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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This week, we saw something unusual this late in the season: Both of last week's No. 1 and No. 2 teams were superseded by two different teams altogether.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

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

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

For Week 9, our panel of voters was composed of Bradford Doolittle, Christina Kahrl, Eric Karabell, Tim Kurkjian and David Schoenfield.

Previous: Preseason | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8

1. Los Angeles Dodgers

2019 record: 41-19
Week 8 ranking: 3

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

ICYMI: How Bellinger could have the best season in MLB history

2. New York Yankees

2019 record: 38-20
Week 8 ranking: 4

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

ICYMI: Release the Kraken! How Sanchez is making 2019 his year

3. Houston Astros

2019 record: 40-20
Week 8 ranking: 1

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

ICYMI: Correa knew something was wrong after 'crack'

4. Minnesota Twins

2019 record: 40-18
Week 8 ranking: 2

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

5. Tampa Bay Rays

2019 record: 35-22
Week 8 ranking: 6

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

6. Chicago Cubs

2019 record: 31-26
Week 8 ranking: 5

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

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

7. Milwaukee Brewers

2019 record: 34-26
Week 8 ranking: 9

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

8. Philadelphia Phillies

2019 record: 33-26
Week 8 ranking: 8

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

ICYMI: A week in Bryceland -- What's happening with Harper and the Phillies

9. Boston Red Sox

2019 record: 30-29
Week 8 ranking: 7

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

ICYMI: Dustin Pedroia's career will end like it began

10. Atlanta Braves

2019 record: 32-27
Week 8 ranking: 10

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

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

11. Colorado Rockies

2019 record: 31-27
Week 8 ranking: 20

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

ICYMI: Rockies demote '18 Cy contender Freeland

12. St. Louis Cardinals

2019 record: 30-28
Week 8 ranking: 12

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

ICYMI: How will Cubs' Bryant be greeted in 'boring' St. Louis

13. Oakland Athletics

2019 record: 29-30
Week 8 ranking: 11

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

ICYMI: Introducing a new kind of no-hitter in the Statcast era

14. Texas Rangers

2019 record: 30-27
Week 8 ranking: 17

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

15. San Diego Padres

2019 record: 30-29
Week 8 ranking: 15

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

ICYMI: Can Yates give Pads an edge over contenders?

16. Cleveland Indians

2019 record: 29-30
Week 8 ranking: 13

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

ICYMI:

17. Cincinnati Reds

2019 record: 27-32
Week 8 ranking: 18

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

18. New York Mets

2019 record: 28-31
Week 8 ranking: 19

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

ICYMI: Mets must be ready to sell, sell, sell

19. Arizona Diamondbacks

2019 record: 30-30
Week 8 ranking: 14

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

20. Los Angeles Angels

2019 record: 29-30
Week 8 ranking: 21

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

21. Pittsburgh Pirates

2019 record: 28-30
Week 8 ranking: 16

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

ICYMI: How Bucs coach Joey Cora pulled Alex along after their father died

22. Washington Nationals

2019 record: 26-33
Week 8 ranking: 22

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

23. Chicago White Sox

2019 record: 29-30
Week 8 ranking: 23

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

ICYMI: Buyer beware for contenders shopping for pen help

24. San Francisco Giants

2019 record: 24-34
Week 8 ranking: 25

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

25. Toronto Blue Jays

2019 record: 21-38
Week 8 ranking: 26

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

26. Seattle Mariners

2019 record: 25-37
Week 8 ranking: 24

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

27. Detroit Tigers

2019 record: 22-34
Week 8 ranking: 28

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

28. Kansas City Royals

2019 record: 19-40
Week 8 ranking: 27

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

29. Miami Marlins

2019 record: 21-36
Week 8 ranking: 29

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

30. Baltimore Orioles

2019 record: 18-41
Week 8 ranking: 30

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ISLE OF MAN – Daley Mathison, who was competing in Monday’s Isle of Man TT Superbike race, has died following a crash.

Twenty-seven-year-old Mathison died after crashing his BMW bike Snugborough during the third lap of Monday’s opening Superbike race. Officials declared the race official after shortly after the start of the third lap following Mathison’s crash.

Mathison, a native of England, has made multiple runs on the 37.73-mile Mountain Course. He made his Isle of Man debut in 2013 during the Manx Grand Prix.

“ACU Events Ltd regrets to confirm that Daley Mathison, 27, from Stockton on Tees, Durham was killed in an incident during the Superbike race today at the Isle of Man TT Races,” race officials said in a statement. “The accident occurred at Snugborough, just over two miles into the course, on the third lap of the race.

“Daley was an experienced competitor and was seeded 19th for today’s race. He made his Mountain Course debut in the 2013 Manx Grand Prix Newcomers A Race, finishing fifth.

“His TT career included three consecutive podiums in the TT Zero electric bike Race in 2016, 2017 and 2018 including the runner up position in the race last year, representing Nottingham University.

“He also achieved an 11th place finish in last year’s Superstock Race and a pair of 13th place finishes in the 2017 and 2018 Senior TT Races.

“He set his fastest lap of the Mountain Course – 128.054 mph – in the 2018 Superstock race which made him the 34th fastest rider of all time. He set the second fastest TT Zero lap ever with lap of 119.294 mph in the 2018 race.

“In total he started 19 TT Races with 14 finishes and three podiums and won six silver and 8 bronze replicas

“ACU Events Ltd wishes to pass on their deepest sympathy to Daley’s wife Natalie, his family and friends.”

SPEED SPORT has been reporting on and covering motorsports happenings from all over the world for 85 years, so we thought it would be fun to take a look back in the archives to see what happened 10, 25 and 50 years ago each week.

So check out what SPEED SPORT was covering 10, 25 and 50 years ago this week in Looking Back!

10 Years Ago (June 3, 2009): Tony George was embroiled in a Hulman-George “Family Feud” with his three sisters, with his position as CEO of Indianapolis Motor Speedway at stake. News of George’s impending decision about his future broke before management at the speedway was prepared to address it. George denied that he had been ousted as CEO following reports that he’d been removed from the position.

Other Happenings: Scott Dixon used a consistent approach to win the ABC Supply Co. Inc./A.J. Foyt 225 at The Milwaukee Mile; Kevin Swindell won the Pepsi Knoxville Midget Nationals at Iowa’s Knoxville Raceway while Chad McDaniel perished from injuries suffered in a crash that same evening at Knoxville; Dale Blaney earned a pair of All Star Circuit of Champions triumphs at Eldora Speedway.

25 Years Ago (June 1, 1994): Al Unser Jr. took home $7.8 million for his victory in the Indianapolis 500. It appeared as if it would be his Penske teammate, Emerson Fittipaldi, who would win the event until Fittipaldi crashed while trying to lap Unser. Unser would go on to take his second Indianapolis 500 triumph as a result.

Other Happenings: Jeff Gordon secured his first victory in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, winning the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway; Jim Childers left Anderson Speedway $18,000 richer after winning the Little 500; Damon Hill won the Spanish Grand Prix and dedicated the victory to the late Aryton Senna; Robbie Stanley died following a crash in a USAC event at Indiana’s Winchester Speedway.

50 Years Ago (June 4, 1969): Mario Andretti drove a Brawner Hawk turbocharged Ford owned by STP President Andy Granatelli to victory in the 53rd running of the Indianapolis 500. Andretti was nearly flawless, setting an average speed record of 156.867 mph on his way to victory lane at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He took home a record $205,727 for the victory.

Other Happenings: Bobby Isaac took his seventh Grand National triumph of the season at Middle Georgia Raceway; Bruce McLaren led a McLaren one-two sweep in Can-Am Challenge Cup Series competition at Mosport Park; Butch Hartman won the USAC stock car race held at the KK Sports Arena in Kaukauna, Wis.; Dutch Hoag won the inaugural Amos Fancuilli Memorial at Shangri-La Speedway.

SPEEDWAY, Ind. – Kyle Cummins, a veteran of 117 USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car starts and three victories, will attempt to make his first USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget start this week during the 15th annual Indiana Midget Week mini-series.

Cummins, of Princeton, Ind., will take the wheel of Jack Yeley’s Ohsweken Speedway-sponsored car in at least five of the six events during Indiana Midget Week, which begins Tuesday at Montpelier Motor Speedway, then carries on to Gas City I-69 Speedway on June 5, Lincoln Park Speedway on June 6, Bloomington Speedway on June 7, Lawrenceburg Speedway on June 8 and Kokomo Speedway on June 9.

Cummins drove for Yeley in this year’s Chili Bowl Midget Nationals in Tulsa, Okla., where he finished ninth in the A-Main on his qualifying night, then advanced as far as the B-Main on the final night.  Cummins piloted a midget in USAC competition as recently as March of 2017 in the Shamrock Classic indoors at the Southern Illinois Center in DuQuoin, finishing 10th in the semi-feature and missing the transfer aboard a car fielded by Chase Briscoe Racing.

Cummins’ trio of USAC National Sprint Car wins came in 2016 and ’17, two of which came in another weeklong USAC racing event, Indiana Sprint Week. He won his first during Indiana Sprint Week in 2016 at Kokomo, then scored again that fall at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Ind., and again during Indiana Sprint Week in 2017 at Tri-State, all for Rock Steady Racing, with whom he recently won twice with in Midwest Sprint Car Series competition at Tri-State in May.

Cummins has made three USAC Sprint Car starts this year, all in Ocala, Fla., where he finished eighth, 10th and 12th, respectively.

Chelsea midfielder Jorginho has said it would be "disappointing" if Maurizio Sarri joined Juventus and Napoli fans would see it as a "betrayal."

Sources have told ESPN FC that Chelsea are ready to accept a request from Sarri to move to Juventus as a replacement for Massimiliano Allegri despite having come close to leading Napoli to the Serie A title just 12 months ago.

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And Jorginho, who moved to Chelsea from the San Paolo alongside Sarri, said Napoli fans would take their former manager's decision personally.

"It would be [a betrayal] and that's normal," Jorginho said in a news conference ahead of Italy's Euro 2022 qualifier against Greece. "Neapolitans had and still have Sarri in their hearts.

"We know what the people of Naples are like -- they're very passionate. So, for them it could really be a betrayal, because it's how they are."

Despite leading Chelsea to a third place finish and winning the Europa League, Sarri has come in for criticism this season; but Jorginho said this will have been an important period in his fellow Italian's career.

"I believe [Sarri leaving] would be disappointing for everyone," Jorginho added. "I think Sarri has grown a lot and learned a lot in the Premier League.

"Not just through coaching us but by having joined such a big club -- one of the biggest in the world. Having worked with certain players has helped him grow."

Omar Gonzalez has joined Toronto FC from Pachuca, the MLS club announced on Monday.

The United States defender, who was on loan at Atlas this season, had been in Mexico since leaving the LA Galaxy for Pachuca in January of 2016.

The 30-year-old was signed using Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) and will be officially added to the roster once the transfer window re-opens on July 9.

Gonzalez won a domestic title and the 2016-17 CONCACAF Champions League with Pachuca. Prior to his move to Mexico, Gonzalez played for the Galaxy from 2009-15, where he won three MLS Cup titles.

"Omar has won numerous championships and has played on the biggest stage in world football," said TFC general manager Ali Curtis in a team statement. "He is an experienced defender with over 200 appearances in MLS, including 25 playoff matches where he won five trophies in seven years

"His experience as a player but equally as important, who he is as a person will be a welcomed addition to our group here in Toronto."

Gonzalez has made 49 appearances for the U.S., and was part of the squad at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. He had an own goal in the infamous 2-1 defeat to Trinidad & Tobago that eliminated the U.S. from qualifying for the 2018 World Cup.

BATAVIA, N.Y. -- NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is reiterating his stance of wanting to reduce the four-game preseason schedule at a time the league and players' association have begun preliminary talks on a new collective bargaining agreement.

Goodell cites discussions he's had with coaches in saying he doesn't believe four preseason games are necessary to evaluate and develop players for the regular season. He says the NFL should do everything to the highest quality, "and I'm not sure preseason games meet that level right now."

Goodell spoke Monday while participating in Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly's 33rd charity golf tournament outside Buffalo.

Also, without revealing any details, Goodell called it "the best sign" that the league and union have already had discussions some 21 months before the CBA expires following the 2020 season.

In touching on several other topics, he said the NFL has scheduled a series of conference calls with coaches this week to go over a proposal to expand replay reviews and allow them to challenge pass-interference calls in the final two minutes.

Goodell backed a decision made at the owners meetings last month to table a proposal to change the overtime rules and require each team to have one possession regardless of what happens on the opening OT series.

"I don't know if I'd go for the fair possession," Goodell said, noting he likes "the sudden-death nature of the current rule," in which the game ends if a team scores a touchdown on its opening possession.

Goodell also reiterated the league's preference for the Buffalo Bills to build a new stadium to replace their existing facility, which was built in 1973. He said new stadiums play a key role in ensuring franchise stability by continuing to attract fans, who expect more modern amenities due to technological advancements made over the past two decades.

The Bills are six months into conducting a feasibility study on whether to build a new stadium downtown or remain at their existing site in Orchard Park, New York.

ST. LOUIS -- After a 7-2 shellacking from the Boston Bruins in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final, the St. Louis Blues are making lineup changes for Monday night's Game 4, trailing the series 2-1.

Defenseman Vince Dunn, who has been out of the lineup after taking a puck to the face in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals against San Jose, returns to the team's third defensive pairing with Carl Gunnarsson, replacing Robert Bortuzzo.

"I just wanted to feel myself getting used to the speed of things. The more I practiced, the more I felt I was catching up," said Dunn, 22, a smooth-skating defenseman who had seven points in 16 playoff games. "It's hard to watch, not being a part of these games."

Coach Craig Berube thinks Dunn can be a key to breaking out against the Bruins' disruptive defense.

"He moves the puck as good as anybody on our team from our own end out transition-wise, and Dunn has the ability of doing high-end things in the offensive zone sometimes. Not all the time, but there's just times where he can do things that wow you a little bit and make a great play, or score a goal from nothing. He can make something from nothing a lot of time in those areas," he said.

At the forward spot, the Blues shuffled three of their lines. Most dramatic was the elevation of Zach Sanford from the fourth line in Game 3 to the second line with center Ryan O'Reilly and winger David Perron.

"I think it can give us a nice spark. He had a nice game in the last one. We've played together multiple times during the year. It's a good fit. We need something to generate a little bit more 5-on-5," said O'Reilly.

The duo played with rookie forward Sammy Blais in the first three games of the series. O'Reilly has just one even-strength assist and one on the power play against Boston, while Perron has been held scoreless.

"At times, we're getting the looks that we need, but we're not maintaining enough. It's too much of a roller coaster. If the plays are there, we make them. I think Zach is really good at using his size to make plays around the ice," O'Reilly said.

Blais was dropped to the third line with Tyler Bozak and Pat Maroon. Robby Fabbri, who appeared in Games 2 and 3, leaves the lineup.

Center Oskar Sundqvist rejoins the team's fourth line with Ivan Barbashev and Alex Steen, after serving a one-game suspension for an illegal hit in Game 2. He's a key penalty killer for the Blues -- and perhaps it's no coincidence that the Bruins went 4-for-4 with the man advantage in Game 3.

Also back for the Blues: goalie Jordan Binnington, who was pulled from Game 4 after giving up the Bruins' fifth goal. It was the first time in his NHL career the rookie had been yanked from a game, but his coach and teammates were quick to stamp out any speculation that there's a lack of faith in their goalie, especially when he's 6-2 after losses in the playoffs.

"In his bounce-back games, it's just his calmness and his mannerisms more than anything. I think he goes back in there and he feels real confident about himself. Early on in games a lot of times you see his puck-handling ability, and I know that he's dialed pretty well when I notice that kind of stuff," Berube said.