Kreativecke » funeral service is set for Friday for 1994 Heism

CHICAGO -- Joey Vottos hard-hit comebacker struck Jon Lester and ricocheted toward first as the left-hander doubled over.Joe Maddon rushed to the mound, uncertain where the ball had hit his star pitcher. But Lester got up and wanted nothing of the visit, brushing off his manager just as he waved off curious reporters after the game.Its my right hand, Lester said. I dont need it.Lester overcame the injury scare to throw seven strong innings, Anthony Rizzo drove in three runs and the Chicago Cubs moved closer to securing the NLs best record with a 6-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night.Lester (18-4) extended his scoreless streak to 21 innings before Jose Perazas RBI triple in the fifth. He allowed six hits, struck out five, walked none and added an RBI double. Lester improved to 9-0 since the All-Star break despite the welt on his right wrist.It could have been a lot worse, Maddon said.Rizzo had a two-run single in a four-run fourth and a run-scoring single in the sixth to give him 104 RBI. The Cubs 96th win reduced their magic number to three over Washington for clinching home-field advantage throughout the NL playoffs.The Cubs, who wrapped up the NL Central last week, are trying to find the right balance of staying sharp while getting rest and avoiding injury before the postseason. Thats why the crowd gasped and the trainer and Maddon rushed to check on Lester.Itll be fine, Lester said. Its a long way from the heart.He retired six of his final seven batters before leaving after 97 pitches. Lester took over the NL lead in wins and dropped his ERA to 2.36, helping his Cy Young Award candidacy.His competition includes teammate Kyle Hendricks. Maddon also has to decide which pitcher gets the ball in the playoff opener.If Im the guy, it will definitely be a huge honor, especially with the staff that we have, Lester said. If Im not the guy, tell me when Im going. Ill be there. Ill be ready.After David Ross singled with two outs in the second, Lester lined a fastball off Josh Smith (3-2) into right-center. The 39-year-old Ross, who has said hes retiring at the end of the season, lumbered from first and belly-flopped into home without a throw to put the Cubs ahead to stay.Thats more of a collapse than a slide, Ross said.Smith, making a spot start in a bullpen game for the Reds, left after allowing three hits over three innings.The Cubs scored four two-out runs in the fourth off Wandy Peralta, who walked Lester before Dexter Fowlers RBI single. Kris Bryant followed with a bloop RBI double.Bryant added a diving catch in a rare start in left field as the Cubs beat the last-place Reds for the 12th time in 15 tries.Our situation is were looking at some of the younger players we brought up for September and sometimes there are painful lessons, Reds manager Bryan Price said. Its hard to go through, but the only way these guys are going to learn how to pitch up here is to pitch.TRAINERS ROOMReds: RHP Homer Bailey (biceps) felt well enough that his bullpen session was moved up a day. Price was pleased and said its possible Bailey will get a start or two before the season ends. There hasnt been any issue regarding his surgically repaired elbow, Price said.Cubs: RHP Pedro Strop (knee, groin) threw a simulated game without issues and is set to come off the disabled list and pitch Friday, plugging the last postseason bullpen hole. Were expecting to have the time where I can get at least five or six innings in the regular season before playoffs, Strop said.SCRIPTED SERIESMaddon hopes to play scripted games to close the regular season: using relievers regardless of the situation, resting players and possibly having a bullpen game.Were playing the Cardinals this weekend and theres still playoff implications involved, and even with us there are in regards to winning home-field advantage, Maddon said. Hopefully, by next week it may be the time to script things.UP NEXTCubs RHP John Lackey (9-8, 3.42 ERA), contending with Jason Hammel for the final postseason rotation spot, starts the series finale Wednesday night against RHP Robert Stephenson (2-1, 4.97). Orioles Jerseys China . Ouellette, from Montreal, already has three Olympic gold medals since joining the team in 1999. Fake Orioles Jerseys . The Islanders dealt Thomas Vanek to the Montreal Canadiens after less than a year on Long Island. Meanwhile, the Oilers dealt long-time sniper Ales hemsky to the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday for a fifth-round pick in 2014 and a third-rounder in 2015. https://www.cheaporioles.com/ . LOUIS -- Theres no telling how these wacky World Series games will end. Wholesale Orioles Jerseys .Y. -- Sabres defenceman Tyler Myers had no intention of changing his hard-hitting style before taking part in a disciplinary hearing for his illegal check to New Jersey forward Dainius Zubrus head. Custom Baltimore Orioles Jerseys . With their top three point guards and Kobe Bryant all sidelined by injury, the Lakers signed Marshall out of the D-League on Friday before their home game against Minnesota. Some of the sports stories The Associated Press is covering Friday. A full Sports Digest will be sent by about 3 p.m. All times EST:- LONDON -- A second report into systematic Russian doping details an institutional conspiracy that involved more than 1,000 athletes across more than 30 sports.- NYON, Switzerland -- Russias head of the 2018 World Cup organizing committee is under fire in an investigation into state-backed doping at the Sochi Olympics.- OKLAHOMA CITY -- Russell Westbrook goes for his seventh straight triple-double when the Oklahoma City Thunder play the Houston Rockets. Game starts 8 p.m.- BALTIMORE -- Army-Navy is Americas Game, and no one should dare suggest otherwise to Black Knights coach Jeff Monken. The game is Saturday, and the last time Army won was 2001.- HOUSTON -- Major Applewhite, Houstons offensive coordinator, is promoted to head coach. He succeeds Tom Herman, who left to coach Texas after two years with the Cougars.- ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Jabrill Peppers is a three-way dynamo for Michigan, playing offense, defense and special teams. He was not expected to be in the running for the Heisman Trophy when the season began.- BOULDER, Colo. -- A funeral service is set for Friday for 1994 Heisman Trophy winner Rashaan Salaam, the star Colorado running back who was found dead in a park.dddddddddddd- Fourth-and-no is becoming fourth-and-go in todays NFL. More coaches are going for it in situations that used to be automatic punts or field-goal attempts.- KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The cost of first place in the AFC West was steep: The Chiefs lost linebacker Derrick Johnson to a season-ending Achilles injury in their 21-13 victory over Oakland on Thursday night.- LONDON -- The NFL will play four regular-season games in London next year. Teams and venues will be announced Tuesday.- PALM BEACH, Fla. -- NHL owners discuss the collective bargaining agreement, the Olympics and other issues when they conclude two days of meetings.- LOS ANGELES -- No. 2 UCLA is back in college basketballs upper echelon. Coached by Steve Alford and led by freshmen Lonzo Ball and T.J. Leaf, the Bruins are 9-0 and off to their best start in a decade.- HOUSTON -- The College Cup soccer semifinals: Denver vs. Wake Forest (7 p.m.) and defending champion Stanford vs. North Carolina (9:45 p.m.).- MARSEILLE, France -- Russian teen Evgenia Medvedeva, the figure skating world champion, begins defense of her Grand Prix Final title with the womens short program. ' ' '