Former England captain Charlotte Edwards has lauded Ellyse Perry, the Player of the 2019 Women's Ashes, as the "greatest" the women's game is "ever going to see", following Australia's emphatic run in the multi-format series where they beat the hosts 12-2, losing only the tour-ending T20I.

A record 7 for 22 - the best figures by an Australian woman in ODIs - in the third ODI, a second consecutive Ashes Test hundred - a first-innings 116 in the one-off Test at Taunton, which she followed up with an unbeaten 76 in the second dig - headlined Perry's 378 runs and 15 wickets in the series overall. She averaged 94.50 with the bat and 12.86 with the ball across all three formats.

Currently the No. 1-ranked allrounder in ODIs, Perry topped both the batting and bowling charts - across formats - rounding off her England tour with a gritty 50-ball 60, albeit in a losing cause, in the third T20I on Wednesday.

"I loved playing against her, and she's definitely improved a lot since I stopped playing," Edwards, who retired from international cricket in 2016, said of first playing against a 17-year-old Perry in 2008, when the Australian was known more for her bowling than her batting skills.

"You knew then she'd become an unbelievable batter," Edwards added. "She was mainly a bowler in my career, and now we see what an unbelievable allrounder she is, and the greatest female player we're ever going to see."

The last Ashes, hosted by Australia in 2017, saw Perry hit an Australia record 213 not out in the historic day-night Test in Sydney, her maiden international hundred. In this edition, it took her only two balls to make an impact, bowling Amy Jones on her way to a match-winning three-wicket haul in the first ODI.

"In one skill alone, in terms of bowling or batting, she'd be a great," Edwards said. "And she's getting better and better with age. She's only 28, it's quite scary, really, to think what she can achieve in the next few years."

Perry's dominance across formats in the recent past has fetched her records and rewards aplenty. In 2017, she become the inaugural recipient of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Award for the ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year. The Test double-hundred was the crowning glory in a year that saw her score 756 runs across formats, pick up 20 wickets at an average of 32, and bag her the Belinda Clark Award for the second time her career, after 2016. In November last year, during the World T20 in the Caribbean, Perry became the first Australian cricketer, male or female, to play in 100 T20Is.

There was another milestone during the second T20I of the Ashes this year at Hove, where her unbeaten 47 in Australia's seven-wicket win made her the first player - male or female - to accomplish the career double of 1000 runs and 100 wickets in T20I cricket.

In Edwards' assessment, much of Perry's success since her earliest days of juggling dual international careers in cricket and football, and then committing herself exclusively to the former, has been down to a standout aspect in her approach towards sport: competitiveness.

"One thing all the great players share is that competitiveness, the desire to want to be better," Edwards said. "That just strikes me every single time I watch her warm up, and she treats the last game of the series like the first game of the series.

"She wants to win, and it's something, sometimes you can't coach. That's something very special about her. She's so competitive and hates getting out and that's a good thing. She values her wicket, but, equally, she knows her game very well."

Middleweight world champion Canelo Alvarez is in the market again for a fall opponent after negotiations for one of his mandatory defenses against Sergiy Derevyanchenko ended with no deal on Thursday afternoon and resulted in his being stripped of the IBF 160-pound title.

The IBF already had allowed for multiple postponements of a purse bid for the bout, and the Derevyanchenko camp even told the IBF it was OK with Alvarez not being stripped at Monday's deadline to allow them more time to work out a deal.

But the sides were far apart on the money even though, according to sources, streaming service DAZN, which has Alvarez under exclusive broadcast contact, had approved Derevyanchenko as an opponent with the stipulation that Alvarez take as much as a $5 million reduction on his $35 million guarantee for his next bout.

Derevyanchenko promoter Lou DiBella did not want to discuss the details of what went down with Alvarez promoter Golden Boy on Thursday but did tell ESPN: "I will confirm that we did not reach a deal by the IBF deadline."

After the final extended deadline at the end of business on Thursday came and went without a deal for the fight, the title was vacated. IBF president Daryl Peoples sent a letter, including to DiBella and George Gallegos, a lawyer representing Golden Boy, informing them of the decision to strip Alvarez.

"It is crystal clear from the correspondence that on July 26, 2019, [Golden Boy matchmaker] Robert Diaz, on behalf of Golden Boy Promotions, agreed that Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez would relinquish the IBF middleweight championship title, with no further negotiations or purse bid, if there was no completed deal between him and Derevyanchenko by the agreed upon extended deadline of Monday July 29, 2019 at 3 p.m. ET," Peoples wrote in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by ESPN. "As of today, August 1, 2019, the IBF has been advised that there is no such deal."

Golden Boy and Alvarez had made a last-ditch effort to keep the IBF title by asking for an exception to the mandatory defense against Derevyanchenko by saying Alvarez would fight a unification bout with WBO counterpart Demetrius Andrade. The IBF rules allow a unification fight to trump a mandatory defense, but only if the request is made within a specific time frame, which Golden Boy did not adhere to, according to Peoples' letter.

"As to Golden Boy's request of August 1, 2019 for approval to allow Alvarez to unify the title with WBO middleweight champion Demetrius Andrade [on] or about October 2019, IBF Rule 10 F.5 does not allow a boxer to request an exception since the IBF has sent out the notice of the date of the purse bid," Peoples wrote. "In this case the notice was sent out and the purse bid has been postponed. In addition, the boxers who were involved in the purse bid are not permitted to take any intervening bouts and if the champion does take an intervening bout he will forfeit the title. Rule 10 F.6. For the foregoing reasons, the IBF hereby declared the middleweight title vacant."

Alvarez (52-1-2, 35 KOs), 28, unified three major titles in his unanimous-decision win over Daniel Jacobs on May 4, but now he is down to one of the major middleweight belts. He still owns the WBA "super" title but he has been stripped by the IBF and the WBC, which gave him the newly created honorary designation of "franchise champion" and elevated interim titlist Jermall Charlo to its full titlist.

If the IBF follows its usual protocol, it will on Friday order a vacant title fight between Derevyanchenko and the next-leading available contender in its rankings, which is former unified world champion Gennady Golovkin, who had hoped for a third fight with Alvarez this fall. However, Alvarez refused to make the fight, even though it was the biggest fight available to him and the one DAZN pressured him to make. DAZN signed Golovkin earlier this year for the purpose of getting the eventual third fight between the two.

So Alvarez now likely will fight somebody else this fall, and Derevyanchenko (13-1, 10 KOs), 33, whose only loss was by split decision for the vacant IBF belt in October, and Golovkin (39-1-1, 35 KOs) likely will meet for the vacant IBF title in October.

Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya was upset by the IBF's decision and blasted the organization in a statement issued Thursday night.

"We are extremely disappointed at the IBF for forcing the world's best fighter to relinquish his world title," De La Hoya said. "We have been in serious negotiations with Sergiy Derevyanchenko's promoter. We offered his team an unprecedented amount of money for a fighter of his limited stature and limited popularity, but the truth is that I'm now certain they never had any intention of making a deal. But instead they wanted to force us to relinquish Canelo's belt. This is an insult to boxing and more importantly an insult to the boxing fans of the world.

"This decision validates already existing concerns about the credibility of the IBF championship. Canelo inherited a mandatory challenger by defeating Daniel Jacobs, the man who beat Derevyanchenko, so to strip him of his title without giving him enough time to make the best fight possible is truly what is wrong with boxing, and I plan to aggressively consider all legal actions possible."

OXNARD, Calif. -- Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said he believes a contract extension will be reached with running back Ezekiel Elliott, but the organization will not bend in its desire to do a deal that will allow it to keep all its talent "under the same roof."

"As far as doing something that would disrupt and shake the base of our plans for how to keep the talent we've got here, I'm not about to shake that loose," Jones said after Thursday's practice.

Yet, Jones said he still believes Elliott will be a Cowboy for a long time.

"When have I ever not done one?" Jones said of an extension.

Jones also acknowledged he does not believe there is a time when a deal has to be put in place, like the start of the regular season.

"I don't see a point," Jones said. "I don't see a point months into the season."

Jones intimated rules regarding holdouts in the future could be altered in the new collective bargaining agreement. Elliott faces a daily fine of $40,000 for missing camp. Now that the holdout has extended this long, the Cowboys have the right to seek repayment of a prorated portion of Elliott's signing bonus.

Since the holdout has passed six days, the Cowboys can recoup a little more than $600,000 with a maximum of $1.02 million if Elliott's absence continues.

"While we're not as bright-lined enough in that area to do the best thing for the game, there are some lines there and they do bite when you do play," Jones said. "[But] I don't have a time that I'm thinking that this is a concern in the area of, 'Oh, my goodness.' This is not that time."

The Cowboys have had regular discussions with Elliott's agent, Rocky Arceneaux, but Jones would not say whether the sides are close. Elliott is under contract through 2020 and is set to make $3.853 million this season and $9.09 million next.

Speaking on 1310 The Ticket on Wednesday, executive vice president Stephen Jones said the Cowboys would not be market-setters in their contracts with Elliott, quarterback Dak Prescott or receiver Amari Cooper. Earlier, Jerry Jones told KTVT in Dallas that teams do not need a rushing champion to win a Super Bowl, even though Emmitt Smith was the rushing champion while on each of the Cowboys' Super Bowl teams in the 1990s.

"Certainly, individually, they want to certainly be recognized when it comes to the money," Jerry Jones said. "But on the other hand, it's got to fit our plan or it doesn't work with our house, and our house falls."

As much as Jerry Jones wants Elliott here for training camp, the owner and GM does not have an issue with Elliott staying in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

"He is very conscientious about his preparation to play, and I'm not even giving it a second thought as to his conditioning, which is a part of his ability to step right in here and play," Jones said. "That's not even an issue. I'm not concerned about him missing the reps out here relative to getting his timing down. All of that is very easy for my mind to deal with."

BOSTON -- Jayson Tatum was supposed to be part of the reason why Kyrie Irving would decide to remain in Boston for the long term when he hit free agency this summer.

Instead, he says he wound up being a big reason why Kemba Walker chose to be Irving's replacement as the star point guard of the Boston Celtics, thanks to a sales pitch he gave Walker during their time together in Paris earlier this summer as part of a Jordan Brand event.

"I'm very excited," Tatum said. "I think I had a big part with him coming here. I was with him in Paris.

"I never told him to come, but I told him I would love for him to join the team and told him how it was. Obviously everybody has to do what's best for themselves, and I'm happy for him."

So, if Tatum didn't tell Walker to come, what did he tell him?

He said he sold Walker on what it is like to play in Boston, the team's fans and how the organization would treat him.

"I just told him about Boston, the city, the atmosphere, our fans, the culture, the coaching staff. I answered all the questions he had," he said.

"I'm excited, and just ready for the season to start and everybody to be around each other and build some chemistry and just get it going."

Tatum's remarks, which came at a pop-up event for his new cologne, come on the heels of Walker saying similar things to ESPN's Jackie MacMullan during a sitdown interview last month, in which he talked about how those conversations with Tatum helped spur Walker to choose to join the Celtics after spending the first eight years of his career with the Charlotte Hornets.

"We spoke for quite some time," Walker told MacMullan. "When we left Paris and the days went on and [free agency] came and I made my decision, a lot of it was because of him.

"[We talked] about the city, about the fans, the atmosphere, Coach Stevens, some of the players on the team, how things went last year and stuff like that.

"[But] not once did he say, 'Come [here].'"

Before Tatum can play with Walker on the Celtics, however, he's hoping to join him as part of Team USA's entry in the FIBA World Cup, which begins Aug. 31 in China. After a series of high-profile defections from the training camp roster in recent weeks -- including James Harden, Anthony Davis and Damian Lillard, among others -- Walker is expected to be the focal point of Team USA's entry under Gregg Popovich, who will be at the helm for the first time since taking over for Mike Krzyzewski.

Tatum is hoping to play with Walker as well as the two other Celtics invited to training camp, Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown, in China.

"I played [with the] USA three times when I was in high school, and it's an honor to play for the country and to be along other great players," Tatum said. "That's what I'm most excited for, being around other guys and competing in practice and coming together for a greater purpose.

"I think that's pretty cool," he added, of the possibility of four Celtics being part of this year's team. "I know a lot of people dropped out and I feel like everything happens for a reason, so hopefully we all four make it and start some early chemistry for the season."

Team USA -- and the World Cup entries, in particular -- have served as jumping-off points for young players in the past to take the next step forward in their careers. Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry, for example, played big parts in Team USA's win at the 2010 World Cup in Turkey, as did Irving, Harden and Klay Thompson in the 2014 edition of the tournament in Spain.

The high-profile defections have increased the chances of Tatum making this year's team, and he sees the same kind of opportunity for himself to use the tournament as a chance to take a significant leap heading into next season -- the kind Boston hopes Tatum will make, as it tries to remain relevant in the Eastern Conference after losing both Irving to the Brooklyn Nets and Al Horford to the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency this summer.

"It's a great opportunity and just build from it and carry on into the season and have a great season individually and as a team," Tatum said. "I'm really looking to take a bigger jump. Be more vocal, be more of a leader. Just be a better version of myself."

Tatum and Irving grew close over the past two years, thanks in part to both sharing an alma mater -- both played one year at Duke before entering the NBA -- and an agent in Jeff Weschler. While things changed this summer, Tatum said he and Irving still talk regularly, and that his departure from Boston didn't impact their friendship.

"We still keep in touch," Tatum said. "That's like family. We talk often. Nothing in particular, nothing specific about last season, just friend talk.

"I'm all for guys doing what's best for them. It doesn't change the dynamic of our friendship."

The departures of both Irving and Horford was the final blow to what was an ugly season for the Celtics, who entered the year as the favorites to emerge from the Eastern Conference -- only to finish fourth in the East and get run out of the playoffs in five games, including four straight losses, by Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.

Those struggles have led many to ask varying versions of the same question: How could such a promising season go so differently than anyone -- including the Celtics themselves -- ever could have guessed?

Tatum said that even now, three months later, he doesn't have an answer.

"I don't know," Tatum said. "We've all been asked that question a lot.

"There's no specific answer, but I kind of feel like everybody is ready to leave last year behind us. It's a new season, we've got a new team, new guys ... so last year is behind us."

Warriors star Klay Thompson, in his first in-depth interview since suffering a torn ACL in Game 6 of the NBA Finals in June, characterized the injury as "obviously the most tragic part of sports," saying he was humbled when Golden State then offered him a five-year max contract.

"I knew I did something. But I've never had the severity of an ACL injury or an injury that bad," Thompson told ESPN's Cari Champion in an interview during a "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare" promotional event Thursday in Los Angeles. "So me, personally, I didn't think it was that bad, initially. My adrenaline was so high being Game 6, whatever. I thought I sprained my knee; that's all I thought it was.

"But when I went back to the locker room, it swelled up a lot, didn't feel right. It's just not a good feeling when you feel helpless and the team's out there competing."

Thompson, a month removed from surgery to repair his left knee, is expected to make a full recovery and follow a standard recovery time.

But he said he doubted he would be back before the All-Star break.

"I've heard varying opinions about, especially medically, I don't want to rush it 'cause I want to play until I'm 38, 39, 40 years old," Thompson said. "That's my plan, especially because the way I can shoot the ball. I would love to see the floor this season. I don't know when that is."

Thompson said the Warriors had been fortunate to extend their success as long as they did without running into a spate of injuries like they experienced in the Finals, during which he went down after the Warriors had lost Kevin Durant to a ruptured Achilles tendon.

"So many great teams in history, not only basketball but all sports, have been struck by an injury bug," Thompson told ESPN's Champion. "And us, the Warriors, we were, that five-year run we had, five straight Finals, we were very lucky. We obviously had bumps in the road, but nothing as traumatic as what me and Kevin went through.

"So it was humbling, but the Warriors showed their loyalty and their respect for me, offering me that five-year deal," Thomson said of his new $190 million contract. "Jumped on that as soon as I could, just because the history with this team and the franchise it would be so hard to leave. And the feeling of, you know, unfinished business, getting that close in the Finals, or to the fourth championship -- tasting it -- just being out of reach.

"It's the pain of sports, but it's what keeps me motivated."

Thompson, 29, tore the ACL when he landed hard on a breakaway dunk attempt in the third quarter of Game 6. Golden State was leading 83-80 at the time; the Toronto Raptors went on to win 114-110 to finish off a 4-2 series victory and end the Warriors' two-year run as NBA champions.

Several key pieces from that Golden State team have since been lost to free agency, forcing the Warriors to rebuild with what Thompson said were "guys who fit our system."

"And we'll carve out a nice role for all of them," Thompson said.

Thompson added that despite the roster turnover, he is confident the Warriors will remain competitive for at least five more years.

"I think that's a little premature, saying there's no more dynasty," Thompson said. "I mean, we still have Stephen Curry, a two-time MVP, Draymond Green, a defensive player of the year. Adding D'Angelo Russell was an incredible gift for us; I mean, that kid's going to blossom into a superstar in this league. That gave me and honestly my teammates a breath of fresh life to see him come on board. Losing Andre [Iguodala] and Shaun [Livingston], that veteran presence, is going to be tough just because they've been so crucial to our development as a team the last few years. But I love the guys we've added. Getting Kevon Looney back is huge. His role in the playoffs was instrumental in getting us to the Finals. Same with Willie Cauley-Stein. I think his ability to play above the rim and run the floor is going to be great for us.

"And to say the dynasty is over I think is a little ignorant, 'cause I think I'm going to come back 100 percent -- I think I'm going to come back even better and more athletic. And it would not be smart to count the Dubs out. That's all I tell people, especially with the chemistry we still have and our foundation still being there, I think we have the ability to continue this run."

CLEVELAND -- Yasiel Puig was so eager to make his Indians debut, he forgot to check out his footwear before walking around the clubhouse.

The slugger was wearing Reds flip-flops with his Cleveland workout gear on Thursday, two days after being acquired from Cincinnati in a three-team trade that also included the San Diego Padres.

"My bad," Puig said, laughing. "I came straight to see you guys. You're not going to see that one again."

While his footwear didn't match, Puig's hair was dyed the color of the Indians' red jerseys.

We have the best hair in baseball, no debate. pic.twitter.com/BXHuRLKU66

— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) August 1, 2019

Puig started in right field and hit cleanup for the series finale against the Houston Astros. He went 1-for-3 with a double and a walk in a 7-1 loss.

Fellow newcomer Franmil Reyes batted sixth as the designated hitter and went 1-for-4 with a single and a strikeout. The Indians are hoping the 6-foot-2, 240-pound Puig and the 6-foot-5, 275-pound Reyes can bring their much-needed power to a team that has closed the gap on the American League Central-leading Minnesota Twins.

Reyes came over from the Padres in the seven-player swap that featured Indians right-hander Trevor Bauer going to Cincinnati and Reds elite prospect Taylor Trammell being sent to San Diego.

"With God giving me another opportunity, bringing me to Cleveland, I can make my dream come true with this team," said Puig, who batted .252 with 22 home runs, 61 RBIs and 14 stolen bases in 100 games with the Reds. "Keep going, make the playoffs again, fight in the playoffs.

"With Houston, the Yankees, no matter who's coming, we're going to fight and do the best we can like a family and like a team together and win the championship. This team has potential and good players to go to the World Series."

In his final contest with Cincinnati, Puig was part of a wild brawl against the Pittsburgh Pirates that resulted in a three-game suspension. Puig learned of his trade shortly after being ejected; he is appealing his punishment, meaning he can play until there is a resolution.

The 28-year-old native of Cuba said it was difficult to conceal his happiness about joining a playoff contender while he was among his Reds teammates.

"I started laughing, but I didn't want to get too excited, because I needed to respect my [former] team because we lost and were coming back from an altercation," Puig said. "My friends said they needed to buy a new hat and a new jersey, but I said, OK, this is part of the job. We're going to be in a better place."

Free agent to-be Puig said he has been friends with Indians first baseman Carlos Santana and shortstop Francisco Lindor for several years. He was on an MLB-sponsored trip to Japan with Cleveland manager Terry Francona in 2014.

The Indians and Reds share a spring training facility in Goodyear, Arizona, so he also is familiar with many other people within the Cleveland organization.

"Everybody is talking about Tito being an amazing manager and an amazing person, so I'm excited to be next to him and to start talking to him," Puig said. "I'm feeling he can help me a lot in these next three months to be a better baseball player and a better person off the field."

Reyes, who hit .255 with 27 homers and 46 RBIs in 99 games with San Diego, has a unique tie to the area. He met his wife, Marian, while playing in a Class A game for Fort Wayne at Lake County, whose ballpark is located in the Cleveland suburb of Eastlake.

The 24-year-old Reyes quickly became a fan favorite with the Padres, and he believes the same will be true in his new home.

"When I got the news, the first thing I told my wife was, 'It's crazy, we're getting back to where we started,'" he said. "So Cleveland is really special for me. I know I'm going to have a lot of love from the city."

LOS ANGELES -- The Joc Pederson Experiment is essentially over.

The Los Angeles Dodgers will no longer deploy Pederson as a regular option at first base, a move initially intended to get him into the same lineup with Max Muncy and Alex Verdugo. Instead, Cody Bellinger, who has played Gold Glove-caliber defense in right field, will man first base on the days when Muncy is needed at second, manager Dave Roberts said Thursday.

The Dodgers were apprehensive about using Bellinger at first base after he injured his shoulder while playing the position in early May, but Roberts said Bellinger has "done a great job of keeping the shoulder healthy."

With Chris Taylor, Enrique Hernandez and the recently acquired Jedd Gyorko all on the injured list, Muncy likely will spend a lot of time at second base moving forward, which means Bellinger will often play first base against righties, with Verdugo and Pederson occupying the corner outfield spots.

Pederson committed six errors and contributed a minus-1.5 ultimate zone rating in only 149 innings at first base.

"He's worked his tail off to get better over there at first base," Roberts said. "I really applaud him."

ST. LOUIS -- Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon isn't fooling around. And neither are the trade-deadline additions to his club. While the fifth-year skipper integrates four new players into his clubhouse, he doesn't sound too worried about the playing-time ramifications for those already here.

"We just have to put out there what we consider to be the right thing to do," Maddon said before his team's 8-0 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night. "I can't be as aware, in a sense, as I was last year, in giving guys plate appearances and at-bats, developmentally speaking. We have two months to put our best foot forward. I will move guys in and out, but I don't feel as compelled to do it as I felt last year.

"It's big boy time."

That kind of rhetoric is a departure for Maddon, who always has used his entire roster and even has gone out of his way to talk up the flexibility of it. But the Cubs are in a dogfight -- entering Thursday's game, they were tied with St. Louis for first place in the National League Central -- and their struggles to separate within the division have increased the urgency. The Cubs are attempting to make the postseason for the fifth consecutive year.

"Guys that don't start can still conclude games defensively," Maddon said.

Without saying his name, that statement could be directed at Albert Almora Jr., who is a defensive whiz in center field but has struggled at the plate, posting a career-low .671 OPS this season entering Thursday. Almora was Theo Epstein's first draft pick when he took over the team in 2012, but draft status means nothing in a pennant race.

Newcomers Nicholas Castellanos and Tony Kemp figure to take playing time from Almora and others.

"To be quite blunt and honest with you, I don't care," Kemp said regarding his role. "I'm just here to help in any way possible, whether that be off the bench or if they want me to serve water to the guys. I'll do whatever they need."

That's the kind of attitude the Cubs envisioned they were getting when they acquired Kemp from Houston on Wednesday. He has been involved in big games throughout his career with the Astros, and that experience can serve him well when he steps foot into Wrigley Field for the first time.

"You take those moments, slow the game down and pretend like you're playing backyard baseball," Kemp said.

Maddon had Kemp in the lineup Thursday night, just as he did Castellanos -- the Cubs' prized acquisition at Wednesday's trade deadline. The longtime Detroit Tigers outfielder, Castellanos expressed appreciation and emotion in leaving the only MLB team he has ever known. His highest praise came for former teammate Miguel Cabrera.

"To be teammates with Miggy for six years was awesome," Castellanos said. "I was an 11-year-old kid going to Marlins Park when he debuted. Watched him bat fourth as a 20-year-old in the World Series. For me, to create a relationship with him, smile with him, compete with him, win games together and also go through extremely difficult times together, we have a good relationship."

Castellanos was told he was traded just before taking an at-bat for the Tigers as the trade deadline was about to pass. He was thrilled with the news, as was his son, who turned 6 on Thursday. It's the reason he is wearing No. 6 with his new team.

"He was excited, but he didn't know why he was excited," Castellanos said of his son, Liam. "[But] he was a little bummed, because if I didn't get traded, we had an off day in Arlington [Texas], so we were going to spend it at Six Flags. Daddy got traded. I think because everyone else was excited, he was excited."

Castellanos can make it up to his son, as there's a Six Flags amusement park just north of Chicago, but he wasn't sure when he could make it there, as his new team is in the middle of a playoff race. After years of losing baseball in Detroit, Castellanos is all-in with the Cubs.

"The two months of baseball coming up, [I'm] doing absolutely anything I can to help this squad win," he said. "I couldn't be happier where I'm at right now."

The Cubs are expecting a lot from him, as Maddon inserted Castellanos into the 2-hole in his first game, playing right field. He went 1 for 3 with a walk.

The Cubs have been searching for a leadoff hitter, so it's possible that Castellanos, who bats right, could even end up hitting first against left-handed pitching.

"I'm not a very high-maintenance kind of guy," Castellanos said. "If I have a glove and a bat, I'm ready."

Castellanos, 27, hated losing in Detroit so much, he couldn't bear to watch the playoffs. He has been to one postseason, when he was 22, and he sounds desperate for a return engagement -- which fits with Maddon's desires, as well.

"I was a bit too young to appreciate it," Castellanos said of October baseball. "I was a bit too young to appreciate the talent and the people and knowledge in that clubhouse. You don't really know what you have until it's gone.

"That baseball is unlike any other baseball."

British number one Kyle Edmund reached the quarter-finals of the Washington Open for the first time with a three-set win over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Edmund, 24, came from behind to beat the Frenchman 4-6 6-3 6-4 in two hours 23 minutes.

The 13th seed will play Canada's eighth seed Milos Raonic or Germany's Peter Gojowczyk in the last eight.

Edmund is aiming to become the first Briton to reach a singles final in Washington since Andy Murray in 2006.

On that occasion, now three-time Grand Slam champion Murray lost to France's Arnaud Clement, while Tim Henman was the last British winner of the tournament in 2003.

Tsonga, 34, went a break up early in the opening set and managed to hold on to the advantage despite scuppering four further break points.

The second set stayed on serve but while world number 34 Edmund twice held break point in the fourth game, it wasn't until the eighth that he finally broke Tsonga's serve before taking the set.

Edmund broke Tsonga again early in the decider before the remainder of the set stayed with the serve, Edmund wrapping up the victory on his first match point.

ROSSBURG, Ohio – Of all the dirt ringers taking to Eldora Speedway for Thursday night’s seventh annual Eldora Dirt Derby, there’s few who understand the mystique of the half-mile oval like Kyle Strickler.

Strickler, a two-time winner of the World Short Track Championship at The Dirt Track at Charlotte and an accomplished UMP dirt modified veteran, is driving the No. 54 Toyota Tundra for DGR-Crosley and longtime friend David Gilliland this week at the legendary venue.

It’s a place that holds many special memories for Strickler, who has won at Eldora multiple times in UMP modified competition and knows just how big the facility is to the dirt-track racing community.

In fact, he circled one of his biggest career moments as leading the Dirt Late Model Dream field to green at Eldora earlier this season, driving for Wells & Sons Motorsports.

Now, Strickler has a shot at another memorable experience.

“Eldora is the greatest place on Earth, for me,” Strickler said. “I love this race track, and I love what Tony’s done with it. Coming here earlier this year for the first time in a super late model, starting on the pole at the (Dirt Late Model) Dream and leading some laps there … that was special. When you add that to all the races that I’ve won here in a modified, there’s just nothing like it. There really isn’t.

“It is awesome to be able to come here in really, really good equipment and with a team that’s super excited to have me here as their driver,” Strickler added. “I feel like we have a good shot at winning.”

The connection between Strickler and Gilliland goes back more than a decade, to the beginning of the Pennsylvania native’s time in the Southeast, when he was just trying to scrape by and Gilliland’s then-Busch Series team loaned the young gun a helping hand.

“When I moved down south in 2006, David had a startup deal going with Hype Motorsports (and team owner Clay Andrews), and I actually worked in the fab shop there. It was my first job in NASCAR,” Strickler recalled. “David and I stayed close through the years after that, and last year … when I got my first opportunity to come run this race with Mike Mittler, I talked to David and told him that I’d really like to drive one of his trucks if we could ever put something together.

“He pays attention to my dirt racing some, and Frankie Kerr – the crew chief for this deal – was one of the first guys to help me out when I first got my dirt modified,” Strickler added. “There have been a lot of people pulling for me behind the scenes, but I’m just glad we were able to make all the pieces fit.”

Aside from his Truck Series opportunity this week, Strickler has been busy for most of the season. He landed late model and modified rides with the Wells team early this spring, and has spent the middle part of the year learning as much as he can about the full-fendered discipline as he makes the transition.

“The late model deal has been absolutely awesome,” said Strickler. “Everyone at Wells Motorsports has been awesome to work with and they have a great thing going on. They have great equipment, and that’s so important in all forms of racing. The distance from me to them is the only thing that’s a little tough now, because I still live in North Carolina and I’m traveling four and a half hours each week to go to the shop and work on the late models. We have two wins already though, so we’re making progress.”

Strickler raced in the 2018 Eldora Dirt Derby for the late Mike Mittler, who passed away earlier this year. However, he was swept up in a crash and finished 31st, unable to truly show what he was capable of.

This time, Strickler knows he doesn’t just have a truck that can survive the race, he has a truck capable of thriving – and perhaps winning – at one of the most legendary dirt tracks in the United States.

“I’m a kid in a candy store with this,” Strickler noted. “This type of a deal gives us short-track dirt racers some hope that if you work hard and win races, you’re going to get your shot.

“I feel like this is my shot; I don’t think you could wipe the smile off my face right now if you tried.”