Protection » hockey mind, hes got elite vision and he makes plays.McG

CINCINNATI -- Anthony Rizzo saw the ball ricochet across the outfield and kicked his legs into high gear, deciding he was going to try to touch `em all. His sides were aching by the time he slid safely into home plate.Rizzo legged out his first inside-the-park homer on Wednesday -- a fitting final touch to a series full of unusual moments -- and the Chicago Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds 9-2 for a three-game sweep that put them back on solid footing after a rough stretch.They were on top of it, man, after a long one last night, Chicago starter Kyle Hendricks said.The Cubs went 1-6 last week, hurt by an injury-depleted lineup and a balky bullpen. With thousands of Cubs fans in the stands at Great American Ball Park for each game, they pulled off an invigorating sweep.The NL Central leaders won the opener 11-8 as Kris Bryant became the first major leaguer with three homers and two doubles in a game. They won 7-2 in 15 innings Tuesday night in a game that featured Javier Baezs grand slam and three relievers playing left field alternately.Manager Joe Maddon went with a lot of his young backups after the long night. They piled up a dozen hits and made impressive plays all over the field.A bunch of babies played in that game today, Maddon said. They were inexperienced, they were young, and they came out and played hard and played well.There was more wackiness, too.Rizzo drove in three runs in the first inning off left-hander Cody Reed (0-2) with the Cubs first inside-the-park homer since 2011, when Tony Campana circled the bases against Cincinnati. Left fielder Adam Duvall cut in front of center fielder Billy Hamilton but couldnt get to the ball, which deflected off Hamiltons cheek.Rizzo couldnt remember the last time he circled the bases that way.Maybe Little League? he said. Nothing like that. Ill take it.Hamilton left the game to get tested for a concussion. He missed a week earlier this month after suffering a concussion when he slid into third base and got hit in the head.We both called for it at the same time, Duvall said. I thought we were going to collide. I didnt take my eye off the ball, but I mightve flinched a little bit. It hit him pretty good. It ended up rolling pretty far.Hendricks (6-6) gave up Duvalls 22nd homer and went 6 2/3 innings, throwing 117 pitches to rest a bullpen worn out from pitching and playing the outfield. He also drove in a run with a squeeze bunt.Hendricks didnt get to play the outfield, though -- not this time, anyway.The way things are going, you never know, he said.Addison Russell and Albert Almora Jr. had solo shots for the Cubs, who hit 10 homers during the series. Baez had three more hits on Wednesday. Rizzos homer gave him a 10-game hitting streak during which hes gone 17 for 36.The Cubs have the major leagues best record at 51-26. Theyre 9-1 against the Reds this season and have won 12 of their last 13 against their NL Central rival.The Cubs 27 runs in the series matched their second-highest total of the season for a three-game stretch.They also turned in more good defensive plays. Right fielder Ben Zobrist threw out Joey Votto at the plate as he tried to score from second on Jay Bruces single in the third.SLAMMEDResearch into Baezs 15th-inning slam found that it was the latest by inning in Cubs history. Also, it was only the third in baseball history to happen in the 15th inning or later. New Yorks Tino Martinez hit one in the 15th in 1996, and Bostons Clyde Vollmer hit one in the 16th inning in 1951, according to STATS information provided by the team. The Cubs hadnt scored five runs so late in a game since 1927.TRAINERS ROOMCubs: Maddon gave LHP Travis Wood the day off after he played left field and pitched in relief Tuesday night.Reds: 2B Brandon Phillips was in the lineup despite getting hit in the ribs and taking a foul off his left ankle Tuesday night. He had a single in four at-bats.UP NEXTCubs: RHP John Lackey (7-4, 3.29 ERA) opens a four-game series at New York against the Mets. Hes coming off his worst outing of the season, when he allowed seven runs in 4 1/3 innings of a loss at Miami last Saturday.Reds: LHP Brandon Finnegan (3-6, 3.83) opens a four-game series at Washington. He has lost his last two starts, giving up seven earned runs in 11 2/3 innings. The Reds dont play at home again until July 15.---Follow Joe Kay on Twitter: http://twitter.com/apjoekay Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys . LOUIS -- Cardinals cleanup hitter Allen Craig says hes recovered from a foot injury and ready to be put on St. Wholesale NHL Jerseys China . "We have always prided ourselves on the way we play defence. Having two big pieces back is going to be a key for us moving forward for years to come," said Knighthawks head coach Mike Hasen. https://www.chinanhljerseys.us/ . And follow TSN.ca right through Deadline Day for all the updates. From Pierre LeBrun While Anaheim GM Bob Murray said earlier this season he was not going to trade Jonas Hiller despite the fact hes an unrestricted free agent on July 1, some sources have told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun that Murray might be willing to move another goalie. NHL Jerseys China . The (11-11-4) Jets are seventh in the Central Division with 26 points. Fifth place Dallas and sixth-seeded Nashville also have 26 points, but the Stars have three games in hand on Winnipeg while Nashville has two. Wholesale NHL Jerseys . Booth picked up 65 caps after making her national team debut in 2002 at the age of 17. She most recently played for Sky Blue FC of the National Womens Soccer League. "It just felt like it was my time to move on," she said in a phone interview from her hometown of Burlington, Ont. ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Derek Ryan waited longer than most NHL players for his chance. Now, nearing 30 years old, hes making the most of it.Ryan scored twice, Cam Ward made 21 saves and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Los Angeles Kings 3-1 on Thursday night.Ryan had his first multigoal performance in 20 NHL games. A fixture in the lineup since being called up from the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL on Nov. 11, Ryan has six points in the last seven games.Pretty remarkable. Hard to even put it into words, Ryan said. Its one of those nights where youll remember it.Once considered undersized and a step too slow for the NHL, the journeyman from Spokane, Washington, who will turn 30 on Dec. 29, has finally proved that he can play at this level after years of playing in the minor leagues and in Europe.I dont think its just tonight thats proven that, Ryan said. I think Ive tried to prove that through the early part of this season and even last year, in the games that I played here. But its nice to get those goals and feel like I can contribute at a high level in this league.Brock McGinn also scored for Carolina.Drew Doughty scored for the Kings and Jeff Zatkoff made 15 saves in his first 60-minute performance of the season.Andrej Nestrasil fed Ryan for the first score of the game with 2:09 left in the first. With Kings defensemen Alec Martinez and Jake Muzzin on the same man, Nestrasil found Ryan all alone, and he broke away for the backhand around Zatkoff.Ryan made it 2-0 at 13:13 in the second period, finishing off an impressive passing sequence with for a short-handed goal. After breaking into a 2-on-1, Ryan sent a no-look backhand pass around defenseman Drew Doughty to McGinn, and McGinn sent the puck under a diving Doughty back to Ryan, who banked it off the near post..ddddddddddddWeve done that a couple times together in Charlotte, Ryan said. I felt some pressure from Doughty there and I tried to get it over to him behind my back. I was kind of expecting him to shoot it, but he ended up putting it right on my tape for a wide open net.Probably one of those goals that my family will watch for a while.It appears as though his family get to watch him in the NHL for a little longer, as hes impressed the Carolina coaching staff with his work ethic and playmaking abilities.Its a good story, Hurricanes coach Bill Peters said. Hes got a great hockey mind, hes got elite vision and he makes plays.McGinn sniped one top-shelf over Zatkoff 4:20 into the third period to make it 3-0.Doughtys goal closed the scoring at 12:50 in the third period.The Kings failed to generate much offense in a somewhat lackluster performance. Kings coach Darryl Sutter juggled the lines when he saw his top players underperforming, but a three-goal hole proved too deep to climb out of in the third period.I dont think our top guys were very sharp, and they didnt have any scoring chances, Sutter said. Our top guys were not very efficient out there maximizing what their god gave them.Game notes Doughty turned 27 on Thursday. ... Zatkoffs start was his first since Nov. 11. ... Kings C Andy Andreoff, RW Devin Setoguchi and D Tom Gilbert were healthy scratches. ... Hurricanes C Elias Lindholm missed his fourth straight game with a lower-body injury. ... Hurricanes D Klas Dahlbeck and Ryan Murphy were healthy scratches.UP NEXTHurricanes: End a three-game California trip in San Jose on Saturday night.Kings: Host Ottawa in a Saturday matinee. ' ' '