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CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs will experience the thrill of winning the National League Central title in unusual fashion after they host the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday afternoon.Milwaukee won the series opener 5-4 on Thursday night, preventing the Cubs from clinching before a sellout crowd at Wrigley Field.Chicago, though, wrapped up its first division title since 2008 when the St. Louis Cardinals lost to the San Francisco Giants 6-2 about 1 1/2 hours later. The Cubs decided not to hang around the clubhouse to await the Cardinals outcome, instead choosing to wait another day to celebrate.The Cubs boast three starting pitchers with legitimate cases for NL Cy Young Award attention, but the Brewers came to town this week with some pitching that has even surpassed Chicagos of late.Brewers right-hander Chase Anderson (8-11, 4.53 ERA) may be emblematic of the improvement as he brings a 4-1 record and 2.30 ERA over his last nine starts into the Friday game.Since Aug. 22, Milwaukee pitchers have posted a big league-leading 2.73 ERA over the past 23 games, allowing 40 runs in 131 2/3 innings.That narrowly tops second-place Chicago, which has a 2.90 ERA in the same span followed by the Los Angeles Dodgers (3.05).Its certainly a positive side. I think it tells you that its in there and that we can have above average pitching here, Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. The 25 games is not 162 games and thats what this team over here (the Cubs) have done. ... (But) knowing that weve got it and weve got six guys doing it is a good thing for us.Anderson is 8-11 with a 4.53 ERA as he makes his 29th appearance and 28th start of the season.He started Saturday in St. Louis and earned a no-decision in a loss, allowing three hits in 5 2/3 shutout innings. Anderson is 1-0 with a 1.93 ERA in two starts against Chicago -- both this season.The Cubs counter with right-hander John Lackey, who makes his third start since an August stay on the disabled list with a right shoulder strain. He missed 19 games after being sidelined on Aug. 19 (retroactive to Aug. 14).Lackey is 0-1 since coming back. He didnt get the decision in a five-inning start Sept. 4 in the Cubs 3-2 victory over the Giants and allowed two runs over six innings in a 2-1 Chicago loss in Houston on Sunday.Lackey is 9-8 with a 3.35 ERA as he makes his 27th start of the season and 15th at home. He is 5-2 with a 3.09 ERA in 10 career starts against Milwaukee, including 0-1 with a 3.00 ERA in two starts this season.Cubs manager Joe Maddon said he has no concerns whether Lackey is fully recovered from his shoulder issues.No, hes been good, Maddon said. Ive not noticed anything. Hes been fine.Chicago brings two of its aces back around to conclude the series.Right-hander Jake Arrieta (17-6, 2.91 ERA) goes against Brewers rookie Zach Davies (10-7, 3.87) on Saturday. Davies and fellow rookie Junior Guerra have combined for 19 wins this season, the third most combined by two rookies in franchise history.Right-hander Kyle Hendricks (15-7, 2.03) who pitched eight no-hit innings in his last outing, pitches Sunday against righty Wily Peralta (6-10, 5.42). Charlie Morton Rays Jersey . Supported by three-run homers from Jayson Werth and Wilson Ramos, the young right-hander went seven strong innings in the Washington Nationals 8-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night. Rays Jerseys 2019 . You can watch the game live on TSN at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. The Flyers had won seven of eight before dropping their last two outings on consecutive days over the weekend. Philadelphia was handed a 6-3 loss by the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday afternoon before dropping a 4-1 decision to the Rangers the following night in New York City. https://www.cheapraysonline.com/ . Only three players drafted by NHL clubs were included on the Czech selection camp roster on Wednesday. Those players were Dallas Stars 2012 first-rounder Radek Faksa, Winnipeg Jets 2013 fourth-rounder Jan Kostalek and Phoenix Coyotes 2012 seventh-rounder Marek Langhamer. Joey Wendle Jersey . Blackwood, 28, has played the last three seasons in the San Diego Padres system, including the past two summers with Class AA San Antonio of the Texas League. Peter Fairbanks Jersey . Andreas Johnson had a goal and two assists while Jacob de la Rose also scored for Sweden (2-0-0). Esa Lindell and Rasmus Ristolainen replied for Finland (1-1-0) Lindell opened the scoring for Finland just 41 seconds into the game, but the hosts quickly regained their composure and tied the score less than four minutes later on Wennbergs first of the game. HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- Chad Knaus has said in the past that being four years older than Jimmie Johnson, there is the possibility that he could retire from being a crew chief before Johnson does as a driver.But why break up a good thing?A split looked as if it might be necessary earlier this year when Johnson went on a 24-race winless streak, the longest of his career. But after the two won their seventh Sprint Cup title together Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway, it seems as if they might continue for three, four, five or however many years Johnson wants to keep racing.[Thats] probably the way its going to roll out, for sure, Knaus said. It really is. I love him like a brother. Hes a fantastic individual.They have had their moments of sniping at each other on the radio and will continue to do so. Thats just the way they operate. ?But with 80 career victories, Johnson would be stupid to want someone else atop the box.Jimmie has taught me more about life than life itself has taught me, Knaus said. Hes taught me about family. Hes taught me about relationships. Hes taught me about being a champion.When we started this thing, all I was was just a racer guy, and he was a cool California kid, and we kind of grew up together. To be in this situation to where we know hes got a handful of years left, whatever they may be, and for Jimmie and Mr.?[Rick] Hendrick to want me to stick with the 48 car and be at the helm of this ship -- man, its flattering.Its also the right thing to do. At least the results say so.Those guys have a unique relationship, said four-time Cup champion and Hendrick Motorsports co-owner Jeff Gordon. I think if they peeled back all the layers, [they] will tell you theyve gone through plenty of emotions and ups and downs and moments where they werent sure.But theyve stuck it out and thats what made them so strong and why theyre seven-time champions.Knaus is known to push the envelope, and at times it has bitten him. On Sunday, it gnawed at him as the teams car was pulled from the grid and taken back through inspection for what appeared to be a slight adjustment on one of the posts.Johnson had to start at the rear of the field, a penalty that has occurred throughout the garage with somewhat regularity throughout the second half of the season. Teams appear willing to take a risk for what could be a slight advantage -- or just keeping up with everyone else -- knowing they have time to work their way through the field.Its just one of those deals, dude, Knaus said. You work. Thats what we do. We work. Everybody works out there -- everybody, every single team. ... The facts are everybody is out there, everybody is doing everything they possibly can to try to get every ounce of speed out of their race cars, and were going to do the exact same thing, just like everybody else.There could be a reason Knaus needs every ounce of speed out of his race cars. The Hendrick teams were more than a tick behind for much of the year.I still dont think that we necessarily had the speed that we need week in and week out, Knaus said.dddddddddddd Weve got to get our cars better, for sure. ... Weve got some work to do to continue to be able to compete with those guys.The one thing we have in our corner is we have Jimmie Johnson. He is the one that makes things happen when we dont necessarily have the race cars.?When we do have the race cars that we need, he does phenomenal things.Xfinity Series: Suarez makes historyDaniel Suarez won the Xfinity Series title, and he has had lots of mentors, from Joe Gibbs Racing drivers such as Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch to a driver many wouldnt guess.Former NASCAR driver and truck series champion Ron Hornaday Jr. helped teach Suarez how to handle restarts better, something that came in handy Saturday when he won the race to capture the title.I was horrible at it, Suarez said. I was the worst ever out there on my restarts. One day I got the opportunity to talk to him. I went to his house.He started teaching me some good advice, and after that I really felt like I was a different driver, and tonight, we won a championship and a race because of restarts. I want to thank Ron Hornaday big time for all his help.Edwards has been impressed with the improvement Suarez has made this year.Man, that guy is really impressive, Edwards said. Hes a very nice person, to begin with, and then he just is a hard worker, and if you take the [limited] experience that Daniel has, he shouldnt be running the way he is.?Hes very, very gifted, so I really enjoy being around him.Camping World Truck Series: Sauter wins one for familyIn Milwaukee racing circles, the Sauter name has been tormenting the area short tracks for decades.Even in NASCAR, the Sauter name has been racing since 1980.But an individual driver championship has eluded the family in NASCAR -- until Friday night when Johnny Sauter captured the crown.His father, Jim, and brothers Jim Jr., Jay and Tim all competed in NASCAR.Johnny himself ran his first national series race in 2001.I dont know what it would mean to me until it really happened, but for my family, just validation for -- I dont know that they need validation, but its just cool, said Sauter, the 2001 ASA champion. My dad had raced for 40 years. ...?So its just cool to grow up in a racing family, go to so many racetracks throughout the Midwest, and to be a champion in one of the top three NASCAR divisions, thats just something that I hope the family can enjoy.The Sauter and Shear families have competed against or with each other for decades as well, and Johnny and crew chief Joe Shear Jr. had the magic to win the title.Me and Johnny have been together for years and our families have been together for years, and weve raced against each other, and weve won a championship before, and weve just become best friends and worked really hard and been determined, Shear said. Im like almost lost for words.?This is like really huge and special. ' ' '