Sonstiges » and do something about it. We cant be poi

CHICAGO -- The Cubs acquired Mariners lefty Mike Montgomery?on Wednesday, bolstering their bullpen in a four-player deal.?Chicago sent Triple-A slugger Dan Vogelbach and Double-A pitcher Paul Blackburn to Seattle, which shipped Triple-A pitcher Jordan Pries to the Cubs as part of the trade.?Montgomery, 27, immediately fills a need for the Cubs, who have been lacking a lefty reliever. He also has 18 starts in his two-year career, including two this season.?Montgomery said Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto told him about the trade during Seattles 6-5 win over the?White Sox?in 11 innings.I was a little sad at first, understanding that Im not going to be here with these guys in this city. But at the same time, Im excited because Im going to a good team and Im ready to go contribute any way I can and help them win a World Series, Montgomery said.It kind of hit me by surprise. When I heard the news, I wasnt shocked, but I definitely didnt see it coming.Montgomery said the Cubs told him he would begin in the bullpen.Montgomery is somebody that has really good stuff and has been performing well this year. We think hes coming into his own a little bit, Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said. Hes someone who can help us this year and long into the future.We paid a price to do that. We traded a couple of really good prospects for him.Lefties are hitting .164 off Montgomery in 2016, and he has a 2.34 ERA in 32 games, including 30 in relief. Epstein likened him to Andrew Miller when the now-dominant southpaw was just emerging for the Red Sox.?Sometimes with these bullpen pieces, its important to get them on the way there, maybe hasnt fully arrived yet, Epstein said. Im not saying hes Andrew Miller, very few are, but we traded for Andrew Miller in Boston when I was there in November 2010, hoping he could put it together in the bullpen someday. And he did. Thats how some guys are. If you wait until they are fully established the price tag is virtually impossible to acquire.?Montgomery, a former first-round pick of Kansas City,?was traded to Tampa Bay in the 2012 James Shields deal, when the Cubs Joe Maddon was managing the Rays.?Maddon described Montgomery as a big left-hander with a very good arm.Epstein said Montgomery was always on our radar, and that while the lefty is not a household name, the club believes he has a chance to take off and maybe be the type of guy that, a year from now, you couldnt get in a deal of this size.Hes a guy with a plus fastball, been working in the mid-90s this year. Even in his last two appearances as a starter, hes held the velocity the entire time out there, Epstein said. Hes got a plus curveball, a changeup that we like, and hes been working on a cutter. Hes got some swing-and-miss secondary weapons along with the power, and hes done a good job throwing strikes this year.Vogelbach, whom the Cubs selected in the second round of the 2011 amateur draft, was being blocked at the big league level by Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo. At 6 feet, 250 pounds, Vogelbachs body type doesnt allow for another position besides designated hitter.Dan has done a great job. Sad to see Dan go. ... But also happy for him to get an opportunity, going to an American League club, Epstein said. This is going to be a chance for him to get at-bats at the big league level. Im sure hell be up here pretty soon and hes going to be around for a really long time. He can hit and hes got great energy.Dipoto said there was no specific ETA for Vogelbachs big league arrival but lauded the long-term value he brings to the team.?Whether he fits on our roster today is a different matter, Dipoto said. But what he brings us long-term is too good to walk away from.Vogelbach, 23, was hitting .318 with 16 homers and 64 RBIs in 89 games for Triple-A Iowa.He rakes, Dipoto said. He rakes everywhere hes ever been. Hes an elite strike-zone controller with well above-average power. He has absolutely tormented right-hand pitching, especially this year.Dipoto said the left-handed offense Vogelbach brings was really too appealing to pass up.Pries had a 7-3 record with a 4.93 ERA between Seattles Double-A Jackson and Triple-A Tacoma this season. According to Epstein, the 26-year-old right-hander can fit as either a starter or a reliever, and the club plans to move him into the rotation at Triple-A.?Hes got a good slider. He can protect our rotation, Epstein said.?Blackburn, 22, had a 3.17 ERA and was 6-4 in 18 starts with Double-A Tennessee.Dipoto said Blackburn gives us another piece to build forward with, and we start to build up that next phase of our roster.Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.?Jerry Garvin Jersey . -- Canadian Andrew Wiggins got the ball on the wing, made a nifty spin move and then let go with a soft floater from about 10 feet that swished through the net in Allen Fieldhouse. Toronto Blue Jays Shirts .com) - The Montreal Canadiens embark on their first road trip of the season as they head out west to battle the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night. https://www.cheapbluejays.com/2086h-david-wells-jersey-blue-jays.html . Ryan Garbutt had a goal and two assists as Dallas snapped a six-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. Doyle Alexander Jersey . Just not the game. Kyle Palmieri scored two straight goals in the third period to rally the Anaheim Ducks past the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 on Tuesday night. Mark Buehrle Jersey . -- Derrick Rose shook off poor shooting early to hit clutch shots late and Carlos Boozer had 20 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 104-95 preseason victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night.BOSTON -- Emmanuel Mudiay learned quickly that in the NBA, shooters often benefit from a short memory.Coming off a rough game, Mudiay scored 24 of his season-high 30 points in the opening quarter Sunday night while helping the Denver Nuggets to a big first half on their way to a 123-107 victory over the injury-depleted Boston Celtics.One thing about this league that Ive learned from last year is theres always another game, said Mudiay, in his second season. You cant think about the last one. You just grow and move on from it. Thats the main thing I was thinking about.Mudiay, who went 0 for 7 from the floor Saturday night in Denvers double-digit loss at Detroit, shot 9 of 10 in the first quarter and had a season high already as he outscored the Celtics.The Nuggets led 42-23 after one.Wilson Chandler added 22 points before leaving with a left hamstring injury. Danilo Gallinari scored 16, and Gary Harris and Jamal Murray each had 12 for the Nuggets, who lost 16 of the previous 18 meetings in Boston.Isaiah Thomas led Boston, tying his season high with 30 points. Avery Bradley had 14.These signs arent good. Were not giving our all on the defensive end, Thomas said. We can have five starters out (but) you can definitely, its a mindset thing on that end, and weve got to do a better job on that.The Celtics were missing starters Jae Crowder (sprained left ankle) and Al Horford (concussion protocol), a high-priced free agent acquisition.Denver pushed its lead to 66-41 midway into the second and led 77-52 at halftime.Boston left the floor to a loud chorus of boos.The Celtics made a brief spurt in the third, closing to 84-69, but the Nuggets scored 14 of the next 19 points en route to a 103-83 edge after three.There was a smatteering of boos again when the game ended.ddddddddddddTIP-INSNuggets: Denver scored just 86 points in its loss at Detroit. ... G Will Barton missed his third straight game with a sprained left ankle.Celtics: F Kelly Olynyk was also out and hasnt played this season while rehabbing his right shoulder. He was the only player on the floor minutes before the teams came out for pregame warmups, doing extensive shooting with a few ball boys in front of Bostons bench. Celtics coach Brad Stevens said Olynyk is still on pace for mid-November.FAST STARTThe Nuggets emphasized getting off to a quick start after falling behind by 17 after one quarter against Detroit. They thought it was a bad pattern they had been getting into so far this season.We had to not lose the first quarter. We were losing the first quarter too much, Mudiay said. I just felt like we had to come out and do something about it. We cant be pointing fingers.THEY WERENT LISTENINGBefore the game, Stevens addressed his teams struggles on defense.Im not as concerned (with offense), he said. Again, my focus is on the defensive end of the floor with our team right now.Then the Celtics went out and allowed the Nuggets to score 77 points in the first half while shooting 64.4 percent, with a number of baskets coming off drives down the lane.UP NEXTNuggets: Close a five-game road swing at Memphis on Tuesday. They play at home for the first time this month -- and only the second time all season -- on Thursday against Golden State.Celtics: At Washington on Wednesday in their first matchup with the Wizards. Boston won all four meetings last season. ' ' '