England are looking to put their opening game thrashing by New Zealand behind them when they tackle Bangladesh in Dharamshala in their second World Cup outing on Tuesday.

Here, the PA news agency looks at the key issues surrounding the game.

Injury concerns on sandy outfield

The conventional cricketing build-up to the game has been largely overshadowed by talk of underfoot conditions at the HPCA Stadium. The pitch itself is in good condition but away from the square the ground does not appear to be operating at international standard. A loose sand-based soil composition makes for an uneven base, while the grass coverage is patchy. The International Cricket Council have said it was rated as “average” after its first game of the tournament, but that appears a generous verdict. England can ill afford to sustain injuries in the field, but must balance any precautions against their natural instincts to chase down every ball.

Altitude six-ness

England have established a reputation over several years as a batting side who do not die wondering, but their efforts were made to look gentle by New Zealand, who easily outscored them on boundary count in Ahmedabad. They could not have pitched up at a better place to find their hitting range, with the stadium sitting 1,500 metres above sea level and benefitting from thin mountain air that can help the ball fly further. Liam Livingstone blasted nine sixes here as he struck 94 in 48 balls at this year’s IPL and he has already indicated a willingness to go for a repeat. He is unlikely to be alone.

Bairstow joins the hundred club

England opener Jonny Bairstow will collect his 100th ODI cap when the team-sheets are handed over, the 27th Englishman to do so and the sixth in the current squad. Only one of those has ever celebrated the milestone by scoring a hundred – current batting coach Marcus Trescothick in 2005. The opponents that day? Bangladesh.

A familiar foe

England place a lot of store on their engine room of all-rounders – Moeen Ali, Livingstone and Sam Curran – but it is their opponents who boast the number one all-rounder in the ICC rankings: Shakib Al Hasan. The wily left-armer first faced England as long ago as 2007 and has proved a thorn in their side over the years. He scored a fine hundred at Cardiff in the group stages of the 2019 tournament and earlier this year snapped up four for 35 in Mirpur, including three of the top four. He took three Afghanistan wickets at this ground on Saturday and will have a good feel for bowling in these conditions.

England need to reclaim safety net

Net run-rate is not the glitziest or most glamourous of concepts, but occasionally it can be the difference between reaching the knockouts and booking an early flight home. With nine group games to sort the wheat from the chaff, banking results remains the most important thing but England do have a grisly figure of minus 2.149 to contend with in the right-hand column of the standings. They were not just beaten by New Zealand, they were hammered with more than 13 overs left. At some stage they will want to work on improving that number and that means collecting a few handsome wins of their own. There is no time like the present.

Pep Guardiola lost back-to-back Premier League games for only the third time as Manchester City went down 1-0 to Arsenal on Sunday.

It has happened only six times in all competitions for City under Guardiola and here, the PA news agency looks at the Spaniard’s overall managerial record.

No points from six

Gabriel Martinelli’s winner for Arsenal followed Hwang Hee-chan’s for Wolves against City last weekend.

It was the first time City had taken no points from a pair of league games since losing to Crystal Palace and Leicester across Christmas 2018.

Luka Milivojevic’s penalty proved decisive for Palace before Kevin De Bruyne cut the final margin to 3-2, and Leicester then overcame Bernardo Silva’s Boxing Day opener to win 2-1 through Marc Albrighton and Ricardo Pereira.

The Foxes were also the team to inflict City’s second successive loss in December 2016, Jamie Vardy with a hat-trick as Claudio Ranieri’s side won 4-2. Sergio Aguero and Fernandinho were suspended after late red cards as City lost their previous game 3-1 to Chelsea.

Long run at an end

Before this weekend, City were out on their own in terms of time without back-to-back Premier League defeats.

Ten teams had suffered that fate this season – Burnley, Sheffield United and Bournemouth most recently, plus West Ham, Brentford, Luton, Manchester United, Wolves, Newcastle and Everton.

Eight more of the 20 current top-flight sides – Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham, Aston Villa, Fulham, Nottingham Forest, Liverpool and Crystal Palace – lost back-to-back games earlier in 2023.

The one other exception, Brighton, last did so in October of last year – almost four years more recently than City, whose run since Boxing Day 2018 stood at 178 games.

City host Brighton in their next game after the international break.

Three in a row

Albion will be the team looking to inflict a first hat-trick of Premier League defeats on Guardiola, whose team are alone in losing no more than two in a row since his arrival in 2016.

Arsenal and Spurs are closest with their longest run being three defeats. Fulham had the longest losing run overall, nine games, with eight for Sheffield United and Palace.

Guardiola has twice lost three in a row across all competitions with City, first in April 2018 when a 3-2 league defeat to a Paul Pogba-inspired Manchester United was sandwiched between losses in both legs of the Champions League quarter-final against Liverpool.

The other sequence spanned three competitions and two seasons – the 2021 Champions League final against Chelsea followed by the Community Shield against Leicester and the 2021-22 Premier League opener at Tottenham.

The recent Wolves loss came on the back of a Carabao Cup exit against Newcastle, while the December 2018 Premier League defeats were uninterrupted by any other competition.

The other pairs came in early 2020, to Manchester United in the League Cup and Tottenham in the league, and January of this year when Southampton knocked them out of the Carabao Cup – and denied them a shot at a quadruple – before the Red Devils beat them in the league.

Long-term pattern for Pep

Guardiola’s Barcelona side lost back-to-back LaLiga games only twice in four seasons, both in 2009 – first to Espanyol and Atletico Madrid, then Mallorca and Osasuna.

They also lost Champions League and league games consecutively twice, to Wisla Krakow and Numancia in his second and third games in charge in 2008 and to Chelsea and Real Madrid in April 2012.

With Bayern Munich in May 2015, he suffered consecutive defeats to Bayer Leverkusen and Augsburg domestically and Barca in the Champions League. They won the return leg of that tie but Freiburg then made it three straight league defeats.

His only other consecutive Bundesliga losses came in April 2014 against Augsburg and Borussia Dortmund.

Gabriel Martinelli says Arsenal’s inherent belief will only be boosted by beating champions Manchester City as Mikel Arteta’s men look to go one step further than last season.

The Gunners captured the imagination during a strong 2022-23 campaign, only to ultimately finish second as Pep Guardiola’s side scooped a third straight title in a storming end to the season.

Arsenal’s inability to take a point off them was key in them finishing second and Sunday saw them finally beat City in the league for the first time since 2015, building on their Community Shield shoot-out triumph against the treble winners.

The half-time introduction of Martinelli after three weeks out with a hamstring injury proved inspired, adding extra impetus to the attack before eventually hitting a late winner that deflected in off Nathan Ake to seal a 1-0 victory.

“We know how hard it is to play against them,” the Brazil international said. “It was a great performance from the team and a great win.

“Of course (it gives us more belief we can win this season’s title). We are Arsenal and we are always believing about the title.

“To win against a big side like them is great and we just need to carry on.

“A special day for me. I tried my best, really hard, to be back with the team and it was a great moment for me.

“It’s always good to win against the big teams and we did it today. I’m so happy.”

Arsenal remain unbeaten eight league matches into the season and are level in terms of points and goal difference with leaders Tottenham, with their bitter rivals only ahead on goals scored.

“When you play for Arsenal you have to always believe and this is what we do,” Martinelli said as they look to bring the Premier League title back to north London for the first time since 2004.

“We play for Arsenal and we always believe we can win the titles.

“It’s another year. We’re going to try to improve things and try to do better than last year.

“Yeah, I think (there is more depth). We have a great team and it’s important to have a lot of options.”

Sunday’s victory win was made all the more impressive by the fact Arsenal’s star man Bukayo Saka was missing, with a muscle injury ending his run of 87 successive Premier League appearances.

“We know our potential,” Martinelli said. “We know his potential and how important he is for us.

“Today we did our best, tried to win the game for our fans, for us and for B as well.”

Arsenal return to action at Chelsea after the international break, while wounded City look to get their title defence back on track at home to Brighton.

Guardiola’s men have lost three of their last four matches in all competitions, including back-to-back Premier League matches for the first time since December 2018.

City midfielder Bernardo Silva said: “It’s a setback but it’s still the beginning. We’re far away from the end of the season.

“It was not the result we wanted. Against a tough opponent it is never easy to play.

“We felt the game was tough for both teams. Both are tough and organised and tense. We had a few chances in the beginning.

“In the end it was a deflection. In my opinion we gave them too much time to think at that moment. We have to be more intense in the pressing.

“It is what it is. It’s part of football and we move onto the next one.”

City struggled to lay a glove on an Arsenal side that they had beaten in 12 consecutive Premier League meetings before Sunday.

Guardiola’s men mustered a mere four shots at the Emirates Stadium, but Silva is not getting carried away with the loss or the recent drop off.

“Some of these results we were not expecting and we didn’t want them to happen,” he told club media.

“Last season we won the treble but there was a point that nothing was going our way.

“How you overcome these moments is what defines the team and we will keep fighting for all the games. We’re going for it again.”

Birmingham have sacked head coach John Eustace despite a bright start to the season, increasing rumours of former England captain Wayne Rooney taking charge at the club.

Eustace led Birmingham to safety last season, while a come-from-behind 3-1 derby win over West Brom on Friday left Blues sixth in the Sky Bet Championship after 11 fixtures heading into the international break.

While Birmingham recognised in a statement Eustace had “helped to stabilise and strengthen the club” in his 15 months at the helm, they have decided to part company with the ex-Republic of Ireland assistant.

“It is essential that the board of directors and the football management are fully aligned on the importance of implementing a winning mentality and a culture of ambition across the entire football club,” the statement on Birmingham’s official website said.

“With this in mind, Birmingham City has parted company with head coach John Eustace.

“A new first-team manager will be announced in the coming days who will be responsible for creating an identity and clear ‘no fear’ playing style that all Birmingham City teams will adopt and embrace.”

Eustace succeeded Lee Bowyer in July 2022 and helped Birmingham finish nine points above the drop zone in the second tier amid off-field issues surrounding the ownership of the club.

Despite just three defeats so far this season, it was reported over the weekend Eustace’s position was under threat as the club’s new American owners sought a big-name appointment.

Former Manchester United striker Rooney would seemingly fit the bill after he announced on Sunday he would be leaving DC United following their failure to qualify for the Major League Soccer play-offs.

“It’s just the right time,” he said in quotes reported by the Washington Post.

“I have really enjoyed my time here. But I just feel it’s the right time to go back to England. What lies ahead, I don’t know.”

Injured Ireland wings Mack Hansen and James Lowe are “making good strides” ahead of Saturday’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final against New Zealand, while James Ryan is seeing a specialist on a wrist issue.

As of Monday morning, no member of Andy Farrell’s 33-man squad had been ruled out of the clash with the All Blacks in Paris.

Ryan’s situation is expected to be come clearer in the next 24 hours, with Ireland hopeful the problem is not as bad as first feared.

Wing Keith Earls and centre Robbie Henshaw could be available to feature at Stade de France after missing out against Scotland on Saturday with hamstring injuries.

Team manager Mick Kearney said: “James Ryan is seeing a specialist and we’re hoping for better news than originally anticipated.

“Mack Hansen took a bang to his calf but is improving and both him and James Lowe are making good strides.

“Keith Earls and Robbie Henshaw are both in contention as they progress during the week and apart from that just some usual bumps and bruises after a physical Test match.”

Ireland secured their last-eight spot in emphatic fashion by topping Pool B thanks to a crushing 36-14 win over the eliminated Scots.

But that victory came at a cost as Hansen was forced off after returning from a head injury assessment before opening try scorer Lowe departed at half-time due to a bang in the eye.

Lock Ryan, who injured his other wrist in the 13-8 success over South Africa on September 23, then added to the list of concerns for head coach Farrell.

“We won’t have a definitive on James (Ryan) until after he sees the specialist but certainly there is more optimism around James than probably what was originally anticipated,” added Kearney.

“Within the next 24 hours we should have a clearer picture of where James is at.

“At this stage, no one ruled out for the match against New Zealand.”

The UK and Ireland’s bid to host Euro 2028 is poised to get the formal seal of approval on Tuesday.

The UEFA executive committee is set to give the green light to the five-nation bid, which is unopposed after Turkey withdrew last week to focus on its joint bid with Italy for Euro 2032.

Ten stadia were included in the UK-Ireland’s bid submission in April. Six of the venues are in England, with one each from Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

The six in England are Wembley, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Etihad Stadium, St James’ Park, Villa Park and Everton’s new home at Bramley-Moore Dock.

A redeveloped Casement Park in Belfast, the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Hampden Park in Glasgow and the Principality Stadium in Cardiff are the other stadia included in the submission.

Even with Turkey in the running, the five-nation bid was the overwhelming favourite to be selected.

Senior UEFA sources have indicated the importance of another Euro in a major football market, following on from next year’s tournament in Germany, as European football’s governing body seeks to further replenish its reserves after the financial shock of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The five nations released a joint statement last week following Turkey’s withdrawal, stating they had a “compelling” and “ground-breaking” proposal for UEFA to consider, which would deliver “lasting legacies” across the whole of Ireland and the UK.

There are nevertheless some major issues that need to be addressed if the UK-Ireland bid is accepted by the ExCo.

For a start, the Casement Park site is derelict and plans by the Gaelic Athletic Association to redevelop it with a 34,000 capacity have been mired in controversy and hit by delays.

The Casement project has been delayed by a series of legal challenges and is further complicated by the lack of a functioning Executive at Stormont.

The redevelopment has also been hit by rising costs, with an original projected price tag from almost a decade ago of £77.5million now believed to have spiralled well above £100m.

The GAA is part-funding the project but has yet to reach an agreement with Stormont on how to cover a multi-million-pound shortfall.

Wembley would be expected to host the final in 2028, another major test for the 90,000-capacity venue after the chaos surrounding its hosting of the Euro 2020 final.

Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt said in June: “One of the things I am absolutely convinced UEFA’s Exco will ask us is, ‘How can you assure us nobody will storm the turnstiles?’

“We have to convince every one of those Exco members we have not only thought about it, but that we have planned for it – that we know what we would do in what order and who is accountable.”

England manager Gareth Southgate said it was a “brilliant opportunity” for the nations involved and added: “They will have huge pride in hosting and if the teams get qualified as well then there’s obviously some home advantage to hosting as well.”

Qualification for all of the hosts is not guaranteed.

UEFA’s preferred approach is that all five nations enter qualification, with two host-nation places kept in reserve for any that fail to make it.

However, if more than two do not qualify by right, then only the best two to miss out will be given host-nation places.

England captain Jos Buttler has suggested the state of the outfield in Dharamshala could compromise “the integrity of the game” when his side face Bangladesh on Tuesday.

The HPCA Stadium is one of the most visually stunning grounds in the world, set against the Himalayan mountain range of Dhauladhar, but the field of play is causing serious concerns due to its loose, sandy make-up and uneven grass coverage.

Afghanistan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman came close to a nasty injury on Saturday when his knee lodged in the surface as he slid to stop a boundary, with debris spraying up from the soil as he landed.

The International Cricket Council have stressed that the outfield was rated ‘average’ by the officials at that game, while match referee Javagal Srinath has declared himself satisfied after a fresh inspection.

But England have had two training days at the venue and are unimpressed by conditions, which appear to fall short of international norms.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Buttler said: “I think it’s poor, in my own opinion. It’s not as good as it could be or should be.

“Certainly if you feel like you’re having to hold yourself back, it’s not a place you want to be as a team, or as a player, or in a World Cup match.”

He subsequently took his misgivings even further, telling the BBC: “The powers that be are comfortable… the only thing I would question is, if you are telling players not to dive and stuff does that question the integrity of the game?

“Worse case scenario is something bad happens, but fingers crossed that doesn’t happen for both teams.”

Buttler appeared particularly frustrated at the idea of asking his side to hold back – particularly as they look to provide a rousing response to their hefty nine-wicket defeat against New Zealand in the tournament opener.

“Any time you’re talking about being careful diving, or maybe being careful when you’re fielding, it goes against everything you want to be as a team,” Buttler said.

“You want to dive through a row houses to save a run. so it’s obviously not ideal, the way the surface is.

“I think it’s definitely one where you’re going to have to be a little bit careful, which isn’t what you want to be doing when you’re playing for your country.

“You want to put your body on the line and be trying to save every single run and have confidence in the field.

“We won’t be using it as an excuse, we’ll just have to be a bit smart.”

Michael Dods will be targeting major prizes with Azure Blue next season, having seen the campaign of his improving sprinter come to a premature end.

The four-year-old – who found the scoresheet four times in 2022 – made a blistering start to the season, winning a Listed event at Newmarket before claiming the scalp of Highfield Princess in the 1895 Duke of York Clipper Stakes at York.

She was subsequently saved for Newmarket’s July Cup where she finished sixth but has not been since, having suffered a foot injury which has kept her on the sidelines and ruled her out of tilts at both the Nunthorpe and Haydock’s Betfair Sprint Cup.

Sights were turned to Qipco British Champions Day, but having lost the battle to fully prime the daughter of El Kabeir for Ascot action, Dods is now relishing the prospect of Azure Blue returning in 2024.

He said: “She’s fine, we just ran out of time to get her back for British Champions Day so we’ll leave her now and she will back.

“We’re looking forward to next season now.”

When asked if she will be campaigned as a Group One sprinter next season, Dods added: “That will be the plan, I would say so definitely.”

What the papers say

Wayne Rooney is in the running to become Birmingham manager, the Times reports. The former England and Manchester United captain is looking for a now role after leaving MLS side DC United.

The Mirror says Rooney would bring former Chelsea left-back Ashley Cole and former Manchester United team-mate John O’Shea with him if he is to get the job.

Meanwhile, Manchester United are reportedly keeping an eye on Palmeiras midfielder Luis Guilherme and Flamengo winger Lorran, who are both 17, according the the Daily Star. The Brazilian teenagers could cost the club a combined £100million.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Lionel Messi: Inter Miami head coach Tata Martino says he knows nothing about rumours linking the Argentina forward to Barcelona on a loan deal, Goal reports.

Jack Clarke: North-East publication the Chronicle says Sunderland face a fight to keep the winger amid interest from Brentford.

Quarterback Brock Purdy threw four touchdown passes as San Francisco 49ers stayed undefeated with a 42-10 win over the Dallas Cowboys.

Purdy threw all but one of his touchdown passes to tight end George Kittle while Jordan Mason, Christian McCaffrey and Kyle Juszczyk all got over the line for a touchdown.

Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott was sacked three times and threw for three interceptions as the Cowboys suffered their biggest defeat since 2013 and their second of the season.

The Kansas City Chiefs added more misery to the Minnesota Vikings tough start to the season, but it was not without a scare as star tight end Travis Kelce went down with an ankle injury in the second quarter.

The Chiefs won 27-20 with Patrick Mahomes throwing for 281 yards with two touchdowns.

Kelce reportedly went for scans on his right foot but returned in the third quarter, scoring a touchdown to put the game out of the Vikings reach and securing the Chiefs fourth win of the season.

Quarterback Jalen Hurts put on a masterclass for the Philadelphia Eagles as they claimed a 23-14 victory at the Los Angeles Rams.

Hurts threw for 303 yards, including one touchdown pass and rushed for 72 yards, scoring a touchdown of his own.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford threw for two touchdowns for 222 yards but the Hurts touchdown and a brave defensive performance in the second half kept Philadelphia’s perfect start alive.

The Cincinnati Bengals secured an away win with the help of Joe Burrows who threw for three touchdown passes and 317 yards to give them a 34-20 win against the Arizona Cardinals.

Ja’Marr Chase scored three touchdowns off Burrows’ arm and set a single-game franchise record for the Bengals with 15 receptions, lifting the Bengals to a 2-3 record.

The Miami Dolphins beat the New York Giants at home 31-16 with rookie running back De’Von Achane scoring a 76-yard rushing touchdown and amounting 151 rushing yards.

The win took Miami to the top of the AFC East with a 4-1 record while the Giants suffered their fourth loss.

Elsewhere, the New York Jets took care of the Denver Broncos 31-21, while the Atlanta Falcons pipped the Houston Texas 21-19 and the Pittsburgh Steelers took down the Baltimore Ravens.

The Indianapolis Colts beat the Tennessee Titans, while the New England Patriots were held scoreless in their 34-0 loss to the New Orleans Saints and the Detroit Lions handed the Carolina Panthers their fifth loss of the year, winning 42-24.

Bradley Beal, Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday all made their debuts with new teams as the NBA preseason began to ramp up with six games on Sunday.

Beal scored 11 points in 14 minutes as the Phoenix Suns opened their preseason with a 130-126 overtime win over the Detroit Pistons. The three-time All-Star joined a star-studded Suns roster in June after being acquired from the Washington Wizards, the team he spent his first 11 seasons with.

Another Suns newcomer, Grayson Allen, paced Phoenix with 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting off the bench. Kevin Durant and Devin Booker each had 12 points as part of a starting five that also included Beal.

Porzingis, also traded out of Washington in the offseason, scored 17 points in his first outing as a Boston Celtic to help his new team to a 114-106 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.

The 7-foot-3 veteran standout is part of a remade Celtics roster that also includes Holiday, whom the Celtics acquired last week from the rebuilding Trail Blazers after briefly being obtained by Portland in the blockbuster trade that sent Blazers icon Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Holiday came off the bench to play 22 minutes, though he shot just 2 of 10 from the field for six points.

Payton Pritchard sparked Boston with 26 points just hours after signing a four-year, $30 million extension. The fourth-year guard finished 6 of 11 from 3-point range.

Lillard did not play in the Bucks' preseason opener, a 105-102 win over the Chicago Bulls in which Marjon Beauchamp led Milwaukee with 18 points and nine rebounds.

The Bucks also sat Giannis Antetokounmpo, though the two-time MVP's older brother, Thanasis, contributed 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting.

Elsewhere around the league, Gary Trent Jr. scored 22 points to lead the Toronto Raptors to a 112-99 win over the Sacramento Kings in Vancouver; Utah's Kris Dunn made all seven of his field goal attempts for 15 points as the Jazz posted a 101-96 win over the Los Angeles Clippers in Honolulu, and Jake LaRavia scored the final five points of overtime as the Memphis Grizzlies outlasted the Indiana Pacers, 127-122.

Jarace Walker, the eighth overall pick of this year's draft, had 19 points and nine rebounds in his Pacers debut. 

Mitch Garver's grand slam in the third inning provided a big early lead that the Texas Rangers held on to in Sunday's 11-8 victory over the Baltimore Orioles that put the American League's top playoff seed a game away from elimination.

Garver also had an RBI single to help Texas take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five Division Series and remain unbeaten in four games this postseason. The Rangers advanced to the ALDS with a two-game sweep on the road over the Tampa Bay Rays earlier in the week.

The Rangers can wrap up this series when it shifts to Texas on Tuesday.

Texas pounded out 11 hits in Game 2 and took advantage of a season-high 11 walks from Baltimore pitchers, including four from starter Grayson Rodriguez in a short postseason debut for the heralded rookie.

Rodriguez got out of a bases-loaded jam in the first inning, but walked Nathaniel Lowe to begin the second with the Orioles holding a 2-0 lead. Josh Jung followed with a single and Leody Tavares doubled in both runners to tie the contest.

Texas would score three more times in the second to move in front. After Corey Seager drew one of five walks on the day to load the bases, Garver, Adolis Garcia and Jonah Heim each delivered RBI singles to give the Rangers a 5-2 advantage.

Reliever Bryan Baker walked the bases loaded in the third before Garver blasted a 3-1 pitch into the left-field seats to extend the margin to 9-2.

The Orioles scored twice in the fourth before the Rangers got a run back in the top of the fifth, but Gunnar Henderson's solo homer off Texas starter Jordan Montgomery in the bottom of the inning pulled the AL East champions within 10-5.

Baltimore moved closer when Aaron Hicks' three-run homer off Jose Leclerc in the ninth made the score 11-8, but the Rangers' closer retired the next two hitters to end the comeback attempt and the game.

Garcia, Jung and Marcus Semien each had two hits for Texas, while Cody Bradford earned the win with 3 2/3 scoreless innings in relief of Montgomery.

Hicks also had a two-run single that drove in the Orioles' first runs, while Jorge Mateo finished 4 for 4 with an RBI and Austin Hays had three hits in the loss.

Rodriguez was pulled with two outs in the second and was charged with five runs on six hits.

Lopez, Correa help Twins even series with Astros

Pablo Lopez threw seven scoreless innings, Carlos Correa went 3 for 3 with three RBIs against his former team, and the Minnesota Twins drew even in their AL Division Series with the Houston Astros with Sunday's 6-2 win.

Kyle Farmer contributed a two-run homer as the Twins bounced back from Saturday's 6-4 loss in Game 1 of this best-of-five series, which shifts to Minnesota for Game 3 on Tuesday. 

Correa, who spent his first seven seasons with the Astros before signing with the Twins in 2022, quickly staked Minnesota to a 1-0 lead with a two-out RBI double off Framber Valdez in the first inning. Farmer extended the margin to 3-0 an inning later when he followed Willi Castro's leadoff single with his first career postseason home run.

That was more than enough support for Lopez, who scattered six hits and a walk while striking out seven in his second straight playoff gem. The right-hander held the Toronto Blue Jays to one run over 5 2/3 innings in Minnesota's Game 1 win in the Wild Card round. 

Correa hurt his ex-team again when he stepped to the plate with the bases loaded in the fifth and delivered a two-run single for a 5-0 lead.

Houston's only scoring came on Yordan Alvarez's third homer of the series, a two-run shot off Brock Stewart in the eighth.

Valdez, who went 3-0 with a 1.44 ERA during the Astros' run to last year's World Series title, struggled before being removed with one out in the fifth. The left-hander was charged with five runs on seven hits and issued three walks.