ot from a difficult angle on the par-5 18th on Jian Lakes Blu

CHICAGO -- White Sox ace Chris Sale returned to his team Thursday to face the crosstown Cubs at Wrigley Field.He arrived on the last player bus to Wrigley, walked into the cramped visiting clubhouse, scanned the room and smiled. He hugged teammates Dioner Navarro and Matt Albers, then did a lap around the clubhouse, greeting each player sitting at his locker.Good to see you, pal, said third baseman Todd Frazier.?Sale wasnt allowed around his teammates during his five-day suspension following his jersey-tearing incident last weekend. Instead, he stayed home to prepare for Thursdays start -- or perhaps fine-tune his nascent tailoring skills.In absentia, Sales presence nevertheless loomed large on Wednesday in the Sox clubhouse, where his teammates were asked by the marauding media horde how the pitcher would be received upon his return.In [the clubhouse] with open arms, outfielder Adam Eaton said. When he pitches, he puts on a good show. Im sure it wont be any different when he comes back.Said Navarro: Its weird, its a crazy situation, but I think if somebody can handle it, its him.Youve probably heard the story by now and read more than a few Scissorshands cracks on your favorite social media outlet. Last Saturday, the White Sox planned to use throwback jerseys, but Sale was unhappy with the decision. So he proceeded to methodically cut up those jerseys. He said his beef was a competitive issue; the uniforms were uncomfortable and didnt allow him to pitch at his best.During an interview on MLB.com, Sale said he regretted not being there for his teammates during the suspension, but not so much for the act itself.Do I regret standing up for what I believe in? Absolutely not, he said. Do I regret saying business should not be first before winning? Absolutely not.As tales of the incident spread like a surreal wildfire through the league, Sale was scratched from his scheduled start and suspended the next day. The immediate consequence was that, at the last minute, six White Sox relievers had to step in to soak up Sales innings. They collectively held down the Detroit Tigers and set up Eatons walk-off hit to win that game.Then the White Sox reeled off three more Ws, the first two in similar walk-off fashion, and took the first two of four games against the Cubs. A late-game collapse Wednesday brought the Sale-less spree to a halt. Still, rather than Throwbackgate destroying clubhouse unity, the entire sequence seems to have drawn the White Sox closer.That kind of stuff can ruin a team, Frazier?said. It can be even littler -- Ive seen littler stuff put a team in the hole. I just think the guys are determined to play the game right.I think when we found out the bullpen was going to have to go, they kind of took it upon themselves to step up. Thats all you can ask for as a player. Were professionals; youve got to be ready for change.When Sale takes the mound Thursday, hell be pitching for a chance to give the White Sox a resounding win in the four-game, two-ballpark series, which would get the Sox back to .500.?Maybe its the calm before the storm, maybe its not, Frazier said. Well see. Im just happy were on the roll were getting here. You can see it a little bit. You can see it in everybodys faces. Its a little more chipper, I guess you can say.Were ready to go. I think were going to get on a great, big roll here. I think its going to be an exciting time for the White Sox.If it seems as if weve seen this scenario play out before, thats because it has. After first baseman Adam LaRoche retired late in spring training upon being told he could no longer bring his son into the clubhouse, Sale accused White Sox executive Kenny Williams of lying to the team, saying, Somebody walked out of those doors the other day, and it was the wrong guy.With that controversy still lingering, the White Sox raced to a 23-10 start, and they hope this current post-controversy upturn can stretch as long as that start did.Seems like every time we have a little bit of a stir, things go right, Eaton said. Beginning of the season went really well for us. This little stir, its been a positive thing. When [Sale] comes back, Im sure he wont miss any step in his hop. Im sure hell be just fine.After attributing the White Soxs resilience to the presence of a few well-placed veterans on the roster, manager Robin Ventura said hes not expecting any resentment toward Sale from his teammates.Players always have their teammates back, Ventura said. Its no different in our clubhouse. I think its going to be fairly normal. Hes going to be prepared to pitch. Our guys are going to be prepared to play.Sale has finished in the top six in American League Cy Young voting in each of the past four seasons, and he is a leading contender for the award this season. Since the beginning of the 2012 season, Sale ranks third among all pitchers in strikeouts, and seventh in both wins and ERA.Here is what I know about Chris: Chris is a good kid, who has a good heart, who does a lot of things nobody sees, said pitching coach Don Cooper. Certainly on top of all of it, hes a quality pitcher, a high-level pitcher.Robin [Ventura] said he was one of the best in the league (but) Ill take it a step further. I think hes in the top 10 on the face of the Earth.Despite what appeared to be an act of utter petulance, Sale seems to remain high in the esteem of his teammates. Hes the ace, and that title extends all the way from the mound to the clubhouse, and beyond.Hes our teammate, Eaton said. Hes our guy. (Despite) all the things that are swirling around about his character and who he is as a player, hes my brother. I enjoy every second with him on the field and off the field.He cant be a better person. With that, Ill be excited to see him. Im sure hell be in the same form he has been the entire year. Hell go out there and produce, and be Chris Sale.The Associated Press contributed to this report. Chicago Blackhawks Pro Shop . After dropping their final six games of December, the Wild opened the new calendar year with four consecutive wins. Following a loss to Colorado on Saturday, Minnesota rebounded the following night to blank Nashville 4-0, but then had the tables turned on them Tuesday. Custom Chicago Blackhawks Jerseys . Ashley Youngs cross was inadvertently headed by Chester into his own net in the 66th minute, allowing United to claim a third straight league win. "We had to dig deep with our fighting spirit and weve done that," United striker Wayne Rooney said. https://www.cheapblackhawks.com/ . World champions Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov of Russia won the gold medal with 237.71 points, Moore-Towers and Moscovitch followed at 208.45 and Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov of Russia were third at 187. Chicago Blackhawks Gear . They had already blown a double-digit lead, fans were hitting the exits, and a long seven-game road trip waited at the end. Wholesale Blackhawks Jerseys . -- Edmontons Val Sweeting is two wins away from a trip to Winnipeg to play in Canadas Road of the Rings in December. KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- Justin Thomas opened his CIMB Classic title defense with an 8-under 64 on Thursday for a share of the lead with fellow Americans Keegan Bradley and Derek Fathauer.Thomas won his first PGA Tour title last year at TPC Kuala Lumpur, finishing with a tournament-record 26-under 262 total. He had nine birdies and a bogey Thursday.Bradley eagled the par-5 10th and had eight birdies and two bogeys. Fathauer had eight birdies in a bogey-free round.Englands Paul Casey was a stroke back.Asian Tour leader Anirban Lahiri of India shot 66. Brendan Steele, the winner last week at Silverado in California, was at 67 along with Sergio Garcia, Brian Harman and Aaron Baddeley.Ryan Moore, the 2013 and 2014 winner, had a 71.BLUE BAY LPGAHAINAN, China -- Minjee Lee birdied the final three holes for a 7-under 65 and a two-stroke lead in the Blue Bay LPGA, playing in perfect conditions two days after Typhoon Sarika hit the resort.Lee hit a long flop shot to a foot from a difficult angle on the par-5 18th on Jian Lakes Blue Bay course, back in top shape after a large cleanup effort. The 20-year-old Australian was delayed traveling from the event that ended SSunday in South Korea and finally got to the resort Wednesday.ddddddddddddAmerican Jessica Korda and Germanys Sandra Gal shot 67 on the long course with large rolling, tiered greens with small effective landing areas. Gal holed out from 89 yards for eagle on the par-4 second.Spains Carlota Ciganda, coming off a playoff victory last week in Incheon for her first LPGA Tour title, was three strokes back at 68 along with South Koreas Chella Choi.Canadas Brooke Henderson birdied four of the last five to join Germanys Caroline Masson and American Austin Ernst at 69. The 19-year-old Henderson is playing for the fourth straight week in Asia and plans to make it six in a row with stops in Malaysia and Japan.PORTUGAL MASTERSVILAMOURA, Portugal -- Scotlands Marc Warren birdied the first six holes and finished with an 8-under 63 to take the first-round lead in the Portugal Masters.American David Lipsky was a stroke back at Oceanico Victoria along with Finlands Mikko Korhonen and Englishmen Eddie Pepperell, Callum Shinkwin and Matthew Baldwin. ' ' '