a different reason. But his impact is felt, with Green wondering when Farrell is going to send his slugger to the plate.When Ortiz strolls to the dish, the Red Sox get an emotional boost as fans -- Bostons backers are packing Petco Park -- underscore the significance of his at-bats. ' ' '

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The excitement level over the next two Chase races could very well vary from fan to fan.As teams have adjusted to the elimination format of NASCARs playoffs, the goals now differ depending on where each driver sits in the standings .Because five Chase drivers had trouble at Charlotte, Brad Keselowski believes the dynamic has changed for the rest of the field.The reality is, if you have a pretty good gap, youre probably going to take a log off the fire, Keselowski said.The opening race of the second round of the Chase saw five drivers finish 30th or worse , and now only eight points separates Denny Hamlin in eight place from Kevin Harvick in 12th. Four drivers will be eliminated after Talladega next week, and Keselowski believes the paring will absolutely be four of the five currently sitting at the bottom of the standings.Under his theory, Denny Hamlin, Austin Dillon, Chase Elliott, Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick are racing each other Sunday at Kansas Speedway and next week at Talladega. The rest of the field is simply trying to live to fight another day.What exactly does that mean? Well, the remaining drivers in the field may not take many risks because theres no need to put it all on the line. They have breathing room from the bottom of the field right now, and arent desperate for victories or track position.A year ago, Logano opened the second round of the Chase with a win at Charlotte that earned him an automatic berth in the third round. The next week, he raced Matt Kenseth very hard in the closing laps at Kansas to snatch away a win that Kenseth needed to get into the third round.The victory was nothing more than a trophy for Logano and had far more meaning to Kenseths playoff hopes. It ignited a feud that ultimately knocked Logano out of the playoffs in the next round.Everyone saw what happened with Joey, and theyre not going to do that to themselves, Keselowski said of his teammate. Its like basketball: you want to make sure you dont have a bunch of fouls and arent worn out when the fourth quarter comes, because it seems like those are always five-point games in the fourth quarter. So dont be in a spot to foul out. Make sure youve got your legs beneath you.Now that the current Chase format is two years old, he also believes teams will race to do whatever is needed to make it into the next round. As an example, he used the 2014 race at Texas Motor Speedway, where Keselowski went three-wide on a late restart to make contact with Jeff Gordon. It led to a cut tire for Gordon that cost him a shot at the win, and Gordon punched Keselowski on pit road after the race.That was a race I had to win and I knew he didnt have to win it, Keselowski said. All he had to do was run like fourth or even 10th. In the moment when I made the move and we got together and he ended up blowing a tire, I was shocked that he didnt know the situation.Like, how do you not know the situation? Im behind you with newer tires, youre not getting a good restart, all you need to do is run fifth. Know the situation.Asked if all of this hurts the excitement level, Keselowski said it will be in the eye of the beholder.How do you define hurt? If youre a fan of mine or anyone who has the ability to (advance) through consistency? If youre a fan of someone who is out and has to dig real deep to make it through? I think it could be very exciting, he said. I think its just a matter of perspective.MARTINSVILLE LIGHTSMartinsville Speedway will become the first major race track with LED lights when it installs them for next season. Speedway President Clay Campbell called the lights an insurance policy. During last years race, it was nearly dark when Jeff Gordon crossed the finish line.If we would have had one more delay, we wouldnt have finished that race, Campbell said.International Speedway Corp., which owns Martinsville, will pay for the lights. Martinsville will not have a night race in 2017 because the schedule has already been set. The spring race is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. ET and the fall race is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.TRUEX-REDEMPTIONMatin Truex Jr. is looking for some redemption when he makes his 400th career start Sunday at Kansas Speedway.Truex won the pole at the track in May and led a race-high 172 laps. But a loose wheel forced a late pit stop and Truex finished 14th.Although hes won four races since that Kansas disappointment, hed like a chance to get that victory back.We were dominant, but didnt close the deal, Truex said. I am happy were headed to Kansas, this is a race we feel we can run up front and possibly win. When we left Kansas in May, I said, `If we keep on bringing cars like we had tonight were going to win. Since Kansas, we have done that.In Truexs 399 starts, he has seven wins -- five with Furniture Row Racing -- 47 top-five finishes, 132 top-10s and 10 poles.He is currently in the second round of NASCARs playoffs.NEWMAN-EXTENSIONRichard Childress Racing gave Ryan Newman a multi-year contract extension this week to continue driving the No. 31 Chevrolet.Ryans consistency on the track has been a benefit to our organization and this extension solidifies the future of our racing program, said Richard Childress.Newman was in the final year of a three-year contract with RCR. He made the Chase each of the last two seasons -- advancing to the final round in 2014 -- but missed a spot in the playoffs this season.Our goal to win a championship all but turned into a reality during our first year together, Newman said. I feel like since then, we have some unfinished business to complete.Newman was fourth in Sundays race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It was his second top-five finish this season.Air Max 90 Homme Pas Cher Chine . -- Whether Jeremy Hill deserves a prominent role in LSUs offence this early in the season is a matter for debate. Air Max Tn Pas Cher France . -- New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis is retiring after a 16-year career to become the goalie coach for the Los Angeles Galaxy. http://www.basketairmax90pascher.fr/air-max-tavas-pas-cher-france.html . Walcott is available for Saturdays home match against Southampton as Arsenal looks to extend its two-point lead at the top of the Premier League. The Gunners are currently the second highest scorers in the league but Wenger insists Walcott will add something extra to his team. Basket Nike Air Max 90 Pas Cher . 1, meaning problems for the doping controls at both major international sports events next year. The World Anti-Doping Agency provisionally suspended the Moscow Antidoping Center on Sunday, saying its operations must improve or a six-month ban on the facilitys accreditation will be imposed. Air Max 96 Pas Cher . PAUL, Minn.SAN DIEGO -- The Boston Red Sox play tourist for one more game, facing the Padres in San Diego on WednesdayThat means one more outing without David Ortiz in the starting lineup with no designated hitter in play.Thats big for Boston, having to go without Big Papi.But Red Sox manager John Farrell shrugs about the dilemma as Boston goes for the series win on Wednesday. Its not like this Interleague series snuck up on anybody.The schedule is with it is, Farrell said. We knew that this trip out here was going to be taking place last winter. The fact is you got 15 teams in each league so Interleague is going to be played (almost) every night.They go against a club looking forward to the offseason. The Padres are steamrolling toward their sixth straight losing season.The Red Sox have their sights set on the playoffs. Wednesday will be another critical game as they keep pace with the Toronto Blue Jays. Toronto is where the Red Sox head next, as theyll get their passports stamped and their Big Papi -- hes in the AL top 10 in numerous categories -- back in the order.Ortiz is making his final swing through Southern California as hell retire at the end of the season. But his last tour has him in a pinch-hitters role as the only glove Ortiz is wearing in the series is a batting glove.He had a grand opportunity in the series opener on Monday. With the tying run in scoring position, Ortiz lifted a harmless fly ball to end the game.So Ortiz will again be a key card for Farrell to play on Wednesday, as lefty DDavid Price (14-8, 3.dddddddddddd.92) squares off against right-hander Jarred Cosart (0-2, 5.14).Would Farrell like to have Ortiz and his production in his lineup? Yep, but hell have to settle for Ortiz being a one-trick pony for another game.I think any time we dont have David Ortiz in the lineup ... sure that would negatively affect any club, Farrell said.The Padres added a player and he could play on Wednesday. Outfielder Jon Jay was activated from the 60-day disabled list on Tuesday, as hes been out since June 20. He was a catalyst as the leadoff man, batting .296 with 24 doubles, two home runs, 23 RBI and 35 runs scored. His .345 on-base percentage fit in well, too.Jay has always been cozy in center field. But with the rebuilding Padres doing auditions for next season at nearly every position, Jay will be on the move.You are going to see Jay start in all three spots, Padres manager Andy Green said.Although Jay hasnt been on the field, hes still had an impact.Even during his injury absence, he was a clubhouse leader, Green said.The same could be said for Ortiz, although hes idle for a different reason. But his impact is felt, with Green wondering when Farrell is going to send his slugger to the plate.When Ortiz strolls to the dish, the Red Sox get an emotional boost as fans -- Bostons backers are packing Petco Park -- underscore the significance of his at-bats. ' ' '