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Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
3 takeaways as the Chicago White Sox reach the halfway mark of the 2025 season with a 26-55 record
Sean Burke struck out the first three batters Wednesday at Rate Field. But because leadoff hitter Geraldo Perdomo reached on a passed ball, the Arizona Diamondbacks still had a chance to do damage. Josh Naylor did just that, hitting a two-run home run. That perfectly summed up the first 81 games for the 2025 Chicago White Sox. There were some positives but also plenty of growing pains. The Sox dug out of the early hole for a 7-3 victory in front of 10,217. They scored twice in the first, including a solo home run by Andrew Benintendi. Lenyn Sosa gave them the lead with a two-run homer in the fourth and added an RBI single in the sixth and a solo homer in the eighth. 'It's very rewarding,' Sosa said of the two-homer day. The Sox are 26-55 halfway through the season, the second-worst 81-game start in franchise history. Last year's team was 21-60 at this point. Thursday's game continued another 2025 trend during Will Venable's first year as manager. The Sox are averaging 6.1 runs in their wins and 2.2 in their losses. 'There are a lot of things to highlight,' general manager Chris Getz told reporters Monday when asked about reaching the midway point. 'There are other areas that need to be continued to develop, worked on. We are focused on doing that. 'We had objectives coming in we really wanted to focus on with our major-league staff, and they have done a pretty good job in executing that. We know there's more that needs to happen for us to turn the corner and accelerate some things. 'Overall, feel pretty good about things. When you look at a record like we have, you are not too happy about it by any stretch. But there are some positives that we can hang our hat on and continue to move forward.' Here are three areas that stood out through the first 81 games. Robert had hoped his home run in Tuesday's game would be a sign of positive things to come. But the center fielder exited in the first inning Wednesday with left hamstring tightness. Venable said Robert still was being evaluated after Wednesday's game. 'Feel like he's in an OK spot,' Venable said. 'Give him the off day (Thursday), see where we're at on Friday.' It has been a tough year for Robert, who was aiming to return to his 2023 All-Star form. He's hitting .185 with eight homers and 32 RBIs in 73 games. Wednesday's injury occurred while he was pursuing a fly ball. All year, Robert has been mentioned in trade speculation. 'Right now I'm here (playing) for this team,' Robert said through an interpreter Tuesday when asked about possibly still being with the Sox beyond the July 31 trade deadline. 'I know they have two (club) options. It's a possibility. I'd like to be here. Like I've said before, my mind is here. I don't try to think ahead.' The Sox did deal another longtime member of their lineup June 13, sending first baseman Andrew Vaughn to the Milwaukee Brewers for pitcher Aaron Civale. Vaughn was with Triple-A Charlotte at the time of the trade, having been optioned May 23. He slashed .189/.218/.314 with five homers and 19 RBIs in 48 games for the Sox this year. As for Robert's future, Getz said Monday: 'We've never been out there making phone calls about Luis Robert. It's teams calling us and we have conversations and we stick to the plan that we've been working by so far, in which if we feel like we can help the long-term health of the organization, so be it. 'We like having Luis Robert and I enjoy having him in the lineup on a nightly basis.' Catcher Kyle Teel drove in a run with a first-inning single Wednesday, then singled and scored on Sosa's home run in the fourth and doubled and scored on Sosa's single in the sixth. 'Stick to my plan, have a good approach and take good swings,' Teel said. Teel is one of nine rookies currently on the roster. And he wasn't the only one to contribute Wednesday. Burke allowed two unearned runs on five hits in five innings. Reliever Grant Taylor, who has a blazing fastball, allowed one unearned run in two innings. Shortstop Chase Meidroth, who like Teel came over from the Boston Red Sox in the Garrett Crochet trade in December, collected an RBI on a sacrifice fly. Overall, the Sox have used 16 rookies this season, including productive Rule 5 pitchers Shane Smith and Mike Vasil. Edgar Quero is sharing the work at catcher with Teel. 'If you look around the field, some of these young players are stepping up and developing,' Getz said. Vargas had a .139 average with five doubles and six RBIs in his first 22 games this season. He's hitting .269 with 15 doubles, 10 home runs and 28 RBIs in the 56 games since. 'Miguel Vargas is continuing to get better and is becoming an impactful bat at the major-league level, which is great for us, great for the future,' Getz said Monday. The corner infielder tweaked his stance and took off, providing a blueprint for the type of growth the Sox are looking to attain throughout the organization. 'A lot of the positive things we've done and some of the things that individual guys have been able to do, making some adjustments and getting back on track,' Venable said, evaluating the halfway point before Wednesday's game. 'Some of the adversity guys have overcome and how this group collectively has gelled together and what they've created as a group is something that I'm happy that's happened and proud of. 'But also a lot of things that we need to clean up and continue to progress and get better at and continue to push and get some better results here.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Blake Lively's ‘Protective Order' For Taylor Swift Messages Denied — Report
Blake Lively and Taylor Swift's text messages have reportedly become accessible to Justin Baldoni in the legal battle. On Wednesday, a judge denied Lively's motion for a 'protective order' to block her 'It Ends With Us' co-star's attempts to seek their communications. The latest update drags Swift back into the case weeks after Baldoni's team dropped their subpoenas to the pop star and her lawyers at Venable, claiming they got what they needed. However, new documents stated otherwise. Judge Lewis J. Liman denied last week's motion to keep Blake Lively and Taylor Swift's text messages private. PEOPLE acquired court documents confirming that the latest update comes as a blow to Lively, who had moved to block her legal adversary from securing her and Swift's communications. In her filings from last Friday, she accused Baldoni and his legal team of strategically devising the 'tactic' to distract from his lawsuit dismissal. The new court documents revealed that although Baldoni and his team never received the texts after dropping their subpoena to Swift. They had continued pushing for these exchanges and even argued their relevance in a response filing, claiming these could prove crucial in disproving the sexual harassment and smear campaign allegations. They also blamed Lively for dragging the singer into the case by identifying the singer as someone with knowledge of what she experienced. Judge Lewis J. Liman called Justin Baldoni's request in the legal battle, seeking Blake Lively and Taylor Swift's text messages, 'reasonably tailored.' Liman justified his ruling, stating, 'Lively has represented that Swift had knowledge of complaints or discussions about the working environment on the film.' The judge further added that these exchanges coming to light could 'prove or disprove' the actor's 'harassment and retaliation claims.' The update came weeks after Judge Liman dismissed Baldoni's $400 million countersuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds. In what looked like a legal victory, the actor-director can now gain access to the longtime friends' private chats, but only about the 'It Ends With Us' film. Furthermore, the 'Gossip Girl' alum's representative released a statement, slamming his 'desire to drag' the Grammy winner into their feud. Originally reported by Nikita Mahato on Reality Tea. The post Blake Lively's 'Protective Order' For Taylor Swift Messages Denied — Report appeared first on Mandatory.
Chicago Tribune
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Chicago White Sox end 8-game skid with 7-1 rout behind home runs from Andrew Benintendi and Luis Robert Jr.
TORONTO — The Chicago White Sox used the long ball to bring their eight-game losing streak to an emphatic end. Andrew Benintendi and Luis Robert Jr. hit tape-measure home runs in a 7-1 victory against the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday at Rogers Centre. 'We did a good job collectively of controlling the zone,' manager Will Venable said. 'It was a full team commitment offensively to shrink the zone, and we didn't miss our pitches.' Benintendi blasted a 425-foot solo home run to right field against Blue Jays starter Spencer Turnbull in the first inning. It had an exit velocity of 108.3 mph. 'We want to be aggressive and he clipped that ball pretty good,' Venable said. 'Really did a good job of setting the tone for the group and the rest of the guys followed. Love the damage there.' Robert crushed a 441-foot, two-run home run to left field against reliever Mason Fluharty during a four-run third inning. It had an exit velocity of 114.2 mph. Robert is 9-for-33 (.273) with two home runs, two doubles and six RBIs in his last 10 games. 'He looked good here, has the last couple of days,' Venable said. 'Really staying through the baseball, swinging at good pitches. And you see the result today. You get excited when you see Luis do damage like that.' Austin Slater and Benintendi collected RBI singles in the second inning, and Josh Rojas knocked in two with a double in the third in the runaway win in front of 36,121. The Sox (24-52) used five pitchers in a bullpen game after placing scheduled starter Davis Martin on the injured list on Friday with a right forearm strain. Grant Taylor displayed his blazing fastball during a 1-2-3 first inning in his first major-league start. 'He pounded the zone with a plus fastball,' Venable said. 'For me, if you can throw 100 (mph), use that thing and see what you've got. And he did that tonight.' After two groundouts, Taylor ended the inning striking out Vladimir Guerrero Jr. swinging on a 99.2-mph high fastball. 'The big takeaway was that (Guerrero) at-bat — four heaters, three up top of the zone, got some swing and miss,' Taylor said. 'Was really excited about that.' Tyler Alexander earned the win in the bulk role, allowing four hits and striking out two during four scoreless innings. He induced ending-inning double plays in the fourth and fifth innings — the second of which erased a bases-loaded situation. 'We had a mound visit, talked through what we wanted to do (facing Tyler Heineman with the bases loaded and one out in the fifth),' Alexander said. 'Fortunately he put the ball on the ground early. That helped. The (Guerrero) double play (in the fourth), huge. Well-executed pitches and got weak contact.' Venable said Alexander's outing was 'amazing.' 'He continues to pitch crucial innings for us where he's attacking the zone,' Venable said. 'He's fearless too.' Wikelman González allowed one run on one hit with two strikeouts and two walks in his major-league debut. The right-hander, called up Friday from Triple-A Charlotte, struck out Ernie Clement swinging for his first MLB punchout to end the seventh inning. He got Guerrero to line out to Benintendi in left field with two on for the final out of the eighth. 'It was a little exciting to face one of the best hitters in the world, but I trusted my stuff and I'm glad I got him out,' González said through an interpreter. After several close losses during the skid, the Sox clicked across the board to return to the win column. 'They did a great job in every phase of the game,' Venable said. 'Pitching was outstanding, we pounded the zone all night. Defense was great, (Lenyn) Sosa made some great plays (at second base). … Really good stuff all over the field. 'These guys have been working so hard and to have it on a game like that where everyone contributed, everyone played well, it's really nice to see.'
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Blake Lively's Motion To Keep Taylor Swift Messages Private Denied — Report
Blake Lively and 's text messages have reportedly become accessible to Justin Baldoni in the legal battle. On Wednesday, a judge denied Lively's motion for a 'protective order' to block her 'It Ends With Us' co-star's attempts to seek their communications. The latest update drags Swift back into the case weeks after Baldoni's team dropped their subpoenas to the pop star and her lawyers at Venable, claiming they got what they needed. However, new documents stated otherwise. Judge Lewis J. Liman denied last week's motion to keep Blake Lively and Taylor Swift's text messages private. PEOPLE acquired court documents confirming that the latest update comes as a blow to Lively, who had moved to block her legal adversary from securing her and Swift's communications. In her filings from last Friday, she accused Baldoni and his legal team of strategically devising the 'tactic' to distract from his lawsuit dismissal. The new court documents revealed that although Baldoni and his team never received the texts after dropping their subpoena to Swift. They had continued pushing for these exchanges and even argued their relevance in a response filing, claiming these could prove crucial in disproving the sexual harassment and smear campaign allegations. They also blamed Lively for dragging the singer into the case by identifying the singer as someone with knowledge of what she experienced. Judge Lewis J. Liman called Justin Baldoni's request in the legal battle, seeking Blake Lively and Taylor Swift's text messages, 'reasonably tailored.' Liman justified his ruling, stating, 'Lively has represented that Swift had knowledge of complaints or discussions about the working environment on the film.' The judge further added that these exchanges coming to light could 'prove or disprove' the actor's 'harassment and retaliation claims.' The update came weeks after Judge Liman dismissed Baldoni's $400 million countersuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds. In what looked like a legal victory, the actor-director can now gain access to the longtime friends' private chats, but only about the 'It Ends With Us' film. Furthermore, the 'Gossip Girl' alum's representative released a statement, slamming his 'desire to drag' the Grammy winner into their feud. The post Blake Lively's Motion To Keep Taylor Swift Messages Private Denied — Report appeared first on Reality Tea.
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Justin Baldoni Drops Taylor Swift Subpoena in Blake Lively Lawsuit
Taylor Swift no longer has to worry about being dragged into Justin Baldoni's ongoing legal action against his It Ends With Us co-star, Blake Lively. The Wrap reports that on Thursday, he dropped his subpoena against the singer. Baldoni had claimed that Swift was present at Lively's Tribeca penthouse during discussions of rewriting one of the movie's pivotal scenes. Baldoni's suit further claimed that Lively called Reynolds and Swift her 'dragons' à la Game of Thrones in a text message. More from Rolling Stone Neil Young Stands With Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen in Trump's Musician War: 'You Work for Us' Taylor Swift's 'Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor's Version)' Featured on 'The Handmaid's Tale' Blake Lively's Lawyers Move to Penalize Justin Baldoni's Team After Taylor Swift Extortion Claim A rep for Swift refuted this description of events earlier this month when news of the subpoena first broke. 'Taylor Swift never set foot on the set of this movie, she was not involved in any casting or creative decisions, she did not score the film, she never saw an edit or made any notes on the film,' the rep told Rolling Stone. The rep said the subpoena was 'designed to use Taylor Swift's name to draw public interest by creating tabloid clickbait instead of focusing on the facts of the case.' Swift's law firm, Venable, described the subpoena as an 'abuse of the discovery process.' 'There is no reason for this subpoena other than to distract from the facts of the case and impose undue burden and expense on a non-party,' it said in a statement. Baldoni's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, then alleged in a legal filing that Lively was attempting to extort a statement of support from Swift. He claimed that Lively's lawyers contacted Swift's legal team asking 'that Ms. Swift release a statement of support for Ms. Lively, intimating that, if Ms. Swift refused to do so, private text messages of a personal nature' would come out. Lively's lawyer described these claims as 'categorically false.' Her legal team then moved to penalize Baldoni's team in the form of sanctions and fees over the extortion claim. Three days later, Baldoni's team withdrew the subpoena. Freedman did not immediately return Rolling Stone's request for comment. 'We are pleased that Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties have withdrawn their harassing subpoenas to Taylor Swift and her law firm,' a rep for Lively said, according to the Wrap. 'We supported the efforts of Taylor's team to quash these inappropriate subpoenas directed to her counsel and we will continue to stand up for any third party who is unjustly harassed or threatened in the process.' In December, Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and spearheading a smear campaign against her; she filed a lawsuit before the year was up. He countersued in January, alleging defamation, extortion, and invasion of privacy. A trial is scheduled for March. Best of Rolling Stone The 50 Best 'Saturday Night Live' Characters of All Time Denzel Washington's Movies Ranked, From Worst to Best 70 Greatest Comedies of the 21st Century
