he trade market to start to loosen up a bit.Either way, the Mets figure

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs came out of the All-Star break showing signs that their midseason skid is done.Right-hander John Lackey pitched well enough Sunday to end his own winless streak, except he ran into Cole Hamels at a park where he has some strong recent history.Lackey allowed four runs and six hits in eight innings, but Hamels dominated for eight innings in his first game at Wrigley Field since throwing a no-hitter at the famed ballpark a year ago to help the Texas Rangers beat the Cubs 4-1.Lackeys winless streak reached seven starts, and he is 14-16 in 41 starts against Texas, the team hes faced most often in his career.I was honestly pretty happy about the way I threw the ball, Lackey (7-6) said. Threw eight innings and definitely not a good day to pitch.Hamels (10-2) struck out his first six batters. He fanned seven overall and gave up just an unearned run on four hits.Last summer, the lefty threw a no-hitter and struck out 13 at Wrigley in his final start for Philadelphia. He was then traded to the Rangers.Sundays win gave AL West-leading Texas its first victory since the All-Star break after it dropped two straight to the Cubs. Texas had lost four consecutive overall.I got 10 days of rest. You get a whole week of rest, I guess that helps, Hamels said. I know its the second half, want to start off right. This is now the go time.Sam Dyson struck out three in the ninth for his 19th save in 21 chances.Ian Desmond homered and Robinson Chirinos drove in two runs for Texas. The Cubs had won three in a row since dropping nine of 10.Hamels fanned the side in the first two innings. The streak ended when Matt Szczur popped out and Albert Almora Jr. reached on third baseman Adrian Beltres error in the third. Javier Baez doubled home a run.He likes Wrigley, doesnt he? Cubs manager Joe Maddon said of Hamels. The way he started out, it looks like, here we go all over again. And then we started putting the ball in play. We just didnt really have any hard contact consistently, but he was good.Elvis Andrus RBI single and Chirinos sacrifice fly put the Rangers ahead in the second. Almora made a leaping catch in center field to rob Chirinos of extra bases.Chirinos hit an RBI double after Lackey walked the first two batters in the fourth.Desmond led off the eighth with his 16th home run.The Cubs got back-to-back singles to start the bottom of the seventh before a double play and groundout ended the rally.Lackey argued with home plate umpire Cory Blaser after the top of the sixth before right fielder Jason Heyward got between them. Maddon then addressed Blaser. Lackey declined to go into details of the chat.Theyre talking about Christmas cards for next year, Maddon joked. Just let John vent a little bit. Hes fine.TRAINERS ROOMRangers: OF Shin-Soo Choo (back) was out of the lineup for a third straight game, but manager Jeff Banister said the team isnt considering putting him on the disabled list just yet. It still seems to bother him when hes throwing, Banister said. ... RHP Kyle Lohse (strained oblique) threw a pain-free bullpen session Saturday. Banister expects him to start Tuesday at the Angels.GOOD BREAKCubs RHP Jake Arrieta didnt pitch in Tuesdays All-Star Game -- and the rest was just what he needed, he said. The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner has allowed 10 runs in 11 1/3 innings in July.Sometimes you need that mental down time, said Arrieta, who is scheduled to start Tuesday against the Mets. Spending time with (son) Cooper and my family was tremendous. I picked up the ball for the first time in four or five days and threw the best `pen Ive thrown all year.UP NEXTRangers: RHP A.J. Griffin (3-1, 3.81 ERA) is scheduled to start Mondays opener of a three-game series at the Angels, who are expected to start RHP Nick Tropeano (3-2, 3.12).Cubs: LHP Jon Lester (9-4, 3.01) is scheduled to start Mondays opener of a three-game set against the visiting Mets and LHP Steven Matz (7-5, 3.38). Lester allowed a season-high eight runs in a career-low 1 1/3 innings in his other start against New York this season.Dale Murphy Jersey Large . After Martin Skrtel put the Reds in front from close range at Stamford Bridge after only four minutes, Hazard hit back in the 17th with a superb strike. Etoo gave Jose Mourinhos team a decisive lead from Oscars back pass in the 34th. Custom Dale Murphy Jersey . After a replay, the winner will meet Sunderland in the quarterfinals. Sagbo did well to control Sone Alukos right cross and fire past Brighton goalkeeper Peter Brezovan. Aluko was making his first start in four months after recovering from an Achilles injury. http://www.custombravesjersey.com/custom-john-smoltz-jersey-large-257z.html . Then the Pacers gave Oladipo and his Orlando teammates the cold shoulder. Paul Georges buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter spurred a 21-4 run, finally sending Indiana past the Magic 97-87 in a tougher-than-expected opening night matchup. Custom Tom Glavine Jersey . Manuel was offered a position the day he was fired. He accepted earlier this week and the team made the announcement Friday. Phil Niekro Jersey Large . But by the time the game started, the Toronto Raptors forward felt even worse. And, for three quarters, it showed as Gay shot a woeful three-for-13 from the field.OXON HILL, Md. -- The Cubs could use a closer, maybe someone like Wade Davis. Texas needs a center fielder, and most every team wants an extra arm.So now that Chris Sale got traded, baseball executives are trying to figure out whos next.Andrew McCutchen is still available, perhaps the Tigers really would deal Miguel Cabrera or Justin Verlander, and Cincinnati speedster Billy Hamilton might be on the move.Its incredible, the different directions that our conversations in the suite go, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.Boston made a big splash at the winter meetings Tuesday, getting Sale. The AL East champion Red Sox sent a package of four prospects including high-priced and highly talented hitter Yoan Moncada to the Chicago White Sox for the All-Star ace.The Red Sox also acquired top setup man Tyler Thornburg from Milwaukee for third baseman Travis Shaw and two minor leaguers, and neared a deal with free agent first baseman Mitch Moreland.Tampa Bay closed in on a two-year contract with All-Star catcher Wilson Ramos worth about $12.5 million. The 29-year-old hit .309 with a career-high 22 home runs and 80 RBI before tearing a knee ligament late in the season.More action could be in the works, too.Kyle Schwarber, of course, isnt going anywhere. The Cubs slugger completed a remarkable comeback from a knee injury in April by bashing his way to a World Series championship.Creative manager Joe Maddon sees something interesting in the future for Schwarber -- as in, maybe the leadoff spot after Dexter Fowler became a free agent.Schwarber is not a bad name, Kyle is not a bad name at all, Maddon said.Two years ago, I considered leading Kyle off and putting Dexter second. But I had all the dudes do all the work, all our nerds did all the work and they really liked Fowler one and like Schwarber two just based on the data, he said..dddddddddddd So I went with that and it worked out well.Fowler, meanwhile, would make a nice fit in St. Louis.I know about Dexter, manager Mike Matheny said. Yeah, theres no question that hes one of the guys out there that not just the Cardinals but other teams are interested in.Im always available for whatever the recruiting process needs, he said.No movement yet on star closers Aroldis Chapman and Kenley Jansen, though the New York Yankees are looking at both of them.The Yankees already are facing the prospect of seeing Sale a lot next year after this trade put him in the same division. Sale bolstered a Red Sox rotation that also features recent AL Cy Young winner Rick Porcello, former award winner David Price and All-Star knuckleballer Steven Wright.Thats a big one. Thats a blockbuster. That was a wow, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. Obviously they gave up a lot and they got a lot.Bostons like the Golden State Warriors now in baseball. They got their (Kevin) Durant and their (Draymond) Green and (Klay) Thompson and (Stephen) Curry, he said.Mets GM Sandy Alderson said he thought the Sale trade might cause the rest of the trade market to start to loosen up a bit.Either way, the Mets figure to have a new face in spring training next year -- Tim Tebow.Manager Terry Collins said hed like to put the former NFL quarterback into a few exhibition games, even though Tebow still has a long path in his transition to playing baseball.The 29-year-old aspiring outfielder hit .194 in the Arizona Fall League, striking out 20 times in 70 plate appearances.Our players, theyre athletes, too. Theyre fans, too, Collins said. They would probably like to know how to run a quarterback sneak one day. ' ' '