Free-agent guard Avery Bradley plans to sign a two-year, $9.7 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, his agent Bill Duffy of BDA Sports tells ESPN.

Bradley is expected to clear waivers Monday after Memphis waived him on Saturday, clearing the way for him to join a Lakers team that now includes the offseason additions of Anthony Davis and Danny Green.

The deal will include a player option in the second year, Duffy said.

The Lakers will use their room exception to sign Bradley.

The 6-foot-2 guard is known for his defensive versatility, having been reared in Doc Rivers' system. Noted offensive talent Kyrie Irving once said that Bradley guards him better than anyone in the league.

Bradley started 49 games for the LA Clippers last season before being traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in February for forward JaMychal Green and guard/forward Garrett Temple.

He then started 14 games in Memphis, averaging 16 points, 4 assists and 3.2 rebounds a game in that span after overcoming knee and shin injuries.

The 28-year-old guard is a career 36.4 percent 3-point shooter. He will give Lakers coach Frank Vogel an additional switchable piece to use in a guards corps also featuring Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Green, Quinn Cook, Rajon Rondo, Alex Caruso and Troy Daniels.

Bradley has 39 playoff games to his credit, averaging 12.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.2 steals in the postseason. He started at guard for the Boston Celtics in their run to the Eastern Conference finals in 2017.

Bradley spent the first six and a half seasons of his career with the Celtics before being traded to the Detroit Pistons during the 2017-18 season. He was traded to the Clippers that same season in a deal highlighted by Blake Griffin being sent to the Pistons.

The addition of Bradley will bring the Lakers roster to 14 players, with one open spot remaining.

OK, so that happened. We just experienced the wildest week ever in the NBA. We've covered the big stories already: Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, Brooklyn's coup, New York's disappointment, the Lakers going 1-for-2 on star-chasing.

Let's zoom further out and scan the league's remade terrain.

Winner: Kawhi Leonard and the (temporary?) new NBA landscape

For three years running, the cap spike of 2016 headlined the losers category. It enabled an unprecedented four-star superteam, and came as close as any single event possibly could to eliminating competitive balance. It benefited one class of players -- call them Biyozgovs, or the Mozgombos -- above everyone else, though reduced contract lengths mitigated that; players get back into free agency faster than ever.

The spike has mostly run its course. Kevin Durant is in Brooklyn. In one backroom power move, Kawhi Leonard rescued Paul George from a capped-out low-level playoff team; rejected the Lakers' attempts to build perhaps the greatest big three in basketball history; and left the league as open as it has been in years. The league's quietest superstar "found his voice," as one executive put it. He recruited George, Durant and even Kyrie Irving at points, sources say.

We now have three pairings of top-15 players (depending on how you rank Irving): Irving and Durant; Anthony Davis and LeBron James; Leonard and George. Depending on your taste, the Warriors (Stephen Curry/Klay Thompson or Draymond Green) and Sixers (Joel Embiid/Ben Simmons -- the latter outside my top 15) are on the edge of sporting such a duo. If not, they have one supernova and two (Thompson, Green) or three guys (Simmons, Al Horford, Tobias Harris) from the next tier.

Utah brings three from that second tier: Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley and Donovan Mitchell, though Mitchell has to improve his passing and consistency to cement his status there. Three other top-15s benefit from some combination of complementary second-tier stars, roster continuity and snug surrounding fit: Nikola Jokic, Damian Lillard and James Harden.

The reigning MVP might have the weakest supporting cast in terms of star power, but the entire Milwaukee Bucks roster is built to suit Giannis Antetokounmpo. Also: He's the freaking MVP, and perhaps heir to "Best Player In The League" status.

This season is going to be awesome.

Now the ol' turd in the punch bowl: Will parity, if this is parity, last? There might be something about the star duos-vs.-trios thing. Might be. In a lot of circumstances, you have to strip everything away to fit three max players -- picks, players, cap room. It is hard to engineer, harder to sustain. Maybe there is something conscious about moving to a two-star model.

It may also be random. What happens if a third star wants to go to the LA Clippers? The geography is worth monitoring, too. The New York Knicks struck out again, but five superstars forced their way to Los Angeles and New York.

Two of those fortunate teams -- the Clippers and Brooklyn Nets -- had no prior record as free-agent destinations. They got there by piling smart move atop smart move. George and Leonard have never been shy about wanting to return home, and they are two of the last current NBA stars from a golden generation of Los Angeles-area basketball.

Management matters. But markets still matter, too. Let's see where it all goes before anyone declares a wide-ranging systematic victory.

Winner: The West

All eight incumbent Western Conference playoff teams have a case to make it again, unless and until the Oklahoma City Thunder trade Russell Westbrook. (It feels mean to label Westbrook a "loser" here after doing so following another first-round flameout. It's also unavoidable. The Thunder have won zero playoff series since Durant left. They still have the same issues on offense despite at least five years of empty rhetoric -- aimed at Westbrook -- about adjusting. Another star left him. It's not great.)

The Lakers are dislodging one of those eight. Three other lottery teams have "if everything goes right, we can crack the race for No. 8" upside: New Orleans, Sacramento, and Minnesota. (The Minnesota Timberwolves were solid before Robert Covington got hurt, though they spent the summer in a holding pattern.) Optimists might add Dallas, but its roster beyond Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis is blah. We have to see how those two mesh, and the state of Porzingis, after a year away.

I refuse to punt on the idea of slotting the 16 best teams into the playoffs regardless of conference.

Loser: The East

Again.

Even the Bucks are worse off for losing Malcolm Brogdon, their second-best player for parts of the Eastern Conference finals. (One of biggest swing questions in the 2020 title race is whether Eric Bledsoe has permanent playoff-itis. With Brogdon, the Bucks almost made the NBA Finals despite Bledsoe struggling. Without him, they have limited margin for Bledsoe error.)

Recouping one first-round pick in the Brogdon sign-and-trade with Indiana matters; the Bucks were out two, and they need trade currency. Expect them to search out ways to flip that pick for talent, provided such a deal does not take them into the luxury tax.

They could also have kept Brogdon despite some long-term injury concerns, and paid the tax. That's what contenders do. I would assume Milwaukee took Giannis Antetokounmpo's temperature on this. Signing his older brother, Thanasis, to a two-year deal was certainly nice.

Tentative winners: Small-market teams spurned by star wings from the 2010 draft

The Utah Jazz are loaded after trading for Conley and splurging on Bojan Bogdanovic -- a last-minute pivot after Nikola Mirotic spurned them. Jeff Green and Ed Davis bring needed depth.

Utah will miss Derrick Favors. An injury to Green or Davis would bring more danger than it should. But the Jazz will be really hard to guard with four shooters around Gobert and two ball handlers who can score from anywhere, in Conley and Mitchell.

In the past, Quin Snyder leaned on complex motion to mask a lack of go-go talent. The Jazz can simplify now and run more classic spread pick-and-roll around Gobert. They remind of the peak Dwight Howard-era Magic, down to Gobert grabbing enough offensive rebounds on his own to mimic the effect of a normal team having two or even three guys crash the glass.

Gobert faces a huge burden on defense, but is it really so much bigger with Bogdanovic as small-ball power forward than with Jae Crowder? Gobert is back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year. It's his job to handle that burden.

Utah can make the Finals, but I'm a tick lower on the Jazz than the consensus. They don't feel soft, exactly. Maybe lacking in force? Compare them to last season's Philadelphia 76ers, who overwhelmed opponents -- and unnerved the champion Toronto Raptors -- with sheer size and athleticism. Even Conley doesn't scare you in that sense. He's fast, but he's barely 6-foot-1; he beats you with craft. Gobert is not as powerful or coordinated rolling to the rim as peak Howard.

Which projected starter is defending huge alpha wing scorers like LeBron, George and Leonard? What about James Harden? That job fell mostly to Ricky Rubio in last season's playoffs.

Dante Exum and Royce O'Neale figure into those questions. They bring some of that missing oomph. But will Utah be able to score enough against elite defenses with one or both on the floor? Bogdanovic is 30; that four-year, $73 million deal may not age well.

Meanwhile, Bogdanovic's old team retooled around players in Victor Oladipo's age range: T.J. Warren, Jeremy Lamb and Brogdon. If Brogdon's foot holds up, he is an ideal fit next to Oladipo; I argued before free agency that the Pacers should sign him instead of Rubio. Brogdon can space the floor, allow Oladipo to function as point guard, and soak up as much ball-handling duty as Oladipo asks.

Brogdon cost a ton, including a lottery-protected pick heading to Milwaukee. Lamb, at $10 million per year, is a steal. Warren has to show Nate McMillan he cares about anything beyond scoring. Joining a winning culture should nudge him there.

The Pacers are still one rotation guy short, and the gaping hole is at forward. They could fill it down the line by trading Myles Turner or Domantas Sabonis for a wing. For now, the Pacers are all-in playing their two bigs together. The results improved last season, in limited minutes. It is a really nice NBA subplot that both Turner and Sabonis want it to work -- that neither sees the other as a threat.

Top big wings rarely become available. They are the most valuable player type in the NBA. Most realistic deals for one amount to Indiana selling low on Sabonis or Turner. One natural trade match to monitor: Boston, with three such players in Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Gordon Hayward (and Marcus Smart can play up a position or two) and a shortage of proven bigs.

Losers: The woebegone Hornets

I just cannot get over the Charlotte Hornets failing to make a real run at trading Kemba Walker if they knew they would not come close to offering him a max contract, let alone the supermax. They then let Jeremy Lamb -- a good wing who just turned 27 -- walk for nothing, and finished the trifecta by paying Terry Rozier nearly twice as much as the Pacers paid Lamb.

Yeah, Rozier plays a position of need with Walker in Boston. There is just not much evidence he plays it all that well -- he has shot less than 40 percent overall in all four career seasons -- and certainly not well enough to merit almost $20 million per season.

Also, what in the world is this tweet?

Is Charlotte saying that the college version of Rozier -- the one who went 16th in the 2015 draft, two picks outside the lottery -- would have been a lottery pick in this draft? Or worse: Are the Hornets arguing present-day 25-year-old Rozier would have been a lottery pick in 2019?

Umm, yeah: The veteran you just agreed to pay $58 million should probably rank in the top 14 of the draft that just happened.

But why are we surprised? This team turned down four first-round picks to draft Frank Kaminsky. Charlotte apologists can pretend this didn't happen, but it absolutely did, and current and former higher-ups have more or less admitted it. The Hornets turned down two more picks -- from Chicago -- to draft Noah Vonleh, sources have told ESPN. In a whirlwind last summer, they turned Dwight Howard into Bismack Biyombo and second-round picks instead of simply buying out Howard -- as the Nets did after acquiring Howard days later.

The Hornets had the bad luck of several players hitting free agency in the summer of 2016 -- i.e., the summer of the cap orgy. Drafting well requires good luck. But the Hornets missed on every top-10 pick aside from Walker. Drafting may be an inexact science, but any franchise needs a higher hit rate than this.

At least now we get to see what the kiddos can do. Unleash Malik Monk!

Winner: A continuity test case

Two years ago, a GM told me "continuity is the lost currency of the NBA." I liked that.

There is a tendency as teams load up to assume those who stand pat have fallen behind. But basketball is a rhythm sport. Teams improve as players develop deeper familiarity with each other. Continuity can be a strength. It might grow more powerful amid crazy year-to-year turnover.

The Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs and Denver Nuggets are all banking on that. It has seemed like an awful summer for Houston. The Los Angeles teams loaded up. The Clippers will enter this season ahead of the Rockets; the Lakers might, too. There have been firings and contract disputes and rumblings of near-fatal chemistry issues.

Houston is really good. It was the only Western Conference team to challenge the Durant-era Warriors. It is bringing everyone back. But a lot of its players are on the wrong side of the aging curve. If the rumored fissures are real, it may indicate that Houston's style of play (i.e. James Harden's) has a shelf life -- that stylistic continuity would not carry the usual benefits.

Still: Too many discussions about the reloaded West have ignored the Rockets.

Denver has the compound power of youth and continuity. The Nuggets are deep at every position, though another injury to Michael Porter Jr. chips away at that -- and at what had been overflowing excitement from higher-ups about how ready Porter looked. The Nuggets are also primed for a consolidation trade on the wing. I will not stop beating the "Bradley Beal to Denver" drum until I speak it into existence.

The Spurs might have the most vanilla tentpole All-Stars in the league, but they also get Dejounte Murray back to join Derrick White. Remember: The normally stolid Spurs could not hide their enthusiasm last year over what Murray was about to do before his knee injury.

They snagged two tweener forwards -- DeMarre Carroll and Marcus Morris -- at good value. Add Rudy Gay, and San Antonio has lineup flexibility and more switchability on defense. The Spurs know how to win in the regular season. They never beat themselves -- unless they need to foul in the final seconds of an elimination game.

Loser: Phoenix Suns

Phone rings at league office.

NBA cap nerd: Hello, Phoenix Suns. Do you have a trade?

Suns: Baaaah baaa baaah! Baaah.

Nerd: What's that? You're trading Josh Jackson, the No. 4 pick two years ago, to the Memphis Grizzlies for Kyle Korver and Jevon Carter -- and you're going to waive Korver?

Suns: /plaintive bleating

Nerd: Wait -- you're throwing in De'Anthony Melton and two second-round picks? Are you sure you aren't getting another player or something?

Suns: BAAAAA BAAAH BAAAAAAA! /sound of hooves smashing random buttons

Nerd: Kelly Oubre Jr.'s cap hold? Is that what you're trying to say? You're doing this to fit Oubre's cap hold?

Rationalize it all if you want. Before the draft, Phoenix had only about $9 million in cap space -- not enough to sign a real point guard, and the Suns made the startling discovery last season that having a real point guard helps. They dumped Warren, a decent player on a good contract, and paid the giddy Pacers the No. 32 pick for taking him. Sure.

After subsequent trades and signings, the Suns on July 3 found themselves about $2 million short of being able to squeeze in Oubre's $9.6 million cap hold -- and re-sign him. The Memphis trade rectified that.

Jackson had been available for nothing. The Suns decided they didn't want him for reasons that had little to do with his on-court performance -- which was mostly frenzied and unproductive anyway.

But incentivizing another team to take him in part because you screwed up your cap sheet is a disaster. It borders on malpractice. Like, why is Aron Baynes and his $5.45 million salary on this team? The Suns acquired Baynes in a draft-day trade in which they swapped roughly equivalent first-round picks with Boston: Phoenix got No. 24, which it used on Ty Jerome, in exchange for Milwaukee's top-seven protected pick in 2020. There is no way the pick Phoenix got was worth $5.45 million more than the one it gave up. It wanted Baynes.

The Suns already had full Bird rights on Richaun Holmes, another center who carried a teensy $1.62 million cap hold, per an estimate by ESPN's Bobby Marks. Boom, there's almost $4 million in savings -- eliminating any need for the Memphis robbery. They later signed Frank Kaminsky, another backup center, with the room exception.

Did it really require $17 million per season to sign Rubio? What was Rubio's market once Indiana pivoted to Brogdon? Is Rubio a good fit next to Devin Booker? Is Oubre worth all this trouble? He looks like a 3-and-D guy. He's a long-armed menace defending the ball. He's still just 23. But he's a 32% career shooter from deep who daydreams away from the ball on defense. Seriously: Count the backdoor cuts.

You can't criticize the Suns for signing Booker to a max extension a year ago instead of waiting until restricted free agency this summer -- a move that added $17 million to their cap sheet. Phoenix is trying to repair its image with top players. Holding Booker in limbo does the opposite.

But the rest? It's just a mess.

Winner: The suddenly prudent Bulls

Did the Chicago Bulls experience some secret transfer of power? Three summers ago, the Bulls gave themselves the Barry Horowitz premature pat on the back for sitting out the cap spike -- before tossing money at Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo. Last summer, they spent $20 million on Jabari Parker, labeled him a wing, and hoped everyone would nod and turn their gaze to some other misshapen team.

The Bulls made Otto Porter Jr. their first de facto free-agency signing of this summer by flipping Parker and Bobby Portis -- both on expiring contracts -- for Porter at the trade deadline. Absorbing Porter's megadeal, which could run through 2021, marked an uncharacteristic acceptance of reality: No one good takes our cap space. Enough flailing at shiny objects. Our young players are about to develop to the point where we will be too good to outright tank. Let's just be decent and figure it out later.

Thaddeus Young might be the human manifestation of that mindset: He's not a star, but he's good enough -- smart, creative, tough as hell -- to win games. He can play power forward next to either Lauri Markkanen or Wendell Carter Jr. Tomas Satoransky is an upgrade on offense over Kris Dunn. Satoransky's pass-first approach is a better fit in lineups featuring Zach LaVine, Markkanen and Porter. He has hit 42 percent from deep over the past two seasons, though on low volume.

Ryan Arcidiacono and Luke Kornet are good value signings. I ... I like what Chicago did? I feel like Homer Simpson (and his kids) did upon realizing he had predicted the disintegration of the comet headed for Springfield.

Porter's $28.5 million player option for 2020-21 now becomes one of the league's most interesting contract wrinkles. If he picks it up, Chicago will have no cap space next summer. If he declines it with an understanding that a fat long-term contracts awaits -- the move Harrison Barnes just pulled in Sacramento -- Chicago could be capped out in 2021 and beyond as Markkanen, Carter and LaVine come up for new deals.

The Bulls won't be good this season. They'll probably top out as mediocre. That's fine. At some point you have to stop fetishizing the transaction game and build an actual basketball team. If they disappoint, the revamped lottery odds provide a better chance at leaping up the draft board.

This is a huge year for LaVine and Markkanen. If LaVine grows into more of an all-around player -- and not an empty calories hog -- Chicago's ceiling and position in the trade market change. Markkanen should be good. He has a good stroke, some handle and vision, and a bit of a nasty streak. But this will be his third season. It's time for production to catch up with appearances.

Winner: The Memphis Predators

Memphis is a couple of steps behind Chicago. The Grizzlies can prioritize the transaction game.

Odds are Josh Jackson stagnates. Most sexy second draft types do. But taking a no-cost flier on him is Rebuilding 101. Ditto for snaring a lightly protected first-round pick along with Andre Iguodala -- and getting Golden State to delay that pick obligation until 2024 (at the earliest), when the Warriors will be at risk of real decline. The Grizzlies maximized Conley's trade value, and they are in position to do the same with Iguodala and Crowder.

I don't love the three-year, $45 million extension for Jonas Valanciunas, but it's ultimately harmless considering Valanciunas' production and the state of the franchise.

General loser-ish-ness: Washington Wizards

Just over two calendar years ago, the Washington Wizards were one Kelly Olynyk outburst from the Eastern Conference finals. Now they are basically tanking, though they have Beal, which amounts to holding Beal hostage. Players have only so many NBA minutes in them. It is such a shame that Beal -- who led the league in minutes last season -- might have to waste 3,000 more carrying this sorry roster.

In mid-December, Washington traded a young player (Oubre) for an adult in the room (Trevor Ariza) to save their unraveling season. Six weeks later, the Wizards gave up by dealing Porter.

Their payroll is so bloated, they had to pass on re-signing potentially useful players -- Portis and Satoransky -- in favor of cheaper deals to Thomas Bryant (promising!), Ish Smith and Isaiah Thomas.

They didn't have the flexibility to hunt blue-chip future picks in salary dumps the way Memphis and Atlanta did. Instead, they gathered fringe prospects and second-round picks in junior versions of those deals. That is something -- a reversal of past pick hemorrhaging, assuming ownership does not mandate the sale of all those second-rounders.

Winner: The deep Pelicans

It started with one immense stroke of luck, but David Griffin reinvented the New Orleans Pelicans in a matter of weeks. New Orleans could roll 12 deep in solid NBA players. (Don't sleep on Kenrich Williams, Frank Jackson and Christian Wood.)

They are perhaps a little light on shooting, though Josh Hart is a good bet to bump his 3-point accuracy back up after surgery to clean up festering knee issues. Alvin Gentry can stagger the rotation so that two of Hart, Jrue Holiday, J.J. Redick and E'Twaun Moore are out there as much as possible around the Pelicans' non-shooters. Gentry will also have the Pelicans running like hell, and a lack of shooting doesn't hurt as much if you live on a permanent fast break.

But spacing will get cramped. Young teams generally struggle, though a couple of New Orleans' key young guys -- Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram -- are at the point where they should take major steps.

Playoff expectations feel a little premature. That's not really the point, though. Two months ago, the Pelicans had no direction -- no future. Now they are stocked with interesting young players and own damn near the Lakers' entire future draft catalog -- a portfolio that got more valuable when Leonard picked the Clippers. If the Lakers somehow avoid even a one-year dip over the next half-decade, it won't change the fact that the Pelicans had an incredible spring and summer of 2019.

Winner: Portland, not satisfied

I don't mind the Portland Trail Blazers' gamble on Contract Year Hassan Whiteside, even if it cost them Maurice Harkless -- meaning Portland lost both its rangy starting forwards (Harkless and Al-Farouq Aminu) in the span of 36 hours. The Blazers have to get by with guards sliding up a position and bigs -- Zach Collins -- sliding down. (Anthony Tolliver can fill minutes, too.)

Eh. Harkless and Aminu appear more essential in stature -- big wings who can guard other big wings -- than they are in reality. Every postseason, opponents dared Harkless and Aminu to shoot 3-pointers. Every year, they missed until Portland cut their playing time. The Blazers are just getting that process over early.

Whiteside is comfortable with almost everything Portland asks of its centers: hang near the rim on defense; gobble up offensive rebounds when opponents swarm Lillard and CJ McCollum; and post up the occasional mismatch. His entitled pouting won't fly on Lillard's team. In Miami, Whiteside could talk himself into the (false) idea that he was both the Heat's best and highest-paid player. Neither is true in Portland. Even Whiteside must recognize that.

One Portland-specific area of concern: Whiteside has no track record making plays in space, something every Blazer screen-setter must do given how defenses trap Lillard. (Whiteside is a lazy, noncontact screen-setter to boot.)

Whiteside is a sloth with the ball. He has averaged fewer than one assist per game every season of his career save 2017-18 -- when he averaged exactly one. He makes Enes Kanter look like Draymond Green.

Still: Whiteside will have some monster statistical games mooching off Portland's star guards, and that raw production matters over the slog of the regular season. He's a fine placeholder for Jusuf Nurkic.

Portland's young players are primed for leaps. Kent Bazemore and Rodney Hood stabilize the outside shooting. Portland is still one move from being a real title threat, but it will enter this season in good position to strike.

Loser: Everyone, because Bobi and Tobi were separated

Some team is going to reunite these guys someday out of pure sentiment, and will be lauded as heroes. I hope these two go out dancing the night before the first Dallas-Philly game and film the whole thing.

Tentative winner: Good extension candidates

There won't be as much cap space next summer, but that is more than counterbalanced by the massive drop in the number of max-level veteran free agents. The top remaining extension-eligible guys -- Jaylen Brown, Pascal Siakam, Caris LeVert, Sabonis, Buddy Hield, maybe Ingram -- can reasonably warn their teams: If you don't give me what I want now and I have a big year, watch out next summer.

Next summer. It can't possibly live up to the week that just reoriented the entire NBA. Right? Right?

For Cody Decker, his 204th minor league home run was a walk-off blast in every sense of the word.

Yes, the two-run shot gave the Triple-A Reno Aces a 10-9 walk-off win Friday night, but the 32-year-old first baseman also chose that moment to walk off into the sunset, stealing a page from the script for the movie "Bull Durham."

Decker, a real-life Crash Davis, retired as the active home run leader in the minor leagues.

Cody Decker has announced his retirement.

The active @MiLB home run king went the best way he knew how - a walk-off bomb!

Congrats on an amazing career, @Decker6. pic.twitter.com/v2ZSJCxC7F

— Reno Aces (@Aces) July 7, 2019

"I never really knew I'd get the chance to do it," Decker told TahoeOnStage.com about retiring after hitting a game-winning homer. "It was a really special night and one of the best of my career, something I'll never forget. The fact I got to share it with these teammates, you can't beat it."

Drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 22nd round in 2009, Decker played 1,033 games over 11 seasons for 13 teams, retiring with a .260 batting average and 645 RBIs to go with his 204 homers. He hit .240 with seven homers and 21 RBIs for Reno -- the Arizona Diamondbacks' affiliate in the Pacific Coast League -- this season

Decker's major league career consisted of eight games with the Padres in 2015 when he went 0-for-11 with one RBI.

The time in the minors, though, provided memories for a lifetime. None, though, may top the memories provided by his final at-bat and trip around the bases.

"That moment coming off the field is something I never knew would happen," Decker told TahoeOnStage.com. "Getting all those hugs at home, then having a curtain call from the fans. It wasn't just the fans which is amazing, it was my teammates on the top step both giving me a standing ovation."

CLEVELAND -- On this night, baseball's future stayed undecided.

Texas catching prospect Sam Huff's two-run homer in the seventh inning rallied the American League to a 2-2 tie with the National League on Sunday -- and provided the first glimpse of an All-Star tiebreaker -- in a Futures Game that promised to be different and delivered.

This year's format was changed with the game shortened from nine to seven innings, and Huff's homer off Colorado's Ben Bowden forced the game into the eighth -- this time, extras -- and earned him MVP honors.

Both teams began their at-bats in the eighth with a runner at second, the same tiebreaking system already being used in the minor leagues. But after neither could push a run across, the 21st game featuring baseball's up-and-coming stars ended with a thud.

The same tiebreaker could come into play in the All-Star Game on Tuesday. Major League Baseball plans to implement it after the past two games went 10 innings.

"It was definitely unique, but in a situation like this, it was necessary," Nationals shortstop Carter Kieboom said. "Guys need their [All-Star] break, so you can't play forever and you only have so many pitchers here.

"It definitely speeds up the game in the minor leagues. I can't really predict the future. I don't know if the game of Major League Baseball will allow it because of its history, and it would be a drastic change. Maybe teams would try harder to score in the ninth inning if it happened."

Beyond the other adjustments, the biggest difference in this year's game was a lack of scoring. Last year, the U.S. won 10-6 as Reds prospect Taylor Trammell homered and tripled.

Down to its final two outs, and blanked over six innings, the AL tied it in the seventh on Huff's shot onto the pedestrian patio in left.

The 21-year-old connected on a 1-0 pitch from Bowden, who is 20-for-20 in save opportunities in Double-A and Triple-A this season.

After rounding the bases, Huff was greeted at the dugout by the entire AL squad, which spilled out along with Hall of Fame slugger Jim Thome, who managed the youngsters.

"I didn't think I was going to look at them and smile, but I had a little smirk on my face," Huff said. "I had to keep it serious when I was rounding third, but when I touched home I started to smile."

Trammell hit an RBI single -- and probably should have been credited for stealing home -- and was likely in line to win his second straight MVP honors before the AL rallied.

Held without a hit for three innings, the NL finally broke through in the fourth.

Trammell dropped a bloop RBI single off Matt Manning, a Detroit prospect, and Dylan Carlson had a two-out, run-scoring hit off Kris Bubic, a lefty in Kansas City's system.

A former high school football star, Trammell nearly made it 3-0 with a straight steal of home. Bubic didn't see him barreling down the line until the last moment, but threw in time to nip Trammell, who dived headfirst and was called out by umpire Jose Navas.

TV replays appeared to show Trammell slipped his hand under catcher Jake Rogers' tag, and under normal circumstances the play would have likely been reviewed and overturned.

"I can say I'm safe all day and he missed the call, but what matters is what's on the scoresheet," Trammell said. "It said I was caught stealing."

For many of the minor leaguers, the Futures Game provided their first experience at being inside a major league clubhouse. Some seemed awed at sharing the same cubicles and spaces as players they've grown up admiring.

"I think you're always going to be a little bit nervous for something like this," said Indians infield prospect Nolan Jones, hoping to one day work his way up from the Class A Lynchburg Hillcats to Cleveland. "I mean, this is what you dream about."

ON THE RADAR

Toronto minor leaguer Nate Pearson brought the heat on a cool evening.

He threw four pitches over 101 mph during a perfect fifth, topping out at 101.7 against Dodgers Double-A shortstop Gavin Lux.

NOT ONCE, TWICE

Pirates Triple-A first baseman Will Craig was hit by pitches in both plate appearances. He did not react after being plunked by Mariners right-hander Justin Dunn in the second, but he angrily flung his bat after being struck in the fourth by Manning.

"Of course they were accidental, but the second one got me on the left hand, so it stung a little bit," Craig said. "It's OK. I'm a little bit sore, but everything is fine."

SCARY MOMENT

Baltimore pitching prospect DL Hall was hit in the lower left leg by Miguel Amaya's shattered bat in the third inning. Hall couldn't avoid being struck, but after being checked by a trainer, the right-hander stayed in and finished the inning.

SHOWING OFF

Indians prospect Daniel Johnson looked like he was on the way to the gym for a workout, choosing to display his muscular arms by not wearing a shirt under his sleeveless jersey.

TEEN SENSATION

Tampa Bay teenage sensation Wander Franco went 1-for-2 and was caught stealing. The 18-year-old shortstop was the game's youngest player.

DEIVI'S DAY

Yankees right-hander Deivi Garcia started with a scoreless inning shortly after New York announced he would be promoted from Double-A to Triple-A. Garcia pitched in a combined no-hitter and had a 15-strikeout game in the past month.

CELEBRITY SOFTBALL

Former Indians slugger Travis Hafner cleared the portable outfield fence -- and the permanent one -- with a homer during the All-Star Celebrity Softball Game.

SHIRTLESS SMITH

Cavaliers forward J.R. Smith stripped off his jersey for his first at-bat in the softball game, triggering memories of his bare-chested appearance during the NBA championship parade in 2016.

Los Angeles Angels catcher Jonathan Lucroy told ESPN in a text message that he suffered a concussion and a broken nose in a collision at home plate with the Houston Astros' Jake Marisnick on Sunday.

Lucroy said he is otherwise doing well and expects to be released from the hospital sometime Monday.

The bases were loaded with the game tied at 10 when Marisnick attempted to score on a sacrifice fly by George Springer.

Marisnick crashed into Lucroy as the catcher attempted to field the throw, and Lucroy immediately fell on his back. He didn't move for a few seconds before struggling to sit up. Marisnick tagged home and then leaned over Lucroy to see if he was OK. Lucroy lifted his head off the ground a few seconds later as blood dripped from his nose.

Marisnick was called out for colliding with Lucroy, and the call was upheld after a crew-chief review to end the inning. Marisnick veered out of the baseline and lowered his shoulder to make contact with Lucroy. Marisnick and Lucroy banged heads on the play, and the back of Lucroy's head also struck the infield dirt.

Angels manager Brad Ausmus called on Major League Baseball to consider a suspension for Marisnick.

"It certainly didn't look like a clean play,'' Ausmus said after his team fell to the Astros 11-10 in 10 innings. "I don't know what actually happened, but it looked like Marisnick took a step to the left and bowled into him with his arm up. The call was right. Really, I think Major League Baseball should probably take a look at it. Consider some type of suspension, quite frankly.''

Marisnick said after the game that he planned to reach out to Lucroy to check on him.

"I watched the play again and it looks -- he just drops right in front of me and once I kind of made a decision, it was too late,'' Marisnick said. "It was a bad play and I hope he's OK.''

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Houston Astros right-hander Justin Verlander will get the start for the American League All-Stars on Tuesday, facing the Los Angeles Dodgers' Hyun-Jin Ryu, manager Alex Cora announced Monday.

Verlander, an eight-time All-Star, is 10-4 this season, with a 2.98 ERA and 153 strikeouts in 126⅔ innings. It's his second All-Star start.

Ryu, a left-hander from South Korea, leads the majors with a 1.73 ERA and is tied for the National League lead in wins with 10. His manager, Dave Roberts, had named Ryu to start when the teams were announced last week. He is the second Asian All-Star starter after Dodgers rookie Hideo Nomo of Japan in 1995.

Milwaukee Brewers slugger Christian Yelich, who bowed out of the Home Run Derby with a back issue, will play in the game, leading off for the NL. Yelich leads the majors with 31 home runs.

Chicago Cubs shortstop Javier Baez hits second, followed by Atlanta first baseman Freddie Freeman, Dodgers right fielder Cody Bellinger, Colorado third baseman Nolan Arenado, Pittsburgh's Josh Bell at designated hitter, Cubs catcher Willson Contreras, Arizona second baseman Ketel Marte and Atlanta center fielder Ronald Acuna Jr.

The National League has the youngest starting lineup in All-Star Game history, with an average age of 25.75. The previous record was 26.4 by the 2017 AL starters.

Houston's George Springer leads off and plays right field for the AL and is followed in the batting order by New York Yankees second baseman DJ LeMahieu, Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout, Cleveland first baseman Carlos Santana, Boston designated hitter J.D. Martinez, Houston third baseman Alex Bregman, Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez, Astros left fielder Michael Brantley and Minnesota shortstop Jorge Polanco.

Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw and New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom will follow Ryu, Roberts said.

New York Yankees right-hander Masahiro Tanaka, a late addition to the squad, is up second for the AL. Cora, who has no closer on his Boston Red Sox team, said he will use Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman in the ninth.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

As the Year of the Home Run collides with an annual All-Star home run tradition with $1 million on the line for the first time, we dive into the numbers behind the home run spike and the sluggers you'll be watching swing for the fences in Cleveland on Monday night.

Here's what you need to know about how home runs are taking over baseball and how the Home Run Derby proves it.

All-Star coverage: All-Star Week guide | ESPN+: How sluggers are preparing | Rosters, how to watch

The new sultans of swat

Baseballs are leaving the yard more frequently than ever, and the game's top sluggers are taking advantage of the rise. We could see the game's first 60-plus home run season since Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa eclipsed the mark in 2001. And even if Christian Yelich can't break 60, you can expect to see several 50- and 40-homer campaigns come October.

It all adds up to a lot

Remember that record-setting year of long balls way back in 2017? Well, that number isn't looking so big these days. With 14 teams projected to set their franchise record, MLB is on a pace not just to best that total -- but to smash the mark.

The big payoff comes tonight

The stakes will be higher than ever during tonight's Home Run Derby, as one powerful slugger will be rewarded with a $1 million prize for one night of long-ball work. For some of the contestants competing in Cleveland, that means they could make more money in a few hours than they'll be paid for the entire 2019 season.

And we'll be watching

Remember the days when the Home Run Derby was a clear warm-up act for the main event of the Midsummer Classic? That's not how it works anymore. While the game itself is still baseball's marquee of attraction of the summer, more and more fans are watching their favorite stars go deep as a part of how they celebrate the festivities.

British trials champion claims individual senior gold and leads GB team win, while Joseph Dugdale claims U20 title in Zermatt

Jacob Adkin made history for Great Britain at the European Mountain Running Championships in Zermatt, Switzerland, on Sunday as he won the nation’s first ever senior men’s gold medal at the event.

Clocking 53:21.5 for the 10.1km uphill course (1020m of ascent), the 23-year-old British trials champion won by 24 seconds ahead of Norway’s Stian Øvergaard Aarvik, with Italy’s Xavier Chevrier finishing third.

"I knew I was running well but I didn't come in with any anticipation of any medal."

On his senior debut, @jacob_adkin won the European Mountain Running Championships title and he also led the Brits to the team title in Zermatt. ?? pic.twitter.com/Hzs6MJm2KK

— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) July 8, 2019

Adkin also led his team to the title, as he was joined in the top 20 by his coach and Commonwealth marathon bronze medallist Robbie Simpson who placed seventh, plus Andrew Douglas, who has won the opening two stages of the World Mountain Running Cup this year, in ninth and Sebastian Batchelor in 18th.

Well that was a bit of a ? race, but today belongs to @jacob_adkin , European Champion and lead us to @BritAthletics first ever Senior Mens Team Gold! Will be a proud moment for the Scots representing GB @scotathletics European Mountain Running Champions 2019 pic.twitter.com/Zfb9zr8E3M

— Andrew Douglas (@andoug_run) July 7, 2019

Italy claimed team silver and Norway team bronze.

There was also cause for double celebration for Britain in the under-20 men’s event as Joseph Dugdale won the individual title and his team-mates Matthew Mackay and Euan Brennan finished fourth and fifth respectively, with Ben Bergstrand 15th to secure the team gold.

Dugdale, Mackay and Brennan were all part of the silver medal-winning team from the world (uphill) championships last year and clocked respective times of 28:48.4, 29:30.7 and 29:38.0 for the 5.9km race with 448m of ascent, while Bergstrand ran 30:53.6.

In the senior women’s race, Switzerland’s Maude Mathys won her third consecutive European mountain running title, as Britain’s Sarah Tunstall placed fourth.

Mathys ran 60:18.1 on home soil to finish a minute ahead of Austria’s three-time winner Andrea Mayr, who has also won the world title six times.

France’s Christel Dewalle was third in 62:48.2, while British trials winner Tunstall, who won individual silver last time this event was staged in its uphill format two years ago, ran 63:33.6 in fourth.

Italy won the team title from France and Switzerland as Britain were fifth, with Tunstall joined by last year’s bronze winner Emma Gould (24th), 2017 team gold medallist Rebecca Hilland (27th) and former UK steeplechase record-holder Hatti Archer (29th).

Barbora Havlícková of Czech Republic won the under-20 women’s title as Eve Pannone led the GB team home in sixth.

Italy won the team title ahead of Turkey and Romania, while GB finished fifth as Pannone was joined by Lauren Dickson (12th), Florence Duff (23rd) and Pippa Carcas (26th).

Full results can be found here.

Heptathlete leads GB to overall bronze at European Combined Events Team Championships Super League, while Holly Bradshaw is among weekend’s winners

Coverage of the Night of the 10,000m PBs in London can be found by clicking the links below, while a European Mountain Running Championships report is here.

REPORT: Steph Twell victorious at Night of the 10,000m PBs

REPORT: Crippa and Connor take Highgate honours

Other recent highlights are below.

European Combined Events Team Championships Super League, Lutsk, Ukraine, July 6-7

Daryna Sloboda won the heptathlon on home soil with a PB of 6165 points, while Vitali Zhuk of Belarus claimed the decathlon title with 8237 points as Estonia took the team win in the last ever edition of this event.

Katie Stainton (pictured) secured silver in the heptathlon with a PB performance which helped the GB team to bronze overall.

Stainton broke 6000 points for the first time, scoring 6029 after personal bests in the high jump (1.78m) and shot put (12.30m) on day one before leaping 6.29m in the long jump and throwing a 38.95m season’s best in the javelin on day two.

She ran the fastest time of the field in the 800m, her 2:09.31 a PB by almost four seconds.

Estonia’s Maicel Ubo was second in the decathlon with 8181 points, while top Brit was John Lane who scored 7726, including a 59.89m javelin PB, to place seventh.

Andrew Murphy improved his PB to 7594 points to place 11th, setting lifetime bests in six of the events and season’s bests in two.

Lewis Church was 13th in the decathlon with a PB of 7422 points, while Jo Rowland was 14th in the heptathlon with 5399 points.

Ben Gregory and Ellen Barber both placed 18th.

International Stabhochsprung Meeting, Rottach-Egern, Germany, July 7

British pole vault record-holder Holly Bradshaw cleared 4.71m to win ahead of Alysha Newman and Angelica Bengtsson, both with 4.66m.

The men’s competition was won by Kostas Filippidis with 5.72m.

?? 4.71 ? ??

What other competition do you get a massive beer & a German outfit as a prize for winning ??

Another great year here in Rottach ?? pic.twitter.com/Sc3BJPDi6E

— Holly Bradshaw (@HollyBradshawPV) July 7, 2019

UK Women’s League Premier Match, Eton, July 6

Reigning title-holders Thames Valley Harriers consolidated their position at the top of the league with another strong performance.

Rachel Miller won the 100m A race in 11.65 and 200m B in 24.11.

Marcia Sey achieved a European U20 Championships qualifying standard with a PB of 13.65 in the 100m hurdles.

Kirsten McAslan won the 400m hurdles in 57.45, as Nicole Kendall and Jessica Tappin both set PBs with 57.46 and 57.48 respectively.

British Athletics League Premiership, Sheffield, July 6

League champions Birchfield Harriers won the match.

Samuel Gordon won the 100m in 10.50 and Elliott Powell the 200m in 21.19.

Sadam Koumi won the 400m in 46.47 ahead of Rabah Yousif.

Zane Duquemin won the discus with a 58.36m throw.

Making his comeback after injury, Paralympic and world high jump medallist Jonathan Broom-Edwards cleared 1.95m, with David Smith the winner with 2.10m.

NACAC U18 Championships, Querétaro, Mexico, July 5-7

Jamaica’s world U20 champion Briana Williams won the 100m in 11.11, while the boys’ title was won by Conroy Jones with a wind-assisted time of 10.32.

Ralford Mullings threw a Jamaican U18 best of 20.96m to win the shot put.

NACAC U23 Championships, Querétaro, Mexico, July 5-7

USA’s Tonea Marshall impressed to win the 100m hurdles in a PB of 12.57.

Samson Colebrooke of The Bahamas won three medals with gold in the 200m in 20.58, silver in the 4x100m behind USA, 40.03 to 40.33, and 100m silver as the top three all ran 10.01 – Waseem Williams of Jamaica got the win while Mario Burke of Barbados finished third.

USA claimed a 1-2 in the women’s 100m as Teahna Daniels ran 11.03 and Twanisha Terry 11.08.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Andwuelle Wright leapt a national record of 8.25m to win the long jump.

Gold Coast Marathon and Half-Marathon, Australia, July 7

Japan’s Yuta Shitara took almost a minute off the Australian all-comers’ record with his winning marathon time of 2:07:50, while Kenya’s Rodah Chepkorir Tanui won the women’s race ahead of Australia’s Milly Clark, 2:27:56 to 2:28:08.

There was an Australian double in the half-marathon as Jack Rayner won the men’s race in 62:30 and Sinead Diver the women’s in 69:45.

AJC Peachtree Road Race, USA, July 4

Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei and Rhonex Kipruto both broke course records at the 10km event.

Kosgei clocked 30:22 (14:57/15:25) as Agnes Tirop recorded the same time and Fancy Chemutai completed a Kenyan clean sweep in third in 30:32.

Britain’s Tish Jones clocked 33:32 in 14th.

Kipruto won the men’s race in 27:01 (13:12/13:49) from his brother Bravin Kiptoo (27:29) with Kennedy Kimutai third in 27:54 to complete another Kenyan clean sweep.

Simplyhealth Great North 10K, Gateshead, July 7

Tonbridge’s Ashley Gibson (35:40) and James McKenzie of Heaton (33:11) claimed titles at the 10km event in Gateshead.

Top 3 Women @SimplyhealthUK #GreatNorth10k ?

? Ashley Gibson 35:40
? Hannah Wood 38:06
? Laura Havis 42:30

Congratulations! pic.twitter.com/I5BmZg12t9

— Great Run (@Great_Run) July 7, 2019

Healthspan Porthcawl 10K, Wales, July 7

World Championships marathoner Josh Griffiths won the men’s race in 29:54 from Welsh cross-country champion James Hunt (29:58) and Phil Wylie (30:41), while Natasha Cockram won the women’s title in 34:51 ahead of Jenny Spink (35:20) and Ruby Orchard (37:31).

Cross country will return to the Scottish city in January despite the end of the Great Stirling XCountry

A Stirling fixture has been added to the British Athletics Cross Challenge circuit for the 2019/20 season.

This means cross country action will return to the Scottish city in January despite the popular Great Stirling XCountry having come to an end earlier this year.

In May it was confirmed that the Great Stirling XCountry and Great Stirling Run events would not be staged from 2020.

The televised international event had moved to Stirling for this year’s edition after 14 years in Edinburgh.

“We are thrilled that the Cross Challenge series is able to add the Stirling Cross Country to its list of fixtures, incorporating the Scottish Inter-District championships,” said interim CEO of UK Athletics, Nigel Holl.

“The Cross Challenge series has such a strong and prestigious reputation of attracting the best distance runners in the country to our shores and it is fantastic that we will have the chance to see some of the best runners on the cross country circuit in action in Stirling.”

The Cross Challenge fixture at Kings Park on January 11 will also incorporate the Home Country and Celtic Internationals, alongside maintaining the Scottish Inter-District Championships.

The series will once again kick off at Cardiff’s Llandaff Fields on October 12, before heading to Milton Keynes’ Teardrop Lakes on November 9.

Liverpool’s Sefton Park will again host the GB trials for the European Cross Country Championships on December 8 and the series will culminate with the Inter-Counties race at Loughborough’s Prestwold Hall on March 7.

The Northern Ireland International Cross Country event in Dundonald has this year been cancelled due to fixture congestion at the start of 2020, but the meet is expected to return for the 2020/21 series.

“Cross country is etched into the very heart of endurance runners’ training and preparations for the indoor and outdoor season,” added Holl.

“Furthermore, with Scotland leading the way in terms of running all cross country races at equal distances, the Cross Challenge event in Stirling will be yet another example of how this approach is the way forward – a model we are striving to achieve in all Cross Challenge events.

“On a personal level I am particularly pleased that a Cross Challenge event is now heading back to Scotland. With my background in the sport in Scotland, I know the passion for cross country that exists in clubs and among athletes the length and breadth of Scotland – including the Islands! A British Cross Challenge is what athletics in Scotland deserves, and I know it will be a #muddybrilliant day.”