The next edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) will not be a franchise-run affair and, instead, be owned by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), following a clash between the board and seven of the eight existing team owners, Dhaka Dynamites being the only exception. The update came from Nazmul Hassan, the BCB president, who announced in Dhaka on Wednesday that if franchises were not willing to stick to the rules of the BPL, the board was happy to "take the load of running the BPL" on its own.

"We were supposed to rework the agreements with the franchises this year. We have met them in between, we have had lots of meetings, and they have made a number of demands. But these are in direct conflict with the BPL model we have been working with. It's not possible to accommodate the demands," he said. "Some of them don't want two editions of the BPL in one year [the last one was played in January-February this year, and the next is scheduled to start in December].

"They haven't said they won't play, but they don't want it, because of the pressure of putting it together twice. We have considered everything, and decided to host the next BPL on our own. We won't have franchises."

"That's a joke. It's the biggest joke in world cricket. Let them try. We have been spending crores to bring the best players from overseas. Let's see what the BCB do" Ishtiaque Sadeque, CEO of Rangpur Riders

ESPNcricinfo understands that the big issue was Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh's premier cricketer, opting to sign up with Rangpur Riders earlier this year from Dhaka Dynamites. As such, the franchises had the option of signing four players from outside the player draft, which made Shakib's switch, as well as that of other prominent players Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim, fine. But, it is believed, the Dhaka franchise was not happy about losing its star player, and wanted changes in the rules.

"Apart from Dhaka Dynamites, everyone wanted the same thing. Shakib left Dhaka, so they couldn't accept it, they lost their heads," Ishtiaque Sadeque, CEO of Rangpur Riders, told ESPNcricinfo. "We all wanted the old rules to stay, that's all. All of us wanted it, except Dhaka.

"Now the BCB wants to run the BPL like a Dhaka Premier League. That's a joke. It's the biggest joke in world cricket. Let them try. We have been spending crores to bring the best players from overseas. Let's see what the BCB do. Wait and watch."

Hassan, however, refused to accept that Shakib's transfer to Rangpur was in accordance with the rules, which have largely been fluid since the tournament began. "You can't get a player from another team if you suddenly want to. That's a basic principle. And Shakib knows this better than anyone else. He plays a lot outside Bangladesh. If he suddenly says he won't play for [Sunrisers] Hyderabad this year and play for Chennai [Super Kings] instead, is that possible? It's not. But in Bangladesh, all this happens. We will put a stop to that."

"I can't say right now if this will be the future. If it's needed, the BCB will remain in charge. We have a set of rules, and we will outline more rules going forward. If someone wants to join, they can. But no one can join the BPL and then refuse to accept the rules" Nazmul Hassan, BCB president

The battlelines have clearly been drawn, but Hassan was gung-ho about the BCB running the show, somewhat along the lines of the Australian Big Bash League, where Cricket Australia is the owner of the competition.

"BCB will own all the teams. You can compare it to the Big Bash, it will be the same format," Hassan said. "The same teams will be there, but the management will be the BCB's. We will pay all the salaries, we will arrange the hospitality, the travel, everything. I think everyone will be satisfied with this. The team owners who didn't want to play will also be happy. The ones who were worried about losing money will be even happier. They will save all the money.

"I can't say right now if this will be the future. If it's needed, the BCB will remain in charge. We have a set of rules, and we will outline more rules going forward. If someone wants to join, they can. But no one can join the BPL and then refuse to accept the rules."

Hassan also explained that it was crucial from the BCB's point of view to host the next edition of the BPL in December-January, because March 17, 2020 is the birth centenary of 'Bangabandhu' Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of the nation, and BPL would flag off the celebrations.

"We want to begin the celebrations with cricket. We will dedicate this edition of the BPL to Bangabandhu," Hassan said. "It will be called the Bangabandhu BPL, and if a sponsor comes along, that name will be added to the title.

"We are happy to have team sponsors. The names might change depending on what the sponsors want. We will try to maintain some logic - Dhaka, Khulna, Chattogram, these names will stay. And if the teams, because they have sponsors, want to buy foreign players directly, that's up to them. If someone wants to bring an expensive coach, they can. The sponsors must be kept happy too."

Zimbabweans 144 for 3 (Taylor 57*, Maruma 46*) beat Bangladesh Cricket Board XI 142 for 7 (Sabbir 30, Williams 3-18) by seven wickets

Zimbabwe's tour of Bangladesh - their first international assignment following the ICC suspension in July - got off to a promising start with the tourists registering a seven-wicket win in a T20 tour game against Bangladesh Cricket Board XI.

Brendan Taylor steered the 143-run chase with an unbeaten 57, and shared an unbroken 78-run fourth-wicket partnership with Timycen Maruma.

The Zimbabweans had got off to a good start: Taylor and captain Hamilton Masakadza added 42 for the first wicket in nearly five overs, with Masakadza hitting six fours in his 32-ball 31. Offspinner Afif Hossain, however, pulled things back for BCB XI, striking in three consecutive overs to remove Masakadza, Craig Ervine and Sean Williams to leave Zimbabwe at 66 for 3 in eight overs. Taylor and Maruma, however, controlled the chase thereafter, sealing victory in the 18th over. Taylor's 44-ball knock included two fours and three sixes, while Maruma struck five fours and a six in his 28-ball 46.

BCB XI's innings had faltered after their top four were dismissed, all after making promising starts. Sabbir Rahman (30) and Mushfiqur Rahim (26) were the top-scorers in the side but once they fell in the 15th over, the local side managed only 35 in the last five overs. Sabbir and Mushfiqur had added 53 for the third wicket, building on the side's quick start, but they fell within three balls to the left-arm spin of Williams, who also claimed the wicket of opener Mohammad Naim in his haul of 3 for 18.

Zimbabwe and Bangladesh will play the first match of the T20I tri-series on September 13 in Dhaka, followed by a game between Zimbabwe and Afghanistan the next day.

During his six years as a Test cricketer, there were few more reassuring sights for England than Jonathan Trott in the middle. It is now a decade since Trott scratched his mark for the first time, during an Ashes Test at The Oval, before going on to become the 18th man to score a century on debut for England. He was the final piece in the puzzle for a tank-busting top order that took Andrew Strauss' side to No. 1 in the rankings.

Things have changed greatly since then - not just in terms of the line-up, but England's priorities and the landscape of Test cricket in general. Trevor Bayliss' tenure, which will draw to a close after this week's final Test against Australia, also at The Oval, has been marked by attempts to play "positive and attractive cricket", as he put it on Tuesday, but which has resulted in more than a few collapses that have been ugly as sin.

Trott was never a batsman overly concerned with aesthetics, and his advice remains rooted in the old-fashioned virtues that brought him 3109 runs at No. 3 - more than any Englishman other than Wally Hammond. Patience, concentration and forcing the bowlers to come to you.

"It's a case of earning the right to score runs, and realising that in first-class cricket or Test cricket, it's not going to happen in 10-15 overs," Trott said. "Make sure that your ambition is to bat for the whole day - and how you're going to go about doing that, having an idea and a plan on what you're going to be doing to each bowler. Facing the new ball, facing the old ball, facing spin; just being prepared for everything that's thrown at you.

"You need to leave well. That's something I had to learn going into the job. You've got to set your stall out to be batting in two hours' time, when the ball's a bit flatter and the bowlers are more tired. It isn't really spoken about, [but] a good positive leave sends just as good a message as a big booming cover drive."

"The way Joe Denly played, and [Rory] Burns have played in the last Test match or so has been really good. As an opener you always like to get on and score big runs, set up games." Jonathan Trott

In this current Ashes series, it has been two Australia batsmen who have demonstrated the power of the leave: Steven Smith, who Trott describes as the man who "has separated the sides", and Marnus Labuschagne. But while England have stuck with a misfiring top order throughout the five Tests - the only change being swapping Joe Denly and Jason Roy at the opening spot and No. 4 - Trott believes there have been encouraging signs.

"I think they've got the best guys for the job," he said. "The way Joe Denly played, and [Rory] Burns have played in the last Test match or so has been really good. As an opener you always like to get on and score big runs, set up games. We saw the way Burns played at Edgbaston, that was really, really good. So hopefully those guys can finish the summer well and go into the winter and build on that."

There are also a few candidates waiting in the ranks, with Trott picking out three in particular. "Dom Sibley and Zak Crawley are very good, and Ollie Pope - so those three are the men to look out for. They'll be spoken about [for the tour of] New Zealand, but also whether they are going to rest a few players, it's a long winter again. I'm sure there'll be a few guys included in the squad, so an exciting time for them."

Now in the next phase of his career, Trott is currently working with Kent as their batting coach and has joined the England set-up on occasions during the summer. If he sounds like he can be a bit of a stickler - "There are some things I always insist on at training, things I think are pertinent to Test cricket" - it also seems as if he is able to just enjoy being in an England dressing room again, after the darker times that lead to his departure from the 2013-14 Ashes tour with anxiety issues.

Unlike 2009, England have already squandered their chance to reclaim the Ashes, but there is still the opportunity for someone - Denly, Roy? - to produce the sort of innings that will echo through the coming years. But, as Trott says, it is important not to look that far ahead. "You want to start batting to win the game now, and then take stock at the end of the summer. You don't want to look too far ahead and put needless pressure on yourself."

Trott was famous for his bubble, and it comes as no surprise that the significance of his debut might have passed him by.

"You don't really realise at the time. You sort of go with the flow. You want to spend time with your team-mates and enjoy the moment, but you also get whisked off to do media and then whisked off to another room to do more media, you can even see your team-mates, you have to go and do other obligations."

But then ten years down the line, you can reflect on your achievement? "Something like that."

Jonathan Trott was speaking on behalf of 'The Test Experts' Specsavers, Official Test Partner for England cricket ahead of the final Test of the Specsavers Ashes Series at The Oval. Specsavers are encouraging fans to take eye tests and hearing checks this summer.

Lahiru Thirimanne and Dasun Shanaka have named Sri Lanka's ODI and T20I captains respectively for the limited-overs tour of Pakistan.

The announcement comes two days after Dimuth Karunaratne and Lasith Malinga, the incumbents, informed the Sri Lanka Cricket of their unwillingness to tour Pakistan, along with eight others, citing security concerns.

Minod Banuka, the 24-year old batsman, is the only uncapped member in the 15-man ODI squad. Banuka along with uncapped Bhanuka Rajapaksa are the two uncapped names in the T20I squad. Banuka has been part of Sri Lanka's Emerging squad while Rajapaksha was on Sri Lanka A's tour of India in June.

Danushka Gunathilaka, who was dropped for the home ODIs against Bangladesh along with left-arm wristspinner Lakshan Sandakan have also been included in both squads.

Sri Lanka and Pakistan are scheduled to play three ODIs in Karachi on September 27, 29 and October 3 before they move to Lahore for the T20I leg that concludes on October 9.

By hosting the limited-overs series first, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) hoped to convince Sri Lanka Cricket that the nation was secure enough to host Test cricket, starting with the teams' World Test Championship matches, presently scheduled for December.

ODI squad: Lahiru Thirimanne (capt), Danushka Gunathilaka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Avishka Fernando, Oshada Fernando, Shehan Jayasuriya, Dasun Shanaka, Minod Bhanuka, Angelo Perera, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lakshan Sandakan, Nuwan Pradeep, Isuru Udana, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara

T20I squad: Dasun Shanaka (capt), Danushka Gunathilaka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Avishka Fernando, Oshada Fernando, Shehan Jayasuriya, Angelo Perera, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Minod Bhanuka, Lahiru Madushanka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lakshan Sandakan, Isuru Udana, Nuwan Pradeep, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara

More to follow

James and Gilis fall to Castagnet and Whitlock
By MATT COLES in Nantes

Both Nele Gilis and Declan James, the winners of the last year’s titles, are out of this year’s Open de France – Nantes, after being beaten by England’s Emily Whitlock and France’s Mathieu Castagnet at the spectacular Chateau des ducs de Bretagne.

England’s Whitlock is through to the quarter finals of this year’s Open de France – Nantes after beating defending champion Gilis in a repeat of last year’s final.

The pair met in the final of the 2018 Open International de Squash de Nantes with the Belgian winning a five-game thriller in 72 minutes, but it was the Englishwoman that took victory here.

Once again it went all the way, the only difference being that this clash came under the best-of-three format. Whitlock won the first game quite comfortably, allowing the reigning champion to take just three points.

However, the World No.18 came fighting back, taking the second game 11-5. She then took a six point lead in the third, but a spirited fightback from Whitlock saw her come back to win the third 11-8, booking her place in the last eight of the tournament.

“I stopped thinking after the first game, so I had to switch on and think again and I thought it was too late when I got to 7-7 [in the third]. I am just so happy and the fighting spirit is back!” Whitlock exclaimed.

“Last year I was a different player to what I am now. Physically I feel better, mentally I feel better and even if I had lost today, I was still able to move freely and run after every ball. She is so athletic and fit so win or lose, I just wanted to enjoy my time and give it everything.

“I was really relaxed today, almost too relaxed, to the point where in the third I was 7-1 down. I was thinking that I was too flat but I like it here. Even though I came second last year, I like the tournament. It is a nice city and I just want to stay a little bit longer.”

In the quarter-finals, Whitlock meets No.2 seed Sarah-Jane Perry.

Meanwhile, Mathieu Castagnet made it a pair of losses for the defending champions, as he defeated 2018 Open International de Squash de Nantes winner Declan James in three games.

James shot out to an early lead in this second round clash, but Castagnet reeled off six straight points to fight his way back into the first game. The Frenchman went on to take it 11-7.

The second game was much tighter throughout but the Englishman was able to pull ahead in the latter stages, going on to win it 11-9 to send the match into a decider. However, it would be the Frenchman that took the victory, sending the crowd into raptures, despite the match finishing well after midnight in Nantes.

Castagnet (pictured leaping high for a volley) will now face the tournament’s No.2 seed, Paul Coll, in the quarter finals of the event, with the pair playing on the glass court on Thursday evening.

“Declan [James] is a really good player, and he is great when he is in front of you, especially when volleying. I was being really careful on his forehand volley and I tried to play a really tight game against him,” Castagnet said.

“I don’t think it was a really bad two years with all the injuries because I learned a lot of things. I learned how to train differently and how to have a better strategy. You can always find a solution to come back better. It was really special for me to train nine weeks in a row during summer so I was ready for this tournament.”

In the other two matches on the glass court, the tournament’s No.1 seeds, Camille Serme and Simon Rösner, both made it through to the quarter finals, although the latter needed a third game tie-break to advance 11-2, 16-18, 13-11 against Borja Golan in 70 minutes, the longest match of the tournament so far.

Serme needed just 22 minutes to power past French team-mate Coline Aumard and meets England’s Millie Tomlinson. No.4 seed Alison Waters meets No.5 seed Hania El Hammamy of Egypt.

There will be a second all-American women’s clash for No.3 seed Amanda Sobhy. After beating Hayley Mendez in just 13 minutes, she now meets another US team-mate Olivia Blatchford-Clyne, who accounted for after Egypt’s Nadine Shahin. 

Open de France – Nantes, Chateua des ducs de Bretagne, Nantes, France.

Men’s Second Round:
[5] Fares Dessouky (EGY) bt [WC] Benjamin Aubert (FRA) 2-0: 11-2, 11-8 (26m)
[3] Joel Makin (WAL) bt Alan Clyne (SCO) 2-0: 11-8, 11-9 (31m)
[8] James Willstrop (ENG) bt Chris Simpson (ENG) 2-0: 11-6, 11-6 (28m)
[6] Gregoire Marche (FRA) bt Nathan Lake (ENG) 2-0: 11-4, 11-4 (24m)
[4] Zahed Salem (EGY) bt Youssef Ibrahim (EGY) 2-1: 9-11, 11-9, 11-5 (41m)
[2] Paul Coll (NZL) bt George Parker (ENG) 2-0: 11-6, 11-6 (35m)
[1] Simon Rösner (GER) bt Borja Golan (ESP) 2-1: 11-2, 16-18, 13-11 (70m)
Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) bt [7] Declan James (ENG) 2-1: 11-7, 9-11, 11-3 (47m)

Men’s Quarter Finals (Top Half, Wednesday September 11):
[5] Fares Dessouky (EGY) v [3] Joel Makin (WAL)
[1] Simon Rösner (GER) v [6] Gregoire Marche (FRA)
Bottom Half (Thursday September 12):
[4] Zahed Salem (EGY) v [8] James Willstrop (ENG)
Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) v [2] Paul Coll (NZL)

Women’s Second Round:
[4] Alison Waters (ENG) bt [WC] Enora Villard (FRA) 2-0: 11-6, 11-2 (17m)
[5] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) bt Lisa Aitken (SCO) 2-0: 11-4, 11-4 (18m)
[8] Millie Tomlinson (ENG) bt Milou van der Heijden (NED) 2-0: 11-8, 11-7 (20m)
[6] Olivia Blatchford Clyne (USA) bt Nadine Shahin (EGY) 2-0: 11-6, 11-7 (21m)
[3] Amanda Sobhy (USA) bt Haley Mendez (USA) 2-0: 11-3, 11-2 (13m)
[2] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) bt Alexandra Fuller (RSA) 2-1: 11-7, 6-11, 11-7 (30m)
[1] Camille Serme (FRA) bt Coline Aumard (FRA) 2-0: 11-6, 11-4 (22m)
Emily Whitlock (ENG) bt [6] Nele Gilis (BEL) 2-1: 11-3, 5-11, 11-8 (37m)

Women’s Quarter Finals (Top Half, Wednesday September 11):
[5] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) v [4] Alison Waters (ENG)
[1] Camille Serme (FRA) v [8] Millie Tomlinson (ENG)
Bottom Half (Thursday September 12):
[3] Amanda Sobhy (USA) v [7] Olivia Blatchford Clyne (USA)
Emily Whitlock (ENG) v [2] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) 

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

Pictures courtesy of PSA

Lautaro Martinez scored a first-half hat trick as Argentina ran past Mexico 4-0 in an international friendly on Tuesday in San Antonio.

Mexico came into the Alamodome after beating the U.S. 3-0 on Friday and riding a 11-game winning streak under manager Gerardo "Tata" Martino, but his former side emphatically halted that with an offensive outburst from which El Tri ultimately couldn't recover.

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Martinez, who plays for Inter Milan, repeatedly took advantage of sloppy Mexican defending during the first half. He slotted in his first in the 17th minute with a slick left-footed shot from just inside the box. He struck again five minutes after getting behind Mexico's line, and added his third in the 39th minute after robbing the ball from Nestor Araujo.

Paris Saint-Germain's Leandro Paredes scored Argentina's other goal from the penalty spot in the 33rd minute.

Mexico fielded a strong starting XI that featured Wolves striker Raul Jimenez and Napoli's Hirving Lozano, but finished the night without registering a shot on goal until the 91st minute.

After the match, Martino pleaded for more games moving forward against top level opposition.

"I don't think [the defeat] is our reality and I also don't think that going 11 games without losing was our reality," said Martino in a news conference after the game. "It's the second 'A level' game we've had. The first was against Chile. And the substantial difference against Argentina and Chile is that tonight we committed the kinds of errors in which we knew Argentina could damage us."

Martino added that Mexico needs more games against world powers to test themselves regularly in trying conditions

"What I also understand is that so that this can be a learning experience doesn't happen we have to play more of these types of games and get used to them," he said.

Eight players were shown yellow cards in a match that rarely lived up to its friendly billing, but the game will be remembered largely for the brilliant finishing that brought the 22-year-old Martinez his first international hat trick.

"I'm delighted and emotional," Martinez said. "One has to make a lot of sacrifices to get here and it's not every day that you score three goals wearing this shirt."

Martino lamented Mexico's defensive errors, the lack of speed in the build-up and not being able to play through the lines, with Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni citing the full-back area as key.

"The reality is that Mexico depends a lot on the full-backs; they are practically wingers," said Scaloni. "They always make a three versus two with the wingers cutting inside and if you defend, they end up beating up. What we looked to do so they lost confidence is to win back the ball quickly and get the ball up to the striker."

ESPN FC's Tom Marshall and Reuters contributed to this report.

ST. LOUIS, Missouri -- Another game, another opportunity for the United States men's national team to continue building toward "Berhalter-ball."

This time out, the forward progress was more apparent in the scoreline. Four days after falling 3-0 to Mexico in New Jersey, Gregg Berhalter's squad tied Uruguay 1-1 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, thanks to Jordan Morris' late goal off a deflected clearance attempt.

"Overall, I think it was a good step for this group to be able to play a game like this," the U.S. head coach said after the match.

Uruguay, fifth in FIFA's world ranking, presented a stout challenge, especially with a depleted American roster. John Brooks, Weston McKennie, Christian Pulisic and Zack Steffen returned to their clubs following Tuesday's game, and Tyler Adams, DeAndre Yedlin, Tim Weah and Matt Miazga were missing due to injury.

The visitors, however, did the red, white and blue a favor by sitting back and not pressing, letting the U.S. have nearly 60% of the possession and, on balance, the slightly better of the goal-scoring opportunities.

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"Today, it wasn't a high-pressing team," center-back Aaron Long, one of four players to start both matches, said. "[We were able] to have a bit more of the ball and to be able to manipulate them. I think we created a good amount of chances."

Still, it was La Celeste scoring first with a lightning quick counterattack. LAFC's Brian Rodriguez easily beat Brad Guzan on a full-field move that showed the quality the South American side could bring to the game when they wanted.

"To be honest, I wasn't happy with our defensive transition today," Berhalter said afterward.

Morris found an equalizer, cresting in a simple chance.

"This one was a little bit nerve-wracking," the Seattle Sounders winger said. "When they are that easy, thoughts go through your head."

But again, like pretty much every other fixture during Berhalter's short tenure, this was a match designed to evaluate the player pool. That, more than the result, was the goal.

"In these games, we're learning how each other play," teenage forward Josh Sargent said. "Games like this definitely help."

Although neither scoreline this week favored the U.S., the youth movement showed promise. Sergino Dest, Paxton Pomykal and Miles Robinson all officially graduated from the youth ranks to the senior team. Reggie Cannon and Sargent showed their case to start. Tyler Boyd, who flubbed a sitter from Morris cross that would have opened scoring in the 22nd minute, added his name to the small list of Americans who can beat a defender one-on-one. Jackson Yueill, in his first cap, showed his ability of the half-turn and enough defensive awareness to survive.

There's a larger story too. A little less than two years after (trigger warning) Couva -- and in the summer that the American women's national team earned the love of millions -- the U.S. men are battling to win back the hearts and minds of the fanbase. It's a match-by-match process.

"We're focused on changing the way that America views soccer," Cannon said a few days before playing Mexico. "And every step, every game is an opportunity to do that."

The best way to do that would be to play attractive, winning soccer and to have fun doing so. This is Berhalter's challenge and his challenge to his charges.

That didn't happen against Mexico, and though Uruguay was better, it was far from perfect. There was too much rigidity, too much tentativeness, too little finishing. But the coach thinks it can, thinks they are getting closer and thinks his players are good enough to succeed if given time. He has instilled that belief in his players too.

"There's a lot of room to improve, but I think it was a good step forward," Long said. "[Against Mexico] we didn't waver in our playing out of the back. Obviously it wasn't perfect, but to take that into this game. We could have played long, and we didn't, and it felt better."

Maybe Berhalter is wrong. Maybe he doesn't have the talent to play the style he wants. Maybe the U.S. won't be able to play from the back, to disorganize the opposition with possession or go around them another way if they press. Maybe they'll always look like they did against Mexico: a step slow, a half-second late, just not good enough.

But if he's wrong, most everyone in American soccer is too. What Berhalter is trying to build is what the masses demanded during the Jurgen Klinsmann era (and before that).

Berhalter has made and will continue to make mistakes: the reliance on Wil Trapp and Gyasi Zardes, the occasional tactical inflexibility and more. There is a larger goal and, he's betting, the talent to accomplish the task (not to mention the message it sends to younger age groups of how the senior team wants to play).

In October, the Americans start their Nations League participation. It's a silly tournament. It's also a real one, something that matters. The U.S. is paired in a group with Cuba and Canada, two teams the Americans should beat easily. Those four games won't be graded on a curve like the last two friendlies; they'll be pass or fail. Winning with a possession-based, proactive style would be an indication that Berhalter is building something good, something that can morph into something great.

During the dying stages of the match against Mexico, a sweet Sebastian Lletget pass found a streaking Morris, who was taken down for a penalty shot. Sargent stepped up to take the spot kick, only to see his weak effort saved by Jonathan Orozco. Rather than sulk, the teenage forward owned his mistake and vowed to keep coming.

"It happens in football, you know?" Sargent said after the match. "I'd step up again and take it. It's not the end of the world."

In the late stages of the first half against Uruguay, the forward went up for a cross in the box. He won the header and sent it toward goal, but a Uruguayan defender deflected it with his hand. Costa Rican referee Ricardo Montero missed the call, only to come to Sargent at half-time and apologize, saying it should have been a penalty. Too little, too late, of course, but would Sargent have taken the spot kick?

"100 percent," he said.

Say what you will about this group of Americans, but they don't quit.

It seemed like the oddest of places to celebrate a seventh consecutive National League West title: At Camden Yards, against a bad Baltimore Orioles team, the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrating with a group photo in blue "October Reign" T-shirts and the B&O Warehouse in the background.

Justin Turner sat on the ground in the middle of the congregation Tuesday night, holding up seven fingers. He has been with the Dodgers for six of the division crowns -- Clayton Kershaw, Kenley Jansen and Hyun-Jin Ryu are the three holdovers from the 2013 team that initiated this run -- and in many ways Turner is the perfect symbol of how the Dodgers have built this dynasty.

The Mets had non-tendered Turner after the 2013 season, and he inked a minor league deal with the Dodgers with an invitation to spring training and a $1 million salary if he made the big league club. He was merely insurance at second base when he signed in early February 2014, a backup plan if either Alex Guerrero -- remember him? -- who had just signed out of Cuba for $28 million, or prospect Dee Gordon didn't work out.

Turner, of course, had started to revamp his swing, and he hit .340 that first season with the Dodgers. He became a star, with top-10 MVP finishes in 2016 and 2017, and he eventually would earn a much larger payout with a four-year, $64 million contract.

Turner actually was a Ned Colletti signing, as Andrew Friedman took over as head of baseball operations following the 2014 season. So give the Colletti front office some credit for this run of division titles: It was under him (and scouting director Logan White) when Kershaw was a first-round pick in 2006 and Jansen was converted from a weak-hitting catcher to a fireball-throwing reliever.

Turner, however, exemplifies how a roster of stars has been developed in a variety of means. Yes, money helps and the Dodgers have spent a lot of it, but consider the following:

• Max Muncy, like Turner, was free talent, cut loose by the A's, and he has blasted 68 home runs over the past two seasons. Muncy is ninth in the majors in wOBA during that time frame.

• MVP candidate Cody Bellinger was a fourth-round pick in 2013 (oh, that was Colletti and White, as well).

• Walker Buehler, who tossed seven scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts in Tuesday's win, was a first-round pick; but as just the 24th overall selection in the 2015 draft, it was a stroke of genius as the Dodgers took a chance after he came up with a sore arm at Vanderbilt.

• Chris Taylor was acquired from the Mariners in a trade for pitcher Zach Lee, who never even pitched for Seattle.

• Kenta Maeda came over from Japan, and he has been a vital member of the rotation over the past four seasons.

Above all, the key under Friedman has been player development at the minor league level.

The 2016 draft has a chance to become legendary, as Gavin Lux, Will Smith, Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin all were drafted that year, reached the majors this year and have a chance to make the postseason roster. (Smith, definitely; the other three, maybe.) It's amazing: A team that just reached two straight World Series came up with four rookies of this caliber the very next season. (Alex Verdugo also has rookie status, although he debuted in 2017.) That's how you win seven division titles in a row.

Don't underestimate the impressive nature of this achievement. Here's the list of teams that finished in first place seven consecutive seasons:

• 2013 to 2019 Dodgers (seven NL West titles)
• 1998 to 2006 Yankees (nine American League East titles)
• 1995 to 2005 Braves* (11 NL East titles)

*Some will credit the Braves with 14 straight division titles, choosing to skip the 1994 strike season; Atlanta was in second place at the time of the strike.

That's it. Three times. The 1995 to 2001 Indians won six in seven years. The Yankees' dynasty from 1949 to 1964 included an incredible 14 AL pennants in 16 seasons but had a high run of five in a row. (Granted, that was before divisions, so they had to beat the entire league.) The 2007 to 2011 Phillies won five divisions in a row. The Big Red Machine of the 1970s is considered one of the greatest teams of all time; those Reds topped out at two division titles in a row.

So, yes, this is a monumental run of excellence for the Dodgers. No, it's not simply because of money. The Yankees will win the AL East this year -- their first division title since 2012. The Red Sox have won four World Series since 2003 -- and finished in first place just five times.

Of course, mentioning those World Series championships gets us to how a lot of fans -- even Dodgers fans -- might feel about this seventh title: Show me a ring.

That's unfair. For one thing, it devalues the regular season we all spend countless hours consuming, enjoying and celebrating. For the players and everyone else in the organization, a division title is extremely important, the first goal every team has when spring training begins. Just look at the celebration and tell the Dodgers this doesn't mean anything. That's an insult to all the work they've put in and all the games they've won.

This is the first step to the ultimate goal: the Dodgers' first World Series title since 1988.

While it's unfair to say this division title doesn't mean anything, it is fair to suggest that following this seventh title and after two consecutive World Series defeats, the Dodgers will enter the postseason with more pressure and expectations on them than any other team. But that's a discussion for another time. If you're a Dodgers fan and didn't enjoy the celebration in Baltimore because only the October tournament matters, then I don't know what to tell you. The journey is the joy.

DONGGUAN, China -- Jayson Tatum took part in Team USA's shootaround and has been upgraded to a game-time decision ahead of Wednesday's World Cup quarterfinal against France (7 a.m. ET, ESPN2), coach Gregg Popovich said.

Tatum has missed the past three games after rolling an ankle against Turkey last week. He has been able to go through practice the past several days and has expressed an interest in getting back.

Marcus Smart, his Boston Celtics teammate, went through the shootaround and said he expects to play against France. Smart banged knees with another player in Monday's win over Brazil and missed the fourth quarter.

HOUSTON -- The Oakland Athletics could think of no better way to erase the memory of a blowout loss to the Houston Astros than to turn things around on the AL West leaders on Tuesday night.

Matt Olson and Sean Murphy each homered twice, and the Athletics tagged Wade Miley for seven runs in the first inning and scored a season high in a 21-7 rout of the Astros.

After being blanked in a lopsided loss on Monday, Oakland recovered to win its seventh of nine and remained a half-game ahead of Cleveland for the second AL wild-card spot.

"It's awesome to respond to -- there's no other way to put it -- the [butt]-kicking that we got yesterday,'' Olson said. "To be able to come back. We always know we can compete against these guys, and to do it in the fashion that we did today was nice."

The Astros were coming off a 21-1 win over Seattle on Sunday and a 15-0 thrashing of Oakland on Monday in which they hit seven homers.

But on Tuesday, the A's tied a franchise record with 25 hits and built a 7-0 lead in the first inning without an extra-base knock. They still ended up tying a season high with six homers after not hitting any in their previous two games. Their 25 hits were the most they'd hit since 1969.

Khris Davis hit Oakland's first long ball in the second inning. Olson went deep in the third and added another homer in a six-run fourth that also featured blasts by Sean Murphy and Marcus Semien to push the lead to 17-2. The A's set a franchise record for runs scored through the first four innings.

Murphy homered again in the fifth, and Semien added an RBI double.

"They executed pretty flawlessly, and they crushed the ball later in the game," Houston manager AJ Hinch said.

All nine Oakland starters had at least two hits, and six players finished with three each. Olson and Murphy had three hits and four RBIs apiece and Davis and Semien drove in three runs each.

Olson has a career-high 31 homers this season, joining Mark McGwire (eight times) and Jason Giambi (twice) as the only Oakland third basemen to top 30.

The Astros got two homers each from George Springer and Martin Maldonado to give them a franchise-record 252 this season as their five-game winning streak ended.

Houston became the first team in the majors to score 20 or more runs in a game and allow 20 or more runs in a different game in a three-game span since Aug. 6-7, 1894, when the Brooklyn Bridegrooms did it, according to STATS.

The Astros are the third MLB team to have three straight games decided by 14 or more runs and the first since the 1800s when in 1876 the Chicago White Stockings had a streak of four such games and the Cleveland Spiders had three in a row in 1893.

Tanner Roark (10-8) yielded eight hits and five runs in 5 2/3 innings for his third straight win.

After Miley (13-5) had allowed five runs without getting an out in his last start against Seattle, Hinch was asked before the game what he'd like to see from his left-hander this time.

"I want him to get an out," Hinch joked.

Hinch certainly wasn't laughing when one out was all Miley managed before he was pulled with the Athletics leading 6-0. Miley allowed seven singles and walked one before he was replaced by Cy Sneed. He was charged with seven earned runs, which tied a season worst. The eight hits Oakland piled up in the first inning tied a season high.

"A lot of cutters in and you can either beat it on the ground or you can try to stay inside it and hit it the other way," Melvin said of his team's approach against Miley. "Just not trying to do too much and the hole's open at second and just trying to pass the baton on to the next guy."

Miley took his first loss since June 17. In his previous tough start, Houston rallied to win in 13 innings.

He was at a loss as to why things have gone so awry after he pitched so well all season.

"I'd be lying if I said I'm not thinking, 'What the hell is going on,'" Miley said. "[But] it's just baseball, it's a humbling game, I've just got to get back to work and try to get after it."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Astros: SS Carlos Correa (sore lower back) is progressing, and if his next two days of rehabilitation go well, he will join Triple-A Round Rock for a rehabilitation game on Friday.

MARKING HIS SPOT

A day after Yordan Alvarez became the first Astro to hit a home run to the third deck at Minute Maid Park the Astros marked where it landed by painting the seat in the first row of section 337 orange.

It was the second of two homers he hit on Monday night to pass Carlos Correa for most home runs by a rookie in franchise history with 24.

ODDS AND ENDS

Davis hit his 20th homer on Tuesday to become the first Athletic with four straight 20-homer seasons since Eric Chavez had seven in a row from 2000-06. ... Semien scored two runs to give him 107 this season, which are the most since Miguel Tejada scored 108 in 2002. ... It was the third multi-homer game of Maldonado's career and his first since 2017.

UP NEXT

Oakland LHP Brett Anderson (11-9, 4.19 ERA) will pitch Wednesday against Houston's Jose Urquidy (1-1, 5.33). Anderson allowed eight hits and five runs in five innings of a 10-6 win over the Angels in his last start but did not factor in the decision.