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q123 Aug 7 '19
Our experts weigh in on four of the biggest questions in NASCAR:Turn 1: Did NASCAR make the right call on Martin Truex Jr. Asics Gel Lyte V Nere . for passing on pit road?Ricky Craven, ESPN NASCAR analyst: By the letter of the rule, yes. But the primary concern all drivers will have headed into this weekends drivers meeting is this: Where is the line of judgment when it comes to this rule? Because it feels like a gray area in terms of how far it can or cannot be pushed. Steve ODonnell has made it clear that it will be addressed in detail on Sunday. Im eager to hear Martins response.Ryan McGee, ESPN.com: According to the rulebook ... yes? I usually make a sandwich or take a nap instead of pay attention to the prerace drivers meetings. They tend to be a bit Groundhog Day-ish, especially since Jeff Gordon and his weekly questions retired. ?But this week I will pay close attention to how it is addressed, as NASCAR has promised, and what the reaction is to whatever is said.John Oreovicz, ESPN.com: Ultimately yes, assuming that NASCAR consistently makes similar calls in the future. Truex and the No. 78 team didnt break the letter of the law, but they did violate it in spirit, and the advantage he gained was plainly obvious in video replays. Drivers and teams are going to push the limits of the rules, and for NASCAR, this was the proverbial straw that broke the camels back.Bob Pockrass, ESPN.com: NASCAR made a judgment call and it leans more toward the wrong call than the right call. It certainly wasnt horrible and NASCAR rules indicate a driver cant pass to the left. But considering Truex didnt speed, what he did Saturday night could be -- and considering NASCARs no-calls in the past should be -- viewed as in the act of pitting. At worst, NASCAR should have warned Truex, considering earlier in the race it warned Brad Keselowski about laying back on a restart and told him not to do it again. The bottom line is that the leader could have done what Truex did without penalty -- and is that the type of advantage/perk a leader should get? That could be a huge advantage.Turn 2: Does the big lobster in Victory Lane at New Hampshire make you hungry, scared or creep you out?Craven: None of the above. Im a Maine Boy and I dont know a lot, ?but I know this: Never look forward to eating a large lobster. They are tougher than a $2 steak. In fact, never order larger than a 2-pound lobster or you will be cheating your palate. A lobster that size serves two purposes ... photo ops, and making baby lobsters!McGee: I love it. I actually offered to interview it for an ESPN.com story once. However, I have no interest in holding it or eating it. Unlike crab legs, where bigger is better, I have heard that Godzilla lobsters are dang near inedible. But I defer to our resident Mainer, Mr. Craven, when it comes to all things race cars and crustaceans.?Oreovicz: All of the above. Lobster is usually a treat to eat, but Im fundamentally scared of things with stingers and/or claws and the thought of how old such a huge creature must be kind of creeps me out.Pockrass: Creeps me out. Sorry not sorry, this Yankee-born dude just doesnt like seeing live creatures with their claws tied. Yeah, its tradition and its a photo op. But it still is creepy, especially knowing that the winning team gets sent the meat of that lobster in the days following the victory.Turn 3: The trucks race at Eldora next Wednesday. Should there be more NASCAR races on dirt?Craven: I would be in favor of Cup races on dirt. Seems obvious to me fans are seeking something different. Our sport frequented dirt tracks in the early days, and today, short-track racing across the country seems more vibrant on dirt than asphalt. Lets have a dirt-track race beginning in 2017, then add a second at Bristol for the Chase in 2018 (yes, that means hauling in loads of dirt). It will work! Im very open-minded on the subject.McGee: No. This event is special and its the one time the Truck Series really gets to stand out anymore. So leave it be.?Dont let it become night racing or interleague baseball, which used to be special but have been killed by over-repetition.?If Cup guys want to run it, they can file an entry form.Oreovicz: No. Its fun once a year, but dirt-track racing is fundamentally a grassroots sport and should be kept that way. A midweek race on pavement is a better way to shake things up.Pockrass: No. The Eldora race is special and unique because it is the one and only. Tony Stewart wouldnt mind having an Xfinity race at the track, but maybe it would be better if it was an all-star Xfinity event for 20 cars for young drivers whose teams can afford it. Maybe NASCAR should mandate all the car numbers that field a Sprint Cup driver during the season must field a car at Eldora for an Xfinity all-star race for a full-time series regular. That could mean drivers for smaller teams getting a shot in a Cup-backed effort for this one race.Turn 4: Should NASCAR experiment with its 2017 package again this year or were races at Michigan and Kentucky enough?Craven: I have had enough experimenting. Im reduced-downforced to the point of no return. Can we please spend the second half of the year talking about drivers, rivalries, ticket prices or any damned thing other than low downforce, aero change bulls---?McGee: No. Doing it twice is enough. The next time I want to see it in a race is at Atlanta next year. If they want to add a Thursday test day and make everyone run some full simulated green-flag race runs, fine. But theres entirely too much at stake for too many teams between now and the end of the season to be conducting real-time test sessions.Oreovicz: Two races was plenty. Midseason rule changes are never desirable, and its unfair to ask teams to develop a different package for the playoffs because it might give an advantage to those organizations with more resources than others. The two races gave the teams some direction as they prepare for 2017, but it minimizes the distraction that would have come from having to develop two separate setups for the 2016 stretch run.Pockrass: It really should use it at Charlotte, a more traditional 1.5-mile track than Kentucky. NASCAR could have a test at Charlotte between Michigan and Darlington for teams to prepare and hopefully Goodyear could make gains on the tire. It would throw a little wrench in the Chase, but its the second round and first race of that round -- teams would have Kansas the following week to use what theyve learned all season and then roll the dice again at Talladega. The whole Chase is in some ways a roll of the dice with only three races per round. Another twist wouldnt hurt. But dont plan on it happening. Asics Tiger Aaron .B. -- The Baie-Comeau Drakkar took over sole possession of first place atop the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League on Thursday with their sixth straight win. Asics Tiger Gel Lyte III . Pettersen, winner of last years Evian Championships, had nine birdies and three bogeys, holding off a series of challengers led by Marion Ricordeau of France. The second-ranked Norwegian made her season debut after missing the LPGA Tours opening event last month in the Bahamas because of a shoulder injury. http://www.scarpeonitsukatiger.it/ . It might not have mattered. While the Dodgers are preparing for the playoffs, the Padres showed their future has promise behind two rookies. The Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series looked sexy a week ago, but given the events of the past few days, especially with what happened Thursday night in Game 5 at Nationals Park, several more layers of intrigue have been added. The Cubs played two unforgettable games -- a loss in Game 3, a win in Game 4 -- to beat the Giants in the division series. And the Dodgers somehow beat the Nationals 4-3 in Game 5 on Thursday night in a four-hour, 32-minute epic that will be discussed for years to come. Now the two play in the NLCS. We can only hope that there will be a game or two that come even close to matching the final two games in San Francisco, and the last one in Washington. Here are five questions:How difficult is it to match up with the Dodgers?This season has been a long series of matchups, pitching changes and daily decisions for manager Dave Roberts. The Dodgers play the same first baseman (Adrian Gonzalez), shortstop (Corey Seager) and third baseman (Justin Turner) every day, but otherwise, Roberts mixes and matches at virtually every other position (Chase Utley started 118 games at second base, and catcher Yasmani Grandal started 106 games), looking for the best situation that day. That versatility and maneuverability makes the Dodgers difficult to counter because they are prepared for almost any possibility other than, of course, their weakness against left-handed pitching (.214/.291/.333). The Dodgers used 15 different starting pitchers this year, and they made more pitching changes than any team in major league history. Roberts took out a pitcher (Ross Stripling after 7? innings) with a no-hitter going, and he took a pitcher (Rich Hill, after seven innings) out with a perfect game going. Then, in the riveting Game 5 victory over the Nationals in the NLDS, Roberts yanked Hill after 55 pitches (eight outs, six of them strikeouts; he was behind, 1-0) to bring in Joe Blanton to face right-handed hitting Anthony Rendon. Roberts used every position player but one before the eighth inning. He brought in his closer, Kenley Jansen, with no one out in the seventh inning: he got seven outs for the first time in his career, then was replaced by Clayton Kershaw, who had thrown 110 pitches on short rest two days earlier. Kershaw got his first save since the Gulf Coast League, so long ago that Kershaws catcher in that game was Kenley Jansen. Roberts is not afraid to make a move, and hell have to make many moves against the Cubs.What can we expect from the Cubs offense?A lot. This is a really good and versatile offensive team, one that scored the second-most runs in the NL this year, 119 more runs and 179 fewer strikeouts than in 2015. In the NLDS against the Giants, the Cubs scored only 11 runs in the first three games, and six of those runs were driven in by pitchers. But just when it appeared the Cubs were going back to Chicago for Game 5, they scored four in the ninth to beat the Giants. Thee Cubs became the first team since the Yankees in the 2001 World Series to produce tying hits in the ninth inning or later in consecutive postseason games. Aaron Asics|Uomo/Donna|Bianche/Blu H50XJ-0142. Now they have to get first baseman Anthony Rizzo going offensively. He singled and drew two walks (one a crucial one in the ninth inning of Game 4), but he is 1-for-15 in this postseason, and 7-for-47 in his postseason career.What is the status of the Dodgers rotation?Not where it wants to be due to the measures that had to be taken just to get to this series. Kershaw could start Game 2, but it wont be easy given that he threw 110 pitches on short rest Tuesday, then pitched in relief two days later. Its likely that Kenta Maeda, a 16-game winner who labored in his start against the Nationals in Game 3, would start Game 1. After that, it gets tricky. If its not Kershaw in Game 2, Hill could go, but he threw 56 pitches on short rest in Game 5, meaning he would have to go on short rest again. Julio Urias, 20, could start, but he pitched in relief in Game 5, also. If Urias starts, hell be the youngest pitcher ever to start a postseason game.What is the status of the Cubs rotation?Jon Lester was brilliant in Game 1 against the Giants, becoming the third Cubs pitcher to throw eight scoreless innings without a walk in a postseason game (joining Jake Arrieta and Mordecai Three Finger Brown). It was the first time in Lesters decorated postseason career that he completed eight innings. Kyle Hendricks was hit in the forearm with a line drive in Game 2, forcing him to leave the game in the fourth inning, but from all indications, he has recovered, and should be 100 percent for the Dodgers. Before getting hit, however, Hendricks wasnt sharp (he has now given up seven earned runs in 12? innings in his three postseason starts), but if that changeup is right, he will be hard to handle. Arrieta, who labored the second half of the season, gave the Cubs six good innings in Game 3, but the bullpen lost his lead. John Lackey is the fourth starter, and he is a tested and accomplished postseason pitcher, even though he lasted only four innings in Game 4.Who has been the breakthrough player of this postseason?Javy Baez of the Cubs. He is an elite defender in the infield, especially at second base. His ability to catch a short-hop throw from the catcher, and apply the tag on a potential base stealer, is rivaled only by Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy. Baez has a great throwing arm and remarkable range, he hits with power, he gets big hits and -- unlike so many players of this generation, a generation that runs the bases poorly at best -- he is a great baserunner, with a natural feel for the game and for situations. He personifies who the Cubs are: young, athletic and versatile; plug him in at any position in any situation, he can beat you in so many ways.Cubs in seven. ' ' '