In Twins lore, it will go down as the Max Kepler Game.

Kepler twice played the hero as the Minnesota Twins pulled out a 4-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox in 17 innings, the longest game in Target Field history and one of the best games of the season. Kepler tied the game with a home run in the bottom of the 13th inning and then won it with a bases-loaded walk-off single, somehow sneaking a ground ball down the right-field line past a five-man infield.

Yeah, it lasted more than 5 hours, 45 minutes and featured 16 relief pitchers. You wouldn't want this on a nightly basis, but these games are rare enough to be appreciated and loved, not legislated out of existence with that silly "start the inning with a runner on second base" nonsense that has been discussed.

The game even featured some 17th-inning controversy. With Luis Arraez on first base and one hit, Eddie Rosario tried to bunt for a base hit and hit it foul, with his right foot on the far edge of the batter's box. Red Sox manager Alex Cora argued to no avail that Rosario should have been ruled out for making contact with the ball outside the batter's box. Rosario would eventually double in the at-bat, sending Arraez to third base. After Kepler's game-winning hit, Cora angrily confronted the umpiring crew and had to be restrained by his coaches.

Was Cora right in his argument? It didn't appear so. Rosario took a couple steps forward as he bunted, but his heel was still on the chalk when he made contact -- it was a legal bunt attempt. Cora admitted after the game that he let his emotions get the best of him after a tough loss. And it's not like the Red Sox didn't have their chances. In the top of the 17th, Andrew Benintendi reached third base after a single, stolen base and throwing error, but J.D. Martinez struck out -- he went 0-for-8 with five K's -- and Rafael Devers and Xander Bogaerts grounded out. In the 14th, Benintendi left the bases loaded. In the 10th, they didn't score after Brock Holt's leadoff double.

As for Kepler, he wasn't even supposed to play, only entering the game in the sixth inning. After Mookie Betts homered in the top of the 13th, Kepler did this:

MAXIMILLIAN KEPLER-ROZYCKI!!!!! WE'RE TIED! #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/tRYOCjZMSm

— FOX Sports North (@fsnorth) June 19, 2019

And here's the walk-off hit, the latest for the Twins since Pedro Munoz's walk-off home run in the 22nd inning on Aug. 31, 1993, against Jason Grimsley of the Indians:

KEPLER SAYS GOOD NIGHT! ?

THIS.
GAME.
IS.
OVER! #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/TZmafsMBNm

— FOX Sports North (@fsnorth) June 19, 2019

Kepler is now hitting .279/.362/.566 with 18 home runs, 49 RBIs and 49 runs. He has become an All-Star candidate in what is shaping as a breakout season -- just one of several for the Twins as their magical ride continues.

Yankees win as Stanton returns: Giancarlo Stanton went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in his first game since March 31 after missing 68 games with a variety of ailments, but the Yankees still beat the Rays 6-3. Edwin Encarnacion hit his first home run in pinstripes:

Born to Fly. pic.twitter.com/QP7yB3Zx94

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) June 19, 2019

Think he's happy getting out of Seattle? Cameron Maybin also homered -- for the fourth straight game -- as the Yankees ran their streak to 21 games in a row with a home run.

The interesting thing in this game was Kevin Cash removing "bulk" guy Ryan Yarbrough after he had breezed through three scoreless innings. The Rays were up 2-1, but Chaz Roe came in and gave up hits to five of the first batters he faced as the Yankees scored three runs in the sixth.

Pulling Yarbrough was certainly understandable given all the righties in the Yankees' lineup and Roe is tough on righties with his nasty slider (although he hasn't been quite as dominant this season). His linescore was a little unfair as he gave up a few soft hits:

• Gleyber Torres: 70.5 mph

• Cameron Maybin: 78.2 mph
• DJ LeMahieu: 100.7 mph
• Luke Voit: 82.2 mph
• Gary Sanchez: 96.2 mph

All five hits were singles, and only two were hit hard, but give the Yankees credit for putting the ball in play.

As for Stanton, he started in right field and hit fifth in the lineup. The general feeling is the Yankees obviously don't need him to be a savior. They've been winning and scoring runs without him. Heck, Maybin is hitting .315/.387/.505; that's better than Stanton produced last year (.266/.343/.509). Maybe the missed time and the Yankees' backups holding their own will actually take some pressure off Stanton -- he's now just an additional cog in an unbelievably deep lineup that includes Encarnacion and still awaits the return of Aaron Judge. Less pressure perhaps, but not zero pressure, given that his 2018 performances was a letdown after his 59-homer season with the Marlins in 2018.

Charlie Blackmon note of the day: Blackmon's past five games:

3-for-5, 2B
3-for-6, HR
4-for-6, 2B
4-for-7, HR, 2B
4-for-5, 2 HRs, 3B

Most consecutive games with three-plus hits, past 50 years:

George Brett, 1976: 6
Blackmon, 2019: 5
Jose Altuve, 2017: 5
Rod Carew, 1975: 5
Ted Sizemore, 1970: 5

During his current eight-game hitting streak, Blackmon is hitting .571/.571/1.167 with six home runs, five doubles, a triple, 14 runs and 15 RBIs. He has raised his average from .295 to .341.

Verlander's home run problem: The Reds beat Justin Verlander and the Astros 4-3 on the strength of three home runs. Jesse Winker led off the bottom of the first with a home run off a 1-2 four-seamer, Derek Dietrich added a two-run shot later in the inning off a 1-2 slider and then Kyle Farmer connected on a 3-2 slider in the seventh.

It hurts that all three home runs came on two strikes -- especially since Verlander gets the strikeout 51 percent of the time when he gets to two strikes -- but two of the home runs weren't exactly crushed. Farmer drilled his home run to deep left field, golfing out a low slider, but Winker's home run was 368 feet to the opposite field and Dietrich's went just 339 feet, a Great American Ball Park special.

Verlander has now surrendered 20 home runs and yet his ERA remains a sparkling 2.59, even after allowing the four runs in this game. He has allowed 32 runs, 23 of them coming on home runs, as batters are hitting just .157 off him and .128 with runners on base. Verlander is on pace to allow 44 home runs and you can probably surmise that nobody has ever allowed 44 home runs with a 2.59 ERA.

Lowest ERA while allowing 40-plus home runs:
Ralph Terry, 1962 Yankees: 3.19 (40 HR)
Jack Morris, 1986 Tigers: 3.27 (40 HR)
Robin Roberts, 1955 Phillies: 3.28 (41 HR)

Those guys pitched a lot more innings, however, than Verlander will pitch, as Terry threw 298⅔ innings, Morris threw 267 and Roberts tossed 305. Only six pitchers have allowed 40 home runs with an ERA under 4.00, so Verlander's season is certainly a historic outlier so far.

Here are the lowest ERAs while allowing 30-plus home runs:
Denny McLain, 1968 Tigers: 1.96 (31)
Juan Marichal, 1966 Giants: 2.23 (32)
Randy Johnson, 1999 Diamondbacks: 2.48 (30)

That was the year McLain won 31 games -- he also made 41 starts and pitched 336 innings. Only 14 pitchers have allowed 30 home runs and posted an ERA under 3.00. The best comparison to Verlander would be Max Scherzer in 2016, when he allowed 31 home runs in 228.1 innings and finished with a 2.96 ERA. Scherzer held opponents to a .199 average that year.

Verlander, by the way, has now had 13 consecutive starts of at least six innings and five or fewer hits allowed. He's the second pitcher since 1908 to do that. The first: Verlander, last season.

Prediction: He cuts down on the home runs and keeps that ERA under 3.00.

It has been this kind of season for the Nationals: Speaking of Scherzer, he was scheduled to start one of Wednesday's doubleheader games against the Phillies but broke his nose during bunting practice:

Max Scherzer broke his nose after taking a ball off the face during a bunting drill. pic.twitter.com/M9o4hYBj0J

— ESPN (@espn) June 19, 2019

Scherzer will now probably skip his start on Wednesday and get pushed back to the weekend series against the Braves. That's obviously a big series for the Nationals, as it's starting to look like do-or-die time in the NL East race. They still have time to make a run -- and they have 17 games remaining against the Braves -- and after playing the Phillies (if it ever stops raining) and the Braves, they have a favorable stretch in the schedule with the Marlins, Tigers, Marlins, Royals, Phillies and Orioles for six series before meeting the Braves again on July 18.

Orioles note of the day: The A's hit six home runs in their 16-2 victory over the Orioles -- the ninth time the Orioles have allowed at least five home runs. That ties the 2016 Reds for most five-homer games. Baltimore has 89 games remaining. They're on pace to allow 326 home runs.

To put that in perspective: That's an average of 36.6 home runs from each spot in the lineup. When does Ravens training camp start?

Positive Marlins note of the day: The Marlins blanked the Cardinals 6-0 behind seven scoreless innings of two-hit baseball from Jordan Yamamoto. According to Elias Sports Bureau research, he's just the second pitcher since 1893 to begin his career with two starts of at least seven innings and three or fewer hits. The first was the immortal Jay Hughes, way back in 1898. A 23-year-old from Honolulu, Yamamoto was a 12th-round pick by the Brewers in 2014 and was part of the Christian Yelich trade -- really, he was the fourth-best prospect in the deal after Lewis Brinson, Monte Harrison and Isan Diaz. The Marlins promoted him from Double-A, where he had a 3.53 ERA and 53 hits in 65.1 innings with a so-so strikeout-to-walk ratio of 64 to 25. He's not overpowering (87-92 mph), but has a high spin rate on his fastball and a full arsenal of six pitches, including a cutter he likes to throw about a quarter of the time. He looks like an interesting arm to watch.

Oh, he's a BAAD Mama Yama. #JuntosMiami pic.twitter.com/LKPZg5tNQ5

— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) June 19, 2019

When the Wimbledon wildcards are announced on Wednesday there may well be an unfamiliar name among them - Paul Jubb.

Last month, the 19-year-old raised a few eyebrows in the tennis world when he became the first Briton to land the US colleges' prestigious NCAA men's singles title, previously won by Grand Slam winners Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe and Bob Bryan.

That victory should have guaranteed him a wildcard for September's US Open, but he will be denied the privilege because he is not American.

The York-born player, who moved to Hull to live with his grandmother at the age of three, began playing tennis at primary school before he stepped up his commitment to the sport while attending Malet Lambert school.

After winning the under-16s national title, he decided to take the opportunity of further developing his skills in the American college system.

He is not the only Briton to follow that route, with British number two Cameron Norrie also coming through the US system and recommending more players consider it.

"Lawn Tennis Association coach James Trotman [who has worked with British number one Kyle Edmund] played a big part and mentioned my name to a few people, including my current coach Josh Goffi," Jubb told BBC's Look North.

"Josh, while he was recruiting in London, came up to Hull to watch me train. The ball got rolling and a few months later I was at the University of South Carolina, where, aside from playing tennis, I'm also studying retail management."

Jubb only lost two matches during the college season before overcoming previously unbeaten Nuno Borges of Mississippi State in the NCAA final in Florida, in May.

"It was a huge confidence booster," he added. "Hopefully, it's a step in the right direction for a long future."

Jubb is back in his homeland at the moment. He took part in his first ATP Challenger match this month, taking a set off compatriot and world number 204 James Ward before eventually losing.

"My expectations weren't high," he said of his defeat at the Surbiton Trophy.

"I felt like I was right there with him and I took a lot of confidence from the match."

Jubb says he is hoping to get more experience on the professional tour and will remain in London during the grass-court season - a convenient location if Wimbledon comes calling.

Forward Kevin Hayes has avoided unrestricted free agency by agreeing to a seven-year, $50 million contract with the Philadelphia Flyers, according to a report by TSN on Tuesday night.

His $7.14 million cap hit will rank 18th among all NHL centers, and it will be the third highest on the Flyers behind captain Claude Giroux ($8.275 million) and winger Jakub Voracek ($8.25 million).

Hayes made $3.75 million annually on his last contract.

The Flyers acquired the negotiating rights for Hayes from the Winnipeg Jets on June 3 for Philadelphia's fifth-round pick in this week's NHL draft. Hayes had a career-high 55 points (19 goals, 36 assists) in 71 games between the Jets and the New York Rangers last season.

The 6-foot-5 Hayes was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks at No. 24 overall in 2010, but he never played for them. He signed as a free agent with the Rangers in 2014, and he played five seasons with the Blueshirts before a deadline trade to Winnipeg.

In 381 career games, Hayes has 92 goals and 137 assists.

The trade reunites him with coach Alain Vigneault, who was behind the Rangers' bench for four of Hayes' five years in New York. The Flyers named Vigneault head coach in April.

Hayes is known as a versatile forward, playing both center and wing. But in speaking about him before the signing, Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher appeared to cast him as a center.

"You need depth as we're seeing now in the Stanley Cup Final," he said. "You need players that can play. You certainly need all four lines to contribute, but you need certainly three lines that can score and defend.

"When you go on the road, you don't have last change, so several centers that can be on the ice for the faceoff and to not worry about it. They can defend that shift. They can compete that shift. They have a chance to if not win that shift, at least tie it and live to fight another day. That's our goal. Depth is everything."

Fletcher has been the busiest GM of the offseason. Along with agreeing to a deal with Hayes, Fletcher traded defenseman Radko Gudas to the Washington Capitals for defenseman Matt Niskanen and he traded two draft picks to the San Jose Sharks for defenseman Justin Braun.

Tyler Boyd scored twice as the United States started its Gold Cup campaign with a 4-0 win over Guyana at Allianz Field in St. Paul, Minnesota on Tuesday night.

U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter made three changes from the lineup that started a 3-0 loss to Venezuela on June 9, the last of 18 exhibitions for the Americans since the October 2017 loss at Trinidad and Tobago that ended a streak of seven World Cup appearances. He inserted Michael Bradley as captain for the first time in his tenure, Christian Pulisic into the midfield and Walker Zimmerman in central defence, removing Wil Trapp, Christian Roldan and Matt Miazga.

- CONCACAF Gold Cup: All you need to know
- Full Gold Cup fixtures schedule

Guyana frustrated the U.S. in the opening 30 minutes, but the Americans found a way through just before the half-hour mark when Paul Arriola picked up a pass from Weston McKinnie and blasted a shot past Akel Clarke to make it 1-0.

"We knew we had to get started on the right foot and after breaking the ice, we were able to break them down," Arriola said.

"The most important thing was to win with confidence and clarity and I think we did that today. It's a great start for us but it's just one game."

Gyasi Zardes had a golden chance to double the lead right before half-time but inexplicably whiffed on the doorstep after Arriola had headed the ball back across the goal to him.

The U.S. got off to the perfect start in the second half when Boyd cut inside to his left foot in the 51st minute and hit a nice low line drive past Clarke to double the lead.

Boyd's 52nd minute-goal, his first for the U.S. national team, marked the 1,000th in program history in match No. 700.

Zardes was credited for the third goal in somewhat bizarre fashion as a headed clearance from the Guyana defense bounced hard off the Columbus Crew forward's forehead and went into the back of the net.

Boyd then scored another excellent goal, this time courtesy of a slight deflection, this time cutting onto his right foot firing home from just outside the area to make it 4-0 in favor of the U.S.

The victory was the biggest yet for Berhalter, who was hired in December after the United States failed to make last year's World Cup.

One concern for the team was a left hamstring injury suffered by 20-year-old midfielder McKennie late in the game.

Next up for Berhalter's side, which is atop Group D on goal differential, is a much-anticipated match against Trinidad and Tobago on Saturday, while Guyana will face Panama on the same day.

What VAR gives, VAR can take away. In Friday's Copa America-opening victory against Bolivia, Brazil's breakthrough came when a new handball ruling gave them a penalty, which Philippe Coutinho converted. Four days later against Venezuela, they had the ball in the back of the net three times, but none of them counted. One was ruled out for a foul, the other two for offside after lengthy consultation with the video evidence.

Three disallowed goals might make it seem as if Brazil were always knocking on the door. But for all the possession the home side enjoyed in Salvador, Venezuela keeper Wuilker Farinez had just one serious save to make, and only a handful of moments to cause him alarm.

- Copa America: All you need to know
- Full Copa America fixtures schedule
- Watch every Copa America match on ESPN+

Brazil left the field to resounding boos. The goalless draw, though, is not a disaster. In the history of the Copa with 12 teams, no side with four points has ever failed to make the quarterfinals. Saturday's game against Peru will not be a matter of life and death -- although the players will probably not relish returning to Sao Paulo, where the supporters are notoriously intolerant.

But if the hosts' place in the final eight would seem assured, all is not well -- and has not been well ever since the defeat to Belgium in the quarterfinals of last year's World Cup.

This was the second -- and so far most recent -- defeat suffered by Brazil in the nearly three years that Tite has been in charge. The only other loss came in a friendly against Argentina, when an experimental side was fielded. That Belgium game, then, is the only defeat of note. But it continues to ripple through the mind of the coach. The subsequent results have been acceptable -- 10 wins and two draws -- but the level of performance has consistently been disappointing, especially in the final third of the field.

Tite recognises the problem. He knows that the attack is not clicking as it did so naturally at the start of his reign. Back in 2016, he took a gamble on a teenage centre-forward named Gabriel Jesus, who immediately appeared to have solved what had bizarrely become a problem position for the national team. All went well until the World Cup, when Jesus hit a run of poor form. Tite bitterly regrets not dropping him earlier -- and did leave him out of his first post-World Cup squad.

Roberto Firmino became the first-choice centre-forward. But his undoubted virtues have yet to be hard-wired into the side. The context is very different from that of Liverpool, where he works as frequently the deepest lying of the front three. The training sessions in the buildup to the Copa should have been vital for fitting him into the team. But Firmino was busy with the final of the Champions League, and turned up late. With Jesus in form -- five goals in Brazil's three games going into the Copa -- it was something of a surprise when Tite stuck with Firmino. And the way that he shuffled his pack in the second half Tuesday against Venezuela revealed a mind in confusion.

Firmino, of course, is not a traditional centre-forward. The penalty-area presence is supplied by Richarlison, cutting in from the right. But he was surprisingly removed at the interval. Jesus came on, but to operate on the flank rather than in the middle. Jesus started on the right -- the position where Everton came on to score a stunning solo goal Friday. If the crowd was displeased not to see Everton, they were further vexed by the appearance of Fernandinho, who replaced Casemiro -- a switch greeted with incomprehension by the local media. And Everton finally emerged for the final 20 minutes in place of winger David Neres. Firmino stayed, in what will be seen as an act of stubbornness from the coach.

There are positives. Everton is probably the main one. His goal Friday came when he cut inside onto his stronger right foot. Mindful of this, Venezuela left him the corridor outside, and he used it to put in a left-footed cross that, but for the intervention of VAR, would have set up the winning goal from Coutinho. He has made himself an important option for the rest of the tournament.

And the return from injury of Arthur made the midfield slicker. There were times when the ball was moved more crisply than against Bolivia. But the fluidity has yet to appear. It was always the case that Brazil would have to find their collective blend during the course of the competition. Two games in, that remains the case.

The Los Angeles Lakers are scrambling to reshape the parameters of the Anthony Davis trade with New Orleans and create the capacity for $32 million-plus in salary-cap space when the free-agent moratorium ends on July 6, league sources told ESPN.

The Lakers were engaging additional teams on Tuesday to take on the contracts of three of the remaining five players on the team's roster --- Mo Wagner, Isaac Bonga and Jemerrio Jones -- league sources said. Kyle Kuzma and LeBron James are the only other two Lakers remaining on the team's end-of-season roster.

The Lakers are pursuing the purchase of second-round picks in Thursday's NBA draft, understanding they need avenues to acquire inexpensive talent and contracts that will count only as minimum salaries against the cap, league sources said.

The Lakers probably would need to incentivize the trading of those salaries with cash or draft considerations. Wagner, the No. 25 pick in the 2018 NBA draft, probably has the most value of the three players.

Teams are allowed to pay as much as $5.2 million to buy draft picks in a calendar year. Los Angeles paid $1.5 million as part of a deal to acquire Bonga in July, limiting the Lakers to $3.7 million in financial trades.

Still, the $3.7 million replenishes to $5.6 million once the salary cap resets on June 30. The Lakers could agree to a trade on draft night Thursday but not finalize it until July 6 if the directive is to use more than the $3.7 million available.

The Lakers need those contracts moved to come within 125 percent of Davis' salary -- which would be the difference between $23.7 million and $32.5 million in space when the trade is finalized July 6.

If Davis doesn't waive his $4.1 million trade bonus, the Lakers-Pelicans trade wouldn't be allowed even if Los Angeles finds a third team for the players not included in the original deal with New Orleans.

The Lakers would have to wait until July 30 to have the maximum cap space -- unless they were willing to incentivize New Orleans to agree to delay the completion of the trade.

CHICAGO -- It was a dream come true for Chicago White Sox rookie Eloy Jimenez -- just not the dream he thought he would see to fruition.

Jimenez, 22, beat the team that traded him with a ninth-inning home run in the White Sox's 3-1 win over the crosstown rival Chicago Cubs on Tuesday.

"When I signed [with the Cubs], I said I wanted to hit one in Wrigley," Jimenez said after the game. "Now with the White Sox, it feels really good."

Jimenez was traded to the White Sox, along with pitcher Dylan Cease, at the All-Star break in July 2017. The Cubs got lefty Jose Quintana back in the deal, as he helped them to two postseasons before Jimenez made it to the majors. But most observers see a star in the making in the soft-spoken Jimenez. He has six home runs in his past nine games.

"He's done some big things for us in a short period of time since he's been here," White Sox manager Ricky Renteria said. "Hopefully it's a trend that continues."

With the game tied at 1 and James McCann on first, Jimenez hit a 1-0 cutter from Cubs reliever Pedro Strop into the left-field bleachers, completing a magical night for him. Adding drama to the moment, Jimenez said it's the first broken-bat home run he has ever hit.

"It was an amazing moment," he said. "I tried to hit a line drive up the middle. When I hit it over the fence, it was amazing."

It's not often there are audible cheers for the opposition at Wrigley Field, but White Sox fans traveled well to the other side of town for the first of four games between the rivals. They were rewarded as much as the team was.

Jimenez was asked what Cubs fans were saying to him throughout the game.

"Exactly the same as they said before the game," Jimenez responded with a smile. "'You suck.' White Sox fans there, too. They said, 'You're the best.' I was so happy for that."

It doesn't get any easier for the Cubs, who lost at home for just the 12th time this season. They'll face hot hurler Lucas Giolito on Wednesday. He's 10-1 with a 2.22 ERA and will attempt to pitch the White Sox back to .500. In the meantime, Renteria and his team will savior Jimenez's heroics.

"He was filled with a lot of excitement over what he just did," Renteria said of the aftermath of the home run. "He's a young man who's getting to the big leagues and getting tested, and he put us in a good position.

"We were hoping he could get a pitch he could handle. He obviously did."

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Following his on-track actions last weekend at Iowa Speedway, NASCAR has suspended NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series competitor Johnny Sauter for one race.

Sauter was found in violation of Sections 12.1.a; 12.2.b Emergency Action; 12.8.a,c,i NASCAR Member Conduct; 12.8.1.c Member Conduct Guidelines according to the NASCAR penalty report released on Tuesday afternoon.

The suspension stems from an on-track incident involving Sauter and fellow Truck Series competitor Austin Hill.

Sauter got into Hill going into turn one as they raced for position during Sunday’s M&M’s 200. Hill returned the favor a lap later by sending Sauter spinning in turns three and four, which ended with Sauter backing his truck into the outside wall.

The incident left Sauter fuming and he responded quickly, re-firing his No. 13 Ford F-150 and quickly catching back up to Hill’s Toyota Tundra. Sauter shoved Hill’s truck up into the outside wall before nosing into the Hill’s driver’s door and eventually driving off from the scene of the incident.

NASCAR promptly parked Sauter for the rest of the event and ordered both Sauter and Hill to come to the NASCAR hauler after the race.

Sauter, who already has one victory this year in Truck Series competition, will remain eligible for the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series playoffs. Sauter and his ThorSport Racing team do have the right to appeal NASCAR’s decision.

Since the suspension was announced, Sauter has posted an update on his Twitter account indicating he’d be racing a super late model at Wisconsin’s Dells Raceway Park on Saturday night instead of in the Truck Series race at World Wide Technology Raceway.

Change of plans…Dells Raceway Park Saturday night Dick Trickle 99! Ya know a Real Racer #DickTrickle #SupportYourLocalShortTrack pic.twitter.com/SIxEDeUIbv

— Johnny Sauter (@JohnnySauter) June 18, 2019