be a very good year for Michigan State. Valentine once compared the shooting guard to Kobe Bryant, which might just be a touch hyperbolic. Still, Langford is a multiskilled combo guard whos terrific at getting to the rim. Presuming his 3-point shot improves, hell be a huge offensive weapon for Izzo. And considering he is just the second of four top-100 recruits coming to Michigan State -- point guard Cassius Winston and center Nick Ward are the other two -- the Spartans could have easily owned the majority of this list.DeRon Davis, Indiana Hoosiers Coach Tom Crean promised Davis a scholarship before the power forward even got into high school, offering a spot on the Hoosiers roster back when Davis was an eighth-grader.ddddddddddddOf course at the time, Davis was the top-rated eighth grader in the country, so it wasnt a terrible idea. Like most early rankings and early offers, theirs was tested. Davis ranking didnt remain static as he matured. Plus the Hoosiers didnt necessarily remain a safe choice, as Creans job security came under heavy scrutiny. Davis scored more than 1,500 points, pulled down more than 1,000 rebounds and set a Colorado state record in blocked shots in high school. The two sides remained loyal, and the result is an upgrade from a formidable Hoosiers frontcourt into a downright terrifying one. With Thomas Bryant and OG Anunoby electing to stay in school, defending Big Ten champion Indiana is loaded.Amir Coffey, Minnesota Golden Gophers Whether Coffey turns out to be the best remains to be seen. He just might be the most critical. With coach Richard Pitino feeling the fire around him, keeping local boy Coffey home was vital. Ranked 32nd in his class, Coffey missed part of his junior year after tearing his ACL, but he rebounded big in his senior year, earning a spot in the nationwide Jordan Brand Classic. The son of Richard Coffey, who played at Minnesota and briefly in the NBA, Coffeys style is different from his fathers -- more fluid than forceful -- but hes clearly learned how to play the game. His basketball IQ and deft passing skills have turned as many heads as his scoring ability. Heaven knows, Coffey will get the chance to play right away for the Gophers. Now the question is, can he help turn things around?Tony Carr, Penn State Nittany Lions No, thats not a typo. One of the top newcomers in the Big Ten is, in fact, going to Penn State -- to play basketball. Carr headlines the class that Nittany Lions fans have been waiting on and coach Pat Chambers has been desperately trying to attract, a class that actually ranks 25th in the nation. Carr is the big prize, a point guard who could earn a starting spot as soon as practice starts. Equally important is that he, Nazeer Bostick and Lamar Stevens all graduated from Philadelphia power Roman Catholic High School. For years Penn State has struggled to tap into the crucial and plentiful Philly recruiting bed. If Carr & Co. succeed, this could open a pipeline that perhaps could finally change the Nittany Lions fortunes. ' ' '