Second year defensive end Trevis Gipson could be one of the most important players on the Bears defense going forward.

Chicago Bears defensive end Trevis Gipson exploded onto the scene in his second year racking up seven sacks and five forced fumbles.  Gipson wasn’t supposed to receive the level of playing time necessary to become so productive but after Khalil Mack went down with an injury, Gipson came in and performed admirably in his stead.  Gipson performed so well in fact that he put the Bears in a position where they could trade away Mack to clear up some cap space and add a draft pick in the middle of the second round.

So what exactly did Gipson show in his second year as an edge defender for the Bears?  First, he showed off clear burst off the edge.  Gipson preferred to start from a standing stance and he was more often than not able to run past offensive tackles.  Second, Gipson showed off the ability to force fumbles racking up five in total, good for a tie for fifth most in the league.

So what does Gipson need to accomplish in his first year as a starter at defensive end opposite Robert Quinn?  Gipson needs to show more hand usage, and counter moves to his repertoire.  Gipson got by mostly on his speed, he needs to win the hand battles, generate his speed to power, and develop a rip move so he can better out leverage the blocker.  By using his speed to get into the body of the defender he can better use that to  bull rush the blocker.  Gipson did mention that he was bothered to see Khalil Mack traded to the Chargers, but now he needs to apply what he learned from Mack to become a more complete player.

What does Trevis Gipson bring to the defense?

Trevis Gipson clearly has all the tools, he has the size at 6-foot-4 261-pounds, the speed with a timed 4.68 40-yard dash plus he has the frame to add more mass without losing any of his speed.  Without question Gipson’s arrow is pointing up and he should come in and dominate in year three with the Bears.  He’s moving back to a more comfortable position for him as a base DE in the 4-3, and he’s going to be tutored up by Matt Eberflus who is a disciple of renowned defensive line coach and former Bears defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli.  If ever there was a place for position coaches to be enshrined into the NFL Hall of Fame in Canton Ohio, Marinelli has a clear case.

All that needs to happen now is for Trevis Gipson to take the opportunity in front of him and become the Bears pass rusher of the future.  Doing so would go a long way towards stabilizing a defense that is in rebuilding mode and would also provide draft value as most dominant pass rushers are found in the top-10  of the NFL Draft, not in the fifth round.  Trevis Gipson’s continued success would be the most important development the Bears could have on defense in 2022.

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Tim Anderson is headed back to the All-Star Game

It’s been a long time coming. White Sox shortstop, Tim Anderson, will be the first Sox shortstop to start in the All-Star Game since Luis Aparicio in 1970. After being so close to getting an at-bat during last year’s All-Star Game at Coors Field in Denver, this has got to feel good.

Tim Anderson shared these words after his team’s 7-5 loss to the Tigers on Friday: “I just have to continue to keep going and keep growing. You know it means a lot for people to be paying attention and root for me and vote for me. I’ll forever be thankful for them making that happen.”

Anderson’s victory over Bo Bichette of the Toronto Blue Jays was narrow. In the final ballot tally on Friday, Anderson received 55% of the vote and Bichette received 45%. The victory is well deserved. This season, Anderson has been one of the league’s most consistent hitters. He is no doubt an all-star.

Even with a 3-for-24 start to the homestand, he is hitting .316 with 5 homers, 10 stolen bases, and 35 runs scored. Anderson is one of the most formidable hitters in all of baseball. If he scores just 4 more homers, he will join Minnie Miñoso, Alexei Ramírez, and Ray Durham as the only players in White Sox history to put up over 100 home runs and over 100 stolen bases.

All-Star pitchers and reserves will be announced Sunday on ESPN at 4:30 p.m. CT. Dylan Cease is a very strong candidate to join Anderson at the All-Star Game. Make sure to tune in to find out the complete All-Star Roster.

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LOS ANGELES – Cubs right-hander Marcus Stroman went off the 15-day injured Saturday and straight into a pitchers’ duel with Dodgers lefty Clayton Kershaw.

The Cubs were monitoring Stroman’s workload in the start. He’d built up to 50-55 pitches in his rehab outing last week. But he made the most of the 59 pitches he threw in four innings against the Dodgers on Saturday.

Stroman held the Dodgers, who sit atop the National League West, scoreless. He gave up just two hits, both singles. He never allowed a runner into scoring position.

Stroman spent about a month on the IL with inflammation in his right shoulder. But he traced the issue back to his quick buildup in May after a bout with COVID-19.

To make room on the active roster for Stroman, the Cubs placed lefty Justin Steele on the paternity list.

Extra, extra

The Cubs played their 12th extra-inning game of the season Friday, leading Major League Baseball in that category. And three of their past six games have gone into extras.

The Cubs have not, however, fared well in those contests, going 3-9 in extra-inning games this season.

“The rewarding thing is we’ve been in a lot of tight games,” manager David Ross said early in the series. “These guys are getting playoff-type, experience, [facing] playoff-caliber teams: Boston, Milwaukee, St. Louis, the Yankees. We’re getting some real good experience this year that’s going to pay off in the long run for some of these young guys.”

Entering Saturday, playing 10 innings the night before provided an added challenge for the Cubs, whose rotation remains banged up. Extra innings mean an extra toll on the bullpen.

Ross also used an extra pitcher Friday after an inning-extending error by Seiya Suzuki.

In what should’ve been an inning-ending play in the sixth, Dodgers cleanup hitter Will Smith sliced a fly ball to right field. Suzuki drifted under it, but it kept curling toward the line and glanced off his glove. The Dodgers scored their first run on the error, and Ross replaced starter Keegan Thompson with veteran Chris Martin.

It was only Suzuki’s second error. A five-time Nippon Professional Baseball gold glover, Suzuki is known for his solid defense, which made it more head-scratching.

“It’s a really hard game we’re playing; sometimes things happen,” Ross said.

“I’m sure he wished he would have caught it.”

Martin went back out in the seventh but didn’t finish the inning. After Martin gave up a solo home run to Jake Lamb and a triple to Gavin Lux, reliever Scott Effross replaced him and got the last out.

Injury updates

Catcher Willson Contreras returned to the lineup Saturday, batting second as the designated hitter, after missing four games with a tight left hamstring.

Triple-A Iowa’s 10-1 win in Indianapolis featured two players in the second games of their rehab assignments.

Frank Schwindel (strained lower back) served as the designated hitter and went 1-for-4. Second baseman Nick Madrigal (strained left groin) went 0-for-3 with a walk and scored a run.

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By Brian Sandalow

For the Sun-Times

For 45 minutes, the Fire showed the best of their ability. Then they showed why their season is on the verge of effectively ending in July.

Saturday’s 3-2 loss to the Columbus Crew was the first match of a three-game homestand for the Fire that will continue Wednesday against Toronto FC and then Saturday against the Seattle Sounders. The Fire came into the day eight points out of a playoff spot, with just a 13% chance to reach the postseason per FiveThirtyEight.

More concretely, to reach the 48-point total that was good enough to reach the East playoffs in 2021, the Fire will need 31 points and average 2.06 per match over their last 15 games to hit that mark.

Over 90 minutes, the Fire (4-10-5, 17 points) started to make an argument that kind of run might be somewhat feasible. Then it became all too apparent why it won’t happen and why they’re last in the 28-team league, turning a 2-0 halftime lead into a gut-wrenching defeat against one of their rivals in front of a frustrated crowd of 15,157.

“We didn’t fight back, we didn’t fight in the second half at all,” coach Ezra Hendrickson said. “We just laid down and let them pass right through us, run by us. When you do that, teams punish you. [There’s] absolutely no excuse to lose a game at home like that, up 2-0 at halftime when all you have to do is manage the game, make sure the team doesn’t score and you win the game.”

The Fire took a 1-0 lead in the 29th minute when captain Rafael Czichos headed a sharp Chris Mueller cross past Crew goalkeeper Eloy Room. The goal was the first in MLS play for Czichos, who scored twice in the Fire’s U.S. Open Cup loss to Union Omaha.

Striker Jhon Duran then made his presence felt in the 41st minute when his low cross snuck through the Columbus defense and found Mueller, who doubled the Fire lead. Mueller, a Schaumburg native, scored for the second time since leaving Scottish side Hibernian for the Fire.

Yet instead of killing off the game and sealing three important points, the Fire allowed Columbus to make things interesting after the Crew changed their shape. Derrick Etienne scored in the 63rd minute to cut the Fire lead in half before Etienne evened things in the 75th. Columbus then took the lead in the 83rd when Cucho Hernandez got behind the Fire defense and chipped the ball over goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina.

Mueller also had issues with the Fire’s fight. Or, more accurately, the lack thereof, which could be worse than a lack of talent.

“Damn near, because you can control your fight,” Mueller said. “It definitely sucks that you’re losing games in areas that you can control. A lot of the goals that we’re giving up are so soft and a lot of them are our own fault. We’re shooting ourselves in the foot too often and it’s costing us crucial points, obviously.”

Any chance of a late Fire comeback was short-circuited when Miguel Navarro was handed a straight red card in the 90h minute. Hendrickson also removed Xherdan Shaqiri in the 80th minute after the high-priced designated player asked out due to a thigh issue.

NOTES: Duran started at striker in place of Kacper Przybylko. Acquired over the offseason from the Union for $1.15 million in allocation money, Przybylko has made little impact, scoring three times.

* Prior to the match, the Fire observed a moment of silence in memory of the victims of Monday’s mass shooting in Highland Park.

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Hours before taking part in her fifth three-point contest, the one that would make her the most decorated three-point shooter in WNBA/NBA history, Sky guard Allie Quigley warmed up with teammates Courtney Vandersloot and Candace Parker at McCormick Place.

Vandersloot, Quigley’s wife, served as a makeshift ball rack, methodically handing her a basketball after each attempt, while Parker stood inches from Quigley’s body, seemingly simulating the pressurized situation she would feel later in the day.

The advice Quigley received from her teammates was simple, but the words she got from Parker were direct.

”All my teammates just told me to have fun,” Quigley said after practice Saturday. ”But Candace told me I better win.”

A year ago, after winning her third three-point title, Quigley vowed she wouldn’t compete in the contest again. It was the first time in her career she recalled being booed by a crowd in unison. But the combination of the hometown stage for All-Star Weekend and encouragement from friends and family persuaded her to come out of her three-point retirement.

As Quigley approached the ball rack and heard the announcer start counting down, all she thought was, ”This is your time; go for it,” she said.

Her shot fell through the net effortlessly.

Quigley advanced past the first round after scoring 26 points, the highest among the six competitors, as Vandersloot and Parker looked on from the scorer’s table. Mystics guard Ariel Atkins and Dream rookie Rhyne Howard advanced to the second round, as well, each finishing with 24 points.

Following Atkins and Howard, Quigley’s second-round performance was even better. Vandersloot paced the sideline with Parker, who was wearing Quigley’s DePaul jersey, trying to calm her down. With every money ball Quigley made, Vandersloot’s and Parker’s elation grew.

As Quigley came to her money-ball rack, she couldn’t hear anything except four-time All-Star Jonquel Jones, who was telling her the title was hers. As the buzzer sounded, Quigley hit one more shot, bringing the crowd — including mom Christine, who was sitting in the stands with family — to its feet. She finished with 30 points.

After Quigley accepted her award, Parker embraced her before exclaiming, ”You need to rename it the Allie Quigley three-point contest.”

Entering the event, Quigley was tied with Larry Bird and Craig Hodges for the most three-point titles with three.

”This was the highlight of my weekend,” Sky general manager/coach James Wade said. ”For her to have this moment in her city adds to the Quigley legend. I can’t wait to see the movie.”

Quigley’s historic victory followed the skills competition that featured Vandersloot and Sky forward Azura Stevens. Both lost in the first round, with Stevens falling to eventual winner Sabrina Ionescu of the Liberty.

Vandersloot and Quigley have a trophy case at home, to which they’ll add Quigley’s fourth three-point trophy. Afterward, Quigley said there is no chance she will vie for a fifth title.

Quigley’s road in the WNBA was far from typical. She played on four teams in her first four years in the league before nearly giving up. After signing with the Sky following a year away from the WNBA, Quigley finally stuck.

Her advice for young players coming up behind her was honest.

”Sometimes things that you want to accomplish aren’t going to happen right away,” she said. ”It’s a journey. You have to stay the course, be coachable, be a good teammate and continue to learn.”

Skills participants:

Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream

Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty

Courtney Vandesloot, Chicago Sky

Jonquel Jones, Connecticut Sun

Kelsey Plum, Las Vegas Aces

Nalyssa Smith, Indiana Fever

Azur? Stevens, Chicago Sky

Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces

Three-point participants:

Allie Quigley, Chicago Sky

Kelsey Plum, Las Vegas Aces

Arike Ogunbowale, Dallas Wings

Jewell Loyd, Seattle Storm

Ariel Atkins, Washington Mystics

Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream

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In a span of less than two months, Johnny Cueto has developed into a jack-of-all trades starting pitcher who has prevented the White Sox from sinking further in the American League Central.

Cueto provided another example of his worth Saturday night as he scattered five hits over a season-high eight innings in leading the Sox to a cozy 8-0 victory over the Tigers.

Cueto’s performance kept the Sox (40-43) from falling to a season-high five games under the .500 mark while giving their bullpen much-welcomed rest as they play nine games in their final eight days until the All-Star break.

“He should have been in here since Opening Day, that’s what he’s meant,” manager Tony La Russa said of Cueto, 36, who signed a minor league contract on April 8. “He’s picked us up when we needed it. We were talking about it earlier. It still bothers a lot of us about the records of our starting rotation. Johnny is still an under .500 pitcher, and he’s pitched much better than that.”

Cueto (3-4) lowered his ERA to 2.91 in 66 innings. He pitched effectively and efficiently in throwing eight scoreless innings for the 17th time in his career and the first time since throwing a shutout against the Padres on May 23, 2016, while pitching for the Giants.

“You work for this,” said Cueto, who routine includes running the stadium steps the day after he pitches. “I was hoping to have a good performance and like Tony said, I felt like I still had something in the tank.”

Cueto struck out five and didn’t issue a walk as he snapped the Tigers’ six-game winning streak.

Cueto also continued his mastery of Tigers slugger Javier Baez, who went hitless in three at-bats and now has one hit in 17 career at-bats with six strikeouts against Cueto.

Cueto trusted his stuff enough to pitch inside effectively to Baez, who has been vulnerable to breaking pitches on the outside corner throughout most of the season.

Baez struck out on a 84 mph changeup that moved low and inside in the fourth.

“In that case, I was trying to throw that changeup outside and it ran in,” Cueto smiled. “I was lucky on that pitch.”

The Sox are more fortunate to have Cueto, who didn’t make his first appearance until May 16. Cueto has allowed three earned runs or fewer in nine of his 10 starts. Cueto also pitched five innings in an emergency relief role on June 12 when fellow starter Michael Kopech hurt his ankle.

“He’s a pitching artist,” said La Russa, describing Cueto’s ability to pitch to all four quadrants of the strike zone effectively. “All from a delivery that hides the ball well. He very rarely misses over the plate, just got the edges. That’s changing speeds.

“By the time you slow your bat, he throws it by you. You quicken it up and he gets you out in front. It’s just a beautiful thing to watch from our side.”

Among Cueto’s 101 pitches were 27 changesups, 27 cut fastballs, 26 sinkers, 12 four-seam fastballs and nine sliders.

La Russa believed Cueto would be effective once he joined the Sox because of the way he competed against his Cardinals from 2008 to 2011 as a member of the Reds, as well as his relationship with pitching coach Ethan Katz from their days with the Giants in 2020.

“Johnny and him were very honest with each other,” La Russa said. “I think that connection with Ethan really helped.But upstairs, they made the connection first. I give (general manager) Rick and his team the credit.”

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The blend of plate discipline and taking advantage in hitters’ counts paid off Saturday for the White Sox.

It started with Luis Robert laying off a 3-2 sinker and Gavin Sheets whacking a 3-0 pitch for a three-run homer that set the tone for an 8-0 victory over the Tigers.

“We’re a different hitting team when we do that,” said Tony La Russa, referring to the offense tidying its strike zone.

The Sox entered Saturday’s game with a 35.9 percent rate of swinging at pitches outside the strike zone – highest in the American League, according to Fangraphs.

But Roberts didn’t chase, and Sheets reinforced La Russa’s faith by whacking a low pitch down the middle off Garrett Hill over the wall in right center.

La Russa said his batters have practiced batting with 3-0 counts, with the warning of getting an off-speed pitch in a fastball count.

“I knew that (Hill) wanted to come to me, he didn’t want to get the bases loaded for (Yoan) Moncada,” Sheets said.

The left-handed hitting Sheets has hit all six of his homers this season at home and against right-handed pitchers.

Jose Abreu extended his hitting streak to a season-high 14 games with a two-run double in the second. Abreu has seven hitting streaks of 14 games or longer. Only Hall-of-Famers Nellie Fox (nine), Luke Appling (eight) and Eddie Collins (eight) have more hitting streaks of 14 games or longer, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

New and improved Jimenez?

After returning Wednesday from his latest injury setback, Eloy Jim?nez has demonstrated his body might be able to withstand the rigors of the final 2 1/2 months of the regular season.

“He’s really in good shape,” La Russa said Saturday. “He’s paid his dues. Just make sure he stays on his program, which I think he will. He knows we’re better when he’s not hurt. He’s assuming responsibility.”

Jimenez, 25, went 3-for-13 with a home run and four RBIs, as well as making an impressive catch in foul territory, since returning from surgery to repair a torn hamstring tendon that sidelined him for 65 games.

Jimenez, under the advisement of team doctors and trainers, didn’t start Saturday and reported normal soreness after playing three consecutive games. That is encouraging news for Jimenez and the Sox, who play doubleheaders against the Guardians on Tuesday and July 23.

Jimenez missed the first 99 games of 2021 because of a left pectoral muscle tear.

“Sometimes when you’re younger, you get away with not crossing every t,” La Russa said. “And later on you realize how important it is to make sure you stretch. He’s learning early. It will help him.”

Rest for Anderson?

With nine games remaining in the next eight days, shortstop Tim Anderson will receive a rest before flying to Los Angeles to participate in All-Star Game festivities.

“We’re aware of that and know we’re going to have to give him some time,” La Russa said of Anderson, who will start for the American League. “Not sure we’ll give it to him this weekend or during the week. We’re going to have to give him a break some place.”

La Russa intimated that Davis Martin could start in one of the games in Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Guardians.

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