MONTREAL – Moorespeed is expanding its IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama program to include two cars.

Rob Ferriol, currently third in the Gold Cup driver point standings, joins Moorespeed for the remainder of the season in IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge competition beginning at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve this weekend in Montreal. He’ll be a teammate to full-season Moorespeed driver Riley Dickinson.

Dickinson sits third in the Platinum Cup driver point standings following doubleheaders at Barber Motorsports Park and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course to open the season. Ferriol comes to Moorespeed after opening the season running with TPC Racing.

The addition fulfills a stated goal from last fall, adding an experienced hand to pair with the 16-year-old Dickinson as he strives for a Platinum class championship for cars built between 2017 and 2019.

“The work began on Montreal almost immediately following post-race debriefing and reflection of Mid-Ohio,” Moorespeed President David Moore said. “We had a very successful test a week ago at Watkins Glen, where we continued to make strong progress developing Riley’s raw talent. Rob is the perfect fit for Moorespeed and for Riley, as Rob can help mentor a great young man in Riley and they will be able to help each other with data. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.”

This weekend’s doubleheader at Montreal is part of the Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. The event is unique on the schedule. Not only is it included on the Formula One calendar, but also is a dual event for the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge including the Canadian field. The trip north of the border is the first to the track for Moorespeed.

“It’s going to be an unbelievable experience that I am very anxious to be a part of this coming week,” Dickinson said. “However, I’m there to execute the job at hand regardless of the atmosphere of the race. At the end of the day I’m going to treat it like any other race. The field is going to have a few different names in the running order with the Canadian series running in conjunction with ours which I think is going to provide even better racing throughout the weekend.”

Ferriol will drive the No. 5 Moorespeed/GridRival Porsche 911 GT3 Cup in the Gold class, which is for 911 GT3 Cup cars built between 2014 and 2016. The change in teams is amicable for Ferriol, who worked closely with TPC Racing and Moorespeed in a collaboration to make the move for 2019.

“I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Mike and Harris Levitas and the entire TPC Racing team,” Ferriol said. “As I make a charge for the Gold championship this year, and TPC’s paddock continues to grow, they knew it would take a laser-focused, whole-team approach to really maximize my chances at finding that elusive top step at the end of the year. David has proven that his program at Moorespeed is designed to produce champions, so Mike, David, and I collectively put our heads together and came up with a plan.”

ANNAPOLIS, Maryland -- U.S. men's goalkeeper Zack Steffen has admitted that he "has a lot of feelings" heading into this summer, but that his current focus remains on helping the U.S. retain the Gold Cup.

The presumptive No. 1 keeper has plenty on his mind. In addition to his duties with the U.S., there will be a new club to become acquainted with as Steffen's transfer to Manchester City becomes official on July 9. That has also meant saying goodbye to previous club the Columbus Crew.

"There's a lot of nerves, a lot of excitement, a little bit of sadness leaving the chapter in Columbus," he said following Monday's training session on the campus of the U.S. Naval Academy. "But I'm really focused on the Gold Cup and doing well here, and raising the trophy here, and then I'll focus on what lies next."

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Steffen is aware of the role he is attempting to fill given the long line of goalkeepers that have starred in England as well with the U.S., a group that includes Kasey Keller, Brad Friedel and Tim Howard. But it is a role he is intent on embracing.

"It's a big expectation, and a lot of pressure, but I like that," he said about starting for the U.S. "It will make me better. It will make the players around me better. It's an honor, obviously to be [mentioned] with those names. But I still have a long way to go, I'm young, and it's really just started."

Steffen added that he had spent some time talking to Howard about the role following the Crew's game in Colorado a few weeks ago.

"He's there for anything I need, and that means a lot to me," said Steffen about Howard.

Steffen made it clear that he owes a great deal to the Crew. His move there followed a disappointing stint with German club Freiburg, one that saw him limited to 14 appearances with their reserve team. But in Columbus, Steffen was the undisputed No. 1 and won the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year award in 2018.

"I went there with the mentality of trying to find my passion again for soccer and happiness," he said. "I found a lot more than that just in Columbus. It was a time I'll never forget."

Steffen received an emotional sendoff following Saturday's 2-2 draw with New York City FC. Prior to the game he received a framed replica jersey. Afterward, there was a video montage, and he walked around the field at MAPFRE Stadium, posed for selfies as well as signing countless autographs.

"Leaving [Sunday] there was definitely some emotional moments," he said. "But that's good, that means Columbus was a special time for me."

Sri Lanka quick bowler Lasith Malinga was scathing in his criticism of his team-mates' attitude, saying that they have moved from one defeat to another in recent times without learning any lessons.

Speaking to the Sri Lankan press before their game against Afghanistan in Cardiff on Tuesday, Malinga said, "In the last one-and-a-half years or two years, we have been saying, 'we have lost one game, move on, do well in the next game'. You can't play cricket like that. We need to learn lessons from those defeats. There's no point in forgetting those defeats.

"I have played four World Cups and I still feel the pressure for tomorrow's match. The other players must also feel it. You can't play cricket anywhere without feeling the pressure. If a player doesn't feel that pressure, that excitement, the nervousness, then there's no chance of getting 100% from that player. They must think to themselves that if they don't deliver, they have not done justice to the team."

"We can't improve our skills at the moment. We need to become mentally tough"

In the last three years, Sri Lanka have won just 26% of their ODIs; they have lost to Scotland in a List A match, and Afghanistan beat them in their most recent contest in the Asia Cup.

In their opening match of the World Cup, Sri Lanka, who have won just four of their 21 completed ODIs in the past 12 months and lost warm-up matches to South Africa and Australia before the tournament, went down by ten wickets to New Zealand after folding for 136.

"All the players must realise their own mistakes first. We can't repeat the same mistakes over and over," Malinga said. "As a senior player and as a member of the squad, I hope everyone will have that fear of not doing their duty and feel the shame of losing. Everyone must realise that it's a must that they perform because if not our cricket will not go forward.

"At least from tomorrow, I hope everyone will have that fear because they have been selected as the best 15 to represent the country, not to be passengers. It's essential that they identify different game situations and support each other in the middle.

"I feel players need to get confidence, but we can't improve our skills at the moment. We need to become mentally tough."

Dimuth Karunaratne, leading Sri Lanka in the World Cup despite not being an ODI regular since March 2015, was the only batsman to show some grit against New Zealand, carrying his bat for 52 runs as wickets fell in a heap around him.

"I feel our top-seven batsmen have to take responsibility," Malinga said. "We need to be patient. Patience is very important.

"We know these conditions; we can have someone get 60-70 runs and some balls can still move around. Each bowler has their own method of setting up a batsman and taking wickets. So each bowler has their own ways of bowling those wicket-taking deliveries. I can't decide that for the others."

Pakistan 348 for 8 (Hafeez 84, Babar 63, Sarfaraz 55, Moeen 3-50, Woakes 3-71) beat England 334 for 9 (Root 107, Buttler 103, Wahab 3-82) by 14 runs

As it happened: England v Pakistan

A hundred from Joe Root, the first in this World Cup. A hundred from Jos Buttler, at 75 balls the fifth fastest in the history of the World Cup. The disadvantage of losing the toss and being asked to set a target in these quixotic ODI times. The pressure of coming into this game on the back of a hammering at the same ground three days ago (not to mention 11 successive defeats in the format). Pakistan looked cornered, for sure, but they produced the old tiger routine at Trent Bridge to emerge bloodied but unbowed against the hosts and favourites. And, more crucially, with two World Cup points in their pocket.

Having opened so smoothly against South Africa, England were given a World Cup reality check - a reminder, in particular, that their vaunted batting line-up cannot make up for every sub-par performance with the ball. It had been almost four years since England last lost an ODI chase at home, but this was a record target in World Cups and despite going into the last ten overs needing 91 with five wickets in hand, Pakistan's death bowling was good enough that the final dozen deliveries were barely even squeaky.

Success with the ball has never been more relative: Wahab Riaz's 3 for 82 would barely have qualified as respectable a decade ago, but his changes of pace at the end ensured England would not wag their way to a last-gasp victory (as well as accounting for Jonny Bairstow at the top of the order). Mohammad Amir, meanwhile, removed Buttler the ball after he had recorded his hundred, to finally send the scales lurching in Pakistan's direction.

In any other era, against any other side, Pakistan's total of 348 for 8 would have looked impregnable. It was built around solid top-order contributions from Mohammad Hafeez, Babar Azam and Sarfaraz Ahmed, though perhaps decisively aided and abetted by some uncharacteristically sloppy fielding from England.

At the halfway stage, there was a sense that this could easily go the way of Pakistan's unsuccessful attempts to defend 358 and 340 during the ODI series last month (when Wahab and Amir, for differing reasons, were both notably absent). But this was a World Cup encounter, in which the hosts carry the tag of favourites; however often they have pulled off such feats over recent years, there is no such thing as an easy chase of 349.

So it was to prove, though for a while during the stand between Root and Buttler of 130 in 17.3 overs, England had the air of warm favourites (despite history and mathematics remaining firmly against them). That lifted England from the travails of 118 for 4, with both openers falling inside the Powerplay and Pakistan's part-time spin pairing of Hafeez and Shoaib Malik accounting for the in-form Eoin Morgan and Ben Stokes.

It could have been worse for England, Root surviving a difficult diving chance to slip on 9 - Babar the would-be catcher, Amir the frustrated bowler - but he otherwise fulfilled his anchor role with aplomb, easing his way to a hundred from 97 balls. Then, with 101 needed and more than 10 overs of the innings remaining, Root threw his hands at a delivery from Shadab Khan and sliced to short third man. The noise from the increasingly rambunctious English sections of the Trent Bridge crowd immediately dropped a level.

In fact, there had been equally voluble support for Pakistan, and England had seemed a touch rattled - there were sarcastic claps to the crowd in the field, and then palpable frustration from Jason Roy when his lbw against Shadab in the third over was confirmed on review. Bairstow responded forcefully before feathering behind off Wahab, and it was a sign of England's uneven effort that his 32 end up being their third-highest score.

The DRS could not come to Pakistan's aid later in the innings, when Buttler was rapped on the front pad by Shadab with just 33 to his name. It was understandable that Sarfaraz had gambled, with Buttler clearly England's likeliest match-winner; even after Root's dismissal, Pakistan nerves frayed further when a thin edge off Moeen Ali that could also have seen him stumped was missed by the captain. But Amir had Buttler carving to short third man, while Moeen never got going before being put out of his misery by Wahab.

It was an English error that seemed to be magnified in retrospect, as Hafeez took advantage of the life he received on 14 to top-score for Pakistan - and then scuttled one through Morgan's defences for good measure, as he and Malik ensured that an XI light on frontline bowlers could hold off the modern game's most enthusiastic chasers.

Despite the scorn heaped upon their batsmen after succumbing to 105 all out against West Indies on Friday, Pakistan produced a remarkably resolute response. Imam-ul-Haq and Fakhar Zaman put on 82 for the first wicket and the middle order then cracked on fluently as only Moeen found much joy among the England attack. How different might things have been, however, had Roy held on to a steepling miscue from Hafeez when he gave Adil Rashid the charge in the legspinner's second over.

Rashid was to end wicketless, hit out of the attack after conceding 43 from five overs as Babar and Hafeez took him on. Jofra Archer, too, endured his toughest outing in international cricket, dealt with dismissively at the death on the way to figures of 0 for 79.

While Chris Woakes could not be faulted, claiming four catches and a share of the World Cup record for a fielder, to go with three wickets, his contributions were the exception as England totted up 13 misfields and 17 extra runs donated to the Pakistan cause - enough to have swung the match. Having failed to live up to their billing, Morgan's side must deal with defeat by a team they had wiped aside 4-0 in bilaterals just a couple of weeks ago. That added pressure of World Cups? Well, it is only going to increase from here.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

After the kicking comes the clicking.

Such a stark turnaround after 11 straight losses - the most recent: a complete shellacking by the West Indies - to defeat the World Cup hosts and favourites shouldn't surprise anyone who follows Pakistan, of course. But in the end it was a confidence-boosting session among the players after the West Indies loss that triggered the reversal of fortune.

"You can lose but when you start feeling it and realising that you played badly, we all had that realisation that we didn't play well then," said Mohammad Hafeez. "It's not on especially to perform like that at a World Cup."

"So we had that realisation. Everyone took responsibility. We all sat down, gave each other confidence. Somebody came to me and gave me that confidence, I went to somebody else and gave them that confidence. We made each other remember the good performances we've all put in. We had this desire to pick up a good, big win here and move on with that. We have been playing well as a team, but we weren't able to close out and win games.

"Today, every player expressed themselves, as a batsman, as a bowler, we all went on the field and did everything we could. We didn't hold back. It's a good sign that we have that winning feeling back in the dressing room. That will give us more confidence and hopefully we can maintain that."

Perhaps too much was made of that losing streak; the side that succumbed to Australia was essentially a second string team and they were competitive in two of the ODIs they played against England prior to the tournament. The inclusion of Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir, Hafeez and Shadab Khan has given the bowling line up, in particular, a very different look. But on top of that, Hasan Ali credited the belief instilled by coach Mickey Arthur for Pakistan's about face.

"After the first match we sat and we talked about our weaknesses and we talked about plans and execution and all these things," said Hasan. "But one thing is very important, which is our coach is always backing us, so I think that moment was turning us because everybody is very confident and the guys want to win.

"We were very disappointed we lost 11 games in a row but you know one thing is very important, we believe in ourselves and we know we needed just a little bit of a kick and then we will click. So I think we've got the kick and we are very happy."

It's not often you come across fast bowlers who dabble in rhyming couplets, but Hasan may have nailed what many have tried to explain about Pakistan's famous fluctuations.

They just needed the right kick to click.

Nate Diaz says a trilogy fight against former UFC lightweight and featherweight champion Conor McGregor is not going to happen.

"I'm not interested in it at all," Diaz told ESPN's Ariel Helwani on Monday. "I'm interested in winners. He lost his last fight and I won my last fight. You think I'm trying to fight someone who just got his a-- beat all over the place? I'm a black belt in jiu-jitsu. That s--- wouldn't happen to me."

Diaz and McGregor fought twice, both of which were classics.

Diaz, face covered in blood, submitted the Irishman with a second-round, rear-naked choke at UFC 196 in March 2016. It ended McGregor's 15-fight win streak. The two had a rematch at UFC 202 in August 2016, another all-out brawl where McGregor earned the majority decision.

McGregor followed up that performance with a second-round TKO win against Eddie Alvarez, taking the UFC's lightweight belt in the process. He since has faced Floyd Mayweather in boxing, a 10th-round TKO loss, and was submitted by Khabib Nurmagomedov in the fourth round of their fight at UFC 229 last October.

Diaz told Helwani he does not believe he lost the second matchup with McGregor and shouldn't have to beg to fight him a third time.

"[The UFC] were dissing me, saying I f---ing turned down fights," Diaz said. "I was like, 'Dude, what are you talking about?' You're giving this guy the world, and you're putting this guy down. That's why I haven't been fighting. Why would I work for you while you're over here playing me?

"Three years went by and then they start expecting me to start screaming for f---ing Conor as soon as he loses? Nah, dude, I won that last fight. I'll fight Khabib. Then Khabib is playing like I have to win something to get to him. I'm like, 'What are you talking about, dude? You have to win to get to me. I slapped you.'"

Diaz, in fact, says he's done with the lightweight division altogether. He went 11-6 as a UFC lightweight and was 2-3 in his last five bouts, including a title fight loss to Benson Henderson. He will face Anthony Pettis at UFC 241 on Aug. 17 in Anaheim, California, as a welterweight.

"That's in the past," Diaz said. "I think it's time to fight at a more comfortable weight class. There's nothing for me there. I already did everything, beat everybody. I feel I'm the king of that division anyways. I mean, I am the king of that division."

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Odubel Herrera's administrative leave has been extended to June 17, Major League Baseball announced Monday.

Herrera was arrested last Monday at the Golden Nugget Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and charged with simple assault and knowingly causing bodily injury after an incident involving his girlfriend.

He is due in court on June 17.

According to a police report obtained by the Philadelphia Inquirer, Herrera left "hand print markings" on his girlfriend's neck and "small scratches" on her arms.

Herrera, 27, is hitting .222 with a home run and 16 RBIs this season.

The Milwaukee Brewers optioned rookie second baseman Keston Hiura to Triple-A San Antonio on Monday to make room for third baseman Travis Shaw's return from the injured list.

The Brewers made the move despite Hiura's solid performance at the plate in 17 games since coming to the majors, hitting .281 with five home runs and nine RBIs.

Shaw, who was placed on the IL on May 14 with a strained right wrist, was off to a slow start this season, batting just .163 with four homers and eight RBIs. He hit .235 with a home run and two RBIs in a 10-game rehabilitation assignment.

"We believe Travis has earned the right to play at the major league level," president of baseball operations David Stearns told reporters, according to the Journal Sentinel. "He's healthy. He has gone and done his rehab assignment. We believe it's time for him to come back.

"He has been an extremely productive player for us over the past couple of years, a player who has contributed a whole lot to the organization. And he has earned the right to be at the major league level."

Stearns indicated that the Brewers chose to make the move with Hiura because he had minor league options remaining.

"We always have to keep in mind that this is a long season, and that preserving organizational depth, preserving options throughout the entire season, is something we think is really important," Stearns said, according to the Journal-Sentinel. "It's something that we have focused on over the last couple years and it has served us well.

"We have players who are either performing now or have performed at a very high level in the past. It generally behooves us to make sure we have as much depth and flexibility as possible."

Hiura was the ninth overall selection in the 2017 draft and was rated by ESPN's Keith Law this season as baseball's No. 21 overall prospect.

This week, we saw something unusual this late in the season: Both of last week's No. 1 and No. 2 teams were superseded by two different teams altogether. Welcome to the new balance of power among the major league elite, because seeing the Astros and Twins passed by both the Yankees and our new No. 1, the Dodgers, is about how strong all four clubs are, with the Rays, Cubs and Brewers scant steps behind them. So, we still have superteams, but the surprise is just that some of them -- looking at you Minnesota and Tampa Bay -- are unexpected additions to the field.

How close are these clubs? While the Dodgers might be on top, they received just three of five first-place votes, with the Yankees and Astros getting one apiece. The Twins got four third-place votes, but they finished fourth only because they were the one team in the top four that didn't get any first-place support. Will they change that in the week to come while running neck and neck with the Dodgers for the MLB lead in wins? We'll have to see.

If the jostling for position at the top commands most of the attention, we saw a new meteoric rise to No. 11 by another team: This week, it's the red-hot Rockies following the trail laid by the A's and Angels in weeks past with their week-best nine-spot rise up the ranks. The challenge now for Colorado is to show whether it can be the first one to take the next step forward and crack the top 10, something neither Oakland nor Los Angeles could manage. In the declining fortunes department, pity the Pirates and the Diamondbacks, who lost the most ground by falling five spots apiece.

For Week 9, 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

1. Los Angeles Dodgers

2019 record: 41-19
Week 8 ranking: 3

One thing that makes the Dodgers' offense so tough and why they are the new No. 1 (besides Cody Bellinger's brilliant first two months, that is): Heading into Sunday, they led the National League in walks (the Cubs had a slight edge in walks per game) and also led in fewest strikeouts. Bellinger has more walks than K's, while Alex Verdugo and David Freese are almost at a 1:1 ratio. That ability to put the ball in play is one reason Verdugo might keep hitting .300 -- and why it's so difficult to get through this lineup. -- Schoenfield

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2. New York Yankees

2019 record: 38-20
Week 8 ranking: 4

After taking the weekend series from the Red Sox, the Yankees now have captured nine series in a row. And they have six home runs all season from Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Hicks -- a trio that combined for 92 homers last season. The back of the bullpen continues to dominate, as Aroldis Chapman, Adam Ottavino, Zack Britton and Tommy Kahnle have combined for a 1.51 ERA. With so many teams struggling in the pen, that's one reason to consider the Yankees as the No. 1 team in the Power Rankings. -- Schoenfield

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3. Houston Astros

2019 record: 40-20
Week 8 ranking: 1

Jake Marisnick has always been a valuable role player for Houston, offering pop against lefties, excellent defense and baserunning, and comic relief in the clubhouse. As the injuries have mounted for Houston, Marisnick has started 22 games in center field since April 29. While his responsibilities have expanded, his skill set has not. Marisnick's .442 slugging against righties is good enough, but his on-base percentage against them is just .265, in line with his career .269 mark. Marisnick is hitting .389/.463/.694 against lefties, but even with the increased playing time, he remains a role player. -- Doolittle

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4. Minnesota Twins

2019 record: 40-18
Week 8 ranking: 2

The Twins have not faced the division-favorite Indians since the opening series, when they took two of three games. They meet again this week, with the Twins running away with the American League Central and the Indians in desperation mode. Minnesota ace Jose Berrios, scheduled for a Wednesday start in Cleveland, has been all or nothing against the Tribe in his career, with four excellent outings and four rough ones. -- Karabell

5. Tampa Bay Rays

2019 record: 35-22
Week 8 ranking: 6

That Tampa Bay's pitching staff wasn't able to derail Minnesota's rampaging offense probably says more about the Twins than the Rays. Home, road, lefty, righty, April, May -- the Rays' pitching has been remarkably consistent. We probably won't put openers in the Hall of Fame, but if we did, Ryne Stanek would be the early favorite to be the first. This season, the Rays have had 18 starts that lasted two innings or less, 16 by Stanek. The Rays have a 1.50 starter ERA in those outings, with just five runs allowed in 30 innings. Stanek allowed three of those runs with one bad outing on May 1. -- Doolittle

6. Chicago Cubs

2019 record: 31-26
Week 8 ranking: 5

The regression monster came early for Jon Lester in a particularly ravenous state. The Cubs' lefty appeared to have fully adjusted to the new velocity constraints of this phase of his fine career, posting an MLB-best 1.16 ERA over his first seven starts. The past three outings? He has allowed 19 runs, 16 earned, over 14 IP, bloating his ERA to 3.59. The Cubs, and Lester, hope the regression monster is fully satiated. -- Doolittle

ICYMI: Can Cubs ride out their up-and-down rotation?

7. Milwaukee Brewers

2019 record: 34-26
Week 8 ranking: 9

There were two silver linings from Sunday's news that the Brewers were placing Jhoulys Chacin on the injured list and recalling Jimmy Nelson from Triple-A San Antonio. The first was that Chacin's ERA climbed to 5.74 after another poor outing on Friday, so perhaps his back issues explain his woes. The second is the return of Nelson, who was Milwaukee's ace when he injured his shoulder belly flopping into first base at Wrigley Field on Sept. 8, 2017. It will be good to see Nelson back in uniform when he takes the mound at Miami on Wednesday. -- Doolittle

8. Philadelphia Phillies

2019 record: 33-26
Week 8 ranking: 8

Third baseman Maikel Franco is no lock to keep a starting job after hitting .170 with one home run in May. Franco hit seven blasts in March/April, with more walks than strikeouts, but Scott Kingery is a capable third baseman and hitting better. Meanwhile, second baseman Cesar Hernandez, once thought to be in danger of losing playing time to Kingery, hit .337 with a .953 OPS in May, leading the club. -- Karabell

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9. Boston Red Sox

2019 record: 30-29
Week 8 ranking: 7

Entering Sunday's game, the Red Sox were a miserable 2-for-26 (.077) with runners in scoring position in four straight losses to the Yankees, while allowing New York hitters to go 11-for-28 (.393) with RISP. The Sox turned the tide Sunday, however, going 4-for-10 with RISP to the Yankees' 1-for-7. Boston will need more of those timely hits to have any chance of catching New York. -- Steve Richards

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10. Atlanta Braves

2019 record: 32-27
Week 8 ranking: 10

The Braves had a short week with just five games, going 2-3 against the Nationals and Tigers, and continue with a favorable stretch of the schedule: six games on the road against the Pirates and Marlins, then a 10-game homestand against the Pirates, Phillies and Mets. The Braves have played just three games against the Phillies so far (losing all three to start the season). Two keys to watch: Kevin Gausman and Mike Foltynewicz, now a combined 3-8 with a 5.79 ERA. Gausman gave up eight runs in one inning to the Nationals, but Foltynewicz, an All-Star last season, is the bigger concern with 13 HRs allowed in 38⅓ innings. -- Schoenfield

ICYMI: Will Luke Jackson be key to pen performance down the stretch?

11. Colorado Rockies

2019 record: 31-27
Week 8 ranking: 20

The Rockies enter the week riding an eight-game winning streak, which has catapulted them from fourth to second place in the NL West -- though they still face a nine-game climb to catch the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers. Predictably, the Rockies' bats have been responsible for their streak, played entirely at Coors Field, during which time the team scored 56 runs, with No. 2 hitter David Dahl their biggest standout. -- Tristan H. Cockcroft

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12. St. Louis Cardinals

2019 record: 30-28
Week 8 ranking: 12

For the first time this season, Paul DeJong's bat has run cold. In his past 11 games, he is an .056 hitter (2-for-36) without an extra-base hit, which has played a large part in the Cardinals posting one of the league's worst team wOBAs (.301) during that time. The Cardinals were fortunate to sweep their three-game weekend home series against the Cubs, but they'll need a stronger performance from DeJong when the teams have a rematch at Wrigley Field next weekend. -- Cockcroft

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13. Oakland Athletics

2019 record: 29-30
Week 8 ranking: 11

The A's managed a 15-10 May despite not having Khris Davis healthy for much of the month. But third baseman Matt Chapman has chosen the right time to start heating up at the plate, ripping six home runs over the past two weeks to take the team lead with 16, while also leading all AL infielders in defensive runs saved with eight on the season. -- Christina Kahrl

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14. Texas Rangers

2019 record: 30-27
Week 8 ranking: 17

Of course, it's absurdly early to be talking in these terms, but the Rangers have moved into the second wild-card position in the American League on the strength of a 13-5 run since the middle of May. We'll see if they can keep it up with Joey Gallo, the AL leader in slugging percentage, sidelined for at least the next two weeks with an oblique injury. -- Richards

15. San Diego Padres

2019 record: 30-29
Week 8 ranking: 15

Since their 19-run outburst in Toronto on May 25, the Padres haven't been able to muster much offense, totaling just 19 runs and slashing .207/.271/.344 in seven games since. Manny Machado's struggles have had a lot to do with it; he now is hitting just .214 (12-for-56) with two extra-base hits, both doubles, during a 17-game slump. -- Cockcroft

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16. Cleveland Indians

2019 record: 29-30
Week 8 ranking: 13

Did any pitcher have a month encapsulating the state of the game today more so than Carlos Carrasco just did? In May, he tied for the AL lead in home runs allowed with 10, which sounds bad, but seven were solo shots, and he also posted an excellent 38-4 ratio of strikeouts to walks in 37⅓ IP. Good and bad, that's baseball in 2019. -- Kahrl

ICYMI:

17. Cincinnati Reds

2019 record: 27-32
Week 8 ranking: 18

Derek Dietrich's hitting was one of the team's May highlights, as his three-homer game Tuesday gave him 12 for the month, tying him for the major league lead in May despite his starting just 19 of the team's 28 games. The good news for Dietrich, given his platoon role, is that the Reds' opponents during the next 10 days have overwhelmingly right-handed rotations: the Cardinals (Tuesday to Thursday), Phillies (Friday to Sunday) and Indians (June 11-12). -- Cockcroft

18. New York Mets

2019 record: 28-31
Week 8 ranking: 19

Embattled lefty Jason Vargas actually led the loaded rotation with a 2.81 ERA in May, so he is not the team's biggest problem. The starting rotation performed well. Closer Edwin Diaz posted a 5.06 ERA, but one bad outing clouded things and few are concerned there. The offense, however, hit .238 in May, with Amed Rosario, Todd Frazier, J.D. Davis, Brandon Nimmo, Juan Lagares and Robinson Cano contributing a combined .210 mark. Pete Alonso cannot do it all. The rest of New York's offense needs to get healthy and productive soon. -- Karabell

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19. Arizona Diamondbacks

2019 record: 30-30
Week 8 ranking: 14

The D-backs started the week with five straight losses, their second five-game skid in three weeks. Seven of the 10 losses in those slides were by one run, a bugaboo for the Snakes all season. They have played an MLB-high 26 one-run games and are just 10-16, ranking 24th in one-run winning percentage entering Sunday. -- Richards

20. Los Angeles Angels

2019 record: 29-30
Week 8 ranking: 21

Infielder David Fletcher continues to surprise, as he showed his .307 batting average from March/April was no fluke by hitting .317 in May. He also walked more than he struck out in each month. Fletcher, who mainly hits first in the lineup or last, has more than 35 plate appearances at four different positions for the Angels, providing critical versatility in light of injuries and poor play by others. Only Mike Trout has been more valuable on this club. -- Karabell

21. Pittsburgh Pirates

2019 record: 28-30
Week 8 ranking: 16

Injuries continue to hamper the Pirates' pitching staff. Since Trevor Williams joined Jameson Taillon on the IL on May 17, the team has a NL-worst 6.33 ERA and only two quality starts in 17 games. Joe Musgrove concluded the month of May with an 8.10 ERA and .302 batting average allowed in his six starts, one of only three pitchers who could claim numbers that high in at least six starts during the month (Manny Banuelos, Kyle Freeland). -- Cockcroft

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22. Washington Nationals

2019 record: 26-33
Week 8 ranking: 22

Juan Soto played his 162nd career game this past week and hit .292/.402/.519 with 31 home runs, 107 runs and 107 RBIs in those games. Joe Posnanski wrote about the best 162 games to start a career, and while Soto didn't crack the top 10, Joe's list didn't factor in age. Soto will play this entire regular season at 20 years old. Oh, by the way, after a bit of a slow start out of the gate, he is hitting .333/.403/.619 since April 24. His walk rate actually has dropped during that span, so he is learning that sometimes being more aggressive is OK. -- Schoenfield

23. Chicago White Sox

2019 record: 29-30
Week 8 ranking: 23

Chicago has been getting resurgent work from its bullpen lately, with closer Alex Colome leading the way. Through Saturday, ChiSox relievers have posted a 2.10 collective ERA ... if you subtract one struggling hurler, veteran Kelvin Herrera, who sports a 7.36 ERA overall. According to Statcast, Herrera's expected wOBA allowed is .352, ranking 204th of 254 qualifying pitchers. The White Sox can't trust him in high-leverage roles right now and, frankly, probably shouldn't carry him much longer if the stuff doesn't start to tick up. -- Doolittle

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24. San Francisco Giants

2019 record: 24-34
Week 8 ranking: 25

Through May, Giants left fielders were the single least productive non-pitcher position in the NL, putting up a collective .477 OPS before the calendar flipped to June. And to add to the ignominy, that was 120 points lower than the performance at the plate of the Mets' pitchers. Given that they already have burned through nine different starters in left, consider it a team effort. -- Kahrl

25. Toronto Blue Jays

2019 record: 21-38
Week 8 ranking: 26

Toronto is in a dreadful slump, losing 10 of 11 while scoring just 30 total runs in those 10 losses. For the season, the Jays have just three position players with a WAR of 0.5 or higher (Justin Smoak and Eric Sogard at 0.7, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. at 0.5). The cumulative wins above average for Toronto's non-pitchers is the worst in the league (minus-8.0) and is subzero at every position except pitcher. -- Richards

26. Seattle Mariners

2019 record: 25-37
Week 8 ranking: 24

Good luck picking an All-Star from this team. Maybe Daniel Vogelbach makes it as the backup designated hitter. Or Mitch Haniger, but he is not having the season he had last year. One possibility is catcher Omar Narvaez. The Mariners have had just one All-Star catcher in their history, Dan Wilson, who made it in 1996. Meanwhile, they now have a strong claim as the worst team in baseball, as they have one two-game winning streak since April 26 and have lost 14 of 17, 26 of 33 and 35 of 47. Marco Gonzales has allowed 18 runs over his past two starts, Yusei Kikuchi has allowed 20 hits in 6⅔ innings over his past two starts, Mallex Smith is a train wreck in center field and the bullpen is a disaster. At least Mount Rainier looks great in the summer. -- Schoenfield

27. Detroit Tigers

2019 record: 22-34
Week 8 ranking: 28

For a team desperate for some pop in the lineup in the wake of Miguel Cabrera's power outage, Brandon Dixon has been a godsend, hitting a team-leading five home runs in May in little more than two weeks' worth of playing time. In his third organization, has the 27-year-old finally found a place to stick? -- Kahrl

28. Kansas City Royals

2019 record: 19-40
Week 8 ranking: 27

The Royals hope to get offensive production from infielder Cheslor Cuthbert, summoned from Triple-A before the weekend while Chris Owings and his .415 OPS moved on. Cuthbert homered in his first big league plate appearance of the season on Friday, after posting a .898 OPS at Omaha. He does not profile as a big power hitter, but with Hunter Dozier hurting and the club getting terrible production at first base, he should help. -- Karabell

29. Miami Marlins

2019 record: 21-36
Week 8 ranking: 29

As a unit, starting pitching finished May as the pride of the Marlins, finishing seventh among MLB rotations with a 3.63 ERA for the month, as well as notching quality starts in half of their 26 games (including throwing them in eight of their 11 wins). With the offense continuing to struggle, good starting pitching is what's keeping the Marlins competitive. -- Kahrl

30. Baltimore Orioles

2019 record: 18-41
Week 8 ranking: 30

Baltimore actually made progress this week in lowering its historic gopher ball rate, allowing eight home runs in six games, a pace that would put the Orioles below the league average and in the same neighborhood as the front-running Astros and Yankees. In fact, if we take out the ridiculous number of long balls the O's have given up to the Twins and Yanks (a combined 56 in 18 games), Baltimore has yielded 66 homers in 41 games, still a lot but a lower rate than allowed by the Mariners and Angels so far. -- Richards

KNOXVILLE, Iowa – NOS Energy Drink has been named the title sponsor of the Knoxville Nationals at Knoxville Raceway.

The NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s General Store will be held at Knoxville Raceway Aug. 7-10.

The annual four-day event is the biggest event in sprint car racing. The legendary race track on the Marion County Fairgrounds will pay out a purse that totals nearly $1 million, with the race winning of the NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s General Store finale earning a $150,000 payday.

Every August, nearly 25,000 race fans congregate in the small, farming-centric Iowa town for a week of racing and fan-focused events including concerts, parties and celebrity appearances.

“NOS Energy continues to recognize that dirt track racing is a dynamic marketing platform and its fans are key consumers who appreciate the brand,” said Kendra Jacobs, Director of Marketing for Knoxville Raceway. “All of us at Knoxville Raceway are grateful to the decision makers at NOS Energy for all they do to support the growth of grassroots racing. The NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s General Store is sprint car racing’s biggest stage and we couldn’t continue to elevate our event without world-class brands like NOS Energy. We’re passionate about this event and ready to promote this great sponsorship and the #NOSvilleNationals.”

“This coming August will mark the 59th anniversary of the Knoxville Nationals and we’re thrilled to know it will now be referred to as The NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals,” said Lauren Albano, NOS Energy Drink Marketing Director. “Between the amazing 1,400-pound, 900-horsepower, winged race cars, fierce competition and the hospitality of Knoxville Raceway, it doesn’t take much to see why over 25,000 race fans encroach upon Iowa every summer to watch which sprint car drivers, cars and teams truly are the very best in this nation. We can’t wait to see everyone at the track.”

Casey’s General Stores, a long-standing partner with Knoxville Raceway, will continue as the presenting sponsor of the NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s General Store, creating a natural retail relationship.

“Casey’s is proud to have been a part of the Knoxville community since 1979 when a Casey’s location opened here forty years ago,” said Megan Elfers, Vice President Marketing and Advertising for Casey’s General Store. “There is no better way to show support for Knoxville than to be a part of the energetic racing community here at the Raceway. We can’t wait to welcome the drivers, their teams, fans of racing and fans of our stores to the track for this great event.”

The NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s General Store will feature live music each night, the annual Tony Stewart Foundation go-kart race and fundraiser, the Knoxville Hospital & Clinics/Real Fitness 4.10 Run, rooftop yoga classes, a downtown parade, live MRN Winged Nation radio broadcasts and more.

Brad Sweet earned his first NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s General Store victory in 2018.