For a second consecutive week, the Dodgers just barely held off the Yankees to cling to the No. 1 spot in our rankings, getting just one more first-place vote. In a Power Rankings vote that saw 22 different teams move up or down this week, everybody might have to look over their shoulders.

The most significant moves came in a shakeup in the top 10, where the Rays slipped out for the first time since Opening Day, replaced by an Indians team that shot up four spots to No. 7 as they start putting heat on the Twins in the suddenly reignited American League Central race. And they're right behind the high-rising A's, who clambered up to No. 6 in our rankings while putting heat on the Astros in the AL West. The Nationals have already made a remarkable in-season comeback to close in on the Braves in the National League East while reaching our top 10, but the Cardinals could be next as they pursue the Cubs in the NL Central.

Beyond that, we saw some big swings in the west, where we find some major gains and losses. The Giants made the single largest advance, rising five slots just in time to make you wonder if they have one last wild-card run in the tank instead of dealing veteran ace Madison Bumgarner. But that gain was matched by the Rockies' decline, whose flagging fortunes were reflected in a five-spot tumble. And the Rangers suffered an even larger drop, falling six rungs as they drift back toward .500.

With all of these races, the question remains: Can everybody be caught, even the Dodgers? We'll have to see.

For Week 15, our panel of voters was composed of Bradford Doolittle, Christina Kahrl, Eric Karabell, Tim Kurkjian and David Schoenfield.

Previous: Preseason | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12 | Week 13 | Week 14 | Week 15

1. Los Angeles Dodgers

2019 record: 67-35
Week 15 ranking: 1

Chris Taylor landed on the injured list because of a fracture in his left forearm that will keep him out four to six weeks. That could open the door for 21-year-old Gavin Lux, who has been tearing the cover off the ball since his promotion to Triple-A (he hit .500 with six home runs his first 14 games). The Dodgers will also be looking to add to their bullpen at the trade deadline, maybe somebody like Shane Greene of the Tigers or, if they want to think big, Felipe Vazquez of the Pirates (who would probably want Lux in return). -- David Schoenfield

2. New York Yankees

2019 record: 64-34
Week 15 ranking: 2

The Yankees make a pitching roster change almost every day, but it's mostly a revolving door with the same group of pitchers. In fact, only the Reds have used fewer pitchers than the Yankees so far. Those guys have also given the Yankees some unheralded work -- Nestor Cortes Jr. and David Hale, for example, are a combined 6-0 with a 3.48 ERA in 67⅓ innings. -- Schoenfield

ICYMI: How DJ LeMahieu became a household name in the Bronx

3. Houston Astros

2019 record: 64-37
Week 15 ranking: 4

The Astros are getting healthy and are gaining momentum. After an injury-riddled pitching staff struggled for a fairly long stretch, this past week Houston gave up eight total runs in four straight wins against divisional opponents. Meanwhile, Yuli Gurriel remains the hottest hitter in baseball; his 60 total bases in July are eight more than any other MLB hitter, and he's slashing .373/.408/.896 during the month. Gurriel won't keep that up, but if he maintains a reasonable amount of mashing, the Astros have a nearly perfect lineup. -- Bradford Doolittle

ICYMI: Should the Astros target Marcus Stroman?

4. Minnesota Twins

2019 record: 60-38
Week 15 ranking: 3

The Twins are a much better team when Byron Buxton is healthy and patrolling center field. They have a sub-.500 record without him, and his outfield aggressiveness landed him on the seven-day concussion list recently. At the plate, the Twins feel as if anything Buxton gives them is enough, and he is hardly a liability, slugging .490. Buxton is also the team's primary base stealer, and he could end up with half the team's total. Bottom line: He is fun to watch and a crucial player. -- Eric Karabell

ICYMI: Why Buxton is the Twins' key player in the second half

5. Atlanta Braves

2019 record: 60-41
Week 15 ranking: 5

With Max Fried on the IL because of a blister problem, Kevin Gausman still on the IL, and Mike Foltynewicz owning a 5.09 ERA in Triple-A, the Braves gave Kyle Wright another shot, and it didn't go well as he gave up seven runs in 2⅔ innings to the Nationals on Thursday. Given some of this uncertainty in the rotation, the pressure to acquire a starter is picking up steam. -- Schoenfield

6. Oakland Athletics

2019 record: 57-43
Week 15 ranking: 8

Since coming off the injured list May 7, Matt Olson has been on a tear for the A's. His .372 wOBA ranks second among AL first basemen during that time (and seventh overall in MLB). And though a pull hitter who often sees defenses shift against him, he's a perfect 5-for-5 on bunt hits, the only player with 20 or more homers and five or more bunt hits. -- Christina Kahrl

7. Cleveland Indians

2019 record: 57-41
Week 15 ranking: 11

Do the Indians still think they need outfield help as the trade deadline approaches? Since June 21, when they cut Leonys Martin and made Oscar Mercado their everyday center fielder flanked by Tyler Naquin in right and a Jake Bauers/Jordan Luplow platoon in left, the Tribe's outfielders rank a collective fifth in MLB for offensive production with a .370 wOBA. And with Jose Ramirez showing signs of life at the plate since the break, with three homers in 10 games, maybe they're ready to let it ride while seeing if they can overtake the Twins. -- Kahrl

ICYMI: Should Tribe let it ride or trade Trevor Bauer?

8. Chicago Cubs

2019 record: 54-45
Week 15 ranking: 10

All along, it figured the Cubs would be the one NL Central team capable of pulling away in the division race. In coming out of the gate after the All-Star break with seven wins in eight games, all at Wrigley Field, Chicago is looking like the front-runner it was supposed to be. But the Cubs' upcoming road trip includes back-to-back series at St. Louis and Milwaukee. We should know after that what kind of race we're going to have. -- Doolittle

ICYMI: Darvish wins at Wrigley for first time with Cubs

9. Washington Nationals

2019 record: 52-46
Week 15 ranking: 9

In Thursday's victory, Stephen Strasburg became the first pitcher since Edwin Jackson in 2010 to homer and get a second hit in the same inning. Strasburg also became the first Nationals pitcher to drive in five runs in a game. Strasburg won a Silver Slugger in 2012 when he hit .277 with a home run, four doubles and seven RBIs, but even after his big game he's hitting just .136 with one home run and six RBIs in 2019. -- Schoenfield

ICYMI: Remember the buzz about the Nats trading Mad Max? Ancient history

10. Boston Red Sox

2019 record: 54-46
Week 15 ranking: 7

Yes, Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez haven't been as dominant as last season, and Andrew Benintendi hasn't been as good. Still, the Red Sox are second in MLB in runs per game at 5.66, bracketed by the Yankees and Twins. A big key has obviously been Rafael Devers, who has been scorching hot in July. Remember, he went homerless in 30 games in April and now leads the AL in total bases. -- Schoenfield

ICYMI: Price responds as spat with Eckersley resurfaces

11. Tampa Bay Rays

2019 record: 57-45
Week 15 ranking: 6

Just when it looked as if the Rays had recaptured their early-season prowess, they were erased in a three-game drubbing at Yankee Stadium, getting outscored 19-6 in the process. Then they went out and lost a home series to the White Sox, who had been struggling more than any team in the majors since the break. Wth Kevin Kiermaier heading for an MRI to determine the severity of a sprained thumb, Tampa Bay's season threatens to fly off the rails. -- Doolittle

ICYMI: Ex-Rays prospect pivots to Supreme Court clerk

12. Arizona Diamondbacks

2019 record: 50-50
Week 15 ranking: 13

What are the Diamondbacks going to do at the trade deadline? If general manager Mike Hazen's approach is going to be dictated by where Arizona resides in the standings, the answer to that question remains murky. The past week provided little clarity, as the Snakes alternated resounding wins with punchless losses. The next week might provide more concrete clues: Arizona has three at home against Baltimore, followed by a four-game series at Miami. If they can't rise above mediocrity over the next seven days, this might not be a roster worth adding to. -- Doolittle

ICYMI: Selling starting pitching? Act fast

13. St. Louis Cardinals

2019 record: 51-47
Week 15 ranking: 16

Seven wins in their first 10 games since the break have moved the Cardinals into third place in the NL Central, but only 2½ games behind the first-place Cubs. The next 17 days will be the best test of the team's contender status. After a four-game series at Pittsburgh to begin this week, the team will face three first-place teams: the Astros, Cubs and Dodgers. -- Tristan H. Cockcroft

14. Milwaukee Brewers

2019 record: 53-48
Week 15 ranking: 14

Good teams with shaky bullpens either plug those holes or end up missing the playoffs, or flop once they are there. The Brewers at least had the starting point of having Josh Hader while they searched for additional solutions. Unfortunately, those haven't arrived and the Milwaukee pen has collapsed. The Brewers have given up 48 runs in 59⅓ relief innings in July and rank 27th with a 6.52 ERA during the month. This had better change fast. -- Doolittle

15. Los Angeles Angels

2019 record: 52-49
Week 15 ranking: 18

The first 162 games of Shohei Ohtani as a hitter went better than expected, as he hit .292 with 36 home runs, 101 RBIs and 16 stolen bases. That is terrific offensive output, even for this era. Ohtani, who figures to split future seasons on the mound and at the plate, simply hasn't shown many weaknesses. He hammers right-handed pitching, but his OPS against lefties is above .800. He hits fastballs and off-speed stuff. He runs. Some wonder if Ohtani should be a hitter-only asset, and it is a reasonable notion. -- Karabell

ICYMI: How the Angels honored Skaggs with emotional, historic tribute

16. Philadelphia Phillies

2019 record: 52-48
Week 15 ranking: 15

Rookie outfielder Adam Haseley should get a legitimate chance at regular playing time in center field. Haseley, who hit his first big league home run this past week against the Dodgers, does not project as a big power option, but he makes contact and should hit for average. The Phillies lack depth -- in more than a few areas -- but Haseley, a Virginia product rushed to the majors, could really help them even if he is just league average. If only he could help the bullpen, too. -- Karabell

ICYMI: Why is Bryce Harper's new team behind Bryce Harper's old team?

17. San Francisco Giants

2019 record: 50-50
Week 15 ranking: 22

Since locking in prospect Tyler Beede on May 30, the Giants' rotation has stabilized, ranking sixth in innings and 12th in ERA, big improvements from 26th and 25th beforehand. The other major initial problem unit, the outfield, has been equally remarkable in its turnaround -- since adding Alex Dickerson on June 21, Giants outfielders are second in the majors in isolated slugging (.272), trailing only the Dodgers (.293). -- Kahrl

ICYMI: Will rising Giants be buyers or sellers?

18. Texas Rangers

2019 record: 50-49
Week 15 ranking: 12

Danny Santana batted 32 times in the major leagues for Atlanta last season -- and hit .179 -- and seemed an afterthought pickup by the Rangers this January. Then a funny thing happened. Santana started hitting and continues to do so. Santana has already batted more times in the majors this season in any year since 2014. He is hitting better than .300 and on pace for more than 20 home runs and perhaps 20 steals. Danny Santana? Good for him, good for the Rangers. -- Karabell

ICYMI: Lefty Minor getting sick of trade talk

19. Cincinnati Reds

2019 record: 44-53
Week 15 ranking: 19

The Reds are sinking after seven losses in their first 10 games after the All-Star break, and the team will need a swift turnaround to stay afloat. Injuries -- David Hernandez is on the IL because of a shoulder issue -- absences -- Raisel Iglesias recently missed time while on the paternity list -- and otherwise poor performance by the Reds' bullpen has been a lot of the reason, as the team's 5.17 relief ERA since the break ranks 22nd. -- Cockcroft

20. Pittsburgh Pirates

2019 record: 46-52
Week 15 ranking: 20

The Pirates' bats haven't woken up since the break, and their five home runs as a team during that span ranks last in the majors. Fortunately for the team, its top two healthy starting pitchers have given it a fighting chance, as Chris Archer has delivered back-to-back quality starts to begin his second half, and Joe Musgrove tossed six good innings while tying his season high of eight strikeouts in Saturday's victory. -- Cockcroft

ICYMI: Why Bucs should and shouldn't trade Felipe Vazquez

21. San Diego Padres

2019 record: 47-52
Week 15 ranking: 21

Seeking to inject some life into an offense that had averaged 3.6 runs per game while scoring more than five runs only once in its first 14 games of July, the Padres recalled prospect Luis Urias, who batted .314/.398/.603 with 18 home runs and 49 RBIs in 69 games for Triple-A El Paso between his most recent big league stints. The Padres have gotten a slash line of .233/.308/.377 out of their second basemen this season. -- Cockcroft

22. Colorado Rockies

2019 record: 47-52
Week 15 ranking: 17

Getting swept by the Giants, at the time the NL West's last-place team, at Coors Field added to a miserable month for the Rockies. The team has only three wins in 15 games in July, endured a six-game losing streak during the past week and has gotten an MLB-worst 9.25 ERA from its starters since the break. German Marquez gave up 11 runs in 2⅔ innings to open that series against the Giants, setting the tone for the week. -- Cockcroft

23. New York Mets

2019 record: 45-54
Week 15 ranking: 24

Are we nearing the end of the Noah Syndergaard era as a Met? The big right-hander lowered his ERA to 4.36 against the Giants on Thursday, though he earned a no-decision, and his most recent loss occurred more than two months ago. He really hasn't been the team's biggest problem. Still, the Mets have many needs and the trade deadline is approaching, and Syndergaard, if dealt, would bring back depth and, presumably, youth. Stay tuned: Other Mets are on the block, too. -- Karabell

ICYMI: Thor won't come cheap in any deal

24. Chicago White Sox

2019 record: 44-52
Week 15 ranking: 23

The face-plant the White Sox performed coming out of the break wasn't so much disappointing because it destroyed their fringe wild-card hopes. After all, at least the seven-game skid provides some deadline clarity, and Chicago was merely becoming the team its run differential said it was. But for the ChiSox, it's all about the trajectory. Forget about the playoffs in 2019; it's important for Chicago to recreate the perception of forward momentum heading into the offseason. -- Doolittle

25. Toronto Blue Jays

2019 record: 38-63
Week 15 ranking: 26

Marcus Stroman's seven-inning gem against the Tigers on Friday was the highlight of the Blue Jays' week, though it seemed to be more a showcase for scouts from other teams. With it, Stroman lowered his ERA to what would be a career-best 3.06, and he's now on pace for a career high with 21 quality starts. Here's the problem, though, if Stroman is indeed traded: Excluding him, the Blue Jays' ERA from their starters is a combined 6.24, which would be more than a quarter-run worse than any other team this season. -- Cockcroft

26. Seattle Mariners

2019 record: 40-62
Week 15 ranking: 25

How bad has Seattle's pitching been? Very bad. In the first half, opponents hit .269/.333/.476 off the Mariners. That's not good. In the first five games of the second half heading into the weekend, opponents hit .314/.397/.663 and scored 13, 9, 6, 9 and 10 runs. The offense countered by scoring nine runs total. So much fun in Seattle these days. When does that NHL team start play? -- Schoenfield

ICYMI: Leake loses perfect game in ninth, but blanks Angels

27. Kansas City Royals

2019 record: 37-64
Week 15 ranking: 28

Royals pitching has been anything but good this season, but give closer Ian Kennedy some props. Kennedy entered the season with 289 starts, still among the top 20 for active hurlers, and with nary a save. He has flourished as a closer, giving the team back-end stability, and could surpass 25 saves for the season; the team's save leaders in 2018 had 14. Kennedy in June: 0.96 ERA and eight saves. July has been solid, too. Perhaps the Royals can actually flip Kennedy, 34, before the deadline. -- Karabell

ICYMI: Royals trade C Maldonado to Cubs

28. Miami Marlins

2019 record: 36-61
Week 15 ranking: 27

The improbable saga of rookie Jordan Yamamoto took another twist Sunday. Facing the Dodgers with an unblemished record and having never given up more than two earned runs in his first six MLB starts, he took his first real major-league beating, giving up five earned runs in four innings to suffer his first MLB loss. -- Kahrl

29. Baltimore Orioles

2019 record: 31-67
Week 15 ranking: 30

As ugly as the season has been, the Orioles are 8-9 in their past 17 games, and have held opponents to two runs or fewer in nine of those games. The lack of pitching depth is still telling -- they've lost five of those 17 games by five or more runs -- but they've slowly morphed into a more competitive club. Less helpful is Chris Davis, still only "good" for just a .674 OPS since snapping his season-opening 12-game hitless streak. -- Kahrl

30. Detroit Tigers

2019 record: 30-65
Week 15 ranking: 29

The Tigers' stock to trade from to shore up their rebuilding effort is getting smaller. Matthew Boyd hasn't thrown a quality start in six weeks (posting a 6.62 ERA with 11 homers allowed in 35⅓ innings across six turns) and Jordan Zimmermann has seen his ERA go up by two full runs in July. So they might have just closer Shane Greene and designated hitter-to-be Nicholas Castellanos to work from. -- Kahrl

Will Barnicoat among winners as Osian Perrin breaks Welsh under-17 3000m best

Coverage of the Müller Anniversary Games can be found here, while European U20 Championships reports are here.

SIAB International, Swansea, Wales, July 20

The SIAB International was held at Swansea University Athletics Stadium and hosted by the Welsh Schools’ Athletics Association and Welsh Athletics, Nathan Phillips reports.

In traditional Welsh style, the weather brought a mix of sun, wind and rain to make the event more of a challenge for the athletes. However, this did not stop some of them who broke three championship best performances and one under-17 Welsh record that had stood for over 40 years.

There was a whole host of strong and talented performances throughout the day. The day started with a championship best performance in the girls’ hammer by Scotland’s Kirsty Costello with a throw of 64.07m. Her team-mate Isla Calvert also ran a CBP in the 800m in 2:06.41. Then came England’s turn in the shot with Nana Gyedu throwing a massive 15.64m which beats the old record by over 50cm.

England’s Sam Brereton won gold in the high jump and was close to jumping a CBP but missed out by just 3cm, jumping 2.09m. His team-mate Sophie Ashurst was also just one jump away from a CBP but had to settle for gold in a big jump of 3.76m.

Off the back of his championship best performance set at the Welsh Schools just a few weeks before, Osian Perrin ran in the 3000m determined to win gold. English runner William Barnicoat took it out followed by the Welshman and despite trying twice on the last lap to get the win, Perrin had to settle for silver but his determination to drive all the way helped him break Colin Clarkson’s Welsh record of 8:25.2, setting a new mark of 8:23.64.

Clarkson said: “I live in the United States but I still follow what is going on in athletics in the homelands. I honestly can’t believe that it has taken 40 years to break that record, it’s probably one of the last ones I held! Congratulations to Osian, I hope he goes on to have a successful career.”

The SIAB International is a chance for young talented athletes to compete alongside each other and get their first taste of international and high level competition. Meeting manager Steve Jones said: “It has been a fantastic day of athletics with plenty of young talent on display.”

Full results can be found on the Welsh Athletics website and photos of the event on bowdensphotography.com

Castell Howell International Snowdon Race, Wales, July 20

Over 600 runners raced Wales’ top mountain race, which uses a 10-mile out and back route, starting and finishing in Llanberis and scaling Wales’ highest mountain, Alex Donald reports.

Light rain throughout the morning cleared leaving good conditions for the race which incorporated the fourth round of the 2019 WMRA World Cup.

Andy Douglas had already amassed a lead of around 15 seconds early on the course where the steep road section makes way for the start of the mountain path, with the Scotsman reaching the summit in 40:48, over a minute ahead of Italy’s Martin Dematteis.

The fast descending Inverclyde AC athlete increased his lead on the way back down to the village, posting a time of 64:04, with a margin of two and a half minutes over Dematteis who finished in 66:34. It was one of the fastest times seen at the race and close to Kenny Stuart’s 62:29 course record from 1985.

The Italian’s twin brother Bernard was not far behind in third.

Zak Hanna was the next man home, leading his Ireland team but unable to prevent Scotland winning the team event with Douglas supported by James Espie in fifth and Ewan Brown in seventh. Mark Hopkinson was the first athlete home for hosts Wales in ninth place.

Ireland’s Sarah McCormack has won at Snowdon twice before and the WMRA World Cup leader was unstoppable this time after passing early race leader Hatti Archer of England and battling with Italy’s Elisa Sortini all the way back to the finish.

McCormack’s victory came in 74:49, just 22 seconds ahead of Sortini, with Archer third in 67:17.

England were comfortable victors here as Kelli Roberts and Megan Wilson followed Archer home in fourth and seventh places.

ASICS London 10K, July 21

The 10km event in the UK capital was won by Josh Griffiths and Rebecca Murray with times of 29:47 and 33:46 respectively.

Behind Griffiths, Joshua Grace was second in 29:56 ahead of Dewi Griffiths in 30:12.

Women’s race runner-up was Mhairi Maclennan in 34:01, while Grace Lynch was third in 35:01.

Pan American U20 Championships, Costa Rica, July 19-21

Matthew Boling won the 100m and 200m in personal best times of 10.11 and 20.31 and then formed part of USA teams to set world under-20 records in both the 4x100m (38.62) and 4x400m (2:59.30).

British Miler’s Club Grand Prix, Eltham, July 20

There were 800m A wins for Mari Smith in a 2:01.46 PB and Archie Davis in 1:49.81.

George Mills won the 1500m in 3:43.72, while Amy O’Donoghue won the women’s race in 4:16.59.

Amy O’Donoghue of Ireland wins BMC women’s 1500 in 4:16 pic.twitter.com/tvE9FqMhaV

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) July 20, 2019

World Para Athletics Grand Prix, Bydgoszcz, Poland, July 19-21 

Britain’s Zac Shaw ran a personal best to win the T12 100m, clocking 11.10 (+0.3m/sec).

Prize money total more than $7.5m
By SEAN REUTHE – Squash Mad Correspondent

The Professional Squash Association (PSA) has today announced that a record prize money total of $7,569,706 was on offer on the PSA Tour during the 2018-19 season, in which the organisation’s new tour structure came into effect.

The 2018-19 season saw the PSA launch the PSA Challenger Tour alongside the PSA World Tour as part of the organisation’s new vision for professional squash, while the WSF and PSA Satellite Tour was also created in partnership with the World Squash Federation (WSF) in order to help up-and-coming players transition from junior tournaments to the professional circuit. This has resulted in a 10% increase in prize money compared to the season before.

Prize money on the women’s tour amounted to $2,937,248 – a 6.6% increase – while the men’s has increased by 12.2% to $4,631,000.

The top earning female player on the tour earned $209,998 last season, an 84.9% increase since the integration of the women’s tour into the PSA in April 2015, with her male counterpart earning $257,153, which is up 59.0% over the same time period. Average earnings for the men’s and women’s top 25 totalled $76,245 and $61,567, respectively.

A total of 639 events took place across the PSA World Tour, PSA Challenger Tour and WSF and PSA Satellite Tour (405 men’s and 234 women’s), an increase of 15.5% on the previous season, with 65 countries hosting a PSA event, including key territories such as United States, Egypt, England, Hong Kong and Canada.

“We are delighted to announce that record prize money was on offer for the 2018-19 season, particularly in light of launching our new tour structure,” said PSA Tour Director Hannah Ridgard-Mason.

“The new tour structure was put in place with the aim of increasing earning potential and playing opportunities across the entire PSA Tour. We are pleased to see that the prize money figures and number of events are continuing to move upwards and are equally content to report a record-high membership total of 971 as well.

“The 2018-19 season was a landmark one for professional squash, with the sport’s first $1 million tournament taking place at the PSA World Championships presented by the Walter Family in Chicago, while we also announced a major broadcast deal with Facebook which has allowed us to showcase squash to more people than ever before.

“With squash returning to the Great Pyramid of Giza for the CIB PSA Women’s World Championships 2019-2020 and CIB Men’s Egyptian Squash Open, and new tournaments such as the Mauritius Open joining the calendar, we’re forecasting continued growth over the next 12 months and believe that the future of squash has never been brighter.” 

Report by SEAN REUTHE (PSA). Edited by ALAN THATCHER.

Pictures courtesy of PSA

US to host event for the first time
By HOWARD HARDING – Squash Mad International Correspondent

Defending champions Egypt are likely to be favourites for the 2019 WSF Men’s World Team Squash Championship title in December when the USA hosts the biennial World Squash Federation event for the first time in its 52-year history in Washington DC.

A total of 23 nations will compete in the 26th edition of the championship which will be held, under the auspices of US Squash, at Squash On Fire, the new state-of-the-art membership-free eight-court facility in the U.S. capital from 15-21 December.

Hosts USA will be joined by teams representing Argentina, Australia, Canada, Colombia, Egypt, England, France, Germany, Hong Kong China, Ireland, Jamaica, Kuwait, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Republic of Korea, Scotland, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland & Wales.

USA will be making their 23rd consecutive appearance in the championships since 1973. The 2019 hosts finished in 10th place in the 2017 championship in Marseille, France – where Egypt claimed the title for the fourth time, beating defending champions England in the final.

South American interest will be led by Colombia, featuring 2018 British Open champion Miguel Rodriguez, who will be making only their third appearance in the championship – as will Republic of Korea, who last competed in 2011.

While the 1987 runners-up New Zealand and eight-time champions Australia are two nations which have competed in all previous 25 events, Jamaica will be celebrating only their second appearance after making their debut two years ago in Marseille.

The 2019 championship will also be marking the long-awaited returns of Nigeria and Singapore, who last battled for the men’s title in 1999 and 1997, respectively.

Commenting on hosting the international championship for the first time, Squash On Fire Co-Founder Philippe Lanier said: “Hosting the WSF Men’s World Team Championship at Squash On Fire is an honor – and that it’s is happening in DC is also very exciting. We want to make DC the squash capital of the US, and we can’t wait to welcome players from around the world to our game-changing facility.”

Since its launch in 1967 in Australia, the Men’s World Team Championship has been staged in 12 countries – including Canada in 1977 – but never before in the USA. 

2019 WSF Men’s World Team Squash Championship.

Entry List:
Argentina
Australia
Canada
Colombia
Egypt
England
France
Germany
Hong Kong China
Ireland
Jamaica
Kuwait
Malaysia
New Zealand
Nigeria
Republic of Korea
Scotland
Singapore
South Africa
Spain
Switzerland
USA
Wales

Pictures courtesy of WSF

Danny Cipriani has been left out of England's latest training camp in Treviso, Italy.

The Gloucester fly-half was named in the official World Cup training squad earlier this month.

But the Premiership player of the year is not among a 38-man group travelling to Italy on Monday for a 12-day camp.

"We have left some good players doing work at their clubs and they must be ready if called up," said head coach Eddie Jones.

Cipriani was part of a small group of players who spent last week's Bristol training camp doing specialised strength and conditioning work off-site.

But while the Bath pair of Sam Underhill and Anthony Watson are both travelling to Italy this week, Cipriani, who is not injured, has been left at home.

While the RFU says Cipriani will continue to train with an England programme and is certainly not out of contention, his absence suggests his chances are slim of making the final 31-man World Cup squad, which is named on 12 August.

Exeter prop Ben Moon has also been omitted, while Harlequins centre Joe Marchant has been called up.

Experienced full-back Mike Brown is also included after initially missing out on selection.

The trio of injury concerns - prop Mako Vunipola, lock George Kruis, and wing Jack Nowell - are all involved.

"Treviso is a hard-yards camp with conditions similar to Tokyo," Jones explained.

"Team training will be about being adaptable and off the field enjoying each other's company."

Jones will finalise his World Cup party the day after England's opening World Cup warm-up match, which is on Sunday, 11 August against Wales at Twickenham.

England then face Wales in Cardiff, and Ireland at Twickenham, before their final pre-World Cup game, against Italy in Newcastle on Friday, 6 September.

England training squad

Forwards: Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs), Tom Curry (Sale Sharks), Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby), Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers), Jamie George (Saracens), Maro Itoje (Saracens), George Kruis (Saracens), Joe Launchbury (Wasps), Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints), Lewis Ludlam (Northampton Saints), Joe Marler (Harlequins), Brad Shields (Wasps), Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins), Jack Singleton (Saracens), Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby), Billy Vunipola (Saracens), Mako Vunipola (Saracens), Harry Williams (Exeter Chiefs), Mark Wilson (Newcastle Falcons / Sale Sharks)

Backs: Mike Brown (Harlequins), Joe Cokanasiga (Bath Rugby), Elliot Daly (Saracens), Owen Farrell (Saracens), George Ford (Leicester Tigers), Piers Francis (Northampton Saints), Willi Heinz (Gloucester Rugby), Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby), Joe Marchant (Harlequins), Jonny May (Leicester Tigers), Ruaridh McConnochie (Bath Rugby), Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs), Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs), Ben Spencer (Saracens), Ben Te'o (unattached), Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers), Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers)

KNOXVILLE, Iowa – Axalta will serve as the primary sponsor of David Gravel and the Jason Johnson Racing No. 41 sprint car during the NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals.

Representatives from the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series team made the official announcement on JJR’s Twitter page late Monday morning.

The news was first revealed by Adam Stern of the Sports Business Journal.

Per Stern, Axalta joins the JJR organization on the advice of retired four-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon, who was backed by Axalta throughout his NASCAR career and raced sprint cars before moving to stock cars in the early 1990s.

Gravel moved over to JJR this season from CJB Motorsports, and the pairing has produced impressive results through the first half of the season.

Driving the No. 41, Gravel has earned four wins, 23 top-five and 32 top-10 finishes in 41 feature starts through July 22. His most recent victory came on July 12 at Hartford (Mich.) Speedway.

Jason Johnson Racing won the Knoxville Nationals in 2016, with late team owner and namesake Jason Johnson holding off modern-era Outlaw kingpin Donny Schatz for the win.

Meanwhile, Gravel put up a perfect score of 500 points during his Knoxville preliminary night in 2017, but an engine failure during the championship feature left him unable to claim the $150,000 top prize.

CONCORD, N.C. — Another Indy 500 has come and gone and I am convinced THE RACE is back to the all-caps version I lived as a kid.

That is, THE RACE means the Indy 500, not any other (lowercase) race, for now and for all time.

For most of my life, that event has been among the brightest of lights for me. It was on par with Christmas, my birthday and basketball state championships (I am a Hoosier, by the grace of God).

Amid the past troubles with the formation of CART, the subsequent outing of USAC, the formation of the IRL, which morphed into IndyCar, there were some lean years for the 500, which resulted in the de-capitalization of the word race.

No longer.

It’s as if I blinked and the 500-Mile Race reappeared, in all its glory and portent, the same way it had been when I started attending during the 1970s.

Now, Indy 500 purists (and I count myself one) have differing opinions of the event. Some like it, some tolerate it and some outright despise it, for his or her own reasons. I never despised it, regardless of some ham-handedness from certain parties, but there were a few years when the interest factor waned a bit.

I always paid attention and always watched the race, usually from Charlotte Motor Speedway, seeing as how I worked in NASCAR at the time.

The past five or so races? They were for sure and certain the pure quill.

This year’s race was gold, too. Simon Pagenaud owned the month, but Alexander Rossi’s ride amid the Red Mist was the stuff of legends, harking back to stirring drives by guys such as A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears, Gordon Johncock and Mario Andretti. He fell a few feet short, but the show was one for the ages.

Pagenaud became the first French driver to win since Calvin Coolidge was in the White House (1920, to be exact) and he did it with a gritty drive of his own. He was on a mission, too, leading more than half the race to earn his likeness on the Borg-Warner Trophy.

The racing was better too, these past four or five years, than at any time since the heyday of the 1970s and 1980s. At no time was any driver just a mortal lock to cross the finish line three-quarters of a lap ahead of the runner-up. The formula seems to be working in terms of competition and the new cars look damned smart.

I love the fact that the drivers, from the oldest driver in the field down to the kids just out of high school, can point these missiles where they need to go and generally don’t cause the kinds of stupid wrecks we’ve seen in years past.

The pageantry was spectacular as always and I thought NBC did justice to the pomp and ceremony the way ABC had done for many years. The flyover was by-God wonderful, too, though I wonder how the F-15 was able to hang low and slow with the other planes.

Feelings are fleeting at times and difficult to describe at others. There’s an essence about Indy for me that had been, if not missing, then not nearly as evident as it was for the past 40 years. That essence was in full bloom and glory this year and it was a wondrous feeling.

I’ve often said the Indy 500 is the race of all races, the Boss Daddy of all motorized contests the world over. It was when I was a kid, it was when I was a young man and it has returned to its unquestioned position atop the motorsports mountain.

Sure, there aren’t any more Unsers, Foyts or Rutherfords in the field and Tony Hulman has been gone since 1977. Most of the people I knew from my earliest days at the speedway are either gone or no longer involved, and it was the people who made it great.

But this past May, at The Greatest Spectacle in Racing, I could feel them all watching and smiling and clapping and shaking their heads at the race that was put on that day.

The all-caps version of THE RACE was back, and it appears that it will remain in all caps for the foreseeable future.

LONG POND, Pa. – The nickname for Pocono Raceway – the Tricky Triangle – is a cute and fitting slogan.

It might win the overly obvious award because the speedway’s triangular layout is indeed tricky for drivers and teams alike.

For the drivers in Friday’s FortsUSA 150 at Pocono, the track’s three distinct corners present a challenge. Each has a different radius, a different degree of banking, and a different way to approach each one.  For some drivers, the best way to approach the track’s challenging turns is to use skills from road racing.

On a road course, every one of each circuit’s turns is vastly different. The same thing goes for Pocono, except there are no turns to the right. So drivers with a little road racing expertise may have a slight advantage over the competition.

At least that’s what Michael Self is hoping.

Self, who has a 90-point lead in the ARCA Menards Series championship standings over second-place Bret Holmes, made the transition to stock cars after starting his career in road racing. Although he doesn’t compete regularly in sports car events on road courses, he’s still an active driver coach. He recently guided recent Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series winner Justin Haley to the 2016 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship and assisted Haley when he raced in the SCCA Trans-Am TA2 Series.

Even with expertise that other drivers don’t have, Self and his Venturini Motorsports team led by veteran crew chief Shannon Rursch found the Tricky Triangle to be just that.

“This year the biggest challenge we had the first time we were there was setup,” Self said. “We fought it all weekend long before we had a mechanical issue with the car. As far as driver goes, Pocono is very demanding. It’s very disciplined. It’s easy to over drive even though it’s so big. You can bite yourself really badly and not even realize you’re doing it until you watch video or on Dartfish.”

Dartfish is a program that allows a driver and team to overlay video of two laps to make a direct comparison. Self and his team use it extensively and it helped him figure out the best way to handle Pocono as a driver.

“On test day I was over driving it really bad,” he said. “I watched the Dartfish video and decided that I was going to calm down and we went out and finished third that day.”

Self can pinpoint exactly why that road racing background helps him in his quest to score a victory at Pocono.

“The variety of corners you get in road racing, every corner is different,” he said. “It’s the same at Pocono. You expect something different every time. The techniques you use in road racing, wanting to be back on the throttle early, that applies. The discipline it takes to be good at road racing applies as well.”