SAN DIEGO — Davis Martin recorded a career high for strikeouts, Eloy Jimenez homered and Yoan Moncada had three hits, lifting the White Sox past the Padres 3-1 for their second straight victory.

The Sox (78-79) need to win four of their last five games to finish above .500 and three of five to finish 81-81. The Padres (86-71) are playing for higher stakes with a magic number of three to secure their first trip to the postseason in a full 162-game schedule since 2006.

“You could feel it coming into it,” Martinsaid. “It’s the games you want to pitch in. It’s the games that are most fun. Walking out and kind of looking around, did a little 360 real quick, you realize this is as close to playoff baseball as we are going to find. It was a blast, a lot of fun.”

Martin (3-5, 3.64 ERA) struck out a career high eight batters over 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball, walking none.

“I had confidence in a lot of different pitches. All four of them,” Martin said.

Aaron Bummer struck out Juan Soto looking with two runners on in the seventh to get Kendall Graveman out of a jam, Jimmy Lambert (two strikeouts) pitched a scoreless eighth and Liam Hendriks worked a perfect ninth for his 35th save. Sox pitchers fanned Padres hitters 15 times.

“There were a lot of people here, it was like a playoff atmosphere,” acting manager Miguel Cairo said. “They’re trying to clinch the playoff spot and right now we’re going to play hard.”

Padres right-hander Yu Darvish, denied in his bid to register a career-high 18th win, pitched six innings and gave up three runs on eight hits, including a solo homer by Eloy Jimenez in the fourth. Darvish was pushed back a day for extra rest as the NL wild-card round approaches.

The Sox scored a second run in the fourth when Sheets followed the Jimenez homer with a double and Yoan Moncada singled Sheets home. The Sox made it 3-1 in the sixth when Moncada doubled to deep right center and Vaughn singled to score Moncada, who had three hits.

The Padres led 1-0 in the second on Josh Bell’s RBI single scoring Brandon Drury, who was hit on the bill of his helmet by a Martin pitch in the fourth. Martin was shaken by it, settled down to retire the next two batters.

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1. Mount Carmel (6-0)

Won 28-21 at Brother Rice

2. Loyola (6-0)

Won 28-17 at No. 11 Marist

3. Lincoln-Way East (6-0)

Won 44-0 at Sandburg

4. Glenbard West (5-1)

Lost 17-13 at No. 6 York

5. Simeon (6-0)

Won 42-8 vs. Curie at Lane

6. York (6-0)

Won 17-13 vs. No. 4 Glenbard West

7. Hersey (6-0)

Won 35-14 vs. Rolling Meadows

8. Lemont (6-0)

Won 63-6 vs. TF North

9. Prospect (5-1)

Won 35-21 at Elk Grove

10. Bolingbrook (4-2)

Won 43-36 vs. No. 20 H-F

11. Marist (3-3)

Lost 28-17 vs. No. 2 Loyola

12. St. Rita (4-2)

Won 33-10 at Nazareth

13. Warren (5-1)

Won 48-8 at Mundelein

14. Maine South (4-2)

Won 23-16 at No. 21 Glenbrook South

15. Crete-Monee (4-2)

Won 66-0 vs. Thornridge

16. Joliet Catholic (5-1)

Won 49-28 at St. Laurence

17. Neuqua Valley (5-1)

Won 36-0 vs. Metea Valley

18. Naperville North (4-2)

Lost 10-7 (OT) vs. Naperville Central

19. Prairie Ridge (5-1)

Won 62-34 at Hampshire

20. Homewood-Flossmoor (4-2)

Lost 43-36 at No. 10 Bolingbrook

21. Glenbrook South (5-1)

Lost 23-16 vs. No. 14 Maine South

22. Wheaton North (5-1)

Won 21-14 vs. Glenbard North

23. Batavia (4-2)

Won 35-0 vs. Wheaton-Warrenville South

24. Kankakee (5-1)

Won 34-8 vs. Rich

25. Notre Dame (4-2)

Lost 21-14 vs. Benet

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SAN DIEGO — White Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal paused for several seconds, contemplating the question.

What went wrong with the 2022 Sox?

”Obviously, it was a very frustrating year for everybody as a whole,” Grandal said before the Sox opened their final road series of the season Friday against the Padres. ”It just seemed like everything that could possibly go wrong went wrong. When you thought it was kind of coming back, it just never went back. It just kept going wrong.

”To put it plain and simple, we just sucked. Anything else would be an excuse, and the last thing you want to make as a team, as an individual, is an excuse.”

As an individual, Grandal wasn’t good. He struggled defensively and hit .200/.301/.269 with only five home runs in 97 games in the third year of his four-year, $73 million contract, the richest in club history.

Grandal didn’t walk nearly as much this season, and his .570 OPS is well off his career .785 mark and way behind his .939 of last season. He said next year ”will be a way different story” because he expects his legs to be stronger after dealing with knee problems in both the last two seasons.

”It’s gotten better and better,” he said. ”I have a pretty good idea of what I want to do in the offseason to get back to the explosiveness I’ve been talking about.”

With knees in better shape to allow for more intense workouts, Grandal said he hopes to return to normal strength levels. He will work out in Chicago during the offseason and kiddingly invited reporters to come and watch him.

The Sox’ poor performance after entering the season with high expectations was a stark reminder that nothing is guaranteed, even to heavy favorites defending a title in a weak division.

”It’s almost like a slap in the face,” Grandal said. ”If you don’t take this year seriously, it’s going to come back to bite us in the [butt] next year again. Hopefully we get everything straightened out and come back next year and give it a shot.”

Acting manager MigueI Cairo has talked all week about players coming to spring training in good shape for next season. He agreed with Grandal’s ”slap in the face” take, knowing the Sox made the postseason the last two years.

”You’ve got to be looking at yourself in the mirror and saying: ‘OK, why didn’t we make it? Why didn’t we go to the postseason? What do I need to do to get better?’ ” Cairo said.

”Coming in knowing what we had, knowing what we can do and knowing what we needed to do and then all of a sudden everything going out of the window, it’s eye-opening,” Grandal said.

This and that

Shortstop Elvis Andrus’ leadoff double Friday against Padres starter Yu Darvish snapped an 0-for-24 streak.

oWith a 77-79 record entering play Friday, the Sox needed to win five of their last six games to finish above .500 and four of their last six to finish 81-81. They end the season with three home games against the Twins.

oThe Sox played in San Diego for the first time since 2005.

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York senior Kelly Watson was the last player off the field on Friday in Elmhurst. There were interviews to do and congratulations to receive.

Watson’s 94-yard kick return touchdown was one of the biggest plays in the Dukes’ 17-13 win against conference rival Glenbard West, so why not enjoy the night as long as possible?

One final fan reached out as Watson walked through the gate: “I don’t know you, but that was a heck of a kick return.”

The return was also the first moment that Hilltoppers coach Chad Hetlet brought up after the loss: “Gosh, you give up a kickoff return right after we score? That was the biggest play of the game. That’s a big momentum stealer.”

The kickoff return TD came late in the first half, just 16 seconds after No. 4 Glenbard West took a 10-7 lead on a five-yard run by quarterback Korey Tai.

“We practiced that [kick return] all year,” Watson said. “We’ve been so close to hitting on it and today was the day. I caught the ball, looked down and the hole was wide open. I just trusted my speed and got out of there. I couldn’t be more proud of the special teams unit for the blocking.”

Watson had 17 carries for 31 yards in the game. Glenbard West’s defense was incredibly stout against the run, but Watson and quarterback Matt Vezza kept at it, finding enough yardage to pick up some first downs.

Vezza had 10 carries for 38 yards. He was 11-for-16 passing with one interception and a crucial 43-yard touchdown pass to Charlie Specht in the fourth quarter. That touchdown pass provided the winning margin, but it wasn’t quite that easy.

Glenbard West (5-1, 2-1 West Suburban Silver) blocked a punt with 1:30 remaining. That set the Hilltoppers up at York’s 20 with a chance to win the game.

But the No. 6 Dukes snuffed out the drive on the first play. Matt Sutter picked off a pass to seal the win for York (6-0, 4-0).

“It was a close game the whole way and it comes down to certain plays,” Vezza said. “Specht ran a great route and made a great catch to finish the play and there was great blocking by the offensive line on that rollout.”

There were five lead changes in the game, thrilling the huge crowd that York coach Mike Fitzgerald estimated at possibly close to 8,000.

“It was a shoestring tackle here or there,” Fitzgerald said. “That’s why I love these kids, the effort and the heart to hang on. We’ve got guys willing to sacrifice themselves for the team.”

Luke Mailander was Vezza’s favorite target. The junior had five receptions for 61 yards.

“Vezza plays with no fear,” Hetlet said. “He makes the plays he’s got to make. He takes care of the ball. They did an awesome job.”

Tai was 7-for-17 passing for 82 yards with one interception. The Hilltoppers didn’t complete a pass in the second half.

Julius Ellins had 20 carries for 87 yards for Glenbard West and Joey Pople added five carries for 33 yards.

York knocked off Lyons last week. The Dukes’ remaining games are at Hinsdale Central, home against Willowbrook and at Oak Park. It’s not inconceivable that they could head into the state playoffs unbeaten.

Glenbard West has been considered one of the area’s elite teams since August. The tight game probably did more to elevate York’s status than harm the Hilltoppers.

“We’re very young defensively and we really matured in a big game tonight,” Hetlet said.

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SAN DIEGO — There are six games left in the White Sox’ season, none of which will be managed by Tony La Russa.

But La Russa, who turns 78 on Tuesday, has one year left on his contract. It stands to reason, however, that he won’t return for 2023 after being forced to give up his managerial duties Aug. 30 for medical reasons related to his pacemaker. General manager Rick Hahn could offer clarity on La Russa’s future as early as next week.

A source close to La Russa and chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said he expects Reinsdorf to give La Russa the option of coming back but also will encourage him not to do so for his own personal good.

After winning the American League Central in 2021 in La Russa’s first season after Reinsdorf brought him out of retirement, the Sox have suffered through a catastrophic 2022, not only failing to make the playoffs but threatening not even to finish .500. Such results ordinarily would put a manager under fire, considering the organization’s World Series aspirations.

It seems best for all involved to turn the page. But La Russa’s Hall of Fame r?sum? and friendship with Reinsdorf casts his future in a unique light. Also, should La Russa not return, it’s not known how much influence Reinsdorf will exert on the choice to replace him — as he did with La Russa — or whether he would hand the decision to Hahn (in collaboration with vice president Ken Williams).

Should the Sox make a change and bring in their fourth manager in eight years and third in the last four, here is a list of potential candidates with connections to the organization and from the outside.

Sox-connected

Willie Harris. The Cubs’ third-base coach played on the Sox’ 2005 World Series team and coached in their farm system. Harris, 44, interviewed for the job before La Russa was hired.

A.J. Pierzynski. A face of the 2005 Sox, a fan favorite and a Fox broadcaster, Pierzynski, 45, has no coaching experience but has a high baseball IQ, personality and an edge. He has expressed a desire to manage.

Ozzie Guillen. The 2005 manager’s popularity has surged with his entertaining and pointed pregame and postgame work, and he probably would jump at a second opportunity. Reinsdorf has recommended him for other jobs but said in 2017 that Guillen, 58, ”can’t come back here.”

Chris Getz. A bit of a long shot, the assistant GM in charge of player development has no managerial experience but is considered a bright mind who knows the organization inside and out. Getz, 39, hasn’t ruled out interest when asked about the possibility.

Miguel Cairo. The Sox’ bench coach, 48, deserves consideration after taking over for La Russa under challenging circumstances and guiding the team to a 13-6 record before its recent slide.

No Sox ties

Bruce Bochy. The three-time World Series champ with 25 years of managerial experience retired after 2019 but is managing France in the qualifying rounds of the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Bochy, 67, is regarded as a top manager in the game.

Joe Girardi. If major-league experience is a top qualification, Girardi, 57, makes the cut with 14 seasons, including a World Series title in 2009 with the Yankees. But he was fired by the Phillies in June.

Joe Maddon. Maddon, 68, seems not to be overly eager to return to the dugout after getting fired by Angels this season, and it’s hard to see him blending in with the Sox’ management team. But his r?sum? is hard to match.

Mike Shildt. The Padres’ third-base coach, 54, led the Cardinals to three consecutive playoff berths but was fired after last season, to the surprise of many.

Joe Espada. Espada, 47, has served as the Astros’ bench coach for A.J. Hinch, whom Hahn wanted to hire two years ago, and Dusty Baker. He interviewed for the Cubs’ managerial job when David Ross was hired.

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The Bears have an important player that needs to show more promising upside as 2022 moves forward

The Bears took a shot back in the 2017 NFL Draft to select Mitch Trubisky with the 2nd overall pick. Trubisky turned out to not be a hit for the Bears, especially considering that Mahomes was taken after him.

Fast forward to the 2021 NFL Draft and the Chicago Bears took another shot at a first round QB. To this point of his career, Fields has shown insane athleticism and flashes of elite upside, but has failed to be consistent throughout his career.

2022 has not been off to a great start for Fields, but that is just as much on the game script as it is on him. Week 1 was played in terrible weather , but even when behind to the Packers, Eberflus stilled elected to let the ground game take control.

So, what if Fields fails to show the development that they need to by the end of the 2022 campaign? Here are a few possibilities for the Bears if that turns out to be the case.

1. Use the 2023 NFL Draft

The 2023 NFL Draft is one that contains some solid QB candidates. Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, Will Levis, Anthony Richardson, and Tyler Van Dyke lead the potential QB candidates taken within the first couple rounds. Young and Stroud are assumed to be the first 2 picks, but would it be wise to try to make a splash and grab one of those two?

The Bears can also elect to take a guy like Richardson or Van Dyke in the second round if they so choose. This would have a safety net in place if Fields does not produce beyond 2022.

2. Bring in a Veteran to Force Fields to Battle for the Starting Role

Although the 2023 free agency class doesn’t include a top tier QB, it does have plenty of veterans that could give Fields a run for his money and force him to develop at a pace that the team needs. Some of these names include Baker Mayfield, Gardner Minshew, Teddy Bridgewater, and Jacoby Brissett. Brissett has been one of the best backups in the NFL, as he has done a great job stepping up when needed to in recent seasons. He would be the best man to target for the Bears front office if they so choose to go this route.

3. Make a Splash Trade at the Deadline

With the news of Roquan Smith’s contract situation coming out before the season got started, he could very well be a trade target that the Bears could use to trade for a solid QB candidate. It seems as though the NFL starting QBs consist of either very good veterans or highly touted young guys, but who are some of the middle of the road guys that the Bears could try to target? Here are a few names: Lamar Jackson, Jameis Winston and Jimmy Garoppolo.

Lamar Jackson makes the most sense for a team that is currently dominating in the run game.

4. Trust the Process

Stick with Fields regardless of how the season pans out and trust the process that was instated prior to the Ryan Poles era. Fields has a ton of upside, but ultimately, it doesn’t matter how much he impresses us fans, because it is up to Ryan Poles and how he sees things.

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Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration did an abrupt about-face on Friday, under fire for scrapping a Chicago Fire Department promotion list and running up overtime to get even with a controversial City Council member who was second in line to be promoted.

Human Resources Commissioner Chris Owen signed an order reinstating the 2009 lieutenant’s list “pending finalization of the corrected 2022” lieutenant’s list and called 30 people from that older list to be promoted to lieutenant.

It was not immediately known if those promoted included Ald. Jim Gardiner (45th), a Lightfoot critic.

Last week, Lightfoot was accused of taking down the old list — after making 41 promotions from it in April — to avoid promoting Gardiner, who is on a leave of absence from the Chicago Fire Department and has waited 13 years to become a lieutenant.

Number 42 on the old list was an employee on medical leave. Number 43 was Gardiner.

The city stopped at No. 41 and, until Friday, had made no promotions to lieutenant since April — despite 40 vacancies.

On Aug. 30., two white firefighters awaiting promotion to lieutenant filed a lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court accusing the city of violating their rights by scrapping the list and suspending promotions.

Contacted earlier Friday after the order, but before the 30 promotions, Gardiner would only say the mayor’s reversal was “interesting.”

Last week, Gardiner did not mince his words.

He accused Lightfoot, with whom he has clashed repeatedly, of tossing a promotion list before all of the names had been exhausted just to get even with him.

“That’s an ‘F-you’ to me. … It highlights a pattern of being vindictive in trying to get back at people who have been known to disagree with her or not be on her side,” Gardiner said then.

“They never tear down a list like that with only 60 people or 100 people [left]. They always got to the end. But she basically screwed over 15 or 16 African American males to send a message to me. For somebody who continues to promote the fact that she’s all about helping the Black community, she sure found a way to screw over the Black community by tearing down a list to get back at a white male.”

Attorney Ruth Major filed the lawsuit on behalf of firefighters David Barron and Michael Lynch.

Major said Friday she has no idea whether the lawsuit, Gardiner’s tirade about the adverse impact on minorities, mounting overtime or last week’s Sun-Times story about the controversy convinced City Hall to restore the old list.

“It could just be that they maybe didn’t realize they hadn’t done this the right way and they want to do the right thing. It also could be that they’ve got people who are retiring from the lieutenant’s position. People who are being promoted to captain from the lieutenant’s position. And it could also just be self-serving in the sense that they need to fill these spots and the 2022 list is just not ready to start promotions off of,” Major said.

“I believe that this was the right act by the city to reinstate that list because the 2022 list continues to have problems. We never thought it should have been retired and it wasn’t retired in accordance with the city’s own hiring plan. We would hope that they have done this so they can go to the next step, which is to promote the remaining 68 people on that list.”

Last year, Lightfoot slammed Gardiner over profane, threatening and misogynistic text messages Gardiner sent to people, including Lightfoot’s political consultant Joanna Klonsky and Anne Emerson, chief of staff to Finance Chairman Scott Waguespack (32nd).

One week later, Gardiner rose on the council floor to issue a rare public apology for the embarrassment his messages caused. He received a rare rebuke from the Cook County Democratic Party and remains under federal investigation for allegedly retaliating against some Northwest Side constituents for political purposes.

Gardiner turned the tables on Lightfoot — with the Aug. 30 lawsuit to back up his claim.

He himself faces two federal lawsuits. One accuses him of harassing, intimidating and falsely arresting a constituent who picked up a cellphone Gardiner’s ward superintendent left at a convenience store. The other accuses him of violating the First Amendment rights of 45th Ward residents by deleting their criticisms of him from his official Facebook page. The city has refused to represent Gardiner in either suit.

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Great Grabowski!

Sneed hears legendary coach Mike Ditka’s ultimate “man cave” is going on the auction block!

Going … going … go Bears!

Watch for more than 500 items of sports memorabilia collected by da coach and culled from the walls of Ditka’s namesake Gold Coast Ditka’s restaurant, shuttered in 2020, to hit Hindman Auctions online soon.

The grub hub eatery was “home away from home” for Ditka, 82, and his wife, Diana.

“It was our living room and our dining room and our meeting room with family and charities and business for decades,” said Diana Ditka, who said the couple could walk daily to their restaurant located in the Tremont Hotel complex at 100 E. Chestnut St. from their nearby home.

“We miss it terribly,” she said.

When the eatery hit the quit button in 2020 via a Facebook post, Ditka told Sneed back then: “Things wear out after a time. It’s over and it was good.’

It was then the cache of Ditka memorabilia, a history of his amazing football career adorning walls and serpentining through stairwells, was packed up and stored until this year — when the Ditka family decided to auction most of it off to fans.

“The family felt it was time to let go,” said Stacy Ditka, a daughter-in-law who runs Ditkakids.com, a children’s clothing line inspired by the coach. “Our Ditka ‘onesies’ for babies are very popular,” she chuckled.

“We all loved Ditka’s, but when it closed, the truckload of Ditka memories on the restaurant walls was removed,” she added.

“The family kept what was near and dear to their hearts, then decided to let others have a chance to add to their own collections via an auction.”

Now released by the Ditka family: more than 500 sports-related restaurant items curated by the auction house into 185 lots — with the “85” used as an ode to the 1985 Bears’ Super Bowl win in New Orleans.

o The priciest item in the collection is valued at $30,000 to $50,000 for Lot 41, billed as “an exceptional piece of Chicago history”: Ditka’s Bears jersey and blue sweater encased in a huge frame following the retirement of his famous No. 89 in a ceremony after the Bears vs. Cowboys game on Dec. 9, 2013, at Soldier Field.

(A history note: Ditka, the first tight end inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, was the last Bear to have hisnumber retired.)

oThe flip side: On the far side of the estimate list is a group of baseball bats given to Ditka by his hero, St. Louis Cardinal’s legend Stan “the Man” Musial — who autographed one — now estimated at $200 to $300.

And lest we forget, Ditka’s Super Bowl XX game ball is also on the block.

So how does the coach feel about saying so long to his collectibles? “Everything is fine,” chirped Ditka.”Can’t keep everything. Hey, we are all only here for a while. I kept what I wanted.”

What is Ditka’s most treasured keepsake still in his possession?

“It’s probably a photo of me with Walter Payton,” said Ditka. “He was the best football player I’ve ever seen. He was relentless.”

Coach: ‘Chicago is the home of the Bears’

Ditka is still opposed to the Bears’ attempt to move the franchise from Soldier Field to Arlington Heights.

He tells Sneed:”I still don’t think it’s a good thing to move the Bears to Arlington Park. Chicago is the home of the Bears. Their home.

“I believe in loyalty and don’t think they are thinking of loyalty to the city,” Ditka grumbled. “But I’m not going to let it bother me. Or worry about it.”

Would he go to a Bears game in Arlington Heights?

“Well, if they were playing in L.A. I’d probably go,” Ditka chuckled.

Couple’s Florida home escapes storm

Ditka and his wife are currently in their Gold Coast perch hoping to return soon to their other home in hurricane-battered Naples, Florida.Ditka, the victim of a massive heart attack in 2018 while golfing, loves living on the links in the Sunshine State although he no longer is able to take part in the sport.

“Oh, we’ve been told our home is okay,” said Diana. “When we built our house 20years ago, we made sure it was built pretty solid,” she added.

Then Coach added: “Hey, we are all only here for a while. I’m here until I’m gone. Everything is fine. “

But hold on! Coach Ditka still opines about one thing he certainly will miss that’s NOTin the auction:

“Our signature Ditka’s dish,” he chuckled. “It was one helluva great pork chop!”

As they say in the auction business: “SOLD!

Congrats to mayoral challenger Paul Valls on the birth of his one and only grandson, Konstantinos Vallas. …. Saturday birthdays: actress Brie Larson, 33;actress Julie Andrews, 87, and and former President Jimmy Carter, 98. … Sunday birthdays: talk show host Kelly Ripa, 52; singer Sting, 71, and singer Don McLean. 77.

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