Wilson Ramos will indeed be behind the plate when Noah Syndergaard and the Mets take on Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers tonight in New York.

It will be Syndergaard's first start since the New York Post reported Monday that he and his agents have lobbied to let the right-hander pitch to backup catchers Tomas Nido or Rene Rivera instead.

Syndergaard later said the Post was wrong in saying he was "livid" in a meeting he had with Mets manager Mickey Callaway and general manager Brodie Van Wagenen to talk about the catching situation.

Syndergaard has a 5.09 ERA in 18 games throwing to Ramos and a 2.45 ERA in 10 games with Nido. The right-hander is 10-7 with a career-high 4.06 ERA overall in 28 starts this season.

Callaway had said Wednesday that Ramos was likely to catch Syndergaard on Friday night.

Also, the Mets are sitting NL home run leader Pete Alonso tonight for a routine off day.

WEEDSPORT, N.Y. – Weesdsport Kartway is set to host one of the biggest karting weekends in New York State on Sept. 28-29, with the running of Octoberfest II, featuring a 40-lap Clone Heavy 375 main event, paying $2,000 to the winner.

Octoberfest II will contend over two days of action with the finale of the Performance Manufacturing Super Kart Series, the $500 to win NYS Clone Heavy Invitational and PRO time trials taking place on Saturday, September 28.

The action on Sunday, Sept. 29 will see A-Qualifying races for all PRO classes as well as the weekend’s PRO A-Mains and trophy races for Jr. Red Clone, Jr. Green Clone and Jr. Purple Clone.

All of Sunday’s action will be covered by SPEED SPORT and MAVTV for air on national television.

PRO events on Sunday will be led by the $2,000 to win Clone Heavy finale as well as a $1,000 Clone Light main and $500 to win events for Clone Super Heavy, Jr. Unrestricted, Jr. Blue Clone and Winged Champs.

The majority of Saturday’s action will be dedicated to crowning Performance Manufacturing Super Kart Series champions, presented by Stirling Lubricants and Champion Racing Oil.

Current championship point leaders include Blake Banek (Jr. Red Clone), Connor Crane (Jr. Green Clone), Anthony Pollow (Jr. Purple Clone), Logan Crisafulli (Jr. Blue Clone), David Hackett Jr. (Clone Light) and Nick McGill (Clone Heavy and Clone Super Heavy).

Prelim events for Jr. Unrestricted and Winged Champ will also be conducted on Saturday.  Drivers competing in PRO on Sunday must also register for one points/prelim event as well.

GLENEAGLES, Scotland – U.S. captain Juli Inkster perhaps summed it up best Friday evening following a thrilling close to the opening day of the 16^th Solheim Cup.

“No one really ever talks about the half-point,” Inkster said after her side fought back for halves in each of the final two fourball matches. “And I have to say those two half-points at the end were huge.”

For a moment, the Americans were looking at a deflating finish – world No. 3 Lexi Thompson going 0-2 on Day 1, the plan to split up a winning Korda duo backfiring and a three-shot deficit entering the weekend at Gleneagles. Instead, Thompson is on the board, Jessica and Nelly Korda still have yet to lose and Team USA trails by just a single point.

“You have to dig deep for your partner, your country and your whole team,” said Thompson, who was the hero in her match with Jessica Korda, sinking an 18-footer for birdie at the par-4 finishing hole to avoid surrendering a full point to Bronte Law and Carlota Ciganda.

“There’s nothing like having a [deciding] putt on the last hole.”

Rookie Brittany Altomare now knows the feeling. Her 20-foot make for birdie at the last gave her and fellow first-timer Nelly Korda a half-point after being 3 down with three to play against Charley Hull and Azahara Munoz.

“We needed to make every putt,” said Altomare, who birdied four of her last six holes to pair with a near-ace by Korda at the par-3 17th. “We had nothing to lose.”

It seemed as if Inkster had much to lose by splitting up the Korda sisters after their dominant 6-and-4 foursomes victory and pairing each of them with partners, Thompson and Altomare, who looked less than stellar for much of a 2-and-1 foursomes loss to Georgia Hall and Celine Boutier.

But with fourballs requiring players to play their own ball, Inkster liked both of her new-look pairings. Inkster quipped that if the Kordas played three matches together, “they’d kill each other.” But in reality, Nelly Korda and Altomare had paired together during practice while Jessica Korda was likely just what Thompson needed to get going.

Thompson, who entered the week without usual partner Cristie Kerr (they had gone 4-0-2 together in the past two Solheim Cups), struggled mightily with the flatstick for much of both sessions. Until her clutch final roll, her biggest putt of significance was a 3-footer for par on the par-4 13^th on Friday afternoon that gave her and Korda a 1-up lead. That advantage stretched to 2 up a hole later before Law and Ciganda made a fierce charge, highlighted by Ciganda’s go-ahead birdie at No. 17, to take the lead with one hole to play.

But the Americans would not be denied at least something. Before striking her putt on the 18^th green, Thompson closed her eyes and said a little prayer.

It was answered. And the Americans, well, as the sun set on a blustery and downright cold day, they answered the bell not once but twice.

“You can't teach that,” Inkster said. “It's just in your belly.”

Time is running out on the MLS regular season, with just three weeks remaining until the playoffs get underway, and Wayne Rooney and D.C. United are traveling to Portland for a Sunday afternoon tilt on ESPN, while the Philadelphia Union take aim at LAFC, plus Eastern Conference leaders New York City FC clash with San Jose.

Can Philly pounce on LAFC's slump?

From the looks of it, the Philadelphia Union have shaken off their midsummer slump and are heading into the final weeks of the season playing some of their best soccer of the season, with four wins from their past five.

The man who has proved pivotal of late is Kacper Przybylko. The German forward has four goals in his past five games, and 13 on the season in 22 appearances to give Philly the proven goal scorer that it has needed.

The Union already passed one big test with flying colors when they downed Atlanta United 3-1 right before the international break, and they'll need to be just as prepared on Saturday against league leaders LAFC (7:30 p.m. ET, streaming on ESPN+).

It's an interesting time for Bob Bradley's bunch. The hamstring injury to Carlos Vela has made LAFC beatable, with a 2-0 loss to Minnesota United followed a 2-2 draw in Orlando last Saturday being the results without the Mexican.

Yet despite missing Vela and key players like Brian Rodriguez, Mark-Anthony Kaye and Walker Zimmerman on international duty, LAFC showed some character in rallying for a point in Orlando. If Vela is a scratch again this weekend, it would send a strong message to the rest of the league that LAFC could beat one of the Eastern Conference's top teams without Vela having played a single minute.

- Alvarez is Galaxy's breakout star and Zlatan's 'cub'
- Carlisle: MLS takes on Portland's most passionate fans
- Vela proves his commitment to LAFC is not in question

Rooney's legacy to be examined in Portland

With the international break now completed, the MLS season has reached crunch time, with playoff places and seeding up for grabs. That's especially important for D.C. United, who are fourth in the Eastern Conference and still have some work to do to secure a spot in the postseason.

There is also the matter of Wayne Rooney's D.C. legacy to consider. Nobody disputes that the Englishman's early days in the nation's capital were a big hit, with arguably the play of the 2018 season against Orlando City. But things have somewhat soured this summer for Rooney.

The abrupt news of his decision to leave at season's end coincided with a social media outburst about the league's travel policy, plus some choice words for a fourth official in Vancouver. A red card against the New York Red Bulls last month didn't help things, and by the end of August, D.C. had earned just four wins since May 15.

Yet if the former Manchester United man can deliver a strong finish and lead his team on a deep run in the postseason, his legacy in MLS will be firmly intact. The first test is Sunday against the Portland Timbers (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN), who are coming off a big 2-1 win over Sporting Kansas City and are right in the thick of an airtight Western Conference playoff race.

Can NYCFC solidify place atop East in brunch date with Quakes?

There is so much to like about how New York City FC's season has unfolded. Head coach Domenec Torrent was feeling the heat at the start, as the team didn't even pull down a win until Week 7, but now a full year into his reign in the Bronx, Torrent's mark is firmly stamped on this team and they have risen to the top of the Easter Conference playing some aesthetically pleasing soccer.

The 1-1 midweek draw with Toronto FC will go down as a disappointment, but that should not take away from what is a six-match unbeaten run, with five victories. Next up for NYCFC is an early Saturday kickoff with the San Jose Earthquakes (12:30 p.m. ET, streaming on ESPN+).

The Earthquakes were in action in midweek as well, a 1-0 loss at Real Salt Lake, and now venture to New York to play a match that starts when a good chunk of Northern California will still be in their pajamas. The Quakes are likely to be a bit fatigued from Wednesday night, plus their body clocks will still be on Pacific time. The chances to strike early -- and fortify their place atop the East -- should be there for NYCFC.

At the beginning of the 2018 Major League Soccer season, D.C. United found themselves in disarray. The once-proud franchise, which finished dead last the previous year, started 2W-7L-5D. Then, however, a certain ruddy English forward arrived and fortunes shifted.

"A lot of things happened at once last year," James Lambert, president of the Screaming Eagles supporters' group, said. "[Wayne] Rooney showed up the same day they opened Audi Field, really at the same time they were making major changes in the front office with leadership there as well."

From that point on, United -- who take on the Portland Timbers on Sunday (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) -- accumulated 11 wins and four draws against just two loses, going unbeaten in their final 10 regular-season games. Although they lost their first playoff game in a penalty shootout to Gregg Berhalter and Zack Steffen's Columbus Crew, the prospects for 2019 looked strong.

- Alvarez is Galaxy's breakout star and Zlatan's 'cub'
- Carlisle: MLS takes on Portland's most passionate fans
- Vela proves his commitment to LAFC is not in question

"The combination of all the changes, Rooney coming in, and how well they played on that streak last year, there was generally a feeling of optimism around the club," Lambert said. "There were a number of us, I would count myself among them, that thought this was the first team we had talent-wise in a decade that could really compete."

A victory over reigning MLS Cup holders Atlanta United in the season's opening game, followed by seven wins and just three losses in the season's first 12 games, only added to the hype. Then, disaster. Ben Olsen's squad managed only two wins in the 13 matches between mid-May and early August, victories over lowly expansion team FC Cincinnati and perpetually floundering Orlando City.

The underlying numbers were even worse. Heading into the weekend, United sit tied for 18th in shots per game at 12.3, putting only 3.7 of those on target (20th in the league). They have the second-worst total-shots ratio, according to American Soccer Analysis, and the difference between their expected goals for and expected goals against is minus-14.7. Two teams -- Cincy and the Vancouver Whitecaps -- have a worse differential. In other words: Not. Good.

Oh, and in August, Rooney announced he's leaving the team at the conclusion of the 2019 season to take a spot as player/manager of Derby County. The forward hasn't been bad this year with 11 goals and seven assists in 25 games, but it's far from his electric 2018 performance. Earlier in the summer, he sang Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues" at a Georgetown piano karaoke bar, which just about sums things up.

"It was a long summer," Olsen said with typical understatement. "It was a grind for us."

But hey, this is MLS, and despite the struggles and the chaos, United have managed to eek out a couple of results, including a 3-0 away win against the Montreal Impact in their last match, and sit tied for fourth place in the Eastern Conference. Make the playoffs and who knows?

"I've seen so many different roads to winning an MLS Cup as a player and as a coach," Olsen said. "The offensive stuff, if we can get that to click a little bit more over the next month, I wouldn't want to play us if we got in."

During the transfer window, United brought in reinforcements, including Felipe Martins, Emmanuel Boateng and Ola Kamara. (Olsen on the Kamara addition: "Do we need a No. 9? Not necessarily. We have a guy named Wayne who is filling that role. But with the Wayne situation for next year, Ola's name came across. He's a guy who can not only give us a bit of a boost in the short term, but he's a long-term play as a starting No. 9 going forward.") Those three, combined with a break for the international window, provided Olsen and his charges a chance to reset and rest up for the stretch run. Rooney and Luciano Acosta, another player in the midst of a lost season, played 90 minutes in a friendly against Puebla, the Englishman nearly tallying a spectacular free kick in the dying stages.

Rooney vowed to continue pushing toward the playoffs, and Olsen sees no reason not to believe the forward.

"Wayne doesn't differ too much emotionally," the coach said. "He shows up and he goes about his business. That's always been the case with him. He's low-maintenance with that stuff as far as being at training and doing what he's always done: competing, training and being an overall good influence."

Four games left -- home against Seattle and Cincy, away at Portland and New York Red Bulls -- to determine the success or failure of 2019. A weird, difficult year; an ending unwritten.

"There's been drama," Olsen said. "No question. A little bit more than I would have liked, but I do feel like we're past a lot of this, and the focus is now about the last month of the season. I think the guys have good blinders on about what the task is. I'm looking forward to it as well."

PCB chairman Ehsan Mani reiterated his confidence in Pakistan hosting Sri Lanka later this month, saying neither he nor his board was looking to shift the series to a neutral venue.

According to the original schedule, both teams will be playing three T20Is and three ODIs in Lahore and Karachi between September 27 and October 9. But doubts over those matches actually taking place surfaced earlier this week when the Sri Lankan government received news of a "possible terrorist threat on the Sri Lanka team". This development came two days after SLC named their touring squads without ten frontline players who refused to travel.

Mani, addressing the press in Lahore on Friday, said the PCB is in discussion with the SLC and that he expected to tour to continue as planned. "Our decision is very clear and we are not exploring any other neutral venue. We don't have the time to shift or lookout for any other option right now. Our default position is that it is Pakistan's home series and it will be played in the country. This has been the understanding right from the start and we are in discussions with the Sri Lanka board and they are also very positive about sending their team."

SLC had committed to the tour after a thorough security assessment, but with less than two weeks for the first match, their government has asked for another round of checks to be made. It is also understood that the Pakistan ambassador in Colombo met with the Sri Lankan defence secretary on Thursday and that the SLC has prompted the Sri Lankan defence ministry for an updated threat assessment.

"We didn't get any negative feedback from their board and they never said that they are not coming," Mani said. "All they are seeking is their government's permission and they are engaging with them. There are speculations that they are sending their under-strength team but it's their prerogative. But what is important that international cricket will be played in Pakistan, and Sri Lanka is fulfilling their commitment."

Comprising six games, this will be the longest international series in Pakistan for a decade. It will also mark the first international action in Pakistan in 18 months. The tour was supposed to include two Test matches as well but they have been postponed to December. The PCB wants to host them in Pakistan as well and see this limited-overs series as a trial run towards that ultimate aim.

On a different note but directly relevant is the appointment of the ICC officials for the series. ESPNcricinfo understands the PCB has already informed them about the schedule but the ICC will carry out its own assessment of the security situation prior to sending match officials.

The National Stadium in Karachi will host the ODIs, while the T20Is will be held in Lahore. These will be the first ODIs to take place in Pakistan since Zimbabwe toured for a three-match ODI series in 2015; all the international cricket since the 2017 PSL final has been in the form of T20Is.

Warwickshire 517 (Lamb 173, Hain 82, Patel 51, Sibley 51, Harmer 6-143) drew with Essex 324 (Westley 141, Browne 65, Patel 6-73) and 158 for 2 (Westley 97, Cook 57*)

Tom Westley led the way with 237 runs in the match as Essex batted out for a draw against Warwickshire in the Specsavers County Championship Division One at Edgbaston.

Having been bowled out for 324, 193 behind, Essex followed on and closed the final day on 158 for two as the match petered out in the Birmingham sunshine.

Westley added a second innings 97 to his first innings 141 (266 balls, 18 fours) as he and Alastair Cook added 157 in 54 overs to shepherd their side to safety.

The draw secured Warwickshire's Division One status, condemning Nottinghamshire to relegation, but meant that Essex relinquished the initiative to Somerset in the race for the title. On the back foot throughout the match, the visitors never recovered from their decision to bowl first which backfired spectacularly as Warwickshire piled up 517.

After resuming on the final morning on 278 for six in their first innings, Essex added just 46 as Warwickshire captain Jeetan Patel took six for 73. Patel struck twice in three balls as Adam Wheater was smartly caught by Sam Hain at short leg and Simon Harmer's leg-stump was knocked out.

To compound Essex's frustration, they fell one run short of a third batting point. When the last ball of the 110th over (the bonus points cut off) arrived, they were 299 for 8 but Aaron Beard drove Olly Hannon-Dalby straight to short extra cover so a potentially vital point slipped away.

Westley's skilful resistance ended when he left one from Henry Brookes which flattened his off-stump before Patel removed Beard thanks to Liam Banks' catch at third slip.

Following on, Essex lost Nick Browne from the fourth ball of the innings when he edged George Garrett into the slips, but Cook and Westley made measured progress on a flattening pitch. The pair reached their half-centuries from 98 and 101 balls respectively as the game headed for stale-mate.

Cook resisted the temptation to accelerate in search of his first championship century against Warwickshire (he has scored two first-class tons against them for MCC and England) but Westley advanced to within three runs of recording a second century in a match for the first time before chipping Matt Lamb to midwicket.

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- You might see Aaron Rodgers do something he's never done before in an NFL game on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings: wear a playcalling cheat sheet on his wrist.

The Green Bay Packers quarterback experimented with one during Friday's practice as a way to help get first-year coach Matt LaFleur's playcalls relayed more quickly. The Packers have talked all week about trying to increase their offensive tempo after a sluggish start in their 10-3 win over the Chicago Bears in Week 1.

LaFleur wouldn't say for sure whether Rodgers will use it against the Vikings, but he thinks it could help.

"It gets [the play] out of my mouth a lot faster, I'll tell you that much," LaFleur said Friday. "So yeah, maybe it helps me get him the play a little bit quicker."

Rodgers said earlier this week that the Packers need to get out of the huddle and to the line of scrimmage more quickly, but that's tough sometimes because of how long LaFleur's plays are.

"We do have some long calls in the plan -- that's just the way the offense is," Rodgers said Wednesday. "There's a number of checks for different plays. It's getting that call in and repeating it and going out there and trying to execute as quickly as possible. The great thing about this offense and the communication is we had a great debrief Monday and Tuesday about everything. We made some subtle changes to hopefully help with some of that tempo."

This is Rodgers' first time in a new offense since he became the starter in 2008. He had one head coach during that time, Mike McCarthy, until last December, when McCarthy was fired with four games left in the season. Rodgers had three years as a backup -- two under McCarthy -- to learn the offense before he became a starter.

Rodgers said this offseason that learning LaFleur's offense was like learning a foreign language. The wrist band could help the translation process.

"I don't know, we're just trying something new," LaFleur said. "We'll figure out where we are going with that."

One other issue that's up in the air is the availability of All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari, who returned to practice after missing Thursday because of a back injury. The Packers listed him as questionable.

Bakhtiari said he expects to spend much of the next day and a half with the medical staff "to do whatever I need to do that's necessary to open up my back, keep it from regressing to where it was. If we do that, I think I can have a good chance to play."

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- New York Jets defensive coordinator Gregg Williams refuted Odell Beckham Jr.'s accusations that he coaches his players to injure opponents, claiming Friday, "We don't do that. Never done that anywhere I've been."

Williams also seemed to scoff at the perception that Beckham is a "dynamic" player, suggesting the New York Giants traded him because they feel the same way he does.

It made for a contentious interview session three days before the Jets face Beckham's current team, the Cleveland Browns, at MetLife Stadium.

The polarizing Williams got testy and tried to change the subject when, as a follow-up to his claim that he doesn't teach dirty tactics, he was asked about the New Orleans Saints' Bountygate scandal. He was suspended for a year by the NFL for his role.

"Was that right or wrong?" he asked. "Again, I don't want to talk about that. Do you want to talk about Cleveland? Next!"

Williams said he teaches his players to play within the rules, but he refused to answer when it was mentioned he was caught on tape telling his players to injure former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree.

Williams' past became an issue Thursday, when Beckham told reporters in Cleveland that Williams teaches "cheap shots" and "dirty hits." The receiver blamed Williams for his preseason ankle injury two years ago that impacted his career.

At first, Williams responded to the charge with humor, saying, "Odell who?" -- a joking reference to Dallas Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones' recent remark about Ezekiel Elliott. Williams defended himself, then blamed the media for making it a story.

"You guys are cooperating, giving him attention," he said. "Just don't give him attention."

When a reporter prefaced a question by referring to Beckham as one of the most "dynamic" players in the league, Williams interrupted.

"That's your opinion. What's New York's opinion?" he said, alluding to the controversial trade. "The Giants' opinion? What did the Giants do? That's not a question for me."

The outspoken Williams, 61, the Browns' interim coach for the final eight games of the 2018 season, said he doesn't consider Beckham's comments a personal insult.

"No, I don't. This is not part of what we do, OK?" he said. "You believe what you believe. The people that know me know me. I don't have to defend it."

Williams and Beckham have a history. Williams was the Rams' defensive coordinator in 2014, when the Rams and Giants played a fight-marred game in which Beckham complained that he was targeted.

"We play hard, fast, physical," Williams said. "We play tougher for longer. We do that. It's not professional flag football, OK? This is what we do. We play very, very hard and we have to do everything not to hurt the team. Attack, that's what we do."

Defensive end Leonard Williams said Williams doesn't coach players to injure opponents, but he acknowledged there's a delicate balance.

"He tells us to get the ball out, impose our will, be nasty on defense, hit the ball carriers," Williams said. "He always says play on the edge, live on the edge, but don't hurt the team. It is a fine line. You can play on the edge, you can play nasty, but don't hurt the team. Don't get penalties and don't try to hurt guys intentionally and do stuff that's going to hurt our team. It's like playing on a fine line."

Browns coach Freddie Kitchens, who was on the Cleveland staff last season with Gregg Williams, wanted no part of the story on Friday.

"I don't have anything to say about that," he said of Beckham's accusations. "I haven't seen anything, and I coached with the guy for a year."

Kitchens said Beckham hasn't expressed any concerns about Williams to him.