SEATTLE -- Former All-Star outfielder Jay Bruce says he has been traded to Philadelphia by the Seattle Mariners.

Bruce is owed $8,317,204 this year from his $13 million salary and has a $13 million salary in 2020 -- the remainder of a three-year contract he signed with the New York Mets in January 2018. The Mets remain responsible for the second $1.5 million installment of his $3 million signing bonus, a payment due Jan. 31, 2020.

The 32-year-old Bruce is hitting .212 with 14 homers and 28 RBIs. He has struck out 53 times in 165 at-bats.

"I figured this would be the situation," Bruce told reporters. "It's bittersweet. I really like the group of guys here. I got to know some of them and had great relationships. It's part of the business, though. I get to go somewhere I have a chance to win, and at this point in my career, that's pretty paramount for me."

A three-time All-Star for Cincinnati in 2011, '12 and '16, Bruce was acquired by the Mets from the Reds on Aug. 1, 2016, traded to Cleveland on Aug. 9, 2017, then became a free agent and returned to the Mets in 2018.

He hit just .223 with nine homers and 37 RBIs in 94 games last year, and New York traded him to Seattle in December as part of the deal in which the salary-shedding Mariners sent second baseman Robinson Cano and closer Edwin Diaz to the Mets.

Philadelphia outfielder Odubel Herrera was placed on administrative leave by the commissioner's office Tuesday under the sport's domestic violence policy after his arrest in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Bruce is expected to help in filling that void.

Bruce's last hit with Seattle was memorable: his 300th career home run on Friday against the Los Angeles Angels.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Just one more out, and Joey Cora's little brother would be a champion. One more out, for a moment of elation and celebration, for reflection, for what they had lost and won together.

Alex Rodriguez was seated right next to Joey Cora, watching the game but also watching Joey watch his brother, Alex Cora. Rodriguez bore an understanding of the depth in the brothers' relationship, and as much as he was locked in on what was happening on the field, Rodriguez wanted to see Joey's reaction to Alex Cora's happiness.

Joey's grin lifted his cheekbones, his face emitting pride. One more out, and there would be one more reason for the Cora brothers to laugh at that fatherly lecture that the big brother had given the little brother a couple of years before.

One more out.

A swing. A long drive down the right-field line. A ball falling into a forest of outstretched hands on the other side of the fence.

Warren Morris of Louisiana State hit a two-run homer to win the 1996 College World Series, and as Morris joyfully rounded third base, a director in the CBS production truck switched to a close-up shot of Miami's shortstop, Alex Cora. Joey Cora's little brother was lying face down, body flattened across the lip of the outfield grass, arms over his head, defeated, sobbing.

About 200 miles away from that scene in Omaha, Nebraska, big league players had gathered around a television in the visitors' clubhouse in Kansas City -- for that weekend, the temporary home of the Seattle Mariners -- and they watched this unforgettable end to the College World Series. Including Mariners shortstop Alex Rodriguez, and second baseman Joey Cora.

Rodriguez turned and glanced at Alex Cora's big brother.

Joey Cora was weeping.

When Alex Cora was born in 1975, Joey Cora was 10½ years old, and that kind of age gap meant that Joey would hold his little brother as a baby, help care for him, catch him when he'd start to fall in his first steps, play catch with him. That kind of age gap assures an older brother will carry vivid memories at each stage of his sibling's life, from the first beaming smiles of recognition from an infant lying in the crib to the first tantrums to the first days running across the living room.

That kind of age gap meant that while Joey was a big brother to Alex, in the Cora pecking order of two brothers and two sisters, he represented something more than a mere brother to Alex. Joey was an ideal.

"I still look up to him," Alex Cora said. "He's amazing. He's a guy that sometimes I wish I was as structured as he is. Very smart guy, very smart individual who has a passion not only for baseball but his family."

They wouldn't scrap like siblings of similar ages. Rather, the age gap embedded a mutual respect. Joey thrived and Alex followed, watching as his older brother evolved from a youth baseball star to a high-end college prospect. At the direction of Jose Manuel Cora, their father, Joey enrolled at Vanderbilt University, despite the fact that he spoke little English.

A Cora family refrain is that Alex is more like their mother, Iris, at ease in expressing feelings and more engaging in a crowded room, and Joey is more like their father, more serious and sometimes blunt as a sledgehammer, when necessary.

"My father was strong," Alex Cora recalled. "I mean, he had a presence. Tall, dark guy, dark skin, gray hair. Everybody knew where he was, deep voice, and when he talked, people listened, especially us four kids." At the park where Alex played as a kid, there was a bench and tree where his father had always stood, and friends tell Alex of their memories of his father and mention that place.

Like their father, Joey was very serious about any task, regimented and tough. If Joey felt anxiety about living in a place or going to a college with which he was unfamiliar, with all those around him speaking a language he didn't speak fluently, he never dwelled on that. Joey just worked, like their father, strong and serious about each purpose, learning English, attacking academics, setting university records in baseball and improving -- always improving. The San Diego Padres drafted him in the first round in 1985, not long after his 20th birthday.

When he was home in Puerto Rico, he watched his little brother. Alex was incredibly bright, Joey thought, incredibly stubborn, and school was a bore for him. Alex loved being outside, through a childhood spent on ballfields with their dad and Joey, and he knew baseball -- and was precocious. He was resolute in his belief that he knew more about baseball than just about anybody else, including his coaches.

"He wasn't afraid," Joey recalled. "Kids that age, when they're told to do something, they'll do it. But he told the manager, 'This is the way you should do it.' He was 5 or 6 and he told his coach, 'I want to hit leadoff.'

"He was always playing against kids that were older, and you know, he thought was better than anybody else. And he was. He never lacked confidence. He'd tell the coach, 'I want to play second base,' and later on, he said, 'I want to play shortstop.'"

Two years after Joey Cora was drafted, he reached the big leagues, playing 77 games for the Padres in 1987. But through Joey's first months in the big leagues, he bore a larger burden. Their father, Jose Manuel Cora, was sick. With cancer.

In his last months, he pushed Joey emotionally, pushed him to accept more responsibility.

"He was preparing me the whole time to take his role [in the family]," Joey Cora said. "I didn't know it at the time. I had no idea. Actually, I was kind of like, 'What the hell. You know you've been too tough on me.' He wasn't fair.

"He was always strict, but he was even more strict at that time. Then I realized what he was trying to do. He was trying to get me ready for my role, and when he left, I was ready."

Alex Cora had been shielded from the stark reality of their father's illness. After his father passed away, his sister reminded him of family trips that she joined, because he was sick. "I had no idea," Alex recalled.

Not long before his 13th birthday, Alex played a volleyball match, and right after it was over, he was picked up and taken to the hospital. His father wasn't feeling right, he was told. After the visit, Alex went to bed that night, and at 4 a.m., a neighbor knocked on the Coras' door. They had to go to the hospital again.

His father was gone.

"A father who took care of you, who was interested in the things that you were interested in. And all of a sudden that is not there," Iris Cora said. "It was tough for him. I know it was tough."

Alex Cora committed to play at the University of Miami and left home for the first time for his freshman year. Six weeks after departing his home in Caguas, however, he was deeply homesick. The plan had been for Alex to visit Puerto on weekends, buying round-trip tickets with money saved from the dollars that Joey had sent home. Instead, Alex packed his three suitcases and bought a one-way ticket to San Juan.

"I decided, 'Nah, you know what? I had enough of this.' I didn't feel comfortable in the environment," Alex recalled.

Regimented as always, Joey called every Sunday when he was in college, and after starting in pro ball, he switched his day to phone home to Monday. Always Monday. For some reason, in those hours after Alex returned to Caguas, the usually consistent and predictable Joey called home on a Thursday. Alex assumes his college coach, Jim Morris, had called Joey to give him a heads-up.

Jose Manuel Cora had prepared his son for a moment like this, a patriarch's moment.

"What the f--- are you doing there?" Joey said to his little brother.

Alex explained how homesick he was, and how he wasn't going to be able to play shortstop right away at Miami, and that he could play baseball elsewhere.

Joey warned Alex that if he didn't get on the next plane to Miami, Joey would fly back to Puerto Rico and physically place him on a plane to go back to college.

Joey Cora recalled, "He had no choice. He had to go back. He thought he was a man at that time, but he wasn't even close; he was learning to be a man.

"He went back and took ownership of his life. And that's why he was successful."

"That phone call," Alex Cora said, "changed the path of my life."

Alex Cora would go on to star at Miami and was drafted by the Dodgers in the third round in 1996. Two years later, he would make his major league debut -- coincidentally, against the Mariners, with Joey standing at second base for Alex's first at-bat in the big leagues.

Years later, in the fall of 2017, Alex was told he would become the new manager of the Boston Red Sox. His first call was to Joey. "We got it," he said.

The Cora brothers talked briefly about the idea of Joey joining the coaching staff in Boston, but Joey told his brother that he was happy in his role as the third-base coach for the Pirates, his family settled in Pittsburgh. "In many ways because of the respect that Alex has for his brother, that was a big relief for Alex," said Rodriguez.

In late October, Joey was in the stands in Los Angeles to see Chris Sale on the mound in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 5 of the World Series. One out to go, and Joey Cora's little brother would be a champion, again, after having already been a part of Boston's 2007 championship, and having served as bench coach for the Houston Astros' title team in 2017.

One out to go. Sale threw a slider near the feet of Manny Machado. A swing and miss, and moments later, Alex Cora hoisted the trophy over his head, and watching, Alex's joy became Joey's joy. Joey Cora thought about going to the parade in Boston, about celebrating the Red Sox win, but there was too much of Jose Manuel Cora's discipline in him for that to happen. As a member of the Pirates organization, he felt that would have been the wrong thing to do, when Pittsburgh is chasing its first title since 1979 is looking to hold its own parade.

No matter the distance in space or time, however, the bond between the Cora brothers persists. This spring, Joey Cora was in Bradenton, Florida, at the Pirates' spring training site, answering questions about that last day of the 1996 College World Series.

He recalled how he had gotten to the visitors clubhouse in Kansas City early to get breakfast, seize the best seat and watch Alex. He remembered how his little brother hit a double to give Miami the lead, and how Mariners teammates good-naturedly gave Joey a hard time while watching the game. "He might have been the MVP," Joey said. "He had a hell of a series, and they were going to win."

One more out. One last swing. Warren Morris changed everything, and Alex collapsed on the infield.

Twenty-three years later, Joey Cora recalled that moment, and his eyes started to fill with tears again. For the little brother he loves.

Highlights from the South, Midlands and North of England Championships

South of England Championships, Bedford

Olympians Margaret Adeoye and Martyn Rooney were in action at the South of England Senior and Under-20 Championships in Bedford this weekend, where good weather led to plenty of PBs, Paul Halford reports.

Adeoye fought off the faster-finishing Phillipa Lowe to win the 400m in 53.47 – exactly a year to the day since her last competition.

The Enfield & Haringey athlete, who ended her 2018 season early to try to sort out ongoing Achilles problems, enjoyed a good start but was almost caught by Lowe, who clocked 53.50.

Three-time 400m Olympian Rooney put in some early-season under-distance work in the 200m, clocking a legal 21.88 to win his heat and then a windy 21.77 to win his semi-final. He didn’t take his place in the final, won by Edmond Amaning in 20.97.

Had a great time running some 200m’s at the South of England’s today, nothing quick unfortunately but two wins (yay). Disappointed I won’t be contesting the final, ?? hips have seized up! It’s a shame they can’t bump someone up to take my place. On to the next one!

— Martyn Rooney (@MartynRooney) June 2, 2019

European U18 champion Dominic Ogbechie took a tightly-fought under-20 high jump with a best of 2.10m. The multi-talented athlete, who has run 21.52 for 200m, also has the standard for the European U20s in Boras in the long jump and will do both events at the trials back here in Bedford later this month.

European under-23 110m hurdles silver medallist Khai Riley-La Borde narrowly won his event in 13.99 from Enfield & Haringey club-mate James Weaver, who clocked 14.05.

A top-quality under-20 women’s triple jump saw the championship record broken twice. Eloise Harvey, who had won the long jump the day before with a PB of 6.10m, recorded 12.87m for another lifetime best. That fell just 0.13m short of the qualifying mark for the European U20 Championships, although her record was surpassed in round four by Italy’s Mame Snow’s 12.92m.

Kiah Dubarry-Gay’s 23.96 to win the under-20 200m was just 0.16 outside the Boras target.

Max Law’s 68.57m to win the under-20 hammer was a PB and UK age-group lead.

Frankie Johnson, who already has the standard for Boras under his belt, found 5.00m enough for the under-20 pole vault win.

Winner Lucy-Jane Matthews and Marcia Sey both went under the Boras standard in the 100m hurdles, although the 13.60 time they shared was wind-assisted.

Other senior winners included: Amy Holder in the discus (53.47m), Korede Awe in the 100m (10.44 PB), Katie Head in the hammer (60.63m PB), Lia Stephenson in the triple jump (13.13m PB) and M40 Neil McLellan in the javelin (69.40m).

Among the other under-20 champions were: Josh Douglas and Heather Cubbage in the discus (49.19m PB/46.48), Serena Vincent (14.70m in the shot) and Tobi Ogunkanmi in the 100m (10.56 PB).

Midland Championships, Nuneaton

Craig Murch notched up his fourth successive Midland hammer championship with a first-round effort of 67.92m but, in damp conditions, subsequent throws were of the same order but nothing close to his 71.16m from Loughborough earlier in the year, Martin Duff reports.

After that early Sunday effort, the rains came to hamper subsequent events, but it was warm and windy on the opening Saturday.

Former European U23 discus champion Eden Francis was lucky that there were not many entries in her senior championship. The 30-year-old had three no-throws before getting into her stride en-route to a 51.91m final fling.

Also in the throws, UK second-ranked Emma Hamplett took the women’s javelin with 50.68m.

The sprints saw a men’s double from Kyle de Escofet in 10.40 and 21.13 but both were windy, while Cassie-Ann Pemberton scored a useful under-20 sprint double in 11.81 and 24.25.

North of England Championships, Sportcity Manchester

Danielle McGifford fell a tenth of a second shy of completing a unique sprint triple at the North of England Championships, Jacob Phillips reports.

The Wigan and District athlete successfully took the 100m (11.78) and 100m hurdles (13.66) titles on Saturday before winning her 200m heat in a photo finish alongside Katy Wyper, as they both finished in 24.60.

However, after winning four races across Saturday and Sunday morning, McGifford fell just short in the 200m final, finishing in 24.50 to Wyper’s 24.36.

Heptathlete McGifford’s success, which includes previous titles in both the English Schools heptathlon and long jump, reflects the current depth in British heptathlon.

Sale Harriers’ Andrew Robertson also came close to completing a sprint double. Robertson took gold in the men’s 100m (10.41) before taking silver in the 200m (21.12) behind club-mate Connor Wood, who clocked 20.97 to win.

T38 sprinter Ben Foulston was the first to cross the line in the men’s ambulant 100m, clocking 12.49, while T44 athlete Victoria Baskett was first to finish in the women’s 100m in a time of 14.45.

Elsewhere, the men’s 1500m seemed to resemble a Preston Harriers training session. The club’s Matthew Wigelsworth (3:52.87), Tiarnan Crorken (3:54.00) and Daniel Bebbington (3:54.44) managed to take all three coloured medals home with them.

Leeds City came close to replicating Preston’s success in the women’s 1500m. Claire Duck took the women’s title in 4:19.66 from Manx Harrier Rachael Franklin, 4:20.50, while team-mate Jennifer Walsh clocked 4:25.59.

In the field events, Vizamuje Ujaha took gold in the high jump, being the only man to jump 2 metres, while Abby Ward won the women’s event in 1.75, edging out Emily Borthwick who jumped the same distance.

Osian Jones threw the hammer 68.64m, 18 metres ahead of second-placed Daniel Nixon with 54.50m, completing dominating the field.

Other field events were much more competitive. Amy Hodgson and Micaela Brindle were separated by just 2 cm in the women’s long jump. Hodgson’s 5.85m was just enough to outdo Brindle’s 5.83

Notable results in the under-20 championships included Dan Preston’s 1500m in 3:55.28, while Rory Keen ran 54.52 in the 400m hurdles to run nearly two seconds clear of the rest of the field.

The women’s junior 100m final was won by Leonie Ashmeade in a photo finish with Hannah Kelly as both ran 11.79.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Shane Stewart ended a nearly yearlong winless streak with a $25,000 score on night two of the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series’ Music City Outlaw Nationals at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway Saturday night.

In spectacular fashion, the Oklahoma-native claimed his first win of the season with his new CJB Motorsports team and his 34th career World of Outlaws win.

“Big stage, big win for this team,” Stewart said.

With one win during the 2018 season, Stewart was released from his ride with Kyle Larson Racing at the end of the year. At the same time CJB Motorsports parted ways with its then driver, David Gravel – a pairing that never finished worse than third in points together.

The two paired together for the 2019 season.

With a pinch of luck, Stewart’s team drew an early qualifying order position, leading to the No. 5 car being second fastest to Brad Sweet’s track record breaking 14.083-second time. Stewart then went on to win his Drydene Heat race and finish second in the DIRTVision Fast Pass Dash. He started second in the main event.

Throwing his car around the tight turns of the quarter-mile track, Stewart took the lead on the first lap of the feature and put distance between he and second-place lap after lap. His early run was cut short by Daryn Pittman spinning and bringing out the caution on lap two.

On the restart, Stewart set sail again. Behind him, though, lurked another driver just as eager to return to victory lane.

In the early stage of year, Brent Marks missed two features and didn’t find the top-10 until the tenth race of the 2019 season. The Myerstown, Pa.-native earned his first top-five during the first round of the Music City Outlaw Nationals Friday night and was poised to do better on night two.

Marks methodically charged his way from fourth to second by Lap five. Two laps later, he found himself to the outside of Stewart down the front stretch. The two went side-by-side into turn one. Marks high. Stewart low.

Stewart slid up the track in turn two, allowing Marks to dart underneath him exiting the corner. But before he could complete the pass, a caution came out for several cars tangled in turn four.

Marks showed his hand. Stewart now knew there was no cruising to a win. The battle was on.

When the race went back green, Stewart stuck to the high side, while Marks ran low. The red No. 19 car showed its nose to Stewart turn after turn. Until lap 11.

Marks finally found enough traction on the bottom of turns three and four to pull past Stewart for the lead. He cleared the No. 5 car the next corner, but Stewart wasn’t ready to watch another potential win slip away. He launched his car around the outside of Marks through turns three and four and charged back to the lead.

Marks then returned the move by throwing his car to the bottom of turn one and sliding up in front of Stewart in the center of the turn. Stewart cut underneath Marks, but couldn’t find enough traction to challenge Marks again for the position.

Marks was on his way to a historic win.

Lapped traffic soon became an obstacle, though. Stewart kept Marks in his crosshairs, giving the Pennsylvanian no room for error while the track slicked up each lap.

With nine laps to go, Marks misjudged his drive into turn one around the outside of a lapped car and hit the cushion. His error allowed Stewart to dart past him and reclaim the lead, again.

The win wasn’t his, yet. Marks stayed close behind and with three laps to go Sweet made it a three-horse race for the win, challenging Marks for second. And even though Stewart reclaimed the lead, he knew it was going to be a battle to keep it.

“I don’t think I had the best car, but I knew once we got in to lap traffic, I had to be patient,” Stewart said. “I knew the bottom was going to be key.”

Stewart cautiously slid his car to the bottom of the track each turn and eased back on the throttle off of it, leaving no opening for Marks to make a run. He did that with fine-tuned precision, leading to a standing ovation by the crowd as he soared past the checkered flag.

“It’s special,” Stewart said. “Being the inaugural race here at Nashville. So many people here that came out to support the World of Outlaws, which is really cool to see. Just a big win. I don’t know where it ranks, but it’s up there for sure.”

For Marks, he was left meandering by his car, contemplating what could have been. But he still had fun.

“It actually was a lot of fun,” Marks said. “I thought the track was in real good shape there for the Feature and made it racy for us. Sort of took a little bit of rubber there toward the end. It wasn’t like lock down rubber, so when you’re following lap cars around and keep hearing people behind you because obviously everybody is so close, you’ve got to try to outsmart them.

“Another good thing to do is put a lap car between them. That’s what I tried to do and just caught the wall the wrong way.”

Sweet, who finished third said he hopes to continue to build momentum with his team. He cut a small chuck out of Donny Schatz’s points lead, now sitting 48 points behind the reigning champion in second.

To see full results, turn to the next page.

The St. Louis Blues had waited 49 years to host another Stanley Cup Final game. They will have to wait a little bit longer for a happier home memory, after the Boston Bruins blasted the Blues 7-2 in Game 3 on Saturday night to take a 2-1 series lead.

Here's everything you need to know about how Game 3 played out in this edition of ESPN Stanley Cup Playoffs Daily.

Jump ahead: Last night's game | Three stars
Play of the night | Social post of the day

About last night ...

Game 3: Boston Bruins 7, St. Louis Blues 2 (Bruins lead series 2-1)

It was supposed to be a special night in St. Louis, and the crowd was dotted with celebrities like Jenna Fischer, Jon Hamm, Travis Kelce, Jackie Joyner Kersee and Patrick Mahomes. This game, however, was all about the Bruins' domination, though we'll probably also remember this as the first time Jordan Binnington was pulled in his NHL career (mercifully, after Boston's fifth goal).

Boston climbed to a 3-0 lead by the end of the first period -- the last goal, with 9.2 seconds remaining in the period, was a dagger -- and didn't look back. The Bruins' power play was absurdly efficient, going 4-for-4 ... on four shots. In the end, seven different Bruins scored. Things could have gotten out of hand late, especially as St. Louis exerted its physicality in an attempt to rile up the Bruins. The Bruins didn't bite and protected Tuukka Rask.

Meanwhile in the St. Louis room, players adamantly defended their rookie goaltender. They admitted to leaving him hanging out to dry and vowed to be better. The Blues owe it to their home fans to come out stronger in Game 4.

Three stars

1. Torey Krug, D, Boston Bruins

With a goal and three assists, Krug set a new Bruins Stanley Cup Final record for points. He was the primary beneficiary of a power play that was frighteningly efficient.

2. Patrice Bergeron, C, Boston Bruins

There has been some speculation that the top-line center is playing through an injury. After scoring the first goal of the game, Bergeron silenced that talk, for now. (He also added two assists). "Watch the game tonight. Does he look hurt?" linemate Brad Marchand quipped.

3. David Pastrnak, LW, Boston Bruins

Another goal, another reason to never doubt the first line. According to Natural Stat Trick, the trio of Pastrnak, Bergeron and Marchand scored three times on eight scoring chances in Game 3.

Play of the night

Charlie Coyle puts it up over Blues Jordan Binnington to extend the #Bruins lead#StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/x86E16Xf6h

- Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 2, 2019

Not sure what's prettier, the goal by Charlie Coyle or the pass by Marcus Johansson. It sure feels like Johansson, an impending unrestricted free agent, is driving up his contract price every round these playoffs.

Dud of the night

The Blues' challenging the Bruins' third goal, which occurred with 9.2 seconds left in the first period. The dud wasn't necessarily the decision to challenge; it was a smart challenge, and we're actually still not totally convinced the play was on-sides. But when the refs rued in Boston's favor, it became a kiss of death for St. Louis.

Boston scored on the ensuing power play at the start of the second period to build a 4-0 lead. And while wild things have happened in the playoffs, let's note that in the 2018-19 season, teams went 1-252-1 after trailing by four goals.

Social post of the day

We're not sure when it became a requirement for NFL quarterbacks attending sporting events to chug beers, but we're not complaining. Mahomes aced his opportunity:

Hey now.#Chiefs QB @PatrickMahomes in the house!
Chugged a beer.
Not sure how full it was, but still better than Rodgers. #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/NKddIFftDC

- Raul Martinez (@RaulNBCBoston) June 2, 2019

Quotable

"We could use a win. It's been a rough run for the city the last three decades or so with the odd Cardinals championship here and there and what-not. It would be nice for a million different reasons, but mostly I think for the guys on this team. When you look back, whatever it was, Jan. 2, last in the league. And to have the guts and fortitude and strength and character and the skill to come back from that, yeah, I mean, I think these guys believe. And I think the city's starting to also." -- Blues fan/actor Jon Hamm.

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has said he used his pain in last year's Champions League final to inspire him as Liverpool beat Tottenham 2-0 to win the trophy on Saturday.

Salah, forced out of the 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid in Kiev a year ago with injury after a clash with Sergio Ramos, scored an early penalty as Liverpool erased the memory of that disappointment.

The Egypt international said he had used a photograph of him leaving the pitch in pain against Madrid to inspire him against Spurs at the Wanda Metropolitano.

- Marcotti: Despite win, Liverpool's journey far from over
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"I looked at the picture from last year before the game," he told reporters. "I was very disappointed that I got injured and went out after 30 minutes and we lost the game. It was something to motivate me to win.

"I didn't look at the picture for a long time. You can feel what you can beat, so I just looked at it one time and said: 'OK, let's go.'

"Our job is more mental and you have to believe in yourself before the game. You could see the players -- we were believing in ourselves in the game.

"I think everything happens for a reason, and the reason for us to lose the final last season was to come back and win it again."

Salah said he had not been worried about the pressure of taking Liverpool's first-minute penalty, awarded for handball by Moussa Sissoko.

"I prepared myself before the game," he said. "I scored a penalty to send Egypt to the World Cup after 28 years in the last minute, so this one was easier.

"It's great. The final of the Champions League, take a penalty, to show the courage and to win the trophy."

It was Liverpool's first trophy under manager Jurgen Klopp after they lost out by just a point to Manchester City in a dramatic race for the Premier League title.

And Salah said he believed it would be the catalyst for more success, adding: "It's the start. We will go next season for the Premier League.

"The average age of the team is 26-27, so we still have young players. It is good experience for us to win the trophy now, and also last season we learned a lot."

After missing the All-Star Game for the first time since 2015, Draymond Green in these playoffs has reminded everyone what kind of two-way force he is -- a former Defensive Player of the Year who already ranks among the greatest playmaking big men ever.

Ask insiders to name what makes Green special, and two qualities come up over and over: intelligence and anticipation -- his ability to read the game ahead of everyone else. That Green is the one Golden State will need tonight to even the NBA Finals (Game 2, ABC, 8 p.m. ET) after a fearless Pascal Siakam scored over and around him (and every other Warrior) in Toronto's Game 1 win.

Before the NBA Finals, ESPN.com picked 10 plays from the Golden State Warriors' postseason run and asked Green to take us inside his mind.

Green's comments have been edited for clarity and length.

Play No. 1

It looks so simple -- Klay Thompson and Green negotiating a standard pick-and-roll. But Clint Capela's screen drills Thompson. Chris Paul comes open on the other side. Green slides toward Paul, and appears ready to switch onto him. And then, bam: Thompson recovers, Green slides back to Capela, and a window that opened wide for a split second is slammed shut.

How did Green know not to switch? How did Thompson know what Green would do?

Chris is always going to be a pass-first player. He's coming off to his left hand. I know he's not comfortable coming off to his left hand. The chances of him just firing are slim.

I know when we've been switching, they've made it a point to try to hit Capela on the dive. If Klay gets nailed like that and I jump to switch, there's no way Klay gets back to affect that pass to Capela.

And I know -- Klay is a ball hawk. If he doesn't hear "switch," he's going to chase the ball.

Look at Green's feet as Paul sizes him up:

His left foot is directly in front of his right foot; his hips are wide open. That's a little unusual -- some coaches would say dangerous -- and Green does it a lot. Why? It's about weight distribution and recovery speed. Green can plant on that left foot, convince Paul he is moving forward, and push off that same foot to begin his retreat to Capela.

If my left foot is up, it's going to tell [Paul] I'm coming to him. If my feet are parallel to half court, there's no way I can drop back at the rate I need to. I'm back on my heels that way. I can't jump. The only other way I can get back to [Capela] that way is to turn and sprint, which takes another second. If I've got one foot up, I can play a cat-and-mouse game with the ball-handler and the roller. For a split second, it allows me to guard two people even though I'm not all the way up to the 3-point line.

My uncle [Bennie Baber, Green's coach during elementary school] taught me to play defense with one foot in front of the other. You have to be careful of giving somebody a lane. But my mindset on that is different: If I open my hips like that and I give you that way, I know you're going that way and I can react better.

You're taught to send some guys to their weak hand. But one thing I've figured out -- some guys, I like to send to their strong hand, because I know exactly what you're gonna do. That gives me a better chance.

If I try to send you to your weak hand, chances are you're a great player -- if I'm worried which hand I'm gonna send you to, you've made a living out of still getting to that strong hand. So now I'm guessing what you're gonna do as opposed to knowing, "OK, I know he's going this way."

Play No. 2

How is Green, like, everywhere before the Blazers expect him?

I'm at the free throw line analyzing the entire possession. I know it's CJ [McCollum] coming off, so it has to be a blitz. At that point, it's really Klay's rotation [to Meyers Leonard at the rim]. He's the low man.

But Klay is guarding Damian Lillard. So we'd rather not have Klay go help. If he does, we're leaving a 2-on-1 on the weak side with Dame and Seth [Curry]. We don't want that. I'm guarding the non-shooter, so I'm the help man.

Before Green slides to Leonard, he takes a half-step in McCollum's direction. The pass to Leonard appears open.

CJ has Andre [Iguodala] and [Kevon Looney] on him. CJ's 6-3? The likelihood of him seeing that pass and actually getting it through is slim to none.

And then comes perhaps Green's hallmark defensive play: winning a one-on-two situation by stunting at Evan Turner, and baiting Turner into a lob pass. Green is already on his way back to tip that pass before Turner releases the ball.

I am going to force Evan Turner to hit this shot from the foul line. Chances are, he probably won't even take it. What I can't give up is the automatic two with the lob. I stunt at him to make him think I'm coming, but I'm never going to Evan Turner at the free throw line. Once I stunt and get back, now I can affect the lob. But I'm also putting myself in rebounding position, and we're off to the races.

Smart players have figured out Green plays possum for the pass. In the second round, James Harden stopped throwing it, and attacked Green at the rim. Green didn't mind.

You could tell as the series went on, James threw the lob out of his repertoire. If that guy continues to drive, I'm going to meet him at the rim. Every now and then I'm going to get dunked on. I don't care. I think I affect way more shots than I get dunked on.

Play No. 3

This looks similar, except that Maurice Harkless slips that pass behind Green -- leading Al-Farouq Aminu toward pay dirt.

I really f---ed this up. I have to keep my feet open there. My left foot should have been higher. Instead, I have to drop my right foot again [when the pass gets behind him], and it's wasted motion.

I know Harkless is not shooting that from the foul line. If he does, that's a win for me. I should stunt to him and get back. He'd throw that pass, and I'd have a steal. But I f---ed up and started coming toward him too much.

Jordan Bell saved me. He makes Aminu stop for a split second, and that's all you need.

Play No. 4

McCollum splits a trap, draws Green, and fakes Green off of his feet before dumping to Harkless for what looks to be a dunk. Instead, Looney and Green smother him. Green stops himself before leaping too high on the first jump, and bounces into a super-quick second jump.

I wouldn't say CJ fooled me. I wouldn't say I guessed wrong. I have to honor CJ, or it's a floater, which is money for him, or a layup. There's no more trying to stunt and faking him out. When you're beat, your only job is to make the offense make one more pass. That allows for the possibility of another rotation.

Right here, we're dead. CJ's either going to get fouled or get the layup. I have to sell out to him. I force the pass, and Loon covers for me. Once Loon covers for me, I'm able to get back and help get the block. But Loon slowed Harkless down.

On that first mini-jump, and the burst after:

I didn't jump and take myself out of position like most guys do. I've always had a quick second jump. I basically couldn't jump, so my second jump was always more important than my first jump.

Play No. 5

Imagine being Seth Curry. You come off this Zach Collins pick with room to launch, but then Green flies at you. OK, Plan B: Green's momentum is carrying him toward you, so there's no way he can get back to interfere with any pass to Collins.

Nope. Green opens his stance again -- left foot way in front of the right -- and bounces back to intercept the pass.

Seth loves shooting going to his left. Steph [Curry] has done his job. He forces Seth over the top. It's my job to be up at the level of the screen and take that shot away. So I go at him. But knowing Steph is right on his hip, if I can take the shot away, I can start right back to Zach Collins. He tries to wrap that pass around me, but it's not getting there. I can just take it.

The most important thing is to force another pass. If I do, Looney's there [under the rim, guarding Enes Kanter] waiting on it. That's his rotation. Now I gotta fly back and crack back on Kanter.

On his footwork:

I'm not selling out to Seth. If I sell out, I'm coming up in an all-out blitz, which means my feet are parallel to the baseline. I don't sell out here. I try to cover up but not break our whole defense down.

Play No. 6

This one-on-two looks trickier, with Austin Rivers coming from a diagonal and more space for Green to navigate. Turns out, it wasn't so tricky.

He severely telegraphed his pass. He don't even look at the rim. He looks at Capela from the time he starts dribbling. The entire time. So I'm stunting and getting back to Capela. If Austin wants to come to the rim, I'll meet him up top.

What does Green fear most in these situations?

The lob. Notice I drop back to the rim. I don't recover to Capela at the dunker [spot, along the baseline]. I stand at the rim. Capela is not about to catch this and shoot a floater.

Is there a spot on the floor Green knows he can't cross without exposing the lob?

If you get out of the restricted area, you can forget about it. There's no way to recover.

Play No. 7

This is classic roving Green. He's technically guarding Harkless, but he ignores Harkless to overload Lillard's side of the floor.

I just do this. The coaches trust me to make reads, to do whatever I want.

Green's gambit risks Harkless flashing open at the foul line, and into a 2-on-1 -- the sort of play Green would make on offense, actually. Green doesn't care.

If he flashes, I'll meet him at the rim.

Green's one-man zone is so brazen. He hides nothing about his intentions. He is right in Lillard's line of sight, daring him to pass to Leonard, almost taunting him. Was he surprised Lillard tried it?

Not necessarily. The goal is to make him play on one side of the floor, or force him to try the skip pass [to the other side]. You have a 6-7 guy and a 6-8 guy on a -- what is Dame, 6-2? How is he gonna see [the skip pass]?

So my job is to then take the first pass away. If you blitz Dame, like we have Jordan Bell do here, you can't give up that first pass. Otherwise the trap is pointless.

He shouldn't make that pass. But to him, I'm not taking Meyers Leonard away -- in his mind. I'm not denying him directly. But I'm close enough to get it.

Play No. 8

What a visual: two stars as mirror images -- crouched to the same height, leaning forward nose-to-nose, lead feet (James Harden's left, Green's right) almost touching toes.

Most guys who press Harden end up staring at the back of his jersey.

I'm giving him his right hand. If he wants to take off right, I already have a head start to get on his hip. Not necessarily that I'm gonna cut him off, but I can force a tougher shot. Because I'm giving him that lane, I can press up more. If he's going to drive, I know exactly where.

I'm also trusting the help. I know if he does get by me, I have to make the next rotation.

I'm just taking stabs at his dribble. James and several other guys in the NBA -- they use their dribble to get rhythm. James really uses his dribble for rhythm. I'm just trying to keep him off balance. Steve [Kerr] always talks about controlling the point -- a tennis analogy. You want to be the person charging the net, not the person on his heels.

When James Harden has the ball, I don't care who you are, you're at a disadvantage. He is that good with the ball. So what can I do to try to give myself an advantage? I try to force him one way and I play the step-back. I know he's trying to get to the step-back. If I'm two steps off him, I'm at his mercy. I jump out to get a contest, and it's more than likely going to end up a foul. I win this possession because I take the step-back away.

Green again has one foot in front of the other, and can almost rock back and forth on that lead foot -- so that even as he jabs toward Harden, he can push back toward the rim in one quick motion.

I'm playing him to beat me off the drive, so I'm ready to react to him driving.

Play No. 9

This is the play I will always remember from Golden State's clinching Game 6 win in Houston. Golden State destroyed the Rockets with this Curry-Green pick-and-roll on the right side. P.J. Tucker blitzed Curry, and for most of the fourth quarter, Green responded by slipping open toward the paint, taking a pass from Curry, and rampaging into his trademark 4-on-3s for floaters, layups, and lobs to Looney.

Watching from afar, it seemed as if all that rim-running set up this dagger. At a pivotal moment, Green stopped short. He seemed to know Tucker would again lunge at Curry and then scramble back toward the paint, and that if he hit the brakes for a handoff, Tucker would not be able to reverse momentum in time to contest Curry's 3-pointer.

I can't remember if it was him [Curry] that said "hand back" or me that said "hand back," but one of us said, 'Yo, the hand back is about to be open." We've been playing together for seven years now. We got chemistry. We don't need a stoppage in play to get a signal to each other. You can't make that up -- the big moments and big experiences.

The last three or four plays, I've rolled out of this into the paint. So I know, once I catch [Curry's pass], P.J. is going to retreat the paint. And once he takes one step, he's dead. Steph's release is that fast.

Even if Capela takes me and P.J. tries to crack back and take Looney, his first step has to go toward the paint. And if he takes one step, he's dead. And we had beaten them so much going to the hole, I know he's taking that step.

Was Green surprised Houston didn't switch more?

I was surprised. But Steph had it going. If they do switch, I'm taking Steph in that matchup. P.J.'s a great defender, but I'm taking Steph 10 times out of 10.

Play No. 10

This has become perhaps Green's signature pass, and Looney is its most frequent recipient. It is the great irony of Green's game: In defending one-on-two situations, Green baits the offense into passing; in leading 2-on-1s in the half court, Green baits defenders into thinking he'll shoot. Smart defenders have realized Green wants to pass; they sit on the lob, and dare Green to finish layups over a late challenge. Green largely obliged against Houston and Portland.

This play seemed unusual in that Green appeared to wait a very long time -- until the ball is rolling off his fingertips -- to decide whether to pass or shoot. That looks like a floater until you realize it's heading a few feet left of the rim.

What had Green known, and when?

Most of the time, I know already once I catch the ball what's gonna happen. This is different. Even when I jump here, I'm thinking shot. Montrezl [Harrell] did a really good job of taking my shot away and taking the lob away. But he still commits. He jumps at the last second. And look where he jumps at. He didn't meet me at the rim. That's what I'm telling you. You gotta drop back and meet me at the rim.

Once he commits, he tells me what to do as a playmaker. He picked one.

Looney has sneaky bounce. He has long arms. He has feel. The connection we have is that he's smart.

TORONTO -- KYLE LOWRY'S path to becoming the starting point guard for a team in the NBA Finals could best be described as a happy accident.

When he joined the Toronto Raptors in a trade with the Houston Rockets in July 2012, he was forced to compete with Jose Calderon for minutes before eventually beating out the Spaniard when Calderon was traded. A year later, a different trade -- one that didn't happen -- would've seen him wind up with the New York Knicks, only for them to scuttle the deal at the last minute after it was all but done.

Then came last summer. After yet another playoff beatdown at the hands of LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, the other two pillars of the greatest stretch in Raptors history -- coach Dwane Casey and guard DeMar DeRozan, who also happens to be Lowry's best friend -- were fired and traded, leaving Lowry as the last man standing from a five-year run that had been both the team's most successful and ultimately most disappointing.

Meanwhile, a guy who spent the first few years of his career bouncing from place-to-place, struggling to find a home, has found one north of the border -- a place Lowry himself never dreamed he'd be in this long.

"When I first got traded here I didn't really know what to expect," Lowry said Saturday. "I thought I would be here a couple years, and be out of here."

Instead, he came and never left. Now, Toronto finds itself three wins away from the first championship in franchise history. And while much of the praise has gone to former Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard and breakout star Pascal Siakam, it has been Lowry who, behind the scenes, has been driving Toronto to heights it has never reached before.

"We have been through so much and he's a winner," Raptors president Masai Ujiri said. "There's no other way to put it, he's a winner. He's been hit upside the head from every different angle in the world, whether it's personal, everything, and he survives it. Like every day he comes, he comes to win. Doesn't matter what mood he's in, like he comes to win."

"I GOT MAD respect for Kyle."

It's the day before the biggest moment in Raptors franchise history: Game 1 of the NBA Finals here at Scotiabank Arena. A franchise that, for most of its history, has operated on the fringes of relevance (even in the best of times) now finds itself with a true superstar in Leonard, the platform of playing against one of the greatest teams in NBA history in front of the entire world and the chance to forever make itself part of basketball royalty ahead of it.

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green is at the podium, holding court as he always does in front of the cameras, tape recorders and microphones. Green will do whatever it takes to gain an advantage -- be in on the court, or at the podium. He'll make any play, or say any thing, in order to advance the cause of winning.

But when Lowry's name comes up, he goes out of his way to praise a kindred spirit, acknowledging their similar paths to stardom and the ways their games mirror one another.

"He wasn't always an All-Star," Green said. "He wasn't always a starter. But he got it out of the mud and he's where he's at today.

"He's faced a lot of doubt. He's been criticized a ton, this year and previous years before, but yet he's still standing and he's here in this moment and it's well-deserved."

That Lowry came from such a place -- traded twice, without a starting job in the league until his fifth season, not named on an All-Star team until his ninth -- helps explain how his game is perceived by his peers. He's listed at 6-foot-1. He's oddly shaped. He'll never be seen as the quickest or most athletic player on the court.

And yet, despite all that, he constantly finds himself making winning plays.

"He plays above his talent," Raptors center Marc Gasol said. "That's how I look at it. You see his talent, and he plays above it."

So how, exactly, does a player with Lowry's (lack of) physical gifts find a way to survive in a league full of players that are almost universally bigger, stronger and faster? By relying on the things he learned playing on the streets of North Philadelphia as a kid: grit, toughness and a determination to never back down.

"He plays like a Philly boy," Danny Green said. "He's a bulldog. He's a bully. He's out there with grit, doing his all, doing his thing. He's scrappy.

"He's trying to take everything he can. Obviously he's a little bit different off the court as he's gotten older, has a family now with children, but not much.

"He's a Philly boy at heart. That's who he is, and that's how he plays."

There have been multiple moments that have exemplified those traits during this playoff run. Lowry secured a critical offensive rebound to win Game 3 of Toronto's first round series against the Orlando Magic. He repeatedly found himself taking charges against Joel Embiid -- who only has a foot and roughly 100 pounds on Lowry -- against the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

And in that Game 6 against the Bucks, Lowry's handprints were all over the run Toronto made at the start of the fourth quarter to take control of the game. No play was more definitively a Lowry one than the steal, drive and dish he made to Leonard for an epic slam dunk over Giannis Antetokounmpo -- a play Lowry, in true Lowry fashion, helped further facilitate by giving Antetokounmpo a slight nudge, preventing him from properly challenging Leonard's shot.

"Those are the Kyle Lowry-type plays," Raptors general manager Bobby Webster said with a smile.

"As we've seen this whole playoff run, from the offensive rebound in Orlando, charges on Embiid ... it's something special."

"HE'S A COMPLETE jackass on the court, and he's probably one of the best teammates I've ever had."

Raptors guard Fred VanVleet, Lowry's understudy for the past three seasons, is blunt when asked to describe Kyle Lowry.

Lowry prefers the world only see the hard exterior that he puts on display during press conferences and when he is on the court. But that's not the person the Raptors know best. VanVleet calls it a "weird dynamic."

"His teammates love him," Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. "He's the guy that's feeding them a lot on the planes. He's inviting them over to his house in Philly, making sure there's team events he's in charge of -- and funding."

During his early stints in Memphis and Houston, Lowry had developed a reputation -- perhaps undeserved -- for butting heads with teammates and coaches. But in Toronto he has grown into the kind of veteran the young players on the team all gravitate toward. For VanVleet -- another tough-nosed, undersized point guard, it was natural he and Lowry would grow to form a bond.

VanVleet said their families are close -- Lowry publicly shouted out the birth of VanVleet's second child, Fred Jr., at a press conference after Toronto's Game 4 win over Milwaukee -- and credited Lowry for helping him, after going undrafted out of Wichita State, develop into one of the league's best backup point guards.

"He's meant everything," VanVleet said. "He helps me on the court, off the court. He helps me in a lot of things. He's taught me a lot, he's showed me a lot. He's a great friend. I love him to death. There's nothing he wouldn't do for me, and vice versa.

"He's just got a big, loving heart, man. Under all that antics of him trying to be a tough guy, he tries to portray himself like an a--hole, and he's just a big teddy bear."

Siakam, whose 32-point performance helped power Toronto to its Game 1 win Thursday night, said Lowry's encouragement to continue expanding his game this season was a big part of what led to his breakout season -- one that most likely will end in Siakam winning the league's Most Improved Player award later this month.

But he also said how Lowry has coached him through what is about to come his way as his star rises has been equally important to him.

"He's always been one of the guys, even early, encouraging me to dribble the basketball," Siakam said. "And just, in terms of life in terms of the jump I'm making, he's given me advice on how things are going to change ... but at the same time encouraging me to be myself.

"He's amazing. He's definitely been a help for me, being here. He's one of the best teammates I've ever had."

"This is our sixth year with Kyle, and it's a testament to him that he's grown every single year," Webster said. "I think if anyone can think about making personal growth six years in a row, you get to be a pretty good person, and you get to be a pretty good leader, on and off the court."

"I CALL IT home."

In the aftermath of Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, as the Raptors and their fans celebrated their first-ever trip to the NBA Finals, Lowry remained all business.

He secured the game ball after George Hill's meaningless last-second heave bounced away from the rim. He immediately began shaking hands with members of the Bucks, then migrated toward Toronto's locker room.

All of that changed, though, when he saw his children -- Karter and Kameron -- waiting for him on the baseline. Suddenly, the facade that Lowry always tries to make sure holds up in public -- stoic and acerbic -- melted away.

Still holding that game ball under his left arm, Lowry wrapped both young boys in his arms -- each wearing a red No. 7 Raptors jersey, with matching camouflage pants and white shoes -- lifting them off the ground.

"I can't even tell you," Lowry would say later that night, taking a quiet moment at his locker inside Scotiabank Arena, having reached a point that many in these parts thought the Raptors never could. "It was everything you could kind of imagine. Everything you could possibly think about as a basketball player. It's things you can't even explain."

Later, as Lowry sat at his locker, thumbing through his phone and scanning the 220 messages he said he had to respond to, the moment for sentiment had passed. His defiant game face was firmly back in place.

"I don't look for it as validation," he said of reaching the Finals. "I think it's more so all the work that we've put in as an organization, a team -- everything that's brought us to this moment."

Lowry has said repeatedly throughout the season that this team has championship potential. At every point during the playoffs, he's repeated the same mantra -- "stay level."

Saturday night was no different. Those emotions poured out, but then they were gone -- perhaps to be revealed again sometime in the next couple of weeks.

"Nothing I can think about right now, to be honest with you," Lowry said with a smile, when asked what this run has meant to him. "I'll look back on this thing when I'm done. I'll look back on everything when I get a chance to. But not right now.

"We've got another one to try to get."

World long jump silver medallist says his positive test was likely the result of eating contaminated beef

Jarrion Lawson has been handed a four-year ban by the IAAF after testing positive for epitrenbolone, a metabolite of the prohibited steroid trenbolone.

The American world long jump silver medallist was provisionally suspended in August following the positive result from an out-of-competition doping control test in June 2018.

According to the case decision document, published by the Athletics Integrity Unit, Lawson maintains “that the likely source of the epitrenbolone in his system was contaminated meat” which he had eaten for lunch the day before the test.

The @iaaforg Disciplinary Tribunal has banned long-jumper Jarrion Lawson of the USA for four-years.
Find all the details here: https://t.co/cBkQOqSHT4#CleanSport #AIUNews
@sportresolutions pic.twitter.com/qNgbAbRvHw

— Athletics Integrity Unit (@aiu_athletics) June 1, 2019

However, the decision document adds in part: “… the Tribunal holds that the Athlete has failed to satisfy his burden of establishing how the Prohibited Substance Epitrenbolone entered his body.”

Lawson’s ban is backdated to the date of his provisional suspension – August 3, 2018.

His results achieved from June 2 to August 3 are also disqualified.

Lawson can appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

The full case decision document can be found here.

Meanwhile, Russian athletics officials have been accused of overseeing the forgery of documents in an attempt to cover up a breach of anti-doping rules by high jumper Danil Lysenko.

The world indoor champion, who also claimed silver at the outdoor world championships in London in 2017, was provisionally suspended last year following a whereabouts rule violation.

According to an investigation report by The Sunday Times published on Saturday (June 1): “It is claimed that false paperwork was created to give Lysenko a medical excuse for failing to disclose his location.”

The Russian athletics federation has been suspended as an IAAF member since November 2015 and reinstatement had been expected to form a key part of discussions at the next IAAF council meeting in Monaco next weekend.

The Sunday Times reports that Russia is now facing a ban from competing in the 2020 Olympics following this latest investigation.