SEATTLE -- Zack Greinke came within two outs of pitching the third no-hitter by the Houston Astros this year, losing his bid on a single by Seattle rookie Austin Nola in the ninth inning of a 3-0 win over the Mariners on Wednesday night.

Greinke (18-5) was in complete control while trying for his first career no-hitter. He drew cheers from the orange-shirted Astros fans when he took the mound to begin the ninth and retired Tom Murphy on a grounder.

Nola, in an 0-for-16 slump, was up next and dumped a liner into shallow left-center field. Center fielder Jake Marisnick made a diving attempt but came up well short and pounded his fist on his leg.

Greinke gave up another single to Tim Lopes and was replaced after throwing 108 pitches. Will Harris got his third save, striking out Shed Long and retiring J.P. Crawford on a lineout.

Houston posted its franchise-high 104th win and moved one step closer to home-field advantage throughout the postseason. The Astros nearly became the first team in major league history to throw three no-hitters in a season, while Seattle barely avoided becoming the first team to be no-hit three times in a year.

Greinke struck out nine and walked one. His performance put a capper on Houston's mastery of the Mariners as the Astros finished the year 18-1 against Seattle.

Part of that dominance was the Astros combining to no-hit the Mariners on Aug. 3. That game was started by Aaron Sanchez and included contributions from Harris, Joe Biagini and Chris Devenski.

Justin Verlander also threw a no-hitter earlier this month against Toronto.

Greinke saw a no-hit bid earlier this season against Washington broken up in the seventh inning. After that no-no disappeared, Greinke said, "I don't really think about [no-hitters] that much. I just assume I'll never throw one.''

"Just probably be more hassle than anything,'' he said.

Anyhow, he almost did, finally.

Until Nola's hit, the closest Seattle came to a base hit was Omar Narvaez's line drive back up the middle with one out in the eighth inning. Greinke, a five-time Gold Glove winner, got his mitt up in time to make the grab and keep the no-hitter intact.

The right-hander mixed a well located fastball all night, with a selection of off-speed pitches that left the Mariners whiffing at air. The All-Star lost his perfect game in the sixth when he walked Dee Gordon, ending his streak of consecutive innings without a free pass at 29⅓. He got out of the inning with a double play. His final strikeout came on a 64 mph off-speed pitch to Kyle Seager to end the seventh inning.

Houston got all the runs it needed in the first inning. George Springer singled to lead off the game against Yusei Kikuchi. Alex Bregman and Yordan Alvarez followed with RBI doubles for a quick 2-0 lead. Kikuchi (6-11) settled down and held Houston scoreless over the next five innings, striking out four with no walks.

Kyle Tucker made it 3-0 with a solo home run in the top of the ninth.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Astros: There is growing concern about SS Carlos Correa's tight lower back. Correa missed Tuesday's game after the long flight from Houston. He expected to be ready for Wednesday, but was unable to play and won't suit up for the first game of series against Los Angeles on Thursday because of a late arrival. Correa, who returned from the 10-day injured list on Sept. 17, said he would play if the Astros were in the playoffs.

"I think it is smart for us to play it more cautiously,'' Houston manager AJ Hinch said. "I'll feel better when he's on the field. There's a certain timing and rhythm and playing that he needs to do to make us all feel better. He played very well when he was active a few days ago.''

UP NEXT

Astros: LHP Wade Miley (14-6, 3.91 ERA) will take the mound in the first game at the Los Angeles Angels.

Mariners: RHP Felix Hernandez (1-7, 6.51 ERA) will make likely his final start for the Mariners after 15 seasons in Seattle.

On Sept. 5, the Milwaukee Brewers lost 10-5 to the Chicago Cubs in the first game of a four-game series in Milwaukee. They were 7½ games behind the first-place St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Central with 23 games left and five games behind the Cubs for the second wild-card spot -- tied with the New York Mets, with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Philadelphia Phillies ahead of them. Their playoff odds with 23 games remaining, according to Baseball-Reference.com: 3.1%.

Their odds of winning the division? Less than 0.1%. Not less than 1%. Less than one-tenth of 1%.

Here we are, 19 games later, and the Brewers not only have clinched a playoff spot -- they did that by beating the Cincinnati Reds 9-2 on Wednesday -- but they are just 1½ games behind the Cardinals in the NL Central. Miracle of miracles, after 17 wins in those 19 games, the Brewers now have their sights on a division title. What a story that would be.

Consider some of the most famous September comebacks in baseball history and where those teams stood with 23 games left:

1938 Cubs: 4 GB
1951 Giants: 5 GB
1964 Cardinals: 5 GB
1973 Mets: 5½ GB
1978 Yankees: 3 GB
1995 Mariners: 5½ GB
2007 Phillies: 5 GB (but 7 GB with 17 left!)

The Brewers have a chance at history -- and those final three games of the Cubs series early in the month got everything going. Given the Cubs' lead at the time in the wild-card race, it was the turning point in the season for both clubs.

In the Friday game, Christian Yelich hit a three-run home run off Cole Hamels in the third inning, and Zach Davies and three relievers combined for a three-hitter in a 7-1 victory. On Saturday, the Brewers won 3-2 as Yasmani Grandal tied it with a home run in the eighth and Yelich hit a two-out, walk-off double in the ninth. On Sunday, the Brewers scored five runs in the fourth off Jon Lester -- Tyler Austin hit a three-run homer -- on the way to an 8-5 victory.

Let the good times roll. Just like that, the Brewers were hot and the Cubs were reeling. Milwaukee went into Miami and swept a four-game series, although Yelich went down for the season in the first inning of the second game when a foul ball cracked his right kneecap. The Brewers lost 10-0 in St. Louis but won the next two games. They beat the San Diego Padres in three of four, swept three from the Pittsburgh Pirates and have now taken the first two from the Reds. The Brewers have scored 103 runs in going 17-2 (5.4 per game) and given up only 53 (2.79 per game). Through Sept. 5, the Brewers ranked 18th in the majors with a 4.65 ERA. Since Sept. 6, they rank first with a 2.54 ERA.

"We had another great September," Lorenzo Cain said after the game. "Back-to-back years we had great Septembers. We're back in the dance again and it's find a way to get to the World Series and win it all."

Yelich, the possible NL MVP until his injury, was on hand to celebrate. "Everybody stepped up. It's a true sense of a team," he said as teammates dumped champagne over his head. "We never really cared what our odds were all year, nobody cares about that. We know what we were capable of as a team. We have a lot of talented players and the guys stepped up huge and did a great job. We managed to string them together when it counted, like we did last year. It was somebody different every night."

At one point, manager Craig Counsell took the floor and pointed around the entire clubhouse: "Take a look," he said. "This is what a team looks like."

"They're going to the postseason!" #MKEHistory pic.twitter.com/Hnz0vkw7jx

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) September 26, 2019

?

— Christian Yelich (@ChristianYelich) September 26, 2019

Can the Brewers catch the Cardinals? Do you believe in momentum? Ryan Braun said they still have their eyes on more wins -- not just potential home field for the wild-card game against the Washington Nationals, but the division title.

The tricky issue: How many resources do you expend trying to avoid that wild-card game? Winning the division is huge, but the downfall of burning through Josh Hader and the rest of the bullpen is that you fight to get to a tiebreaker game on Monday, lose that, and then you have a fatigued pitching staff for Tuesday's wild-card game -- when it appears you'll face Stephen Strasburg, with Max Scherzer potentially in relief.

The Brewers have one more game in Cincinnati on Thursday afternoon, then three in Colorado. The Cardinals are off Thursday and host the Cubs for their final three. The Cubs have lost eight in a row and figure to be playing with the emotional urgency of a sloth, but maybe they'll show up to give their rivals some competition. The Rockies are bad and playing out the string. I'd call those matchups a toss-up.

The Brewers are lined up with Chase Anderson, Davies, Brandon Woodruff and Adrian Houser for their final four games. But, really, Counsell is almost managing every contest like a bullpen game these days. The expanded rosters allow him to pull his starters and go early and often to his pen. In September, a Brewers starting pitcher has gone more than 4⅓ innings only eight times in 23 games, more than five innings only three times (twice by Jordan Lyles) and never more than 6⅓.

The Cardinals have Dakota Hudson, Miles Mikolas and Adam Wainwright slated for their final three games. Keep in mind, however, that red-hot Jack Flaherty also could start Sunday on regular rest.

The Cardinals, of course, are hoping for the best-case scenario: clinch before Sunday, so they don't have to worry about using Flaherty and have him ready to go in Game 1 of the division series against the Braves. My guess is if they're leading by one game on Sunday that they stick with Wainwright and hope to win. If they're tied with the Brewers heading into Sunday? That might force their hand to go with Flaherty to try to win the division title or at least force a tiebreaker on Monday (if both teams win).

If the Brewers do get to a Monday tiebreaker? Lyles' turn would be up, the guy they picked up from the Pirates at the deadline who has gone 7-1 with a 2.45 ERA since the trade -- a deal that didn't exactly rock the news wire at the time but proved to be maybe the biggest pickup of all at the trade deadline.

And if back on Sept. 5 you were told that Jordan Lyles would be in line to potentially start a game to give the Brewers a division title? No, you're right: Nobody would have told you that.

Wild card turns assassin against Creed
By ZHENG GUAN KNG – Squash Mad Correspondent 

KUALA LUMPUR – The opening day of the Malaysian Open squash championships saw quite a few upsets as the hosts Malaysia grabbed the lion’s share of the wins.

In the men’s competition, wildcard entrant Ong Sai Hung claimed the biggest win of his career as he put up an excellent showing to beat Wales’ Peter Creed.

Ranked only No. 227 in the world, the 20-year-old Sai Hung played the game of his life as he earned a shocking 11-8, 11-6, 6-11, 11-5 win over world No. 65 Creed.

The Kedahan was on the mark from the word go and had Creed scrambling early as he coolly dispatched shots to take a two-game lead.

The nine-time Welsh national champion hung in there by taking the third game but Sai Hung, who has suffered seven early exits this year, was not to be denied as he took the win in 48 minutes.

“I was confident of my chances even though I’ve never played Peter before and he’s the higher ranked player,” said Sai Hung.

“This is my biggest win in my career so far and it means a lot to me to come through a hard game.
“I’ve really trained hard to get a breakthrough like this and I’ll definitely give it my best in the next round,” added Sai Hung who meets compatriot and fifth seed Ivan Yuen next.

Also scoring a big win on the day is world No. 88 Syafiq Kamal who came from behind to beat world No. 67 Dimitri Steinmann of Switzerland 12-10, 3-11, 7-11, 11-4, 11-8.

“I never played Dimitri before so I started off by probing for weaknesses. It worked well at the start but I couldn’t keep up with his pace and lost the second and third,” said Syafiq.

“After that (Ng) Eain Yow in my corner told me to just stay in the rallies longer and I knew I had a 50-50 chance when he grew tired.

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“It’s a good win for me because I’ve been struggling for results recently so hopefully this is just the confidence booster I need for the rest of the year.” Syafiq goes on to meet No. 6 seed Tayyab Aslam of Pakistan in the second round.

Another upset saw in-form world No. 87 Lau Tsz Kwan of Hong Kong score an 11-8, 6-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-9 win over Australian world No. 79 Rex Hedrick.

Portugal’s Rui Soares also did well to upstage Pakistan’s Asim Khan and there were also wins for Hong Kong’s Henry Leung, France’s Baptiste Masotti and Spanish duo Carlos Ribadas and Edmon Lopez.

In the women’s competition, wildcards Aifa Azman and Chan Yiwen rose to the occasion as they dispatched higher ranked players to move into the second round.

World No. 122 Aifa, who has hit a purple patch by winning two PSA titles in Australia last month, needed just 19 minutes to beat Switzerland’s world No. 84 Nadia Pfister 11-5, 11-2, 11-3.

The fine win earned the 17-year-old a meeting with second seed and defending champion Low Wee Wern in the second round.

“I played well today and I am so ready to take on Wee Wern. The last time I played her was during the National Championships last year in which I lost 3-2,” said Aifa.

“But I’ve been playing well recently and I’m feeling confident in putting up a good game to beat our national champion.”

World No. 119 Yiwen put the disappointment of losing in the semi-finals of the Suqian Classic last week to battle past world No. 74 Sunayna Kuruvilla of India.

“I had a terrible week in China and I only had two days to reset so this win is really a big relief,” said Yiwen who turned 19 today.

“Additionally, I really wanted to prove myself that I deserved this wildcard slot. It was a close game but I’m happy to move on to focus on the next match.”

Yiwen will next meet seventh seed Menna Hamed of Egypt for a place in the quarter-finals.
Also surprising the field was 14-year-old Aira Azman who was outstanding in beating world No. 71 Tessa ter Sluis of Holland.

The younger sister of Aifa, Aira was a late entry into the competition following a few withdrawals.

But the youngster made the most of her opportunities as she claimed an 11-9, 11-7, 13-15, 11-6 win.

“It feels great to win because I didn’t even know I was going to play in this competition,” beamed Aira.

“I’m happy to win in the first round in a senior tournament although I did get lucky in the end.

“I play Hong Kong’s Lee Ka Yi next. I watched videos of her against (Yee) Xin Ying in China last week and I know I have a chance but it won’t be easy.”

Also winning in the first round is India’s Tanvi Khanna, Malaysian Ooi Kah Yan and a pair of Egyptians in Hana Ramadan and Farah Momen.

Malaysian Open 2019, Bukit Jalil National Squash Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

$30k Men’s First Round:
[1] Max Lee (HKG) bye
[9/16] Carlos Cornes (ESP) bt Jan van den Herrewegen (BEL) 11-7, 6-11, 11-6, 11-5 (52m)
Rui Soares (POR) bt [9/16] Asim Khan (PAK) 11-8, 11-8, 11-6 (20m)
[7] Mahesh Mangaonkar (IND) bye
[6] Tayyab Aslam (PAK) bye
Mohd Syafiq Kamal (MAS) bt [9/16] Dimitri Steinmann (SUI) 12-10, 3-11, 7-11, 11-4, 11-8 (59m)
[9/16] Henry Leung (HKG) bt Addeen Idrakie (MAS) 6-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-9 (49m)
[4] Eain Yow Ng (MAS) bye
[3] Youssef Soliman (EGY) bye
[9/16] Baptiste Masotti (FRA) bt Juan Camilo Vargas (COL) 7-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-8 (44m)
[9/16] Edmon Lopez (ESP) bt [WC] Darren Pragasam (MAS) 11-5, 14-12, 4-11, 11-4 (43m)
[8] Karim El Hammamy (EGY) bye
[5] Ivan Yuen (MAS) bye
[WC] Ong Sai Hung (MAS) bt [9/16] Peter Creed (WAL) 11-8, 11-6, 6-11, 11-5 (48m)
Lau Tsz Kwan (HKG) bt [9/16] Rex Hedrick (AUS) 11-8, 6-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-9 (69m)
[2] Nicolas Müller (SUI) bye 

2nd round:
[1] Max Lee (HKG) v [9/16] Carlos Cornes (ESP)
[7] Mahesh Mangaonkar (IND) v Rui Soares (POR)
[6] Tayyab Aslam (PAK) v Mohd Syafiq Kamal (MAS)
[4] Eain Yow Ng (MAS) v [9/16] Henry Leung (HKG)
[3] Youssef Soliman (EGY) v [9/16] Baptiste Masotti (FRA)
[8] Karim El Hammamy (EGY) v [9/16] Edmon Lopez (ESP)
[5] Ivan Yuen (MAS) v [WC] Ong Sai Hung (MAS)
[2] Nicolas Müller (SUI) v Lau Tsz Kwan (HKG)

$20k Women’s First Round:
[1] Rowan Elaraby (EGY) bye
[9/16] Hana Ramadan (EGY) bt Angie Ooi (MAS) 11-6, 11-4, 11-4 (18m)
[9/16] Farah Momen (EGY) bt Charlotte Jagger (ENG) 11-5, 9-11, 11-8, 11-7 (29m)
[8] Sabrina Sobhy (USA) bye
[6] Anna Serme (CZE) bye
[9/16] Ooi Kah Yan (MAS) bt Emilia Korhonen (FIN) 11-5, 11-7, 9-11, 11-6 (30m)
Tanvi Khanna (IND) bt [9/16] Eva Feřteková (CZE) 11-8, 11-6, 11-5 (21m)
[3] Rachel Arnold (MAS) bye
[4] Vanessa Chu (HKG) bye
[9/16] Lai Wen Li (MAS) bt Aika Azman (MAS) 11-4, 11-4, 11-6 (26m)
Aira Azman (MAS) bt [9/16] Tessa ter Sluis (NED) 11-9, 11-7, 13-15, 11-6 (33m)
[5] Lee Ka Yi (HKG) bye
[7] Menna Hamed (EGY) bye
[WC] Chan Yiwen (MAS) bt [9/16] Sunayna Kuruvilla (IND) 11-8, 11-9, 11-8 (36m)
[WC] Aifa Azman (MAS) bt [9/16] Nadia Pfister (SUI) 11-5, 11-2, 11-3 (25m)
[2] Low Wee Wern (MAS) bye

Second Round:
[1] Rowan Elaraby (EGY) v [9/16] Hana Ramadan (EGY)
[8] Sabrina Sobhy (USA) v [9/16] Farah Momen (EGY)
[6] Anna Serme (CZE) v [9/16] Ooi Kah Yan (MAS)
[3] Rachel Arnold (MAS) v Tanvi Khanna (IND)
[4] Vanessa Chu (HKG) v [9/16] Lai Wen Li (MAS)
[5] Lee Ka Yi (HKG) v Aira Azman (MAS)
[7] Menna Hamed (EGY) v [WC] Chan Yiwen (MAS)
[2] Low Wee Wern (MAS) v [WC] Aifa Azman (MAS)

Report by ZHENG GUAN KNG. Edited by ALAN THATCHER.

Pictures courtesy of Zheng Guan Kng

Twins fight back to meet Momen and Rodriguez
By MATT COLES – Squash Mad Correspondent in San Francisco

Mexican twin brothers Arturo and Cesar Salazar are through to the second round of the Oracle NetSuite Open after defeating Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi and Faraz Khan at the Bay Club in San Francisco.

Arturo Salazar, the older of the pair by just two minutes, faced off against Qatar’s Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi for only the third time on the PSA World Tour, and the Mexican went a game down to the World No.43.

The Qatari No.1 took the first game 11-6 but a quick start for the Mexican in the second put him back in contention. The World No.42 went on to take it 11-3, and he took the momentum into the deciding salvo.

He won the third 11-7 to finish the match off in under half an hour, securing his first victory over Tamimi on the PSA World Tour. Salazar will now face Colombia’s Miguel Rodriguez today (Thursday).

“Abdulla is a top player, so I tried to just play the match point-by-point. I knew I had to fight, so I just tried to run and tried to finish it, and I got it done,” Salazar said.

“I changed my start because in the first game it was very bad, and Abdulla played very well. I changed my play and I tried to stay patient, and I think that was vital in getting the victory.”

Younger brother Cesar also needed to come back from a game down as he got the better of American wildcard Faraz Khan to reach the second round of the PSA Gold event.

The American allowed Salazar just four points in the first game, as he played well above his World Ranking of No.122. However, from then on, the Mexican was able to wrestle back the momentum.

He follows his brother into the last 16 of the tournament, thanks to winning the second and third games against a tiring Khan, and will play No.2 seed Tarek Momen on Thursday.

“I came from behind and I felt I had to win, but tomorrow I need to be a lot better. Faraz is a good player. He has improved a lot, but I still need to play better squash tomorrow,” Salazar said.

“I tried to start to feel the ball a bit more, but my movement and my shots needed to improve for the second and third game. However, it is hard with best-of-three, as you feel more pressure to start with.”

Elsewhere in the men’s draw, Scotland’s Alan Clyne got the better of England’s George Parker, while Mostafa Asal beat Mohamed ElSherbini in an all-Egyptian clash.

In the women’s draw, Hollie Naughton, Milou van der Heijden, Salma Hany and Nele Gilis all won their first round clashes at the Bay Club to move into the last 16. 

Oracle NetSuite Open 2019, Embarcadero Plaza, San Francisco, USA (PSA World Tour Gold event with $121,000 prize money in each).

Men’s First Round (Bottom Half):
Arturo Salazar (MEX) bt Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (QAT) 2-1: 6-11, 11-3, 11-7 (29m)
Alan Clyne (SCO) bt George Parker (ENG) 2-0: 11-9, 11-6 (35m)
Mostafa Asal (EGY) bt Mohamed ElSherbini (EGY) 2-0: 11-3, 11-7 (33m)
Cesar Salazar (MEX) bt [WC] Faraz Khan (USA) 2-1: 4-11, 11-8, 11-5 (31m)

Women’s First Round (Bottom Half):
Hollie Naughton (CAN) bt Rachael Grinham (AUS) 2-0: 11-3, 11-9 (14m)
Milou van der Heijden (NED) bt Mariam Metwally (EGY) 2-0: 11-9, 11-9 (20m)
Salma Hany (EGY) bt Coline Aumard (FRA) 2-0: 11-7, 11-7 (21m)
Nele Gilis (BEL) bt Haley Mendez (USA) 2-0: 11-3, 11-3 (21m)

Men’s Second Round (Thursday September 26):
[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) v Mathieu Castagnet (FRA)
Campbell Grayson (NZL) v [8] Ryan Cuskelly (AUS)
[5] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) v Karim Ali Fathi (EGY)
Raphael Kandra (GER) v [3] Simon Rösner (GER)
[4] Miguel Rodriguez (COL) v Arturo Salazar (MEX)
Alan Clyne (SCO) v [7] Declan James (ENG)
[6] Joel Makin (WAL) v Mostafa Asal (EGY)
Cesar Salazar (MEX) v [2] Tarek Momen (EGY)

Women’s Second Round (Thursday September 26):
[1] Raneem El Welily (EGY) v Olivia Blatchford Clyne (USA)
Emily Whitlock (ENG) v [5] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
[8] Joshna Chinappa (IND) v Melissa Aves (FRA)
Olivia Fiechter (USA) v [4] Joelle King (NZL)
[3] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) v Hollie Naughton (CAN)
Milou van der Heijden (NED) v [6] Amanda Sobhy (USA)
[7] Tesni Evans (WAL) v Salma Hany (EGY)
Nele Gilis (BEL) v [2] Camille Serme (USA) 

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

Pictures courtesy of PSA and REYNOLD CHAN (Daily Squash Report Photos)

Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored his 28th goal of the season and also set up Cristian Pavon for another, helping the LA Galaxy clinch a postseason berth with a 2-1 victory over host Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium on Wednesday night.

Pavon also set up Ibrahimovic's goal, which for the moment keeps Ibrahimovic two behind LAFC's Carlos Vela for the MLS lead with two matches to play, with LAFC also playing Wednesday night against the Houston Dynamo.

The Galaxy (16-13-3, 51 points) moved up to third in the Western Conference with the victory, which sealed their first playoff berth since 2016. They have now won three straight for the first time since winning five in a row over parts of March and April.

Nedum Onuoha scored late for RSL (14-13-5, 47 points), which is winless in its last three matches (0-2-1).

Salt Lake will remain in the playoff chase despite the defeat, but could slide as low as seventh in the West depending on other results later on Wednesday.

Pavon gave the Galaxy the lead five minutes after halftime with his second goal since the Argentine international arrived during the summer transfer window.

Ibrahimovic headed a long, bouncing ball into the path of Pavon sprinting down the left flank. Pavon cut in toward the goal, defended by Onuoha, then sliced a perfect low finish that rolled between Onuoha and goalkeeper Nick Rimando before nestling inside the far post.

Ibrahimovic doubled the Galaxy's lead a half-hour later. As Justen Glad tried to guide an errant pass over the line for a goal kick, Pavon hounded and stripped the RSL defender deep in the left corner and cut inside the 18. Ibrahimovic got in position in front of the goal, and Pavon's low cross found him for a first-time finish inside the right post.

Onuoha pulled a goal back in the 89th minute after the Galaxy were sluggish clearing out of their defensive end. Sebastian Saucedo reached a loose ball beyond the penalty area and sent in a speculative shot from distance. Onuoha redirected it past David Bingham with his head, and although the Galaxy pleaded for offside, replays showed it wasn't the case.

Welcome to the Christian Pulisic Watch, as the U.S. international starts the next phase of his career after his $73 million move to Chelsea from Borussia Dortmund. ESPN FC will be tracking the American's progress here all season.

Jump to: Man United | Liverpool | Leicester | Norwich | Sheffield United | Wolves | Valencia | Liverpool | Grimsby Town

- Borden: Pulisic isn't your wonderboy anymore
- ESPN Premier League fantasy: Sign up now!

Opponent: Grimsby Town (7-1; Sept. 25, Carabao Cup)

How he performed out of 10: 6. Pulisic was mobile and active, but oftentimes his runs weren't rewarded with a pass from a teammate. Aside from Michy Batshuayi's goal, he was largely quiet for the first half hour, but he began finding himself isolated against Liam Gibson more thereafter, and was a threat from the right flank for the remainder of the first half.

Initially in the second half, Pulisic continued to excel with his movement, but was either unable to make things happen on the ball or his teammates couldn't find him. That eventually changed as he had the aforementioned two looks at goal. The late assist was his most tangible contribution on the night.

All told, Pulisic was solid. Was it enough to alter the thinking of manager Frank Lampard heading into the league fixture this weekend against Brighton & Hove Albion? That seems unlikely. Not only was he playing against fourth-tier opposition, but the likes of Callum Hudson-Odoi did more to impress on the night. The competition for playing time isn't getting any easier.

Highlights: Pulisic was involved in the run-up to Batshuayi's seventh-minute tally, playing Reece James in behind the Grimsby defense. He nearly latched on to James' return feed only for Batshuayi to collect and score off the turn. A darting run in 28th minute in which he evaded Gibson resulted in him being hauled down by Matthew Green. Pulisic then began having more success, delivering some telling crosses. While Pulisic's defense hasn't always been sharp since moving to Chelsea, he tracked back deep in his own half to win the ball with a clean tackle in the 32nd minute.

While Pulisic was unable to put two second-half opportunities on goal, he was consistently putting himself in good positions, including one exchange with James in the 65th minute and another from Barkley seven minutes later. Pulisic ended the night by assisting on Batshuayi's 86th-minute goal.

Lowlights: There weren't too many to speak of really, although he and James were beaten pretty easily in the 22nd minute that allowed Grimsby to get a cross in, although the shot from James Hanson was wide. In the second half he twice got looks at goal but failed to hit the target on both occasions.

Opponent: Liverpool (1-2; Sept. 22, Premier League

How he performed out of 10: No rating. Pulisic remained on the bench again this Sunday and watched on as his team lost 2-1 at home to Liverpool. To be fair to the 21-year-old, two injuries in the first half to defenders Emerson and Andreas Christensen required changes as Marcos Alonso and Kurt Zouma were drafted in. The final switch, following N'Golo Kante's 71st minute goal, was a like-for-like swap as natural center-forward Michy Batshuayi replaced Tammy Abraham as the main focal point of the attack.

It represents more disappointment early in the U.S. star's Chelsea career but this time, events conspired against him.

Highlights: None.

Lowlights: None.

Opponent: Valencia (0-1; Sept. 17, Champions League)

How he performed out of 10: No rating. Is it time to worry about Pulisic's place in the Chelsea squad? It's worth noting that the season -- including the UEFA Super Cup match against Liverpool -- is now a mere eight matches old. There is still plenty of time for his move to Chelsea to work out. Yet the fact that Pulisic failed to get on the field for the second consecutive match after returning from international duty early doesn't bode well, and hints that he hasn't won the trust of manager Frank Lampard. To be fair, Pulisic has only shown flashes of form this season, so Lampard is well within his rights to scan his roster and look for other options. Calum Hudson-Odoi is due back soon as well, so Pulisic's situation isn't going to get any easier.

Overall, things don't look good in the short term for Pulisic, although how much squad rotation Lampard opts for this weekend at home to Liverpool remains to be seen.

Highlights: None.

Lowlights: It was bad enough that Pulisic began the game on the bench after having played no part in the Blues' 5-2 win over Wolves at the weekend, but the optics got worse when Mason Mount was forced out of the match in the 15th minute due to a right ankle injury. One might have expected Pulisic to step in, yet Lampard opted for former Spain international Pedro instead, hinting that Pulisic has fallen quite a way down the Blues' pecking order. With the game winding down, and Chelsea in need of a goal, Lampard opted for Ross Barkley in midfield rather than Pulisic.

Opponent: Wolves (5-2; Sept. 14, Premier League)

With Frank Lampard opting for a 3-4-2-1 alignment, Pulisic began the match among the substitutes. Given that the American returned from international duty early, that counts as a disappointment, although how much of that was due to the fact that Chelsea face Valencia in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday remains to be seen.

How he performed out of 10: No rating. The Blues certainly didn't miss Pulisic in this match, as Chelsea raced out to a 3-0 half-time lead and rode Tammy Abraham's hat trick to a 5-2 victory. Willian, Pulisic's replacement, didn't create much on the day, but with Lampard forced to make two injury-induced substitutions for Abraham and Antonio Rudiger, there was no room on the field for Pulisic.

Next up for Chelsea is a Tuesday's aforementioned Champions League encounter against Valencia at Stamford Bridge.

Opponent: Sheffield United (2-2; Aug. 31, Premier League)

Stats: Pulisic made 82.9% of his passes but didn't create a chance, nor register an assist. He played the full 90 minutes for the first time but had only one shot on goal.

How he performed out of 10: 5. Given that Chelsea had 61.9% possession, one might have expected Pulisic to be more impactful in the attack, but one could say that about the entire Chelsea team, as Mason Mount fared no better. There are also some days when there's only so much that the opposition gives you, and Sheffield United were determined to take away space behind the defense.

To Pulisic's credit, he did what he could to get into the game. Touches were difficult for him to come by over the first 20 minutes, but he found more success when he started taking up more central positions, allowing him to run at the defense more and combine with the likes of Ross Barkley and Tammy Abraham.

All of that said, this was a game much like the one against Leicester City two weeks ago where there was little in the way of end product for Pulisic, and he struggled to get the ball in positions where he could do damage. Given the fitness issues facing some of Chelsea's other attacking options, Pulisic is likely to keep his place, but with the Blues struggling for results, it will be interesting to see how patient manager Frank Lampard is with the American.

Highlights: Pulisic was a significant factor in the run-up to Abraham's 19th-minute opener. Not only did he get the ball out wide to Cesar Azpilicueta, but his touch on Abraham's subsequent header prevented Sheffield United keeper Dean Henderson from collecting the ball, allowing Abraham to slam home the rebound.

One of his trademark runs at the defense saw him win a free kick in a dangerous position in the 31st minute. On the defensive side, he showed plenty of tenacity to win the ball back from Enda Stevens and win a foul in the 54th minute.

Lowlights: Pulisic cut a peripheral figure in attack for much of the match and created little off the dribble. He lost one defensive duel with Stevens in the 70th minute that led to an opportunity for the visitors, but Oliver Norwood's subsequent shot was easily saved by Kepa. Pulisic also didn't do enough to cut out the entry pass from Norwood to Callum Robinson that led to Kurt Zouma's own goal.

With the international window kicking in, the Blues' next match won't take place until Sept. 14 when they face Wolves away.

Opponent: Norwich City (3-2; Aug. 24, Premier League)

Stats: Started and played 84 minutes before being substituted for Willian. He didn't score but he picked up an assist and created three chances. He made 84.2% of his passes and 86.4% in the final third.

How he performed out of 10: 7. Playing on the right wing after Pedro's injury in the warm-up, Pulisic set up a goal and won for the first time as a Chelsea player. He picked up a 17th-minute assist as he drifted inside to slot the ball to Mason Mount, who cut back across his man and finished well. In the second half he wasted a chance to put his name on the score sheet by blasting into the side netting when through on the goalkeeper. Overall, he was a good attacking threat and though he disappeared a bit in the second half, he still carved out chances.

Highlights: Provided the overlap ball to Cesar Azpilicueta to cross for Tammy Abraham's opener and was full of running to close down the defenders in the early stages. A good one-two with Mateo Kovacic almost opened up some space for a second goal before the Croatian's cross came to nothing, but then he bagged an assist of his own as he found space to feed Mount for the second goal.

Just before half-time, Pulisic did well to take down a long ball and turn brilliantly in the box, but his shot was blocked. Minutes later, good control saw him set up Ross Barkley for a shot that flew over. A run down the right late in the second half set up the England midfielder again only for his shot to be charged down, before Pulisic's excellent low cross was kept out on 80 minutes.

Lowlights: He let Emiliano Buendia glide past him too easily for Todd Cantwell to score, and Chelsea lacked width on the right as Pulisic kept drifting inside, though he showed how dangerous he is there by assisting Mount from a central position. On 22 minutes, he found space in the box only to lose his footing and fall over comically, much to the joy of the Norwich fans.

One minute into the second half, Pulisic was set free down the right but seemed to panic when faced with the goalkeeper and shot into the side netting. He took a while to get his confidence back after that and it was understandable that he was subbed off. He has yet to finish a game he has started.

Next Saturday, the Blues will take on Sheffield United at Stamford Bridge.

Opponent: Leicester City (1-1; Aug. 18, Premier League)

Stats: Started and played 71 minutes before making way for Willian. Zero goals or assists. 18 of 21 passes completed.

How he performed out of 10: 5. Overall, this was a pretty anonymous performance for the American. Pulisic was plenty involved in the game's first 15 minutes, when Chelsea were rampant and Mason Mount scored in the seventh minute. But his contribution consisted mostly of keeping the attack ticking over. When Leicester finally settled into the match, Pulisic had little to no impact, especially in the final third. That trend continued into the second half, and he was substituted in the 70th minute. That isn't all down to him mind you. The play of the entire team fell off, but it wasn't the kind of performance that will send the hearts of Chelsea fans (and U.S. supporters too) fluttering. With Willian returning to full fitness, it will be interesting to see if Pulisic's minutes are impacted.

Highlights: Pulisic had some bright moments early. He nearly latched on to a rebound from Mason Mount's shot in the second minute, only for his attempt to be spoiled by Ricardo Pereira. His flick-on from the ensuing corner was enticing, but there was no one at the far post. The American was involved in the buildup to a 26th minute opportunity when he played Emerson down the left wing. The Italy international's cross was back-heeled by Olivier Giroud to N'Golo Kante, but the shot was wide. The fact that those count as highlights is illustrative of the kind of day Pulisic had.

- Chelsea player ratings: Azpilicueta a 5/10 as Blues drop points

Lowlights: There were no glaring errors by Pulisic, but little in the way of standout moments either. Some of this was down to the fact that Chelsea's attack was tilted a bit more to Pedro's side during the early exchanges. Pulisic and Pedro switched sides at one point in the first half, but there was no uptick in form for Pulisic. He was soon back on the left wing. While Pulisic's passing was sharp (18/21), he was dispossessed a team-high six times.

Opponent: Liverpool (2-2; Aug. 14, UEFA Super Cup)

Stats: Started and played 74 minutes: zero goals, one assist, 74.1% pass completion percentage (20-27), two chances created, two shots, no shots on goal, 50 touches and three successful take-ons.

Christian Pulisic got his first start for Chelsea in the UEFA Super Cup, making him the second American -- after Jovan Kirovski with Borussia Dormtund in 1997 -- to play in the match.

- Ratings: Pulisic earns 7/10 on first Chelsea start
- Chelsea flout transfer ban by unveiling 'Jorginho'

How he performed (out of 10): 6 -- This was a performance to build on for the American, and his assist will begin to ease at least some of concerns about how long it will take him to settle into the side, or his ability to compete at the Premier League level. There will be disappointment that his goal was disallowed, but without question he showed his quality.

Clearly, Pulisic's best spell came in the last 20 minutes of the first half. In the second half he remained active, having had a few shots blocked by the Liverpool defense, but he wasn't quite as impactful as he was in the opening 45 minutes. Liverpool were in the ascendency to begin the second half and his passing began to erode a bit. That said, this match was a step forward for Pulisic, despite the end result.

"There's more to come from Pulisic. We must remember his age, he's only 20," Chelsea manager Frank Lampard said after the match. "It took him a bit to get into the game but when he got into it we saw what a player her is and that's a good sign for the club."

Highlights: Pulisic hadn't been that impactful over the game's first 25 minutes, but he was instrumental in Chelsea's 36th-minute tally. N'Golo Kante found the American in a central position, allowing Pulisic to run at the Liverpool defense. With defenders closing in, he slid a deft pass while falling to the ground to put Olivier Giroud in on goal, and the Frenchman converted with a cool finish.

Just minutes later Pulisic thought he had his first competitive goal for the Blues, twisting his way past Joe Gomez and Joel Matip to find the net, only for it be ruled out by a narrow offside decision.

Lowlights: Pulisic did start the match slow, but that is nitpicking to a degree. Liverpool is among the most formidable of opponents, and Chelsea didn't have much of the ball early. He was among those culpable for allowing Sadio Mane a free header from a corner in the 30th minute, but ultimately wasn't punished.

Opponent: Man United (0-4; Aug. 11, Premier League)

Stats: Played 36 minutes as a substitute, zero goals: zero assists, 100% pass completion percentage (12-12), one chance created, no shots, no shots on goal, one chance created. 23 touches, three successful take-ons.

How he performed (out of 10): 5 -- All told, Pulisic was by no means overwhelmed as he entered from the substitutes' bench, but the fact remains that he wasn't that impactful, and the chance he created came long after the game had been decided. That said, Pulisic walked into a team that fell apart defensively after he entered the match, so Lampard will have far bigger concerns about his side than Pulisic's performance.

Highlight: Normally, making your debut with your new club would rank as a highlight, but a 4-0 away defeat tempers this considerably. Pulisic did have one sequence where he shook loose from Aaron Wan-Bissaka only to be fouled by Paul Pogba after he released the ball. Pulisic's best moment came in second-half stoppage time when he set up Emerson Palmieri for an attempt at goal that forced a sharp save from United goalkeeper David De Gea.

Lowlight: The team performance was one to forget given the scoreline, with Chelsea's defense looking highly suspect. For Pulisic, he started the game on the bench, which counts as a disappointment given the anticipation attached to his debut. Frank Lampard, who was making a league debut of his own as the club's manager after starring for the Blues as a player, preferred Ross Barkley and Pedro in the wide positions that Pulisic would have been expected to occupy.

Lampard told NBC Sports afterwards that, "I just felt coming to Old Trafford, the type of game it was, I knew we needed bodies in midfield because it's a busy area for them ... So Ross coming in off the line, bringing a bit of stability in midfield and around midfield would be good for us."

After entering the match in the 58th minute, Pulisic did have a few chances to run at the defense but wasn't able to threaten the United goal off the dribble. He also had a chance to pick out fellow substitute Olivier Giroud with a cross in second-half stoppage time, but couldn't connect.

Jasprit Bumrah, who has become the frontman of India's pace-bowling attack across formats in the past few years, has suffered his first stress fracture in his short international career.

Stress fractures, have affected fast bowlers forever, a prime example being Dennis Lillee. The Australian great played through chronic back pain in the early part of his career before Rudi Webster, the former West Indies' first-class cricketer, working as a radiologist at the time, discovered three tiny cracks in two vertebrae in Lillee's lower back during Australia's 1973 Caribbean tour. In The Art of Fast Bowling, Lillee spells out the extreme pain the fracture had caused and how the medical staff had to constantly monitor his back in order to keep him on the field.

ESPNcricinfo spoke to Andrew Leipus, former physiotherapist with the India team as well as Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, to try and understand what one of the most common but career-threatening injuries in cricket is all about.

What is a stress fracture?

A bone is a living tissue, which can be damaged when put under high physical stress. A build-up of inflammatory cells and swelling in the bone is called a bone stress injury or stress reaction and can be spotted in an MRI scan. But this can progress to a fracture when there is a break in the cortex - the thicker outer layer of the bone.

The fracture usually occurs in the 'pars' of the vertebrae in the lower back for fast bowlers. It is little bony bridge between the facet joints which take a lot of stress when you extend, laterally flex and vertically compress the spine. And it is normally on the side opposite the bowling arm: so if you are right-arm bowler it is generally the left side of the lower back where the stress fracture will happen.

"He has bowled for many years now without suffering a stress fracture, so it is less likely to be technique related and more a function of his training and bowling workload" Andrew Leipus on Jasprit Bumrah

Is it a sudden injury or does it develop over a period of time?

A stress fracture can be an acute episode, but it is always in chronically loaded tissue. It is not like you twist your ankle and break your leg where the bone was previously fine. It happens when there is a sudden overload on a weakened area of bone that has not remodelled fast enough to absorb and transmit the physical forces involved.

Is workload the main factor in this type of injury?

Physical stress and the body's adaptation to it is a balance between fitness and fatigue. The fitter you are, the more stress resistant you are. Another simple way of looking at it is that bowlers absorb a lot of force on their front foot impact during bowling. Fitter bodies can cope with these forces more efficiently. But when your body is tired, your legs are tired, and your muscles or 'shock absorbers' are not doing their job, the bones and joints of the skeleton - essentially the chassis - takes more stress over time. So, if your suspension is broken, you are going to feel every bump in the road.

So, generally, yes, high workload is one of many reasons for bone stress injury. This includes both on- and off-field physical load, such as cricket activity and strength and conditioning training sessions. But research also tells us that there are certain patterns of workload associated with a higher generalised risk of injury. If there is a sudden exponential spike in workload above that usually experienced, the overload can be a factor in the development of injury even a few weeks afterward the event.

Chronically high workloads without rest presents an over-reaching scenario where the body's immune system can become compromised. Even lower workloads can indirectly contribute to a higher risk of injury due to the lack of a training effect (i.e. low specific bowling fitness) and poor preparation prior to bowling too much too soon. The scheduling of fixtures between T20 to ODI and Test formats has also been pointed to as a possible reason in raising injury risk.

Any other factors?

It could also be a metabolic issue, such as low absorption/production of Vitamin D and Calcium, contributing to poor bone density. It could be any or more of a range of biomechanical factors. The bowler could have stiffness and reduced mobility, strength or control around his hips, ankles, upper back or shoulders, and he compensates through that part of the spine. He might be bowling a particular variation of delivery which increases the load in that area. It could also be related to nutritional factors, poor recovery, or even other aspects of his off-field training regime that need to be considered. Age is also a significant factor for bone stress injury in players under 25.

Does the bowling action of someone like Bumrah contribute to this kind of injury?

His action is certainly unique. As far as I know, this is the first occurrence of this type of injury with Bumrah. But he has bowled for many years now without suffering a stress fracture, so it is less likely to be technique related and more a function of his training and bowling workload.

Normally, what is the period for recovery?

If it is just a stress reaction, he could be fine in about four to six weeks with an active rehabilitation programme. But if it is further along the bone stress injury spectrum than this, then it could need three to six months. If the stress fracture is bilateral (a crack on both sides of the same vertebrae), then it might be more than year or longer.

What is the danger of it recurring?

The primary risk of any injury is a previous injury. The fact that he now has this, statistically raises the risk of recurrence than for someone else who has never had a stress fracture. But he will be put through a thorough rehabilitation programme at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru and be monitored carefully, and being a mature player will greatly minimise the risk of it coming back. The key is not to rush the player back and to address all of the factors mentioned above, including ensuring his bowling workloads at the end of his rehab being suitable for the format of the games he will be going into.

All roads lead to the MCG for the Australia Women's team this season - or at least that's the plan. The T20 World Cup final on March 8 is being billed as the chance to set a new world record for a women's sporting event with the hope the ground can be sold out.

A big part of achieving that will probably involve Australia reaching the final as they aim to defend the title they won in West Indies last year. Given their recent dominance - winning 19 of their last 21 T20Is - it would be a brave person to bet against them achieving that, but it does bring a weight of expectation.

However, that is something the team is already embracing as they map out their season which begins against Sri Lanka at the weekend.

"There will be a lot of pressure and expectation on us being there in that final, there's a lot of talk about breaking world records and the crowds we could get but I think we are a big part of that and actually being in that final will make that happen," Alyssa Healy told ESPNcricinfo. "For us it's about not being scared to talk about it, not being scared to talk about the pressure and expectation we will be put under to be there.

"I think everyone in the squad is very realistic that it's there and we aren't afraid of that either, making sure we are doing the right things on and off the field, playing some good cricket will enable us to go into that World Cup and put in a dominant performance. Talking about it with one and other will be crucial and we've already started that, playing the cricket is just part of that."

Allrounder Ashleigh Gardner said: "There's been a lot of talk about wanting to sell out the MCG, having 90,000 people there would be a record, but we have to focus on things before that. We have to get to the final, we have another tough pool, India first who beat us last year, but we back ourselves that we can get to that final."

This confidence is well-placed given the way they have beaten England and West Indies convincingly since their title success a year ago, but Australia are aware that the tournament play can bring a different dynamic to bilateral contests, especially in the knockout rounds with Healy picking out India as the "real threat".

"I think it will be a very exciting World Cup. We saw in the West Indies that it was right open a lot of the way," Healy said. "England and India were right up there, West Indies in the [semi] finals as well. It will be a tough one, but I think India are probably the favourites going into it. Obviously us being at home is pretty big for us but I think India are a really talented side. They came out here a couple of years ago and beat us in our own back yard so they'll be a real threat and England, depending on their selectors, they'll be a real chance as well."

Australia's season gets underway on Sunday with the first of three T20Is against Sri Lanka in Sydney, followed by a three-match ODI series in Brisbane. The focus then shifts to the first standalone WBBL, which begins in mid-October, before a return to international cricket in late January, with a T20I tri-series involving India and England as the side's final preparation for the World Cup.

Adelaide Strikers have signed West Indies allrounder Stafanie Taylor and England batter Lauren Winfield to share the third overseas spot in their WBBL squad this season.

With New Zealanders Suzie Bates and Sophie Devine already signed, the Strikers have added Taylor and Winfield to strengthen their squad.

Taylor is only available for the first two and last two matches of the home and away season plus the finals if the Strikers progress that far. Winfield will fill in for Taylor in the middle 10 games of the season.

Taylor, 28, signs after parting ways with Sydney Thunder having played 58 matches there over the first four WBBL seasons, including winning a title in her first year.

Winfield, 29, has played for both Brisbane Heat and Hobart Hurricanes in the WBBL but did not play in last season's tournament. She played all three T20Is during the women's Ashes and finished as England's leading scorer from limited opportunities.