Chicago White Sox on Sunday at Globe Life Park in Arlington http://www.thecoltsfootballauthentic.com/ben-banogu-jersey-authentic , Texas, Cole Hamels, the pitcher the Rangers expected to be their bell cow in this season of rebuilding, will be on the mound.

It remains to be seen how much longer Hamels (4-6, with a 3.61 ERA) stays in that position. He could, instead, be a huge piece to the puzzle in a trade that would net more prospects for a team in dire need of them.

The White Sox will send right-hander Reynaldo Lopez (3-5, 3.73 ERA) to the mound in the series finale.

The Rangers beat Chicago 13-4 on Saturday behind five solid innings from the ageless Bartolo Colon, a three-run double from Robinson Chirinos, a home run from Joey Gallo and a seven-run eighth inning.

Texas was without designated hitter Shin-Soo Choo on Saturday as he battles right quad soreness and was given the night off.

Choo said his upper quad has been bothering him over the past 10 days, but he’s played through it well enough to extend his streak of reaching base to 41 straight games, tops in the Major Leagues this season. It’s also tied with Toby Harrah (1985) for the third-longest single-season streak in club history.

“I felt like it was an opportunity to get him off his legs, give him a day,” manager Jeff Banister told mlb.com about Choo’s absence from the starting lineup. “He’s played through it for a while.”

Choo underwent an MRI at his own request on Saturday and said afterward he does not believe the injury is serious.

“I know I have the streak going on, but my body and staying healthy is more important,” Choo said. “And winning games is more important than records. I don’t want to make it worse. I don’t think it’s serious.”

Chicago is another team building from the ground up but already has its second baseman of the future, Yoan Moncada, on the field as an everyday player. Moncada, who was acquired from Boston as part of the trade that sent Chris Sale to the Red Sox, has struggled through the first half of the season, hitting just .225 after batting .231 in 54 games last season.

He also has a team-high 13 errors at second base.

“I did not expect to have as many tough, difficult moments as I’ve been having,” Moncada told the Chicago Sun-Times. “I’ve learned that this is a process, it’s something young guys have to get used to. You can’t get frustrated at any point. If you keep your faith in what you do Parris Campbell Jersey , you’re going to be good.”

Lopez will make his 17th start of the season, 10th on the road and second against the Rangers this season when he takes the hill on Sunday. He is 1-1 with a 2.55 ERA over his past three road starts. His last time out, on June 26, Lopez earned the win versus Minnesota, allowing four runs on six hits over 6 1/3 innings in an 8-4 Chi-Sox victory.

Lopez is receiving a 3.45 run support average this season, the ninth-lowest in the AL. He will be making his third career start against the Rangers and second at Globe Life Park.

Lopez garnered the win in his last start against Texas on May 20 in Chicago, pitching eight scoreless innings.

Hamels will also make his 17th start of the season and leads all Texas starters in ERA (3.61), starts (16), innings (97 1/3), and strikeouts (97). He has gone 3-2 with a 3.28 ERA in his nine starts since May 5 to lower his ERA from 4.08 to 3.61.

Hamels will be working on five days’ rest and last worked and took a no-decision in the Rangers’ 7-4 win on Monday at home against San Diego. He allowed a season-high nine hits in that game, exiting after trailing 4-1 in the sixth, ending a streak of eight straight starts six-plus or more innings pitched.

Hamels has gone 2-0 with a 2.86 ERA in four career starts against the White Sox, recording quality starts in three of those four outings.

When Chris Long and LeGarrette Blount joined the Philadelphia Eagles after winning a Super Bowl in New England, both players envisioned another title run with a team on the rise.

They had more faith than most, but the Eagles are two wins away from a parade.

”I knew we’d be a playoff team and that’s why I decided this would be a good place to be and then what separates you is winning a game or two,” Long said as Philadelphia prepared for Sunday’s NFC championship game against the Minnesota Vikings.

The Eagles were 7-9 last year in the first season under coach Doug Pederson and quarterback Carson Wentz. Expectations were moderate entering 2017 with many experts projecting the team to be a year away from serious playoff contention.

But Blount saw a team that was close. The Eagles added receivers Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith, traded for defensive tackle Tim Jernigan and signed Long before giving Blount a one-year deal in May.

”I chose the Eagles for the reason of me fitting in really good here, having a championship run, having a banner season,” Blount said after he signed. ”And they’re a really good team. They’re a really good team before I came. I just want to fit in.”

He was right and he’s fit in perfectly.

Wentz had an MVP-caliber season before he tore his ACL in Week 14 and the Eagles (14-3) secured the NFC’s No. 1 seed. Blount was the team’s leading rusher, though he’s played a secondary role since Jay Ajayi was acquired in a trade in October.

Blount hasn’t complained about fewer carries and has provided veteran leadership. He led the NFL with 18 touchdowns rushing last year when he earned his second Super Bowl ring in three seasons with the Patriots.

”We’re winning and that’s the overall goal,” Blount said. ”We don’t care about personal success. You can’t be selfish when everybody has one common goal. You have to make sacrifices for the betterment of the team. We’ve done that and it’s gotten us this far.”

Long played 65 percent of the snaps last season and posted four sacks, four tackles for loss and a forced fumble. His role has decreased in Philadelphia – he played 48 percent of the snaps – but he’s been an instrumental part of the team’s success and keeping a deep defensive line fresh.

”His attitude and the way he approaches things, coming from New England http://www.thecoltsfootballauthentic.com/bobby-okereke-jersey-authentic , coming off winning a Super Bowl, I think the biggest thing that Chris has brought here is a bunch of leadership, especially being the older guy in our room,” Pro Bowl defensive tackle Fletcher Cox said. ”Not being here, coming in the room with a bunch of new guys, man, he fit right in. I think the thing about Chris is when he goes out on the field, he means a lot. He doesn’t play a whole lot, but when he is in the game, man, he wrecks shop.”

Former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky said Long is the one player on Philadelphia’s defense that he would be concerned with most because ”he never stops.”

”He has a next-level motor,” Orlovsky told The Associated Press . ”It’s unusual.”

The Eagles have other players who’ve won Super Bowls – Smith, Malcolm Jenkins, Corey Graham, Dannell Ellerbe, Chris Maragos, and Will Beatty – but Blount and Long did it most recently and were part of the Patriot Way so they’ve shared valuable experiences.

”There’s a lot of good resources on this team for Super Bowl experience,” Long said. ”Younger players really need to stick to the script, prepare hard and don’t try to do too much. The key is to take it out of your head that it’s the playoffs and show up and do your work.”

Blount echoed those feelings.

”You have so many things going on and it’s not something you can get away from it because it’s on TV, it on your phone, it’ on every bit of social media,” Blount said. ”So you have to make sure you zoom in and zone in on what you have to do and focus on what our goal is and the task at hand.”

—

AP NFL website: