NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- For the better part of a month, Weston McKennie has been riding the ups and downs of getting familiar with a new position, new teammates, a (mostly) new manager and a new system. There have been uneven performances, like in the Gold Cup quarterfinal against Curacao when, despite scoring the game's only goal, McKennie was loose with too many passes and looked out of sync defensively with midfield partner Michael Bradley.

But Wednesday's 3-1 semifinal triumph over Jamaica saw McKennie back on a decidedly upward trajectory. The Schalke midfielder opened the scoring in the ninth minute, making the kind of late run -- in this case to latch on to Reggie Cannon's cross -- that has become one of his signature plays.

- U.S. ratings: Pulisic rises to the occasion
- CONCACAF Gold Cup: All you need to know
- Full Gold Cup fixtures schedule

"When we play him as a No. 10, it's very specific when we want him getting in the penalty box," Berhalter said. "We played him a little deeper today in buildup, and that's him picking those moments, he's very good at that. He's a very dynamic runner. As the ball is wide, he sees where the space is and attacks it. We've seen him do that for Schalke and that's why we were comfortable playing him in the No. 10 position because we know he can get in the penalty box and arrive."

But there was more to McKennie's game than just the goal. He created a team-high three chances, including one in the 52nd minute to Jordan Morris that resulted in Andre Blake saving a shot, only for Christian Pulisic to put home rebound. He also did his bit on the defensive end alongside Bradley. All told, it was McKennie's most complete performance in a U.S. shirt, and speaks to the progress he's made over the last month.

"Learning this system and getting used to it, I think it's gotten better over time," he said. "I think when I first got in, I was a little fresh on the new system that we were playing. [Berhalter] and the coaching staff and the players around me and the players that have been with him before, helped me get comfortable in the system that he plays. I think I'm starting to get the hang of it."

The best piece of advice that he's gotten over the last several weeks? "Be brave and have confidence and have fun," he said.

Outwardly, it looks like McKennie's role has evolved over the last month. It started out with him playing higher up the field, but with Berhalter abandoning -- at least for the moment -- the inverted right-back/center-mid hybrid position, McKennie has been playing more box-to-box, getting into the attack while at the same time helping out Bradley. Berhalter admitted that there have been some tweaks.

"What we're working on with him is the positional play, the smaller movements, the detail of positioning in the way we play," the U.S. manager said. "But what he's teaching us is this raw ability. He made a couple of good runs in the penalty box, he's another guy who can solve things by dribbling alone with his physicality and his ball control."

McKennie insists little has changed in terms of his role, and that it's more a product of gaining familiarity, which has allowed him the freedom to take more risks and have a better sense of where and when to move. It's an evolution that has been noticed by Bradley.

"He's getting better every game, he's getting more comfortable," Bradley said. "I think his personality starts to come out more and more. I think the experience that he and I are getting now over the course of a few games has been good in terms of understanding each other, the partnership, of what it means on certain days, playing to each other's strengths."

The improvement can also be seen in his passing. According to ESPN Stats & Information, McKennie completed 100 percent of his passes in the attacking third, and set up Gyasi Zardes on a breakaway that the forward squandered. It all points to more cohesion all over the field.

"The system that we have, we're all connected and we make it very predictable for ourselves but not the opponent, where our options are and where we can play the next pass," he said. "It makes it easier on us. There were a couple of balls I played one-touch and a couple of balls [like the] one I played to Jordan Morris on the second goal, you know where the players are going to be and you know in the system that he has that you can play those type of balls."

McKennie's improvement is a critical piece to the U.S. team's success. Pulisic has shouldered an inordinate amount of creative responsibility. The Chelsea player may have scored two goals against Jamaica, but by his own admission wasn't at his best.

"I don't think I was very clean all night," he said. "My final pass wasn't great. A lot of times when I did make the right decisions in the final third and in the midfield, I lost too many balls."

If McKennie helps pick up the slack, like he did on this night, then that gives the U.S. a badly needed additional channel in attack.

Now McKennie is poised to play in the biggest game of his international career. As Wednesday's game wound down the fans chanted, "We want Mexico!" and McKennie echoed those sentiments: "It's going to be a fun game. I think the fans want it, I think we want it and we're looking forward to it."

If McKennie can offer up a similar performance on Sunday, then he and his U.S. teammates may very well end up as Gold Cup champions.

Can Afghanistan end their World Cup with a win and give their coach Simmons a happy farewell at Headingley? Follow all the chatter and analyses here. If the blog doesn't load immediately, please refresh the page

Previous World Cup Central entries: May 24-June 5 | June 6-June 18 | June 19-July 3

July 4

Glenn Maxwell feels he is hitting the ball as well as any stage of his career and is confident a telling score is around the corner after not quite being able to find lift-off during the group stage.

Maxwell has scored quickly - with a strike-rate of 190 - but not for very long, making just 143 runs in eight innings ahead of facing South Africa. He threatened against India when the asking rate was steep, struck an unbeaten 46 off 25 balls against Sri Lanka and was cutting lose against Bangladesh with 32 off just 10 balls before being run out.

"I feel like I haven't hit the ball better in my career, I just haven't got the runs," he said. "It's been nice to be relaxed when I got out into the middle, just runs probably haven't come the way I would have liked but sure they aren't far away. If I was out form and out of runs I'd be a bit more nervous but feel I hit the ball in the middle the other day [against New Zealand] then got one on the toe end, so I'm not too worried. I've been training really well so a big one not far away."

Maxwell, who spent a month in county cricket with Lancashire before the World Cup instead of going to the IPL, won't be changing any of his routines ahead of the semi-final.

"I feel like I've been able to play my role over different times. Over the last two or three games I just haven't got away and the first bit of bad luck seems to go against you - against Bangladesh I was run out when I was hitting them as well as I ever have and from then it's been a bit tough going. It's just about not over complicating it and clouding your head even further."

The lure of playing with American teenager Coco Gauff has proved too strong for Britain's Jay Clarke, who has dumped mixed doubles partner Harriet Dart at the last minute to play alongside the young star.

Gauff, 15, made waves at Wimbledon after becoming the youngest player in the professional era to qualify for the main draw and then beating Venus Williams and 2017 semifinalist Magdalena Rybarikova to reach the third round.

Britain's Dart, ranked No. 182 in the world, was left frustrated after she received a text message from Clarke saying he was switching partners ahead of the mixed doubles opening round Thursday.

"Essentially due to the timing I wasn't able to find another partner in the time period available," Dart told the Daily Mail. "I did ask a number of people, but a lot of them were set up and that's it. I think you should ask Jay about his reasons, that's all I want to say."

Clarke said Gauff had contacted him and asked him if they could play together.

"I've known Cori for a few years now, we got in contact, and she asked me to play," Clarke said. "That was tough. I had to let her know because I saw the pairs that had signed in, and I was thinking 'Am I even going to get in?'

"I think it's the worst decision I have had to make, especially mid-tournament. I didn't sleep too well the night before I played Noah [Rubin in a first-round singles match], but hopefully she understands why I did it. I'm sorry for her it happened."

Clarke plays Roger Federer in the second round Thursday before teaming up with Gauff to face Robert Lindstedt and Jelena Ostapenko in the mixed doubles first round Friday.

Information from Reuters was used in this report.

The Memphis Grizzlies do not intend to give forward Andre Iguodala a buyout before the season and are actively exploring the trade market for the former Finals MVP, league sources told ESPN.

The Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks are among the teams with interest in Iguodala, according to sources.

The Golden State Warriors sent Iguodala, who is due $17.2 million next season in the final year of his contract, along with a lightly protected 2024 first-round pick to the rebuilding Grizzlies because they needed to shed his salary to execute the three-team, sign-and-trade deal for All-Star guard D'Angelo Russell.

It was widely speculated that Iguodala would land with the Los Angeles Lakers if he received a buyout. Rob Pelinka was Iguodala's agent before he became the Lakers' general manager, and Iguodala would likely be eager to join a contender.

Iguodala, 35, a critical piece of the Warriors' three championships and five consecutive Finals appearances, is considered one of the league's elite wing defenders and is an excellent passer and threat off the dribble. He averaged 5.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game as Golden State's sixth man last regular season. Those averages increased to 9.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists during the playoffs, when Iguodala started the majority of the games.

The Grizzlies used a trade exception acquired in the Mike Conley trade with the Utah Jazz to acquire Iguodala, getting the future first-round pick for facilitating the deal that sent Kevin Durant to the Brooklyn Nets and Russell to Golden State.

Memphis, under the leadership of recently promoted executive vice president of basketball operations Zach Kleiman, has made accumulating young players and future picks a priority this summer.

Last month, the Grizzlies dealt veteran guard Mike Conley to the Utah Jazz for Grayson Allen, Kyle Korver, Jae Crowder, the 23rd pick in June's NBA draft and a future first-round pick. On Wednesday, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Grizzlies were sending Korver to the Phoenix Suns in a four-team trade that gives Memphis former No. 4 pick Josh Jackson, guard De'Anthony Melton and two future second-round picks.

With significant interest in Iguodala, the Grizzlies hope to flip him for more assets instead of offering the 15-year veteran a buyout.

LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Dodgers never wonder whether they can pull out a victory late in a game. Their only suspense is which player will be the next hero.

It was All-Star Cody Bellinger's turn for the second straight game.

He hit a tiebreaking homer in the 10th inning, giving the Dodgers a fifth consecutive walk-off victory at home, 5-4 over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday night.

"He's a one-man wrecking crew right now," Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said.

The Dodgers are the fifth team in MLB history to win at least five straight home games via walk-off within a season, according to Elias Sports Bureau research.

Bellinger drew a bases-loaded walk with two outs in the ninth to force in the winning run in a 5-4 victory Tuesday.

"It's pretty crazy what we're doing," he said. "There's not many words to describe it. It's pretty special."

He hit a solo shot in the second inning Wednesday, and his 29 homers are the most in franchise history before the All-Star break. He broke a tie with Gil Hodges and Duke Snider, who each had 28.

"I was feeling positive and confident going into spring training, but I did not expect to do this," Bellinger said. "It's been a crazy first half overall, and I'm enjoying every second of it."

After Chris Taylor struck out to open the 10th, Bellinger crushed a high-arcing pitch from Yoan Lopez (1-2) into the right-field seats, triggering a raucous celebration and chants of "MVP! MVP!"

"It's tough to navigate our lineup when we're tough in the strike zone," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "Pitchers know they have to be perfect, and it's hard to sustain that."

Arizona closer Greg Holland knows it only too well.

He issued four of Arizona's five walks with two outs in the ninth Tuesday.

"We had them beat two nights in a row and it was on me to get the job done and I didn't," Holland said. "I hate that because I want to help the guys win."

Enrique Hernandez opened the ninth inning with a double down the right-field line.

Matt Beaty's RBI single tied the score 4-4. He took second on Holland's wild pitch.

With the sellout crowd of 53,327 on its feet rhythmically clapping and chanting "Let's go, Dodgers!" pinch hitter Justin Turner struck out looking against Holland, who was replaced by Yoshihisa Hirano.

Pinch hitter Russell Martin and Joc Pederson drew consecutive walks to load the bases, but Alex Verdugo grounded into a weak double play to second to send it to the 10th.

"It speaks to our depth to put together innings like that late against high-leverage guys," Dodgers starter Walker Buehler said. "We trust our hitters one through nine."

Joe Kelly (3-3) got the win after retiring the side in the 10th.

The D-backs took a 4-3 lead in the ninth on Carson Kelly's homer off closer Kenley Jansen. They tied the score 3-3 on Ketel Marte's RBI single with two outs in the seventh.

A night after Arizona blew an early 3-0 lead, it was the Dodgers' turn.

They led 3-0 in the second on Bellinger's homer and a pair of RBI singles by Buehler and Pederson with two outs.

The D-backs closed to 3-2 on Christian Walker's two-run shot in the fourth.

Coming off his worst outing of the season, Buehler gave up three runs and nine hits in seven innings. The All-Star right-hander struck out nine and walked none.

Buehler gave up seven runs and 13 hits in 5 2/3 innings at Colorado last week. In seven of his previous eight outings, he'd given up two earned runs or fewer.

Arizona's Merrill Kelly gave up three runs and six hits in six innings. The right-hander struck out two and walked none in his first career appearance against the Dodgers.

TRAINER'S ROOM

D-backs: LF David Peralta left the game in the bottom of the third because of right shoulder soreness. He'll have an MRI on Thursday.

Dodgers: LHP Rich Hill (left forearm strain) was transferred to the 60-day IL. He's not allowed to pick up a baseball for four weeks and then will begin playing catch. ... Turner pinch-hit in the ninth and stayed in the game in the 10th. He didn't start for the second straight game because of residual soreness from being hit on the left elbow at Colorado. He's expected to start Thursday. ... INF David Freese (strained left hamstring) took some swings and will return Friday or Saturday.

HOLLAND'S FUTURE

Lovullo said he was in "an emotional state" regarding Holland.

"I am concerned," the manager said. "I know he's grinding and I know that he wants to get things done and do them the right way and continue on his journey and close games the way he has."

However, Lovullo said he's going to discuss Holland with his staff over the next day or so.

HOME RUN DERBY

Pederson will represent the Dodgers in the Home Run Derby on Monday during All-Star festivities in Cleveland. It'll be his second appearance after finishing second to Todd Frazier in the 2015 contest. Pederson, who has 20 homers through Wednesday, is matched up against Houston's Alex Bregman in the first round. Pederson said he wanted Johnny Washington to pitch to him, but "that did not go over well" with the San Diego Padres, for whom Washington is the hitting coach. Instead, he'll use either Jose Vizcaino, a special assistant in the Dodgers' front office, or third base coach Dino Ebel.

UP NEXT

D-backs: They're off on July 4 for the first time. RHP Zack Greinke (9-3, 2.90 ERA) starts Friday at home against Colorado.

Dodgers: LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu (9-2, 1.83) starts Thursday against San Diego. The NL starter in next week's All-Star Game looks to bounce back after his second loss of the season at Colorado.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

TORONTO -- After his latest rough start, struggling Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale said he has never felt more "frustrated" by his performance.

Danny Jansen and Brandon Drury each hit two-run homers, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. added a solo shot, and the Toronto Blue Jays beat Sale and the Red Sox 6-3 on Wednesday night.

All three homers came off Sale (3-8), who lost for the first time in six starts. It's the second time this season Sale has allowed three homers; he also did it in his Opening Day outing against the Seattle Mariners on March 28.

"I'm supposed to be a big part of this team, a big part of this pitching staff, and I've probably been the biggest crutch," Sale said. "I know who I am and who I'm supposed to be for this team, and I haven't been anything close. I'm 3-8; that's absolutely embarrassing. On a team like this, they need me to be better, and I haven't been there for them.

"I'm standing before you as frustrated as I've ever been."

Sale gave up five runs and a season-high nine hits in 5⅔ innings. He also allowed five runs in his previous start, June 26 against the Chicago White Sox.

"It wasn't good," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. "Just a lot of pitches in the zone. I know he's disappointed."

Sale came in 5-1 with a 1.60 ERA in nine career games in Toronto, but he couldn't extend that streak of dominance. Instead, he allowed at least four earned runs for the third time in three meetings with the Blue Jays. He is 0-2 with a 7.98 ERA against Toronto this season and has allowed 23 hits to Blue Jays batters over 14⅔ innings.

"I'm not locating fastballs, my changeup is terrible, breaking ball is hit or miss," Sale said. "I just haven't been myself for a while and that's obviously frustrating. It's the same thing over and over."

Sale isn't expected to pitch again until after the All-Star break, meaning he'll get at least nine days off before facing the Los Angeles Dodgers at Fenway Park.

"Hopefully, when he comes back, we'll get him back on track," Cora said.

Drury went 3-for-4 and came within a triple of the cycle. He singled in the third and doubled in the eighth.

Blue Jays right-hander Jacob Waguespack (1-0) allowed three runs and five hits in five-plus innings for his first career win.

"That's the second time I've seen him pitch in the big leagues, and he's been really good," Toronto manager Charlie Montoyo said.

Waguespack was pressed into action after Wednesday's original scheduled starter, right-hander Sean Reid-Foley, pitched 3⅓ innings of no-hit relief in Tuesday's 10-6 loss. Instead, Toronto used right-hander David Phelps to open for Waguespack, who was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo to make his second career appearance.

Rafael Devers hit a two-run single off Waguespack in the third, but Gurriel halved the deficit with a two-out homer, his 15th, in the bottom half.

Christian Vazquez restored the two-run lead with a solo homer in the fourth, his 13th and third in the past three games.

Jansen tied it with a second-deck drive in the bottom half, his sixth of the year and fourth in six games.

Drury ended Sale's night with a two-out homer in the sixth, his seventh and first since June 5.

Waguespack left after Vazquez singled to begin the seventh. Left-hander Tim Mayza followed and struck out Jackie Bradley Jr. before Chavis doubled. Right-hander Daniel Hudson came on to face pinch hitter Eduardo Nunez, who flied out. Hudson ended the threat by striking out Mookie Betts.

Hudson worked the eighth, and Ken Giles pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 13th save in 14 opportunities.

Blue Jays shortstop Freddy Galvis went 3-for-3 with a walk, including a double on Sale's first pitch of the game. Galvis padded Toronto's lead with a sacrifice fly off Steven Wright in the eighth.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Blue Jays: RHP Marcus Stroman (pectoral cramp) might need an extra day of rest before his next start or possibly a stint on the injured list. Stroman left Saturday's start against the Kansas City Royals in the fifth inning. He is listed as Toronto's starter for Thursday's series finale. ... OF Teoscar Hernandez (right shoulder) sat for the second straight day.

SCORING STREAK

Toronto has scored five or more in five straight games and in 13 of the past 14.

YOU'RE A STAR

Red Sox SS Xander Bogaerts was one of three injury replacements named to the American League All-Star team on Wednesday. Bogaerts went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts.

NOT CROWDED

Attendance was 16,883, just 542 more than Toronto's Triple-A affiliate, the Buffalo Bisons, drew for their 5-4 home win over Lehigh Valley.

ROSTER REPORT

Blue Jays: Reid-Foley was optioned to Buffalo to make room for Waguespack.

Red Sox: C Oscar Hernandez was assigned to Triple-A Pawtucket.

UP NEXT

Red Sox: RHP Hector Velazquez (1-3, 5.31) will make his eighth start of the season in Thursday's series finale. Velazquez also has made 13 relief appearances.

Blue Jays: If Stroman can't go Thursday, Toronto could promote LHP Thomas Pannone from Triple-A. Pannone has made 23 appearances for the Blue Jays this season, including two starts. He is 2-3 with a 5.91 ERA.

MLB home run leader Christian Yelich will be the top seed in the Home Run Derby on Monday night at Progressive Field in Cleveland.

The reigning National League MVP received the No. 1 seed for the power-hitting contest by virtue of leading the majors in home runs with 31. He will face Toronto Blue Jays rookie Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the No. 8 seed, in the opening round of the Derby, which will air at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.

New York Mets rookie Pete Alonso, who is tied for second in the majors with 28 home runs, is the No. 2 seed and will square off against seventh-seeded Carlos Santana of the hometown Indians.

Another slugger, No. 3 seed Josh Bell of the Pittsburgh Pirates, is paired with sixth-seeded Ronald Acuna Jr. of the Atlanta Braves. No. 4 seed Alex Bregman from the Houston Astros is matched against Los Angeles Dodgers power hitter Joc Pederson, the fifth seed.

Bregman and Pederson were the final two hitters selected for Monday's showcase. Bregman lost in the opening round of last year's Home Run Derby but went on to win All-Star Game MVP. Pederson finished second to Todd Frazier in the 2015 showcase and hasn't competed since.

The winner will get $1 million of $2.5 million in prize money, the losing finalist will collect $500,000 and the six other participants will earn $150,000 apiece. The player with the longest home run will get an extra $100,000.

Philadelphia's Bryce Harper, who won last year's competition at Washington's Nationals Park, is not back to defend his title this season.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Highlighted by an MVP on a 50-plus-homer pace, a rookie with monster power and the youngest to ever make the field, the eight contestants who will try to join recent Home Run Derby winners such as Bryce Harper (2018), Aaron Judge (2017) and Giancarlo Stanton (2016) have been revealed. The stakes are even higher this summer, as the champion will be rewarded with $1 million for the first time in All-Star history.

Here's what you need to know about the sluggers who will be swinging for the fences as part of the 2019 All-Star festivities in Cleveland.

Watch the MLB All-Star Home Run Derby live from Progressive Field: Monday at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.

The 2019 Home Run Derby bracket is set ⚾️

MLB HR leader Christian Yelich headlines the field of eight that will face off on Monday at 8PM ET on ESPN. pic.twitter.com/R2VhXcvnQ4

— ESPN (@espn) July 4, 2019

No. 1: Christian Yelich, Milwaukee Brewers

2019 home runs: 31 | Career total: 126 | Longest of '19: 462 feet

Why Yelich can win it: Well, he leads the major leagues in home runs, as he's the first National League player with 30 before the All-Star break since Albert Pujols in 2009. Also: He hits the ball hard, with only Aaron Judge and Joey Gallo owning a higher average exit velocity. That should translate well to the Home Run Derby, even if Yelich isn't a pure fly ball hitter like many other top sluggers.

Why we can't wait to see him in Cleveland: Proving his 2018 MVP award was no fluke, Yelich has gotten even better, solidifying his status as one of the best players in the game, with a chance to be the first back-to-back MVP in the National League since Pujols in 2008 and 2009. He's also the first reigning MVP winner to participate in the Home Run Derby since Pujols in 2009.

Did you know? The 2018 National League MVP had 29 homers entering July, fourth most by a reigning MVP before July 1, according to Elias Sports Bureau research. Yelich will be the 10th Brewers player to participate in the Derby, but he's looking to join Prince Fielder as the only winners. -- ESPN Stats & Information

No. 2: Pete Alonso, New York Mets

2019 home runs: 28 | Career total: 28 | Longest of '19: 458 feet

Why Alonso can win it: Uhh, hello? Have you seen how far he hits the ball? He leads the majors with 20 home runs of 400-plus feet, including six of 440-plus. His pop flies can still leave the park.

Why we can't wait to see him in Cleveland: We love rookies, we love big guys and we love rookies who play in New York and hit massive home runs. Like Judge in 2017, Alonso has the opportunity to win over fans across the country with a victory in the Derby.

Did you know? Alonso already has set the Mets rookie record for home runs in a season, surpassing Darryl Strawberry's 26 in 1983. Alonso will be chasing Strawberry again at the Home Run Derby. Strawberry is the only Mets player to win the event, doing so in 1986. -- ESPN Stats & Information

No. 3: Josh Bell, Pittsburgh Pirates

2019 home runs: 26 | Career total: 67 | Longest of '19: 474 feet

Why Bell can win it: Uhh, hello? Have you seen how far he hits the ball? Bell's breakout season has been immortalized with a couple of home runs into the Allegheny River beyond the right-field stands at PNC Park -- he became just the fourth player in PNC history to reach the river on the fly. Those blasts registered 472 and 454 feet on the Statcast measuring stick, and he has hit three other home runs of 450-plus feet.

Why we can't wait to see him in Cleveland: Bell might have even more raw power than Alonso and could be the guy most capable of reaching the 500-foot threshold during the event. He's also an affable personality who deserves a moment in the spotlight on the national stage.

Did you know? Bell is the sixth Pirates player to participate in the Home Run Derby, and the bar hasn't been set too high for him. Despite sending MVP-caliber players such as Barry Bonds and Andrew McCutchen previously, no Pirates player has ever hit more than six home runs in a single Derby appearance, much less ever won the Derby. -- ESPN Stats & Information

No. 4: Alex Bregman, Houston Astros

2019 home runs: 23 | Career total: 81 | Longest of '19: 440 feet

Why Bregman can win it: Because you know he wants to win the Derby. He participated last year and hit 15 home runs, although he lost his matchup to Kyle Schwarber, who hit 16. His quick, pull-heavy swing is suited well for the Derby even if he doesn't have the raw power of some of the other guys in the field. As his 23 home runs indicate, however, he doesn't have any issues reaching the seats when it counts, either.

Why we can't wait to see him in Cleveland: He's become one of the faces of the game, not just for his stellar play on the field (he was fifth in the MVP voting last season), but for his personality and enthusiasm. As Astros manager AJ Hinch likes to say, nobody loves to play the game as much as Bregman. He's good for the Astros and good for the game.

Did you know? Bregman has hit 54 home runs over the past two seasons -- he has pulled 41 of them, seven went to center and only six went to the opposite field. The best Derby performance by an Astros player was Lance Berkman's runner-up finish in 2004.

No. 5: Joc Pederson, Los Angeles Dodgers

2019 home runs: 20 | Career total: 107 | Longest of '19: 445 feet

Why Pederson can win it: He almost won as a rookie in 2015 in Cincinnati, beating Manny Machado and Albert Pujols before losing to Todd Frazier in the final, 15 to 14, in a controversial finish (Frazier's brother was clearly delivering pitches before the previous ball had landed, supposedly against the rules).

Why we can't wait to see him in Cleveland: Well, let's be honest: We'd prefer to have Dodgers teammate Cody Bellinger here instead of Pederson. Not that Pederson can't blast the long ball: He has hit 20 home runs even though he's a platoon player (all 20 of his home runs have come against right-handed pitching).

Did you know? Over the past two seasons, Pederson is 10th in the majors in slugging percentage against right-handed pitchers (.564 entering Wednesday's game). In isolated power, he's fifth behind only Mike Trout, Christian Yelich, Shohei Ohtani and Max Muncy. Pederson's runner-up finish in the 2015 Derby was the best by a Dodgers player.

No. 6: Ronald Acuna Jr., Atlanta Braves

2019 home runs: 20 | Career total: 46 | Longest of '19: 466 feet

Why Acuña can win it: Did you see the 437-foot laser he hit off Noah Syndergaard ... to the opposite field? Acuña's all-fields power has helped him develop into an elite masher at just 21 years old -- 12 of his 20 home runs have gone to center field or the opposite field -- and maybe that trait will help him win in Cleveland.

Why we can't wait to see him in Cleveland: He's a budding future MVP candidate, and his showmanship and enthusiasm make him one of the most exciting, dynamic players in the game. He's good and he knows it, and he's a good bet to put on a show.

Did you know? Acuña will try to do something no Braves player has ever done at the Home Run Derby: advance past the first round. Atlanta has sent a player to the Derby 11 times previously, and each one was eliminated in the first round. That's by far the most appearances without a player advancing, more than doubling up the Pirates and Padres (five each). -- ESPN Stats & Information

No. 7: Carlos Santana, Cleveland Indians

2019 home runs: 19 | Career total: 217 | Longest of '19: 447 feet

Why Santana can win it: He could ride the hometown support to the championship -- think Todd Frazier winning in Cincinnati in 2015 or Bryce Harper last year in Washington or even Justin Bour mashing 22 home runs at Marlins Park in 2017 (although he lost to Judge, who hit 23). The energy of the fans always seems to help with a little extra adrenaline.

Why we can't wait to see him in Cleveland: He has long been an underrated player because of on-base ability and he's having a terrific bounce-back season in his return to Cleveland, making his first All-Star Game. It's always fun to have a hometown rep for the fans to cheer on.

Did you know? Santana will become the first Indians player to participate in the Home Run Derby since Grady Sizemore in 2008, and he's looking to become the first Indians player to win it. -- ESPN Stats & Information

No. 8: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto Blue Jays

2019 home runs: 8 | Career total: 8 | Longest of '19: 451 feet

Why Guerrero can win it: He hasn't come roaring out of the gate in his rookie season, but check out the distances on his home runs: 451, 438, 436, 434, 424, 407, 395, 382. The raw power is there, and his batting-practice sessions are legendary.

Why we can't wait to see him in Cleveland: The much-hyped rookie is already a household name, so this contest is made to promote a player like him. Plus, there isn't much reason to watch the Blue Jays this season, so this might be the only opportunity some fans will have to see him other than in highlights.

Did you know? Guerrero's eight home runs are the fewest career homers by any Home Run Derby participant since the event began in 1985. (Kris Bryant had 12 career HRs in 2015 when he participated, the current low.) Vlad Sr. won the event in 2007, and the Guerreros will join the Fielders (Cecil and Prince) as the only father-son duos to compete in the Derby. Vlad Jr. is also trying to bring home a title for Toronto. The Blue Jays have sent 15 participants to the Derby (second all time) but have never won. -- ESPN Stats & Information

British sprints talent Amy Hunt says her feet felt like they were burning as she sped to a world U18 200m record in Mannheim on Sunday

It is never good to skip school, but Amy Hunt had a pretty good excuse on Monday. The previous day she had set a world under-18 200m record in Germany and arrived home in Nottinghamshire exhausted at 2am.

So instead of going into her sixth form college in Grantham, where she is halfway through A-level studies in English literature, art and chemistry, she enjoyed a lie-in and attempted to come to terms with a performance that stunned the athletics world.

Her time of 22.42 at the Mannheim Junior Gala was a PB by three-quarters of a second. It beat Candace Hill’s world under-18 best of 22.43 and Dina Asher-Smith’s British under-20 record of 22.61. What’s more, it was precisely the same time Asher-Smith, the reigning European 100m and 200m champion, clocked on the same day at the Prefontaine Classic in America.

Hunt, who only turned 17 in May, told AW: “I was absolutely ecstatic after crossing the line. I was completely in shock and it’s been a whirlwind since with people telling me all these facts and figures. My phone has absolutely blown up.”

Hunt was merely hoping to dip inside the 23-second barrier and enjoy a good run in the build-up to the European Under-20 Championships in Sweden later this month.

“I was really excited prior to the race,” she says. “I knew it was a fast track. All the under-20s from last year told me I’d have a great race there.

“It was so hot – about 38-39 degrees – and we all had iced towels to keep us cool. I’d run two rounds of the relay with the girls and we’d got the baton around and run a season’s best and were really happy so I was just excited to run the 200m.

“I wanted to enjoy it, embrace the atmosphere, take everything in and just enjoy running. I had a really good start – one of the best I’ve ever had – and I was up on the two girls outside me really quickly and that’s when I knew I was running well. One of them, in lane five, was European youth champion for 100m last year (Guðbjörg Jóna Bjarnadóttir of Iceland) so I knew she was really fast and she was outside me which was very useful.

“I really attacked the bend and went for it and then my feet started to heat up because the track was so hot and I was giving it 100% and it just felt insanely good when I was running. I knew it was fast but I didn’t know it was that fast. Then when I crossed the line everyone was screaming and cheering and it was an incredible atmosphere.”

can’t believe this just happened pic.twitter.com/yH9ONVlyaP

— Amy Hunt (@AmyHunt02) June 30, 2019

Hunt’s main memory of the race, though, is the fact her feet were burning from the hot synthetic rubber under her spikes. “The track was so ridiculously hot!” she says. “We worked hard all weekend to make sure we stayed hydrated, used iced towels and electrolytes and I can’t even remember how much I drank – it was a ridiculous amount of water in total.”

The heat obviously did not faze her either. “I definitely enjoy it. I tend to race faster in the heat and I enjoy running in weather that’s as hot as possible but I just had to make the right decisions with hydration, wearing suncream and trying to stay out of the sun. I was indoors quite a lot in the physio room. Staying relaxed and calm.”

One of her relay races was only 80 minutes before her 200m. “I was on the second leg,” she explains, “and when I finished I walked around and went straight indoors, barely talked to anyone and lied down for a bit and put my music on and stayed in the zone with lots of visualisation and had to completely shift my focus on to the 200m.

“Then before my 200m because it was so hot I didn’t do too much more of a warm up. I just some drills and one or two more runs. But I didn’t know how my body was going to cope with running just over an hour later.”

She did more than just ‘cope’ but ran a spectacular time. Luckily her dad (pictured below) had travelled out to watch her too, although her coach, Joe McDonnell, was watching on the live stream at home.

Back in England she trains with McDonnell at Loughborough University. “I do a lot of travelling to train as I live in Newark and we cover a lot of road miles but it’s worth it to train in Loughborough and have access to such incredible facilities and be around elite athletes in the same facility,” she says.

Now she hopes to perform well at the European Under-20 Championships, which start in Boras on July 18. “British Athletics has cultivated a great mindset in the junior team. The team management were so helpful out in Mannheim. Everyone is chatty to each other and positive and it’s lovely to see and I think it’s reflecting in the performances because the whole team out in Mannheim did amazing performances with lots of PBs.”

She is not sure which event to race in Boras, though. “The timetable doesn’t lend itself to doubling up,” she says, adding that she now has a similar dilemma over whether to extend her season to try to make the team for the IAAF World Championships in Doha.

Such is her age, she can still race at the next European Under-20 Championships in Tallinn in 2021 too.