HOUSTON -- A young fan at Wednesday night's game between the Cubs and Astros was struck by a foul ball hit by Albert Almora Jr., shaking up the Chicago center fielder.

Almora hit a fourth-inning line drive into the stands down the third base line, where it hit a young girl. He immediately put his hands on his head and took a couple of steps toward the stands. He then fell to his knees near the plate and was consoled by teammate Jason Heyward and manager Joe Maddon.

It took several minutes for Almora, who appeared to be crying, to compose himself and continue the at-bat, and players from both teams also appeared shaken up by the scene.

The girl was picked up by a man who appeared to be with her and he dashed up the stairs not long after she was struck. The Astros did not provide an immediate update on her condition, but a photo taken by The Associated Press showed the girl conscious and crying as she was whisked away and nearby fans looked on.

After the fourth inning, Almora, who still appeared to be upset, approached a security guard in the stands near where the girl was sitting and spoke to the guard before the two embraced.

Like all major league stadiums, Minute Maid Park has netting to protect fans from foul balls. But on the third base side in Houston, it only extends to the end of the visiting team's dugout. The girl was sitting in what looked to be the third or fourth row about 10 feet past where the netting ends.

Following recommendations from Major League Baseball, by the start of the 2018 season all 30 big league teams had expanded their protective netting to at least the far ends of the dugouts after several fans were injured by foul balls in 2017.

At Yankee Stadium in May 2017, a boy was struck on the head by a portion of Chris Carter's broken bat. A fan sitting beyond the first base dugout was hit by a 105 mph foul ball off the bat of Aaron Judge in July of that year. And in September, a young girl was injured by another 105 mph foul ball off the bat of Todd Frazier and was hospitalized.

Olympic 800m champion recently lost landmark case against new IAAF rules on female classification

Olympic and world 800m champion Caster Semenya has filed an appeal to the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland challenging the recent Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruling regarding the IAAF’s new regulations on female classification.

Semenya had sought to overturn the world governing body’s new rules which relate to restricting testosterone levels in female runners in certain events.

But when ruling on the landmark case, the CAS dismissed the challenges from both Semenya and Athletics South Africa (ASA) against the new regulations.

“I am a woman and I am a world-class athlete,” said Semenya in a statement.

“The IAAF will not drug me or stop me from being who I am.”

Breaking: Caster Semenya has filed an appeal to the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland challenging the recent ruling against her by CAS in favour of the IAAF which “condones their requirements for unnecessary and unwanted hormonal drug interventions on female athletes” pic.twitter.com/OcHkG4H5ao

— Dan Roan (@danroan) May 29, 2019

According to the statement, Semenya will ask the Swiss court “to set aside the decision of the CAS in its entirety”.

It added: “The CAS decision condones the IAAF’s requirements for unnecessary and unwanted hormonal drug interventions on female athletes despite the lack of any medical protocols and the uncertain health consequences of such interventions.”

The statement also said that the appeal focuses on “fundamental human rights”.

The ‘IAAF Eligibility Regulations for Female Classification (Athletes with Differences of Sex Development (DSD))’ had originally been due to come into effect on November 1, 2018, but were suspended. Following the CAS ruling, the regulations started on May 8.

Under the new rules Semenya, and other female athletes with DSD, would need to reduce their natural testosterone level in order to take part in certain women’s events in international competition.

The rules for athletes who have DSD apply to the 400m, 400m hurdles, 800m, 1500m, one mile races and combined events over the same distances.

As a result, Semenya will not be competing in Thursday’s BAUHAUS-galan Diamond League 800m in Stockholm, but is set to race 2000m at the Montreuil Meet on June 11.

The IAAF regulations can be found here.

Dr Dorothee Schramm, who is leading Semenya’s appeal, said: “The IAAF regulations violate the most fundamental principles of Swiss public policy. In the race for justice, human rights must win over sporting interests.”

British number one Johanna Konta continued her fine clay-court season by beating American Lauren Davis to reach the French Open third round.

Konta, seeded 26th, needed four match points to clinch a hard-fought 6-3 1-6 6-3 victory over her 111th-ranked opponent.

She had never won a main-draw match at Roland Garros until her opening match of this year's tournament on Tuesday.

Konta will play Slovakia's Viktoria Kuzmova, ranked 46th, next.

The Briton would have expected to face fourth seed Kiki Bertens - who Konta beat in the Rome Masters semi-finals recently - but the Dutch player retired from her second-round match against Kuzmova because of illness.

Konta, 28, has surged back up the rankings after a productive clay-court season which has seen her reach the Morocco Open and Italian Open finals, beating the likes of Sloane Stephens, Venus Williams and Bertens in Rome.

Now she has a great opportunity to reach the second week at Roland Garros after eventually overcoming Davis.

After edging a tight opening set by breaking in the penultimate game, then losing her way in the second, Konta showed impressive mental resilience to take the decider.

The Briton managed to instantly block out losing the second set, hitting 10 winners and making just two unforced errors to surge into a 5-0 lead.

Then she stuttered again with only one game required for victory.

Davis saved the first match point on her own serve with a crunching cross-court forehand, then nicked a break back after Konta let slip a 40-15 lead at 5-2.

A hold to love for the American reinforced that momentum had swung back in her favour, and Konta's advantage looked precarious when she trailed 0-40 as Davis threatened to put the set back on serve.

Konta, however, managed to reset again, fighting back to avert danger and clinching victory at the fourth attempt with a thumping drive volley.

'She is tough mentally and has shown good composure' - analysis

Great Britain Davis Cup captain Leon Smith on Radio 5 Live Sports Extra

I am thrilled for Konta. It is tough to get over the line when sets get tight like that. It is wonderful to see. The third round is such good progress for her.

With Kiki Bertens having to retire from her match it has opened up the draw. It gives Konta a really good opportunity to get to the second week.

We have seen upsets but she is in a good way. She is tough mentally and has shown good composure.

CONCORD, N.C. – Fresh off a top-five finish in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600, Roush Fenway Racing has announced a partnership with NOS Energy Drink for Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s No. 17 Ford Mustang.

NOS Energy Drink will serve as a primary partner with Stenhouse on his No. 17 Ford, as well as a season-long associate partner.

The No. 17 NOS Energy Drink Ford will make its debut on June 9 at Michigan.

“I’m excited to have NOS Energy back on our No. 17 Ford,” Stenhouse said. “They have been a great supporter and partner of mine since 2012 on and off the track. Their support throughout the entire racing community shows their dedication and passion to all forms of motorsports. It’s great to have them back in the Cup Series.”

Stenhouse teamed up with NOS Energy Drink in 2012, the same year that he went on to win his second Xfinity Series championship.

When the two-time champion moved up to the premier NASCAR Cup series taking over the helm of the No. 17 Ford, NOS Energy Drink followed him up through the ranks and continued their partnership through 2015.

“Ricky, NASCAR and NOS Energy have become synonymous with one another and we couldn’t be more pleased about it,” said Lauren Albano, Marketing Director for NOS Energy Drink. “Ricky is a proven winner and NOS Energy is high performance drink that completely mirrors the high banks, high horsepower world of NASCAR. We’re all in it to win it.

“This partnership features a great driver, team and sport, and all of us at NOS Energy are very confident we’re going to reach for a higher gear this summer – and way beyond.”

In addition, NOS Energy Drink is a partner of Stenhouse’s No. 17 sprint car team, which competes full time in the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series.

Tuesday was the most recent demarcation line for the New England Revolution. That day's practice session was Bruce Arena's first since being named sporting director and manager on May 13, although when he'll coach in an actual game is still to be determined.

"I'm about 1 percent of the way there in this project," Arena told reporters on Tuesday. "It's a lot to learn, a lot of things to evaluate. I've patiently tried to get a better feel for things here. I'm getting there, but it's going to take some time.

"Will I be on the field [on Sunday against the LA Galaxy]? I don't know yet. If I think I'm going to be a distraction to the team, I won't do it."

Yet Arena's hiring, at least in the short term, was intended to be just that: a massive distraction, be it from a team that has struggled on the field all the way through an organization that hasn't kept pace with the rest of MLS.

The task Arena is undertaking is enormous. Sure, the Revs recorded a 1-0-2 record under interim manager Mike Lapper, but they're still stuck in 11th place in the Eastern Conference, four points out of the seventh and final playoff spot. Is a playoff spot still achievable? Thanks to a playoff format that is even more forgiving this year, of course it is, but it will require more than just a new coach bounce.

Arena's remit involves arresting a death spiral now into its fourth year. It's one that has spanned two head coaches and witnessed an exodus of talented players since the team's last MLS Cup final appearance in 2014, from defender Jose Goncalves to midfielder Lee Nguyen to forward Krisztian Nemeth. The previous decade saw the likes of Jeff Larentowicz, Michael Parkhurst and Andy Dorman depart.

The talent drain points to a philosophy emanating from owners Kraft Sports + Entertainment that is borne out of the "Patriot Way" that the Krafts have used with their NFL franchise, one that basically consists of "Come here for less, play with Tom Brady (who has also taken pay cuts), play for Bill Belichick, and win." But it's one thing when a league like the NFL has a salary cap of $188 million. It's quite another when the MLS "salary budget" is $4.24 million.

Granted, the practical cap in MLS when Designated Players and the various forms of allocation money are thrown in is higher, with data from the MLS Players Association pointing to an average spend of around $7 million. Still, when players are scraping for dollars that need to last well beyond their retirement age -- in their 30s at best -- the Revolution's approach does little to engender any loyalty to the organization. It's also made it difficult to attract players from within the league.

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"Tom Brady, he's an anomaly, he's the best player, he takes a pay cut and he wins Super Bowls," said one source familiar with how the Krafts run their sports teams (no Revs executives were made available for this article). "That's what they're measuring off of. They think everyone should fit into that mold. In MLS, that's impossible."

Sources have also detailed how team president Brian Bilello -- who is still with the club -- and now-former GM Mike Burns had different styles of operating, with Bilello more inclined to be the good cop, and Burns the bad cop. That approach can still work, but in the Revs' case it didn't result in success.

"The culture wasn't simplified, it could be conflicted a little bit," said one source.

That grinding approach to player salaries nearly robbed New England of its biggest acquisition in the past decade, that being midfielder Jermaine Jones. Multiple sources have confirmed that when Jones initially came on the market, he was immediately offered to the Revs only for Burns to pass on the opportunity due to Jones' multi-million-dollar salary demands. It was only when word finally filtered up to Revs investor/operator Jonathan Kraft that the Revs dove back in. By then, Jones was nearly in the arms of the Chicago Fire, but the Revs were saved by the much-reviled "blind draw" that ultimately placed the midfielder in New England. A trip to the MLS Cup final followed.

The team has enjoyed little in the way of success since, and it's not a mystery as to why.

"I think it mostly comes down to players," said Chris Tierney, who retired last year after spending 11 seasons with the Revs. "When you compare the squad we had last year, and the squad we have this year compared to other teams in the league, they just aren't as good. I think it's as simple as that. I'm not sure Jose Mourinho could have gone into New England and gotten that much more out of the squad that was in place."

The introduction of Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) -- and New England's reaction to it -- has done the most to leave the Revs behind. Gone are the days when one acquisition -- like Jones in 2014 -- can transform a team. It also requires hitting on multiple foreign acquisitions. Under Burns, that didn't happen with nearly enough frequency.

The infusion of $4 million per team in TAM (including discretionary TAM) puts a premium on having a robust infrastructure in place, something the Revs still lack. They hired Remi Roy as a full-time scout prior to the 2018 season, and later added another in South America. Yet, it was Roy's first foray into that role, having previously served as an assistant coach. Time is needed to settle into such responsibilities.

One source familiar with the Revs' setup described it as, "the tip of the iceberg," in terms of what is needed.

All of this puts New England in a place where the margins are impossibly thin, and little problems can become bigger ones. One example is winger Cristian Penilla, whose drop in form coincided with the denial of visas for some family members. The Revs were counting on the 28-year-old to provide service for new forward Juan Fernando Caicedo, and the absence of Penilla's contributions is one more reason for the Revs' sputtering attack.

The situation is exacerbated when ownership opts to hire coaches with little in the way of previous experience. Former manager Brad Friedel's biggest strength coming into the post -- his first at the professional level -- was his vast playing experience in Europe during a career that lasted into his 40s. But beyond the fact that playing and managing are two completely different jobs, Friedel's experience also became a weakness.

Friedel, who declined to be interviewed for this article, complained more than once about how he found it difficult to motivate his players because unlike in Europe, there is no promotion and relegation and that the players "don't have fans waiting by their cars" and "losing doesn't hurt enough," despite the fact that such issues related to the country's soccer culture are things he had zero control of.

He criticized the players' mentality in 2018 as well, although Tierney stated that Friedel's comments weren't as big of an issue as those outside the club tried to make it.

"The truth is we hadn't been doing well," he said. "I think we as players felt like we didn't have a lot of ground to stand on in terms of complaining about trying something different. Brad had a very specific, very regimented way that he went about things. I think at times, especially some of the senior players in the squad, I think that we thought we were being micromanaged a little bit, and didn't necessarily feel like were treated as respected, experienced professionals.

"At the same time, he was trying to change the culture and had to make some significant statements to make that happen. I think that was part of his plan, to say and do things that made us think and made us react. Whether it worked or not, the evidence points to no, but I understand where he was coming from."

Now it looks like the Krafts are finally ready to tweak their philosophy. Arena has a lengthy track record of success in MLS. His ability to connect with players has long been his strength. It remains to be seen if the same will be true of those above and beside him. The former U.S. manager will also have total control of the technical side. He'll have to coexist with Bilello, but one gets the sense that he'll have more say in terms of getting things done, much like he did with the LA Galaxy while working with team president Chris Klein.

Arena will also have the benefit of a new $35 million training facility, which will at least help the Revs operate more out of the shadow of the Patriots. It will no doubt help with player recruitment. As would a reported new soccer-specific stadium within the confines of Boston, although it remains to be seen whether such a project will ever come to fruition.

But the success of Arena's tenure will depend on the organization's willingness to invest in human capital. One source said Arena's departure from the New York Red Bulls in 2007 was due in part to New York's inability to provide him with the off-field resources he felt was needed to succeed. In New England, a narrative has emerged that is along the lines of "Arena wouldn't have taken the job without assurances he would get money." Arena's plans are unclear at the moment, but the organization needs to grow quickly and smartly. And it will take some time for those investments to pay off.

"I think the perception in the media is that the Krafts are less involved than they actually are," said Tierney. "For someone who has been at the club for a long time, these guys are heavily invested, not only in this team, but in this league. I think it's just a matter of timing. I think that they have a very specific plan of how they want to treat the club, and the training ground being the first sign of them beginning to make more and more of an investment. Bringing in Bruce is another sign."

But all of that is a way of catching up to rest of the league. Having a training facility isn't as unique as it once was. The same is true of having a robust scouting operation.

Making those investments won't guarantee success, but it will increase the likelihood that the Revs can make a clean break with the past.

This is the first World Cup where people walking into the stadiums will have scorecards - in which you tick off runs scored - running up to 500. Teams have invested in batting depth to give their main batsmen the freedom to try to turn ODI innings into 50-over T20s. Fielding restrictions have never amounted to less. Middle overs have never been busier. Totals have never been more unsafe. Those looking for balance between bat and ball are dreading going to Taunton and Nottingham. There is one team, though, that is not getting carried away.

At least twice in the lead-up to this World Cup, India have publicly spoken about the importance of old-fashioned cricket with the bat. These are telling statements by India's captain and batting coach.

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"What makes the Indian team unique is that it's consistently playing risk-free cricket," Sanjay Bangar told Mumbai Mirror before departing for the UK. "And that's because we emphasise on the ones and the twos. As a batting group, we are not obsessed over the number of boundaries we've hit. But we discuss strike-rotation a great deal. Which is why we're able to eschew risks."

ALSO READ: 'Not obsessed with the number of boundaries we hit' - Bangar

Inherent to this batting ethos is appreciation that ODIs haven't yet become longer T20s. They find backing for that in data. Since the last World Cup, 54.22% of the runs in T20s (internationals and the big leagues) have been scored in boundaries. In ODIs, the number drops down to 45.5%. What's more the contribution of boundaries to a team total in ODIs has stayed pretty much similar for a while. Between the 2011 and 2015 world Cups, 46% of runs came through boundaries.

General wisdom suggests that sides scoring more runs through boundaries end up winning T20 matches. This is where you will see the value of boundaries rising, though. Since the last World Cup, 79.29% of T20 matches have been won by sides that have scored more runs in boundaries. The number in ODIs is marginally higher, at 79.62%. And it is a jump from the 74.5 mark it straddled for the last eight years.

India might not obsess about boundaries, but they do end up hitting them organically. In the period leading up to this World Cup, they have scored fewer boundary runs than their opposition in only 32 of the 86 matches they have played. The number for England is 29 in 88. They have won only 10 each of these matches. It is clear: whether you obsess over them or not, the role of boundaries is becoming increasingly important even in ODI cricket, especially in high-scoring venues in England.

ALSO READ: Kohli hails Archer's X-factor

If India and England score more boundary runs than their opposition, they win nine times out of 10. For Australia that number goes out to 7.5. It shows they are not able to complement the boundaries with other runs in the middle overs. India and England remain the two pre-eminent batting sides in the world, but their methods are completely different. England, on the other hand, are blessed with the coming together of wonderfully attacking batsmen who still score at a high average. Because there are so many of them - they have a possible five to eight of Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes - they can afford to keep going and start sooner than most.

Rate the 50 highest run-getters in ODIs since the last World Cup by their strike rate in the first 20 balls they face, and India's first representation is at No. 14: Shikhar Dhawan. Virat Kohli is at No. 20. Indian batsmen who are quick off the blocks - Kedar Jadhav and Hardik Pandya - haven't played enough matches to be able to make this list, but they will be there at the World Cup. Each of the top six in England's first XI is in the top 20.

And yet the top two run-getters in ODIs since the last World Cup are Indians: Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Dhawan is at No. 9. These three bat long enough and accelerate enough to make up for their slow starts. Batting approach should only be judged when teams are batting first because when they are chasing they bat according to the target. It is in judging and then getting to a par score that these two sides are different.

England race off the blocks; India take time. England's average 10-overs score batting first is 55 for 1, India's 44 for 1. India then tend to make up ground in overs 10 to 30, but here is a number: at the 30-over mark, India have gone at better than a run a ball only once in 11 innings; England do that once every four digs. They again take lead in overs 30 to 40 while the finishing kick tends to be similar.

There is a flipside to so much intent. Batting first, since the last World Cup, England have been bowled out once every three efforts. India have been dismissed only once every six matches. This is where India want pragmatism. They don't want to be over ambitious. With their uncertain middle and lower order and not much sting in their tail, they risk losing the game in the first 25 overs if they go too hard. Yet, within themselves they have started to change things up since the Champions Trophy where they lost to Sri Lanka despite score 300.

There has been a clear change in intent in the middle overs and especially between overs 30 and 40, just before the extra fielder is about to go out of the 30-yard ring. The last-10 overs numbers have come down, but they will hope the return of Hardik Pandya and Kedar Jadhav will address that concern.

Most importantly, though, neither side is obsessed: neither India with individual centuries and hence slow starts nor England with bringing up the first 500. It is their assessment of what a par total is. India believe they have reason to not aim too high because of their bowling attack. England think they need to aim higher because they don't have the out-and-out wicket-takers. In the middle overs, defending a total, India take a wicket every 37 balls against England's 41, concede 5.39 an over to England's 5.89, and have superior death bowlers to boot.

India tend to go with least premeditation about what a par score should be, and are thus able to adjust their game should the pitch not be a pancake. England risk getting bowled out on slightly different surfaces - although underestimate their Plan B at your own peril - but on flatter pitches they do tend to end up with a score that wins them the match.

It is a fascinating coming together of two different extremes of batting approaches; all other teams fall somewhere in between. India have already thrown in the added mind games. Sitting next to other captains in the pre-tournament press conference, Kohli didn't want to leave any doubts as to whom he was talking about when he said: "They seem to be obsessed with getting to 500 before anyone else. They smash it from ball one and for the full 50 overs. It could be pretty high-scoring, but 260/270 is going to be as difficult to get as chasing 370, 380 in a World Cup.

"I don't see too much high-scoring in the later half of the tournament. Some teams might get on a roll, but you'll see 250 defended as well as because of the kind of pressure that comes with it. When you get closer to the knockout phases, that is going to bring greater pressure and no one is going to go gung-ho from ball one. Generally teams will find a way, but I see pressure playing a massive role."