We've seen the Dodgers challenged for the top slot but never unseated for very long. And this week's clean sweep of first-place votes suggests not just that L.A. is No. 1 going away, but also that it might take an epic dive not unlike the 1-16 pratfall the Dodgers started stumbling into two years ago today to see them dislodged. The Yankees and Astros might have to satisfy themselves with jockeying for the American League's top team; and the Braves and Twins -- both likely division winners -- might be able to round out the top five the rest of the way.
Where things get interesting is in the races very much still being run, particularly the wild-card races in both leagues. The A's, Indians and Rays might all be among baseball's 10 best teams -- certainly according to our voters in the rankings -- but there are just two AL wild cards, which means one of those teams will miss out on October's play-in postseason game. Similarly, the Mets, Brewers and Phillies are all clinging to contention, but can they keep up with the Nationals and Cubs (or Cardinals) in the wild-card pack? And with the Cubs running neck-and-neck with the Cards in the National League Central, the NL postseason picture figures to go down to the wire.
As far as big moves up or down this week, the largest single gain was made by the Braves, who moved up three to regain a spot in the top five. The biggest decline was seen by the Indians, who fell four spots while suffering a setback for the rehabbing Corey Kluber and losing Jose Ramirez to a wrist injury.
For Week 19, our panel of voters was composed of Bradford Doolittle, Christina Kahrl, Eric Karabell, Tim Kurkjian and David Schoenfield.
Previous: Preseason | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12 | Week 13 | Week 14 | Week 15 | Week 16 | Week 17 | Week 18 | Week 19 | Week 20
Los Angeles Dodgers
2019 record: 86-46
Week 20 ranking: 1
Will Smith continues to solidify his hold on the starting catcher job, hitting .280/.373/.719 in August with seven home runs and 16 RBIs in 15 games started. Joe Kelly continues to be a bright spot out of the bullpen, with no runs allowed in August and a 1.59 ERA with a .153 average allowed over the past two months. Remember, Kelly had a dominant postseason for the Red Sox last year. He can run hot and cold, but maybe he is getting in an extended groove that bodes well for October. -- David Schoenfield
ICYMI: How Kenley Jansen is dealing with his suddenly hittable cutter
Houston Astros
2019 record: 85-47
Week 20 ranking: 3
It is highly likely that the AL Cy Young race will come down to Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole. Not only are they 1-2 in strikeouts, but they are also top-10 in ERA and among the leaders in wins and WHIP. Verlander, for all his success and Hall of Fame career path, has won the award only once, with Detroit in 2011, and finished second three times. Cole, eight years younger, has received Cy Young votes in two seasons; this will be the third. It has not been that long since an Astro won the award (Dallas Keuchel, 2015), but this is an exciting race between teammates to watch. -- Eric Karabell
New York Yankees
2019 record: 85-47
Week 20 ranking: 2
Aaron Judge's home run in Saturday's loss to the Dodgers was not only his third in five games, but also the Yankees' 58th of the month, tying the major league record shared by the 1987 Orioles and 1999 Mariners. Gleyber Torres leads the way with 12 in the month so far (including four two-homer games), and Gio Urshela has added seven. -- Schoenfield
ICYMI: Yanks, Dodgers have a lot on the line over the next three weeks
Minnesota Twins
2019 record: 79-51
Week 20 ranking: 4
The Twins took a chance on injured right-hander Michael Pineda with a two-year deal before the 2018 season, knowing he would miss a year working his way back from Tommy John surgery. There were few expectations for 2019, but Pineda, who has lost only once in two months, ranks second on the team in quality starts and could end up leading the way in WHIP. Pineda's strikeout rate pales in comparison to that of his final Yankees years, but the Twins would be in some trouble without him. -- Karabell
Atlanta Braves
2019 record: 80-52
Week 20 ranking: 8
With a 6-0 week, the Braves extended their winning streak to eight, cooling off the red-hot Mets with a sweep at Citi Field, including a pair of 2-1 victories (14 innings on Friday). The Braves have won or tied nine series in a row, including winning five of six games versus the Mets and two of three against the Dodgers, Twins, Nationals and Phillies. Mark Melancon did allow a run on Sunday, but he has done a better job of late in the closer's role, with four saves and one win in his past five appearances. -- Schoenfield
Oakland Athletics
2019 record: 74-55
Week 20 ranking: 6
In the first 51 years that the A's played in Oakland, just two shortstops achieved seasons of 5.0 WAR or more, with Bert Campaneris doing so four times during the Big Green Machine's dynasty years and Miguel Tejada doing so once (2002). Marcus Semien's getting there this year puts him in rare company, a testament to not just his value as a hitter but also his hard work to make himself into a solid major league shortstop. -- Christina Kahrl
Tampa Bay Rays
2019 record: 76-56
Week 20 ranking: 7
Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times did a thorough rundown of the staggering number of impact injuries the Rays have battled this season. The bad news kept rolling in this week, with rookie of the year candidate Brandon Lowe being moved to the 60-day injured list, ending his season, and high-leverage reliever Jose Alvarado returning to the IL, this time with elbow inflammation. For all the attention the Yankees have received for overcoming injuries, what the Rays have done is even more impressive, especially given the disparity in payroll. The Rays have gotten at least 0.5 WAR from 24 players this season, the most in baseball. The Yankees rank fifth with 21. -- Bradford Doolittle
Washington Nationals
2019 record: 73-57
Week 19 ranking: 9
With an impressive weekend sweep of the Cubs at Wrigley -- 9-3, 7-2 and 7-5 in 11 innings on Sunday -- the Nationals completed a 6-1 road trip to Pittsburgh and Chicago. They've won 11 of 13 and hold a sturdy four-game lead over the Cubs in the wild-card race. FanGraphs now gives them a 98% chance to make the postseason. Juan Soto in August: .298/.410/.679, nine home runs, 25 runs scored in 21 games. -- Schoenfield
Cleveland Indians
2019 record: 76-55
Week 20 ranking: 5
Losing Jose Ramirez for perhaps the rest of 2019 to a broken hamate after he redeemed his slow start doesn't make the Indians' quest to catch the Twins or win a wild card any easier. Splitting the hot corner duties between veteran Mike Freeman and Taiwan's Yu Chang won't be crippling, but the big stretch-run performances from Yasiel Puig, Franmil Reyes and Oscar Mercado couldn't be more timely. -- Kahrl
ICYMI: Indians learn sometimes little things make the difference
St. Louis Cardinals
2019 record: 71-58
Week 20 ranking: 11
The Cardinals picked up five wins in the past week, including a key two-of-three over the Brewers, and they enter this week's opening series at those same Brewers holding the lead in the NL Central. Jack Flaherty has recently recaptured his form as the team's most dominating starter, winning his past four decisions while owning a major-league-leading 0.73 ERA in his eight starts since the All-Star break. -- Tristan H. Cockcroft
Chicago Cubs
2019 record: 69-61
Week 20 ranking: 10
You recall that before Nicholas Castellanos was dealt from Detroit to Chicago, he groused a bit about the dimensions of Comerica Park. Well, he certainly has taken to Wrigley Field. Castellanos hit .262/.310/.405 with three homers and just 11 RBIs in 49 games this season in Detroit. In his first 11 games at Wrigley Field, he matched his Comerica Park total of three homers and drove in nine runs while slashing .438/.438/.771. In fact, if you count his earlier games at crosstown Guaranteed Rate Field, Castellanos is hitting .431/.446/.778 with five homers and 15 RBIs in 17 games played in the Windy City. Chicago, apparently, is his kind of town. -- Doolittle
ICYMI: How the Cubs' bullpen could be a strength down the stretch
Boston Red Sox
2019 record: 70-62
Week 20 ranking: 12
As Boston holds on to a position in the wild-card race by the skin of its teeth, the much-maligned bullpen is playing a key role. From Aug. 5, when Boston snapped an eight-game losing streak, through Sunday, Red Sox relievers had the best ERA in baseball (2.63). Since Aug. 12, they've been even better, with a 1.55 ERA, a 3.2% home run/fly ball rate and 11.5 K/9 IP. And they've been needed, as the members of the depleted rotation have averaged fewer than five innings per start. -- Steve Richards
New York Mets
2019 record: 67-63
Week 20 ranking: 13
J.D. Davis hit .175 for last season's Astros in 42 games, so his inclusion in a five-player trade with the Mets in January -- with four other minor leaguers -- seemed rather innocuous. How does it seem now? Davis has been one of the top NL hitters since the All-Star break and certainly a Mets regular, thriving at the plate and acting passable in left field, despite a limited history outside the infield. Third base is available for the Mets next season, and Davis, who could end up with more than 20 home runs and a .300 batting average, seems primed to handle it. -- Karabell
Philadelphia Phillies
2019 record: 67-62
Week 20 ranking: 14
The Phillies continue to struggle to find productive leadoff hitters after Andrew McCutchen tore a knee ligament nearly three months ago. Speedy Scott Kingery had a .605 OPS in the role, but he has thrived later in the lineup. Cesar Hernandez has seen his walk rate plummet from recent seasons. Rhys Hoskins still draws myriad walks, and he could end up leading the league, but he has struggled to hit in any role since the All-Star break. Look for manager Gabe Kapler to continue experimenting. -- Karabell
Milwaukee Brewers
2019 record: 67-63
Week 20 ranking: 15
Even though he has been out with a lat injury and struggled for most of the season, it was a bit of a shock when the Brewers cut bait with Opening Day starter Jhoulys Chacin. Chacin's ERA (5.79) was a huge spike from his 3.50 mark last season, and his FIP suggests that unsightly figure was well earned. But Chacin has seen a BABIP spike over 2018 (.250 to .308). Also, while lots of pitchers have seen an increase in the percentage of their fly balls that have left the yard, it has been an acute problem for Chacin, with his rate going from 9.3% to 18.3%. All of this happened even though Chacin's Statcast metrics are basically identical to what they were a season ago. He is a free agent after the season, so perhaps the Brewers just thought the well-liked righty was unlikely to return this season. If he can get healthy, though, he could help another team. -- Doolittle
Arizona Diamondbacks
2019 record: 65-66
Week 20 ranking: 16
The masters of mediocrity, the Diamondbacks had a 3-3 week and sit at 65-66 for the season. They've hit a bit of a wall offensively, failing to reach double figures in hits in any of their past seven games and totaling just 42 hits in that span. -- Richards
San Francisco Giants
2019 record: 65-65
Week 20 ranking: 17
Giving credit where credit is due: If you were worried about what the Giants were going to get from the Opening Day outfield of Steven Duggar, Connor Joe and Michael Reed, you didn't need to worry for long, as Farhan Zaidi added Kevin Pillar, Mike Yastrzemski and Alex Dickerson for organizational detritus and negligible expense. In an era when every front office is smart, Zaidi achieved useful upgrades to keep a fading dynasty interesting for one last season before the inevitable teardown. -- Kahrl
Cincinnati Reds
2019 record: 60-69
Week 20 ranking: 18
A 14-0 drubbing on Saturday at the hands of the Pirates -- who entered the day 9-30 since the All-Star break -- dropped the Reds to a season-worst 10 games back in the NL Central. If the Reds are to rally back into the playoff race -- their wild-card deficit is 8½ games -- they're going to need a big performance in their Labor Day weekend series at the division-leading Cardinals and continued excellence from a rotation that ranks eighth in ERA this year (4.08). All-Star Sonny Gray has been especially strong, posting a 1.44 ERA since July 1, good for third in the majors. -- Cockcroft
Texas Rangers
2019 record: 64-68
Week 20 ranking: 19
Mike Minor (somehow) still has a shot at the AL ERA title, sitting fifth at 3.17. But he'll want to take advantage of his two starts against the Angels and Mariners this week, as 20 of the Rangers' 24 games in September are against teams either headed for the playoffs or fighting to get there (Yankees, Rays, A's, Astros, Red Sox). -- Richards
Los Angeles Angels
2019 record: 63-70
Week 20 ranking: 20
The race for being the second-most valuable Angels hitter remains quite interesting! Designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, despite no defensive value, could end up with 3 WAR. Infielder David Fletcher, the contact-hitting leadoff option, also could do it. Shortstop Andrelton Simmons provides awesome defensive value, though injuries have held him back this year. Anyone else? Outfielders Kole Calhoun and Brian Goodwin have been productive. If only Tommy La Stella could have stayed healthy. -- Karabell
San Diego Padres
2019 record: 60-69
Week 20 ranking: 21
The Padres have struggled to find any sort of consistency from the top of their lineup since Fernando Tatis Jr.'s injury on Aug. 13, and their .332 wOBA combined from their Nos. 1-2 hitters ranks 20th out of 30 teams. Luis Urias could soon get a look in either spot, having put up a .386 on-base percentage in his 20 games in the month of August. -- Cockcroft
Colorado Rockies
2019 record: 58-73
Week 20 ranking: 23
Road struggles have done the Rockies in yet again, as they've won just five of 26 games away from Coors Field since July 1. Fortunately for them, they'll enjoy a seven-game homestand this week, but at this stage of the season, auditions for key roles on next year's squad are squarely in their sights. Antonio Senzatela was moved back into the rotation on Sunday, and Tim Melville, who tossed seven innings of one-run ball on Wednesday in his first start, are both expected to get longer looks in the coming weeks. -- Cockcroft
Chicago White Sox
2019 record: 60-70
Week 20 ranking: 24
The rise of righty Lucas Giolito accelerated this month, and just one season after he posted a 6.13 ERA, he is building a solid Cy Young case. Giolito now ranks fourth in the AL in WAR among pitchers and stands fifth in win probability added. He would need a strong finish and perhaps a poor stretch run from competitors such as Justin Verlander, Mike Minor and Charlie Morton, but you never know. He is on pace for 244 strikeouts, which would rank sixth in ChiSox history behind Chris Sale (first, with 274 in 2015) and four Big Ed Walsh campaigns. That's pretty good company. -- Doolittle
Seattle Mariners
2019 record: 56-75
Week 20 ranking: 26
It was good to see Felix Hernandez return to the mound on Saturday in front of the home fans. He threw an assortment of junk and allowed two runs in 5⅔ innings against the Blue Jays, both on solo home runs. The rotation also saw the return of Justus Sheffield, who was promoted after dominating Double-A over the past couple of months. He allowed seven hits and three walks in four innings, throwing first-pitch strikes to just 11 of the 22 batters he faced. -- Schoenfield
Toronto Blue Jays
2019 record: 53-80
Week 20 ranking: 22
Rookie Bo Bichette has reached base in 23 of his 26 career starts, as he has raised his slash line to .351/.388/.684. His 162-game averages figure to 249 hits, 87 doubles, 50 home runs and 118 runs scored. Dare to dream, Blue Jays fans. -- Richards
Pittsburgh Pirates
2019 record: 55-75
Week 20 ranking: 25
He survived the 2019 trade deadline as a Pirate, but closer Felipe Vazquez's infrequent usage has to be frustrating. Among qualified relievers, his 1.62 ERA is the third best in baseball, but he has had only four save chances in the team's previous 54 games, despite posting a 1.00 ERA when he has appeared during that time span. Whether he'll be back on the rumor mill as a trade candidate this offseason will be one of the Pirates' key decisions heading into 2020. -- Cockcroft
Miami Marlins
2019 record: 47-82
Week 20 ranking: 27
In the era of divisional play (or across the past 50 years since 1969), just six NL pitchers with 50 or more innings pitched have posted a worse ERA+ mark than Wei-Yin Chen's woeful 58. Two of them (Danny Jackson and Danny Coombs) saw their careers end on that note, and two of them (Micah Bowie and Mark Thurmond) were traded. Chen is owed $22 million next year, so his place as baseball's most expensive low-leverage mop-up man in Miami seems secure. -- Kahrl
Kansas City Royals
2019 record: 46-85
Week 20 ranking: 28
Royals manager Ned Yost said he is planning to cut back on the workload of starter Brad Keller. Keller, 24, has mostly validated the Royals' excitement about him in his second season since being selected by Cincinnati from Arizona in the 2017 Rule 5 draft and then traded to Kansas City. Keller's 128 ERA+ the past two seasons ranks 10th in the AL among pitchers with at least 200 innings. He isn't a typical 2019-type of starter, with a fastball that averages 93.4 mph and a pedestrian strikeout rate. But Keller maintains an elite ground ball/fly ball ratio that helps keep the ball in the park and has resulted in 40 double plays since the beginning of 2018, tied for the most in the majors. -- Doolittle
Baltimore Orioles
2019 record: 43-88
Week 20 ranking: 29
The O's won two straight to split a four-game set with AL wild-card hopeful Tampa Bay and could have an even greater impact on the playoff hunt. Having won four of six on the heels of a brutal 1-13 stretch, Baltimore visits Beltway rival Washington, the NL wild-card leader, for two games this week, before tangling with the Rays again Sept. 2-4. As miserable as the past two seasons have been, there's at least something for the Orioles to play for. -- Richards
ICYMI: O's claim dubious place in history with 259th HR allowed
Detroit Tigers
2019 record: 39-89
Week 20 ranking: 30
Watching Miguel Cabrera limp along has been another depressing note among many in the Motor City meltdown, but he is having his best month of the season in August, with single-month highs for 2019 in extra-base hits (7) and home runs (3). Even with his OPS+ below 100 across the past three seasons (it's at 98), he is still a lock in Cooperstown; so let's remember well that four-year run from 2010 to 2013 when he won a Triple Crown while his OPS+ was 178. -- Kahrl
ICYMI: Are the 2019 Tigers even worse than Detroit's 119-loss team of 2003?
World number three Karolina Pliskova battled into the second round of the US Open in a topsy-turvy straight-set victory over Tereza Martincova.
Pliskova beat her Czech compatriot 7-6 (8-6) 7-6 (7-3) in a match that saw 12 breaks of serve, excluding both tie-breaks.
The 27-year-old, who reached the final at Flushing Meadows in 2016, will play Mariam Bolkvadze or Bernarda Pera next.
Elsewhere, world number two Ashleigh Barty is a set down to Zarina Diyas.
British number one Johanna Konta came through a tricky encounter with Russia's Daria Kasatkina to reach the US Open second round.
Konta had started in devastating form, winning the first set in just 24 minutes, but was then frustrated before going on to triumph 6-1 4-6 6-2.
She is the only British woman left in the singles after Harriet Dart lost 6-3 6-1 to Romanian Ana Bogdan.
Konta plays Russian Margarita Gasparyan or Australian Priscilla Hon next.
Fellow Britons Dan Evans and Cameron Norrie are also in action on day one of the final Grand Slam tournament of the year.
More to follow.
The most innovative, entertaining and inclusive form of the sport: more than 4,200 people spent Saturday 24th August basking in the sunshine at one incredible ping pong party in Denver, Colorado, for the first ever Table Tennis X (TTX) event, ‘Smash Street by TTX.’
TTX is an action-packed rendition of table tennis, which puts a fun new spin on the sport. The idea was born in 2015 when the ITTF faced the challenge of engaging more with people who play table tennis as a socially competitive activity, rather than the professional athletes.
With an estimated 330 million people playing, table tennis remains one of the only sports in the world that literally everyone has experienced in one form or another. This thought process led to the ITTF’s research and development team to the conclusion that most players just love playing in a social, entertaining, and competitive environment.
By removing the technical barriers of the elite sport and adding an exciting, accelerated time-bound format played with redesigned equipment, TTX levels the playing field allowing access to anyone that loves to just pick up a paddle and play. It brings out the socially competitive drive in people and frankly, is just so much fun! TTX is something that appeals to anyone and everyone. It is more than a sport. It’s a lifestyle.
Is there a better place to launch a public-driven format of a sport than the Olympic Games? We did not think so, either. Launched at a promotional event at Rio 2016, the first major trial was a success. This brought better insight into how the players wanted TTX to evolve and what steps we could take to make it more player-friendly while keeping things fresh, exciting, and interactive.
Over the last three years, the ITTF ran test events across the globe in order to promote the brand and refine the concept. It has been hugely important to keep an open mind, and much like TTX, not bound to any one defined state of this enigmatic chapter of table tennis for the people.
On Saturday 24th August 2019, our dream of having a true ‘sport for all’ was realized when Denver hosted the first official TTX festival last weekend.
At ‘Smash Street by TTX’ anyone who joined the festivities did not have to be holding a paddle to have a great time. Players and guests alike were able to enjoy live music and interactive TTX activations where they tested their luck on different variations of TTX tables. A variety of food trucks served up delicious treats while custom-built bars poured refreshing cocktails and craft beers all day.
A huge and fun-loving crowd of 4,200 people joined in the party to experience the following unique opportunities:
For the ITTF, this was a huge sign that TTX has finally arrived and with amazing success. Everyone present was able to have fun, chill with their friends, all whilst playing ping pong.
“After years of work refining the concept, it was a dream come true to see TTX come to life in Denver and see over 4000 people enjoying the thrill of table tennis in a social environment. TTX is here to stay.” – Matt Pound, ITTF Marketing Director
Some more than satisfied customers had this to say after the unforgettable event:
“I have been involved in table tennis for most of my life, and I have never seen an event that I felt had so much potential to change the landscape of our sport. Thank you for letting us be a part of it.”
“As a sponsor, this is one of the coolest and most fun activations we have ever been a part of. We play in the office all the time, but this format – and especially the equipment – made it more fun and accessible. We felt like superstars. What other sport can you play competitively with an Olympian and hang out with them after?”
“I have often played ping pong in my friend’s garage, but I never thought it could be so cool. TTX is so fun. I love the concept. I hope you guys come back next year!”
“What could be more fun than beers, sun and table tennis. Loved it!”
Whether you come to compete, or just to play some casual pong with your friends, Smash Street is an ace when it comes to fun! And that’s the reason we are continuing the revolution by bringing the next TTX event to Rome!
The “Roma Ping Pong Fest, a TTX Experience” will be held on Sunday 6th October 2019, continuing the 360° all-rounded TTX Experience for participants, featuring a “TTX tournament”, a “Celebrity tournament”, fun zones, music, shows and even more…
To stay up-to-date on the event, simply follow FITET.org, TTXWorld’s Facebook and Instagram pages for further updates.
Be sure to join in the party with us at the “Roma Ping Pong Fest”! Experience it. Live it. Love it.
TOLEDO, Ohio – With two miles to go in the Allen Crowe 100 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, it looked like Corey Heim was sitting pretty.
He was in second place, right alongside leader Michael Self as the field was readying for a two-lap dash to the checkered flag. When the green waved, Self took off and Heim stayed right with him through turns one and two and down the backstretch of the one-mile dirt oval.
But turns three and four is where it all went awry for the seventeen-year-old Marietta, Ga., native.
Self pushed him up the track. Just like a paved track where loose rubber accumulates throughout the race, the upper groove of a dirt track is covered in loose dirt from the course of the race. Heim went sliding through 100 miles worth of loose dirt, and as he fought for traction and control he dropped from second to seventh.
The fact he was second with a couple of laps to go belied Heim’s dirt track experience level. The race at Springfield was the first time in Heim’s racing career he had ever been on dirt.
His ninth top-10 finish in 10 career ARCA Menards Series starts was a consolation prize of sorts, but Heim was still disappointed with the result.
“He did what I would have done,” Heim said. “He was down on the inside and he pushed me up the track and used me up. I got up into the loose dirt and gave up a lot of spots. It’s disappointing to go from second to seventh but that’s part of racing for the win.”
Heim won’t have to wait long to reload and try for his first career series victory. When the ARCA Menards Series goes green in the Southern Illinois 100, he’ll also have another chance at scoring a win on dirt as the series makes is second appearance on dirt with a traditional Labor Day weekend stop at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds. With a stock car history that dates back to the 1950s and ARCA’s history at the one-mile oval dating back to 1983, Heim would like to add his name to a list of winners that includes Jerry Unser, Don White, A.J. Foyt, Rusty Wallace, and Tony Stewart.
It’s a lofty goal for a young man who only has a couple seasons of stock car racing experience under his belt.
“We’re going to DuQuoin to win,” added Heim. “I’m putting pressure on myself to win and finish what we started at Springfield. Paul (Andrews, crew chief) and the entire Chad Bryant Racing team have worked hard to bring me fast, competitive cars no matter what type of track we’re competing at.
“I learned a lot at Springfield and even though DuQuoin will be run at night, I’m hopeful that what I learned a couple weeks can be applied to Saturday night and it will bring Chad Bryant Racing another checkered flag this season.”
For the vast majority of its existence, the Southern Illinois 100 has been run under the often-intense southern Illinois sun. The heat and humidity, mixed with the often dusty track surface as a result, made the DuQuoin race one of the most challenging on drivers and demanding on equipment throughout the entire season.
For the second time in the race’s history it will be run under the lights on the Magic Mile, and for the first time in the event’s history, it will be run on a Saturday night. As the opening race of a two-day race weekend – Sunday’s traditional USAC Silver Crown Series race remains unchanged – track conditions should be vastly different than year’s past. It will be cooler, and the track’s surface will not have any rubber worked into it when the ARCA Menards Series takes to the track.
Those differences will create enough of an unknown that it should level the playing field even more for Heim as he continues to gain dirt track experience.
“I’m really not sure what to expect with the track conditions especially practicing and qualifying during the day and racing at night,” added Heim. “I expect the handling of our race car will change, so I’ll be leaning on Paul (Andrews) to make the right adjustments and I know he’ll expect me to do everything I can to keep ourselves in contention.
“I only have three ARCA Menards Series races left this season and I’d like to win all three of them if I can, but it’s going to take perfect execution and making sure we don’t stumble when the opportunity is there for the taking.”
MOORESVILLE, N.C. – When Matt Tifft was growing up, his dad owned a dirt late model driven by Michigan Motorsports Hall of Famer David Hilliker.
On weekends and school breaks, the Tifft family would travel to Michigan to see Hilliker’s No. 21 race.
According to Tifft, “You could say David Hilliker was my childhood dirt track hero.”
For the Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, Tifft’s No. 36 Front Row Motorsports Ford Mustang will run a special paint scheme honoring that part of his family’s history. The paint scheme, which was unveiled Monday, is a replica of Hilliker’s car from that era.
“I’m really excited to recreate this paint scheme for Darlington,” said Tifft. “When I was little, my dad would bring home this car in the offseason and we’d tear it down together. That was where I first learned how to work on a race car.
“My dad has been such a huge influence throughout my career, and I couldn’t have gotten to this point without him,” Tifft continued. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to give him this kind of recognition and can’t wait to see his face when he sees the car in person for the first time.”
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Carolina Hurricanes prospect Stelio Mattheos will miss training camp while he fights testicular cancer.
General manager Don Waddell said Monday that the 20-year-old forward is expected to return to full health and will resume training for the upcoming season once he completes treatment and is cleared by doctors.
Mattheos was diagnosed in June, two days after helping Carolina's AHL affiliate in Charlotte win a championship. He had surgery to remove one testicle and has completed multiple courses of chemotherapy during the past two months.
Carolina drafted Mattheos in the third round in 2017, and he joined Charlotte late in the regular season before playing in 14 playoff games.
The last time the Solheim Cup was staged without Cristie Kerr ...
Bill Clinton was president.
Facebook, iPhones and YouTube weren’t invented yet.
Juli Inkster was fourth on the LPGA money list.
Angel Yin and Megan Khang were 2 years old.
The year was 2000.
Kerr, 41, is seeing her run of consecutive Solheim Cups played end this year after making nine teams, but she isn’t alone in having a long streak of participation halted. Paula Creamer, 33, won’t be playing for the first time since she joined the LPGA in 2006. Creamer’s run ends after making seven teams in a row.
They are the two most successful American Solheim Cup players in the history of the competition.
Kerr is 18-14-6 in the event, with her 21 points most in U.S. team history.
Creamer is 17-9-5, with her 19.5 points second to Kerr.
Kerr failed to make the team off the U.S. points list, via the Rolex world rankings or as one of Juli Inkster’s two captain’s picks. Her swing has been uncharacteristically out of sorts all summer. She has missed the cut in her last four starts in stroke-play events and in three of the last four major championships.
Kerr put out an Instagram post as her statement Monday before heading to the Cambia Portland Classic to play this week, saying she wouldn’t be fielding questions about the Solheim Cup while there.
“It’s with a heavy heart that I say I won’t be going to the Solheim Cup,” she wrote. “I hold no bad feelings for Captain Inkster or any of the team. At the end of the day, you want the USA to bring home the trophy, and I could have made the team outright over the last 2 years. I want to sincerely wish captain @juliinkster and Team USA the best of luck and want to say congratulations to my amazing friend @mpressel for making the team. You’ve worked so hard these past few years! I’m so very proud of you!! Go bring that cup back girls!!! USA ALL THE WAY . . .
Inkster said it was difficult leaving Kerr off the team.
“It’s not easy,” Inkster said. “She’s kind of struggled this year. If I saw any light at the end of the tunnel, I probably would have picked her in a heartbeat. She handled it like a champion. She said. ‘I’ll work on my game and I’ll be back.’”
Creamer made Inkster’s team as a captain’s pick in 2015 and again as a special captain’s pick to replace the injured Jessica Korda two years ago.
The end of Kerr and Creamer’s runs comes with a larger changing of the guard. Michelle Wie is out with an injury and Brittany Lincicome is out on maternity leave. Angela Stanford, Brittany Lang and Gerina Piller also didn’t make the team.
LOS ANGELES -- LAFC manager Bob Bradley said winger Carlos Vela suffered a hamstring injury in Sunday night's match against the LA Galaxy and that the club wasn't taking any chances with its captain.
Less than 10 minutes after Vela scored the second-half equalizer that clinched a 3-3 draw at home against their rivals, a furious Vela was brought off the field after showing signs of strain.
Caught off-guard by an unexpected substitution, Vela threw his captain's armband to the ground during the 61st minute. Vela then briefly chatted with Bradley on the sidelines before returning to the bench and punching one of the seats.
"Carlos, [his] hamstring tweaked," said Bradley in the post-game press conference. "We don't know for sure. I don't think it's a real bad one, knock wood, but we weren't taking any chances. Obviously, he is a huge competitor so he's not too happy when he comes off."
"The conversation with Carlos is what you would expect.
"I made the decision because I think it's the best one for us."
Vela remains a heavy favorite in the MVP race and leads the league with 27 goals in 26 games.
The LAFC coach reiterated that there are no details yet on the severity of the injury. An MRI on Monday will further help clarify whether Vela will be ready to return to the field at some point in the near future.
"Every now and then he'll feel a little something that hasn't ended up being anything bad, so hopefully that's the case," Bradley said.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored two first-half goals for the Galaxy and newcomer Cristian Pavon netted his first since joining on loan from Boca Juniors. LAFC rallied on Latif Blessing's brace and then scratched out the draw with Vela's score.
LAFC have yet to beat the Galaxy in five matches since joining MLS as an expansion team last season, with two losses and three draws.
"Obviously,there's just what's hanging over our heads which is beating the Galaxy. When you don't do it, there's a part to it that still stings and it will continue to hang over our heads," Bradley said.
"But what goes with that is the part of continuing to grow as a team and I still think that the package of things it takes to be a great team, most are going in the right direction."
LAFC's next match against Minnesota United on Sept. 1 at Banc of California Stadium.
Vishwa Fernando's 6, Monty Panesar's 7, Clive Eksteen's 4… and now Jack Leach's 1.
The list of the greatest unbeaten single-figure innings in Test history is not a prestigious one, but its members all share cult-hero status. In no other sport are players so prominently exposed for their inability in one facet of the game - Neymar wouldn't make much of a centre-back, but he doesn't ever have to spend 30 minutes trying to rescue a point there - and while those who fail are mocked, success as a tailender can turn an unremarkable player into a legend.
ALSO READ: From Vishwa to Panesar - six great single-figure innings
Leach's 60-minute, 17-ball epic in a remarkable last-wicket stand of 76 with Ben Stokes to haul England across the line at Headingley could so easily have been forgotten. Stokes offered a difficult catch to Marcus Harris at third man, repeatedly cleared fielders on the rope by the finest of margins, and would have been lbw but for the absence of DRS; if any of those had turned out differently, Leach's efforts would have been an irrelevance.
Instead, he found himself exalted.
"I don't know what it is," he said. "It's probably because I look like a village cricketer out there in my glasses, the bald head - maybe people think 'that could be me!' All the others look pretty professional.
"The support's been amazing, the support today for all of us was incredible. The noise was insane, and I'm just enjoying playing for England."
While wiping his glasses before facing each ball made him a subject of amusement, Somerset's former strength and conditioning coach Daz Veness paid tribute to his "outstanding mental strength".
"Bat down, gloves off, helmet off, glasses off, glasses cleaned, everything back on in reverse order," he tweeted. "You'll bowl when I'm ready and my mate has caught his breath. And not before."
Bat down
Gloves off
Helmet off
Glasses off
Glasses cleaned
Everything back on in reverse orderYou'll bowl when I'm ready and my mate has caught his breath. And not before.
Outstanding mental strength from The Nut
— Darren Veness (@DazVeness) August 25, 2019
In the manner that county team-mate Marcus Trescothick has done in the final years of his career, Leach - who cannot wear contact lenses because he suffers from astigmatism - managed to dictate the pace of the game throughout his stay at the crease.
"I just have to make sure they are clean every time they were facing up because I would really regret it if it had been smudged," he said, "and then they zoom in on the glasses and say 'he didn't clean his glasses'.
"I just had to stay calm and do the job at hand. I felt good out there, I was really focused on what I needed to do."
Generally left to face a ball or two at the end of an over, Leach left, ducked, weaved and defended his way out of trouble. "I got on with it," he said, "and it [the target] quite quickly seemed to go down. Suddenly it's eight to win, and you're like 'oh my God'.
"It is all a bit of a blur to be honest. I didn't want to get in Stokesy's bubble when he was doing really well, hitting those sixes. I didn't want to say too much but I also wanted him to just focus on the next ball, especially when we got close.
"He said in the changing room that he got nervous when it was down to eight. It seemed so close but the way we were playing it was still quite far away. I just wanted him to focus on every ball, and if it was there he would hit it for six."
There was, of course, the run-out-that-wasn't. If Nathan Lyon had managed to gather the ball as Leach found himself stranded halfway down the pitch, the narrative around his innings would be starkly different.
"That was not a nice moment," Leach said. "There were two balls left so I thought [Stokes] might squeeze a single so that I could face one and he'd have the next over. But it's all good. I don't want to focus on that moment - I want to focus on running down to Stokes when he hit the winning runs."
And so he might. If his team-mates' hardships rarely seem to extend beyond a bad run of form, it is worth reflecting on the multiple setbacks that Leach has overcome on his ascent to the Test side.
He suffers from Crohn's disease, a bowel condition that is often triggered by stress. In 2015, he fractured his skull after fainting on his way to the toilet in the middle of the night. The next summer, his hopes of an international call-up were twice set back; first by comments from his county captain Chris Rogers that he was not "emotionally" ready, then by the news that routine tests at Loughborough had revealed an illegal kink in his bowling action.
Last summer, he found out he had broken his thumb the day before he was set to be announced in the Test squad to play Pakistan. A concussion suffered after being hit by a Morne Morkel bouncer then cost him the chance to prove his form ahead of the India series, and he was again left out.
Perhaps it is no surprise, then, that Leach revealed he thought he would "be watching at home" during this series.
"I wanted to be ready to play and not presume anything," he said. "It's been a tough lead-in because obviously the county cricket has been all T20 stuff, my last long bowl was the Australia A game [for the England Lions in July] which was quite a while ago. That's been a challenge but I've tried to stay ready through training, and my opportunity has come about so I'm trying to make the most of it."
If those comments are damning on the suitability of the county fixture list, they also serve to add to Leach's status as a normal bloke. To stay match-fit between the Ireland Test and his Ashes debut at Lord's, he went home to play for his club side, Taunton Deane. Once part of the Cardiff MCCU production line under Mark O'Leary, he is an example to every club, university, and county cricketer as to what can be achieved with sheer dedication.
It is important, too, to remember that Leach has bowled well in his two opportunities this series. Since Graeme Swann's retirement, England have longed for a spinner who can tie down an end at home; for all Moeen Ali's mercurial talents, he has generally been a wicket-taker rather than a defensive option.
So Leach's economy rate of 2.64 in this series has been just as important as his five wickets. Moving into the final two Tests, at the traditionally more spin-friendly venues in the country, he will be expected to play a role of increasing importance.
"I think I have more to offer with the ball," he said, "and hopefully I'm able to show that over the next couple of games. Obviously the last couple of times I've been doing media stuff at the end of games it's been for my batting, which is mad! I want to be helping the team out with the ball primarily, and I'm looking to bring my best to Old Trafford."
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