PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland -- Jordan Spieth was finishing up a call and heading for the cart that would whisk him away from the course when a young worker stepped in and asked him to pose for a picture. Spieth put his arm around the boy's waist and gently moved him out of harm's way -- another cart was approaching quickly from the rear -- and then handed the phone to his agent, Jay Danzi, who took the side-by-side photo of the player and this really lucky fan.

Moments later that fan's luck ran out when he was chastised by a tournament superior for ignoring prior instructions and bothering a competitor at The Open.

The world-famous golfer was more willing than the kid's boss to cut the kid a break. Of course, very few people who have come in contact with Jordan Alexander Spieth would be terribly surprised by that.

Though Spieth might have lost some of his innocence over time with his tee-to-green struggles and rants -- some directed at himself, some at his caddie -- he still stands among the most agreeable and thoughtful players on tour. He is not yet 26 and already gets it. You can be a nice guy while still raging against Leo Durocher's claim that nice guys are destined to finish last.

As a competitor, Spieth's determination and grit have honored that of the legend he was named after -- Michael Jordan. He had no problem ripping the heart out of friend Matt Kuchar's chest during that 13th-hole passion play at Royal Birkdale two years ago; if necessary, Jordan, the old North Carolina Tar Heel, would have run Dean Smith's four-corner offense on Kuchar, too. Spieth did what he had to do to take the Claret Jug from Kuchar and make it his own.

That's why he should be considered a lethal threat over the next 36 holes at The Open despite his two-year victory drought, his almost comical weekend failures and his admission Friday that he still isn't hitting the ball worth a spit. Spieth's fire, and Spieth's faith, are his best friends as he moved into second-round contention following his 4-under 67.

His fire was obvious in becoming the youngest man to ever win the Masters and U.S. Open in the same year, and in claiming his third major title four days before his 24th birthday; Tiger Woods was six months older when he won his third. His faith was evident Friday when asked if his Birkdale muscle memory would help him Saturday and Sunday, even though he isn't hitting the ball anywhere close to where he hit it in 2017.

"Yeah, I think it's something very important to draw back on," Spieth answered. "I think I need to be looking at the positives of the history of this tournament, and my history in major championships, versus focusing on anything else.

"If I can walk tall knowing that there's very few people who have been in this situation contending in the weekend in majors as many times as I have, that's certainly a confidence boost for myself. So that's going to be the mentality."

It's the right mentality to have when the top of the leaderboard at Royal Portrush is populated by men the likes of Shane Lowry, J.B. Holmes, Tommy Fleetwood and Lee Westwood.

Men who have never won a major.

No question Spieth has serious hurdles to overcome if he's going to pull this off. The Texan who always put on a master class in putting on his way to the No. 1 world ranking for parts of 2015 and 2016 is now ranked 38th. Though Spieth is ranked 16th on tour in first-round scoring and second in second-round scoring, he has been stumbling across the weekend like a drunken sailor on shore leave. He is ranked 166th in third-round scoring (71.31) and 196th in fourth-round scoring (73.08). Spieth also walked into Royal Portrush ranked 189th in driving accuracy and 183rd in greens in regulation. Two rounds deep into this Open, he has hit only 39 percent of his fairways.

"At some point I hope to be playing off the short grass this week," Spieth said.

Asked what kind of progress he has made with his long game since missing the cut at the Travelers Championship last month, Spieth said, "Not much. I put in a lot of hours, but I think it's going to take maybe a couple of weeks to trust. I think I hit maybe two or three fairways [on Thursday]. I posted a score that was pretty incredible from where I played my second shots from."

Spieth somehow went birdie-birdie-eagle-birdie on a four-hole stretch on the front side Friday; he made a 25-footer from off the green for the eagle at the par-5 7th, and then a 20-footer for birdie on the next hole to punctuate the flurry.

"It was really the putter," Spieth said, "and just how I was attacking the holes."

It was also his firm belief in himself as a certified winner. Spieth has already built a Hall of Fame career before turning 26, shaped by 11 tour victories and a spirited run at the Grand Slam in 2015 that ended at St. Andrews, where he finished one shot out of a playoff.

"My game is in a different place than it was then," Spieth said. "And I'm working to get it back to where it was then. But anytime in an Open Championship that I'm in contention, I feel good about the potential of being able to make a run at it Saturday and Sunday."

He is a creative player who grew up shaping his ball in the Texas wind, threatening again in the major that requires more creativity and wind management than the other three. "I love links golf," Spieth said.

And links golf loves him back.

Does that mean Spieth will end his drought Sunday and reclaim his position among the two or three signature players of the post-Tiger generation?

No, not necessarily. But unlike the contenders ahead of him on the board, Spieth has proved he knows how to win this championship. If he doesn't have the game, especially off the tee, Spieth does have the faith and the fire.

That makes him a very dangerous man with two very dangerous clubs in his bag.

PHOENIX -- The Arizona Diamondbacks fell into an early hole against a team ahead of them in the National League wild-card standings.

Once they cycled through the third inning, the hits kept coming.

Christian Walker hit a two-run homer to cap the first natural cycle by consecutive batters in Arizona's history, lifting the Diamondbacks to a 10-7 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night.

"I was really pleased with the way we swung the bats tonight," Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. "We fell behind early and kept plowing away. We had the six-run inning and kept tacking on."

Milwaukee won the opener 5-1 after scoring three runs in the eighth inning Thursday night.

The Diamondbacks broke open the second game with six runs in the third inning against Jhoulys Chacin (3-10), punctuated by hitting a single, double, triple and home run in four straight at-bats.

Arizona's Eduardo Escobar homered and had a run-scoring triple, and All-Star Ketel Marte had two RBIs to reach a career-high 60.

Archie Bradley (3-4) gave up a hit in 1 1/3 innings, and Greg Holland worked a perfect ninth for his 16th save.

Arizona moved to within a game of the final NL wild-card spot after its seventh win in 10 games.

"We're feeling good, we're playing well," Marte said. "We feel like we have what it takes to make the playoffs."

Christian Yelich hit a two-run homer, his majors-leading 35th, and Lorenzo Cain hit a solo shot for the Brewers. Milwaukee led 3-1 early and scored three runs in the seventh inning to pull to within 10-7 but couldn't make up the deficit after the third.

"Offensively we did a nice job, put pressure on them," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "It just wasn't enough."

Chacin was sharp his last start in a no-decision against San Francisco, giving up an earned run and four hits in five innings.

He was not so sharp against the Diamondbacks.

Nick Ahmed hit a sacrifice fly in the second inning before Arizona went up 7-3 in the third.

Marte followed Jarrod Dyson's one-out single with his second double to score Dyson. Escobar then lined a run-scoring triple and Walker followed with a two-run homer to left.

Arizona scored two more runs after Chacin was lifted and second baseman Keston Hiura botched a potential double play for an error.

Chacin gave up seven runs -- six earned -- and seven hits in 2 1/3 innings to remain winless in 11 straight starts since April 30.

"I haven't done anything to keep me in the rotation," Chacin said.

CLARKE'S NIGHT

Arizona's Taylor Clarke (back) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list to start against the Brewers.

The right-hander was hit hard early.

Hiura lined a two-run single in the second inning and Cain led off the third with his seventh homer to put Milwaukee up 3-1.

Clarke gave up four runs and seven hits in 3 2/3 innings.

"Just a few of those counts of falling behind and not really making a quality pitch," he said.

MARTE EJECTED

Marte was ejected in the seventh inning -- after swinging through a pitch on a strikeout.

Marte questioned a previous strike call by plate umpire Sam Holbrook, then slammed his bat and helmet to the ground after missing Burch Smith's third strike. Holbrook sent Marte off right after his helmet hit the dirt.

"I felt it was unfair because I didn't say anything to him," Marte said through an interpreter after his second career ejection. "Maybe the helmet landed a little too close to him, but I really didn't say anything to warrant what happened."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Brewers: RHP Jimmy Nelson (elbow) is slated to make a rehab start for Class-A Wisconsin on Sunday.

Diamondbacks: Dyson was back in the lineup after missing Thursday's game because of a hamstring cramp. ... RHP Jon Duplantier (shoulder) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list and optioned to Triple-A Reno. INF Domingo Leyba also was sent to Reno.

UP NEXT

Brewers: LHP Gio Gonzalez is expected to be activated from the 10-day injured list (left arm fatigue) to start against Arizona on Saturday. He made rehab starts with Class A Carolina and Triple-A San Antonio after going on the injured list May 29.

Diamondbacks: RHP Zack Greinke needs six strikeouts against the Brewers on Saturday to tie Tim Keefe (2,555) for 31st and seven to tie Jerry Koosman (2,556) for 30th on the career strikeouts list.

European champion feels in shape to make an assault on her 3:55 British 1500m record in London

Laura Muir believes she’s not far from being in her best-ever shape, with an assault on her own British 1500m record a distinct possibility for this weekend’s Müller Anniversary Games in London.

The European champion ran an 800m PB of 1:58.42 in Monaco just over a week ago and her three 1500m races so far this season have produced times of 4:05.37 for a win in Stockholm, 3:59.47 for second in Stanford and 3:56.73 to place runner-up in Rome for her second fastest ever time.

Now she feels in the sort of form which could see that national record of 3:55.22 fall further.

“I feel like I’m probably in PB shape, I’m almost in the best shape I’ve ever been in,” she says. “I ran an 800m PB last week so I certainly feel like I’m in my PB shape of 3:55, it’s just whether all the boxes on the day can be ticked and that kind of time can come off.

“I’m really looking forward to getting out there. Hopefully we can run some fast times.”

“I feel like I’m almost in the best shape I’ve ever been in…”@lauramuiruns on how she’s feeling good ahead of tomorrow’s @London_DL 1500m. @scotathletics pic.twitter.com/1qjXXF8iky

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) July 19, 2019

In Saturday’s race, Germany’s Konstanze Klosterhalfen could be a threat following her recent breakthrough over 3000m, while the field also features Morocco’s Shanghai Diamond League winner Rababe Arafi, Ethiopia’s Axumawit Embaye, Kenya’s Winny Chebet, Ireland’s Ciara Mageean and Muir’s training partners Gabriela DeBues-Stafford of Canada and double European under-23 champion Jemma Reekie, plus another fellow Brit, the in-form Sarah McDonald.

World and Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon had also been due to race but was a late withdrawal due to an adductor injury.

“I just want to go out there and run a really good, hard, fast race,” says Muir. “Ultimately, I’d love to win and if I can do that, I’m sure a quick time will follow.”

Asked whether she feels like she is putting herself under pressure by saying that she is in top shape, she replies: “I don’t feel like I’m putting myself under pressure because I genuinely believe it’s true.

“My training these past couple of weeks has been very good. I’m very confident with where I’m at in terms of my fitness. I know I can go out there and run well.

“I never go into a race with just one plan – I’ll have plans A, B, C and D. Hopefully plan A will go ahead. But in the 1500m you’re not always entirely sure what’s going to happen so I’ll have a few ideas in my mind.”

British sprint record-holder hopes to translate her European success to world and Olympic level

Dina Asher-Smith says she has been embracing the expectation that comes with being a triple European champion and last summer’s world-leading sprinter, using people’s energy to help create confidence.

The 23-year-old improved her own British 100m and 200m records to 10.85 and 21.89 when winning her continental titles in Berlin last year, completing the treble with 4x100m gold.

Those times put her top of the global rankings during a season in which she also earned gold and bronze at the Commonwealth Games.

Now her focus is on translating that to world and Olympic level, as she works toward the championships in Doha this autumn and the Tokyo Games.

Asked if she feels the expectations of others, she replies: “Yes, I do, but I don’t think I take it in a bad way. Some people would get really overwhelmed but for me, I think it’s nice in all honesty for them to think that I can go on to do great things.

“I’ve actually used some of their expectations to give me more confidence as well, because sometimes I do tell myself, ‘you can’t, you can’t’, when really I should be thinking, ‘I can’. So I have taken some of other people’s energy and put it into myself as well.”

She also has her own high standards.

“I think it’s been quite easy for me because I’m always quite realistic with myself,” she says. “Since the Europeans I’ve been saying, ‘It’s the Europeans, guys. Like it’s really good and I’m really happy with how I’m performing, but it is the Europeans’. Worlds, Olympics and Europeans are completely different competitions.

“At the same time, I want to do well. I have high standards for myself. Those are not necessarily unattainable. So I wouldn’t necessarily call it pressure. It’s more holding myself to high standards but at the same time being realistic and making sure that when I step on the track I can do my personal best.”

That’s again the aim this weekend, when she forms part of a top 100m line-up at the Müller Anniversary Games.

Among her rivals in the Diamond League event, which includes heats before the final on Sunday, are double Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, world indoor champion Murielle Ahouré, double world medallist Marie-Josée Ta Lou, world 200m champion Dafne Schippers and her fellow Brits Asha Philip, Daryll Neita, Rachel Miller, Imani-Lara Lansiquot and Kristal Awuah.

“Doing well against these talented women would always be fantastic but I never have the mentality of having to prove myself,” says Asher-Smith on whether it is important to put down a marker ahead of Doha.

“I just don’t go into races like that. I know that come the World Championships, hopefully I’ll be in fantastic shape and the work I’ve done will put me in good stead there. But I never really feel like at any given moment you have to prove something.

“Everybody’s at different stages with their preparation. It is a long season. I’ll be peaking for my trials at the end of August.”

At the trials, Asher-Smith intends to contest the 100m with the aim of doubling up in the 100m and 200m at the World Championships. With that in mind, the Europeans provided important experience.

“I’d never done it before (the 100m and 200m double) apart from maybe AAAs when I was under-17 or under-20,” she says. “It’s a change doing it internationally and I think last year was the first time I had done a senior 100m internationally as well so I’m always learning, I’m always pushing on to bigger things.”

She adds: “It’s all well and great doing well at Europeans but you have to be able to translate it to a world level. And the next year you have to translate things to an Olympic level.

“For me, it’s making sure that I’m improving myself, being the best athlete I can be and I’m leaving no stone unturned in time for the World Championships, so I can go there and put my best foot forward in earnest.”

CARSON, Calif. -- Zlatan Ibrahimovic backed up his pre-match talk with a hat trick as the LA Galaxy beat LAFC 3-2 in a riveting end-to-end El Trafico derby here on Friday night.

Prior to the game, Ibrahimovic said he still believed he was the best player in MLS by far over LAFC's Carlos Vela -- even though the latter leads the league in goals scored.

Following the match, Ibrahimovic said: "I think the [best player talk] motivated them more, because I'm always motivated. I always go in to [every game] to do my best and to help my teammates. Today the outcome was good and we won the game."

It didn't take long for the fireworks to start, as a poor giveaway from the Galaxy's Favio Alvarez allowed Adama Diomande to play Vela into the area and he was hauled down by David Bingham with the referee pointing right to the spot.

Vela sent Bingham the wrong way with his penalty kick, but the hosts were level soon after thanks to an incredible individual effort from Ibrahimovic, who beat his defender with his first touch and smashed home a volley from 18 yards out.

LAFC's Tyler Miller kept the score level at the 30-minute mark with an impressive fingertip save from Rolf Feltscher's bullet header after some neat build-up play from the Galaxy and the teams went into the break locked in a 1-1 draw after a thrilling first half.

"When you play against a rival like that, with a full stadium, the atmosphere is nice," Ibrahimovic said. "I get pumped, I get adrenaline. This is considered to be the biggest game in the league, so the biggest job is to show up in the biggest game."

And show up he did in the second half, as Ibra struck again 11 minutes after the restart, out-jumping Jordan Harvey and heading in the go-ahead goal from Diego Polenta's perfectly placed back-post cross.

The former Sweden international produced another moment of brilliance in the 70th minute, picking up a nice flicked-on heel pass from Alvarez, cutting to his left and blasting a shot past Miller to complete his hat trick and put the game away for the Galaxy.

"I mean in the U.S. the regular season is not important, according to everybody, only the playoffs," he said. "And then when the playoffs come I have to put in playoff mode, but the difference with me and them is that I have playoff mode every day."

Vela added another goal in second-half stoppage time to take his league-leading goals total to 21. However, it was too little too late for the visiting side as the Galaxy saw out the result to go back into second place ahead of the Seattle Sounders, but still nine points behind Western Conference leading LAFC.

West Indies A 298 for 9 (Chase 84, Thomas 70, Khaleel 4-67, Avesh 3-62) beat India A (Axar 81*, Washington 45, Powell 2-47) by five runs

After losing the first three games and conceding the series to India A, West Indies A pulled one back, overcoming a late assault from Axar Patel to edge the visitors in the fourth one-dayer in Coolidge.

India A were 160 for 6 in pursuit of 299, when Axar joined fellow fingerspin-bowling allrounder Washington Sundar. After putting on a 60-run partnership with Washington, Axar marshalled the tail, pushing his case for selection in India's senior side. However, Khaleel Ahmed and Navdeep Saini fell in a space of three balls towards the close as West Indies snuck in a five-run victory. Axar remained unbeaten on 81 off 63 balls, including eight fours and a six.

It was Roston Chase who had made the highest score of the game, 84 off 100 balls, setting the platform for West Indies' tall total after they had been asked to bat. Wicketkeeper-batsman Devon Thomas and No.5 Jonathan Carter supported him with half-centuries of their own. Sunil Ambris, who was a late addition to West Indies' World Cup squad, got another start, but fell four short of a fifty. At 254 for 3, West Indies were eyeing a taller total, but they lost 6 for 44 to be restricted to 298 for 9. Left-arm quick Khaleel continued his fine form, returning 4 for 67 while Avesh Khan took 3 for 62.

India A then lost their openers Anmolpreet Singh and Ruturaj Gaikwad within seven overs in the chase, and the slide seeped into the middle order as well. Left-arm spinner Khary Pierre and offspinner Chase claimed combined figures of 10-0-83-2 to shackle India A's middle order. Axar and Washington then launched a late fightback with the lower order, but they fell just short. Seam-bowling allrounders Keemo Paul and Rovman Powell claimed two wickets each for the hosts.

The fifth and final one-dayer will be played at the same venue on July 21.

SEATTLE -- Mike Leake of the Seattle Mariners lost his bid for a perfect game on a leadoff single in the ninth inning by rookie Luis Rengifo, then finished off the Los Angeles Angels for a 10-0 win Friday night.

A week after the worst start of his career, Leake almost achieved baseball immortality.

The Angels hadn't come close to a hit and Leake hadn't gone to a three-ball count before Rengifo grounded a clean hit to right field on Leake's 79th pitch.

The fans gave Leake a standing ovation and he quickly waved to acknowledge their cheers.

After a walk, Leake (8-8) retired the next three batters for a one-hitter, striking out Mike Trout on a full-count pitch to end it. Leake fanned six overall and walked one.

Between innings, especially as the game went later and later, the bearded, 31-year-old righty sat alone on the Mariners' bench.

"The sixth, seventh, I started to feel it a little bit," he said. "It was a cool experience -- too bad we didn't get it."

Leake's second career shutout came exactly a week after he was tagged by the Angels in his previous start, giving up seven runs on eight hits and a walk while getting just two outs. The Angels pitched a combined no-hitter that night in Anaheim while the entire club wore jerseys honoring late teammate Tyler Skaggs.

Leake improved to 101-95 in 10 seasons. This was his sixth career complete game, and second this year, in 284 starts.

There have been 23 perfect games in major league history, the most recent by Felix Hernandez of the Mariners in 2012.

Daniel Vogelbach hit two homers and drove in six runs as Seattle stopped a six-game losing streak.

Jaime Barria (3-3) lost in relief.

Leake kept the Angels off the bases with a fastball that was right around 88 mph, along with a cutter, changeup and curve.

"I was going after guys. I wasn't going to walk a guy. I was throwing it on the plate and letting them hit it to one of our fielders or late in the count trying to put them away," he said.

Leake was flawless until Rengifo hit a bouncer that split the first baseman and second baseman. Leake then walked Kevan Smith.

Leake was in complete control from the start and overcame a delay of a few minutes in the top of the fifth when a malfunctioning scoreboard stopped play with a strikeout of Andrelton Simmons.

Seattle's previous no-hitter was thrown by James Paxton against Toronto last September.

The Mariners hadn't won since before the All-Star break, a stretch that included their no-hitter loss in L.A., and had lost 13 of their past 15.

Vogelbach made it 3-0 with a homer in the fourth. He hit his 23rd home run in the fifth.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Angels: Albert Pujols sat out Friday's game as a precaution. The first baseman came out of Thursday night's game against the Astros with left hamstring tightness. Manager Brad Ausmus said the hope is Pujols will be ready for Saturday's game against the Mariners. ... Reliever Keynan Middleton's rehab assignment at Triple-A Salt Lake City has been shut down due to numbness and tingling in his pitching arm. Ausmus said a test showed that Middleton's grafted ulnar collateral ligament remains attached. There's no timetable for his return.

Mariners: Closer Hunter Strickland will begin a rehabilitation assignment at Triple-A Tacoma on Saturday in his return from a right lat strain that has kept him out since March. Seattle manager Scott Servais said Strickland will need to make three or four appearances in Tacoma to regain his endurance before returning to the major league roster. But he can't get into the lineup soon enough with Seattle's struggles in the bullpen. ... Center fielder Mallex Smith left the game after the fifth inning with a sore right thumb that he injured in the game.

UP NEXT

Angels: RHP Griffin Canning (3-5, 4.74 ERA) will make his first career start against the Mariners.

Mariners: Seattle will send someone to the mound for an inning before turning it over to LHP Wade LeBlanc (5-3, 5.15 ERA).

OXON HILL, Md. -- Previously undefeated Maxim Dadashev was taken to a hospital following his 11th-round loss to Subriel Matias on Friday night and was undergoing surgery because of brain swelling, a source told ESPN's Bernardo Osuna.

After trainer Buddy McGirt threw in the towel after Round 11 of the IBF 140-pound eliminator, Dadashev needed assistance leaving the ring and vomited.

He left the arena on a stretcher and was taken to UM Prince George's Hospital Center.

"I think right now he's dehydrated -- I think he really needs some IVs in him,'' McGirt said after the fight. "He didn't want to drink much water in the corner -- he kept spitting it out. He had one hell of a fight, tough fight. He took a lot of shots. I think it was time to stop it."

Throughout the bout, Matias, 27, of Fajardo, Puerto Rico, steadily came forward, throwing hard shots with both hands.

Dadashev, 28, of Saint Petersburg, Russia, spent much of this fight on his back foot, circling the ring. And while Matias was the constant aggressor and able to control the tempo and pace of the bout, Dadashev was never willing to stand and trade with him.

According to Compubox, Matias outlanded Dadashev 319-157; 112 of Matias' punches were body shots.

As the rounds mounted, Matias steadily piled them up in his favor, outworking Dadashev and pounding the body consistently. In the later rounds, either because of exhaustion or desperation, Dadashev began to sit inside the pocket and fight with Matias. But while he had some success, he was overwhelmed by Matias, whose punches had more effect.

The scores at the time of the stoppage in favor of Matias were 109-100, 108-101 and 107-102.

"First of all, I'm very grateful for this opportunity. I showed that I am not just a power puncher. I also can box. I was dominating the fight. I focused my offense on going to the body, and that's how I stopped him from running,'' Matias said.

But his fallen foe also was on his mind.

"I hope that Maxim is all right. He is a great fighter and a warrior."

NEW YORK -- Maybe it's something in the low-altitude Bronx air. On the night the Colorado Rockies visited Yankee Stadium for the first time in four seasons, a trio of former Rockies showed up, showed out and proved why the New York Yankees felt it was smart to acquire all three of them earlier this year.

"It felt really good," current Yankees reliever and former Rockie Adam Ottavino said following New York's 8-2 win Friday night. "Everybody wants to perform well against familiar people."

These weren't just "familiar people" to Ottavino and fellow Yankees DJ LeMahieu and Mike Tauchman, though. These were the folks who believed they could continue fielding a competitive team this season without each of their services.

So that's why Tauchman had to flash a smile when asked about going 3-for-4 with a double, two runs scored, a stolen base and a pivotal outfield assist in the victory. It's also why Ottavino wasn't shy about saying his three side-retiring (in order) strikeouts are helping him move in a more positive direction on the mound.

"While it was a cool thing to play against those guys, I had expectations of getting the job done, and going out and performing as if it was any other game," Tauchman said.

Collective performances such as these are making members of the Yankees' front office look so much more like geniuses than many of their league counterparts.

In LeMahieu's case, the story of the game was setting a career high in RBIs, and doing it against the team with which he notched his previous career-best mark. It's a mark he toppled with more than two months of this season left to play. He has 67 RBIs in 88 games this season

"DJ's done well against just about every team this year, and 'Otto' has, too," Tauchman said. "But it was great for them. I'm sure they were looking forward to playing the Rockies ... they were there a lot longer than I was."

When it came to letting Ottavino and LeMahieu leave, the Rockies' desire to go cheaper and younger outweighed retaining them. So in January, the former batting champion and multiple Gold Glove Award winner LeMahieu signed with the Yankees. Three days later, Ottavino, the right-hander whose pitches practically dance every bit of the 60 feet and 6 inches they travel, signed with them, too.

Two months later, as the Bronx Bombers broke camp and wrapped up spring training, Tauchman joined them. Traded for 25-year-old lefty Phillip Diehl, a former 27th-round Yankees draft pick who had been rocketing to relevance within the organization throughout the spring, Tauchman arrived in a move that confused more than a few fans. That's because trading Diehl wasn't the only surprise; the Yankees had been grooming super-utilityman Tyler Wade into a rather dependable outfielder, but suddenly another outfielder was being added to the fold.

Nights like Friday's are proof Brian Cashman and the men and women in the departments under him knew exactly what they were doing.

"Kudos goes to the office for going out and finding us another diamond in the rough," said Yankees bench coach Josh Bard, who managed Friday's game while Aaron Boone served a one-game suspension.

About Tauchman, Bard added: "He just creates a lot of run value."

Specifically, Bard was referencing Tauchman's ability to not only create runs -- scoring twice in the series opener -- but also his knack for saving runs in the field. Often platooned, Tauchman nevertheless entered the game with six defensive runs saved this season, according to FanGraphs. So despite just part-time play, that figure puts him among the 20 best outfielders in the big leagues within that metric, on par with the likes of Michael Brantley, Christian Yelich and Kevin Pillar.

In the second inning Friday, Tauchman had one of the most special defensive plays of the night, delivering a one-hop strike home from left field to nab speedy Garrett Hampson, who had tagged up at third, trying to score on a sacrifice fly.

According to Statcast, Tauchman's throw clocked 91.3 mph. Hampson, who is credited with having the seventh-fastest sprint speed in all of baseball, was tagged out just as he slid into the plate. Statcast also notes that Hampson averages a sprint speed of 30.0 feet per second, a measured speed that is considered "elite."

"That's a big, big play early that shifts the game," Bard said.

The outfield assist got Yankees starter J.A. Happ out of early trouble, as he escaped the inning down 2-0, when at least one more run could have scored. Happ, who finished after five innings, allowed only those two runs.

The 36-year-old pitcher, who himself has played for five teams, understands exactly what it's like for a player to want to play well when they face a former team.

"You try not to overthink it," Happ said. "You can get into a situation where sort of as a pitcher, you're maybe like, 'Oh, these guys know me so well from playing with them for so long.' But you sort of hope that once the game starts, you just kind of fall into the rhythm of the game.

"But yeah, there's a little something there, where, if you were somewhere for a while, sort of wanting to be like a 'Maybe you should've held on to me' kind of thing. Or whatever motivation works."

Tauchman wouldn't venture to say if he was motivated in this game by the trade, but Ottavino certainly went down that path for him.

"[Mike] played an unbelievable all-around game, against a team that didn't really give him a lot of chances, honestly," Ottavino said. "To come here and to put his best foot forward, I know meant a lot to him."

Along with Tauchman's success both at the plate and in the field, Ottavino's three-strikeout sixth inning, and LeMahieu's 2-for-5 line that included two RBIs -- one of which came when Tauchman scored from third, beating out a chopper in the infield -- a fourth former Rockie was in Yankees pinstripes Friday.

Reliever Tommy Kahnle warmed up late in the game, but he never entered. Unlike the other three, Kahnle didn't arrive to New York directly from Colorado. Prior to being traded to the Yankees in 2017 from the White Sox, Kahnle had been traded to Chicago from the Rockies in 2015. The player he was traded for, Yency Almonte, gave up four hits and three runs in two innings against the Yankees in Friday's opener. Tauchman's scamper home was the first of the three runs Almonte gave up. A batter later, LeMahieu scored when Aaron Judge hit a two-run home run to right.

As good as it might have felt for them to play against the Rockies, the Yankees' former mountain men contend they harbor no ill will toward their former employer.

"Obviously the Rockies drafted me, and I was able to make my debut there," Tauchman said. "So I have a lot of good memories there, but I'm really excited to be where I am right now, and with the group that we have and the goals that we have as a team.

"That's the stuff I'm really excited about."