India A 303 (Gill 90, Saxena 61*, Ngidi 3-50, Piedt 3-84) and 49 for 3 (Bhui 20*, Ngidi 2-22) beat South Africa A 164 (Jansen 45*, Thakur 3-29, Gowtham 3-64) and 186 (Klaasen 48, Mulder 46, Nadeem 3-21, Saxena 2-22) by seven wickets

India A routed South Africa A by seven wickets in the first unofficial Test in Thiruvananthapuram, chasing down a target of 48 in 9.4 overs after having bowled out the visitors for 186 in the second innings.

Resuming day four on 179 for 9, South Africa A's innings didn't last long as Shardul Thakur bowled Lutho Sipamla in the fourth over of the day. Shahbaz Nadeem was the most successful bowler for India A, picking up 3 for 21, while Jalaj Saxena and Thakur bagged two wickets each.

India A stuttered in their chase, but there were not enough runs for South Africa A's bowlers to make a match out of it. Lungi Ngidi dismissed Shubman Gill and Ankit Bawne cheaply. KS Bharat didn't last long either and was caught off Dane Piedt, leaving India A 37 for 3. Shivam Dube though hit the next two balls for two straight sixes to wrap up the game. Ricky Bhui, who was promoted to open the batting, remained unbeaten on 20.

Saxena, who was a last-minute inclusion in the squad, was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 61 in the first innings and 2 for 22 with the ball.

The second four-day match will begin on September 17 in Mysore.

HOUSTON -- Two players key to Oakland's future helped lead the Athletics to an important victory.

Sean Murphy and Marcus Semien homered, hyped pitching prospect Jesus Luzardo looked sharp in his major league debut, and the Athletics beat the Houston Astros 5-3.

"What we are seeing from [Luzardo] and Murph and what we feel like is going to be a bright future is coming along pretty quickly here," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said.

Oakland won for the fourth time in five games. The A's closed within a half-game of Tampa Bay for the top American League wild card and stand a half-game ahead of Cleveland for the second spot.

Houston fell a half-game back of the New York Yankees for the best record in the majors. New York's scheduled game with Detroit was postponed.

Luzardo, the first Peruvian-born pitcher in major league history, was promoted from Triple-A Las Vegas on Monday. He allowed one hit in three innings -- a solo homer to Martin Maldonado -- and struck out two.

"It's a tough spot to put him in," Melvin said. "He knew today he was coming in in the sixth and wasn't sure how long he'd pitch, but our plan was to try to get him through the eighth. He gives up a solo home run and other than that, gives up swings and misses, bad swings, used all his pitches, throws 97 [mph]. Didn't look like he was afraid of the moment. It was pretty cool."

The hard-throwing left-hander retired nine of the 10 batters he faced, including his final seven, a promising sign that the starting pitching prospect could make an October impact as a reliever.

"Once I went back out for the second, I got into a groove, and all my pitches were working," Luzardo said. "I was happy that I was able to get all three of them over the plate."

Astros starter Jose Urquidy struck out 10 and pitched one-hit, one-run ball over five innings before the A's got to the bullpen.

"I felt really good with all my pitches," Urquidy said. "I think I was good with my breaking balls and my fastballs, too, and that's what worked for me."

Semien hit his career-high 28th home run leading off the fourth, and Murphy homered leading off a four-run sixth inning before Matt Olson hit a two-run double, all off Josh James (5-1). Khris Davis capped the sixth with an RBI single to up the lead to 5-2.

"I was just looking for something over the plate," Murphy said. "I saw his slider on the first pitch, so I kind of had a read on it. I was just wanting him to throw it more toward the middle for me. He did. I was able to get the barrel on it."

James said he got out of his delivery and got a bit long, and by the time he realized it, it was too late.

Houston manager AJ Hinch said the bad inning started with the homer to Murphy.

"The inning unraveled with the two-strike homer to Murphy on a breaking ball that wasn't really executed," Hinch said. "I think if he throws a good one, he's got a chance. He's punched out a lot of guys since he's come off the injured list but tonight that inning got away from us a little bit."

Aledmys Diaz gave Houston a 2-1 lead in the fourth with an RBI double, but after loading the bases, Oakland starter Brett Anderson got out of further trouble by inducing an inning-ending double play from Myles Straw.

Astros star George Springer matched a career high with his 34th home run, a solo shot in the third.

Anderson (12-9) yielded two runs and seven hits with four strikeouts in five innings.

Liam Hendriks pitched the ninth for his 20th save.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Athletics: OF Ramon Laureano returned to the lineup after missing the previous three games with cramps in his right leg. He went 0-for-3 with a walk and made a nice throw from right field to get Jose Altuve at the plate in the fifth.

Astros: 1B Yuli Gurriel, who left Friday's game with a sore left hamstring, could return to the lineup as soon as Friday, Hinch said.

HE SAID IT

"It's really impressive. The command, the poise for how young he is. The overall stuff is phenomenal. Anytime you can have a lefty throw 98 [mph] and throw strikes, it's always a plus," Anderson said of Luzardo.

UP NEXT

Athletics: RHP Homer Bailey (12-8, 4.87 ERA) starts the finale of the four-game series on Thursday looking to continue his recent success after going 3-0 with a 2.35 ERA over his past five starts.

Astros: RHP Justin Verlander (18-5, 2.52) has won three consecutive starts, allowing one run over 21⅓ innings during that span.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

For about 90 minutes on Wednesday night, I fully grasped the essence of the 2019 season. With the leaguewide single-season home run record ready to be broken early in the evening, several of us -- me, two editors, members of ESPN's Stats & Information group -- were tracking the countdown to 6,106 home runs. Whoever hit the 22nd home run of the night would set the mark.

The action began with Trent Grisham hitting a leadoff home run for the Brewers in Miami. Todd Frazier and Brandon Nimmo soon went back-to-back for the Mets. Mike Moustakas, back in the lineup for the Brewers, hit one out. Jeff McNeil hit one for the Mets. Then the pace really picked up. Did Rowdy Tellez hit his before Jorge Soler? There goes Frazier again, about the same time Tyler Flowers cranked a three-run shot for the Braves.

By 8:10 p.m. ET, there were 10 games going on. It was impossible to follow all the action, even with multiple screens at the home office. Francisco Lindor ... Jorge Polanco ... Teoscar Hernandez. Isan Diaz went yard for the Marlins as George Springer homered for the Astros, then Garrett Cooper followed Diaz in the Marlins' lineup and belted one out too. We were three from the record. Adalberto Mondesi homered for the Royals just before the A's Marcus Semien hit the record-tying shot, a huge blast over the train tracks in Houston.

Then we paused. For six or seven minutes, nobody even scored a run. Bryce Harper came up with the bases loaded and it felt like the perfect Bryce moment, even though he obviously didn't know history was on the line. He bounced into a double play.

Jonathan Villar came up for the Orioles in the bottom of the seventh inning of a 2-2 game and two runners on, facing Dodgers reliever Caleb Ferguson. Villar jumped all over a first-pitch fastball and crushed it 443 feet into the left-field seats -- a popular landing spot for home runs in 2019 given the Orioles have set the record for most homers allowed.

"Unbelievable," Villar told the Orioles TV crew after the game. "After I hit the home run and go into the clubhouse, somebody told me we set the new record. That's awesome. It's not just for me, it's for the team."

So, yes, there have been a lot of home runs hit in 2019 and when you're paying eagle-eyed attention, you realize how rapid-fire they arrive across the majors. I joked on Twitter that I was going to rank the top 1,000 home runs of the season. Then I realized you actually could rank all the home runs using win probability added at the time each home run was hit. Via Baseball-Reference and a little work in Excel, I sorted all the home runs from most valuable to least valuable given the game situation.

Let's pull out 10 random home runs from our win probability added list -- of the more than 6,100 hit this season. (Villar's record-breaking blast, by the way, ranked about 950th.)

No. 1: Rio Ruiz, Orioles -- Aug. 11 vs. Astros (0.90 WPA)

Hey, so the Orioles hit the record-breaking home run and hit the most valuable home run of the season. Ruiz came up in the bottom of the ninth against Astros closer Roberto Osuna with two outs, a runner on first base and Baltimore trailing 7-6. He battled Osuna for seven pitches, Osuna throwing six changeups. He threw one too many and Ruiz gave the Orioles their best moment of the season:

No. 10: Kurt Suzuki, Nationals -- Sept. 3 vs. Mets (0.69 WPA)

As you would guess, the most valuable home runs are walk-offs or come-from-behind shots late in the game. Suzuki's three-run walk-off was also one of the most memorable home runs of the season as it capped a remarkable seven-run rally in the bottom of the ninth. Suzuki's home run off Edwin Diaz isn't quite as valuable as Ruiz's since it came with one out and both runners in scoring position. Even if Suzuki made an out, the Nationals would have had a chance. But it was pretty damn amazing:

The radio call of Kurt Suzuki's #WALKOFF home run is the song of the summer.@CharlieSlowes // @DaveJageler pic.twitter.com/bOavak1BxI

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) September 4, 2019

No. 100: Cavan Biggio, Blue Jays -- June 29 vs. Royals (0.43 WPA)

Biggio is kind of the third wheel in the Blue Jays' rookie sons-of-major-leaguers trio, but he has a chance to be an interesting player. He draws a ton of walks, so even though he's hitting .213, he has a .350 OBP. How valuable is the 100th most valuable home run of the season? Biggio came up in the bottom of the fifth with the bases loaded and two outs and the Royals leading 4-1. His grand slam off Homer Bailey turned the Blue Jays' odds of winning the game from 23% to 67%. Indeed, Toronto would hold on for a 7-5 victory. But the coolest thing about this home run: Craig Biggio actually faced Bailey three times in his career and went 0-for-1 with a walk, strikeout and sacrifice fly.

No. 500: Charlie Blackmon, Rockies -- May 11 vs. Padres (0.27 WPA)

The 500th most valuable home run is still pretty valuable. Blackmon came up in the bottom of the eighth against Craig Stammen with the Rockies trailing 3-2. Stammen threw a 2-2 slider into Blackmon's sweet spot and he crushed it to right field to tie the score. Alas, the Padres scored in the top of the ninth off Wade Davis, and Kirby Yates fanned the side in the bottom of the ninth for the save.

No. 1,000: Derek Dietrich, Reds -- April 13 vs. Cardinals (0.19 WPA)

Remember Dietrich's hot start? Filling in for the injured Scooter Gennett, he hit five home runs in April, then tied for the MLB lead with 12 home runs in May. By the end of May, he was hitting .260/.366/.707. Some were suggesting he should make the All-Star team. His home run off Adam Wainwright was a towering fly ball into the Cincinnati bullpen that gave the Reds a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the seventh inning (they would win 5-2). Dietrich did not make the All-Star team and he is now hitting .194 with 19 home runs. May was a long time ago.

No. 2,500: Scott Kingery, Phillies -- Sept. 10 vs. Phillies (0.12 WPA)

This one just happened and was one of the craziest home runs of this crazy home run season. It came off Max Fried with the score tied and two outs in the bottom of the third. This is still in the 60th percentile of most valuable, so a home run in the top half of the list for the season is still going to come in a close game, although it might come early. What made Kingery's home run so unusual is it was an inside-the-parker after Ronald Acuna Jr. almost robbed him:

It may be September, but it's STILL a Scott boy summer! #RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/vhHnscHLMH

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) September 11, 2019

No. 3,073: Pete Alonso, Mets -- May 17 vs. Marlins (0.10 WPA)

This is about the halfway point of the list for the season. Alonso has hit many memorable home runs among his 47, but this wasn't really one of them. It was No. 13 of the season for him, off a 1-0 cutter from Trevor Richards in the top of the second inning. Actually, Richards made a pretty good pitch as Alonso reached for it and, well, this swing produced a 418-foot home run:

pic.twitter.com/vkeouWz7q7

— David Schoenfield (@dschoenfield) September 12, 2019

No. 4,000: Thairo Estrada, Yankees -- May 6 vs. Mariners (0.08 WPA)

The Yankees have hit 276 home runs, one behind the Twins as they battle for the all-time record. Estrada has only three of those, but this was the first home run of his major league career and had to be a huge thrill -- it came off fellow Venezuelan Felix Hernandez. This one makes me kind of sad though. It came in the second inning and the two-run shot gave the Yankees a 5-0 lead and was already the third home run Hernandez had given up in the game. In his Cy Young season in 2010, Hernandez gave up more than one home run in a game only once all season.

No. 5,000: Yandy Diaz, Rays -- April 17 vs. Orioles (0.03 WPA)

We're into the 10th percentile of home runs and, as you would expect, these aren't exactly game-changing moments. Diaz's solo home run in the bottom of the third inning off David Hess extended Tampa's lead to 6-0. It also knocked Hess from the game as the Rays hit three off him in two-plus innings. For the season, Hess has given up 28 home runs in only 77 innings. A quick search reveals that among pitchers with at least 50 innings, that's the highest rate of home runs per nine innings in MLB history. Three of the top four have come in 2019. Did we mention a lot of home runs have been hit this year?

No. 6,125: Rio Ruiz, Orioles -- Aug. 10 vs. Astros (0.00 WPA)

So, this is kind of remarkable. Rio Ruiz has hit the most clutch home run of the 2019 season ... and the least clutch. Baseball-Reference only goes to two decimal points, so a lot of home runs grade out as having 0.00 win probability added. To break the tie, I picked the home run that came with the widest gap in the score at the time of the home run.

This home run -- a day before Ruiz hit his walk-off -- came in the seventh inning with the Astros leading the Orioles 20-1. I went back and watched the highlight and Astros announcer Todd Kalas delivered the deadpan line of the year: "Orioles fans have something to cheer for."

What happens when the least valuable home run of the season is hit? Well, it's not much different than a lot of the other home runs. The fans above the scoreboard in right field scrambled for the ball. Ruiz did sprint pretty fast around the bases and his teammates greeted him in the dugout with high-fives and chest bumps. Even a home run with a 19-run deficit feels pretty good:

pic.twitter.com/o8oo2dkIgx

— David Schoenfield (@dschoenfield) September 12, 2019

Now, to confess, I could have picked another home run from this same game. Yordan Alvarez hit a home run in the top of the ninth with the Astros leading 21-2. You could argue that was the least valuable home run of 2019 since it came later in the game and increased the score margin.

But it seems more fitting to end it with Ruiz. In the year of the home run, it all comes back to the Orioles.

Top seed Rosner is out as Hammamy halts Waters
By MATT COLES – Squash Mad Correspondent in Nantes

France’s Gregoire Marche is through to the semi finals of the Open de France – Nantes 2019 presented by Tailor Capital after a spectacular victory over Germany’s top seed Simon Rösner at the glorious Chateau des ducs de Bretagne. In the sem-finals, Marche meets Joel Makin, who fought back from one game down to overcome Egyptian Fares Dessouky.

World No.16 Marche came out of the blocks firing, allowing the German to score just three points in the first game. The pair then produced some enthralling squash in the second game, which the ‘Tree Chopper’ took 11-9 to take the match into a third.

The three-time champion of the Open International de Squash de Nantes then took control of the third game, with some wonderful line drives, as he overpowered the World No.5.

Marche will advance to the semi-finals on Friday evening, where he will face Wales’ Joel Makin, who overcame Egypt’s Fares Dessouky in the first men’s quarter-final clash of the evening.

“There are no words to describe the feeling I have. I said earlier that this is the only place that I have ever had goosebumps on court. That was two years ago when I beat Mazen [Hesham] in the semis and that time, it was a big win for me,” Marche admitted.

“Today, to beat Simon, the No.1 seed, on that court and in these conditions, as well as it being the first time I have beaten Simon on the Tour, it is unreal. I just feel great and I am definitely going to enjoy my rest day tomorrow and then get ready for Friday.

“It was a tough battle mentally, so it is good to have a day off tomorrow. Joel is a really strong player. He had a really good season last year. I lost twice [to him]. He is really strong, he is tough to beat because he is really patient and he has good structure to his game. I will have to find some solutions to make him work differently.

“It is going to be best-of-five so it will be a different feeling, but there are no words for this crowd. For our sport, this is big, and it is the only time you can find it during the season, for us in France, and the audience are just spectacular.”

After losing the first game, Welshman Joel Makin battled back to take the victory over Fares Dessouky to reach the semi finals.

The World No.12 ran out into a big lead in the first, but Dessouky reeled off nine points out of 11 to come back from 9-3 down to win it 12-10.

However, Makin would not be denied the victory, as he fought back to take the second game 11-5. As the match got scrappy towards the end, the Welshman showed his mental strength to take the win in the third, booking his spot in the last four.

“I knew I had to take the middle back away from him because towards the end of the first game, he made himself big and he played a lot of flat kills which were effective, making me work around him,” Makin admitted.

“I enjoyed it three years ago when I last came and it has just got bigger. There are a lot of good players here, which is great. All the players enjoyed it from the very start, especially with a good crowd and a great atmosphere.”

There was more home glory, as Camille Serme made it through to the semi-finals after a convincing victory over England’s Millie Tomlinson, which took just 19 minutes.

The World No.3, and top seed of the tournament, wasted no time in sealing the first game, as she restricted Tomlinson to just three points. The second game was tighter, with the Englishwoman holding an early lead. However, Serme came fighting back to take the game, and the match, to the delight of the partisan crowd.

The Frenchwoman will play Hania El Hammamy in the semi finals at the Chateau des ducs de Bretagne on Friday evening, after the Egyptian overcame England’s Alison Waters in the first match of the night.

“I am happy and relieved because when you are the No.1 seeded, you want to go all the way through to the final but obviously, you have tough opponents before that,” Serme said.

“I am just happy that this is another step closer. We have had some good matches together and she has had some good matches against Raneem [El Welily] and Laura [Massaro] before so I always take her seriously because she is very talented.

“I use the pressure as more of a boost. I am more nervous about being No.1 seed rather than playing at home. That is an advantage for me because they are very supportive, so it is very positive for me.”

Young Egyptian Hammamy showed complete control throughout the match against Waters, and completed her victory in less than 20 minutes.

Hammamy, the World No.15, ran out into a big lead in the first game, one she would not relinquish as she took the first 11-3. She then took the second game 11-6 to secure a first victory over the Englishwoman on the PSA World Tour.

“Last two times we played, we played at a fast pace, and I was trying to match her but she is much better at it, so this time, I tried to keep the rallies at a mid pace, find my lines and not rush for volleys,” El Hammamy explained.

“I was a bit worried to have to play during daylight, but it didn’t bother me one bit today.”

“During summer training, I worked a lot with my coaches Haitham Effat and Ahmed AbdelKhalek on my back of court game, and they gave me a lot of confidence, and I find now that I can play better shots at the front.

“I think I have played some good squash over the past few weeks, and I’m over the moon with that victory over somebody as experienced as Alison, who beat me twice last year. It was nice to take my revenge, and I’m very happy with my performance tonight.”
 
Open de France – Nantes, Chateau de Ducs de Bretagne, Nantes, France.

Men’s Quarter Finals (Top Half):
[3] Joel Makin (WAL) bt [5] Fares Dessouky (EGY) 2-1: 10-12, 11-5, 11-8 (57m)
[6] Gregoire Marche (FRA) bt [1] Simon Rösner (GER) 2-1: 11-5, 9-11, 11-3 (47m)

Women’s Quarter Finals (Top Half): 
[5] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) bt [4] Alison Waters (ENG) 2-0: 11-3, 11-6 (19m)
[1] Camille Serme (FRA) bt [8] Millie Tomlinson (ENG) 2-0: 11-3, 11-6 (19m)

Men’s Quarter Finals (Bottom Half, Thursday September 12):
[4] Zahed Salem (EGY) v [8] James Willstrop (ENG)
Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) v [2] Paul Coll (NZL)
Men’s Semi Finals: Open de France – Nantes (Friday September 13):
[6] Gregoire Marche (FRA) v [3] Joel Makin (WAL)

Women’s Quarter Finals (Bottom Half, Thursday September 12):
[3] Amanda Sobhy (USA) v [7] Olivia Blatchford Clyne (USA)
Emily Whitlock (ENG) v [2] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
Women’s Semi Finals: (Friday September 13):
[1] Camille Serme (FRA) v [5] Hania el Hammamy (EGY)
 

Report by MATT COLES (PSA). Edited by ALAN THATCHER.

Pictures courtesy of PSA

A trio of supporter groups, along with the Independent Supporters Council, will meet with MLS officials in Las Vegas on Sept. 19 in a bid to find common ground as it relates to the league's ban on political signage, and in particular the prohibition on the Iron Front symbol.

The Timbers Army, which supports the Portland Timbers, alongside Seattle Sounders counterparts The Emerald City Supporters (ECS) and Gorilla FC, have been at odds with the league since the start of the season when MLS announced changes to its Fan Code of Conduct. The changes included a ban on signs in stadiums that MLS deems to be political.

- Carlisle: What's this feud over political signage at MLS games about?

The ISC announced via Twitter earlier on Wednesday that the meeting would take place on Sept. 19. In a separate statement, the Board of Directors of the 107ist, the organizational arm of the Timbers Army, revealed that it had met with members of the Timbers front office, as well as community leaders in a bid to state their case.

"In the meeting, the community representatives provided input on the Iron Front imagery, its history, what it represents today, what it means to them personally as often targeted members of the community, and offered suggestions for going forward," the statement read. "The Timbers Front Office was very receptive to the discussion and the input from the community members."

The club released a statement saying: "We are pleased with the progress taking place and to have been able to facilitate our supporters and MLS getting together regarding the Fan Code of Conduct next week. We look forward to continued healthy, productive discussions with one another."

The Iron Front symbol dates back to an anti-Nazi paramilitary organization from the 1930s, and has been flown by the Timbers Army at Providence Park since at least 2017. But the symbol is used by antifa (anti-fascists) and because MLS deems antifa to be a political organization, the display of the Iron Front symbol on flags or banners is prohibited in the league's venues. Antifa and far-right groups have engaged in protests and counter-protests in the Pacific Northwest that have in some cases become violent.

The three groups joined forces at a league match between the Timbers and the Sounders back on Aug. 23 in which they staged a silent protest for 33 minutes over the ban on political displays. Once the game clock struck 33:00, not only did both sets of supports begin cheering, but they unveiled numerous Iron Front banners.

The Timbers decided not to sanction any fans over the incident, instead opting to give the Timbers Army a "general warning." But when the flags appeared again a week later at a match between the Timbers and Real Salt Lake, MLS and the Timbers front office took the step of banning "a handful" of Timbers Army members for three games.

The ISC statement also revealed that the Timbers Army as well as representatives of the ECS and Gorilla FC would participate at the aforementioned meeting, set to take place in Las Vegas.

The statement added: "The Timbers Army/107IST sincerely hopes that these meetings will move the league closer to revising the code of conduct in a way that makes it truly inclusive for all by consulting with impacted groups and human rights experts."

Nicolas Mezquida scored on a penalty kick in the 85th minute and the Colorado Rapids earned a 2-1 victory Wednesday over the Los Angeles Galaxy at Commerce City, Colo., to remain undefeated under new head coach Robin Fraser.

The defeat was a blow to the Galaxy's playoff chances as they entered in eighth place in the Western Conference and just outside of postseason eligibility. A victory could have moved the Galaxy all the way into third place in the jammed-packed conference.

- Stream a replay of this match on ESPN+
- Supporters groups, MLS to talk political signs
- Marshall: Alvarez, Galaxy's breakout star, is Zlatan's 'cub'

All three goals were scored in a busy six-minute stretch late in the game. The Rapids took a 1-0 lead in the 79th minute on a header from Cole Bassett off a free kick, his second of the season, while the Galaxy tied it 1-1 three minutes later on a header from Giancarlo Gonzalez, his first.

Mezquida scored his fourth of the season after Andre Shinyashiki was fouled in the penalty area by the Galaxy's Emil Cuello.

The Rapids have now defeated the New York Red Bulls, Seattle Sounders and the Galaxy under Fraser. They have outscored their opponents 6-1 in that three-game stretch.

Galaxy striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic was held in check until a perfect feed to Rolf Feltscher in the eighth minute of stoppage time, but Feltscher's potential game-tying header was wide left. Ibrahimovic had three shots.

The Galaxy are now winless over the last four games and have won just once in its last eight games. While victories have been hard to come by, goals have not. Los Angeles entered with eight goals in its previous three games, while going 0-1-2.

Yet the game was scoreless at halftime as the Rapids had nine shots to the Galaxy's seven and had a 7-4 advantage with shots on target. Colorado finished with a 19-13 advantage on shots and a 12-7 advantage on shots on target, and led 11-5 on corner kicks.

The Galaxy played without midfielders Jonathan Dos Santos and Sebastian Lleget, who had national team duty Tuesday.

The Rapids were without goalkeeper Tim Howard, who is dealing with a hamstring injury. Howard's replacement, Clint Irwin, had six saves. Galaxy goalkeeper David Bingham had 10 saves.

Barcelona star Lionel Messi said that he isn't sure if the club did everything to bring back Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain but assured he is happy with the current state of the Catalan squad.

Messi told Spanish publication Sport that he would have enjoyed having Neymar back at Camp Nou but understood the difficulties of the transfer window.

- Hunter: Barca great Eto'o retires as one the world's greats

"I would have liked for Neymar to have returned," the Argentina captain said. "Honestly, I'm not sure if Barca did all they could to sign him but I know it is difficult to negotiate with PSG.

"I am not disappointed. We have a spectacular squad that can challenge for all, even without Ney."

Neymar was subject to a months-long saga that saw Barcelona and PSG meet several times to bring the Brazilian back to La Liga. He had signed for a world record €222 million to join the French club two seasons ago, but made it apparent he wanted to return back to Barca.

"Neymar is one of the best in the world. With his level and sponsors, it would have been a big gain for the club," Messi added.

Messi has yet to play for Barcelona this season due to a calf injury in August and is a major doubt for next week's Champions League opener at Borussia Dortmund, sources have told ESPN FC. He missed the club's tour of the United States and hasn't featured in any of their opening three league games.

Messi's own future at Barcelona has received headlines when a report last week revealed there's a clause in his contract which allows him to leave at the end of each season if he so wishes. The Argentina international would just have to communicate his desire to move on before the end of May.

"Barcelona is my home and I don't want to leave, but I want to win. I want to win the Champions League, it's been a long time since we won it," Messi said.

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu is already working on Messi's next new deal, which could be his last with the club -- he will turn 33 next summer and will be 34 when his current terms expire in 2022, the year of the next World Cup in Qatar.

Barbados Tridents 186 for 2 (Boucher 64*, Charles 52, Duminy 43*) beat St Kitts and Nevis Patriots 168 for 9 (Evans 64, Drakes 34*, Lamichhane 3-22, Walsh Jr. 2-33, Holder 2-37) by 18 runs

Barbados Tridents completed their first win of CPL 2019 after youngsters Leniko Boucher and Sandeep Lamichhane contributed with bat and ball respectively to hand the visitors a 18-run win over St Kitts and Nevis Patriots. In the first innings, Boucher was assisted by JP Duminy's 18-ball 43 to lift Tridents to 186, while Lamichhane was ably supported by captain Jason Holder and USA's Hayden Walsh Jr. in the second.

Patriots' Laurie Evans struck a quickfire 64 to keep the hosts in the hunt till the 12th over, but the team fell away after they lost four middle-order wickets in fifteen deliveries. Barring Evans, the Patriots batting performance was so poor that their second-highest run-scorer was their No. 11. Patriots eventually finished well short, for their third defeat of the season.

A wicketkeeper-batsman with a familiar surname

Playing only his second T20 game, right-handed batsman Boucher walked in after opener Alex Hales' dismissal in the fifth over. Trying to guide a Rayad Emrit delivery to third man, Hales could only find the keeper. Early signs showed that the pitch was similar to the one where 483 runs were scored on Wednesday.

The other opener Johnson Charles, however, having a difficult time rotating the strike at that point, and it was the 21-year old Boucher who sunk anchor in the post-Powerplay period. The first signs of Boucher's dominance came in the seventh over, when he confidently skipped down the ground to lift Emrit over his head. Boucher then made the most of a dropped chance to the keeper in the ninth over by upping the tempo off left-arm spinner Fabian Allen. He began the 13th over with a six and a four off Allen, and in Charles' company lifted Tridents into triple figures.

Charles, sluggish right up that point, moved from 38 off 39 balls to 51 in 41 on the back of two sixes as they got past hundred. It was legspinner Usama Mir who bore the brunt, but he took revenge two balls later when Charles holed out to deep midwicket.

That brought in JP Duminy at No. 4, and the South African swiftly found his timing by pulling his second ball over long-on. Two balls later, Boucher moved to 48 with a six over long-on to end the 16th over. Off the next ball, he brought up his fifty in 40 deliveries.

Tridents' triple-over blitz

A tidy three-run 17th over from Emrit seemed to have stifled Tridents' run-scoring, but the last three overs was where the batting team displayed the advantage of having so many wickets in hand. With a license to smash, Duminy and Boucher struck 51 runs in the last 18 balls to take Tridents to 186 for 2. The unbeaten stand of 73 in 36 balls saw Boucher finish on 62 and Duminy on an 18-ball 43.

After Tridents finished the first innings with such a flurry, Emrit - standing in as captain while Brathwaite was off the field nursing a knock - called the Patriots in for a huddle before walking off the field, perhaps to instill the same beliefs they had the night before when they chased 243.

Evans sizzles, others not so much

The chase began with Duminy's spin, and Patriots opener Evin Lewis enjoyed the ball coming into him from around the wicket. He swept Duminy twice for fours in the first over to give the hosts early momentum, but Tridents negated that advantage when the other opener Devon Thomas edged Holder to Boucher next over. Lewis ended the second over with a square cut for four, but Holder dismissed him next over when he sliced an attempted drive to cover.

At 28 for 2, Patriots were in trouble, but Evans' shot-making didn't make it appear so. He found his footing by driving left-arm seamer Josh Lalor for four and following it up with a punched shot over midwicket two balls later. Entering the game, Evans had gone past thirty in seven of his last eight T20 games, and he proceeded to do the same once more by making full use of a dropped chance on 21. Evans was especially brutal towards the on-side, taking on Walsh Jr. for consecutive fours, before reaching his 21st T20 fifty in the tenth over. By then, No. 4 Jason Mohammad was already out and Evans was building a partnership with No. 5 Shamarh Brooks, and with eight overs to go, Patriots needed 90 off 48 with seven wickets in hand.

Lamichhane triggers Patriots' downward spiral

But the final eight overs began poorly for Patriots. Brooks tried to take Lamichhane on the first ball of the 13th over, but he sliced a catch to Nurse at extra cover, who had to run back and put in a dive to complete a catch. Five balls later came the bigger blow when Evans looked to paddle-sweep the legspinner away, only to top-edge one to short fine leg. Evans fell for a 41-ball 64, but his dismissal meant there were two new batsmen at the crease with the run-rate continuously rising.

Walsh Jr. then prised out the dangerous Allen after the batsman failed to pick a slider that was aimed for the stumps, and when Lamichhane returned for his final over of the night, he trapped Brathwaite with a googly to send Patriots reeling at 106 for 7. Two balls later, the skies opened up, and the teams went off for close to 45 minutes with Patriots still needing 80 off 5.1 overs.

When the teams returned, Walsh Jr. claimed his second wicket by removing Usama Mir. No. 9 Emrit briefly entertained, but he too fell trying to clear the long-on boundary in the 17th over. No. 11 Dominic Drakes brought some respectability to the Patriots total by striking three sixes and three fours to score the highest-ever T20 score for a No. 11 batsman, a 34 off 14 balls. His last-wicket partnership of 49 with No. 10 Alzarri Joseph ensured Patriots' net run-rate took a much lesser hit than it could've at one point.

Justify failed a drug test one month before the 2018 Kentucky Derby, and the California Horse Racing Board decided to dismiss the case after the colt went on to win the Triple Crown, The New York Times reported Wednesday.

According to the newspaper, Justify tested positive for scopolamine after winning the Santa Anita Derby -- and qualifying for the Kentucky Derby in the process -- on April 7, 2018. Scopolamine is a banned substance that can enhance performance, according to the Times.

Such a result should have resulted in a disqualification, purse forfeiture and the removal of his Kentucky Derby entry. However, the Times said California regulators waited until April 26, nine days before the Kentucky Derby, to inform Bob Baffert, Justify's Hall of Fame trainer.

Baffert requested a second sample be tested by an independent lab, and it confirmed the results on May 8 -- three days after Justify won the Kentucky Derby.

The racing board then diverted from its normal course of action, according to the Times, which cited emails and internal memorandums it obtained. Rather than filing a complaint and holding a hearing, nothing happened until Aug. 23, four months after the failed test and two months after Justify had completed his Triple Crown run by winning the Belmont Stakes.

The board's executive director, Rick Baedeker, took the unprecedented path of presenting the case directly to the board's commissioners, who voted unanimously to drop the case, according to the Times.

The board reportedly decided that the test results could have come from Justify eating contaminated food. However, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission's former drug lab chief, Rick Sams, told the Times that the amount of scopolamine in Justify's system suggested it "has to come from intentional intervention."

In addition, the California board's medical director said of scopolamine in 2016 that the chance of "getting a positive from environmental contamination is rather low."

Scopolamine can help clear a horse's airway and optimize its heart rate to make it more efficient, Sams told the Times.

Two months after dismissing the Justify case, the California board changed the penalty for a failed scopolamine test from a disqualification to a fine and a possible suspension.

"We take seriously the integrity of horse racing in California and are committed to implementing the highest standards of safety and accountability for all horses, jockeys and participants,'' the California Horse Racing Board said in a statement.

A CHRB spokesman said the organization would have a further statement Thursday.

The Times said Baffert did not respond to requests for comment on the story.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.