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Two people were killed and 39 others wounded from Friday evening to Monday morning. | Sophie Sherry/Sun-Times

One person was killed and four others wounded in West Town Sunday morning.

Three people are dead and 39 others — including five teens — have been wounded in shootings in Chicago since Friday evening.

One person was killed and four others wounded in a drive-by Sunday morning in the West Town neighborhood. Gunfire erupted from a dark-colored vehicle about 3:40 a.m. in the 1500 block of North Milwaukee Avenue, striking five people, Chicago police said. A 32-year-old man was shot in the chest and taken to Stroger Hospital, where he died, police said. A 30-year-old an and four women in their 20s were stabilized at hospitals.
Sunday night, a man was shot to death in Little Village on the Southwest Side. Ruben Maravilla, 45, was on the sidewalk about 7:15 p.m. in the 2800 block of South Kildare Avenue when a vehicle pulled up, two people got out and fired shots, authorities said. He was hit in the torso and was transported to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died, police said. He lived in southwest suburban Justice.
Another man was fatally shot in Fernwood Sunday night on the Far South Side. Police found the man unresponsive in an alley with gunshot wounds to the arm and abdomen about 11:10 p.m. in the 300 block of West 102nd Street, police said. He was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he died, police said. His name hasn’t been released.

Other attacks

In nonfatal attacks, two teens and a man were shot in a drive-by in the Lawndale neighborhood. They were standing on the street about 7:50 p.m. in the 3500 block of West 12th Place when a dark vehicle pulled up and someone from inside fired shots, police said. A 16-year-old boy was shot in the leg and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in good condition, police said. A teen girl, also 16, was struck in the buttocks and was transported to Stroger Hospital in good condition. A man, 20, was shot in the hand was also taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in good condition.
Saturday afternoon, two teenagers were wounded, one critically, in Chicago Lawn on the Southwest Side. The were on the street about 5:50 p.m. in the 2500 block of West 70th Street when a dark SUV drove by and someone from inside opened fire, police said. A 17-year-old boy was struck in the arm and was taken to Holy Cross Hospital in good condition, police said. The other, 18, was shot in the chest and was transported to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition.
Friday afternoon, three people were wounded in a drive-by shooting after a funeral in West Englewood. They were attending a repast about 5:40 p.m. in the 6000 block of South Ashland Avenue when someone in a dark Jeep drove up and opened fire, police said. A man, 55, was shot in the shoulder and was taken to the University of Chicago in good condition, police said. Another man, 70, was struck in the hand and transported to St. Bernard Hospital in good condition. Another male was shot in the shoulder and drove himself to the University of Chicago Medical Center.
Sunday morning, a 16-year-old boy was grazed by a bullet in West Garfield Park on the West Side. The teen was standing outside about 1:40 a.m. in the 3800 block of West Gladys Avenue when he was grazed in the abdomen by gunfire, police said. He was driven by a friend to Mt. Sinai, where he was in good condition.
A 17-year-old walked into the University of Chicago about 3 a.m. Sunday with gunshot wounds to his pelvic area and leg Sunday morning, police said. Officials said the teen wouldn’t state where the shooting occurred. He was listed in good condition.

At least 25 others were wounded in gun violence in Chicago since 5 p.m. Friday.

Last weekend, at least least four people were killed and 41 others wounded in gun violence across Chicago.

Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.

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White Sox pitchers struck out 16 batters with 22 swings-and-misses in Sunday’s 12-6 Game 3 win over the Astros. They got 32 swings-and-misses combined in the first two games of the series.

White Sox reliever Ryan Tepera had some thoughts after the White Sox’ 12-6 victory over the Astros in Game 3 after Houston had a much tougher time against Sox pitching away from Minute Maid Park.

The Astros’ sign-stealing scandal was one of the biggest stories in baseball two seasons ago and it only took three games in the ALDS for Houston to come into question again.

“I mean, it is what it is,” Tepera said after the game. “They’ve obviously had a reputation of doing some sketchy stuff over there. We can say it’s a little bit of a difference. I think you saw the swings and misses tonight compared to the first two games at Minute Maid.”

Houston’s offense is one of the most difficult to strike out in the big leagues and struck out a combined 16 times over the first two games of the series on 32 swings-and-misses.

But White Sox pitchers were more effective in their Game 3 victory over the Astros. They struck out 16 batters — a franchise postseason record. They recorded 22 whiffs in Sunday’s victory.

After calling out Houston for potentially doing something in Houston to gain an edge at the plate, Tepera didn’t want to put the spotlight on his comments.

“That’s not really the story,” he said. “We come here to play. We’re going to compete, we’re not going to worry about what they’re going to do. All we have to do is execute pitches and they can’t hit ’em anyway.”

Buckle up for Game 4.

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White Sox fans hold a sign before Game 3 of a baseball American League Division Series against the Houston Astros, Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021, in Chicago. (AP) | AP Photos

As it was all season, the Astros’ glovework has been superior to the White Sox’ in the ALDS.

To what degree it will be addressed in 2022 remains to be seen, but the White Sox’ below-average defense that was evident this season reared its ugly head during the first two games of the American League Division Series.

Meanwhile, the Astros caught everything in sight and made good play after good play.

The difference was glaring.

“People don’t always give the importance they might need to for the defensive side of things,” Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel said.

“In the playoffs especially, pitching and defense is what wins you games, and you need to have good defense if you want to advance.”

As Astros manager Dusty Baker put it: “You can’t win on defense, but you can lose on defense. I’m more surprised when we don’t make the plays. I’m more surprised when we make errors.”

The Sox ranked 26th among 30 teams in defensive runs saved. The Astros were second.

In the first two games of the ALDS, both losses, the Sox were not charged with an error, but Leury Garcia misplayed a fly ball in right field for a two-run double in Game 2, and multiple throws from the outfield were off-target.

Gold Glove center fielder Luis Robert, caught between diving or pulling up to stop a one-hop single in Game 2, played it into a double.

Catcher Yasmani Grandal’s defensive forte is pitch-framing, not blocking, and that came to light on a wild pitch by Lucas Giolito that moved a runner from second to third, setting up a run in Game 2.

Sox catchers had 18 passed balls this season, and the combination of 84 wild pitches and 18 passed balls led the majors, as much an indicator of blocking abilities as Sox pitchers’ propensity to throw breaking balls in the dirt.

Anderson downplays experience

Shortstop Tim Anderson approaches postseason games like any old “normal” game, he said.

“I mean, I don’t really get nervous,” Anderson said before Game 3 of the ALDS. “These are the moments you want to be in.”

The Astros are used to this, it being their fifth straight postseason and all. Anderson, 13-for-25 in his first five postseason games before Sunday, played like he has done it all his life. He racked up a franchise-record four three-hit postseason games.

“The only reason it’s ‘postseason’ is because that’s what they call it,” Anderson said.

Rodon workload ‘not an excuse’

Left-hander Carlos Rodon was hoping for a win that would give him the start in Game 4. When he was breezing through the first half of the season as one of baseball’s most dominant starters, he looked like a Game 1 or 2 starter for the postseason.

But his balky shoulder turned him into a question mark in October.

“My goal this year was to just get through the whole season and obviously perform,” Rodon said. “Staying on the field and getting through the whole season, the performance would just take care of itself.

”I wouldn’t call it injury. You know, it’s more arm fatigue and soreness, to be honest.”

Noting his innings total of 42 1/3 combined over the previous two seasons, Rodon called the 132 2/3 innings this season a big workload.

“It’s not that I don’t want to take on the workload,” he said. “It’s just — it’s kind of hard on the body, I guess.

“That’s not an excuse. I’m still standing here now trying to get on the mound and pitch, do my job.”

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The Bulls’ Zach LaVine drives against the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Kevin Pangos in the first half of Sunday’s preseason game. | Tony Dejak/AP

Zach LaVine called it a good lesson learned, as the same Cavaliers team that the Bulls blew out of the building on Tuesday, showed up with a different attitude and physicality on Sunday.

CLEVELAND — J.B. Bickerstaff had a definite message to his team heading into Sunday night’s rematch with the Bulls.

“They need to feel us,” the Cavaliers coach said, referring to the idea that young teams could send a bad message to the opposition in the preseason if they appear soft.

Bickerstaff’s concern?

If a team appears to be a pushover in exhibition play, that tag could carry over into the regular season, especially against teams within the division.

Getting run out of the gym against the Bulls in Chicago on Tuesday by 36 points was unacceptable – preseason or not.

So there was definitely a different energy on Sunday at the Rocket Mortgage Field House, even in the Bulls pulling it out late, 102-101.

Good thing for the Bulls, Billy Donovan doesn’t have that exact preseason mindset.

Not that visiting coach necessarily disagreed with Bickerstaff, but this Bulls roster has Donovan operating in a different head space. Not only was Donovan’s roster put together to win games, but to make a dent in the bigger picture.

“The way I look at it is with [executive vice president of basketball operations] Arturas [Karnisovas] and [general manager] Mark [Eversley] coming in, and talking to them, the way I look at it is can we really build a sustainable culture? Are we playing to a standard? Are we building a culture?” Donovan said. “The guys that were here last year, you kind of started that process, and then the roster flipped, so we’re back to that process now. What kind of standard are we going to play to? Those are the kinds of things you’re battling towards.

“We have to establish the culture more so than, ‘Hey, we won tonight, we lost tonight.’ Maybe you win some games because you’re talented, but is what we’re doing sustainable? Can we be a sustainable team? Like, ‘OK, we won tonight, but this is not going to be sustainable against the highest-level teams.’ So what are we doing to build something that is sustainable to compete at the very highest level.”

What they’ve been doing early in this preseason was playing defense at a high level, staying relatively turnover free, and sharing the ball.

Midway through the fourth quarter — or when the regulars were basically done playing — the Bulls had allowed the Cavs to shoot 47% from the field, while looking very different in the ball movement department that was displayed in the first two games.

The starters finished their night with nine assists, turning it over 11 times.

But even on a night in which the play was less than stellar, an average showing by the Bulls (3-0) is better than a Cleveland team trying to throw haymakers.

Still, lesson learned.

“You can learn from every game,” guard Zach LaVine said. “We didn’t come out with the same aggressiveness on offense or defense, and that showed. It doesn’t matter who you played, these are all NBA players. They came out the more physical team.

“And that’s on us.”

The one highlight of the game? Chicago’s own Ayo Dosunmu riding in on the horse and playing hero. Not only did the former Illinois standout score nine points in the seven minutes down the stretch, but hit the basket to put the Bulls up three with 13.8 seconds left.

“He doesn’t have any fear at all,” LaVine said of the rookie. “He’s stone cold. Doesn’t care about the situation. He’s going to go in there and play his heart out. He pretty much won us the game.”

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Bears wide receiver Allen Robinson celebrates as he runs off the field after Sunday’s win over the Raiders. | David Becker/AP

The Bears leave the desert with an impressive victory.

Mark Potash, Jason Lieser and Patrick Finley break down the Bears’ impressive road win against the Raiders, and what it means for both quarterback Justin Fields and their dominant defense.

New episodes of “Halas Intrigue” will be published regularly with accompanying stories collected on the podcast’s hub page. You can also listen to “Halas Intrigue” wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Luminary, Spotify, and Stitcher.

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Iowa wide receiver Nico Ragaini (89) reacts after scoring a touchdown in front of Penn State safety Ji’Ayir Brown (16) during the Hawkeyes’ 23-20 win Saturday. | Matthew Putney/AP

Georgia moves to No. 1 after Alabama’s loss.

Georgia was the new No. 1 in The Associated Press college football poll Sunday by a unanimous vote, taking the top spot during the regular season for the first time since November 1982.

The Bulldogs (62 first-place votes) moved up one spot in the AP Top 25 presented by Regions Bank, a day after preseason No. 1 Alabama lost at Texas A&M. The defending national champion Crimson Tide slipped four spots to No. 5 after its first loss of the season.

After falling out of the rankings last week for the first time this season, the Aggies are back in at No. 21.

Alabama was one of two top-five teams to lose Saturday, opening the door for several teams to rise to rare heights.

Iowa is No 2, up one spot after winning a top-five matchup with Penn State. The Hawkeyes have their best ranking since they reached No. 1 in 1985.

No. 3 Cincinnati has its best ranking ever.

No. 4 Oklahoma moved up two spots after a come-from-behind victory against Texas in the Red River Rivalry.

No. 5 Alabama had a run of 14 straight polls at No. 1 snapped. It is out of the top three for the first time since 2019.

The Big Ten dominates the back half of the top 10 with Ohio State at No. 6, Penn State at No. 7, Michigan at eighth and Michigan State 10th. The Big Ten has five top-10 teams for the first time in the history of the AP poll, which dates to 1936.

Oregon slipped in at No. 9. Kentucky moved up five spots to No. 11 for the Wildcats’ best ranking since 2011.

POLL POINTS

— The last time Georgia was No. 1 was the 2008 preseason poll, but the Bulldogs slipped after the first week of games — even though they won — and has not been back.

This is the 16th time overall the Bulldogs have held the top ranking and the first time they have been a unanimous No. 1.

OUT

Auburn dropped out of the rankings after losing for the second time this season. The Tigers were the latest team smothered by Georgia’s dominant defense.

Auburn did manage to score an offensive touchdown against the Bulldogs, just the second one this season yielded by Georgia.

CONFERENCE CALL

The only other league that has had half the top 10 in the rankings is the Southeastern Conference, which has done it 23 times, according to ESPN.

Not including last season when some FBS teams were ineligible for the poll early in the season because their conferences were not planning on playing a fall schedule, the last time the SEC had five top-10 teams was the final regular-season poll of 2019.

SEC — 7 (Nos. 1, 5, 11, 13, 17, 20, 21).

Big Ten — 5 (Nos. 2, 6, 7, 8, 10).

Big 12 — 3 (Nos. 4, 12, 25).

ACC — 2 (Nos. 16, 22).

American — 2 (Nos. 3, 23).

Pac-12 — 2 (Nos. 9, 18).

Mountain West — 1 (No. 24).

Sun Belt — 1 (No. 15).

Independent — 2 (Nos. 14, 19).

RANKED vs. RANKED

No. 11 Kentucky at No. 1 Georgia. The de facto SEC East championship.

No. 12 Oklahoma State at No. 25 Texas. The Longhorns get a crack at the other undefeated Big 12 team this week after a crushing loss to Oklahoma on Saturday.

THE TOP 25

1. Georgia 6-0

2. Iowa 6-0

3. Cincinnati 5-0

4. Oklahoma 6-0

5. Alabama 5-1

6. Ohio St. 5-1

7. Penn St. 5-1

8. Michigan 6-0

9. Oregon 4-1

10. Michigan St. 6-0

11. Kentucky 6-0

12. Oklahoma St. 5-0

13. Mississippi 4-1

14. Notre Dame 5-1

15. Coastal Carolina 6-0

16. Wake Forest 6-0

17. Arkansas 4-2

18. Arizona St. 5-1

19. BYU 5-1

20. Florida 4-2

21. Texas A&M 4-2

22. NC State 4-1

23. SMU 6-0

24. San Diego St. 5-0

25. Texas 4-2

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