HOUSTON -- The Houston Astros showed how powerful their lineup can be for a second straight game.

Zack Greinke struck out five in six strong innings, Robinson Chirinos and Yordan Alvarez each homered twice as Houston hit a major league-record six home runs in the first two innings, and the high-scoring Astros routed the Oakland Athletics 15-0 Monday night for their fifth straight victory.

Monday's offensive outburst, combined with Sunday's 21-1 win over Seattle, helped the Astros set a franchise record for runs scored in consecutive games with 36.

The Astros scored 32 runs over nine team turns at-bat, a span that included the second through eighth innings on Sunday and the first and second innings on Monday. That's the second-most runs over any span of nine team turns at bat in the modern era (since 1900), according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Only the 2007 Rangers (whose span included a record 30-3 rout of the Orioles) scored more over any such span, according to Elias.

"We were just incredibly explosive again tonight in a game that had a really good feel in the beginning," Houston manager AJ Hinch said. "We ambushed Mike (Fiers). I don't know how to describe it. We came out locked in and did a ton of damage. He made some mistakes, and we didn't let him get away with really any of them."

Helped by six of their seven total homers, Houston raced to an 11-0 lead after two innings. The seven shots matched a franchise record for homers in a game set Sept. 9, 2000, against the Chicago Cubs.

Chirinos capped the first with a two-run homer and hit a three-run shot in the seventh. He added an RBI single in a five-run second inning.

"It's really special when you see a team put up that many runs in back-to-back games," Chirinos said. "It says a lot about the approach and the talent we have on this team."

Alex Bregman started the offensive display with a three-run homer, and Alvarez followed with a solo shot into the second deck in right field.

Alvarez hit his second solo shot into the third deck in right field in the second inning. Alvarez has 24 home runs, an Astros' rookie record, and has 72 RBI in his first 71 games, which is tied for second-most in major league history with Ted Williams (1939) and Rudy York (1937), and trailing Walt Dropo's 80 (1949-50).

"We thought this guy was going to be very impactful, but this is beyond belief or anything that people could have expected," Hinch said. "He's doing historic things in a middle of a lineup. He's completely comfortable in the big leagues. . It's incredible to see the production."

Jose Altuve hit a two-run homer to left to start the scoring in the second, and Michael Brantley followed with a solo blast to right that chased Mike Fiers (14-4). Brantley's homer was his 21st, a career high.

The Astros extended their lead over Oakland to 10 1/2 games in the AL West. They remain tied with the New York Yankees for the best record in the majors.

Greinke (15-5) retired 11 of the first 12 batters he faced. He allowed just two hits and didn't walk a batter.

Houston's offensive exploits spoiled Fiers' try at a piece of A's history. The right-hander had won 12 straight decisions and was bidding to match Hall of Famer Catfish Hunter's run in 1973 for the best since the club moved to the Bay Area.

"I feel like I didn't make the pitches I needed to make, and that's what happens when you don't make them," Fiers said. "They weren't missing any mistakes."

Fiers allowed a career-high nine runs on nine hits in one-plus innings. He allowed a career-high five home runs.

"He missed his spots a few times, and they are a home run hitting club," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. "It's amazing how many runs they have scored the last two nights. They got on him early, and he didn't have an answer for that."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Athletics: OF Ramon Laureano was out of the lineup a second straight day after leaving Saturday's game with cramps in his right leg.

Astros: 1B Yuli Gurriel was out of the lineup for a third straight game with a sore left hamstring, but he took ground balls and ran prior to the game. ... Correa fielded ground balls and took batting practice Monday.

A'S ROSTER MOVES

Oakland promoted LHP Jesus Luzardo and recalled RHP Daniel Mengden from Triple-A Las Vegas. To open up a spot on the 40-man roster for Luzardo, Oakland recalled OF Luis Barrera from Double-A Midland and placed him on the 60-day disabled list.

UP NEXT

Athletics: RHP Tanner Roark (9-8, 3.86 ERA) starts Tuesday looking to continue his solid work since being acquired at the trade deadline. Roark has allowed two runs or fewer in four of his six starts with the Athletics.

Astros: LHP Wade Miley (13-4, 3.35) starts Tuesday looking to rebound after yielding five runs without recording an out in his last start Thursday against the Mariners.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

NEW YORK -- Pete Alonso sent a couple more pitches flying into the seats while Jacob deGrom's tosses kept darting in and out of the strike zone.

It all added up to a crucial win for the Mets.

Alonso hit two homers to take sole possession of the major league lead, deGrom struck out 11 and New York beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-1 Monday night in the opener of an important four-game series for both teams.

The Diamondbacks fell 2 1/2 games behind the Cubs for the second NL wild-card spot while the Mets remained four back. Chicago beat San Diego 10-2.

Alonso hit a solo drive in the first inning, then connected for his 47th home run in the fifth. He moved two ahead Mike Trout for most in the majors and closed within five of Aaron Judge's rookie record set two years ago.

"When they throw him strikes, he's going to hit the ball hard," manager Mickey Callaway said. "That's first and foremost. There's got to be some anxiety with pitchers having to face Pete. So, if he doesn't get on via hit, he's getting on via walk. He's just a great hitter."

Alonso set a team record by reaching base safely in his 34th consecutive game. The first baseman recorded his fourth career multihomer game and joined Daryl Strawberry as the only Mets rookie to get four multihomer games.

"We just made some mistakes in the wrong inning at the wrong time and he took advantage of them," Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said.

DeGrom (9-8) allowed one run and three hits in seven innings. He gave up a home run to former teammate Wilmer Flores in the fifth and little else.

"For him to throw the ball the way he did tonight, that was awesome," Alonso said. "That's Cy Young, vintage Jake deGrom right there. That was really special."

The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner recorded his 41st career double-digit strikeout game and ninth this season, tying Max Scherzer for the league lead. DeGrom struck out multiple batters in four innings and reached double-digit strikeouts when he fanned Ketel Marte with a fastball for the first out of the sixth.

DeGrom achieved his latest dominant performance by throwing his off-speed pitches more often. He threw his slider and changeup 57 times and got nine strikeouts on those pitches, including two to Marte, who struck out four times.

"It had a lot of movement tonight, probably more than it's had all year," deGrom said. "So I think we saw that early and kind of stuck with it."

DeGrom also pitched at least seven innings and allowed one run or fewer for the ninth time this year. Only Justin Verlander and Patrick Corbin have done it 10 times.

Seth Lugo pitched two innings for his fifth save.

Amed Rosario added an RBI single in between the Alonso homers.

Merrill Kelly (10-14) allowed three runs on seven hits in six innings.

The Diamondbacks fell to 11-3 in their last 14 games and lost consecutive games for the first time since Aug. 21-24.

WELCOME BACK, WILMER

Flores made his first appearance in Citi Field since signing with Arizona in the offseason. He tipped his helmet after receiving a standing ovation before his first at-bat in the second inning.

Flores also got video tribute before the game that ended with Led Zeppelin's "Thank You" playing as the videoboard showed him embracing Michael Conforto and Brandon Nimmo.

"It was a little weird because I was used to being on the New York side," Flores said. "But I met a lot of good friends there, good teammates. It was a special night."

Flores appeared in 581 regular-season games for the Mets since making his major league debut in August 2013. He is best known for his game-winning homer against the Washington Nationals on July 31, 2015, four days after nearly being traded to Milwaukee for Carlos Gomez and breaking down in tears.

"I think just the ovation that he got tonight just shows you what type of guy he is, what type of player he is, what type of teammate he is," Kelly said.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Diamondbacks: LHP Robbie Ray (blister, left middle finger) threw a bullpen session and will make his next start on Wednesday. ... RHP Luke Weaver (right forearm tightness) will have a bullpen session Tuesday and could appear in a simulated game or a rehab game if there are no problems. ... RHP Taijuan Walker (right elbow surgery) will have a bullpen session Tuesday.

UP NEXT

Arizona RHP Zac Gallen (3-4, 2.50 ERA), who is one of three NL starters all-time to allow three earned runs or less in his first 13 games, opposes RHP Zack Wheeler (10-7, 4.33).

---

More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports

We had a small slate of games on Monday, but most of them had some playoff implications. Some thoughts ...

Item No. 1: James Paxton tosses another gem. Paxton allowed four hits in 6⅔ scoreless innings as the Yankees blanked the Red Sox 5-0 in the teams' final meeting of 2019. David Ortiz threw out the ceremonial first pitch, but even that wasn't enough to lift the Red Sox, who fired president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski on Sunday and look like they're ready to mail it in down the stretch. The Yankees dominated the season series, winning 14 of 19 games, which explains why the Red Sox were officially eliminated from the AL East race with the defeat and why Dombrowski was canned less than a year after he built a World Series champion. It was the most lopsided season series between the two rivals since the Yankees went 10-3 against the Red Sox in 1980.

The bigger result for the Yankees, however, was Paxton checking in with his second consecutive scoreless start after allowing one hit in seven innings against the Rangers. In his past eight starts, he's 8-0 with a 2.57 ERA and .170 batting average allowed. You have to think Paxton is pitching himself into that Game 1 start in the postseason over Masahiro Tanaka. Assuming Paxton stays hot in his final three or four starts, it will be an interesting decision for Aaron Boone. Do you go with Tanaka, who has playoff experience and has pitched well in October, or Paxton, who will be playing in his first postseason?

Anyway, I was curious to see if having a "hot" pitcher heading into the postseason is a key factor for the eventual World Series champ. This is more anecdotal than anything -- plenty of hot pitchers have played on teams that flamed out in the first round -- but let's check in on recent champs to see if they had a hot starter.

2018 Red Sox: Ace Chris Sale was slowed by injury, but David Price was 5-1 with a 2.68 ERA in his final nine starts. Price struggled in his first playoff start but turned it around and ended his postseason blues. (I still think he should have won World Series MVP honors.)

2017 Astros: Justin Verlander came over in an Aug. 31 deal and went 5-0 with a 1.06 ERA in five starts. He was then a huge factor in the playoffs, especially in the ALCS against the Yankees, when he allowed one run in 16 innings, including a complete-game win in Game 2.

2016 Cubs: The Cubs had two red-hot starters in the final two months of 2016. Jon Lester went 8-1 with a 1.57 ERA, and Kyle Hendricks went 7-1 with a 1.72 ERA. Lester had a 2.02 ERA over 35⅔ innings in the playoffs and Hendricks a 1.42 ERA over 25⅓ innings.

2015 Royals: Kansas City's hottest starter was Yordano Ventura, who went 8-1 with a 3.26 ERA over the final two months. Ventura didn't have a great postseason, however, going 0-2 in five starts with a 6.43 ERA.

2014 Giants: Should we have seen Madison Bumgarner's historic postseason run coming? In his final 10 starts in August and September, he was 6-2 with a 2.12 ERA, with a meager .200/.230/.342 batting line allowed. He managed to do even better than that in October.

2013 Red Sox: Lester went 5-2 with a 2.78 ERA over the final two months, though his peripheral numbers weren't anything special other than two home runs allowed in 74⅓ innings. But he was great in October, going 4-1 in five starts with a 1.56 ERA, not allowing more than two runs in any of his starts and limiting batters to a .205/.265/.295 line.

2012 Giants: Matt Cain was easily the Giants' best pitcher down the stretch, going 6-2 with a 2.78 ERA the final two months. He went 2-2 with a 3.60 ERA in the postseason over five starts. Ryan Vogelsong (1.09 ERA in four starts) and Barry Zito (1.69 ERA in three starts) were the team's best starters in October.

Can Paxton be the Yankees' version of Jon Lester or even last year's David Price? He certainly has the stuff, and when he's a roll, he's a tough customer. One thing worth noting: Of the pitchers mentioned above, all except Vogelsong had previous postseason experience. I always feel that is overrated, but maybe there is something to having pitched with that pressure. Game 1 of the division series is a long way from a regular-season start in Seattle -- that's for sure.

Item No. 2: Braves beat the Phillies 7-2. The Braves continue to play their best baseball of the season and have gone 18-3 in their past 21 games, moving just three games behind the Dodgers for the best record in the National League. Mike Foltynewicz had his best start of the season: 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 7 SO, 1 HR. He threw 71 of 102 pitches for strikes, with the Phillies' chase rate of 37.2% helping him. He got 12 swing-and-misses after getting 14 in his previous two starts combined (both against a bad Blue Jays lineup). That isn't a huge number of misses, but it suggests the stuff is there. Indeed, Foltynewicz hit 97 mph with his fastest pitch of the night and kept the Phillies guessing by throwing his curveball and slider for strikes and mixing in a two-seamer that induced eight ground ball outs on his 14 balls in play.

Bryce Harper and Rhys Hoskins are now both slugging under .500. They've hardly been the biggest problems for the Phillies this season, but considering that 54 qualified regulars are slugging over .500, it's disappointing that those two, playing in a bandbox, haven't fared better. For all the issues in the rotation and the injures in the bullpen, the Phillies expected more from the meat of their order. They've been good ... but not great.

Item No. 3: Astros take more batting practice. A day after beating the Mariners 21-1, the Astros clobbered the A's 15-0, scoring 11 runs in the first two innings and snapping Mike Fiers' streak of 21 starts in a row without a loss. He had gone 12-0 with a 2.59 ERA in that stretch. The Astros' plus-35 run differential in two games is the fourth-best in two games since 1900 and the best since the 1953 Red Sox went plus-36 on June 17 and 18. Those Red Sox posted 17-1 and 23-3 wins over the Tigers. Get this: In the second game, the Red Sox scored 17 runs in the seventh inning! Gene Stephens had three hits in the inning as the Red Sox had 14 hits and six walks (with only one home run).

Yordan Alvarez blasted two home runs and is hitting .316/.409/.673 in 71 games. Since he won't get to 100 games, here's a list of best OPS over partial seasons by rookies since 1950 (minimum 200 PAs):

Willie McCovey, 1959 Giants: 1.085 OPS (.354/.429/.656)

Yordan Alvarez, 2019 Astros: 1.082 OPS (.316/.409/.673)

Luke Scott, 2006 Astros: 1.047 OPS (.336/.426/.621)

Gary Sanchez, 2016 Yankees: 1.032 OPS (.299/.376/.657)

Rhys Hoskins, 2017 Phillies: 1.014 OPS (.259/.396/.618)

Matt Olson, 2017 A's: 1.003 OPS (.259/.352/.651)

I get the feeling that Alvarez is going to be one of the most important figures this October, the lefty slugger who helps balance a lineup that mostly hits right-handed. Oh, and in 99 PAs against southpaws, Alvarez has hit .291/.374/.628.

Item No. 4: Brewers beat Miami 8-3 as Trent Grisham goes 5-for-6. The Brewers remained two games behind the Cubs for the second wild card (tied with the Diamondbacks and a half-game ahead of the Phillies). FanGraphs gives the Brewers a 25% chance of making the playoffs, but here's a big reason you shouldn't ignore them: three more at Miami, three at St. Louis, three vs. San Diego, three vs. Pittsburgh and season-ending series at Cincinnati and Colorado. The Brewers have the easiest remaining schedule of the wild-card contenders. That's good news, but it also means fewer head-to-head games to make up ground. Still, the schedule gives the Brewers a chance.

Item No. 5: Pete Alonso mashes two more home runs and Jacob deGrom goes seven strong innings in a 3-1 win over the Diamondbacks. Given the standings -- the Mets would need to jump four teams to get the second wild card -- this game was more about Arizona losing than the Mets winning. Still, kudos to Alonso for his two home runs off Merrill Kelly, giving him 47 and a two-homer lead over Mike Trout for most in the majors and bringing him within five of Aaron Judge's rookie record. Judge, however, did not lead the majors in home runs (that was the year Giancarlo Stanton hit 59). The only rookies to lead the majors: Mark McGwire in 1987 (49, tied with Andre Dawson) and, of course, Tim Jordan in 1906 (tied with Harry Davis).

Item No. 6: What a debut for Cubs rookie Nico Hoerner. Hoerner became the first player from the 2018 draft class to reach the majors. With Javier Baez and Addison Russell both out, the Cubs called up Hoerner, who last played on Sept. 2 in Double-A, to fill in at shortstop. All he did was go 3-for-5 with a triple, two runs scored and four RBIs.

Caroline Powell, John Wright and Steve Peters among winners on day five of the European Masters Champs in Italy

Britain won five more golds in the 400m on Monday as the European Masters Championships reached the halfway stage with Caroline Powell, John Wright and Steve Peters in record form.

In the field there were wins for Gintas Degutis and for Evaun Williams while at 10,000m Clare Elms won her fourth gold of the championships.

Powell (pictured above), the reigning world and European W60 400m champion, is now in the W65 age group and had not previously broken 70 seconds outdoors this summer. However, she blasted to an impressive European record 68.67.

Fellow Brit Joylyn Saunders-Mullins was the previous record-holder from her world win in Malaga last year, but here had to settle for silver four seconds back in 72.92.

M60 Wright (pictured below) was also in record-breaking form. Like Powell, he won his second gold of the games in a superb 55.13 to leave the opposition almost four seconds back for one of the most impressive wins by any athlete in any age group.

Though he narrowly missed the legendary Guido Muller’s European record, he did beat another legends mark as he erased Steve Peters’ UK record.

A race earlier, Peters had continued his remarkable run of successes. While far from fully fit – and in his first meeting since winning world titles in Malaga last summer – he won the M65 crown in 59.05 to win by over two seconds and also set a British record.

A recurrence of injury meant he had been unable to run in the British Masters, but the near one-year gap of competing until the 100m here did not seem to hinder him.

Peters has been titles regularly since 1994 and his win here meant he has won 38 consecutive European sprint titles over the last 25 years and it seems impossible he won’t extend that in the 200m. The 300m hurdles medallist Ian Broadhurst finished third in 61.86.

The other 400m gold was won by another stellar championships competitor Virginia Mitchell.

The reigning world, world indoor and European champion added to her many golds with a clear W55 win in 64.73 ahead of fellow Brit Janice Ellacott’s 67.24.

Other British 400m medallists were M35 David Awde (3rd, 50.92), M40 David Brown (3rd, 51.38), M75 Winston Laing (2nd 69.36), M80 Anthony Treacher (2nd in a British record 78.24), W35 Fiona de Mauny (2nd 59.06) and W70 Ros Tabor (2nd 84.01).

Tabor, who won the 1500m is the only Briton who attempted the cross-country and 400m double on successive days and won silver in both.

Another triple individual medallist is Evaun Williams. The W80 thrower won the discus by over three metres in 23.80m.

Clare Elms also won her third individual gold, to also go with her team gold when she provided the only British women’s success at 10,000m.

Having only run her first track 10,000m a week earlier, she was a little wary in very hot conditions and stayed behind cross-country runner-up Sabine Hofer before picking up in the last 3km to win by 40 seconds from Sweden’s Karin Schon.

The other gold went to Lithuanian-born Gintas Degutis, who fought off hard German opposition to win the M45 shot with a 14.68m throw.

Gintas Degutis wins European Masters M45 shot for Britain in a season’s best 14.68m @emacvenice2019 pic.twitter.com/vR7c4oAEGP

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) September 9, 2019

Joanne Frost won a W40 silver medal in the long jump which was matched by W75 Iris Holder.

Victor Adcock was third in the M80 javelin with a 29.76m throw. Gold went to Finland’s Jouni Tenhu, who broke his own world record with a 45.85m final round throw after coming close with a 44.47m and 44.84m in the second and third round.

Geoff Tyler could only finish fourth in the M70 shot with a 13.12m throw but had the consolation of a British record.

The medals table changed again and this time Germany have surged ahead with 51 gold, 49 silver and 52 bronze medals to Italy’s 48, 40, 37 and Britain’s 40, 33, 40.

Finland are a distant fourth with 24, 12, 11. Tuesday is a rest day.

Headline
By MATT COLES – Squash Mad Correspondent in Nantes

There was a major English shock as France’s Benjamin Aubert and Enora Villard have made the most of their wildcard spots, as they both won their first round matches at the Open de France – Nantes 2019 presented by Tailor Capital at La Maison du Squash.

World No.56 Enora Villard kicked the PSA Silver event off with a surprise victory over Belgian World No.27 Tinne Gilis in straight games, in the best-of-three format being trialled in Nantes.

The Frenchwoman, ranked 29 places below her first round opponent in Nantes, took an early lead in the first game, one that she would not relinquish.

She did the same in the second, moving out to a 6-2 lead at one point. Although Gilis looked like fighting back at times, Villard battled through to take her place in the second round, beating the Belgian for the first time in her fledgling career.

“The physical side of things played an enormous role today. I was always a fighter, but I was lacking a bit on the speed and the explosivity sides of things. And although I would pick up a lot of shots, I would be a bit late on the ball and not be able to act on them,” Villard said.

“But now, I managed to get early on the ball, and it gives me more choices, and the feeling that I can pick up much more. Those three months of preparation with my coaches, who invested a lot of time and effort in me, really paid off. I felt a bit more pressure today but Philippe reminded me that she is still the favourite, and that I shouldn’t feel I had to win. That helped to keep me relaxed.”

Meanwhile, World No.90 Benjamin Aubert produced the victory of the afternoon as he downed Germany’s World No.27 Raphael Kandra in a mammoth three-game battle.

The pair duked it out for 59 minutes at La Maison du Squash, with all three games reaching a conclusion in tie-breaks, as the Frenchman came back from a game down to win.

Kandra, fresh from winning the European Individual Championship, took the first 12-10, but Aubert fought back, winning the second 13-11 to force a decider. Both men had match balls, but it was the Frenchman that came out on top.

“At the start I was just petrified with pressure. I couldn’t see the ball leaving his racquet, and was finding it difficult to read his left hander shots,” Aubert admitted.

“But I managed to come back, and lost only a close game, that put me back in the game I have to say. The next two will be a bit lucky at times I feel, it was maybe down to the one that wanted it more.

“I was aware he was coming back from Bucharest and the European individuals. And also, I was so honoured to have been awarded that wild card, I wanted to make them proud, and I hope I managed to do just that.”

Mathieu Castagnet and Coline Aumard also made it through to the second round, with the pair both having to survive scares in their first round clashes.

Aumard faced off against compatriot Melissa Alves for a place in the last 16, and it was all going well after she won the first game. However, Alves came back into the match, reeling off a string of points to win the second. The World No.33 went on to secure victory after battling back in the third game, booking her place in the second round, and setting up a clash with the tournament’s No.1 seed, Camille Serme.

Meanwhile, compatriot Mathieu Castagnet lost the first game of his clash against India’s Ramit Tandon on a tie-break, only for the Frenchman to fight back, eventually taking the honours after 47 minutes. He goes on to face reigning champion Declan James on the wonderful glass court at the Chateau des ducs de Bretagne on Tuesday evening. 

There was a major shock in an all-English battle as Nathan Lake stunned Daryl Selby with an 11-2, 11-6 victory in just 22 minutes. Selby told his Twitter followers: “Nathan played great today. I knew I was short but didn’t realise I was that short! Disappointing start to the season but four weeks training now in prep for US Open.” Lake now meets three-time champion Greg Marche of France.

Chris Simpson beat namesake Ben and faces James Willstrop in what promises to be a testing early-season challenge for both Yorkshire-based players.

George Parker’s reward for his victory over Egypt’s Mazen Gamal is a tough task against No.2 seed Paul Coll of New Zealand, last season’s popular Canary Wharf champion.

Top seed Simon Rösner of Germany meets veteran Spaniard Borja Golan, runner-up in Bucharest at the weekend.

Scotland’s Alan Clyne beat home hope Baptiste Masotti and now faces an all-British clash with No.3 seed Joel Makin of Wales.

Clyne’s wife, the American Olivia Blatchford-Clyne, meets Nadine Shain of Egypt. British contingent Sarah-Jane Perry, Alison Waters, Millie Tomlinson, Emily Whitlock and Scotland’s Lisa Aitken will all be in action in the second round.

Lake’s girlfriend Hayley Mendez overcame Egypt’s Mayar Hany and now faces an all-American clash with the formidable No.3 seed Amanda Sobhy, who is making her first appearance in Nantes.

Open de France – Nantes.

Men’s First Round:
Nathan Lake (ENG) bt Daryl Selby (ENG) 2-0: 11-2, 11-6 (22m)
[WC] Benjamin Aumard (FRA) bt Raphael Kandra (GER) 2-1: 10-12, 13-11, 12-10 (59m)
Chris Simpson (ENG) bt Ben Simpson (ENG) 2-0: 11-8, 11-5 (32m)
Alan Clyne (SCO) bt Baptiste Masotti (FRA) 2-0: 11-4, 11-8 (30m)
Youssef Ibrahim (EGY) bt Iker Pajares Bernabeu (ESP) 2-0: 12-10, 11-9 (30m)
George Parker (ENG) bt Mazen Gamal (EGY) 2-0: 11-9, 11-8 (32m)
Borja Golan (ESP) bt Richie Fallows (ENG) 2-1: 11-13, 11-9, 11-4 (47m)
Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) bt Ramit Tandon (IND) 2-1: 10-12, 11-4, 12-10 (36m)

Women’s First Round:
[WC] Enora Villard (FRA) bt Tinne Gilis (BEL) 2-0: 11-9, 11-7 (24m)
Lisa Aitken (SCO) bt Farida Mohamed (EGY) 2-0: 11-5, 11-8 (20m)
Milou van der Heijden (NED) bt Olivia Fiechter (USA) 2-1: 9-11, 11-7, 11-9 (28m)
Nadine Shahin (EGY) bt Lucy Turmel (ENG) 2-1: 11-4, 7-11, 11-7 (29m)
Haley Mendez (USA) bt Mayar Hany (EGY) 2-1: 11-7, 5-11, 11-7 (27m)
Alexandra Fuller (RSA) bt Julianne Courtice (ENG) 2-0: 11-7, 11-5 (18m)
Coline Aumard (FRA) bt Melissa Alves (FRA) 2-1: 11-7, 9-11, 11-8 (37m)
Emily Whitlock (ENG) bt Menna Nasser (EGY) 2-0: 11-9, 11-7 (20m)

Men’s Second Round: (Tuesday 10th September 10):
[1] Simon Rösner (GER) v Borja Golan (ESP)
Nathan Lake (ENG) v [6] Gregoire Marche (FRA)
[5] Fares Dessouky (EGY) v [WC] Benjamin Aubert (FRA)
Alan Clyne (SCO) v [3] Joel Makin (WAL)
[4] Zahed Salem (EGY) v Youssef Ibrahim (EGY)
Chris Simpson (ENG) v [8] James Willstrop (ENG)
[7] Declan James (ENG) v Mathieu Castagnet (FRA)
George Parker (ENG) v [2] Paul Coll (NZL)

Women’s Second Round:
[1] Camille Serme (FRA) v Coline Aumard (FRA)
Milou van der Heijden (NED) v [8] Millie Tomlinson (ENG)
[5] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) v Lisa Aitken (SCO)
[WC] Enora Villard (FRA) v [4] Alison Waters (ENG)
[3] Amanda Sobhy (USA) v Haley Mendez (USA)
Nadine Shahin (EGY) v [7] Olivia Blatchford Clyne (USA)
[6] Nele Gilis (BEL) v Emily Whitlock (ENG)
Alexandra Fuller (RSA) v [2] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)

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

Pictures courtesy of PSA

CONCORD, N.C. — Veteran NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour driver Andy Seuss is uniting with team owner Danny Watts to compete in the Sept. 21 Musket 250 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Seuss, a two-time champion of the defunct NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour who has made a number of ARCA Menards Series starts in the last few years, will wheel Watts’ No. 82 modified during his third series start of the season. Seuss is from Hampstead, N.H., so the race will serve as a home game for the 32-year-old racer.

“I’m pretty excited that I got the call to drive the No. 82 at Loudon,” Seuss told SPEED SPORT Monday afternoon. “Danny’s got really good equipment and hopefully we can take my experience there and add on it.”

The opportunity for Seuss to drive the No. 82 arose after Watts parted ways with full-time driver Woody Pitkat in late August. Pitkat joined the team in 2017 after Watts’ previous driver Ted Christopher died in a plane crash.

Chase Dowling replaced Pitkat at Oswego (N.Y.) Speedway Aug. 31 and Tom Rogers Jr. drove the No. 82 at Riverhead (N.Y.) Raceway last Saturday night, leading a race-high 113 laps before finishing ninth.

“I’ve known Andy for a little while. He kind of strikes me as a hard-working kid and he’s kind of done pretty good for what he has and I figured I’d use him for New Hampshire and see how we do,” Watts said. “I liked what he did in one of his ARCA races. I know that he does pretty good with the little bit that he’s got. I talked with my crew chief on it and he was all for it.”

Seuss has made sporadic starts across a number of different divisions in recent years, including making his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series debut on July 21 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for Rick Ware Racing. He finished 28th.

Watts’ team has a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory this year, which came with Pitkat at the wheel when the tour visited Wall (N.J.) Stadium Speedway in May. Knowing he’ll be driving a winning car has Seuss excited for the Musket 250.

“He’s always had really good stuff,” Seuss said of Watts’ operation. “They’ve won multiple tour races, they’ve won a race this year. That kind of speaks for itself. That itself is really exciting, to drive for a team that has won this year and also just to have this faith that I can get it done in his equipment.”

Both men say they expect to run in the top-five or top-10 during the Musket 250, which pays a whopping $25,000 to the winner.

“Hopefully we can adapt quickly as a team,” Seuss said. “I don’t see why we can’t come out with a top-five and compete for a win. The last few teams in our own family equipment we’ve been able to do that. That’s being a smaller, part-time team with a little bit dated equipment.

“I think hopefully we can take what my experience has got me and just capitalize on Danny’s first-rate team.”

Watts told SPEED SPORT that right now the agreement to put Seuss in the car is only a one-race deal. He noted he has another deal he’s working on to fill the seat of his modified for the remainder of the season.

“I have another deal in the works that we’re just trying to iron out the particulars and get done some commitments that were done before,” Watts said. “I don’t want to stand in anybody’s way. We’ll see what happens.”

Seuss said the only other event on his schedule for this year is the North-South Shootout at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway, where he’s expecting to drive for Eddie Harvey, the same man who owned his championship-winning cars in the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour.

“Tentatively, I’m going to run the North-South Shootout for Eddie Harvey, so that’ll be fun,” Seuss said. “I haven’t really been able to commit to a full-time team. Just trying to keep my options open for the stock car side of my career. Luckily that has paid off. I’d love to end up in a full-time, top-notch modified like this. If not, things are going good elsewise.”

MOORESVILLE, N.C. – For Simon Pagenaud, his prized dog Norman is more than his pet; the Jack Russell terrier is part of the family.

Now, Norman is part of Indianapolis 500 history.

Pagenaud received the Baby Borg trophy Monday morning at Team Penske’s headquarters in Mooresville, N.C. When the miniature replica of the famed Borg-Warner Trophy presented to Indianapolis 500 winners was unveiled, Pagenaud was stunned to see the sculpted images of himself and Norman on the base of the Baby Borg.

“It’s a funny surprise because I didn’t expect that at all,” Pagenaud said. “It just shows the impact that having Norman next to me has on the industry of racing. I’m glad to see that my dog is becoming immortal, so that is pretty cool.

“That moment in victory lane after winning the Indianapolis 500 when he was there will always be a moment (fiancée) Hailey (McDermott) and I remember our whole lives. It will be the best moment of our life until we have kids together.

“This will always be our little family at that time.”

Norman was part of the celebration in Indianapolis Motor Speedway Victory Lane after Pagenaud won the 103rd Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 26. It’s one of the few times in history that a dog has been with the winning driver after winning the biggest race in the world and the first time a Team Penske driver has celebrated the win with a pet.

Pagenaud won Indianapolis 500 from the pole 15 days after he also won the IndyCar Grand Prix on the IMS road course in the No. 22 Menards Team Penske Chevrolet.

In addition to Pagenaud receiving his Baby Borg at the Team Penske employee breakfast, team owner Roger Penske received a record-extending 18th Baby Borg trophy. That is 13 more Baby Borgs than the next-closest winning owner.

“Seventeen times I never saw a dog in the winner’s circle,” Penske said. “For the 18th time, we should recognize that. Will Behrends, the sculptor of the Borg-Warner Trophy, was motivated to make this extra special dog face for Simon as we went forward.

“No one in the history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has won the road race, the Indianapolis 500 pole and the race in the same two-week span. Simon will go down in the history book for that, for sure.”

In addition, BorgWarner made a $20,000 donation to IndyHumane, the Humane Society of Indianapolis, to help shelter dogs and help families adopt those dogs.

The donation was made in Pagenaud’s name, in recognition of his 2019 Indianapolis 500 win. IndyHumane has been a favorite charity of Pagenaud’s for a number of years, beginning when he lived in the Indianapolis area.

Pagenaud fostered a dog for Indy Humane during the Month of May in 2014. Also, Pagenaud participated in the organization’s signature fundraising event, Mutt Strut at IMS. IndyHumane has served Indianapolis and the surrounding counties since 1905. It provides vital services to animals through sheltering and adopting animals, positive reinforcement behavior training for shelter animals, and outreach through community and shelter programs.

“I’ve been very close to animals my whole life,” Pagenaud said. “I’ve had dogs since I was a little kid and I’ve been raised around dogs. I have an affection to animals.

“Personally, this was a big surprise I wasn’t expecting. It was an overwhelming moment.”

BorgWarner CEO Fred Lissalde said when the company saw the reaction on social media when Pagenaud and Norman were in victory lane together at Indy, it was decided to make Norman part of Pagenaud’s Baby Borg.

“The Indianapolis 500 is one of the most coveted races wins in all of motorsports, and it is BorgWarner’s honor to present the keepsake trophies to Simon and Roger,” Lissalde said. “Presenting the Baby Borg to Simon, a fellow countryman from France, for winning the Indianapolis 500 is personally a job for me.”

Pagenaud has posed with the Borg-Warner Trophy in victory lane at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and the trophy accompanied him to the White House when the team was honored by President Trump on June 10 and most recently went to his native France.

The Borg-Warner Trophy has returned to its permanent home at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. The Baby Borg, however, is the one Pagenaud gets to keep.

“That’s another amazing gesture of BorgWarner to allow the winner to have a memory of it,” Pagenaud said. “It’s a beautiful piece, and with the base, it goes well together. It’s going to be dead center in the middle of all of my other trophies.

“It is the most valuable personally and emotionally, and for the dream that I have had since I was a little kid to get to this point is my goal. I’m living my dream life.”

The Borg-Warner Trophy was unveiled in 1936 as a symbol of technology and innovation in racing and is the most coveted motorsports prize.

CHILI, N.Y. – Donald A. (Don) Toal passed away at age 83 in Chili, N.Y., on Sept. 7.

A longtime NASCAR official, Don was a regular fixture at Spencer and Lancaster Speedways. Aa an employee of the Eastman Kodak Co. in Rochester, N.Y., Don was a former president of the Kodak Park Athletic Ass’n Auto Racing Boosters Club.

Toal and his wife, Marilyn, helped promote the Race of Champions going back to its Langhorne days in 1965. Don Toal was inducted into Race of Champions Hall of Fame as well as the FOAR Score Fan Club Hall of Fame. In 2014, Don and Marilyn Toal were bestowed the Junie Donlavey Spirit of the Sport Award by the Eastern Motorsports Press Ass’n for raising more than $1 million in lap money for RoC drivers over the decades.

He is survived by his loving wife of 60 years, Marilyn; daughter, Colleen D’Hondt; and grandchildren, Meghan and Thomas D’Hondt. A funeral mass will be held Sept. 12 at St. Pius X Church in Chili, N.Y.

In preparation for the second running of the Bank of America ROVAL 400, Charlotte Motor Speedway took members of the media for a ride around the updated ROVAL circuit on Monday, Sept. 9. SPEED SPORT was there to check out the circuit and captured this video of a lap around the ROVAL.