Shane Flanagan said the result was a hollow

CHICAGO -- After back-to-back series against teams all but out of postseason contention, the Chicago White Sox host a Seattle Mariners team with much more at stake.The Mariners (67-59) open a four-game weekend series at U.S. Cellular Field on Thursday three games outside of an American League wild card spot following Wednesdays 5-0 loss to the New York Yankees.Seattle had been among the hottest teams in baseball with 15 wins in 20 games before cooling off a bit this week with back-to-back losses to the Yankees at Safeco Field.Chicago right-hander Anthony Ranaudo (1-1, 9.42 ERA) works against a Mariners pitcher yet to be named in Thursdays series opener. On Friday, right-hander Felix Hernandez (8-4, 3.26) meets White Sox lefty Chris Sale (15-6, 3.15).Seattle claimed two wins over Chicago in a three-game home series last month.The Mariners hope to have third baseman Kyle Seager back for the series. He sat out Wednesday after fouling a ball off his foot on Tuesday. Initial X-rays were reported to be negative. Seager has 24 home runs and 83 RBI this season.Robinson Cano needs one double for 30 this season. He has exceeded that total in each of his first 11 seasons.Seattle has a shot at reclaiming the AL West lead. The Mariners topped the division through most of May before struggling over the next two months and started August at .500 (52-52) and in third place.They are 6 1/2 games behind first-place Texas and have seven head-to-head games remaining with the Rangers in an 11-day stretch starting next Monday.Chicago (60-65) has played better of late, taking two of three from Oakland last weekend and splitting two games with visiting Philadelphia this week.Over a three-game winning streak through Tuesday, Chicago pitchers had allowed only five runs while 1B/DH Jose Abreu has homered in each.But like the Athletics and Phillies, the White Sox are also playing out the string after beginning the season 23-10.With less than five weeks left in the regular season, speculation is rising about postseason shakeups ranging from the departure of manager Robin Ventura and front office personnel to major trades including ace left-hander Chris Sale and right-hander Jose Quintana.Weve got to get some things together, White Sox executive vice president Kenny Williams told reporters this week. As everyone knows by now, we started off very well. Unfortunately things kind of unraveled and we lost some key members of our bullpen which didnt help and kind of spearheaded that unraveling.Not even the ballpark is being spared.The Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, owner of the White Sox home field, announced a 13-year naming rights agreement with a Chicago-based mortgage company Wednesday. The parks name changes from U.S. Cellular Field to Guaranteed Rate Field on Nov. 1. Terms were not disclosed. 49ers Jerseys China . -- Cam Newton pranced into the end zone, placed his hands over his chest and did his familiar Superman pose. Cheap 49ers Jerseys . The home side created most of the chances but struggled to break down Braunschweigs resilient defence, resulting in the Bundesligas 1,000th scoreless draw. https://www.49ersjerseysale.com/ . -- Kyrie Irvings last-minute 3-pointer helped seal another victory for Cleveland -- and the Cavaliers longest winning streak since LeBron James left. San Francisco 49ers Gear . -- Jonathan Drouin gave Halifax the boost it needed to edge host Sherbrooke Phoenix 3-2 in a shootout in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. San Francisco 49ers Shirts . - Oakland Raiders running back Rashad Jennings was speaking to a group of local high school students earlier this week when the conversation turned to the importance of being prepared when opportunities in life arise. Cronullas remarkable NRL winning streak has come to an end after a remarkable 18-all draw with Gold Coast at Robina on Monday night.Neither team could find a winning point in two halves of extra time, despite both having opportunities to secure the win with several field goal attempts being charged down.The Sharks, chasing a 16th consecutive victory, had the best opportunities with five-eighth James Maloney missing three field goal attempts, including one shot which hit a post in the first half of golden point.Titans rookie Ash Taylor also missed a trio of field goal shots while wrecking-ball centre Konrad Hurrell was held up over the line in the dying seconds of an enthralling contest.The Sharks nearly scored on the very last play of the match but centre Josh Hoffman desperately dove to gather a loose kick and ensure the clash ended all-square.The result leaves the Sharks on top of the NRL ladder, just one point clear of Melbourne.Gold Coast are seventh on 23 points, just one behind Queensland rivals Brisbane.The Sharks began brightly in front of 14,981 fans at CBUS Super Stadium with Valentine Holmes crashing over in the seventh minute after a slick backline move.They then opened up a 12-point lead when Jackson Bird scored in the 30th minute in the following set after Titans fullback David Mead was sent to the sin-bin for a professional foul on Sharks hooker Michael Ennis.Despite being a man down, the Titans hit back before halftime with Chris McQueen scoring his fourth try in the past three weeks when Sharks winger Sosaia Feki spilt a bomb into his hands.Mead levellled scores just after the break when he held onto a sharp pass from Tyrone Roberts to crash over before Hurrells inspired flick pass in the 55th minute sent Anthony Don flying into the corner for a six-point Titans lead.ddddddddddddSharks prop Andrew Fifita barrelled over from short range with seven minutes left to lock up the scores at 18-all, but neither team could find the decisive breakthrough.Sharks coach Shane Flanagan said the result was a hollow one and only enhanced his belief that the game should do away with golden point.Its an absolute lottery isnt it?, Flanagan said.They were all offside. We were offside. There was chargedowns. Penalties should have been given. Its a joke golden point. Its an absolute joke.The Titans endured the extra periods without Tyrone Roberts after the five-eighth hurt his knee but coach Neil Henry expects the playmaker to be fit to face the Warriors on Sunday.Stand-in Titans captain Ryan James claimed Wade Graham, filling in for the benched Paul Gallen, had lied about his call at the coin toss before the start of extra time.James said Graham had told the referees hed called heads when hed originally called tails, forcing the toss to be redone and handing the Sharks a potentially decisive edge when they subsequently won the right to receive the first kick-off in golden point.It should have been us receiving but we had to kick-off and we would have had that extra set, he said.I was frustrated about that. ' ' '