Lancashire Lightning 151 for 6 (Maxwell 73) beat Notts Outlaws 148 for 9 (Parkinson 3-22) by 3 runs

Until this extraordinary evening nothing was more likely to deflate the sails of the good ship Lancashire than the prospect of playing Notts Outlaws in T20 cricket. The distance between Trent Bridge and Emirates Old Trafford means that the counties had only met nine times since 2011 and the best Lancashire had managed in a grisly sequence was two abandonments.

So it is probably a measure of the quality of Lancashire's T20 cricket at the moment that they bucked that trend with a three-run victory which was only sealed when visiting skipper Dan Christian managed only two runs off James Faulkner's penultimate ball of the match. Yet even that late drama hardly begins to tell the tale of a remarkable game in which Lancashire won the toss but had managed only 45 runs for the loss of four wickets after ten overs.

Glenn Maxwell, who was Man of the Match by a mile, and Dane Vilas' fifth-wicket partnership of 107 in 66 balls allowed Lancashire to post a respectable 151 and it was then left to the home side's high quality attack to restrict Nottinghamshire's batsmen. They accomplished that task so effectively that Notts needed 32 off their last two overs but Christian got inside the line of Saqib Mahmood's misdirected deliveries and clipped three sixes over the short leg-side boundary before Faulkner defended 12 off the last over during which Maxwell took his fourth catch of the match. That is a record for a Lancashire outfielder in T20 cricket but the landmark was almost lost amid the good-humoured chaos of the final deliveries and the memory of Maxwell's 46-ball 73 in the first innings. And a few minutes after the victory was completed the rain began to belt down at Old Trafford. Undefeated after seven games and with 12 points already secured, it seemed for a daft moment as if even Manchester's weather was on Lancashire's side.

Such a feeling was understandable when one recalled that Lancashire had lost two wickets in the first six balls of their innings and were 35 for 4 after 8.2 overs with even respectable defeat appearing a distant goal. Alex Davies and Steven Croft were bowled in Luke Wood's first over and Liam Livingstone and Keaton Jennings perished too as the home side sought to accelerate without first stabilising the innings. Wood is one of those bowlers who displays far more gusto in celebrating a wicket than he does in his run-up. The need for discipline in the latter outweighed by immediate exuberance in the former probably explains the division of energy. Livingstone was bowled by Imad Wasim for 3 when imitating the chap who was too fond of ice-cream and went for one scoop too many. When Jennings was stumped off Samit Patel Lancashire were floundering. At which point Maxwell and Vilas changed the game.

As much as anything else the partnership provided yet more evidence of the fitness of most current cricketers. Vilas hit only four fours in his 46 and though Maxwell clubbed a couple of extraordinary sixes on top of seven other boundaries in his 73, that still leaves around 50 sprinted runs in the pair's 11-over stand of 107, which set a fifth-wicket record for Lancashire in T20s. And of course there were the strokes that still bring gasps of astonishment from the crowd. Most of these were played by Maxwell, who can rarely have batted better in short-form cricket; the reverse sweep for four and reverse ramp for six off Harry Gurney were as spectacular as anything we saw on an evening of extroversions on and off the field. Both batsmen fell in Gurney's last over but by that point the crowd knew they had a game on their hands.

Notts Outlaws' innings began quite as dismally as their opponents had when Joe Clarke was pinned in front of his stumps by Richard Gleeson's first ball. Ben Duckett followed three overs later when he clubbed a full toss from the same bowler to Maxwell at mid-on and the remainder of the innings saw a succession of Notts batsmen begin well before falling to Matt Parkinson and Livingstone, who took 5 for 54 between them. The most culpable cricketer was probably Patel, who made a fine 34 before smacking Parkinson straight to Davies at extra-cover, this in the over after Tom Moores had been caught at long on by Maxwell off Livingstone. Until Christian tucked into Mahmood no other Notts batsman had the measure of the task and they were worn down by some superb Lancashire fielding.

So Vilas' team already look well placed to reach the quarter-finals of a Blast which has already served up some wonderful short-form cricket and suddenly appears a format we should preserve rather than shove to an earlier slot in the 2020 season.

But there is a certain convoluted irony about Lancashire's fine start to their Blast campaign. Players regularly talk about the advantages of a team finishing in the top two in their group and thereby earning a home quarter-final in the Blast. Yet for all their success in reaching seven Finals Days, Lancashire have only played three of their 11 quarter-finals at Old Trafford, a tally which includes the rain-wrecked 2009 encounter against Somerset which had to be settled by a bowl out.

Winning 12 points out of their first 14 suggests Lancashire are well-placed for a home quarter-final this year but the four dates set aside for those games clash with the Ashes Test at Old Trafford. ESPN Cricinfo understands discussions are already taking place with the ECB about the club's possible options. Yet as the rain tippled down at Old Trafford this Saturday evening one could forgive Lancashire and their supporters believing that at the moment they can beat anyone anywhere.

India A 190 (Dube 79, Panchal 58, Holder 5-54, Shepherd 3-29) and 278 for 3 (Agarwal 81, Panchal 68, Easwaran 59, Holder 2-51) beat West Indies A 318 (Hodge 65, Cornwall 56, Siraj 3-63, Markande 3-79) and 149 (Ambris 71, Gowtham 5-17, Warrier 3-43) by seven wickets

After clinching a 4-1 series win in the one-day leg of the tour, India A have taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match unofficial Test series against West Indies A. The visitors sealed a seven-wicket win with a resounding bowling performance despite conceding a 128-run lead in the first innings. India A then went on to chase 278 for the loss of only three wickets with half-centuries from Priyank Panchal, Mayank Agarwal, Abhimanyu Easwaran and Anmolpreet Singh.

Panchal was the top-scorer of the match, following up on his first-innings 58 with a 68 in the second dig. During the chase, he stitched together a 150-run opening stand with Agarwal whose 81 featured 10 fours. The duo fell within the space of five overs and No. 4 Hanuma Vihari followed suit, falling for 1, but an unbroken 100-run stand between Easwaran and Anmolpreet, who struck 59 and 51 respectively, blunted the West Indies A attack and helped wrap up the win.

Chemar Holder, the pick of the West Indies attack, took 2 for 51 in the second innings to add to his first-innings returns of 5 for 54, his second first-class five-wicket haul. In the first innings, the right-arm fast bowler ran through the India A top five as they rolled over for 190, with Easwaran, Vihari and Anmolpreet falling for ducks. Save for Panchal, and No. 7 Shivam Dube (79 off 85), no India A batsman could go past 20. Holder was ably supported by fellow quicks Romario Shepherd and Raymon Reifer, who bagged three and two wickets respectively. This was in reply to the hosts' 318, which they put together on the back of half-centuries from Montcin Hodge, Shamarh Brooks and Rahkeem Cornwall, who scored an unbeaten 56 at No. 8. Mohammed Siraj and Mayank Markande took three wickets each.

West Indies A, however, could only add 149 to their lead as offspinner K Gowtham, who went wicketless in the first four-dayer, took 5 for 17 in only 7.5 overs, helping skittle out the home side inside 40 overs. The early damage, however, was done by Sandeep Warrier, who reduced the opposition to 12 for 4 in the sixth over. Had it not been for Sunil Ambris' 71 and Jermaine Blackwood's 31, the hosts might have struggled to put on a competitive total.

USA's first round of ODIs against Namibia and Papua New Guinea, as part of the new Cricket World Cup League Two structure, are set to be hosted at the Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill, beginning from September 13. These ODIs had been originally designated to be played in North Carolina. A USA Cricket board member corroborated the match schedule outline including the change of venue to Lauderhill. These games will be the first ODIs ever played on American soil by any team, making USA the 32nd country to host ODI cricket.

ESPNcricinfo had reported last month that the ODI matches had been pulled from Church Street Park in the Raleigh suburb of Morrisville after the ICC had announced in May that the venue would host these games. Woodley Park in Los Angeles and an under-construction venue at Morgan Hill, California in the Silicon Valley became the frontrunners to land the hosting gig for USA's first home ODIs.

However, the new turf venue at Morgan Hill - which is being paid for by American Cricket Enterprises (ACE) - will not be ready in time. Meanwhile, Woodley Park's recent investment upgrades from ACE funding were not enough to have the venue receive ODI ground accreditation from the ICC in time to host matches in September.

The result is that, in spite of September being the height of the south Florida tropical storm season, the Central Broward Regional Park turned into the default host option due to its ODI ground status listing, which it received from the ICC upon opening in 2008. Despite having had ODI status for more than a decade, the ground has never actually hosted an official ODI. Sunday's 2nd T20I between India and West Indies will be the ground's 10th T20I match since the inaugural T20I was played between New Zealand and Sri Lanka in May 2010.

Multiple sources, however, confirmed that USA Cricket has begun moving forward with plans to host the round of six ODIs at the venue. Sources have also stated that the matches were pushed back a week from their originally announced dates of September 7-14.

A request was made by USA Cricket to both Cricket PNG and Cricket Namibia during the ICC Annual Conference in London last month to push the series back a week due to venue availability issues in Lauderhill, with other vendors having rented out the facility in the week prior. According to a USA Cricket source, the series will now start on Friday, September 13 with USA's first home ODI to be played against Papua New Guinea.

Namibia are not scheduled to arrive from a training camp in South Africa until September 15, meaning the next match in the tri-series will not take place until September 17, when USA take on Namibia. The home side are then penciled in to play back-to-back ODIs on September 19 & 20 against both visiting sides to accommodate USA Cricket's original plans for the squad to leave on September 21 for an extended training camp at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore, in preparation for the T20 World Cup Qualifier in the UAE beginning on October 11.

Namibia and PNG, meanwhile, will play back-to-back ODIs in Lauderhill after USA's departure to round off the scheduled series. The ODI series dates have been sent to the ICC for confirmation but are expected to be rubber-stamped with all parties in agreement. The two visiting countries also have tentative plans to play one or two T20Is at the Florida venue after the ODI series, as part of their own preparations for the T20 World Cup Qualifier, before flying back home.

USA have played only three ODIs so far. The first two came at the 2004 Champions Trophy in England, where they suffered heavy defeats to Australia and New Zealand. Their third and most recent ODI came this past April in the third place playoff match at ICC World Cricket League Division Two in Namibia. After securing a top-four finish in the league stage, USA's playoff match with Papua New Guinea was given ODI status. Despite having beaten PNG by 10 wickets in a non-ODI in the league stage, USA lost the playoff by five wickets.

Faf du Plessis and Dane van Niekerk, the South Africa men's and women's captains, were named the CSA Cricketers of the Year on Saturday. They were declared winners in the 'Players' Player of the Year' category as well.

Du Plessis also scooped the ODI-Cricketer-of-the-Year Award while fast-bowling allrounder Marizanne Kapp bagged the corresponding honour in the women's category. Quinton de Kock and David Miller were named the men's Test and T20I Cricketers of the Year respectively.

Kagiso Rabada, meanwhile, emerged as the SA Fans Player of the Year. The CSA Delivery of the Year went to Vernon Philander for his dismissal of Azhar Ali during Pakistan's first innings in the third Test, in Johannesburg, earlier this year.

Other winners included quick bowler Shabnim Ismail, the T20I Women's Player of the Year; Tumi Sekhukhune, the International Women's Newcomer of the Year and Rassie van der Dussen, the International Men's Newcomer of the Year, who averaged 73 with a strike rate of 81 in ODIs and 133 in T20Is in his debut season, and was among the few standout performers in South Africa's underwhelming 2019 ODI World Cup campaign.

Dale Steyn, who became South Africa's leading wicket-taker in Tests on the opening morning of the Boxing Day Test in Centurion last year, was honoured with the KFC Streetwise Award for accomplishing the feat and for being among the top 10 wicket-takers of all time, in Test cricket.

Shaun George was named the CSA Umpire of the Year for the third year in a row. The honour in the 'Umpires' Umpire of the Year' category went to Bongani Jele.

Speaking about the winners, CSA chief executive Thabang Moroe said: "Faf and Dane have both had very good years, both as contributors in their specific disciplines and also in the leadership qualities they bring to our two senior national sides. Just how much Dane means to our women's team became evident when she was ruled out of action for a considerable period of time through injury.

"Both our Standard Bank Proteas and our Women's Proteas are well ranked both as teams and individuals across the various formats. I must particularly highlight the Proteas first ever away ODI bilateral series win in Australia. It is quite remarkable that over the past few years Faf has led the Proteas to home and away ODI Series wins over Australia as well as our first ever home Test series win against the same opponents.

"It is also a very special moment for the CSA Family to honour our leading Test wicket-taker of all time, Dale Steyn, with the KFC Streetwise award. He has been a wonderful brand ambassador for both CSA and the Proteas for well over a decade and he has not only been a great leader of the Proteas attack but has also played a key role as mentor of the next generation."

Recipients of CSA 2019 Awards:
Men's Cricketer of the Year: Faf du Plessis, SA Women's Cricketer of the Year: Dane van Niekerk; Test Cricketer of the Year: Quinton de Kock; ODI Cricketer of the Year: Faf du Plessis; Women's ODI Cricketer of the Year: Marizanne Kapp; T20 International Cricketer of the Year: David Miller; Women's T20I Cricketer of the Year: Shabnim Ismail; International Men's Newcomer of the Year: Rassie van der Dussen; International Women's Newcomer of the Year: Tumi Sekhukhune

NAPA, Calif. -- Cliff Branch, a four-time Pro Bowl and three-time All-Pro receiver with the Raiders, has died, the team announced Saturday.

Branch turned 71 on Thursday.

"Cliff Branch touched the lives of generations of Raiders fans," the team said in a release. "His loss leaves an eternal void for the Raiders Family, but his kindness and loving nature will be fondly remembered forever. Cliff's on-field accomplishments are well documented and undeniably Hall of Fame worthy, but his friendship and smile are what the Raider Nation will always cherish."

According to the Bullhead City (Arizona) Police Department, Branch was found dead in his hotel room Saturday afternoon. Police there said an initial investigation revealed no foul play and that Branch died of natural causes.

Raiders owner Mark Davis, who once served as Branch's agent in negotiations with his father, the late Al Davis, was particularly close with the former receiver.

"Cliff was my best friend," the team quoted Davis as saying. "I will miss him dearly."

Branch, with his motto of "Speed Kills," was the epitome of the Raiders' vaunted vertical game in the 1970s and early 1980s. A fourth-round pick in 1972 out of Colorado, where he was also a track star, Branch learned at the knee of Hall of Famer Fred Biletnikoff, referring to him as "father."

Branch led the NFL with 1,092 receiving yards and 13 touchdown receptions in 1974, and his 12 TD catches paced the league in 1976, when he averaged 24.2 yards per catch. His 99-yard catch-and-run TD at Washington in 1983 is tied for the longest in league history.

In a career that ended after the 1985 season, Branch caught 501 passes for 8,685 yards (17.3 yards per catch) and 67 touchdowns. He was one of only six players to play on all three Raiders Super Bowl championship teams (1976, 1980 and 1983), and had a combined 14 catches for 181 yards and three scores in those games.

He ranks third in franchise history in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches, with only Hall of Famers Tim Brown and Biletnikoff ahead of him in each category.

Asked once how he progressed from track star to All-Pro receiver, Branch credited his daily opposition.

"I went through Willie Brown for seven years and then Mike Haynes for three years, and both of those guys are in the Hall of Fame," Branch said in 2014. "So going against the best defensive backs in practice every day made it easy for me on Sundays."

Branch himself never was more than a semifinalist for Hall consideration despite having stats comparable to or better than thos of the Canton-enshrined Lynn Swann.

Branch, who ran in the International Pro Track Association and competed in Tokyo in the offseason, also said he and safety George Atkinson later took up tennis as another form of offseason work after being inspired by Arthur Ashe. Raiders coach John Madden caught them playing in training camp and scolded them, saying they were wasting their legs on tennis rather than football. But it was the other way around, according to Branch.

"Other players were sore after the first few days of training camp practices," he said. "We weren't. We were already in shape because of tennis."

Mark Davis became Branch's agent in 1979, when he negotiated against his father. How did that go?

"I got kicked out of the house," Mark Davis said on 2014. "He wasn't too happy. Then, Cliff gets two touchdowns in the Super Bowl and all of a sudden I was back in the family."

Branch lost his home in the Santa Rosa, California, firestorm of 2017, escaping with only his Super Bowl rings. Destroyed in the fire was a collection of Raiders memorabilia that could have furnished a museum, Mark Davis later said.

Still, Branch was amused with how different the game had become.

"There were no OTAs like there are today," he said. "We were basically six months on, six months off, with two months of training camp. The modern football player? We laugh. We wish we had walk-throughs and practices in shorts and practices with no pads."

NAPA, Calif. -- Antonio Brown, who has missed a significant portion of his first training camp with the Oakland Raiders, visited a foot specialist Saturday, a source confirmed to ESPN.

The injury is not believed to be long term and Brown could resume practicing as early as this coming week, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Brown, who began camp on the non-football injury list due to what sources told ESPN were sore feet, participated in a pre-practice walk-through last Sunday and was limited in practice Tuesday. That night, he posted a picture of the bottom of his feet that showed them blistering and peeling. The team was off Wednesday, and the 31-year-old was not seen on the practice field Thursday, Friday or Saturday.

Raiders coach Jon Gruden acknowledged Friday he was getting frustrated with Brown, whom the team acquired in the offseason, not being available.

"I think we're all disappointed," Gruden said. "We think he's disappointed. We'd like to get the party started. We'd like to get him out here. He's a big part of the team.

"I want the guy out here as soon as possible. I'd like him to never leave and stay in the huddle every play. But life goes on and you've got to continue to work, and the other guys got to take advantage of these opportunities, and so far, they have."

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr said Saturday he anticipated the chemistry he built with Brown during the offseason would return as soon as the receiver came back to practice.

"We wish that the healing process of whatever's going on be fast," Carr said. "We want it to be fast, but at the same time you can't rush things for training camp when you know you have a season and, hopefully, a playoff run to think about."

Carr said he had not seen the picture of Brown's feet. When shown it after his media session, he recoiled.

"We just know that when he does show up, we can't wait to welcome him with open arms, hopefully healthy and just ready to hit it running," Carr said. "We had so much time in the offseason, we spent a lot of time at my house, throwing. We spent hours upon hours throwing. So there is chemistry, there is development. I'm used to throwing him the ball, so it won't be brand new when he shows up. It will be just more on him, and the details of the routes, getting out and doing it and correcting it on film and going and fixing it the next day. Those kind of things. But besides that, the timing aspect, the meat and potatoes, so to speak, of what we need is there."

CANTON, Ohio -- A combined 55 Pro Bowl selections, one of the league's most successful owners and one of its formative personnel executives were represented among the eight newest enshrinees into the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2019 on Saturday night at Tom Benson Stadium.

Almost everyone who stepped to the podium battled, unsuccessfully and happily, to fight back tears, and all struggled mightily to thank those who had significant impacts on their lives, on and off the field, as each feared leaving someone out.

This year's ceremony formally enshrined former Denver Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez, Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed, New England Patriots cornerback Ty Law, New York Jets center Kevin Mawae, Broncos owner Pat Bowlen, Dallas Cowboys executive Gil Brandt and Chiefs safety Johnny Robinson.

Tony Gonzalez

Gonzalez, a 14-time Pro Bowl selection who played for the Chiefs and Falcons, led the league in receptions (102) in 2004 and finished among its top 10 in receptions five times. He is the first tight end to be enshrined in his first year of eligibility and is second all time in receptions for a tight end with 1,325.

Gonzalez had perhaps the toughest task Saturday as he stepped to the podium more than four hours after the start of the ceremony. But he joked to the crowd, "Thanks for sticking around."

Gonzalez talked of the importance of his time at the University of California, including his time with the Golden Bears basketball team, and said he actually was "afraid" of the contact when he started playing youth football. He also recounted how a run-in with a school bully, and his refusal to fight, shaped him. He said he eventually decided, "I will never be afraid again.''

Gonzalez held his notes, written on stationery with the words "Think Big" printed across the top of the page.

"It's not about the touchdowns, it's not about the catches, it's not about the glory,'' Gonzalez said. "The most learning you'll do comes through the bad times."

Gonzalez joked that his 101-year-old grandmother, who was in the crowd, gave him the best advice: "When you catch that ball, run like hell."

Gonzalez also read a letter he had written to his children and left for them Saturday morning, including the line "comparison is the thief of joy" as they carve out their own lives and take on their own fears along the way.

"See the greatest version of yourself,'' Gonzalez said.

Champ Bailey

Bailey, a cornerback for the Redskins and Broncos, was a 12-time Pro Bowl selection, a three-time first-team All-Pro selection and an all-decade pick for the 2000s. He finished his career with 52 interceptions.

Bailey fought back tears as he opened his presentation, before joking, "OK, I'll remove my sunglasses so you can see my joy and because my wife said so." He added, "I want to start by thanking God for Broncos Country."

Bailey explained that his mother gave him the nickname Champ, saying, "Thank you, Mom, for all that pressure." Bailey, whose given first name is Roland, thanked his father, his siblings, his children, his family and a host of friends and teammates.

Bailey explained how football brought so much good to his life, but also emotionally acknowledged that he "missed or dismissed'' other things, including some of his children's events, because he wasn't mature enough to "prioritize'' things as he attempted to succeed in the NFL.

Bailey acknowledged the impact Hall of Famers Darrell Green and Deion Sanders had on him during his time with the Redskins. "Then," Bailey said, "the best thing to happen in my career happened in 2004: I was traded to the Denver Broncos." He went on to talk about fellow 2019 enshrinee Bowlen, and acknowledged the Bowlen family in the crowd.

He closed his presentation with a call for a dialogue on race relations in the United States, speaking of the importance of strong voices among black men. He also urged white men to seek to gain a better understanding of the challenges black men face.

"You want to create change, you better start with your friends and your family," Bailey said. "On behalf of all the black men that I have mentioned tonight and many more out there, who have had most of the same experiences that I've had in my lifetime, we say this to all our white friends: When we tell you about our fears, please listen. When we tell you we are afraid for our kids, please listen. When we tell you there are many challenges we face because of the color of our skin, please listen and please do not get caught up in how the message is delivered.

"I believe if we start listening, there's no telling the progress we can make. All of us are dads, sons, bothers, your friends. All of us understand if we can't get our friends to listen, then no one will. And to my black brothers, if you do not have anything positive to say about our social challenges, please keep your mouth shut."

Ed Reed

Reed was a nine-time Pro Bowl selection who led the league in interceptions three times and finished as the all-time leader in interception-return yardage (1,590). He spent the bulk of his career in Baltimore but also played for the Jets and Texans. He had seven seasons in which he had more than 100 yards worth of interception returns, four with more than 150 yards of interception returns and two seasons with more than 200.

Reed's father, Edward Reed Sr., was his presenter Saturday night, and choked back the tears to close the video that was played to the crowd.

Ed Reed stepped to the podium in a gold hat that matched his newly minted jacket, cigar in hand, as he recited the "Athlete's Prayer" to open his presentation. He said he'd read the poem before every game.

Reed took a moment to thanks fans and Hall of Fame volunteers as he went through his football life and he shouted to the crowd, "There's no place like Baltimore, no place like Baltimore."

"There's no GOAT in this game, because none of us can do this without our teammates,'' Reed said. "You'll have to excuse me, I just wrote this sitting right there in that chair."

An emotional Reed, as he thanked many of his former teammates as well as his family, said, "This is tough, man, this is tough." Reed also talked of his aunt, who was in a hospital and could not travel to the ceremony.

Reed took a few moments to address mental illness as well as victims of recent mass shootings.

"America, what is our standard?" Reed said. "That's what we need to do, help each other, lift each other up."

Reed told a story of a police officer in his Louisiana hometown who once took him home when he was young, saying that he told the officer, "Don't do that. Take me to jail, because my mama's at home."

He also joked that he had 30 combined interceptions against the Browns and Bengals: "It's not my fault y'all kept changing quarterbacks."

In addition to his family, teammates and coaches, Reed also thanked a vast assortment of people, including trainers, equipment staff and even "my two barbers."

Ty Law

Law, the former Patriots, Jets, Chiefs and Broncos cornerback, was a three-time Super Bowl winner who did some of his best work in the postseason. He had six interceptions in 13 career playoff games, including three in New England's run to close out the 2003 season with a Lombardi trophy; he finished with 53 career interceptions, including a league-leading 10 in 2005 as a 31-year-old.

Longtime friend Byron Washington, who was Law's presenter Saturday night, said, "He wasn't cocky, he was confident.''

Law said he brought notes to the podium because he had "forgot a couple things'' when he spoke at a ceremony for the Patriots Hall of Fame.

"I had to believe in myself, I had to believe in myself a lot,'' Law said as he offered memories of growing up in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, "even if we were competing at being knuckleheads. ... It wasn't all fun and games,'' but, "I knew I wanted to be different.''

Law asked those from Aliquippa in attendance to stand as he tearfully thanked his mother: "We bent, we never broke, and we came out the other side. ... Nobody can ever take that away from us, nobody can take that from you -- I love you.''

He also thanked his father and explained why two seats were left empty next to his mother as he acknowledged his grandparents, who are deceased: "I would not be here without my grandparents. They did everything for me.''

Law also had his former Patriots teammates stand in recognition of their role with the now six-time Super Bowl champion franchise, saying, "Let's keep it real, we started this s---.''

Kevin Mawae

In addition to the Jets, Mawae played center for the Seahawks and Titans. Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells said Mawae was unlike any other player at the position. In his career, Mawae blocked for five running backs, including Hall of Famer Curtis Martin, who combined for 13 1,000-yard rushing seasons.

Mawae's presenter was his wife, Tracy, who referenced the death of Mawae's older brother, John, in a car accident two years after Mawae's NFL career began. Tracy Mawae also recounted each stop in Mawae's career and said, "Kevin was loyal to every team he was on, loyal to his teammates, loyal to his family.''

Mawae said he was proud to be the first Hawai'ian enshrined in the Hall of Fame and gave a nod to several Hall of Fame offensive linemen, including Dwight Stephenson and Anthony Munoz. Mawae also acknowledged his parents as well as his two brothers in the audience as he wiped away tears.

Mawae recounted starting football as an 8-year-old when his father was stationed with the military in Germany, as well as a junior varsity game in Louisiana when he didn't get to play and he vowed it would never happen again: "I would never step off the bus and not step on the grass."

He thanked all of his former head coaches, offensive line coaches and others who had influenced him in his career, as well as one opposing coach -- the Patriots' Bill Belichick, for challenging him in every game: "Holding your defense to zero sacks and having a big rushing day was a big accomplishment.''

Mawae also had his former teammates, at all levels, stand to be acknowledged.

Gil Brandt

The 86-year-old Brandt led off the evening. His career in football began with the Los Angeles Rams in 1955, and continues today in his variety of radio and television duties. In his 28-year run with the Cowboys, the team had 20 consecutive winning seasons, won 13 division titles and had two Super Bowl victories.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who once fired Brandt, called him "a once-in-a-lifetime man." Brandt chose Jones as his presenter and thanked the owner Saturday.

Brandt gave some of his speech while briefly seated in a chair just behind the podium before standing, and he even referenced the Canton Bulldogs, NFL champions in 1922-23, as he opened his remarks, saying, "No, I didn't scout for the Canton Bulldogs."

"The lifeblood of every team is the players," he said.

Brandt added a list of former Cowboys whom he said "should be in the Hall of Fame," including safety Cliff Harris, cornerback Everson Walls and wide receiver Drew Pearson. Brandt also outlined the Cowboys' early use of computers and acknowledged all of the "scouts in the audience and watching on TV."

Brandt has often been credited with aiding the movement of scouting and player evaluation into the computer age. During his tenure, the Cowboys also mined smaller schools for talent -- such as Hall of Famer Bob Hayes -- as well as scouting players in other sports, becoming regulars at the NCAA track championships as well as early scouting forays into Europe and Canada.

Johnny Robinson

Johnny Robinson, who was the Seniors Committee selection, followed Brandt. Robinson was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection, as well as a six-time first-team All-Pro selection as a defensive player. He started his career on offense, rushing for 458 yards as a rookie and had two 600-yard receiving seasons in the earliest days of the AFL.

He led the AFL in interceptions with 10 in 1966, and then led the NFL in interceptions with 10 in 1970 -- the year of the NFL/AFL merger -- at age 32.

Robinson's toughness was lauded, as was his playmaking abilities as he was presented by his stepson, Bob Thompson.

"I never dreamed I would become a professional football player ... to my surprise I was selected the No. 3 player [in the draft]," Robinson, 80, said.

Robinson recounted the advice from his father about winning and losing, about working harder and to "always respect your mother," and he closed his presentation with, "God gave me the ability to play the game of football and I played it with all my heart."

Pat Bowlen

Bowlen, who died in June after a long bout with Alzheimer's disease, is the only owner in NFL history whose team tallied 300 wins in the first 30 years of his tenure, and he also served as an important voice in league affairs during his time on several committees, including the management council executive committee and broadcasting committee. During his tenure, the Broncos had the same number of Super Bowl appearances as losing seasons: seven.

Broncos trainer Steve Antonopulos, known as "Greek'' to everyone with the team, including Bowlen, was Bowlen's presenter and said Bowlen was about "football first, business second.''

Bowlen's children appeared in a video played for the crowd as Antonopulos said, "Mr. B, this one's for you.'' Six of Bowlen's children then took the stage as Bowlen's bust was unveiled, and they each hugged and kissed the bust.

Former Broncos stars Shannon Sharpe, John Elway, Terrell Davis and Bailey, all among the Hall of Famers on stage, got up after the video to hug the family members as well.

NEW YORK -- Yankees slugger Edwin Encarnacion was put on the 10-day injured list because of a broken right wrist, the team announced before the second game of Saturday's doubleheader sweep of the Boston Red Sox.

Moments after winning the second game, the Yankees were holding out hope a second player would avoid joining Encarnacion on the IL. The results of an MRI on Aaron Hicks' throwing elbow Sunday will help determine that.

In Encarnacion's case, officially, he suffered a hairline fracture, according to manager Aaron Boone.

It was in the eighth inning of the first game when Encarnacion, 36, was struck on the bottom of his right hand as he tried to get out of the way of an 87.1 mph slider that stayed up and in.

The pitch from Boston's Josh Smith caused obvious and immediate pain to Encarnacion, who quickly was evaluated on the field by Yankees head athletic trainer Steve Donohue and Boone. Even after that evaluation, though, Encarnacion took his base and remained in the game.

It's the second time in his career that Encarnacion has had this kind of injury. He also suffered a fractured wrist in 2009, when he missed about two months while playing for the Cincinnati Reds.

"The pain I had [Saturday] was worse than what I had before," Encarnacion said.

It wasn't until after the Yankees' next hitter, Gleyber Torres, grounded out that Encarnacion was taken in for initial X-rays. They came back negative, but a subsequent CT scan revealed the break.

The Yankees said Encarnacion would remain in New York next week while they travel to Baltimore and Toronto. At some point within the next seven to 10 days, he will be reevaluated, and at that time, the club will have a better idea of what his next rehab steps will be.

There's no early indication of how much time Encarnacion might miss.

"I hope no more than three weeks," Encarnacion said. "We'll see, I don't know. But I hope that.

"Maybe three, maybe four, maybe five [weeks] depending on how the rehabilitation goes."

The prognosis on Hicks is less certain at the moment, although the tone with which Boone and others spoke about his injury Saturday night sounded quite serious.

"Anything with the elbow always makes you nervous, but I'm going to stay positive until we get the final decision," Hicks said.

The center fielder was hurt in the sixth inning of Game 2, when he delivered a strong throw from his position toward third base. With Sam Travis at second base appearing to attempt a possible tag-up, Hicks caught a fly ball out and zipped a rocket back to the infield. The throw was cut off by the shortstop Torres, and kept Travis at second.

Boston would fail to score in the inning despite Travis, the inning's leadoff hitter, getting into scoring position with none out.

"I was trying to make a good strong throw, and just kind of felt a little painful feeling," Hicks said.

After the throw, Hicks remained in the game until he was finally pulled for a pinch hitter in the eighth.

"I wasn't able to make the same throw and to throw the ball hard," he said. "That's when I told Stevie [Donohue] and got out of the game."

Hicks says he feels pain only when he throws, and added that he has never really had elbow issues during his career.

If Hicks were to be put on the IL, the Yankees have outfielders in Brett Gardner and Mike Tauchman who can play center field. They also could call up Clint Frazier from Triple-A to boost their outfield depth.

As for Encarnacion's absence, with the 30-homer hitter now shelved, the Yankees are down three first basemen. The once-touted Greg Bird is continuing to rehab a plantar fascia issue at the Yankees' complex in Tampa, Florida. Starter Luke Voit also is on the IL, awaiting word from doctors on his next steps following his diagnosis earlier this week for a sports hernia.

Although Encarnacion served as New York's designated hitter Saturday, he had been helping play first base as injuries there have besieged the Bronx Bombers. American League hitting leader DJ LeMahieu (.336) started there in Saturday's nightcap, going 1-for-5.

Traded to the Yankees from Seattle on June 15, Encarnacion is hitting .240 with an .864 OPS. Specifically with the Yankees, he's hitting .238 with nine homers, 27 RBIs and an .824 OPS in 36 games.

Encarnacion has been replaced on the Yankees' active roster by lefty-hitting Mike Ford, who was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after making his major league debut in April.

At Triple-A, Ford has hit .303 with 23 homers, 60 RBIs and a 1.007 OPS in 79 games.

The Yankees currently have 15 players on their IL. In total, 25 Yankees players have spent time on the IL this season. If Hicks were to hit the IL, it would mark his second stint this season.

"One of the greatest strengths of this team is its ability to overcome adversity and just keep pushing forward," Tauchman said of the injuries. "Obviously [Encarnacion and Hicks] are All-Star-caliber, middle-of-the-order players for us. So I don't think it's a stretch to say that any sort of missed time with them is not great. But the thing about our team is that we just keep moving forward."

Despite the injury issues, the Yankees (71-39) are eight games up on the AL East and lead the Red Sox by 13½ games. They also are one of three teams in baseball with more than 70 wins.

That the Yankees have rolled despite using a bevy of replacements hasn't surprised Aaron Judge.

"In spring training when I saw when we'd go on the road, and we have guys that are in Double-A, Triple-A and a couple of major league guys and we put up eight, nine, 10 runs," Judge said. "So once everybody got hurt and a lot of these guys that would've been in Triple-A got a chance to come up here and play, it didn't surprise me that guys would go off."

CLEVELAND -- Francisco Lindor is in the market for a new jersey.

Lindor and Jason Kipnis homered during Cleveland's five-run fifth inning, and the Indians beat the Los Angeles Angels 7-2 on Saturday night.

Cleveland's rally came moments after Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield was shown on the scoreboard, sitting in a Progressive Field suite. Mayfield drank from a beer can after biting into it and showed off his Lindor jersey, leading to a loud cheer from the crowd.

Lindor says he wants Mayfield's No. 6 jersey with the Browns to return the quarterback's support.

"We all appreciate him," Lindor said. "We're all a fan of him. What he did with the beer was pretty impressive."

Carlos Santana added a solo shot in the eighth, helping Cleveland to its third win in four games.

The Indians didn't have a hit through four innings, but quickly broke open a scoreless tie to keep the pressure on first-place Minnesota in the American League Central.

Kipnis hit a two-run homer off Trevor Cahill (3-7), who replaced injured starter Felix Pena in the second. Lindor's three-run drive was off Justin Anderson.

Santana hit his team-leading 24th homer off Cam Bedrosian.

"We had good at-bats," Lindor said. "We feed off each other's energy. That's why it's contagious."

Cleveland right-hander Adam Plutko (4-2) allowed one run in 5⅓ innings. He was removed with runners on second and third, and Justin Upton hit a sacrifice fly off Nick Goody.

Upton added an RBI single in the eighth, but Adam Cimber struck out Kole Calhoun with two on to end the inning.

Plutko had a simple strategy as each inning passed and the game remained scoreless.

"Get the leadoff man out, get the next man out and get the man after that out," he said. "Come back in the dugout and let us hit."

Franmil Reyes, who was acquired in a three-team trade Wednesday, lined a one-out double to left in the fifth for the Indians' first hit. Kipnis homered to right, his 10th of the season.

Kevin Plawecki was hit by a pitch and Anderson replaced Cahill. Tyler Naquin singled and Lindor homered to center for his 19th of the season.

Pena sprained his right knee as he stepped on first base to record an out on a ground ball hit by Jose Ramirez. First baseman Albert Pujols fielded the ball and made a high underhand toss to Pena, who was covering the bag.

Pena reached for the ball and his left foot landed on the base. He hopped around on his left foot before going to the ground in pain holding his right leg. The pitcher was eventually carried to the dugout by Pujols and a trainer.

Angels manager Brad Ausmus didn't have an update on Pena following the game.

"I'm not overly optimistic based on his reaction," he said. "It didn't look out of the ordinary other than him going down right after he hit the top of the bag."

Los Angeles has dropped seven of nine to fall to .500 at 56-56.

KEEP YOUR SCHEDULE OPEN

Plutko had an interesting week. The right-hander originally was slated to follow starter Danny Salazar in Thursday's game against Houston. That plan changed when Trevor Bauer was traded to Cincinnati on Wednesday, putting Plutko back in the rotation.

"It's not my first time doing it," Plutko said. "I just feel it's part of my job. Sometimes I'm in the bullpen. Sometimes I'm starting. Sometimes I go a week between starts. I love it. I'll do anything for this team."

TOUGH LUCK

Pena leads the Angels with eight wins, including victories in three of his previous five outings going into Saturday.

"He has pitched pretty well for us," Ausmus said. "We are taking some hits in the starting rotation."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Angels: SS Andrelton Simmons was a late lineup scratch because of a sore left foot.

Indians: RHP Corey Kluber (broken forearm) threw 35 pitches in a simulated game. He could begin a minor league rehabilitation assignment Thursday. ... RHP Salazar (strained right groin) will rehab the injury in Tampa before starting a throwing program.

UP NEXT

Angels: RHP Jaime Barria (4-4, 6.28 ERA) has struggled away from his home ballpark, allowing 24 earned runs in 20⅓ innings over five appearances on the road.

Indians: Shane Bieber (10-4, 3.40 ERA) allowed two runs in seven innings against Houston in his last start, but the All-Star Game MVP was outpitched by Justin Verlander.

HOUSTON -- After losing 13 decisions in a row with the Toronto Blue Jays, Aaron Sanchez was looking for a fresh start and a way to turn things around in his move to the Houston Astros.

But even with their history of improving the performance of pitchers, it would have been hard to imagine his Houston debut would go this well Saturday night.

Sanchez looked like a reinvented pitcher, throwing six stellar innings to start the Astros on their way to a combined no-hitter in a 9-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners.

"It's hard to come to a team and feel like you can contribute right away when they're already so good," Sanchez said. "So for tonight to end the way it did, these guys coming in behind me and doing their part, too ... I'm so happy."

Sanchez was an All-Star in 2016 and led the American League in ERA, but he'd struggled badly this season and was leading the majors with 14 losses.

He had been winless in 17 consecutive starts, and his 6.07 ERA entering Saturday was the worst in the majors among 72 qualified pitchers. However, three days after he was acquired from the Blue Jays at the trade deadline, the 27-year-old right-hander teamed with Will Harris, Joe Biagini and Chris Devenski to shut down Seattle.

"Just trying to have a good first impression," said Sanchez, who was pulled by manager AJ Hinch after 92 pitches.

It was the second time in less than a month the last-place Mariners were no-hit by multiple pitchers. The Los Angeles Angels used two in a combined no-hitter July 12 against Seattle on a night when they honored late left-hander Tyler Skaggs by all wearing his No. 45 in their first home game since his death.

Sanchez (4-14) kept the Mariners off balance with a steady stream of fastballs in the low-to-mid 90s (mph) coupled with slow curves that often froze batters for strikes as he worked with veteran catcher Martin Maldonado, picked up by Houston in a trade with the Chicago Cubs earlier in the week.

Sanchez threw his curve on 30.4% of his pitches, the highest curveball percentage of his career with a minimum of two batters faced according to ESPN Stats & Information.

"He certainly wasn't dominating anybody coming into the game, so we expected to do a lot more against him and just weren't able to get it done," Seattle manager Scott Servais said.

Hinch was glad the baggage of Sanchez's struggles in Toronto didn't follow him to Houston.

"I don't carry the burden of the early-season losses for him because he wasn't with us," Hinch said. "I am proud of him for containing his energy and containing his excitement. ... I feel so good for him because he was able to channel that inner energy that he has and deliver a huge start. He really did step onto this team and provide a great first impression."

After six sparkling innings, Sanchez was replaced by Harris to start the seventh in a move Hinch called a "no-brainer."

"I get the dilemma and obviously it kind of hits you in the stomach a little bit, but my responsibility is to take care of him, take care of our team, take care of our pursuit to win the division," Hinch said.

Harris and Biagini, also obtained from the Blue Jays in the same deal that netted Sanchez, each worked one inning before Devenski tossed a perfect ninth. He retired All-Star slugger Daniel Vogelbach on a routine fly for the final out, setting off a celebration on the field after the Astros' 12th no-hitter.

Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan, who threw one of his record seven no-hitters for Houston, was at Minute Maid Park to see this one.

"This is awesome," Sanchez said, adding: "You can't write it up any better than this."

Sanchez struck out six, walked two and hit a batter with a pitch in his first victory since April 27 for Toronto.

Hinch patted Sanchez on the chest after he finished the sixth, and pitching coach Brent Strom offered a hearty handshake.

With the Astros' impressive history of improving the performance of pitchers they acquire, Hinch was asked recently what they would do to help Sanchez get back on track.

"We don't have magic dust," Hinch said. "There's a lot of people in the organization that go to work to try to find the one thing that can unlock people's potential."

Sanchez was a first-round draft pick of the Blue Jays in 2010 and went 15-2 with a 3.00 ERA over 30 starts in 2016. He was excited for his fresh start in Houston but also grateful for his time and opportunity with the Blue Jays. The pitcher took out a full-page ad in the Toronto Sun on Saturday to thank the team and city for their support throughout his career.

Sanchez plunked Omar Narvaez with two outs in the first inning and retired the next nine batters before walking Vogelbach with two outs in the fourth. Ryan Court hit a soft grounder with two outs in the fifth but first baseman Yuli Gurriel fielded it and tossed to Sanchez, who dashed to first base just in front of Court for the third out.

Sanchez walked Mallex Smith with one out in the sixth, then retired the next two batters.

Harris walked Domingo Santana with one out in the seventh, but J.P. Crawford grounded into a double play.

Mike Fiers pitched the previous no-hitter for Houston against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Aug. 21, 2015. That gem came in his third start with the Astros, just 23 days after they obtained him in a trade, and it was his first career complete game.

Houston used six pitchers in a combined no-hitter at Yankee Stadium in 2003.

Besides the Angels' combined effort, Fiers has the only other no-hitter in the majors this season, for Oakland on May 7 against Cincinnati.

Michael Brantley had three hits and four RBIs. Jose Altuve homered for the Astros.

Marco Gonzales (12-9) gave up eight hits and four runs in five innings as the Mariners fell to 1-11 against the AL West leaders this season.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Mariners: RHP Felix Hernandez, out since May 12 because of a strained right shoulder, pitched two perfect innings for Class A Everett on Friday, and Servais said Hernandez probably would throw about 45 pitches in his next rehab game.

Astros: C Robinson Chirinos was out of the lineup for a third straight game because of soreness in his right shoulder.

HEY, WHERE YA GOING?

Houston pitcher Gerrit Cole was irked that some fans got up to leave in the ninth inning and yelled at a few of them who were near Houston's dugout as they headed toward the exits.

"A couple of people were kind of surprised or whatever, but I just don't think everybody was aware of what was going on," he said. "I certainly wouldn't leave. But if you want to leave, you can leave. I'm not telling you to stay or leave, I just hope that you know that it was a no-hitter."

UP NEXT

Mariners: Seattle will use an opener Sunday, but Servais hadn't yet said who it would be. After that, LHP Tommy Milone (1-5, 4.39 ERA) will make his 14th appearance of the season.

Astros: RHP Justin Verlander (14-4, 2.73 ERA) gave up two hits and struck out 13 in seven innings of a 2-0 victory over Cleveland his previous time out to win his fourth straight decision.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.