COLUMBUS, Ohio — Gyasi Zardes scored two goals and the Columbus Crew beat the Fire 2-0 on Saturday night in the final game at Crew Stadium.
Zardes opened the scoring when he put away a failed clearance of a cross from Lucas Zelarayan in the 17th minute. Derrick Etienne ran onto a long, arcing ball by Jonathan Mensah and, Fire goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth came off his line, tapped a pass to Zardes for an empty-net finish to make it 2-0 in the 34th.
Columbus closed out Crew Stadium — the first soccer-specific stadium in Major League Soccer and the club’s first home — before moving downtown to Lower.com Field next month.
Kevin Molino made his debut with Columbus when he came on in the 70th minute. The Crew’s main offseason signing to be an immediate starter missed the first two months of the season with a hamstring injury.
NEW YORK — The Milwaukee Bucks withstood Kevin Durant’s NBA-record 48 points in a Game 7, advancing to the Eastern Conference finals by beating the Brooklyn Nets 115-111 in overtime Saturday night.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 40 points and 13 rebounds, and Khris Middleton made the tiebreaking shot with 40 seconds left in the first overtime Game 7 in 15 years.
The Bucks held on from there when Durant missed two jumpers, the last an airball with 0.3 seconds remaining.
Middleton added 23 points and 10 rebounds for the Bucks, who reached the East finals for the second time in three years. They will play either Philadelphia or Atlanta in a series that starts Wednesday night.
“I can say for sure I’ve never been in a game like this, a Game 7 on the road with one of the best players in the world,” Middleton said.
Durant played all 53 minutes and forced OT with a turnaround jumper that was just inches from being a 3-pointer that would have won it with a second left.
He added nine rebounds and six assists, but didn’t have enough help with injured Kyrie Irving watching from the baseline and James Harden unable to locate his shot after missing most of the first four games with right hamstring tightness.
Harden had 22 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, but was 5 for 17 from the field.
“I was just going out there and trying to give everything I can and it’s just frustrating,” Harden said.
In a series where the teams often didn’t produce the quality of play that was anticipated between the league’s two highest-scoring teams, Game 7 was a thriller, the first do-or-die game to need extra time since Dallas beat San Antonio in the 2006 Western Conference semifinals.
The Bucks had a 109-107 lead before Middleton missed a 3, but the Bucks got the rebound. They then turned it over on a shot clock violation to give the Nets a final chance with 6 seconds left. They threw it in across the court to Durant, who hit a spinning, turnaround jumper from just inside the 3-point line — maybe even on top of it — to tie it at 109.
Bruce Brown scored on a follow shot to open overtime but neither team scored again until Antetokounmpo’s basket with 1:12 to play. Brook Lopez blocked Durant’s shot on the other end before Middleton broke the final tie of the series.
Durant tried to prolong it again, dribbling up the floor and running the clock down before launching a long look that came up well short.
Lopez had 19 points for the Bucks, who were knocked out in this round last year after finishing with the NBA’s best record. Jrue Holiday shook off a poor shooting night to finish with 13 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.
“Those guys, they’re great competitors. I love the way they just kept coming, keep playing, find a way to win an overtime game on the road, Game 7,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “They all made big plays down the stretch, and we needed every one of them.”
Blake Griffin had 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Nets, who thought they had a title contender after acquiring Harden but had their three superstars on the floor together for just 43 seconds in this series. They lost for the first time at home in the postseason.
The Nets had struggled with slow starts but put together a good one in Game 7, getting 10 points from Durant to lead 28-25 after the opening quarter.
Middleton and Holiday were both 2 for 11 in the first half, combining to miss all six 3-pointers in a rehash of their shooting struggles from when the series began in Brooklyn.
The Nets capitalized on the Bucks’ misfires — Antetokounmpo shot an airball on a free throw and Lopez and Holiday hit the side of the backboard on long jumpers during one ugly stretch — to open a 51-41 lead on Harden’s three-point play with 1:59 left in the half.
Down six at halftime, the Bucks came out of the break with a 7-0 burst to grab a 54-53 edge. The Nets regrouped and were ahead 79-74 with under 2 minutes remaining, but the Bucks closed strong to take an 82-81 lead to the fourth.
TIP-INS
Bucks: Antetokounmpo had his fifth straight game with 30 points and 10 rebounds, tying Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s franchise playoff record that he set in 1974.
Nets: Durant had his third 40-point game of these playoffs. The Nets have only had three other 40-point postseason games in their NBA history. … Brown had 14 points after playing just 4 1/2 minutes in Game 6.
No. 7 IN GAME 7s
Durant fell to 3-2 in Game 7s. though his average rose to 36.2 points. His average of 33.3 coming into the game was third among all players who had appeared in more than one Game 7, behind LeBron James (34.9 PPG in 8 games) and Michael Jordan (33.7 PPG in 3 games), according to Elias.
Plainfield East baseball players Gavin Schmitt and Christian Mitchelle aren’t sure if their school even has a trophy case.
“We’ll find one,” Schmitt said. “And if there’s not one we will make it. This is going in there I’m sure.”
Schmitt started the game and earned the win and Mitchelle pitched the final 1 1/3 to close the door on Lake Park and give the Bengals a 6-5 win in the Class 4A state baseball championship game on Saturday at DuPage Medical Group Field in Joliet.
It’s the first state trophy in any sport for Plainfield East, which opened in 2008.
“It’s so special,” Schmitt said. “The whole team can’t even believe that we did it. It’s something that we’re never going to forget for our whole lives.”
Schmitt isn’t the only one that can’t believe the Bengals’ remarkable run. Plainfield East (19-15) started the season 5-12 and lost the last three games of the regular season. The Bengals entered the playoffs as the No. 13 seed in their sectional.
“If you would have told me this in May I would have looked at you like you had three heads,” Plainfield East coach Adam O’Reel said.
O’Reel always knew his team had the pitching to make a run. Sophomore Brady Louck struck out 12 in six innings of the semifinal win against Rockton Hononegah earlier on Saturday.
“We had all this pitching,” O’Reel said. “We just had to figure out how to pick the baseball up because we were struggling defensively so bad. We were fielding at like a 75 percent clip. We made some changes and found where guys fit.”
The Bengals jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the title game but allowed five runs in the sixth inning to let Lake Park (33-4) back into the game.
Plainfield East’s Gavin Schmitt (8) pitches during the game against Lake Park.Kirsten Stickney/For the Sun-Times
Louck was 2 for 4 with two RBI and a run scored and Mitchelle added two hits, two RBI and a run for Plainfield East.
“We knew we were better than a 13 seed but also with being 13 we had nothing to lose,” Mitchelle said. “So we had no fear going out to play all these better teams.”
“We are only about 12 years old,” O’Reel said. “All the alumni that have come up and started this and helped us move on, they are part of this. It’s not this team only. They got us to it. These guys just finished the deal. I thank them all. It’s unreal. We were the running joke for awhile. We still didn’t hit 20 wins.”
We’re not out of the COVID woods just yet. Now it’s time to maintain a new vigilance toward health and positivity, and guard against vaccination frauds.
It’s tempting to want to post your vaccination card online. As much as we love to share good news on social media — whether it’s a birthday, anniversary or weight loss — beware that identity thieves are watching for people to let down their guard. So refrain from taking a photo of your vaccination card and sharing it online.
The card should include vital details such as your vaccine dose’s manufacturer, the dose numbers, and the dates and location of each dose.
In the same vein, stay away from offers to laminate your card. That’s because they can’t be updated, which will be important if you need a booster shot in the future. A better alternative is to take a photo and/or scan both sides of your card and keep the images on your mobile devices. Put the card itself in a safe storage place.
The best answer appears to be in the future, when states may offer digital vaccine passports. If they do, you can log your card information into a digital app that you can easily access and share.
If for some reason, you’re still putting off getting vaccinated, now’s the time to take action. In fact, it’s more urgent than ever, now that Delta, the COVID variant first identified in India, “will leave unvaccinated people even more vulnerable than they were a month ago,” President Biden said at a June 18 news conference at the White House.
“It is a variant that is more easily transmissible, potentially deadlier and particularly dangerous for young people,” Biden said. “The data is clear: If you are unvaccinated, you’re at risk of getting seriously ill or dying or spreading it.”
Now is also the perfect time to boost your immune system, since more contagious and virulent virus variants remain a serious threat.
The easiest ways to help safeguard your virus resistance are the obvious ones: Stay hydrated; avoid inflammatory foods such as snacks and junk food in bags and boxes; stop eating processed foods with corn oil, soybean oil and vegetable oil;
Instead, focus on a diet heavy in fish, greens, fruit and vegetables. Be sure to include foods, spices and drinks with anti-inflammatory properties. That could include probiotics, Turmeric, vitamins C, D, A, zinc and selenium, and drink plenty of fluids, experts say.
The University of Maryland Medical System’s website suggests additional supplements, including mushrooms, beta-glucans, elderberry, berberine (found in roots, rhizomes and stem bark of certain plants), and sulforaphane.
Lance Lynn walks back to the mound after Houston Astros’ Robel Garcia hit a three-run double during the third inning of a baseball game, Saturday, June 19, 2021, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith) | AP Photos
Lance Lynn tagged for six runs over four innings
HOUSTON — The White Sox seemed out of it as soon as Yoan Moncada made a two-base throwing error on leadoff man Jose Altuve’s ground ball and right-hander Lance Lynn’s run-scoring wild pitch in the first inning.
And when Robel Garcia scored three runs with a double to give the Astros a four-run lead Saturday, the Sox (43-28) were well on their way to a 7-3 loss, their third defeat in as many games in a series matching two of the best records in baseball. The Astros (42-28) won their sixth in a row. Two of the three against the Sox weren’t close.
Lynn (7-3), the AL earned run average leader going in, saw his ERA rise from 1.51 to 2.02 with his worst start as a Sox, allowing six runs (five earned) on seven hits and one walk.
“Just didn’t make the big pitch against them when I needed to when they scored the four runs that inning,” Lynn said. “It’s that simple. They do a good job of being on top of every pitch there is. In and out, up and down. Seems like they’re ready for it.”
Astros lefty Framber Valdez (4-0, 1.67) won his sixth straight start dating to last season. Andrew Vaughn’s opposite field homer, his sixth, and Danny Mendick’s single, advances on Tim Anderson’s fly out, a Valdez wild pitch and catcher Martin Maldonado’s throw into left field got the Sox within 6-3 in the seventh.
“They’re not playing any harder than we are, they’re just playing better,” manager Tony La Russa said. “Better pitching at a certain time and a better at-bat.”
“It’s been a tough couple days but we need to get back on the horse [Sunday],” Vaughn said.
Ruiz leaves with sore knee
After right-hander Jose Ruiz allowed a homer to Carlos Correa in the eighth, he exited the game with discomfort in his right knee. Ruiz was being further evaluated, the Sox said.
It’s up to Keuchel
Left-hander Dallas Keuchel starts against the Astros Sunday where he won a Cy Young and was part of a World Series winner, trying to prevent a four-game series sweep.
“I don’t know if it’s really going to register with me until in the moment or afterward,” said Keuchel, who has been exchanging pregame handshakes and embraces with Astros personnel before every game. “It’s going to be a little weird. It’s a place I never thought I was going to leave.
“I have a lot of guys over there I have big-time admiration for, still, and I have a lot of contact with. And [former general manager Jeff] Luhnow’s not there anymore, so I don’t have anybody to dislike. We never got along, no bones about it. But I like everybody else over there, so it’s going to be weird.”
Luhnow was fired in 2020 after Major League Baseball he was suspended the Astros for involvement in the electronic sign-stealing scandal.
“We’re out there winning ballgames essentially for him, because he ran the front office, and there was just no communication whatsoever from that front office to the players,” Keuchel said. “As I grew into my role and a couple other guys grew into their roles, it was just a complete lack of respect. And I didn’t like him.”
Keuchel is 5-0 with a 3.21 ERA over his last eight starts.
Cespedes sighting
His visa problems behind him, top Cuban outfield prospect Yoelqui Cespedes started for Class A Winston-Salem after being added to the roster Saturday.
The State of Sound podcast is a companion to an exhibit launched earlier this year at the Springfield-based museum showcasing the achievements and contributions of Illinois artists, from Muddy Waters to Earth Wind and Fire and Chance the Rapper.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — A new podcast from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum features conversations about legendary Illinois musicians and bands, sometimes with the performers themselves.
The State of Sound podcast is a companion to an exhibit launched earlier this year at the Springfield-based museum, called The State of Sound: A World of Music from Illinois. It showcases the achievements and contributions of Illinois artists, from Muddy Waters to Earth Wind and Fire and Chance the Rapper.
The podcast is another way for people to explore the history of Illinois music, museum officials said. Episodes available now include discussions with Kevin Cronin from REO Speedwagon, Tim McIlrath from Rise Against and Rosanna Goodman, daughter of singer-songwriter Steve Goodman.
A new, official gallery guide includes dozens of photos of artifacts such as a red trumpet that belonged to Miles Davis and mementos John Prine carried on stage to help with his performance anxiety.
“This exhibit is packed with sound, pictures and stories that we wanted to share with as many people as possible,” said Christina Shutt, executive director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. “The podcast will give people around the world a chance to hear those stories, while the guide provides the detail that visitors can’t absorb in a single trip through the exhibit.”
The State of Sound exhibit runs through Jan. 23, 2022.
HOUSTON — Such are the times the White Sox live in when first place and one of the best records in the majors are theirs.
According to FanGraphs, the Sox’ bullpen is ranked third in the majors but isn’t performing at the level that was expected. The starters, not the relievers, are the strength of the team.
”[The bullpen] hasn’t lived up to our own expectations,” closer Liam Hendriks said. ”We put very high expectations on ourselves.”
The Sox have the best starting pitching in the majors, according to FanGraphs. The pen, based on numbers from previous seasons, has some ground to make up, Hendriks said.
But Hendriks, who signed a four-year, $54 million contract during the offseason, takes solace in knowing the pen has ”underlying numbers that tell a whole different story than the ones the public sees.” He cited its strikeout (10.77 per nine innings) and walk (3.15) rates, which rank third and fifth, respectively, in the majors.
”But we’re still not performing to our standards,” Hendriks said. ”We have to rein some things in and tighten some loose screws. We go through stretches where we do really well and then stretches where we’re struggling. We have a pen that hasn’t hit its form, and yet we’ve been doing pretty well with it.”
Now comes a test. With 71 games played after the Sox squared off Saturday against the Astros, the 60-game mark of the abbreviated schedule of 2020 has long passed. So young pitchers such as Garrett Crochet, Codi Heuer and Matt Foster are entering uncharted territory.
”A lot of these guys haven’t experienced a full 162-game season,” Hendriks said. ”We’re at that point [where] everyone starts to drag just a little bit, myself included. It’s an abnormal feeling from what we did last year. . . . You make sure the younger guys know this is what we’re going through and make sure if you need a day, you need a day. If we have enough guys that day, take a day [off]. Because games right now don’t mean as much as October, and that’s what we’re trying to get to. If you need a day here and there to be ready for October, let’s do it.”
Michael Kopech, who has made multi-inning relief appearances and made three spot starts, hasn’t pitched since May 26 because of a strained hamstring. Manager Tony La Russa likes to acknowledge ”the baseball gods,” and perhaps it’s their way of doing the Sox a favor by limiting the 2021 workload on a pitcher going through his first full season in the majors after opting out of 2020.
”We always said we have to deal with that and what [Kopech’s] role will be going forward,” assistant pitching coach Curt Hasler said. ”Now he’s not piling up those innings, so there might be a silver lining. The goal is to have the bullpen clicking in August, September and October, and that would be the way with Kopech, having him be ready for whatever role the organization needs him in then.”
By that time, a reinforcement or two likely will have been made before the trade deadline July 31 as general manager Rick Hahn looks to improve a roster building toward the postseason.
The bullpen always can be deepened, even with a 3.62 ERA that ranked seventh and a 3.15 fielding-independent pitching mark that ranked third entering Saturday. (FIP emphasizes events a pitcher has the most control over: strikeouts, unintentional walks, hit-by-pitches and home runs allowed.)
The Sox also need to get more consistent performances from Evan Marshall (5.19 ERA), Heuer (5.86) and Foster (6.41).
”Guys like Foster and Heuer, now they’re dealing with the second year and teams are making adjustments,” Hasler said. ”The expectations were very high coming from a short season last year. But they’re working, and reaching those high expectations is achievable.”
Saturday was a day for celebration and reflection, with many Chicagoans taking to the streets and gathering across the city to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States.
In the Loop, a few hundred people marched in honor of Juneteenth, a celebration with roots in Texas that celebrates June 19, 1865 — the date when the last enslaved African Americans learned they had been freed.
The march led to Daley Plaza, where attendees danced, cheered and intently listened to a series of speakers that included the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. and Sen. Tammy Duckworth. Many also waved Black Liberation and Black Lives Matter flags.
“It is very affirming, it’s liberating,” said 34-year-old Brianna Sharpe as she scanned the diverse crowd at the March for Us rally. “I feel love, I feel peace, I feel joy, this is a really good feeling that I feel.”
Sharpe, of Fellowship Chicago, a Baptist church in Fuller Park, said she was thrilled that Juneteenth had finally been recognized as a federal holiday and viewed it as a step in the right direction.
“It means that our voices — Black people, people of color — our voices have been heard,” Sharpe said. “I’m just so excited because our ancestors have fought so hard to get to this moment… It is so deserving.”
But Sharpe and many others noted that making Juneteenth a federal holiday wasn’t enough.
“We’re not settling for symbolism,” said Ashley Munson, the rally’s lead organizer. “It’s great … but we still have so much to do.”
Munson said the fight for “equitable solutions” like reparations for Black Americans and putting a stop to voter suppression laws, must continue.
“We have to still press for policies and legislation that will push not only the Black folks forward because when we’re better, we’re all better, right?” Munson said.
Ashley Munson speaks about continuing to fight for black lives and equality at a March for Us rally by Voices for Youth in Chicago Education celebrating Juneteenth and celebrating the life of activist Caleb Reed at Daley Plaza in the Loop Saturday.Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times
Munson hopes to address some of those issues with Illinois Black Collective, a new nonprofit organization she announced Saturday.
“Our goal is to work together, despite our personal preferences, to create a Black agenda that will uplift our people, that will hold each other accountable and focus on the plight of the actual Black community,” Munson said.
Organizers also took a moment to honor the legacy of 17-year-old activist Caleb Reed, who was fatally shot last August, with a mural. Reed spoke at the 2020 March for Us rally about what it means to be a Black man in Chicago.
Tears streamed down the faces of some as Reed’s parents took turns addressing the crowd.
“I miss his presence every day,” Reed’s mother, Sabrina Pleasant, said via sign language. “He was so precious and loved by so many people. Losing Caleb was like a part of my heart being broken. And there was no one who can fill that void.”
Another event that took place to commemorate Juneteenth was the Freedom Ride Bronzeville — a nod to the civil right activists who protested segregated bus terminals in 1961.
For the second consecutive year, about 300 bicyclists met and pedaled 12 miles through the streets.
“We’re riding for the same rights that we were fighting for 100 years ago,” organizer Jason Easterly said. “We’re still fighting things like racial injustices and fighting police killing African Americans. So, yes, I feel like we’ve made some, some strides from last year, but by no stretch of the imagination are we done fighting.”
This year, the group stopped in front of the DuSable Museum of African American History, which reopened Saturdayfor the first time since it closed its doors amid the pandemic.
DuSable had a full schedule of activities, including live music and a block party. Dozens of people who came out to the reopening set up lawn chairs and held picnics under trees as they sought shelter from the scorching sun.
Tracy Johnson, of Kenwood, was one of the many people sitting on the grass enjoying the day. She said she had planned to stop working on Juneteenth last year after seeing the worldwide protests sparked by George Floyd’s death. She was “overwhelmed” when she learned it was made a federal holiday.
“It’s progress and progress doesn’t come overnight,” Johnson said.
Brianna Sharpe poses for a portrait at a March for Us rally by Voices for Youth in Chicago Education celebrating Juneteenth and celebrating the life of activist Caleb Reed at Daley Plaza in the Loop, Saturday.
Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times
A supporter raises his fist in agreement at a March for Us rally by Voices for Youth in Chicago Education celebrating Juneteenth and celebrating the life of activist Caleb Reed at Daley Plaza in the Loop Saturday.
Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times
A supporter holds up a flag as she marches down the street as part of the March for Us rally by Voices for Youth in Chicago Education celebrating Juneteenth and celebrating the life of activist Caleb Reed at Daley Plaza in the Loop Saturday.
Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times
Frank Logan checks on some chicken at the grill of a pop up of “Piggies & A Chicken BBQ & Catering” as part of a Juneteenth celebration outside of DuSable Museum at 740 E. 56th Pl. in Hyde Park Saturday.
Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times
Rian Baker, left, and Fatma Ali, right, paint in areas of a piece of artwork by an inmate that is part of the the “Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program” at a Juneteenth celebration outside of DuSable Museum at 740 E. 56th Pl. in Hyde Park Saturday.
Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times
Bikers with Major Taylor Bike Club take a photo at a Juneteenth celebration outside of DuSable Museum at 740 E. 56th Pl. in Hyde Park Saturday.
After a slow start in April and early May, Joc Pederson is on fire this month. His two home runs on Friday night marked his sixth and seventh of June, and he’s been hitting the ball harder than he has in a couple of years.
But what manager David Ross is most enjoying about his left fielder is the vibe he’s brought to the team.
“He’s just set the tone for us,” Ross said. “He has such a good way about him, and you see the fun that he has, the smile, the kind of swagger he plays with. He’s got a really good perspective on the game. I think he’s good for these guys and it’s a really nice tone at the top.”
Pederson has hit at the top of the order in 29 games, where he has a .265 average and has hit nine of his eleven home runs on the season.
His multi-faceted home run trot has garnered a lot of attention, and Ross sees it as an extension of the mindset Pederson has when he’s playing.
“It’s a very easy way,” Ross said. “I think it’s good for a lot of our guys who put a lot of pressure on themselves. I don’t know, he’s just got this swagger. He carries himself, he’s fun, it’s always towards our dugout. It makes me smile every time he does something on the field.”
Ross said Pederson’s improvement from the first several weeks has come from getting himself better in sync at the plate, and Pederson said after Friday’s game that working with the Cubs’ hitting staff on getting himself into position and going after pitches he can handle has helped.
“Early on it just looked like the hands and the backside weren’t really working together, not in rhythm,” Ross said. “I feel like he’s just changed his entire rhythm at the plate, how aggressive he is, how the body is working together within the swing.”
Pederson hit just .137 in April, but his average jumped to .314 in May. In June, his slugging percentage was .673 going into Saturday, and his rate of hard-hit balls has spiked from 28.1% in April to 51.2% this month.
Adbert returning Monday
Alzolay (blister) has not pitched since June 7, but Ross said he is slated to start Monday against the Indians, barring any setbacks.
There won’t be a pitch limit, but Ross will be mindful of easing him in for his first start back from the IL.
“He’s been one of the guys who has given us consistent starting pitching,” Ross said. “Real swing and miss. [Alzolay] has been a real asset to our rotation this year, so getting him back on the mound and starting games for us is a big piece and a step for us towards getting back to full strength.”
Alzolay has the highest strikeout rate (26.7%) and lowest WHIP (1.04) among Cubs starters.
Bote, Nico, Steele progressing
David Bote (shoulder) has been taking groundballs and did some running on the field Saturday. Nico Hoerner (hamstring) is up to full baseball activities and took batting practice for the second day in a row. Justin Steele (hamstring) is set to throw a bullpen session on Sunday.
It’s hard to get back into the dating game, especially when you are from Earth and just moved to a new planet! Kenny Sun, Gideon Lazarus, and Jie En Lee’s Tender: Creature Comforts is an online dating sim where you meet other aliens and go on dates. Just like real sims, you see profiles and swipe right for good ones and left for not so good, then chat with them and hopefully go on a date.
The goal is to go on dates and find the alien of your dreams. You can go on 10 dates and then your visa expires and you need to apply for a new one (I.e game over and start again) You’re profile is ambiguous so you can date men or women or even animals cuz hey they are aliens after all! If you match with someone they will message you or you can message them. You have a choice of three dialogue options, which can be nice, sarcastic, or even a bit mean. You can even say “get lost loser” and unmatched them.
Tender is very much like a real dating app. You have to wait for people to respond – sometimes they never respond back or respond once then never again – and if you pick the correct responses enough you go on a date! You can even get ghosted! Or do the ghosting if you want. There are even aliens who message you who turn out to be “bots” or even try to sell you crap.
Tender is especially fun if you have experience with real dating apps because it makes you feel like you are really dating! I actually get mad at the aliens for not responding back and when I go in a great date and the responder says “let’s just be friends!” Ugh!
The dates are all linear and you make a couple dialogue choices along the way, if a date is going terrible or ridiculous (which they often are!) you usually have the choice to run for the hills, or keep up with it. You can’t get hurt or anything, it’s all for fun so stick around and see what happens! You actually might end up in an Amway presentation!
The only thing that bothered me is that there are times in Tender when the choices all seem to go one way. Like if a date is being a jerk your options are mainly to tell him off. However, if it were real life I would choose to mess with the guy instead. But mostly you get contrasting options.
It’s not really a “win or lose” type game. The game is over after you on ten dates or you go on a successful date and end up becoming a couple. Of you don’t meet someone, then you redo the visa and start again. Sometimes you might end up the same person that you dated the first time but now you can choose other options and see! You may have to go through several visas before you meet someone, just like real life!
I really liked Tender: Creature Comforts And feel it’s great at emulating a real dating app. The dates are fun and ridiculous and sometimes will send you running for the hills. It’s fun to chat with your matches but sometimes it would be nice to have more varying options. I give it 4 outta 5 baby dragons
It’s available now on Steam and on Apple or Android for only $9.99! Grab it before the alien of your dreams runs off with some gelatinous humanoid blob!
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