BALTIMORE -- Somewhere, Eugenio Velez is toasting.

Baltimore Orioles slugger Chris Davis went 0-for-3 in his first three plate appearances in a 12-4 win over the Oakland A's on Monday night, extending his hitless streak to 47 consecutive at-bats. In doing so, he broke Velez's record for the longest hitless streak by a position player in major league history, according to data from the Elias Sports Bureau.

Velez, a former utility man, started his streak by going hitless in his final nine at-bats for the San Francisco Giants during the 2010 season. In 2011, his final year in the majors, he had 37 at-bats with the Los Angeles Dodgers and failed to record a hit.

Facing Oakland starter Marco Estrada to lead off the top of the second inning, Davis hit a line drive that A's right fielder Stephen Piscotty caught. In his second at-bat, with two on and one out in the third, Davis tied Velez's record by hitting a liner to left that Robbie Grossman gloved.

In his third trip, facing reliever Yusmeiro Petit in the fifth inning, Davis set the new record with a lineout that sent Grossman racing back to the warning track. All three of Davis' outs had an exit velocity of at least 90 mph, including 104 mph on the record-setter.

"First three at-bats were really good," Baltimore's rookie manager Brandon Hyde said. "So I'm taking that as a positive moving forward."

Davis' last two at-bats weren't as impressive. Facing reliever Liam Hendriks with a runner on second and two outs in the bottom of the seventh, he struck out looking. Then, against Fernando Rodney with two out and one on in the bottom of the eighth, he struck out swinging. That made him 0-for-49.

In stark contrast to the heavy boos he received during the O's home opener on Thursday, Davis got a warm reception from the tiny Monday night crowd at Camden Yards, which greeted him with ovations in each of his first two trips to the plate. The announced attendance was 6,585 for a new Camden Yards record. The previous record of 7,915 was set on April 9, 2018.

"Everybody in here is pulling for CD," said Orioles starter Andrew Cashner, who scattered nine hits in 5 ⅓ innings to pick up the win. "The guy used to be one of the most feared hitters in baseball. So it doesn't just affect him, it affects us. We don't want to see him do bad. We want to see him to do well."

Davis, who didn't speak with reporters after the game, hasn't recorded a hit since doubling against White Sox right-hander James Shields on Sept. 14 of last year. The Baltimore first baseman went hitless over his final 21 at-bats of the 2018 campaign, then started this season by going 0-for-23 with 13 strikeouts in the Orioles' first nine games, prior to Monday.

Davis led the majors with 53 home runs in 2013, when he finished third in the voting for American League MVP. In 2015, he led the league again with 47 homers. Following that season, Davis signed a seven-year, $161 million contract with the Orioles. Since then, he has been a huge disappointment. He set an MLB record last season by hitting .168, the lowest average ever by a qualified hitter.

Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who played in only three games last season due to an ongoing knee injury, has been activated off the injured list and will start in the team's home opener Tuesday, the team announced.

The Red Sox are schedule to raise their championship banner prior to Tuesday's home opener against the Toronto Blue Jays. Pedroia will hit seventh in the batting order.

After a season-opening road trip -- a long, miserable, soul-searching trip -- the Boston Red Sox already have learned what the 18 previous World Series winners learned: In the current era of baseball, repeating as champion is a formidable task.

Since the Yankees won three World Series in a row from 1998 to 2000, no team has repeated. Only two champions managed to return to the World Series -- the 2000 Yankees and the 2008 Phillies. (Three other teams have played in back-to-back World Series: the 2010-11 Rangers, 2014-15 Royals and 2017-18 Dodgers.) Nine of the 18 champions failed to make the playoffs the following season. As Ron Washington might say about going back-to-back, "It's incredibly hard."

The Red Sox began their title defense with an 11-game road trip to Seattle, Oakland and Arizona, not exactly Murderers' Row considering the Mariners and Diamondbacks lost or traded away most of their best players in the offseason. The Red Sox went 3-8, and it wasn't an unlucky 3-8. They were outscored by 26 runs, the worst run differential in the majors. They lost games by scores of 12-4, 7-0 and 15-8. The starting rotation has a 8.57 ERA, worst in the majors. The A's shut them out in consecutive games.

It was an ugly start that puts a bit of damper on Tuesday's home opener and pregame ring and flag-raising ceremony. After all, Boston fans have grown to expect only the best -- at all times -- from their teams. Still, I would expect the fans to greet the Red Sox mostly with cheers on Tuesday. Flags do fly forever.

Some have blamed the slow start on the Red Sox limiting the innings for their starters in spring training, an understandable approach given all the work they had in the postseason. Still, the first two trips through the rotation suggested the starters were perhaps rusty from the lack of work in Florida and the 1-0 win to close out the road trip Sunday actually came courtesy of a bullpen game, with Hector Velazquez starting and pitching three innings.

"We played in the last game of the year, so there's obviously a longer effect," Chris Sale told ESPN's Pedro Gomez over the weekend in Phoenix, "but like I've said, we're not going to say we're making excuses. I can't wait to get to Fenway. It's part of the business. It's what we signed up for. At a certain point, we have to show up and win."

All eyes will be on Sale on Tuesday against the Blue Jays as he makes his third start. His first game against the Mariners was one of the worst starts of his career with seven runs in three innings. He allowed just one run against the A's in six innings, but he also struck out just one batter. With his velocity down, he reverted to throwing a lot of breaking balls.

Sale just signed a five-year, $145 million contract extension and the Red Sox wouldn't have shelled out that money without being comfortable with his medical reports, so the hope has to be that Sale is simply easing into the season. It's worth noting that he was sitting 93-94 mph last April with his fastball before ramping up and sitting in the upper 90s in June and July, when he destroyed opponents. He then landed on the injured list in August.

Obviously, the Red Sox were likely to have fewer than the club-record 108 wins they had last year no matter what kind of start they had. During the divisional era since 1969, 12 previous teams won at least 100 games and the World Series. Here's how those 12 teams did the following year:

Better record: 1 (2017 Astros)
Same record: 1
Worse record: 10
Won division: 6
Missed postseason: 5
Won World Series: 3
Average win regression: 10.3

The three teams went on to win 100 games, then repeat as World Series champs: the 1975-76 Reds, 1977-78 Yankees and 1998-99 Yankees. If they Red Sox can follow up with another title, they should deservedly go down as one of the best teams of all time.

But is it possible?

Repeating is even more difficult in the wild-card era (since 1995), due to the extra round of the playoffs. Now you have to beat three teams in the postseason instead of two, and that's assuming you've avoided the wild-card game. Winning six straight postseason series -- no matter how good you are -- is a Herculean task, which puts the Yankees' streak of 11 straight postseason series wins from 1998 to the 2001 World Series in remarkable perspective.

Another reason we've gone 18 seasons without a repeat champion is that several of the champs in this stretch haven't exactly been powerhouses. Good enough to get hot in October and win a World Series, not good enough to make it back to the playoffs the next season. Consider a few of these World Series winners:

• 2002 Angels: They fell from 99 wins to 77, the second-biggest decrease of the 18 teams. That team milked the last good season from Kevin Appier, and Jarrod Washburn and Ramon Ortiz had career seasons.

• 2003 Marlins: The Marlins won the wild card with 91 wins. That offseason they traded Derrek Lee and lost Ivan Rodriguez as a free agent and fell to 83 wins and haven't returned to the postseason since.

• 2006 Cardinals: St. Louis sneaked into the playoffs with just 83 wins courtesy of a weak division. They had only three players exceed 2.0 WAR -- Albert Pujols, Scott Rolen and Chris Carpenter. Not surprisingly, they fell to 78 wins the next year.

• 2010 Giants: The Giants won 92 games and had a strong rotation, but fell to 86 wins in 2011. It wasn't just because of Buster Posey's injury. Their two best position players in 2010 had been Aubrey Huff (5.7 WAR) and Andres Torres (5.3), who combined for just 0.8 WAR in 2011.

• 2013 Red Sox: The Red Sox were certainly great for one season, winning 97 games and outscoring their opponents by 197 runs, but it was kind of a fluke season, with several one-season wonders (remember Mike Carp and his .885 OPS?) or older guys near the end (Shane Victorino, Ryan Dempster). They lost 93 games in 2012, 91 in 2014 and 84 in 2015.

• 2014 Giants: They won 88 games and the wild card, and then Madison Bumgarner had the October to end all Octobers. The Giants won 84 games in 2015.

The past 18 World Series winners declined an average of 6.7 wins. If the Red Sox decline only 6.7 wins, that will be good! That will still mean 101 or 102 wins, which will get them back in the postseason.

The stars will carry them

I was curious how important it is to have a strong base of stars. Do World Series teams decline because they get less value from their best players or less value from the supporting cast? I took the top four players in WAR from the World Series winners and compared them to the team's top four players the following season (not necessarily the same four players).

Overall, a team's WAR from its four best players dropped 1.7 wins, so this explains only 25 percent of a team's decline the following seasons.

There's some good news for the 2019 Red Sox. Here are the top six foursomes from the World Series winners (plus the Red Sox):

2001 Diamondbacks (Randy Johnson, Curt Schilling, Luis Gonzalez, Reggie Sanders): 30.1 WAR

2018 Red Sox (Mookie Betts, Chris Sale, J.D. Martinez, David Price): 28.5 WAR

2016 Cubs (Kris Bryant, Jon Lester, Anthony Rizzo, Kyle Hendricks): 23.9 WAR

2008 Phillies (Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, Cole Hamels): 23.2 WAR

2017 Astros (Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, George Springer, Dallas Keuchel): 23.1 WAR

2007 Red Sox (Josh Beckett, David Ortiz, Mike Lowell, Kevin Youkilis): 22.6

2009 Yankees (Derek Jeter, CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano): 22.6

The previous six teams with the best foursomes all returned to the postseason. Those six dropped an average of only 1.8 wins the following seasons (with the 2016-17 Cubs having the biggest drop-off from 103 to 92 wins). If Betts, Sale, Martinez and Price perform close to what they did in 2018, the Red Sox are a good bet to bounce back from this 3-8 start.

No newcomers

The Red Sox are the third straight 100-win team to win the World Series. The 2017 Cubs suffered from a self-admitted World Series hangover and were under .500 at the All-Star break at 43-45. They recovered to go 49-25 in the second half. The Astros, on the other hand, got off to a great start at 20-10 last April and were 49-25 through June 18 after a 12-game winning streak (although the Mariners were hot on their tail at just two games back).

The Red Sox, like the Cubs, essentially brought the same team back. The Astros, however, had two significant new additions: Justin Verlander (who had made only five regular-season starts for the team in 2017) and Gerrit Cole. Because of the addition of those two, the Astros were able to withstand a big drop in runs scored and still win two more games than in their championship season.

The Red Sox will have Nathan Eovaldi and Steve Pearce for the entire season, but otherwise have the same team minus Craig Kimbrel and light-hitting catcher Sandy Leon. Maybe a little new blood would have helped.

Of course, that's just speculation. The Red Sox have played only 6.8 percent of the schedule. It was a bad 6.8 percent and puts them five games behind the Rays, and in what projects as a tight AL East race, that means it is more likely Alex Cora will end up having to push his starters hard during the summer.

That's down the road. For now, there's one last chance to celebrate maybe the best Red Sox team in history. Then it's time to move on and start winning some games.

The British 400m record-holder shares his experiences and offers his advice on the power of the mind and dealing with adversity

I think mental strength is literally everything. Unless you’re in an Olympic final and you’re up against Usain Bolt, pretty much eight of you in a race are going to be of a similar ability. It’s the one who believes in themself the most and the one who executes their game plan.

You’ve also got to deal with the fact that it’s not always going to go your way. There will be times when you have a race or you do a run and you feel absolutely terrible and you can’t work out why. The body and the mind is a strange thing. Even when I was a professional athlete – many a race I’d turn up for, I’d feel great and I’d have an absolute shocker. Other days I’d warm up, I’d feel heavy-legged, I’d feel terrible, and I’d have a really good run. There’s no reason why. I just think the body is a strange tool.

When you have those off days, you’ve just got to remember – at least you’ve done it. At least those miles are in the bank or the training session has been done and don’t be too tough on yourself. Whatever walk of life, whatever job you have, you’re going to have good days and you’re going to have bad days – it’s the same as sport.

Since I’ve retired I like to keep fit and I have done the London Marathon eight times. I use running as my tool for a bit of ‘me’ time as well. If I’m really stressed out or I’ve had a bad day, I’ll quite often go for a three-mile run in the village and I really find it helps clear my head and I just feel really good when I come back afterwards.

On dealing with injury and adversity

Injuries are part and parcel of running. Unfortunately for me, if I’m dead honest, with my professional career I probably didn’t listen to my body enough. There was many an injury I had where if I’d rested for two weeks I would have been fine but two days later I’m like no I’m all right, I need to train. The injury would become worse and I’d be out for two or three months.

You do need to listen to your body. It’s the worst thing because, especially if you’re competitive, if you’re not running you know your rivals are and suddenly you’ll start to question your own fitness levels. You’re tempted to get back out there. The problem is, the quicker you go back off an injury your body will compensate and you’ll hurt somewhere else. I think you just have to try and be smart.

Rest and recover. Training is one thing but you have to really recover from training and listen to your body. When you are injured just try not to worry about it. I remember towards the end of my career whenever I’d get injured everyone would say ‘stay positive, you’ll heal quicker’. And I was like ‘what a load of nonsense, I’ve torn my hamstring, I’m not going to heal quicker if I’m happy’. Towards the end of my career I tore my hamstring again and I remember thinking ‘I’m going to experiment, I’m going to be really happy, I’m going to be fine’. I didn’t dwell on the injury, I just got on with it and honestly 10 days later I’m sprinting and I healed so quick.

I think the mind is really powerful. You have to believe you will get better and don’t focus on anyone else. Don’t worry about your rivals and what they are doing when you’re injured, just worry about getting yourself better and try not to stress.

Britain's Kyle Edmund will play Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the last 16 of the Grand Prix Hassan II in Marrakech.

The 24-year-old third seed beat Frenchman Ugo Humbert 6-3 6-2 in the first round, while French wildcard Tsonga beat Cedrik-Marcel Stebe in straight sets.

Edmund lost to Spaniard Pablo Andujar in last year's final - his first at ATP level.

Britain's Jamie Murray is top seeded in the men's doubles alongside John Peers.

They start their campaign against Denmark's Frederik Nielsen and the Netherlands' Matwe Middelkoop on Tuesday.

World number three Alexander Zverev is top seed in the men's singles and faces Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin in the first round.

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MOORESBURG, Tenn. — Dirt Late Model Hall of Famer Scott Bloomquist, who is currently sidelined after being injured in a motorcycle accident in March, has forged a business partnership with promoter Cody Sommer.

Sommer, who promotes the Gateway Dirt Nationals and Ohio’s Mansfield Motor Speedway, will manage all business aspects of the Bloomquist brand while also taking on the role of president of the newly-formed organization.

The duo began discussing a possible partnership in 2018 and have officially reached an agreement that sets the stage for the future of the Team Zero organization now and after Bloomquist decides to retire from racing.

Sommer is slated to fill a void by managing the business, which will allow Bloomquist to focus on recovering and racing once he returns to competition.

“When you walk in this shop and you see the history, you understand where this man (Bloomquist) has been and what he is cable of if the pieces of the puzzle all fit right. This decision is something that we are taking very seriously and we have very specific goals in mind,” said Sommer. “Scott’s accomplishments behind the wheel have always set the bar for which the entire sport has strived to be on the race track. This partnership will also allow us the opportunity to set that same bar for the industry off of the race track.”

The team will begin taking on more developmental projects, including building a new car specifically for testing and R&D purposes, a dedicated pull-down area within the race shop headquarters, custom equipment for aerodynamic research and several other functions dedicated to performing on the race track.

“If you sit back and look at the accomplishments he has had with little structure and organization…it really is remarkable,” said Sommer. “Allowing Scott the ability to focus on speed is essential. It will create more accomplishment. I don’t think anyone would disagree that when he is able to focus, he is going to be very hard to beat on the race track, he has proven that over and over again in the past.”

“Over the years I’ve had a lot of great people help me accomplish many things,” said Bloomquist, who is recovering from injuries to his right leg and hip. “This partnership is going to allow us together to accomplish even more. We are going to win more championships, more Dreams, more World 100s and more major events. This is going to allow me the ability to focus on that now more than ever. I’m not dead yet, so just get ready.”

The team will be hiring additional help to support the No. 0 car, but also plans to start a second team in the future.

The post Bloomquist Teams With Promoter Cody Sommer appeared first on SPEED SPORT.

BROWNSBURG, Ind. – The Don Schumacher Racing tradition of fielding giving cars began thanks to the late New Mexico philanthropist and drag racing enthusiast Terry Chandler.

By bannering the Infinite Hero Foundation and Make-A-Wish Foundation on the Funny Cars driven by Jack Beckman and Tommy Johnson Jr., Chandler’s giving car program has raised tremendous awareness for two organizations that were dear to her heart.

Sadly, in 2017, Chandler lost a hard-fought battle with glioblastoma, the most aggressive form of brain cancer. Her husband, Doug Chandler, knew how important the giving car program was to his wife and has generously continued the program in her honor.

At this weekend’s MOPAR Express Lane NHRA SpringNationals Presented by Pennzoil in Baytown, Texas, Doug Chandler has chosen to recognize The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center with a special tribute livery on one of his late wife’s giving cars, the Beckman-piloted Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat.

Throughout her battle with glioblastoma, Terry Chandler received treatment at MD Anderson, the world-renowned cancer treatment and research facility based in Houston. By campaigning an MD Anderson car, Doug Chandler wishes to thank the team and medical staff for their care of his wife and raise awareness for glioblastoma.

“Before Terry’s diagnosis, I had never heard the term ‘glioblastoma’ and I know I’m not in the minority when I say that,” said Doug Chandler. “Finding out my wife had been diagnosed with cancer, and that it was the most lethal form of brain cancer and was incurable was devastating. I asked Terry’s team of doctors why there was no cure and they said cures are developed through research, and of course, research takes money. Essentially, funding is what finds a cure.

“By running this car, it’s my goal to raise awareness for glioblastoma and other lesser known forms of brain cancer, which will hopefully lead to more funding for medical research. With this race taking place in MD Anderson’s backyard, this was the perfect place to run this car.

“The team at MD Anderson treated Terry so well. There was no question where we would take her to receive treatment; they’re the best,” added Chandler, who through his TLC Foundation, has awarded two grants to MD Anderson for glioblastoma research. “My wife championed great causes to bring awareness to others, whether it be military veterans or sick children. I honor Terry by joining in the fight to find a cure for glioblastoma.”

Don Schumacher Racing owner Don Schumacher is also no stranger to cancer, or the services provided by MD Anderson. Upon his 2014 diagnosis of head and neck cancer, Schumacher also elected to receive treatment at the center. He describes his experience there as “the most effective and best treatment I could have received for my disease” and credits the team for helping him to overcome cancer.

“MD Anderson is truly amazing, and I’m grateful that both Don and Terry were able to receive treatment there,” said Megan Schumacher, daughter of Don Schumacher and Vice President of DSR. “I was able to see first-hand their abilities at work while Don underwent treatment. The care that MD Anderson offered was first class; they really helped you feel at home. The doctors and staff were incredible to our family, making sure we understood every step of the process.

“We are glad that we will be able to help share how amazing MD Anderson is when the car hits the track this weekend thanks to Doug Chandler,” added Schumacher, who oversees Chandler’s giving car program. “I am forever thankful to MD Anderson for the care they offered to two of the people closest to me. I miss Terry every day but know that she would be so happy to see MD Anderson receiving national attention for what they do.”

Beckman, a cancer survivor himself, who battled and overcame non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2004, describes the opportunity to pilot the MD Anderson Cancer Center Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car as an honor, saying, “I’m a cancer survivor; my mom didn’t beat it. It’s something that hit my house hard and then came back years later. I drive for a man who is a cancer survivor, who went to MD Anderson for treatment, and that’s part of the reason he’s still here.

“I drive the car as a tribute to Terry Chandler, a woman who didn’t survive cancer. The folks at MD Anderson did everything they could for her so I feel a debt of gratitude to the people who work there, and I feel upon the people who are patients there. I can’t think of a better way to pay it forward and pay it back than to fly their colors into the winner’s circle at Houston.”

The post DSR To Fly Colors Of MD Anderson Cancer Center appeared first on SPEED SPORT.

Toronto FC held "exploratory" talks with Arjen Robben but is not actively pursuing a move for the Bayern Munich winger, a source has told ESPN FC.

A report from Calciomercato over the weekend indicated that Toronto was interested in signing Robben, whose contract with Bayern expires at the end of the current campaign. Robben, who has already indicated he won't return to Bayern after this season, has also reportedly drawn interest from Serie A side Inter Milan.

The source added that there were brief discussions between TFC and Robben through a mutual acquaintance, but that the talks were "exploratory, nothing more" with Toronto moving on to other targets as the Reds look to strengthen their squad ahead of the closing of the league's primary transfer window on May 7.

Injuries have limited Robben, 35, to just 15 league and cup appearances this campaign, with the Netherlands international scoring five goals.

He is not expected to suit up for Bayern again this season.

Robben has enjoyed a glittering career for both club and country. He made his professional debut in 2000 with Eredivisie side Groningen before moving on to the likes of PSV Eindhoven, Chelsea and Real Madrid. He has been with the Bavarian giants since 2009.

Robben has been part of 11 league title-winning teams and was a key component of the Bayern side that claimed the 2013 UEFA Champions League crown, netting the winner in a 2-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the final.

At the international level, Robben has made 96 appearances for the Netherlands, scoring 37 goals, and was part of the squad that reached the World Cup final in 2010

LONDON -- Eden Hazard produced a virtuoso individual performance as Chelsea beat West Ham 2-0 at Stamford Bridge on Monday to move up to third in the Premier League and boost their hopes of Champions League qualification.

Positives

Hazard has returned to the form of autumn, when he was the best player in the Premier League. Maurizio Sarri also kept faith in Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Callum Hudson-Odoi to maintain their recent form and was rewarded. Thanks to the stumbles of their rivals, Chelsea's top-four charge suddenly looks promising again.

Negatives

Chelsea should have been up much more than 1-0 at half-time, and this dangerous West Ham side caused several moments of panic before Hazard finally put the game away. Sarri's men are winning again, but they still need to find their clinical touch.

Manager rating out of 10

8 -- Sarri gave Loftus-Cheek and Hudson-Odoi another opportunity to contribute when it matters for Chelsea and it paid dividends. The presence of both also gives greater balance to his much-maligned system. Finally, his substitutes made an impact, with Ross Barkley creating Hazard's second.

Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best. Players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)

GK Kepa Arrizabalaga, 7 -- Had so little to do in the first half that the isolated Javier Hernandez was substituted at the break. Saved well from Manuel Lanzini and Felipe Anderson in the second half, though, and distributed the ball impressively throughout.

DF Cesar Azpilicueta, 7 -- Seems to be developing nice chemistry with both Hudson-Odoi and N'Golo Kante on Chelsea's right flank, timing his forward surges intelligently. Also kept Felipe in check for the most part defensively, and his overall stamina remains remarkable.

DF Antonio Rudiger, 8 -- His early intensity helped Chelsea get a tight grip on play in the first half and his close attentions ensured Hernandez was a non-factor. Did allow Marko Arnautovic to drift off him to set up a chance for Lanzini, but was otherwise solid.

DF David Luiz, 7 -- Managed to physically bully Hernandez out of the game in the first half. Had more trouble once Arnautovic moved to the point of a more fluid West Ham attack, particularly when dragged out of his most comfortable position in the centre of defence.

DF Emerson Palmieri, 7 -- His mobility on the left keeps Chelsea's attacks functioning at a higher tempo than when Marcos Alonso starts, even if his crossing continues to leave a little to be desired. Also did well to deflect one Arnautovic header just wide as West Ham pushed for an equaliser.

MF N'Golo Kante, 8 -- As has become his trademark, did absolutely everything absolutely everywhere. Broke up attacks to keep West Ham largely pinned back, but also almost scored a brilliant goal after a sublime touch to turn Angelo Ogbonna, and also played in Azpilicueta with a slick back-heel.

MF Jorginho, 7 -- Was a big reason West Ham were unable to get the ball to Hernandez in the first half, astutely intercepting passes and keeping Chelsea's own passages of possession moving forward. Had a bit more trouble in the second half once the visitors re-jigged their attack.

MF Ruben Loftus-Cheek, 9 -- It's becoming more and more obvious by the game that Sarri's midfield is galaxies better when Loftus-Cheek is in it from the start. His ability to carry the ball upfield and pick a pass under pressure helped unlock the best of Hazard and he frequently threatened to test Lukasz Fabianski himself.

FW Callum Hudson-Odoi, 7 -- Not quite as sparkling as he was in his first Premier League start, though there were still enough flashes here to justify him playing a prominent role in the final stretch of Chelsea's season. Fabianski tipped his best effort over the bar and Barkley couldn't quite connect with his inviting low cross to the back post.

FW Gonzalo Higuain, 7 -- Played like he had a point to prove after losing his place to Olivier Giroud, and though he didn't find the net, this was a much improved showing. He linked play nicely and drifted into dangerous positions, latching onto one delightful Hazard pass to crash a shot off the post from a tight angle.

FW Eden Hazard, 10 -- Produced the kind of individual master class that will punctuate his Chelsea legacy if he completes an increasingly likely move to Real Madrid this summer. Single-handedly dismantled West Ham's entire defence to break the deadlock in sensational style and had the visitors petrified whenever he got the ball -- which was often. Having lit up the game, it was only fair that he applied the finishing touch to Chelsea's win.

Substitutes

MF Ross Barkley, 7 -- Brought on to provide fresh legs for Loftus-Cheek, he couldn't turn in Hudson-Odoi's most dangerous delivery but showed speed of thought and foot to find Hazard for Chelsea's second.

FW Olivier Giroud, 7 -- Will rightly feel aggrieved at losing his place to Higuain after scoring against Brighton, but did not show it as he caused West Ham plenty of problems in the final stages.

FW Pedro, 6 -- Introduced in place of Hudson-Odoi for the final few minutes, his most notable contribution was a low cross that came close to finding Giroud.

A David Warner misfield at long-on, followed by a slip as he tried to retrieve the ball that allowed a second. That's how the game ended in Mohali, with Kings XI Punjab chasing down 151 with six wickets and a ball to spare. That slip was down to the dew, which played a big role in the match.

Sunrisers Hyderabad's stand-in captain Bhuvneshwar Kumar agreed about the dew, saying after the game: "The way we bowled, I'm really happy given the dew." But, he admitted, he was also a little disappointed to lose after getting so close.

It didn't look like it would get close when, at the start of the 18th over of the chase, Kings XI needed 19 with KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal batting on fifty-plus and the partnership at 114.

That's when Agarwal swatted one to deep midwicket, and just like that the pressure was on. "Well, somebody had to take a chance, it was 18 balls 19 (needed) and you know we were thinking if we can get two big hits, we should be through," Agarwal told host broadcaster Star Sports. "But I guess we didn't pull it off."

Two more quick wickets fell, and by the start of the 20th, Kings XI needed 11, with Sam Curran facing up to the experienced Mohammad Nabi for his first ball. Rahul, from the other end, was hoping Curran did not try anything too rash, given the ball was "skidding through" due to the dew.

"It was simple, he had to look for the boundaries. But I did tell him that maybe hitting sixes was a bit difficult because the ball kept skidding through and you couldn't get elevation," Rahul said. "So I said look to hit the pockets, maybe get fours because we're not too far behind, we don't need 16 or 17 runs, we just need 11. He came out, still tried to hit a six, luckily for us went in the gap, scored a few twos and (I) could strike that boundary at the end."

Game over, but some would argue it was sealed much earlier, in the first 10 overs of the match. R Ashwin inserted Sunrisers with the imminent dew at the front of his mind, and they could manage just 50 runs in the first half of their innings. Much of that was down to mystery spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman removing the in-form Jonny Bairstow in his first over, the second of the innings.

The dew, and Bairstow's issues against spin, made the decision to bowl Mujeeb early an easy one, Ashwin said. "It was always in our plans, because Mujeeb knows Mohali really well. Sometimes, Mohali, as a spinner, (it feels) lopsided. Because you don't get enough out of the pitch, there's a lot of dew, the outfield's brilliant, the pitch is great (to bat on)... So as a spinner you need to know what sort of lengths and what sort of speeds you should be bowling at.

"It's very important with the dew that you do use the spinner with the new ball, and someone like Mujeeb has done it all through is career, he's just bowled with the new ball for Afghanistan all his life. He's very comfortable bowling with the new ball, so I thought, especially because of Jonny Bairstow up there, if he can get the ball to come in or bowl the googly it was a good match-up."

Warner batted through the innings at the other end, even if he wasn't at his most explosive, and Sunrisers finished with 150 - "20 runs short because there was dew," according to Bhuvneshwar.

Rahul and Agarwal then took charge of the chase. Rahul made a third half-century in four innings - a timely run of form, given India's World Cup squad announcement is a week away. Agarwal's was his second fifty of the tournament, and his second sizeable stand with Rahul after 64 against Mumbai Indians.

Rahul said Agarwal's approach helped him settle in. "Mayank and I (both play for Karnataka in domestic cricket) have grown up playing together, so we have that understanding and we enjoy playing with each other.

"The way Mayank came out... throughout the six games he's come out with a very positive attitude, even against Mumbai he did the same thing. So it gives me a little bit of time."

However, on the downside for Kings XI, Agarwal picked up a niggle along the way. Rahul said: "Need to bring this up, he hurt his finger and I don't know the extent of the injury but he came out and his top hand wasn't, you know... he was in pain, so to play an innings like that was incredible."