CHICAGO (AP)—Texas Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux talked with Chicago
Cubs executives on Wednesday, becoming at least the third candidate to interview
for the vacant manager’s job.

Maddux, who has helped the Rangers win back-to-back AL pennants, was
scheduled to have a news conference later Wednesday.

New director of baseball operations Theo Epstein fired Mike Quade last week.
The Cubs have also interviewed Phillies bench coach Pete Mackanin and Brewers
hitting coach Dale Sveum.

The Rangers had an American League-high 5.37 ERA in 2008, the year before
Maddux arrived. They have improved each year since, including a 3.79 ERA this
season that was their lowest since 1983.

Maddux’s ability to get the most out of the Rangers’ staff—even after the
loss of Cliff Lee(notes) from the 2010 AL championship team—is certainly appealing to
Epstein.

In 15 major league seasons, Mike Maddux pitched for Philadelphia (1986-89),
the Los Angeles Dodgers (1990, 1999), San Diego (1991-92), the New York Mets
(1993-94), Pittsburgh (1995), Boston (1995-96), Seattle (1997), Montreal
(1998-99) and Houston (2000).

The name Maddux will always resonate around Wrigley Field.

Maddux is the older brother of four-time Cy Young Award winner Greg Maddux,
a former Cubs’ ace who later was an assistant to former Chicago GM Jim Hendry.

Greg Maddux’s departure from the Cubs as a free agent after winning the
first of his four straight Cy Young awards in 1992 is still considered one of
the worst episodes in the franchise’s long history of futility.

Maddux went on to star with the Braves and establish himself as one of the
greatest pitchers of all-time. He returned to the Cubs in 2004 and before he was
traded to the Dodgers in 2006, he got his 300th win with Chicago. He retired
with 355 victories.

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With Epstein as its GM, the Red Sox have won the World Series twice. He has 1 year remaining on his contract.

In other baseball news:

* Houston Astros prospect Dustin Kellogg was killed in an automobile accident late Monday night. Kellogg died when the pickup truck he was driving collided with a freight truck in suburban Houston, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. In other Astros news, outfielder Jordan Schafer has been arrested in Florida and charged with felony possession of marijuana.

* The Los Angeles Dodgers have declined 2012 club options on infielder Casey Blake and pitcher Jon Garland, both of whom had season-ending surgeries. Also, the Delaware judge presiding over the Dodgers’ bankruptcy case has formally appointed a mediator, who is charged with trying to get the team and Major League Baseball to settle their differences over a reorganization plan for the team.

* Cleveland Indians outfielder Grady Sizemore has undergone surgery on his right knee. He is expected to be recovered in 2 months.

* Former big leaguer Timo Perez and three other players have been suspended 50 games for violating the minor league drug program.

Tennis * 

Top-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki advanced to the second round at the China Open in Beijing.

* Top-seeded Rafael Nadal eased past Go Soeda, 6-3, 6-2, to reach the second round at the Japan Open in Tokyo.

Philly File * 

Union forward Sebastien Le Toux was named the MLS Player of the Month for September. Le Toux scored seven goals in six games.

* The Soul, of the Arena Football League, re-signed defensive back Tanner Varner.

Sport Stops * 

University of Missouri curators voted to consider leaving the troubled Big 12 for another conference. Speculation has centered on a possible Missouri move to the Southeastern Conference, which recently agreed to accept Texas A&M from the Big 12 starting next year.

* The Chicago Blackhawks gave general manager Stan Bowman a 3-year contract extension.

SAN DIEGO, Sept. 28 (UPI) — Nick Hundley and Will Venable homered and combined to drive in seven runs Wednesday, sending the San Diego Padres to a 9-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs.

The Padres and Cubs ended the season tied for the second-worst record in the National League (71-91) — ahead of only the Houston Astros and their 106 losses.

Hundley hit a three-run homer to highlight a four-run third and Venable blasted a grand slam in the sixth.

That made things easy for Wade LeBlanc (5-6), who gave up two runs on five hits in seven innings to get the victory.

Ryan Dempster (10-14) suffered the loss, surrendering all nine runs on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings.

AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast

Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Nyjer Morgan makes a running catch of a fly ball by Chicago Cubs’ Marlon Byrd during the seventh inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2011, in Chicago.

Shaun Marcum threw eight strong innings and the Milwaukee Brewers moved a step closer to the NL Central title with a 5-1 win over the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night.
Marcum (13-7) allowed five hits and one run and chipped in at the plate by doubling and scoring during Milwaukee’s four-run third inning.
Rickie Weeks drove in two runs and Nyjer Morgan reached base three times, stole a base and scored two runs to help the Brewers reach 91 wins for the first time since 1992.
Milwaukee needs a combination of three wins or Cardinals losses to clinch the division. The Cardinals played the Mets on Tuesday night.
Chicago’s Randy Wells (7-5) allowed six hits and five runs in five innings.
Rickie Weeks drove in two runs and Nyjer Morgan reached base three times, stole a base and scored two runs for the Brewers.
Marcum threw just 97 pitches, struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter during an efficient performance that came on the heels of two poor starts in which he allowed 10 runs in 11 2-3 innings. Marcum has never lost three straight starts.
The only damage against Marcum came on Starlin Castro’s leadoff homer in the sixth. Castro has reached base in 33 straight games, the longest such streak by a Cubs shortstop since Woody English in 1929. Castro has 336 career hits, surpassing Glenn Beckert’s franchise record for hits by a player in his first two seasons (post-1900).
Randy Wells (7-5) was roughed up in his second straight outing, allowing six hits and five runs in five innings.
The Brewers didn’t get a hit off Wells until Marcum’s one-out double in the third ignited Milwaukee’s big inning. Marcum scored on Corey Hart’s double. Morgan singled in Hart, stole second and scored on Ryan Braun’s RBI single. Weeks capped the inning by singling home Braun.
Darwin Barney doubled twice for the Cubs.
NOTES: Cubs 3B Aramis Ramirez left the game after the sixth inning because of a mild strain in his right quad and is listed as day to day. … Brewers 1B Prince Fielder walked twice and surpassed the 100-walk mark for the third straight season. … Former Cubs general manager Jim Hendry spent some time on the field before the game chatting with players, coaches and media. Hendry was fired on Aug. 19 after more than 16 years with the organization, including over nine years as the team’s GM. His permanent replacement has not been hired though Randy Bush is filling in on an interim basis. … Cubs special assistant to the general manager Gary Hughes resigned on Tuesday, effective Oct. 31. The scouting guru has been with the organization since 2002 and has spent 44 years in professional baseball, working with a total of nine different franchises. … Matt Garza will start the Cubs’ home finale on Wednesday, his first start since throwing a career-high 124 pitches in a complete-game no decision against Houston on Sept. 16. He’ll face Randy Wolf, who is 1-1 with a 1.37 ERA in three starts against Chicago this season.

CHICAGO, Sept. 17 (UPI) — Rodrigo Lopez didn’t allow an earned run over six innings Saturday and four Cubs relievers combined to wrap up Chicago’s 2-1 win over Houston.

Lopez (6-6) won his second straight start, holding the Astros to one unearned run over six frames, scattering four hits while walking two and striking out seven.

Ramon Ortiz, Jeff Russell and Kerry Wood teamed up for two innings of scoreless relief and Sean Marshall collected his fifth save despite loading the bases in the ninth for the Cubs, who clinched their three-game series at Wrigley Field.

Bryan LaHair’s solo homer in the fourth broke a 1-1 tie and proved to be the game-winner.

Henry Sosa (2-5) absorbed the loss for Houston, yielding a pair of runs on four hits over six innings as the Astros (51-100) lost a 100th game for the first time in franchise history.