LEADING OFF: Sale rejoins Chisox, Gordon returns to Marlins

Mets steady closer Jeurys Familia stumbled for a second straight game, allowing two runs in the ninth inning as the Colorado Rockies beat NY 2-1 Thursday for their seventh win in eight games.

CHICAGO (AP) – John Lackey and Aroldis Chapman outperformed Chris Sale in his return from a jersey-trashing suspension. Ben Zobrist added an RBI single in the third.

Ranaudo allowed three runs and two hits – both homers – in 6 2/3 innings and smacked an opposite-field homer in the fifth for his first major league hit.

Chapman earned his first save for the Cubs since being acquired from the Yankees, leaving the crowd buzzing by consistently throwing 102 miles per hour.

Controversy has surrounded the 27-year-old ace. The Cubs tweeted out their lineup before the game with the line “Throwback Thursday, anyone?”

Ranaudo’s homer was the first by a White Sox pitcher since Mark Buehrle went deep on June 14, 2009, at Milwaukee.

Yes, that’s the same Ventura on whom Sale seemed to put some of the blame for the incident earlier this week when he said he didn’t regret the stance he took Saturday.

He hugged teammates Dioner Navarro and Matt Albers, then did a lap around the clubhouse, greeting each player sitting at his locker.

Sale raved about support he’s received from teammates who he feels he let down by not taking the ball on his scheduled day to pitch. “We’ve seen examples of that before, but I know him to be a good kid and I’m looking for him to get back and move on and keep going”.

“It felt like I was out on an island, really”, Sale said of his suspension. “I believe when that occurs, I’m going to understand what he’s about and what he’s thinking”.

“I knew who they were before this, but I found out who they really are and what they’re about”, he said. He could possibly start Sunday against the Twins or Tuesday against the Tigers.

Cubs – Maddon said OF Jorge Soler (left hamstring), now on a rehab stint at Triple-A Iowa, “is on the verge of coming back”.

Chris Sale gave up two runs on three walks (one intentional) and six hits against the Cubs at Wrigley Field Thursday night.

In an interview with MLB.com Monday, Sale said he went off because the throwback promotion demonstrated the Sox are more about business than winning games.

The White Sox are 8-20 in their last 28 road games, 4-1 in their last five overall, and 1-6 in Quintana’s last seven against the AL Central while the Twins are 1-4 in their last five home games, 2-5 in Nolasco’s last seven starts, and 0-7 in Nolasco’s last seven against the division. In his last six starts, Lackey has a 6.38 ERA.