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CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs new weapon more than likely will be put in the holster Friday during the opener of an interleague series against the Seattle Mariners at Wrigley Field.Wednesday was simply a get-acquainted session for Aroldis Chapman. The newly acquired closer entered in the ninth inning and finished off the Cubs 8-1 win over the Chicago White Sox.On Thursday, it was strictly business. The left-hander entered in the eighth inning with two outs and a White Sox runner on third in a one-run game. He proceeded to strike out Melky Cabrera, and then he worked a one-two-three ninth en route to his 21st save of the year and first as a Cub.By pitching two days in a row, including the four-out save Thursday, Chapman isnt likely to be available Friday, however.Going forward, Chapmans presence -- combined with that of late-inning pitchers Pedro Strop and Hector Rondon -- gives the Cubs an imposing relief force. Rondon spent much of the season as closer, compiling 18 saves.Especially with Chapman in the ninth inning, Stropy and me are more free to pitch in tough situations, Rondon said following the Cubs 3-1 victory over the White Sox on Thursday. We feel thats a strong bullpen right now.The Cubs face Seattle right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma (11-6, 3.96 ERA) in Fridays series opener.The 35-year-old veteran is 10-2 with a 3.69 ERA over his past 12 starts. The Friday start will be Iwakumas second against the Cubs. He had a no-decision in an eight-inning effort on June 28, 2013.The Cubs counter with lefty Jon Lester (10-4, 3.09 ERA). He is just 1-1 in his past six starts, but he boasts a 5-2 record and a 2.18 ERA at Wrigley Field this season. In his career against the Mariners, the Tacoma, Wash., native is 5-4 with a 3.52 ERA, although he has not faced them since 2014.Mariners right fielder Nelson Cruz is expected back in the lineup after the teams off day Thursday. He sat out the Wednesday game in Pittsburgh after fouling a ball off his left shin on Tuesday.Cruzs return is not good news for Lester. Cruz, who leads the Mariners with 25 home runs, has a .393 average with two doubles, a triple and three homers in 28 at-bats vs. Lester.Like the Cubs, the Mariners have a new reliever in their bullpen this week. Right-hander Drew Storen was acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays for right-hander Joaquin Benoit late Tuesday night.Storen made his Mariners debut Wednesday against the Pirates, allowing four runs in 1 1/3 innings.I grew up as a big Mariners fan, he told The (Tacoma, Wash.) News Tribune. So its kind of cool from the fans standpoint in me. The team I grew up following. Its great.Though Storen grew up in Indiana, he was attracted to the Mariners by the presence of future Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr.I was all in on Griffey, Storen told the News Tribune. I had every teal jersey there was. I had the Mariners T-shirt and pillowcase during the playoffs and stuff. I was all in.The Mariners, who are making just their second trip to Wrigley Field in franchise history, enter the series with a 10-3 interleague record, the best in the major leagues, ahead of the Boston Red Sox (8-3) and the Detroit Tigers (10-4). Cheap MLB Jerseys From China . The Americans, skipped by John Shuster, seized the advantage in the eighth end by scoring five points for a 7-3 lead. The Czechs pulled two back in the ninth, but Shusters team of third Jeff Isaacson, second Jared Zezel and lead John Landsteiner ended with another point to secure the last Olympic berth on offer. Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys . The head of USA Boxing came out swinging Tuesday with an open letter to Tyson -- a former Olympic hopeful himself -- that accuses the former heavyweight champion of trying to poach fighters who might be candidates for the U. http://www.authenticnflchinajerseys.com/ . Ancelotti says Ronaldo has recovered from a hamstring injury but "but he doesnt feel comfortable yet so we wont risk him." Madrid is third in the Spanish league, six points behind leader Barcelona, going into Saturdays game against Valladolid. Jerseys MLB Wholesale . Vaives lawyer Trevor Whiffen claims the former 50-goal man wasnt provided with a copy of the claim beforehand and that he would not have agreed to the allegations made against the NHL had he been asked to review its contents. Discount Baseball Jerseys . P.A. Parenteau scored early in the third period to help the Avs edge Toronto 2-1 on Tuesday night. Cory Sarich also scored for Colorado (3-0-0), which is off to its best ever start. New Geelong forward Aaron Black says his AFL trade wasnt about getting away from North Melbourne but rather about the opportunity the Cats presented.Black played all 25 games for the Roos, including their preliminary final loss to Sydney, in 2014 but managed just three in 2015 and none at all last year.The 25-year-old forward said it was obvious he could benefit from a fresh start elsewhere.Like any job, sometimes you kind of just get stuck and I just felt I needed a change of environment, Black said.A new set of eyes, something to spark me, and as soon as the trade went through I was over the moon.We actually didnt speak to Geelong until quite late, so it came as a bit of a surprise.North traded Black for pick No.92, a pick they are unlikely to use at the draft, in a deadline day trade with the Cats.Black couldnt break into thee AFL after the Roos started this season on a nine-game winning streak and then suffered a serious ankle injury.ddddddddddddHe admitted it has been a battle to maintain self-belief at times in the past two years, but harbours no ill will toward the Kangaroos.You do wish that you could play AFL every week, but it doesnt pan out like that (for everyone), he said.It was frustrating but at the same time I wanted to better myself every time I went back to the VFL. There are parts of my game I really improved there.I did a lot of work on my contested marking last year ... I was pretty happy with how that went but I think Ive spent enough time there and Im ready to really have an impact at AFL level again. ' ' '