Cubs’ Russell given 40- game ban after investigation

Chicago Cubs infielder Addison Russell accepted a 40-game suspension Wednesday for violating Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy after a series of allegations made by his ex-wife.

Commissioner Rob Manfred announced the ban and said MLB completed its investigation into the accusations made by Melisa Reidy. Russell denied the allegations, which Reidy detailed in a blog post in September.

Russell’s unpaid suspension includes the 11 regular-season games he missed after being placed on administrative leave Sept. 21. Russell will be eligible to return on May 3, barring any postponements, and he will not appeal the suspension. He will also participate in an evaluation and treatment program. New York’s Aaron Judge watches his two-run home run sail over the wall during the first inning of Wednesday’s American League wild-card game against Oakland. The Yankees won 7-2.

Showalter and executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette, who were fired after the team finished with the worst record in the major leagues.

With Duquette procuring the talent and Showalter making it work on the field, Baltimore snapped a run of 14 straight losing seasons and made the playoffs in 2012, 2014 and 2016.

But the Orioles finished 75-87 in 2017 — losing 19 of their final 23 games — and this year staggered through a 47-115 season, the worst since the team moved to Baltimore in 1954.

A three-time AL Manager of the Year, Showalter ranks second on the Orioles’ career list with 669 victories, trailing Earl Weaver.

Before opening day, Duquette signed free

agent pitchers Alex Cobb and Andrew Cashner. He also spurned trade offers for pending free agent Manny Machado with hopes that the Orioles could be a contender in 2018.

It never happened. Baltimore went 8-20 in April and owned a 19-50 record on June 16.

Showalter’s career record is 1,551-1,517, including 669-684 with Baltimore.

Theo Epstein said Joe Maddon will return for a fifth season as manager of the Cubs.

Chicago’s president of baseball operations confirmed Maddon will stay on for at least the final year of his contract. Epstein said there are no ongoing discussions about an extension for Maddon.

Maddon is 387-2611 in four years with Chicago. The Cubs have more wins during that span than any other team, with three trips to the NLCS and a World Series championship in 2016 that ended a drought dating to 1908.

Tony Wolters hit a tiebreaking single with two outs in the 13th inning and the Colorado Rockies beat the Cubs 2-1 on Tuesday night in an epic NL wild-card game.

In the longest winor-go-home postseason game in major league history, Wolters entered as part of a double switch in the bottom of the 12th. The reserve catcher came up with runners at the corners and drove in Trevor Story with a liner back up the middle off losing pitcher Kyle Hendricks for his first hit since Sept. 10, quieting the crowd of 40,151 on a crisp fall night.

After playing its third big game over three days in three different cities, Colorado now heads to Milwaukee to open a best-of-five Division Series against the NL Central champion Brewers on Thursday at Miller Park.

Scott Oberg, the sixth Colorado pitcher, fanned Kris Bryant for the final out of the 12th and then struck out the side in the 13th to end the longest postseason game in Wrigley Field history. Terrance Gore tried to sell that he was hit by a pitch, but was sent back to the plate after a replay review confirmed the initial call.