uy like Bradley Chubb on the

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A look at what’s happening around the majors today:

CLUTCH CITY

Alex Bregman is red-hot at the plate as the Astros travel to Tampa Bay for a four-game series , and he’s been especially good late in games. Bregman has homered in three straight, including a game-ending two-run shot Wednesday to cap Houston’s rally from five runs down against Toronto. That was the second walk-off hit this month for Bregman, who also had a game-ending single in Game 5 of last year’s World Series. Bregman is 9 for 17 with three homers and five doubles since shaving his mustache midway through a game Sunday.

TAKE TWO

Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw looks to sharpen his stuff against the Cubs in his second start since ending a DL stint for a lower back strain. Kershaw stumbled through three innings against the Mets last Saturday after surprisingly nixing a scheduled minor league rehab assignment, though Los Angeles beat New York 8-3 that day behind stellar relief work from rookie Caleb Ferguson. The 21-year-old left-hander is set to follow Kershaw again against Chicago. Kershaw acknowledged feeling some rust at Citi Field, when he was limited to 55 pitches. He’s hoping to go deeper and pitch more effectively this time at Dodger Stadium.

BOSIO FIRED

The Tigers fired pitching coach Chris Bosio on Wednesday, saying he made insensitive comments to another employee of the team. General manager Al Avila said Bosio made the comments recently and they were brought to Avila’s attention Tuesday. Avila decided Wednesday to terminate Bosio’s contract after the team investigated the situation and spoke to all of the people involved. Detroit promoted bullpen coach Rick Anderson to replace Bosio. Roving pitching instructor A.J. Sager will be the team’s bullpen coach until Triple-A Toledo pitching coach Jeff Pico takes his place next week. The Tigers are set to wrap a four-game series against Oakland.

ANOTHER SHOT AT NOLA

The Nationals try to solve the Phillies’ Aaron Nola five days after the right-hander won a 5-3 decision in Washington. Nola (9-2, 2.58) allowed two runs, four hits and three walks over six innings while striking out five in that game. Nola is fifth in the NL in ERA, and only Mets ace Jacob deGrom has allowed fewer home runs per nine innings than Nola (0.53) among qualified NL starters.

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Bradley Chubb would normally be content relying on game tapes to make his case to scouts.

There, he insists , they will find a big man with edge-rushing skills and enough power to stuff the run. Watch enough of footage and it just might convince those NFL executives that Chubb is the best defensive player in this year's NFL draft.

But this is no typical week for North Carolina State's star defensive end. He's participating in the NFL's annual scouting combine in Indianapolis, answering questions and dropping names.

"I try to take Khalil Mack and Von Miller and put them into one person," Chubb said Saturday. "I'm a high-motor, high-energy guy."

If team executives concur, his name could be one of the first three called in April.

Naturally, Chubb describes himself as the best player in Indy this weekend and who's going to argue with a 6-foot-4, 269-pound man.

Not the deep, diverse quarterback group, which did its on-the-field workouts Saturday and will likely spend the next few years trying to escape Chubb's grasp.

Not the highly touted running back class, which includes Saquon Barkley and Chubb's own cousin , Nick, who will be running away from a lineman who posted 25 sacks and 54陆 tackles for loss over the past three seasons.

Sure, there are questions.

Is he big enough to hold up against the NFL's massive tackles, does he have enough moves to make an immediate impact, can he make a smooth transition to the more physical pro game?

He might also be asked to explain why he spat upon the Florida State logo following North Carolina State's upset win or why he decided to skip the Wolfpack's bowl game.

Those who know Chubb best have no doubt he will succeed.

"He's so happy, always smiling," said offensive tackle Will Richardson, a college teammate who routinely squared off with Chubb in practice.

"He's a goofball. We used to get grapes after a game and he would come over and knock them out of your hands and someone would be like 'Why did you do that?' But he always had a few extra grapes in his other hand to give to you. He's definitely a goofball, a goofball in a good way."

Many believe there's nothing goofy about him being possibly the best pass-rusher in a draft heavy on interior linemen 鈥?and thin at one of the NFL's most coveted positions.

Those challenging Chubb's title include Marcus Davenport of UTSA, Sam Hubbard of Ohio State , Arden Key of LSU and Harold Landry of Boston College.

Each had college careers that ranged from solid to spectacular, and each knows they must answer questions about size, injuries or the competition level they've faced.

"Nobody in this draft class has a first step like mine," Landry said. "My mindset and my approach to the game, I'm a guy that's going to do whatever it takes to be the best at my position."

But those who played alongside Chubb understand his impact cannot be measured in stats alone.

"We got to win more games," college teammate and combine invitee Justin Jones said. "Having a guy like Bradley Chubb on the edge, it turns a lot of plays back to us and the rest of the team. They want to take Bradley out of the game, and we have other (defensive) linemen that can make plays."

Chubb appears to have the size to play right away, room to grow and even bloodlines working in his favor.

His father, Aaron , played at Georgia. His older brother, Brandon, starred at Wake Forest before being signed by the Los Angeles Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2016 and spending most of that season on the Detroit Lions' practice squad.

So if things fall the right way, Bradley Chubb could become the highest-drafted descendant of the family that established "Chubbtown" 鈥?a rural area in northwestern Georgia, three miles from the Alabama border鈥?in the mid-1800s.

And that's an honor Chubb would treasure.

"When you're there, you feel it," he said. "My last name is Chubb, and I wear it with pride."
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