OAKLAND -- Pressure? You think a 92 mph fastball on the outside corner with a huge and vocal crowd bearing down on you in a playoff game is pressure?

Try riding a raft to freedom from your native Cuba, after being caught once before, or playing winter league baseball in Venezuela, where firearms in the stands are the norm.

"In Cuba, they probably had knives and machetes," a champagne-soaked Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz said in Spanish with a laugh. "In Venezuela, if you made an error, maybe you'd get shot."

In this case, it was Diaz who drove a stake through the heart of the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday, hitting a pair of opposite-field solo home runs in the Rays' 5-1 win at Rickey Henderson Field, stunning a wild-card-record crowd of 54,005 and sending Tampa Bay to a division series with the Houston Astros.

The A's, meanwhile, dropped their MLB-record ninth straight winner-take-all playoff game and fell to 1-15 since 2000 in postseason games in which they would advance with a win.

Indeed, neither the size nor the tenor of the raucous crowd got to Diaz, who came off the 60-day injured list on Sunday after suffering a hairline fracture in his left foot from a foul ball on July 22.

In fact, Diaz had not homered in a game since July 18 and was just two for his previous 24 before facing the A's. His inclusion in the Rays' lineup was something of a surprise.

"I don't know if we expected that kind of performance," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "He made us look a lot smarter than we are.

"The thing that stood out the most about Yandy was how hard he hit the baseball. In the air, on the ground, wherever. He hits the ball as hard as anybody in baseball, and he does it at a consistent clip. We have not said one thing to him about hitting the ball in the air, any of that. We took the approach of 'Let him be. Give him consistent reps ... and let the player figure it out a little bit.'"

Diaz figured A's starter Sean Manaea out five pitches into the game, driving a 92 mph offering on a 3-1 count into the seats in right-center.

In the third inning, with Tampa Bay holding a 3-0 lead, Diaz again went opposite field on the fifth pitch of the at-bat, hitting a 2-2, 91 mph pitch over the 362-foot sign to nearly the same spot as his first homer.

A hearty bat flip ensued, as did a look back into the Rays dugout as he circled the bases and chased Manaea from the game after two-plus innings.

"They kind of beat us with our game," A's manager Bob Melvin said.

Diaz later added a single and was 3-for-4 on the night. He entered the game batting .500 (8-for-16) with a double, two home runs and three walks when batting leadoff. It was the second multihomer game of his career, which began with the Cleveland Indians in 2017 before he was traded to Tampa Bay in December.

But about that pressure. Diaz said the crowds might have been smaller in Venezuela, but the intensity they brought for Caracas games against rival Magallanes was more than what he has felt in the big leagues.

"You can put pressure on yourself," Diaz said. "But you have to act like this is a normal game, just another game."

Barbados Tridents 135 for 3 (Charles 55, Hales 33, Deyal 1-17) beat Trinbago Knight Riders 134 for 8 (Simmons 60, Gurney 2-14, Shakib 2-25, Walsh Jr. 2-34) by seven wickets

After finding themselves in a do-or-die match against St. Lucia Zouks on Sunday, Barbados Tridents might wind up with a crack at advancing straight to the CPL Final for the first time since 2015 after completing a rare sweep of the Trinbago Knight Riders.

Back-to-back wins over the Zouks and Knight Riders - by seven wickets at Queen's Park Oval - have vaulted the Tridents from fifth into second place on 10 points, holding a net run rate edge over the Patriots.

Another superb night from the tournament's leading wicket-taker Hayden Walsh Jr. and Player of the Match Harry Gurney - who bowled brilliantly at the death - picked four wickets out of the hand and another via a run out to restrict the Knight Riders to 134 for 8 after they elected to bat. Then, Johnson Charles piloted a cool chase with 55 off 47 balls.

The defending CPL champs have gone ice cold after starting off with four straight wins. The Knight Riders now must beat the undefeated Guyana Amazon Warriors at Providence in the final match of the league phase or else they'll be forced into an elimination playoff match against the Patriots.

American success at Queen's Park Oval

A year after USA fast bowler Ali Khan sparked the Knight Riders run to a second straight CPL title, legspinner Walsh Jr left his mark. After ripping through the Knight Riders in the first match-up between the two sides at Kensington Oval with 5 for 19, Walsh Jr. was at it again.

Brought on in the seventh over, Walsh Jr. struck with his first ball in the ninth to break up a 52-run stand with a lovely flighted googly to dismiss Colin Munro for 23. The ball to dismiss Darren Bravo in the 11th was just as good. Set up the ball before with a flighted delivery that had him in two minds, he followed it up with a flatter one that skidded through to cramp him for room and crash into the stumps off an inside edge.

Walsh Jr.'s night wasn't done though. After missing a clear run-out chance off Lendl Simmons in the fourth over from backward point, he wouldn't blow another opportunity from the same position in the 18th, firing a direct hit at the non-striker's end after Javon Searles was slow responding to a call from Denesh Ramdin. This came on the back of Gurney dismissing Kieron Pollard.

The double-strike killed momentum at the end of the Knight Riders innings after Simmons had set them up with 60 off 45 balls. Gurney struck again on the penultimate ball of the innings, trapping Ramdin leg before as part of a marvelous five-run 20th that left the Knight Riders flummoxed.

Charles in charge

The opener scored his third fifty off the season with a show of restraint, not typical of him. He started briskly though, slapping Ali Khan twice through cover and then slashed one over the slips for three boundaries in the second over of the chase.

From then on he was content to let Alex Hales take charge in the Powerplay. The England star has struggled through most of CPL 2019 but produced his best score of the season, making 33 off 27 as part of a 54-run opening stand with Charles before driving Mark Deyal's offspin to Searles at extra cover.

Charles picked up his pace once Hales departed. After being given not out gloving a short ball off Neesham to the wicketkeeper on 38, he rubbed salt into the wound in the New Zealander's next over by clubbing six and four off the first two balls to go to 50 off 41 deliveries. He was finally yorked by Chris Jordan in the 16th, but by that stage he had put the Tridents on course for victory.

Good night, Nurse
TV commentators have frequently debated Ashley Nurse's spot for the Tridents, because he hasn't bowled much. Here, he had a job to do with the bat, and although he struggled, saw his team home. Coming in with 25 balls remaining, at No. 5, he failed to time the ball. But with seven needed off the final over, he struck Pollard for a crucial boundary over midwicket off the second ball of the 20th to bring the equation down to three off four balls. A single and a two by JP Duminy through wide long-off clinched victory.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee athletic director Phillip Fulmer, who led the Vols to a national championship in 1998 as head coach, said Wednesday he has no desire to return to the sideline and that the "coaching chapter of my life is closed."

Fulmer, 69, made an appearance on the syndicated Vol Calls radio program and also spoke with ESPN.

"We've got a good football coach, and I believe in Jeremy Pruitt totally," Fulmer said. "I have no interest in coaching again and would rather spend that time being a grandfather and doing whatever I can as athletic director in helping Jeremy get this program where we all want it to be. Any talk of me coaching again is just a bunch of rumors."

The Vols are 1-3 in Pruitt's second season as coach and are a heavy underdog to No. 3 Georgia at home on Saturday. Tennessee finished 5-7 in Pruitt's first season.

As the losses have mounted, the chatter that Fulmer might be poised to replace Pruitt has only increased. Fulmer told ESPN he just wanted to set the record straight and that his focus was solely on being the AD at his alma mater and not coaching again.

"I'm way past that point in my life," Fulmer said. "I love the job I have [as AD] and am committed to seeing this thing through."

Fulmer was fired as Tennessee's head coach at the end of the 2008 season following his second losing season in four years, but a year removed from leading the Vols to 10 wins and an SEC championship game appearance.

Since Fulmer's ouster, Tennessee has had four different head coaches. And if the Vols don't turn it around this season, they could be looking at their seventh losing season in the last 11 years.

Fulmer, inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2012, spearheaded the latter part of the coaching search that brought Pruitt to Tennessee in late 2017. Fulmer replaced John Currie as athletic director after Currie was fired following a coaching search that reached unparalleled levels of dysfunction.

Currie tried to hire Greg Schiano, triggering a fan revolt, and the university then backtracked. Numerous other candidates proceeded to turn down the job, and Currie -- now the Wake Forest AD -- was eventually replaced by Fulmer, who hired Pruitt.

Fulmer said nobody at Tennessee, including Pruitt, was pleased with the Vols' start this season, but reiterated his "total support" for Pruitt and that nobody expected it to be a quick fix when Pruitt arrived last year.

"Jeremy Pruitt is as bought in as anybody could possibly be bought in at the University of Tennessee," Fulmer said.

As he looks to expand his personal brand both on and off the court, Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma has signed a five-year footwear and apparel endorsement deal with Puma.

The deal is expected to pay him north of $20 million over the life of the contract, with additional incentives that could escalate the total value even further, according to industry sources.

Kuzma is now one of the highest-earning players with the brand and a featured partner with the company, who will also be featured in brand campaigns, key product feedback sessions and have creative control over future collections.

"The No. 1 thing I was trying to look for was a little bit more control, a little bit more freedom to do certain things. Not to be restricted from an idea standpoint," said Kuzma. "Having a brand fully commit to me and see that I have visions, too -- that could work out well for the brand and me as well. Puma was that."

To celebrate the signing, Kuzma met with local Lakers fans at a Puma-branded taco cart along Fairfax Avenue, a district home to Los Angeles' longtime streetwear scene and many of the leading sports culture brand boutiques.

Billboards and out-of-home murals around town merged his "Kuz" nickname icon with the last two typeface letters of the brand's logo, highlighted by the Puma cat affixed atop. The 24-year-old handed out T-shirts featuring the same "Kuzma" hybrid graphic and took photos with more than 250 fans.

"The addition of Kyle to our expanding Hoops roster is a huge step for our brand," said Adam Petrick, Puma global director of brand and marketing.

After signing a two-year shoe deal with Nike as an unheralded rookie out of Utah, the negotiation window of his sneaker free agency this fall was well timed. The original Nike deal paid him a base of just $25,000 per year, which he far outpaced almost instantly. He was named to the All-Rookie First Team and simultaneously listed on the CHARGE group's 25-under-25 most marketable athletes across 48 sports.

This year, Kuzma's rising profile in marketing deals also ran parallel to the Lakers' reluctance to include him in the heavily-covered Anthony Davis trade, all at a time when he shifted his representation. In hiring the massive and well-established Creative Artists Agency for both on- and off-court representation, his longtime business manager Vin Sparacio also took on an elevated role in the shoe deals talks.

His newly hired team at CAA eventually negotiated what is expected to be one of the highest-earning veteran sneaker deals this fall, among a deep free-agent class. The third-year forward is set to earn more from Puma than the Lakers this season, a distinction that only Derrick Rose and Laker teammate Rajon Rondo share throughout the league.

"It kind of just speaks to the day and age we are in," he said. "I have the best of both worlds. Pretty talented on the basketball court, but people can really relate to me off the court. From my journey, who I am, and so many different things and the passions that I have -- people can relate to it."

In shoe deals, the incumbent brand will typically offer an initial extension contract in the spring or toward the end of July, with players allowed to begin taking pitches from competitor brands after Aug. 1. Most deals expire on Oct. 1, creating a 60-day window for ongoing negotiations to escalate.

With Kuzma participating in USA Basketball's training camp during the first week of August, the window made for a natural opportunity to meet with Nike executives during the early Swoosh-sponsored scrimmages and practices in Las Vegas.

Once a new agreement with Nike couldn't be met, Kuzma and his team headed to Boston for Puma's official presentation. They enjoyed the luxury of The Puma Jet, flying back-and-forth on the company's private ambassador plane from Los Angeles, in time for Kuzma to be back at USAB practices.

"I don't think any companies have that," he smiled.

Puma's key pitch messaging wasn't to simply sell him on what they could offer.

"That was the main thing -- the meeting was more about me," he said. "It was pretty much, 'What do you want to do?'"

The brand views him as a rising, expressive star on a star-laden roster expected to contend in the Western Conference, while also bringing market size and added visibility to its casual line through the growing attention paid to his arena entry fashion.

In moving on from Nike, the Laker forward will look to establish himself as a face of the brand, while giving up wearing any of his idol Kobe Bryant's longtime Swoosh signature sneakers.

"It was tough from the simple fact of how much I love Kobe. Everyone knows that I wear Kobe's shoes," he said. "It was tough, but at the end of the day, I have dreams and goals, and I imagine myself being at that type of level in this business."

Kuzma will be wearing Puma's new Clyde Hardwood sneaker in both retail and custom colorways to start the season, while working behind the scenes on a variety of future basketball and lifestyle sneakers and clothing.

The company has already partnered with emerging fashion and streetwear brands like Rhude and Chinatown Market for collaboration capsules, with Kuzma expected to be incorporated into the process and hands-on in creating future Puma fashion capsules with outside designers.

"What was huge for us was that Puma will allow Kuz to express his creativity on and off the court," said Sparacio.

One of the first themes Kuzma hopes to celebrate on his sneakers will be a tribute to late rap icon Nipsey Hussle, a Los Angeles native and Laker fan, also known for his small business empowerment and community efforts. Hussle had been a brand partner with Puma, with the company recently launching a co-branded collection with his Marathon Clothing store to benefit his ongoing foundation.

"Ever since that moment, trying to carry on that marathon and that type of symbolism, it kind of meant a lot to me," said Kuzma, who has a "TMC" flag tattoo on his arm. "I wanted to go to Puma, not only for everything that I've got going on, but to do some things within this community like Nip did."

Going forward, that creative input will be the hallmark element of Kuzma's new partnership with Puma.

"His performance on the court speaks for itself, but his personality and style off the court fits perfectly with our team," said Petrick. "He is tuned into the culture around the sport and we're excited to collaborate with him as we move into the upcoming NBA season."

HONOLULU -- Kawhi Leonard went through his first full-contact practice with the LA Clippers on Wednesday.

Head coach Doc Rivers said Leonard did full contact when he was on the floor for "probably half the live stuff."

"Kawhi practiced today," Rivers said at the University of Hawaii, where the Clippers are holding their training camp. "He was great."

Rivers even joked that Leonard looked so good he might start him in the Clippers' first preseason game Wednesday against the Houston Rockets. However, the team is playing things safe with him. Rivers had said at the start of camp that Leonard would probably be held out of the Clippers' two preseason games here in Hawaii against Houston and the Shanghai Sharks.

Leonard said earlier this week that his health and playing time will be managed differently this season compared with last season with the Toronto Raptors, who handled Leonard's load management and played him in 60 regular-season games last season. However, Leonard is keeping the big picture in mind with the Clippers.

"Taking it day by day, and just working things out, really," Leonard said. "Everything is going great right now. I just don't want to push it over the top or go on an uphill incline right now with this being my first three days."

Leonard said on the first day of camp that he feels much better than he did at this time last year entering camp with the Raptors, when he was coming off a quad injury. But the Clippers, who also are taking it slow with Paul George and his surgically repaired shoulders, are in no rush to push their star players.

"We all know what we're trying to do at the end of the year, what the expectations are for ourselves," Leonard said. "But right now like I said, just taking the training camp, trying to build for each other, just trying to jell as a team."

LOS ANGELES -- The Washington Nationals are getting their money's worth out of Stephen Strasburg this year.

Manager Davey Martinez said Wednesday that Strasburg, who came out of the bullpen to toss three shutout innings and earn the win in Washington's dramatic wild-card victory on Tuesday, is a possibility to start Game 2 of the National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday.

"Obviously, Stephen threw the ball well yesterday for us," said Martinez of Strasburg, who struck out four and walked none while throwing 34 pitches in the wild-card game. "We have other options. So we'll see how it transpires over the next day. We would have to see.

"Obviously, it's going to be a quick turnaround. I would just want to give him a day to recoup. We just got off a flight, so want to see how he feels."

Strasburg, who's in the third year of a seven-year, $175 million contract, has been a workhorse for the Nationals this season. In 33 regular-season starts, he went 18-6 with a 3.32 ERA and led the NL with 209 innings pitched.

During Tuesday's 4-3 comeback win, he pitched in relief for the first time since 2007, when he was a freshman at San Diego State.

A former top overall pick in 2009, Strasburg has dealt with injuries throughout his career. Toward the end of his rookie year in 2010, he underwent Tommy John surgery and missed most of the 2011 season. In 2012, when the Nationals made the playoffs for the first time since moving to Washington, the team shut down its prized right-hander in September, hoping to protect his valuable right arm.

After starting Game 3 of the 2014 division series, Strasburg missed the 2016 playoffs with a flexor mass strain. In the 2017 NLDS, he made two starts against the Cubs and didn't allow an earned run.

Including his relief outing on Tuesday, Strasburg now has a 0.41 career ERA in the postseason.

If Strasburg is tapped to start Game 2 on Friday, he would then be available to return to the mound on normal rest for a potential Game 5 next Wednesday.

The Nationals, who will send lefty Patrick Corbin to the mound in the series opener on Thursday against Dodgers righty Walker Buehler, could also turn to veteran Anibal Sanchez for Game 2. In his first season with Washington, the 35-year-old right-hander went 11-8 with a 3.85 ERA.

In two starts against the Dodgers this season, Strasburg was 1-1 with a 2.08 ERA. Sanchez also started twice against Los Angeles, going 0-1 with a 3.18 ERA.

INDIANAPOLIS – IndyCar held its first on-track test with the new Aeroscreen cockpit safety device at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Wednesday, courtesy of series champions Scott Dixon and Will Power.

Red Bull Advanced Technologies began work on the IndyCar project in February of this year and the cockpit safety device will make its racing debut at the start of the 2020 NTT IndyCar Series season.

A rendered CAD image of the Aeroscreen was on display earlier this year at the Indianapolis 500 in May, but Wednesday was the first opportunity for the device to undergo rigorous track testing.

Dixon and Power, two of IndyCar’s most experienced drivers, conducted an eight-hour testing program on Indianapolis’ famed 2.5-mile high-speed oval, completing nearly 650 incident-free miles and leaving pleased with the results of the test.

Power ran 129 laps at a top speed of 224.591 mph, while Dixon completed 128 laps with a best of 224.501 mph.

“It’s been an intense project and one that I think a lot of people have done their due diligence on to get it to this point. This test was pretty much seamless,” Dixon said. “We went through a bunch of configurations for cooling and where we can push the air to control the helmet, how it feels and how much pressure you have there. Ultimately it’s just very quiet. I can hear my radio for a change. Normally I can’t hear that. It’s kind of nice.

“To have the first run in and really no major issues … the tear-offs are something they’re going to work on, how they fit and glare on the inside with what paint you put on and such, but the vision is fine,” Power noted. “There’s no problem doing a stint with bugs and such that get on the screen. It’s just little things that need to be worked on. I’m so happy that we have it. It’s really a huge step in safety.”

The Aeroscreen is a continuation of a previous Red Bull Advanced Technologies project conducted to develop a head protection system for Formula One. It features a titanium framework, similar to the Halo now used in F1, with a polycarbonate laminate screen.

The F-1 geometric prototype made its track debut during the first practice session of the 2016 Russian Grand Prix, fitted to the Red Bull RB12.

There are no carryover parts between the F1 project and the work for IndyCar, just the fundamental principles – the cockpit geometry and structural properties of the Dallara chassis used by IndyCar required an entirely-new approach – but the concept and intellectual property behind the research all stem from that initial study.

“The first on-track test was very positive today,” said Andy Damerum, Red Bull Advanced Technologies’ Commercial Development Officer. “The product is working well and the drivers have given excellent feedback, without experiencing any visibility issues. It has been a tight schedule from initial design to getting the Aeroscreen ready for on-track testing, and we are proud to be working with IndyCar to deliver the concept on time.

“We have a few further tests to complete, but so far the screen is providing the safety performance requested,” Damerum added. “The next step will be for IndyCar and Dallara to fine-tune the cockpit cooling, and a number of teams will complete on-track tests in the coming weeks before the screen makes its race debut in 2020.”

IndyCar President Jay Frye, who commissioned the Aeroscreen project, was equally pleased with the initial real-world results.

“We ran more than 100 laps and 250 miles of testing between the two cars this morning and we definitely checked a lot of boxes we needed to already,” explained Frye. “The foundation of the Aeroscreen is very sound and now we’re also working on the various accessories. It has been a hugely successful test thus far and we haven’t seen anything we didn’t anticipate. We had high expectations with this collaboration with Red Bull Advanced Technologies and their preparation and execution has been outstanding. They have left no stone unturned and will be proud of the final product.”

While F-1 has initially opted for the Halo system, the different demands of oval racing led IndyCar to prefer the Aeroscreen, adding protection against small object debris to the strength of the tubular framework, in a structure that also features sight lines more suitable for banked ovals.

Working closely with chassis manufacturer Dallara, Red Bull Advanced Technologies has designed the Aeroscreen to utilize IndyCar’s existing Advanced Frontal Protection spike as the forward mounting point, while also collaborating with the Italian firm to address issues such as helmet buffeting and cockpit cooling.

While next year’s car will be the first to race with the Aeroscreen, the system has also been created with the next generation of Dallara chassis firmly in mind.

“This is a fantastic project for Red Bull Advanced Technologies,” said Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner. “The company is building a reputation for excellence, utilizing the skillset and experience of Formula One engineering, together with a keen focus on rapid development and rigorous testing. There could be no better example of this than a safety-critical project demanding cutting-edge engineering technology, delivered into the pressure-cooker environment of IndyCar racing.”

CORONA, Calif. – Following Wednesday’s announcement of the future structure of the ARCA Menards Series, MAVTV has announced an extension of its partnership with ARCA.

MAVTV will broadcast the majority of the events on the tour’s 20-race national schedule for the next three seasons.

RELATED: ARCA To Feature Four Championships In 2020

The partnership between the ARCA Menards Series and MAVTV dates back more than a decade, when select races were aired during the 2008 season. The current agreement began three seasons ago, when MAVTV showcased its first live broadcasts of the ARCA Menards Series during the 2017 schedule.

Since then, MAVTV’s role has continued to grow as the primary broadcaster of the series, culminating with a 12-race slate of live races for the current season.

With the newly announced extension, MAVTV will continue to serve in that role through the 2022 ARCA Menards Series season, where it will showcase the bulk of the championship races via exclusive live broadcasts.

“The 2020 season will mark the fourth year MAVTV and ARCA have partnered to bring the majority of the ARCA Menards Series race schedule live to MAVTV,” said Robert Patison, President of the MAVTV Motorsports Network. “It’s great race action on some of the nation’s best-known tracks.”

“MAVTV has been a tremendous partner for the ARCA Menards Series and we are thrilled to extend that relationship three more years,” added ARCA president Ron Drager. “2020 marks the beginning of a new chapter for ARCA, and MAVTV’s commitment to the series helps us deliver great racing action to fans across the country, while also providing an outstanding platform for our race teams and sponsors.”

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Chevy’s first mid-engine GTLM race car – the Corvette C8.R – made its surprise debut alongside the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray convertible at the Kennedy Space Center Wednesday evening.

The C8.R and Corvette Stingray represent a true technology transfer, taking lessons from the street straight to the track and vice versa.

“The C8.R is much more than just a race-tuned version of the 2020 Corvette Stingray. It’s a culmination of many years of testing and development between GM Design, Propulsion, Engineering and the Corvette Racing team,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. vice president of Performance and Motorsports. “The collaboration between these teams has allowed us to take these vehicles’ performance to the next level, both on the street and the track.”

With its tremendous success on the track over the last 20 years, Corvette Racing has helped push the development, performance and popularity of Corvette’s top-line performance cars on race tracks across the world.

Since 1999, Corvette Racing has won 107 races – the most of any professional sports car team in North America – including 13 team championships and 12 driver and manufacturer titles.

In 2015, Corvette Racing became the first sports car team in 15 years to win endurance racing’s Triple Crown – the Rolex 24 at Daytona, Twelve Hours of Sebring and 24 Hours of Le Mans – in the same season.

The C8.R No. 4 car dons a new silver livery, inspired by the color of iconic Corvette concepts such as the 1973 Chevrolet Aerovette and the 1959 Corvette Stingray Racer. This car also features yellow accents.

Complementing the No. 4 vehicle is the No. 3 car, which will feature a traditional yellow color scheme with silver accents that continues the lineage of the successful GTLM racing Corvettes of the past 20 years.

The C8.R will make its racing debut at Rolex 24 at Daytona in January of 2020.