NEW YORK -- As in so many games in this season of bountiful home runs, it appeared that a home run would decide Wednesday's clash between playoff contenders at Citi Field.

Carlos Santana, the veteran first baseman who has been Cleveland's best hitter all season, slugged his 30th home run in the top of the 10th inning, drilling a Luis Avilan changeup into the left-field seats to give the Indians a 3-2 lead over the Mets.

A few minutes later, Santana was involved in the key play of the game -- one small play that gets to the heart of the ongoing, often stormy debate about the barrage of home runs and strikeouts and the declining amount of action aside from all those home runs and strikeouts.

The Mets won 4-3 on J.D. Davis' 107.7 mph rocket base hit into the left-field corner with two outs off All-Star closer Brad Hand, but the Indians had a chance to win the game two batters earlier. The situation: After Amed Rosario led off the inning with a double into the right-center gap and Joe Panik put down a perfect sacrifice bunt -- yes, small ball still exists on rare occasions in 2019 -- Indians manager Terry Francona intentionally walked Pete Alonso to set up a double play with the lefty-lefty matchup against Michael Conforto.

You can even get into the debate of putting the potential winning run on base. Hand is a strikeout pitcher, and Alonso fans 25.6% of the time. Alonso has a .248 average and 1.001 OPS against lefties, while Conforto has hit .239 with a .691 OPS and 27% strikeout rate against lefties. Hand's strikeout rate is actually slightly higher against right-handed batters (36.5% to 32.2%). You rarely see the winning run put on base, so that was a gamble on Francona's part, though if the Indians hadn't, they would have had to bring the infield in, which increases Alonso's batting average on ground balls. Still, I probably would have pitched to Alonso and taken my chances.

The big point in all this: Small ball forced the Indians to make some uncomfortable decisions.

The big play: Conforto hit a weak grounder to Santana, but the ball pulled Santana off the bag. Rosario broke for home on contact, and Santana had an easy out at home, but instead he turned and fired to second base, hoping for a game-ending double play. The problem? He was too far off first base to get back, and Hand had taken a quick step away from first base, and he couldn't get there either. Second baseman Jason Kipnis was too far away as well. Game tied.

From there, Wilson Ramos reached on a trickler down the third-base line, and Davis won it, handing Hand his third blown save in his past four appearances. The Mets go for the series sweep on Thursday.

What should Santana have done? Even the Indians had different opinions on the play.

Francona: "The game is happening fast, but with a lefty on the mound, he's not going to be able to get over there [to cover first], so unless [Santana] can get back, there's nobody else there to take the throw. [Kipnis] can't get there."

Santana: "I mean, it's a tough play. I tried to make it with the double play, but it happened, and we lose the game."

Hand: "Obviously, with a one-run game, we can't let that run score right there. I thought maybe [Santana] could have gone home. I didn't know if the runner broke right away. A tough play all-around. I kind of stopped, expecting him to throw it home. Once he wasn't throwing it home, I didn't really have a chance to get over there in time. Just a tough play."

Catcher Roberto Perez: "Brad had some time [to get over]. I'm not double-guessing the play. Santana is really good at first base, just took his chance to get a double play. Those things happen."

Kipnis: "It's not out of the realm of possibility to think [Santana] can turn that double play. It's been turned before. My guess is that Brad probably thought [Santana] was going home. I haven't looked at it. My job is to kind of hover and clean up the mess [if something happens]. I'm over a little bit, but I've never covered first for a double play in nine years. Granted, it doesn't mean it can't happen."

This is why the debate about all the home runs and strikeouts is an earnest one, not one simply rooted in old-timers -- such as Goose Gossage and Pete Rose -- saying things back in the good ol' days were better. It's a legitimate issue. Part of the beauty of baseball is the bang-bang decisions that fielders have to make at times. Like Francona said, the game happens fast. After talking to the participants, I don't even know if Santana made the right play or the wrong one. He just made the one that didn't work.

And the Mets won by doing things that still win games. A double in the gap. A bunt. Conforto put the ball in play, and even though he didn't hit it hard, he put pressure on the defense, and sometimes that's enough. Ramos got the lucky hit, and Davis had a terrific at-bat, fouling off three pitches with a 3-2 count (after falling behind 0-2) and connecting with a slider. That kind of inning is just as exciting -- and a lot more interesting -- than just another home run.

Old-school baseball? Let's just call it compelling baseball.

Chelsea right-back Davide Zappacosta has joined Italian side AS Roma on loan initially until the end of January after signing a new one-year contract, the Premier League club said on Wednesday.

The 27-year-old Italy international's new deal takes his contract at Chelsea through to June 2022.

Zappacosta joined Chelsea from Serie A side Torino in 2017 and has made 52 appearances for the club in all competitions, although he was limited to four league matches last season.

He played 10 matches in Chelsea's triumphant Europa League campaign last season.

"I'm pleased to join Roma, after an experience overseas that helped me progress as both a player and a person," Zappacosta said in a statement on Roma's website.

"Being able to play for a great club like this is a huge motivation -- I cannot wait to start training alongside my new teammates."

Roma said that they had the option of extending Zappacosta's loan until June 2020.

"I'm pleased to be able to have Davide on my team once again," Roma sporting director Gianluca Petrachi, who worked with Zappacosta at Torino, said.

"Compared with the player that I knew at Torino, now Roma are getting a player who has matured both as a player and a person after a valuable spell in another league.

"I am certain that Davide will be able to make an important contribution during the course of the season."

Wayne Rooney was sent off in D.C. United's 2-1 loss to the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday night, continuing what has been a tumultuous week for the England legend.

Just days after he was involved in a furious altercation with the fourth official in DCU's 1-0 defeat to the Vancouver Whitecaps, Derby-bound Rooney was given a red card the 24th minute following a video review that determined he had hit NYRB's Michael Murillo with his forearm.

Both teams would end up finishing the game with 10 men, with Red Bulls defender Amro Tarek also dismissed before half-time by referee Ismail Elfath, who also came under fire from the D.C. crowd for his decision to award the Red Bulls' penalty.

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Ola Kamara scored his first goal for D.C. in his first start since signing with the team before the close of the secondary transfer window earlier this month. But his new teammate Lucas Rodriguez erred on both Red Bulls goals in a game that saw the teams swap places in the MLS standings. The Red Bulls (12-10-5, 41 points) now sit fourth in the Eastern Conference, a place ahead of D.C (10-9-9, 39 points).

After trailing most of the match, Kamara put D.C. level in the 55th minute with a memorable first goal for his new team. After taking a pass from Joseph Mora near the edge of the penalty area, Kamara took a touch to his right, then curled a long-range effort that arced around Luis Robles dive and into the top corner.

The lead lasted only four minutes. Kaku played a ball from the right flank into Murillo's run into the penalty area, and Murillo went down as though clipped by the trailing Rodriguez, and Elfath pointed to the spot.

D.C.'s players protested and the Audi Field crowd roared with chants of "V-A-R" seeking a video review, but none was coming, and Daniel Royer converted the spot kick to put the visitors back in front.

Kaku gave the Red Bulls the early lead in the sixth minute when he took advantage of Rodriguez's failure to immediately clear away Marc Rzatkowski's cross and drove his finish between Bill Hamid and the near post from about 10 yards out.

The Pac-12 has decided not to move forward with any 9 a.m. PT kickoffs this season, but is open to revisiting the idea in the future, a conference spokesman confirmed Wednesday.

Andrew Walker, the Pac-12's vice president for public affairs, said schools needed more time to plan for any potential earlier kickoff slot.

"Our interested schools need more lead time for discussions with all relevant stakeholders," Walker said. "There is interest from Fox and there is interest from some of our schools, but need more time to plan properly."

At Pac-12 media day last month, commissioner Larry Scott said the conference had held preliminary discussions about the potential for playing a couple of league games in that time slot as early as this season. Scott cited fan frustration with late-night kickoffs and the exposure for the Pac-12 in new markets as reasons to consider the change.

Several coaches, including UCLA's Chip Kelly, Utah's Kyle Whittingham and Cal's Justin Wilcox, all expressed an interest in playing an early game when the idea was raised last month.

Multiple schools expressed interest in continuing to explore the concept for 2020, according to Walker.

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Before practice each day, New York Jets running back Le'Veon Bell tells his defensive teammates, "Give me a little something."

Bell, who is being held out of the preseason games as a precaution, wants to get his body acclimated to contact before making his Jets debut in Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills. So, in a very un-running-back-like move, he's asking to be tackled.

"Go for the ball, things like that, just so I can get prepared," Bell said Wednesday.

The Jets' prized free-agent addition will sit out Saturday night against the New Orleans Saints, just as he did the first two preseason games. The starters aren't expected to play the preseason finale. Bell, 27, said he's on board with coach Adam Gase's decision to keep him out of live action, confident he can get his regular-season prep on the practice field.

Because of his contract dispute last season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Bell hasn't played a game in 19 months.

"I know once I get to the game it's going to be a little different, but that's something I'll adjust to," he said. "I've been playing football my whole life."

Bell doesn't want his teammates to deliver punishing hits, but he said he believes some upper-body contact will do him some good. If they shy away, he said he'll try to get under their skin by initiating contact.

"I try to do that intentionally, just so I can feel it," he said. "A lot of times you'll start seeing guys get a little frustrated and they'll try to hit me back -- and that's what I need. They won't take me to the ground and they won't go for my legs. Hitting me up top, things like that, I need all that."

Gase has increased Bell's practice reps, giving him approximately 15 "touches" per day -- a lot for a running back. Gase said he felt it wasn't worth the risk to expose Bell in the preseason, so he opted to keep his No. 1 offensive weapon on the sideline.

"I don't think getting me four plays in the preseason is going to help me in Week 1," Bell said.

To stay involved, Bell dressed for the first two games and participated in the pregame warm-ups. Quarterback Sam Darnold couldn't resist the opportunity to razz his new teammate.

"He's out there in the pregame with the pads on, dancing around," Darnold said. "He's like, 'Let's go, guys, get fired up.' I'm like, 'Bro, you're not even playing. Once you start playing, you can start doing that stuff.'"

Gase, who reportedly wasn't thrilled with the decision to give a $27 million guarantee to a running back, said he's eager to see Bell in a game setting.

"I can't wait to see what he does on a Sunday," he said. "With him practicing, that's fun enough. You can tell the guy is a special, special player."

TEMPE, Ariz. -- The Arizona Cardinals agreed to terms on a one-year contract with veteran wideout Michael Crabtree, the team announced Wednesday night, after releasing fifth-year receiver Kevin White earlier in the day.

Crabtree had worked out for the team two weeks ago but the sides didn't reach an agreement.

Crabtree, 31, made 54 catches (his fewest in a full season since his 2009 rookie year) for 607 yards receiving and three touchdowns last season for the Baltimore Ravens. He also led the NFL with eight dropped passes last season.

The 10th overall pick of the 2009 draft, Crabtree played his first nine seasons in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders. His 28 touchdown catches are the seventh most in the NFL since 2015.

White had recovered from a hamstring injury that forced him to miss about a week of training camp before he was cut. He was signed to a one-year contract in March with hopes that he'd stay healthy enough to showcase his ability, something he was unable to do in four seasons with the Chicago Bears, who drafted him No. 7 overall out of West Virginia in 2015.

White, 27, fractured his left leg in both 2015 and 2016, and his shoulder in 2017.

He described the past four seasons as "very frustrating" but looked at the Cardinals' opportunity as a "fresh start" to "show what I got."

Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury, who coached against White in college and is close with the receiver's college coach, Dana Holgorsen, was optimistic White could overcome his injury history and was pleased with his work ethic during training camp. But the constant with White was the uncertainty that he'd stay healthy.

"He had some unfortunate injuries there in Chicago and trying to kind of reestablish himself, really kind of like his rookie year," Kingsbury said earlier this year.

White was unable to do that.

White played in just 14 games in four seasons with the Bears, the third-fewest by any player drafted in the top 10 from 1970 to 2015, White's draft year, according to Elias Sports Bureau research. White's production in his first four seasons was the worst among wide receivers, tight ends and running backs drafted in the top 10 during their first four seasons from 2001 through 2015, according to ESPN Stats and Information.

His 14 career games, 25 career catches and 285 career receiving yards were the fewest among those categories over that stretch. His zero receiving touchdowns tied with the late Cedric Benson and Cadillac Williams.

ESPN's Jamison Hensley and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Los Angeles Angels rookie starter Griffin Canning is headed back to the injured list with inflammation in his right elbow, the second time this month the injury has sidelined the 23-year-old right-hander.

The Angels will put Canning back on the 10-day IL just three weeks after the same issue landed the 2017 second-round pick out of UCLA on the shelf.

The move also comes just three days after Canning had perhaps the best start of his career, going seven innings and allowing just one run in leading the Angels to a 9-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

Manager Brad Ausmus told reporters it's still too early to determine if Canning will be shut down for the rest of the season.

Canning is 5-6 with a 4.58 ERA in 17 starts and one relief appearance. He has 96 strikeouts through his first 18 major league games, second in Angels history behind Jered Weaver, who had 100.

CHICAGO -- Chicago Cubs reliever Brandon Morrow was shut down for the season Wednesday because of lingering elbow problems, essentially ending his two-year stint with the team.

Morrow, 35, has been out since last year's All-Star break after signing a two-year, $21 million deal before the 2018 season. His most recent comeback attempt looked promising, but the right-hander never got to the point of a rehab assignment.

"We had that brief respite where we thought it might have a chance, but otherwise, it just didn't seem like he could get over the hump," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said Wednesday afternoon.

Morrow has undergone several procedures on his elbow over the past 13 months, including a recent hydrodissection (nerve decompression), which gave him some hope for a return this season.

"With the way I'm feeling, I expect to progress quickly," Morrow told ESPN via text earlier this month.

But another setback prevented any progress past the stage of throwing at the Cubs' spring facility in Arizona, where he has been rehabbing since February.

"He worked really hard in an attempt to come back and tried a lot of different techniques and procedures and just wasn't able to get over the hump," team president Theo Epstein said.

Morrow has had a career marked by injury, but when healthy, he has been very good. He pitched in all seven games of the 2017 World Series for the Los Angeles Dodgers before signing with the Cubs after the season. In June 2018, he was used by the Cubs in three consecutive games, potentially leading to his lingering issues.

"Maybe we should have had even more conservative guidelines for him or maybe there was nothing we could do," Epstein said. "It's impossible to say.

"He has a significant injury history, which makes it a calculated risk. When you sign someone like that, you know you're going to get quality when he's out there but there's a risk of not getting the quantity."

Morrow saved 22 of 24 games in the first half of 2018, but that's all the Cubs got for their $21 million. They have a team option for $12 million for 2020, but that's very unlikely to be picked up. They signed Craig Kimbrel to a three-year deal in June, and he has taken over as the Cubs' closer.

"We feel bad for him," Epstein said of Morrow. "We feel bad for us that he wasn't able to contribute this year."

Maddon added: "I don't know if he has any plans to do this again. For him and his family, I wish him nothing but the best."

HOUSTON -- Justin Verlander pitched a two-hitter and lost, allowing homers to John Hicks and Ronny Rodriguez, and the Detroit Tigers beat the Houston Astros 2-1 on Wednesday night in a historic upset.

With Verlander on the mound at home against the team with the majors' worst record, the Tigers (38-86) closed as +435 underdogs at Caesars Sportsbook, making their win against the Astros (81-47) the largest upset in a major league game in the past 15 seasons, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.

Caesars also saw the Astros close as -560 favorites, making them the heaviest favorite in a game in at least the past 15 seasons, according to sports betting database BetLabsSports.com, and likely longer.

Roxy Roxborough, a longtime oddsmaker and bettor, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal last week that he remembered a few -500 favorites in years past involving pitchers such as Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez, but not many.

Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers were -485 favorites over the Atlanta Braves in 2016, and earlier this month, the Astros were -460 road favorites over the Baltimore Orioles. Houston lost that game 8-7 in what was, before Wednesday, the largest upset since the Washington Nationals beat the Minnesota Twins as +395 underdogs in 2007.

Verlander (15-5) retired the first 14 batters Wednesday night, with six strikeouts, before Rodriguez homered to the seats in right with two outs in the fifth. Verlander sat down another 10 straight before Hicks led off the ninth with a tiebreaking blast to left-center field.

Verlander, who spent 13 seasons with the Tigers, walked none and finished with 11 strikeouts in his 99-pitch gem, extending his franchise record of games with 10 or more strikeouts to seven as he lost for the first time since June 18.

He leads the majors in strikeouts with 239 but ranks second in homers allowed with 33.

Robinson Chirinos belted his 14th homer, to left-center, on Tyler Alexander's first pitch of the seventh to tie it at 1. Chirinos finished with four hits. Needing a triple for the cycle, he doubled with two out in the ninth but was thrown out trying to reach third to end the game.

Opener Daniel Norris allowed two hits in three innings for Detroit. Alexander worked four innings, Buck Farmer (5-4) walked one in a scoreless eighth and Joe Jimenez finished the Tigers' six-hitter for his fourth save.

Jose Altuve walked with one out in the eighth, but was erased when he tried to go first to third on an infield grounder by Alex Bregman to end the inning.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Astros: RHP Josh James (shoulder soreness) will begin a rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Round Rock on Thursday night. Manager AJ Hinch said James, who has been out since July 23, likely won't rejoin the team until September. ... INF Aledmys Diaz took batting practice Wednesday and could come off the injured list early next week. Diaz was hospitalized Saturday after experiencing dizziness on the team bus in Oakland, California.

UP NEXT

Tigers: RHP Jordan Zimmermann (1-8, 6.66 ERA) is scheduled to start for Detroit when the series wraps up Thursday night. Zimmerman allowed just one hit in five scoreless innings in his previous start, against Tampa Bay, but did not factor in the decision.

Astros: RHP Gerrit Cole (14-5, 2.87) will start Thursday after being scratched from his previous start, last Thursday, because of discomfort in his right hamstring. Cole, who ranks second in the majors with 226 strikeouts, has won his past 10 decisions.

ESPN's David Purdum and The Associated Press contributed to this report.