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). Dikembe Mutombo Jersey . But when it comes to determining if Raymond will find a place on the Leafs roster when training camp concludes in a week, well, that decision will ultimately fall to the head coach. Eddie Johnson Jersey . Collaros, 25, was solid last season, posting a 5-2 record as the starter while incumbent Ricky Ray was injured. Collaros also started Torontos 23-20 regular-season finale loss to Montreal — Ray didnt dress because the Argos had already clinched first in the East Division — but was one of three quarterbacks to play that day. https://www.cheaphawks.com/614r-herm-gilliam-jersey-hawks.html .J. -- Marty Brodeur beat the Pittsburgh Penguins yet again. Ed Macauley Jersey .Y. - New Orleans forward Anthony Davis was chosen Friday to replace the injured Kobe Bryant in the NBA All-Star game that will be played in his home city. Marvin Williams Jersey . The Celtics closed out their first preseason under Stevens on Wednesday night with a 101-97 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, who rested a lot of their lineup including former Celtics Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. If you are a genuine fan of Roger Federer, you should vigorously applaud his decision to bail on the rest of the 2016 tennis season.No, you wont see Federer in a few weeks time, feet falling along the baseline as softly as a cats, stalking the elusive singles gold medal in a farewell Olympic performance in Rio. Or later in August, flicking sweet forehands at the National Tennis Center in Flushing in the quest for his sixth US Open title.In his present, somewhat-less-than-his-best condition, you wouldnt have seen ultimate success anyway.But -- assuming a few months of rest and rehabilitation can bring his dodgy left knee back to a sound level -- the inconvenience of missing out on those late-summer visuals has a massive upside for the athlete who turns 35 in 13 days:It likely means a few more years of the less-than-vintage-but-still-stylish Federer we have come to know in recent years -- which isnt half-bad. In fact, its still better than good.Indeed, the mood at the Team8 offices in Pepper Pike, Ohio on Tuesday was upbeat.There is no gloom and doom in our camp, insisted Tony Godsick, Federers longtime agent. The decision was unfortunate, on the face, a bummer, but it was encouraging, too. It shows he still wants to get out there and give it a few more years.Since winning Wimbledon in 2012, the final major in his portfolio that includes a record 17-Grand Slam singles titles, Federer has been essentially rolling through an extended, elevated victory lap. He made the final at Wimbledon in 2014 and 2015 and a year ago at the US Open.Perhaps more telling, after reaching five ATP World Tour 1000 finals in 2014, winning two of them (Cincinnati and Shanghai), he made three master finals a year ago, winning only in Cincinnati.This year? Only 28 matches and zero major or masters finals.The season began typically enough. Federer got to the final in Brisbane and reached the semifinals at the Australian Open for the 12th time in 13 season. But in early February, he underwent surgery meniscus surgery, the first of his career. When he came back a few months later, he wasnt quite himself.Although a cranky back was blamed for his pullout in Madrid, the knee was always the major issue. He lost to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarters of Monte Carlo and to 22-year-old Dominic Thiem at the Italian Open before opting to skip the French Open, hiis first major miss since the 1999 US Open, ending a record of 65 consecutive Grand Slam appearances.ddddddddddddThe return to his favorite surface was not encouraging; Federer lost again to Thiem on the grass in the Stuttgart semifinals and, a week later, to teenager Alexander Zverev in the semis of Halle, an event the Swiss had won eight times. In retrospect, it approaches amazing that earlier this month Federer reached the semifinals at Wimbledon before losing to Milos Raonic -- in five sets.Actually, Godsick said, he did quite well being where he would not like to be.In the end, I think he realized the competition, as tough as it is, you dont help yourself by playing less than your best. Now he can manage his schedule and take the steps necessary to get bigger, faster and stronger.Godsick would not offer details, but said that by creating a window of four months without competitive tennis -- instead of the usual one -- Federer was giving himself more than enough cushion to come back completely healthy to start 2017.So if the doctor says he needs a certain number of weeks, now he can afford to give it even more time, Godsick said. Everyone on this team is an optimist, and hes the chief optimist.More than anything, Federer seems to love being Federer. Deep in his mind, he has to know another Grand Slam title is increasingly unlikely. Still, he enjoys being in the hunt, maybe more importantly, in the conversation. Clearly, its fun, and there are still millions of more dollars to make. With four children, thats not a minor consideration.The love I have for tennis, the competition, tournaments and of course you, the fans remains intact, Federer wrote in a Facebook post. I am as motivated as ever and plan to put all my energy towards coming back strong, healthy and in shape to play attacking tennis in 2017.Not just tennis, attacking tennis. Federer is currently ranked No. 3 in the world behind Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. Will the tennis world change appreciably when younger players like Raonic, Thiem, Zverev and Nick Kyrgios move past him? In a word, no.If the goal is to go and play as long as you can, Godsick said, its the right decision.Let the Federer flowing, fluid victory lap continue. ' ' '