NEWS » ad with a bat when Franklin bent to

With three meaningless games left before the Chicago Cubs kick off what they -- and their championship-starved -- fan base hope is a historic playoff run, manager Joe Maddon had to assess some in-house drama as the team prepared to play the Reds in Cincinnati during the final series of the regular season.Chicago locked down its playoff berth on Sept. 16, and since then, Maddon has been liberal with his rest and substitution patterns.The changes rankled some of his regulars, most recently Jake Arrieta and Miguel Montero, who made their feelings known after an 8-4 loss to the Pirates on Wednesday night.Maddon opted to pull Montero in the fifth inning and replaced with him rookie Willson Contreras. The Pirates scored three runs in the inning, chasing Arrieta.It felt like a spring training game from the get-go, said Arrieta, who allowed seven runs on 10 hits, both career highs, in five innings.Despite the gripes, Maddon plans to employ similar methods this weekend against the Reds, limiting pitches for his starters, pulling position players after a few at-bats but keeping relievers on their usual schedule.In regards to feeling that competitive moment, its almost impossible to replicate that unless you actually are playing to get into the playoffs, Maddon said. And youre playing against a team that is not playing for anything, either. So these are all mind games you have to play with yourself in order to replicate what you want.Right-hander Jake Buchanan will make his first Cubs start Friday in the series opener. He has made just one appearance for Chicago since being called up Sept. 1, allowing one run in one inning at Milwaukee on Sept. 5.He had a 4.35 ERA and 93 strikeouts over 130 1/3 innings in 22 starts for Triple-A Iowa this season.Buchanan will face the Cubs for the first time in a career that included major league time with the Houston Astros in 2014 and 2015.Cincinnati, playing out the string on a last-place season, will hand the ball to right-hander Josh Smith, who gets his second start of the season, both against the Cubs.Smith (3-2, 4.77 ERA) allowed just a run on three hits with two walks and three strikeouts over three innings during a Sept. 20 loss.In all, he has faced Chicago three times this year, going 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA.Heading into the final weekend of the season, Cincinnati manager Bryan Price is unsure if will return to the bench in 2017.Im trying to stay in the present, however, I understand that were building toward the future, said Price, who has a 172-241 record since taking the helm before the 2014 season. I keep my eye on the future as well. This stuff, its not a huge, bothersome concern. I know that eventually, its going to be settled. Ill be back or I wont.I dont mind talking about the future at all, I really dont. The future of the players. I really dont want to talk about my future until I have a pretty good grasp on whats going to happen.Air Force 1 Alte Gore-Tex . Kiriasis and brakeman Franziska Fritz finished two runs in one minute 55.41 seconds -- a mere 0.01 seconds ahead of Meyers and Lolo Jones, who likely bolstered her Olympic hopes by helping give USA-1 a huge push in the second heat. Air Force 1 Alte Graphic .C. -- Al Jefferson joked that he feels he can score from anywhere on the court. http://www.airforce1outletitalia.it/scontate-air-force-1-alte-just-do-it.html .J. -- Marty Brodeur beat the Pittsburgh Penguins yet again. Air Force 1 Scontate . Toronto has dropped games to Indiana and Miami since a five-game winning streak and closed out a three-game road trip at 1-2. Air Force 1 Alte Nere . Murray beat Sam Querrey 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-3 to clinch Britains opening-round victory against the United States on Sunday at Petco Park. "Im proud of the way Im playing just now, because I had to do a lot of work to get back to where I want to be," Murray said after celebrating with his teammates on the red clay court in a temporary stadium in left field of the downtown home of baseballs San Diego Padres.ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Nick Franklin was hit in the head on deck by a teammates bat, but drew a walk and scored in the first inning before leaving the game with a head bruise against the San Diego Padres.Franklin passed a concussion protocol test.I feel great ... really like nothing happened, Franklin said. Right when it first happened, it was shocking and thats what kind of caught me off-guard. I felt a little bit dazed. I just felt tired, woozy. I never really lost concentration, focus, remembering things.Kevin Kiermaier smacked the back of Franklins head with a bat when Franklin bent to grab pine tar in the on-deck circle prior to leading off the first inning in Wednesdays game. Kiermaier was stretching a few feet in front of Frannklin, swinging the bat over his head with one arm.dddddddddddd. Franklin was wearing a helmet.I was just doing a little warm-up routine I always do, weight on my bat, swinging it, Kiermaier said. Nick went to get some pine tar and I was already doing it, and I dont think he saw me. I smoked his helmet. I felt terrible. Kind of a freak accident.Partially it was my fault, Franklin added. I saw him there, and I thought I was out of the way and next thing you know I got whacked.Franklins head and vision were checked by Rays athletic trainer Ron Porterfield. Franklin scored on Brad Millers two-run homer, but was taken out after the inning. ' ' '