LITTLE ROCK, AR– The Wind Surge clinched the series against the Arkansas Travelers Saturday night with a 5-4 win in 10 innings. Wichita doubled up Arkansas in hits (12-6) to lead themselves to a game five victory.

The Surge continued the trend of jumping out first with an RBI single by Roy Morales in the top of the third. With runners on the corners, Morales picked up an RBI for the fourth time this series by pushing one through the right side and allowing Whitefield to trot home.

Wichita pushed three more runs across in the top of the fifth off the powerful bat of Jermaine Palacios. For the second time in as many games, Palacios homered to deep left field with two runners on to bring the Wind Surge advantage to 4-0. Palacios’ 12th long ball of the year moved him into a tie with Andrew Bechtold for the clubhouse lead.

The Travelers managed to score four runs off an RBI triple and three RBI singles to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh inning. The game remained tied as the Surge and Travelers needed extra innings to determine a winner tonight.

Wichita scored first in the top of the 10th to take the lead back. D.J. Burt, the first batter of the inning, laid down a bunt to move Bechtold to third and set up Aaron Whitefield to plate the go-ahead run.

Ryan Mason came out of the pen to close out the game for Wichita. Mason successfully picked up his fifth save opportunity as he recorded a strikeout and a groundout to strand the designated runner at second.

The Wind Surge improve to 4-2 in extra-inning games this season.

Wichita will play the series finale against the Arkansas Travelers Sunday afternoon. First pitch is set for 2:10 pm from Little Rock.

LITTLE ROCK, AR– The Wind Surge clinched the series against the Arkansas Travelers Saturday night with a 5-4 win in 10 innings. Wichita doubled up Arkansas in hits (12-6) to lead themselves to a game five victory.The Surge continued the trend of jumping out first with an RBI single by Roy Morales in the top of the third. With runners on the corners, Morales picked up an RBI for the fourth time this series by pushing one through the right side and allowing Whitefield to trot home.Wichita pushed three more runs across in the top of the fifth off the powerful bat of Jermaine Palacios. For the second time in as many games, Palacios homered to deep left field with two runners on to bring the Wind Surge advantage to 4-0. Palacios’ 12th long ball of the year moved him into a tie with Andrew Bechtold for the clubhouse lead.The Travelers managed to score four runs off an RBI triple and three RBI singles to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh inning. The game remained tied as the Surge and Travelers needed extra innings to determine a winner tonight.Wichita scored first in the top of the 10th to take the lead back. D.J. Burt, the first batter of the inning, laid down a bunt to move Bechtold to third and set up Aaron Whitefield to plate the go-ahead run.Ryan Mason came out of the pen to close out the game for Wichita. Mason successfully picked up his fifth save opportunity as he recorded a strikeout and a groundout to strand the designated runner at second.The Wind Surge improve to 4-2 in extra-inning games this season.Wichita will play the series finale against the Arkansas Travelers Sunday afternoon. First pitch is set for 2:10 pm from Little Rock.

Surge win over Arkansas in extra innings Saturday

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs kicked off training camp Saturday by placing veteran safety Armani Watts on the physically unable to perform list and moving rookie defensive end Malik Herring to the non-football injury list. 

Watts sustained a foot fracture during offseason workouts in May and wasn’t expected to be ready to practice when veterans report to training camp on Monday. Head coach Andy Reid said Friday that Watts is progressing well in his recovery but he didn’t place a timetable on the safety’s return to action. 

Herring, an undrafted rookie free agent, suffered a torn ACL during practice for the Senior Bowl in January and is expected to miss the season.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs kicked off training camp Saturday by placing veteran safety Armani Watts on the physically unable to perform list and moving rookie defensive end Malik Herring to the non-football injury list. Watts sustained a foot fracture during offseason workouts in May and wasn’t expected to be ready to practice when veterans report to training camp on Monday. Head coach Andy Reid said Friday that Watts is progressing well in his recovery but he didn’t place a timetable on the safety’s return to action. Herring, an undrafted rookie free agent, suffered a torn ACL during practice for the Senior Bowl in January and is expected to miss the season.

Chiefs make two roster moves Saturday

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez and Carlos Santana hit three-run homers in the Kansas City Royals’ 9-8 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Saturday night. 

Perez hit his 23rd home run of the season to highlight a four-run fourth. Santana gave the Royals the lead with a three-run homer to right in a five-run seventh. Hanser Alberto rounded out a five-run seventh with a two-run, pinch-hit triple. Nicky Lopez went 3 for 3 with an RBI and a walk from No. 9 spot to help Kansas City win its fourth straight. 

Jake Brentz (3-2) was the winner. Wade Davis finished for his second save of the season after Greg Holland gave up two runs in the ninth.&nbsp;

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez and Carlos Santana hit three-run homers in the Kansas City Royals’ 9-8 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Saturday night. Perez hit his 23rd home run of the season to highlight a four-run fourth. Santana gave the Royals the lead with a three-run homer to right in a five-run seventh. Hanser Alberto rounded out a five-run seventh with a two-run, pinch-hit triple. Nicky Lopez went 3 for 3 with an RBI and a walk from No. 9 spot to help Kansas City win its fourth straight. Jake Brentz (3-2) was the winner. Wade Davis finished for his second save of the season after Greg Holland gave up two runs in the ninth.&nbsp;

Royals win over Detroit Saturday

NEWTON, Kan. —&nbsp;The Hutchinson Monarchs outhit the Newton Rebels for 22 runs, including 10 in the 7th inning alone, in a 22-2 win in Newton on Saturday.

Every Monarch that batted drove in at least one run, led by Jordan Ardoin's 4 for 5 day with 5 RBI. Chaney Dodge drove in four runs, Cole Cosman had three RBI.

The Monarchs are 28-9. Newton is 12-26. The two teams play Sunday at 6 p.m. at Hobart-Detter Field.

NEWTON, Kan. —&nbsp;The Hutchinson Monarchs outhit the Newton Rebels for 22 runs, including 10 in the 7th inning alone, in a 22-2 win in Newton on Saturday.Every Monarch that batted drove in at least one run, led by Jordan Ardoin's 4 for 5 day with 5 RBI. Chaney Dodge drove in four runs, Cole Cosman had three RBI.The Monarchs are 28-9. Newton is 12-26. The two teams play Sunday at 6 p.m. at Hobart-Detter Field.

Monarchs win big over Newton Saturday

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Kansas City Royals announced Saturday that they have signed 20 of their 21 selections from the 2021 First-Year Player Draft, adding two more to the list this afternoon.

The most recent signees include infielder Peyton Wilson (Competitive Balance Round B, 66th overall) and right-handed pitcher Eric Cerantola (fifth round, 139th overall).

Wilson started all 58 games as a sophomore at the University of Alabama this season, batting .290 (72-for-248) with 23 extra-base hits (9 HR), 10 stolen bases and an .812 OPS. He led the Crimson Tide in runs scored (46), steals, hits, and doubles (13). He graduated from Hoover High School (Ala.), in 2019, where he was a two-sport athlete as a catcher in baseball and also played football his first three years.

Cerantola recorded 24 strikeouts over 17.1 innings in 10 appearances (4 starts) as a junior at Mississippi State University. He was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 30th round of the 2018 Draft, while he was also selected in the eighth round of the 2016 Ontario Hockey League Draft. He is a 2018 graduate from École secondaire catholique Sainte-Trinité school in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, where he played baseball, hockey, and volleyball.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Kansas City Royals announced Saturday that they have signed 20 of their 21 selections from the 2021 First-Year Player Draft, adding two more to the list this afternoon.The most recent signees include infielder Peyton Wilson (Competitive Balance Round B, 66th overall) and right-handed pitcher Eric Cerantola (fifth round, 139th overall).Wilson started all 58 games as a sophomore at the University of Alabama this season, batting .290 (72-for-248) with 23 extra-base hits (9 HR), 10 stolen bases and an .812 OPS. He led the Crimson Tide in runs scored (46), steals, hits, and doubles (13). He graduated from Hoover High School (Ala.), in 2019, where he was a two-sport athlete as a catcher in baseball and also played football his first three years.Cerantola recorded 24 strikeouts over 17.1 innings in 10 appearances (4 starts) as a junior at Mississippi State University. He was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 30th round of the 2018 Draft, while he was also selected in the eighth round of the 2016 Ontario Hockey League Draft. He is a 2018 graduate from École secondaire catholique Sainte-Trinité school in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, where he played baseball, hockey, and volleyball.

Royals have 20 of 21 draft picks signed

Royals win, Monarchs win, Surge lose, Bill Self has COVID, plus more from Hutch Post.

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July 24, 2021 Saturday Sports

LAWRENCE, Kan - In a statement released by the University of Kansas basketball program on Friday, Bill Self announced he has tested positive for COVID-19. Self said he is fully vaccinated and is "feeling pretty good right now."

Self is in isolation, but he wants to see KU fans get vaccinated.

"If you have not, please get vaccinated so we don't have to worry about this virus continuing to affect our communities and loved ones," Self said. "I fully believe I would be in a much worse condition if not for the vaccine."&nbsp;

LAWRENCE, Kan - In a statement released by the University of Kansas basketball program on Friday, Bill Self announced he has tested positive for COVID-19. Self said he is fully vaccinated and is "feeling pretty good right now."Self is in isolation, but he wants to see KU fans get vaccinated."If you have not, please get vaccinated so we don't have to worry about this virus continuing to affect our communities and loved ones," Self said. "I fully believe I would be in a much worse condition if not for the vaccine."&nbsp;

Bill Self has COVID-19

LITTLE ROCK, AR– The Surge were on the verge of a fourth straight victory against the Travelers until Arkansas walked it off in the ninth inning to steal game four. Wichita held the lead for the entire game until the ninth inning.

Just like the first three games of this series, the Surge continued the trend tonight by jumping out ahead first. Jermaine Palacios led off the second inning with his 11th home run of the season over the left field wall. Palacios’ homer traveled 368 feet at 103 miles per hour off his bat and the Surge, once again, went on top first 1-0.

Wichita gained two more runs to up their lead to three in the top of the third. With runners on first and second, Roy Morales continued his hot hitting with another RBI single to right field. Including tonight, Morales has a hit in 13 of his last 15 games and 7 RBIs. After BJ Boyd advanced to third on the Morales hit, Trey Cabbage allowed Boyd to trot home on a sacrifice fly to center field.

The Travelers cut the Surge lead to win with two runs in the bottom half of the third. Dom Thompson-Williams grounded out to score a run and Josh Morgan brought another Traveler home with a sacrifice fly to trim down the Surge lead to 3-2. Despite the ability to keep the Travelers off the board for most of the game, Arkansas entered the ninth inning trailing by one run. They tied the game on a Stephen Wrenn double and eventually won the game a Josh Morgan walk-off single. The two teams play again tonight in Little Rock. First pitch is at 6:10 p.m.

LITTLE ROCK, AR– The Surge were on the verge of a fourth straight victory against the Travelers until Arkansas walked it off in the ninth inning to steal game four. Wichita held the lead for the entire game until the ninth inning.Just like the first three games of this series, the Surge continued the trend tonight by jumping out ahead first. Jermaine Palacios led off the second inning with his 11th home run of the season over the left field wall. Palacios’ homer traveled 368 feet at 103 miles per hour off his bat and the Surge, once again, went on top first 1-0.Wichita gained two more runs to up their lead to three in the top of the third. With runners on first and second, Roy Morales continued his hot hitting with another RBI single to right field. Including tonight, Morales has a hit in 13 of his last 15 games and 7 RBIs. After BJ Boyd advanced to third on the Morales hit, Trey Cabbage allowed Boyd to trot home on a sacrifice fly to center field.The Travelers cut the Surge lead to win with two runs in the bottom half of the third. Dom Thompson-Williams grounded out to score a run and Josh Morgan brought another Traveler home with a sacrifice fly to trim down the Surge lead to 3-2. Despite the ability to keep the Travelers off the board for most of the game, Arkansas entered the ninth inning trailing by one run. They tied the game on a Stephen Wrenn double and eventually won the game a Josh Morgan walk-off single. The two teams play again tonight in Little Rock. First pitch is at 6:10 p.m.

Surge lose in Little Rock Friday

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Monarchs scored seven runs in the first two innings and then held off a Newton Rebels comeback Friday night at Hobart-Detter Field. Hutchinson won 9-6. 

Tanner White was 3 for 5 at the plate with two doubles and 3 RBI. Cole Cosman, Carter Young and Breck Nowik all had doubles and each had an RBI. Mikel Howell took advantage of the run support to get the win as he went five innings and gave up four runs on eight hits. 

Hutchinson and Newton meet again tonight in Newton at Centennial Park. First pitch is at 7 p.m.&nbsp;

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Monarchs scored seven runs in the first two innings and then held off a Newton Rebels comeback Friday night at Hobart-Detter Field. Hutchinson won 9-6. Tanner White was 3 for 5 at the plate with two doubles and 3 RBI. Cole Cosman, Carter Young and Breck Nowik all had doubles and each had an RBI. Mikel Howell took advantage of the run support to get the win as he went five innings and gave up four runs on eight hits. Hutchinson and Newton meet again tonight in Newton at Centennial Park. First pitch is at 7 p.m.&nbsp;

Monarchs win Friday over Rebels

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Ryan O’Hearn hit a three-run homer and Carlos Santana also connected as the Kansas City Royals beat Detroit 5-3, ending the Tigers’ seven-game winning streak. 

The Tigers had been 7-0 since the All-Star break. It was their longest winning string since an eight-game run in 2016. Kansas City has won three in a row for the first time since June 4. 

Kris Bubic gave up one earned run and six hits in six innings. He ended his outing by getting Jeimer Candelario to ground into a double play with the bases loaded.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Ryan O’Hearn hit a three-run homer and Carlos Santana also connected as the Kansas City Royals beat Detroit 5-3, ending the Tigers’ seven-game winning streak. The Tigers had been 7-0 since the All-Star break. It was their longest winning string since an eight-game run in 2016. Kansas City has won three in a row for the first time since June 4. Kris Bubic gave up one earned run and six hits in six innings. He ended his outing by getting Jeimer Candelario to ground into a double play with the bases loaded.

Royals win over Tigers Friday

HUTCHINSON, Kan.-The Hutchinson Monarchs are close to clinching the Sunflower Baseball League Championship. &nbsp;They host the Newton Rebels in the last league series tonight at Hobart-Detter Field in Carey Park.

Video Only Stream on Hutchpost.com <a href="https://youtu.be/NQcrtL4oKTw">YouTube</a>

<a href="https://youtu.be/NQcrtL4oKTw"></a>.

HUTCHINSON, Kan.-The Hutchinson Monarchs are close to clinching the Sunflower Baseball League Championship. &nbsp;They host the Newton Rebels in the last league series tonight at Hobart-Detter Field in Carey Park.Video Only Stream on Hutchpost.com <a href="https://youtu.be/NQcrtL4oKTw">YouTube</a><a href="https://youtu.be/NQcrtL4oKTw"></a>.<figure>
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Monarchs host Newton Rebels in last series of regular season

The Kansas City Chiefs have begun arriving at the Missouri Western campus in St. Joseph as training camp activities get underway this weekend.

Rookies and quarterbacks were the first to report Friday, and the team will hold three closed practices Saturday before practices open to the general public on Wednesday.

Patrick Mahomes, who's beginning his fifth season with the Chiefs, was among the first to arrive Friday.

After being confined to the Kansas City facilities for training camp last year due to COVID-19, Mahomes is thrilled to be back in St. Joseph, where camp has been held every year from 2010-2019.

He says it's an especially good time to get more familiar with the rookies on the team, particularly second-round draft pick Creed Humphrey out of Oklahoma, who will be vying for the starting center position behind Austin Blythe.

"Things like training camp in St. Joseph and all being together pretty much every single day, you keep building those relationships that have already been built a little bit," Mahomes said during a Zoom call with reporters Friday. "I think it'll bring us together throughout this month. Not only going out and practicing every single day, but also eating every single meal together and building those relationships."

As for Mahomes' health, he says he feels 100 percent going into camp after recovering from turf toe surgery in February following a 31-9 loss to Tampa Bay in Super Bowl 55.

"I've been training, running, throwing and doing everything I normally do," Mahomes said. "I think what was so good about going to (Organized Team Activities) and doing those things was, I tested it there and realized I was good. Then when I got back with Bobby (Stroupe) and started training in the offseason with him, I was able to do with him what I normally would do."

The Super Bowl loss is well in the rearview by this point, but Mahomes says the sting of that defeat stuck with him for at least a couple of weeks after. However, he views training camp as an opportunity to start fresh and build toward getting better this coming season.

"I think the best thing about getting to training camp is it all starts over," Mahomes said. "No matter how you ended the year before, you get to go in with the mindset of starting from scratch. So, we're excited to do that and are going to try and make another run at it."

Coach Andy Reid, who enters his ninth season with the Chiefs and 29th overall in the NFL, is also thrilled to come back to St. Joseph for camp. He praised Missouri Western personnel for their hospitality during nearly month-long event.

"We're glad to be back up here in St. Joe," he said. "We love the hospitality they give us up here at Missouri Western State University. From their president (Elizabeth Kennedy) on down, it's just all class and that's obviously why we have returned."

Reid says the best part of training camp is the constant focus on football, but also team comradery.

"There's this concentration of football that you take in here," he said. "You're sleeping and eating in the dorm. You're here and it's football kind of 24/7. That's how it works."

Reid said 30 players total will report to camp, which opens up to media and fans on July 28 and will conclude on August 18. All practices will be held at the Mosaic Training Fields. Nearly every practice will start at 9:15 a.m. A full training camp schedule and details <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/bb4a2c34-f5db-45d5-aed6-162b76ab285b">can be found here</a>.

Most Chiefs players, all Chiefs coaches are vaccinated

Coach Reid said 90 percent of the team and the entire Chiefs' coaching staff have been vaccinated against COVID-19. The NFL announced Thursday that teams could be forced to&nbsp;forfeit a game if there's a COVID-19 outbreak amongst unvaccinated players that would cause a game to be postponed.

"It's definitely a big deal with that news coming out," Mahomes said. "You don't want to forfeit games, but I think we have guys in the locker room who are vaccinated and guys who are unvaccinated who are going to be smart and not try to hurt the team in any way."

Frank Clark will report to camp despite legal trouble

Chiefs defensive end Frank Clark is expected to report to training camp next week.&nbsp;

Clark has had multiple run-ins with police during the offseason in Los Angeles - first in March and again in June.

Los Angeles County prosecutors charged Clark earlier this month with felony illegal possession of a firearm in connection to the March arrest. That court case is ongoing. Clark has not been formally charged in connection to the incident in June.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1627071930493.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostThe Kansas City Chiefs have begun arriving at the Missouri Western campus in St. Joseph as training camp activities get underway this weekend.Rookies and quarterbacks were the first to report Friday, and the team will hold three closed practices Saturday before practices open to the general public on Wednesday.Patrick Mahomes, who's beginning his fifth season with the Chiefs, was among the first to arrive Friday.After being confined to the Kansas City facilities for training camp last year due to COVID-19, Mahomes is thrilled to be back in St. Joseph, where camp has been held every year from 2010-2019.He says it's an especially good time to get more familiar with the rookies on the team, particularly second-round draft pick Creed Humphrey out of Oklahoma, who will be vying for the starting center position behind Austin Blythe."Things like training camp in St. Joseph and all being together pretty much every single day, you keep building those relationships that have already been built a little bit," Mahomes said during a Zoom call with reporters Friday. "I think it'll bring us together throughout this month. Not only going out and practicing every single day, but also eating every single meal together and building those relationships."As for Mahomes' health, he says he feels 100 percent going into camp after recovering from turf toe surgery in February following a 31-9 loss to Tampa Bay in Super Bowl 55."I've been training, running, throwing and doing everything I normally do," Mahomes said. "I think what was so good about going to (Organized Team Activities) and doing those things was, I tested it there and realized I was good. Then when I got back with Bobby (Stroupe) and started training in the offseason with him, I was able to do with him what I normally would do."The Super Bowl loss is well in the rearview by this point, but Mahomes says the sting of that defeat stuck with him for at least a couple of weeks after. However, he views training camp as an opportunity to start fresh and build toward getting better this coming season."I think the best thing about getting to training camp is it all starts over," Mahomes said. "No matter how you ended the year before, you get to go in with the mindset of starting from scratch. So, we're excited to do that and are going to try and make another run at it."Coach Andy Reid, who enters his ninth season with the Chiefs and 29th overall in the NFL, is also thrilled to come back to St. Joseph for camp. He praised Missouri Western personnel for their hospitality during nearly month-long event."We're glad to be back up here in St. Joe," he said. "We love the hospitality they give us up here at Missouri Western State University. From their president (Elizabeth Kennedy) on down, it's just all class and that's obviously why we have returned."Reid says the best part of training camp is the constant focus on football, but also team comradery."There's this concentration of football that you take in here," he said. "You're sleeping and eating in the dorm. You're here and it's football kind of 24/7. That's how it works."Reid said 30 players total will report to camp, which opens up to media and fans on July 28 and will conclude on August 18. All practices will be held at the Mosaic Training Fields. Nearly every practice will start at 9:15 a.m. A full training camp schedule and details <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/bb4a2c34-f5db-45d5-aed6-162b76ab285b">can be found here</a>.Most Chiefs players, all Chiefs coaches are vaccinatedCoach Reid said 90 percent of the team and the entire Chiefs' coaching staff have been vaccinated against COVID-19. The NFL announced Thursday that teams could be forced to&nbsp;forfeit a game if there's a COVID-19 outbreak amongst unvaccinated players that would cause a game to be postponed."It's definitely a big deal with that news coming out," Mahomes said. "You don't want to forfeit games, but I think we have guys in the locker room who are vaccinated and guys who are unvaccinated who are going to be smart and not try to hurt the team in any way."Frank Clark will report to camp despite legal troubleChiefs defensive end Frank Clark is expected to report to training camp next week.&nbsp;Clark has had multiple run-ins with police during the offseason in Los Angeles - first in March and again in June.Los Angeles County prosecutors charged Clark earlier this month with felony illegal possession of a firearm in connection to the March arrest. That court case is ongoing. Clark has not been formally charged in connection to the incident in June.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FKansasCityChiefs%2Fvideos%2F165787085618617%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=0" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>

Chiefs arrive in St. Joseph as training camp begins

Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Kwang Hyun-Kim earned his fifth straight win on his 33rd birthday and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 3-2. Nolan Arenado and Dylan Carlson homered as the Cardinals moved a game over .500 at 49-48. Kim allowed two runs on two hits with a walk and seven strikeouts in six innings. Alex Reyes pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his 23rd save after suffering his first career blown save on Tuesday night. Cubs starter Adbert Alzolay allowed three runs on four hits and three walks while striking out eight in six innings. He is winless in his last seven starts.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh and Nebraska coach Scott Frost appear to be at a similar crossroads. Both have been humbled in recent years. Both need to win now, quite possibly, to save their jobs. Since returning to his alma mater in 2015, Harbaugh has gone just 49-22 and failed to provide the Wolverines with their first conference title since 2004. He is 0-5 against rival Ohio State and 1-4 in bowl games. Frost is just 12-20 overall, including 9-17 in the Big Ten, as he enters a fourth season at his alma mater.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Big 12 leaders held a call without Texas and Oklahoma on Thursday to discuss how to keep the league's flagship schools from bolting to the Southeastern Conference — and contingency plans to survive without them. The Big 12 put out a statement that revealed few details, but made clear the eight members in danger of being left behind want the Longhorns and Sooners to stay put. And that leaving could be costly for Texas and Oklahoma. The person familiar with the call said Commissioner Bob Bowlsby and school officials discussed possible options for persuading Texas and Oklahoma to remain in the Big 12 and potential ways to keep the conference going if they leave.

ALGONA, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa race track says it will cut ties with an announcer who went on a racist rant against Black fans and athletes who kneel during the national anthem. The Kossuth County Speedway in Algona, Iowa, said in a news release Thursday that its leaders "do not condone" the comments made by the announcer before the races on July 15. It called the matter an isolated incident. The speedway and the county's fair board said its management didn't hear the comments when they were spoken, and that they only came to their attention through a social media post. The speedway's statement did not identify the announcer by name but said he was filling in for its lead announcer.

NFL teams face potential forfeits for COVID-19 outbreaks

UNDATED (AP) — The NFL had to reschedule several games last season due to COVID-19 outbreaks within teams. The league won't be as willing to do that this year.

The NFL has informed teams they could potentially forfeit a game due to an outbreak among non-vaccinated players and that players on both teams wouldn't get paid that week. 

In a memo sent to clubs that was obtained by The Associated Press, Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league doesn't anticipate adding a 19th week to accommodate games that can't be rescheduled within the 18-week regular season. However, forfeits are among the consequences. For purposes of playoff seeding, the forfeiting team will be credited with a loss and the other team will be credited with a win. 

The league says more than half its teams have COVID-19 vaccination rates greater than 80% of their players, and more than 75% of players are in the process of being vaccinated.

— All-Pro middle linebacker Fred Warner has signed a five-year extension with the San Francisco 49ers taking him through the 2026 season. The 24-year-old Warner has started all 48 games in his three seasons with San Francisco, making 79 tackles last season with a sack, forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. 

— Running back Saquon (SAY'-kwahn) Barkley is starting training camp for the Giants on the active/physically unable to perform list. The NFL's 2018 Offensive Rookie of the Year suffered a torn ACL during the Giants' second game last season and underwent surgery in October. Players on the Active/PUP list can be activated at any time during training camp. 

— Jets assistant coach Greg Knapp has died at age 58 of injuries suffered in a bicycle accident near his home in California last Saturday. The family said in the statement that Knapp was struck by a car while riding his bicycle in the city of San Ramon in the San Francisco Bay Area and never regained consciousness.

UNDATED (AP) — The Boston Red Sox have retained their lead in the American League East by rallying past the New York Yankees.

The Red Sox trailed in the ninth and 10th innings before beating the Yankees, 5-4. Xander Bogaerts ended the game – and the Yankees' four-game winning streak by lifting a sacrifice fly in the 10th. It came after Rafael Devers scored on one of four wild pitches by reliever Brooks Kriske in the inning.

Kiké (KEE'-kay) Hernández tied it in the ninth with a two-out, two-run double. 

The Sox continue to lead the AL East by one game over the Rays.

Austin Meadows hit an RBI single in the 10th inning to complete the Rays' comeback in a 5-4 win over the Indians. It was the second straight game-winning hit for Meadows, who delivered a walk-off single to beat the Orioles on Wednesday. 

Tampa Bay trailed 4-2 in the ninth before Yandy Diaz led off with a homer and Brandon Lowe (low) followed with an RBI double. 

— The San Francisco Giants scored four times in the ninth inning to turn a 3-1 deficit into a 5-3 victory over the Dodgers in Los Angeles. Darin Ruf worked out a bases-loaded walk to tie it before LaMonte (lah-MAHNT') Wade delivered a two-run single. Kenley Jansen was one out from picking up the save before the Giants stretched their lead in the NL West to three games over the Dodgers. 

— The Padres were 3-2 winners over the Marlins as Blake Snell allowed one run in six-plus innings. The San Diego left-hander scattered three hits, struck out eight and walked three in his longest outing since June 4. Jurickson Profar (JUR'-ihk-suhn PRO'-fahr) had two hits and two RBIs in the victory.

— Kwang Hyun-Kim earned his fifth straight win and the Cardinals homered twice in a 3-2 win over the Cubs. Kim allowed two runs on two hits and a walk with seven strikeouts in six innings. Nolan Arenado and Dylan Carlson provided the longballs as St. Louis moved a game over .500 for the first time since June. 20. 

— The Braves rolled past the Phillies, 7-2 as Dansby Swanson launched his first career grand slam and Orlando Arcia (AHR'-see-ah) added a solo shot. Charlie Morton is 9-4 after allowing two earned runs while striking out eight over six innings. The two teams are tied for second in the NL East, four games behind the idle Mets.

— The Athletics picked up a 4-1 win over the Mariners behind Sean Manaea (mah-NY'-ah), who struck out 13 while limiting Seattle to a run and three hits over seven innings. Manaea blanked the M's until Tom Murphy's solo homer in the seventh inning. Ramon Laureano supplied a pair of RBI singles and Sean Murphy doubled home a run as Oakland climbed within three games of the AL West-leading Astros.

— Eric Haase hit a three-run homer in the first inning of the Tigers' seventh consecutive win, 7-5 over the stumbling Rangers. Zack Short and Victor Reyes also homered for the Tigers, who completed a four-game sweep and a perfect post-All-Star break homestand. Texas has lost nine straight, equaling its longest slide this season.

— Jack Mayfield smacked a three-run homer and Andrew Heaney went a season-high seven innings to the Angels', 3-2 decision over the Twins. Heaney gave up just four hits, two walks and two runs with seven strikeouts in his best outing in six weeks. Mayfield was hitting just .170 this season before his fifth-inning blast.

Rays get Nelson Cruz...Mercedes unretires

UNDATED (AP) — Nelson Cruz will spend the rest of the major league season chasing a playoff berth.

The Rays have acquired the slugging designated hitter in a four-player trade with the Twins. Tampa Bay also receives minor leaguer Calvin Faucher from Minnesota for minor league right-handers Joe Ryan and Drew Strotman.

The 41-year-old Cruz has 436 career homers and 1,202 RBIs. He's batting .294 with 19 homers and 50 RBIs this season.

— Yermín (yehr-MEEN') Mercedes has changed his mind and is back with the White Sox's Triple-A affiliate, one day after posting that he was retiring from baseball. Mercedes apologized for his decision to leave the sport and was in the lineup Thursday for the Charlotte Knights against the Durham Bulls. The surprising rookie carried the White Sox with his booming bat early in the season and was sent to the minors following a prolonged slump. 

Pelicans hire Suns assistant Willie Green as new head coach

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The New Orleans Pelicans have hired Phoenix Suns assistant Willie Green as their new head coach. Green is a first-time head coach after serving as an NBA assistant coach the past five years with Golden State and the Suns. He was a member of two NBA title-winning staffs with the Warriors in 2017 and 2018.

— Thousands of fans lined the streets of downtown Milwaukee Thursday to catch a glimpse of their beloved Bucks in a parade to celebrate the city's first NBA championship in half a century. Open-air buses and flatbed trucks carried Bucks stars including Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH'-nihs an-teh-toh-KOON'-poh) and Jrue (jroo) Holiday, as well as the trophy they captured Tuesday night with a Game 6 victory over Phoenix.

UNDATED (AP) — Forward Barkley Goodrow has signed a six-year contract with the New York Rangers after helping the Tampa Bay Lightning win consecutive Stanley Cups, 

The signing comes less than a week after acquiring the rights to the unrestricted free agent from the Lightning for a seventh-round draft pick in 2022. 

Goodrow skated in 55 games with Tampa Bay this past season, collecting six goals and 20 points. He led the team with 111 hits and a plus-16 rating. 

— The Sharks have re-signed forward Rudolfs Balcers (BAL'-surs) to a two-year contract before he hit the market as a restricted free agent. The 24-year-old Balcers had eight goals and nine assists in 41 games last season after being brought back for a second stint with the Sharks.

— The Flyers have sent one-time cornerstone defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere (GAHS'-tihs-behr) to the Coyotes along with second- and seventh-round picks in next year's draft. Moving on from Gostisbehere gives the Flyers about $4.5 million in salary cap relief over the next two seasons, setting them up to continue a roster overhaul. The 28-year-old had a strong rookie season in 2015-16 but his play tailed off dramatically after that.

— The league has sent teams two versions of the schedule for the 2021-22 season. One includes an Olympic break to pause the season so NHL players can go to Beijing. The other is what the season would look like if the league, players and international officials cannot reach an Olympic agreement. 

Crabb out of Olympics due to coronavirus 

TOKYO (AP) — American beach volleyball player Taylor Crabb is out of the Olympics after four positive COVID-19 tests. Tri Bourne will take his place as the partner of four-time Olympian Jake Gibb when the competition begins this weekend. Crabb confirmed his withdrawal Thursday in a statement to The Associated Press, noting that he was vaccinated and tested negative before he left the United States but tested positive when he arrived in Japan. 

— About 100 of the 613 U.S. athletes descending on Tokyo for the Olympics are unvaccinated. This, according to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee's medical chief. Medical director Jonathan Finnoff says some 600 of the American athletes had filled out their health histories as they prepared for the trip, and estimated 83% had replied they were vaccinated. The IOC has estimated around 85% of residents of the Olympic Village are vaccinated; they base that on what each country's Olympic committee tells them but have not independently verified the number. 

— Naomi Osaka's opening match in the tennis tournament has been pushed back from Saturday to Sunday. Organizers did not immediately provide a reason for the switch, only saying that the move came from the tournament referee. Osaka was originally scheduled to play 52nd-ranked Zheng Saisai of China in the very first contest of the Games on center court Saturday morning.

— The West African country of Guinea has reversed an earlier decision to pull out of the Olympics and will send a delegation of five athletes. The country's Minister of Sports made the announcement Thursday after national and international outcries that followed an earlier declaration that Guinea would not send athletes to Tokyo, blaming the coronavirus and its variants.

— The World Anti-Doping Agency says several Russian athletes have been kept away from the Games because of doping suspicions based on evidence from a Moscow testing laboratory that was shut down in 2015. WADA's director general says it intervened with sports bodies to ensure the handful of athletics were not selected. The team of 335 Russian athletes accredited for Tokyo is competing without a national flag and anthem as punishment for state tampering with the Moscow lab's database.

— U.S. gymnast Kara Eaker is in isolation after testing positive for COVID-19, while teammate Leanne Wong is in quarantine. Both are alternates for the U.S. team. The U.S. delegation of Simone Biles, Sunisa Lee, Jordan Chiles, Grace McCallum, Jade Carey and MyKayla Skinner worked out on each event during podium training on Thursday. They're staying in a hotel near the venue rather than the Olympic village, a decision made before they arrived. 

— Tokyo hit another six-month high in new COVID-19 cases a day before the Olympics begin. Thursday's 1,979 new cases are the highest since 2,044 were recorded on Jan. 15. Japan's prime minister placed Tokyo under a state of emergency on July 12, but daily cases have sharply increased since then. 

— Tommie Smith, John Carlos and Gwen Berry are among more than 150 educators, activists and athletes who signed a letter Thursday urging the IOC not to punish participants who demonstrate at the Tokyo Games. The five-page letter asks the IOC not to sanction athletes for kneeling or raising a fist, the way Smith and Carlos did at the 1968 Mexico City Games. That move that got them kicked out of the Olympics. 

— The IOC says it will now include images of Olympic athletes taking a knee in its official highlight reels and social media channels. Players from five women's soccer teams kneeled in support of racial justice before their games Wednesday. Those images were excluded from highlights package provided by the IOC to media that could not broadcast the games live. 

— Six Polish swimmers have returned home before the Olympics even started, their dreams scuttled by the country mistakenly sending too many athletes to Tokyo. Only 17 swimmers from Poland qualified for the Tokyo Games. The country's swimming federation put 23 athletes on the plane to Japan, sparking outrage among those who were denied a chance to compete. 

Darren Clarke, James Kingston share Senior British Open lead

BERKSHIRE, England (AP) — Darren Clarke shot a 5-under 65 for a share of the Senior British Open lead with James Kingston at Sunningdale. 

Clarke had six birdies and a bogey on the Old Course in the final senior major championship of the year, while Kingston played a bogey-free round. 

Defending champion Bernhard Langer was a stroke back with Ricardo Gonzalez and Stephen Dodd. 

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

<h2>Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press</h2>ST. LOUIS (AP) — Kwang Hyun-Kim earned his fifth straight win on his 33rd birthday and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 3-2. Nolan Arenado and Dylan Carlson homered as the Cardinals moved a game over .500 at 49-48. Kim allowed two runs on two hits with a walk and seven strikeouts in six innings. Alex Reyes pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his 23rd save after suffering his first career blown save on Tuesday night. Cubs starter Adbert Alzolay allowed three runs on four hits and three walks while striking out eight in six innings. He is winless in his last seven starts.INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh and Nebraska coach Scott Frost appear to be at a similar crossroads. Both have been humbled in recent years. Both need to win now, quite possibly, to save their jobs. Since returning to his alma mater in 2015, Harbaugh has gone just 49-22 and failed to provide the Wolverines with their first conference title since 2004. He is 0-5 against rival Ohio State and 1-4 in bowl games. Frost is just 12-20 overall, including 9-17 in the Big Ten, as he enters a fourth season at his alma mater.INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Big 12 leaders held a call without Texas and Oklahoma on Thursday to discuss how to keep the league's flagship schools from bolting to the Southeastern Conference — and contingency plans to survive without them. The Big 12 put out a statement that revealed few details, but made clear the eight members in danger of being left behind want the Longhorns and Sooners to stay put. And that leaving could be costly for Texas and Oklahoma. The person familiar with the call said Commissioner Bob Bowlsby and school officials discussed possible options for persuading Texas and Oklahoma to remain in the Big 12 and potential ways to keep the conference going if they leave.ALGONA, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa race track says it will cut ties with an announcer who went on a racist rant against Black fans and athletes who kneel during the national anthem. The Kossuth County Speedway in Algona, Iowa, said in a news release Thursday that its leaders "do not condone" the comments made by the announcer before the races on July 15. It called the matter an isolated incident. The speedway and the county's fair board said its management didn't hear the comments when they were spoken, and that they only came to their attention through a social media post. The speedway's statement did not identify the announcer by name but said he was filling in for its lead announcer.NFL-NEWSNFL teams face potential forfeits for COVID-19 outbreaksUNDATED (AP) — The NFL had to reschedule several games last season due to COVID-19 outbreaks within teams. The league won't be as willing to do that this year.The NFL has informed teams they could potentially forfeit a game due to an outbreak among non-vaccinated players and that players on both teams wouldn't get paid that week. In a memo sent to clubs that was obtained by The Associated Press, Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league doesn't anticipate adding a 19th week to accommodate games that can't be rescheduled within the 18-week regular season. However, forfeits are among the consequences. For purposes of playoff seeding, the forfeiting team will be credited with a loss and the other team will be credited with a win. The league says more than half its teams have COVID-19 vaccination rates greater than 80% of their players, and more than 75% of players are in the process of being vaccinated.In other NFL news: — All-Pro middle linebacker Fred Warner has signed a five-year extension with the San Francisco 49ers taking him through the 2026 season. The 24-year-old Warner has started all 48 games in his three seasons with San Francisco, making 79 tackles last season with a sack, forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. — Running back Saquon (SAY'-kwahn) Barkley is starting training camp for the Giants on the active/physically unable to perform list. The NFL's 2018 Offensive Rookie of the Year suffered a torn ACL during the Giants' second game last season and underwent surgery in October. Players on the Active/PUP list can be activated at any time during training camp. — Jets assistant coach Greg Knapp has died at age 58 of injuries suffered in a bicycle accident near his home in California last Saturday. The family said in the statement that Knapp was struck by a car while riding his bicycle in the city of San Ramon in the San Francisco Bay Area and never regained consciousness.MLB-SCHEDULE Bosox win, Rays keep paceUNDATED (AP) — The Boston Red Sox have retained their lead in the American League East by rallying past the New York Yankees.The Red Sox trailed in the ninth and 10th innings before beating the Yankees, 5-4. Xander Bogaerts ended the game – and the Yankees' four-game winning streak by lifting a sacrifice fly in the 10th. It came after Rafael Devers scored on one of four wild pitches by reliever Brooks Kriske in the inning.Kiké (KEE'-kay) Hernández tied it in the ninth with a two-out, two-run double. The Sox continue to lead the AL East by one game over the Rays.Austin Meadows hit an RBI single in the 10th inning to complete the Rays' comeback in a 5-4 win over the Indians. It was the second straight game-winning hit for Meadows, who delivered a walk-off single to beat the Orioles on Wednesday. Tampa Bay trailed 4-2 in the ninth before Yandy Diaz led off with a homer and Brandon Lowe (low) followed with an RBI double. In other major league action: — The San Francisco Giants scored four times in the ninth inning to turn a 3-1 deficit into a 5-3 victory over the Dodgers in Los Angeles. Darin Ruf worked out a bases-loaded walk to tie it before LaMonte (lah-MAHNT') Wade delivered a two-run single. Kenley Jansen was one out from picking up the save before the Giants stretched their lead in the NL West to three games over the Dodgers. — The Padres were 3-2 winners over the Marlins as Blake Snell allowed one run in six-plus innings. The San Diego left-hander scattered three hits, struck out eight and walked three in his longest outing since June 4. Jurickson Profar (JUR'-ihk-suhn PRO'-fahr) had two hits and two RBIs in the victory.— Kwang Hyun-Kim earned his fifth straight win and the Cardinals homered twice in a 3-2 win over the Cubs. Kim allowed two runs on two hits and a walk with seven strikeouts in six innings. Nolan Arenado and Dylan Carlson provided the longballs as St. Louis moved a game over .500 for the first time since June. 20. — The Braves rolled past the Phillies, 7-2 as Dansby Swanson launched his first career grand slam and Orlando Arcia (AHR'-see-ah) added a solo shot. Charlie Morton is 9-4 after allowing two earned runs while striking out eight over six innings. The two teams are tied for second in the NL East, four games behind the idle Mets.— The Athletics picked up a 4-1 win over the Mariners behind Sean Manaea (mah-NY'-ah), who struck out 13 while limiting Seattle to a run and three hits over seven innings. Manaea blanked the M's until Tom Murphy's solo homer in the seventh inning. Ramon Laureano supplied a pair of RBI singles and Sean Murphy doubled home a run as Oakland climbed within three games of the AL West-leading Astros.— Eric Haase hit a three-run homer in the first inning of the Tigers' seventh consecutive win, 7-5 over the stumbling Rangers. Zack Short and Victor Reyes also homered for the Tigers, who completed a four-game sweep and a perfect post-All-Star break homestand. Texas has lost nine straight, equaling its longest slide this season.— Jack Mayfield smacked a three-run homer and Andrew Heaney went a season-high seven innings to the Angels', 3-2 decision over the Twins. Heaney gave up just four hits, two walks and two runs with seven strikeouts in his best outing in six weeks. Mayfield was hitting just .170 this season before his fifth-inning blast.MLB-UNDATEDRays get Nelson Cruz...Mercedes unretiresUNDATED (AP) — Nelson Cruz will spend the rest of the major league season chasing a playoff berth.The Rays have acquired the slugging designated hitter in a four-player trade with the Twins. Tampa Bay also receives minor leaguer Calvin Faucher from Minnesota for minor league right-handers Joe Ryan and Drew Strotman.The 41-year-old Cruz has 436 career homers and 1,202 RBIs. He's batting .294 with 19 homers and 50 RBIs this season.Also around the majors:— Yermín (yehr-MEEN') Mercedes has changed his mind and is back with the White Sox's Triple-A affiliate, one day after posting that he was retiring from baseball. Mercedes apologized for his decision to leave the sport and was in the lineup Thursday for the Charlotte Knights against the Durham Bulls. The surprising rookie carried the White Sox with his booming bat early in the season and was sent to the minors following a prolonged slump. NBA-NEWSPelicans hire Suns assistant Willie Green as new head coachNEW ORLEANS (AP) — The New Orleans Pelicans have hired Phoenix Suns assistant Willie Green as their new head coach. Green is a first-time head coach after serving as an NBA assistant coach the past five years with Golden State and the Suns. He was a member of two NBA title-winning staffs with the Warriors in 2017 and 2018.In other NBA news:— Thousands of fans lined the streets of downtown Milwaukee Thursday to catch a glimpse of their beloved Bucks in a parade to celebrate the city's first NBA championship in half a century. Open-air buses and flatbed trucks carried Bucks stars including Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH'-nihs an-teh-toh-KOON'-poh) and Jrue (jroo) Holiday, as well as the trophy they captured Tuesday night with a Game 6 victory over Phoenix.NHL-NEWSRangers ink GoodrowUNDATED (AP) — Forward Barkley Goodrow has signed a six-year contract with the New York Rangers after helping the Tampa Bay Lightning win consecutive Stanley Cups, The signing comes less than a week after acquiring the rights to the unrestricted free agent from the Lightning for a seventh-round draft pick in 2022. Goodrow skated in 55 games with Tampa Bay this past season, collecting six goals and 20 points. He led the team with 111 hits and a plus-16 rating. In other NHL news:— The Sharks have re-signed forward Rudolfs Balcers (BAL'-surs) to a two-year contract before he hit the market as a restricted free agent. The 24-year-old Balcers had eight goals and nine assists in 41 games last season after being brought back for a second stint with the Sharks.— The Flyers have sent one-time cornerstone defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere (GAHS'-tihs-behr) to the Coyotes along with second- and seventh-round picks in next year's draft. Moving on from Gostisbehere gives the Flyers about $4.5 million in salary cap relief over the next two seasons, setting them up to continue a roster overhaul. The 28-year-old had a strong rookie season in 2015-16 but his play tailed off dramatically after that.— The league has sent teams two versions of the schedule for the 2021-22 season. One includes an Olympic break to pause the season so NHL players can go to Beijing. The other is what the season would look like if the league, players and international officials cannot reach an Olympic agreement. OLYMPICS-NEWS Crabb out of Olympics due to coronavirus TOKYO (AP) — American beach volleyball player Taylor Crabb is out of the Olympics after four positive COVID-19 tests. Tri Bourne will take his place as the partner of four-time Olympian Jake Gibb when the competition begins this weekend. Crabb confirmed his withdrawal Thursday in a statement to The Associated Press, noting that he was vaccinated and tested negative before he left the United States but tested positive when he arrived in Japan. In other Olympics news: — About 100 of the 613 U.S. athletes descending on Tokyo for the Olympics are unvaccinated. This, according to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee's medical chief. Medical director Jonathan Finnoff says some 600 of the American athletes had filled out their health histories as they prepared for the trip, and estimated 83% had replied they were vaccinated. The IOC has estimated around 85% of residents of the Olympic Village are vaccinated; they base that on what each country's Olympic committee tells them but have not independently verified the number. — Naomi Osaka's opening match in the tennis tournament has been pushed back from Saturday to Sunday. Organizers did not immediately provide a reason for the switch, only saying that the move came from the tournament referee. Osaka was originally scheduled to play 52nd-ranked Zheng Saisai of China in the very first contest of the Games on center court Saturday morning.— The West African country of Guinea has reversed an earlier decision to pull out of the Olympics and will send a delegation of five athletes. The country's Minister of Sports made the announcement Thursday after national and international outcries that followed an earlier declaration that Guinea would not send athletes to Tokyo, blaming the coronavirus and its variants.— The World Anti-Doping Agency says several Russian athletes have been kept away from the Games because of doping suspicions based on evidence from a Moscow testing laboratory that was shut down in 2015. WADA's director general says it intervened with sports bodies to ensure the handful of athletics were not selected. The team of 335 Russian athletes accredited for Tokyo is competing without a national flag and anthem as punishment for state tampering with the Moscow lab's database.— U.S. gymnast Kara Eaker is in isolation after testing positive for COVID-19, while teammate Leanne Wong is in quarantine. Both are alternates for the U.S. team. The U.S. delegation of Simone Biles, Sunisa Lee, Jordan Chiles, Grace McCallum, Jade Carey and MyKayla Skinner worked out on each event during podium training on Thursday. They're staying in a hotel near the venue rather than the Olympic village, a decision made before they arrived. — Tokyo hit another six-month high in new COVID-19 cases a day before the Olympics begin. Thursday's 1,979 new cases are the highest since 2,044 were recorded on Jan. 15. Japan's prime minister placed Tokyo under a state of emergency on July 12, but daily cases have sharply increased since then. — Tommie Smith, John Carlos and Gwen Berry are among more than 150 educators, activists and athletes who signed a letter Thursday urging the IOC not to punish participants who demonstrate at the Tokyo Games. The five-page letter asks the IOC not to sanction athletes for kneeling or raising a fist, the way Smith and Carlos did at the 1968 Mexico City Games. That move that got them kicked out of the Olympics. — The IOC says it will now include images of Olympic athletes taking a knee in its official highlight reels and social media channels. Players from five women's soccer teams kneeled in support of racial justice before their games Wednesday. Those images were excluded from highlights package provided by the IOC to media that could not broadcast the games live. — Six Polish swimmers have returned home before the Olympics even started, their dreams scuttled by the country mistakenly sending too many athletes to Tokyo. Only 17 swimmers from Poland qualified for the Tokyo Games. The country's swimming federation put 23 athletes on the plane to Japan, sparking outrage among those who were denied a chance to compete. SENIOR BRITISH OPENDarren Clarke, James Kingston share Senior British Open leadBERKSHIRE, England (AP) — Darren Clarke shot a 5-under 65 for a share of the Senior British Open lead with James Kingston at Sunningdale. Clarke had six birdies and a bogey on the Old Course in the final senior major championship of the year, while Kingston played a bogey-free round. Defending champion Bernhard Langer was a stroke back with Ricardo Gonzalez and Stephen Dodd. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Sports Headlines for Friday

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Eagle Radio Sports for Friday Morning

STILLWATER, OK – Wichita native Barry Sanders will have his name and jersey number added to the Ring of Honor inside Boone Pickens Stadium as part of the Cowboys' game against TCU on November 13. Additionally, a sculptor is at work on a statue that would permanently honor Sanders outside the stadium.

Sanders becomes the second member of the Cowboy Football Ring of Honor, following his teammate and fellow hall-of-famer Thurman Thomas, who was inducted in 2020. Once it is ready, Sanders will be the first OSU player honored with a statue outside the stadium. The sculptor working on the piece, Harold Holden, also made the statue of Boone Pickens that was unveiled in 2020.

Sanders' domination of college football in 1988 was historic and earned him the Heisman Trophy and unanimous first-team All-America honors. He helped make the Oklahoma State offense one of the most productive in college football history.

Among his most outrageous statistics in 1988:

* Four games with at least 300 yards rushing

* 937 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns in one three-game span against Kansas, Iowa State and Texas Tech.

Sanders was a first-round draft choice by the Detroit Lions in 1989. The No. 21 jersey Sanders wore as a Cowboy is one of just four numbers not in use at Oklahoma State.

STILLWATER, OK – Wichita native Barry Sanders will have his name and jersey number added to the Ring of Honor inside Boone Pickens Stadium as part of the Cowboys' game against TCU on November 13. Additionally, a sculptor is at work on a statue that would permanently honor Sanders outside the stadium.Sanders becomes the second member of the Cowboy Football Ring of Honor, following his teammate and fellow hall-of-famer Thurman Thomas, who was inducted in 2020. Once it is ready, Sanders will be the first OSU player honored with a statue outside the stadium. The sculptor working on the piece, Harold Holden, also made the statue of Boone Pickens that was unveiled in 2020.Sanders' domination of college football in 1988 was historic and earned him the Heisman Trophy and unanimous first-team All-America honors. He helped make the Oklahoma State offense one of the most productive in college football history.Among his most outrageous statistics in 1988:* 237.5 rushing yards per game* 7.6 yards per carry* 44 touchdowns scored (3.7 per game)* Four games with at least 300 yards rushing* 937 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns in one three-game span against Kansas, Iowa State and Texas Tech.Sanders was a first-round draft choice by the Detroit Lions in 1989. The No. 21 jersey Sanders wore as a Cowboy is one of just four numbers not in use at Oklahoma State.

Barry Sanders to go into OSU Ring of Honor

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Big 12 leaders held a call without Texas and Oklahoma on Thursday to discuss how to keep the league’s flagship schools from bolting to the Southeastern Conference — and contingency plans to survive without them. 

The Big 12 put out a statement that revealed few details, but made clear the eight members in danger of being left behind want the Longhorns and Sooners to stay put. And that leaving could be costly for Texas and Oklahoma. 

The person familiar with the call said Commissioner Bob Bowlsby and school officials discussed possible options for persuading Texas and Oklahoma to remain in the Big 12 and potential ways to keep the conference going if they leave.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Big 12 leaders held a call without Texas and Oklahoma on Thursday to discuss how to keep the league’s flagship schools from bolting to the Southeastern Conference — and contingency plans to survive without them. The Big 12 put out a statement that revealed few details, but made clear the eight members in danger of being left behind want the Longhorns and Sooners to stay put. And that leaving could be costly for Texas and Oklahoma. The person familiar with the call said Commissioner Bob Bowlsby and school officials discussed possible options for persuading Texas and Oklahoma to remain in the Big 12 and potential ways to keep the conference going if they leave.

Big 12 looking at contingencies if Texas, Oklahoma go to SEC

LITTLE ROCK, AR– After a rain delay caused the game to be called in the 8th inning, the Wind Surge picked up their 7th shutout victory of the year in a 5-0 game three victory in Little Rock Thursday. Wichita has won the first three games of the series and maintains a three game lead in the division standings.

Spencer Steer put the Surge on the board with a leadoff home run to right field. Steer only saw two pitches before belting his sixth long ball 354 feet over the right field wall for an early 1-0 Wichita advantage.

The Wind Surge managed to keep the Travelers off the board until they plated four insurance runs in the 8th inning. Roy Morales scored the first run of the innings of an RBI single to left field and loading the bases up for BJ Boyd. BJ Boyd brought two home with a double to deep left field. Aaron Whitefield capped off the scoring effort in the inning with a sacrifice fly to right field, allowing Morales to tag and score to put the Surge ahead 5-0 late in the game.

In the bottom of the eighth inning with two outs for the Travelers, the game entered a rain delay. After a little wait, the game was called off and counted as an official game, meaning the Wind Surge won their third straight game against the Travelers.

Spencer Steer had two hits in four at bats and D.J. Burt two hits tallied four of the six Wind Surge hits tonight. Steer also picked up an RBI on his solo home run in the first at-bat of the game.

Chris Vallimont had one of his best performances of the year tonight picking up his third win in his 11th start of the season. Vallimont pitched six scoreless innings, allowed just three hits and struck out eight batters. Mitchell Osnowitz recorded the rare “hold” in his 1.2 innings of relief. Osnowitz allowed no runs on no hits and struck out three in his relief efforts.

Wichita will play game four against the Arkansas Travelers Friday. First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m.

LITTLE ROCK, AR– After a rain delay caused the game to be called in the 8th inning, the Wind Surge picked up their 7th shutout victory of the year in a 5-0 game three victory in Little Rock Thursday. Wichita has won the first three games of the series and maintains a three game lead in the division standings.Spencer Steer put the Surge on the board with a leadoff home run to right field. Steer only saw two pitches before belting his sixth long ball 354 feet over the right field wall for an early 1-0 Wichita advantage.The Wind Surge managed to keep the Travelers off the board until they plated four insurance runs in the 8th inning. Roy Morales scored the first run of the innings of an RBI single to left field and loading the bases up for BJ Boyd. BJ Boyd brought two home with a double to deep left field. Aaron Whitefield capped off the scoring effort in the inning with a sacrifice fly to right field, allowing Morales to tag and score to put the Surge ahead 5-0 late in the game.In the bottom of the eighth inning with two outs for the Travelers, the game entered a rain delay. After a little wait, the game was called off and counted as an official game, meaning the Wind Surge won their third straight game against the Travelers.Spencer Steer had two hits in four at bats and D.J. Burt two hits tallied four of the six Wind Surge hits tonight. Steer also picked up an RBI on his solo home run in the first at-bat of the game.Chris Vallimont had one of his best performances of the year tonight picking up his third win in his 11th start of the season. Vallimont pitched six scoreless innings, allowed just three hits and struck out eight batters. Mitchell Osnowitz recorded the rare “hold” in his 1.2 innings of relief. Osnowitz allowed no runs on no hits and struck out three in his relief efforts.Wichita will play game four against the Arkansas Travelers Friday. First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m.

Surge win in rain shortened shutout Thursday

New York (AP) - NFL teams have been warned they could forfeit a game due to a COVID-19 outbreak among non-vaccinated players, and players on both teams wouldn’t get paid that week.

“As we learned last year, we can play a full season if we maintain a firm commitment to adhering to our health and safety protocols and to making needed adjustments in response to changing conditions,” Commissioner Roger Goodell said Thursday in a memo sent to clubs that was obtained by The Associated Press.

Goodell says the league doesn’t anticipate adding a 19th week to accommodate games that can’t be rescheduled within 18-week regular season.

However, forfeits are among the consequences.

“If a game can’t be rescheduled and is canceled due to a COVID outbreak among non-vaccinated players on one of the competing teams, the team with the outbreak will forfeit and will be deemed to have played 16 games for purposes of draft, waiver priority, etc,” Goodell says in the memo.

For purposes of playoff seeding, the forfeiting team will be credited with a loss and the other team will be credited with a win.

Nearly all clubs have vaccinated 100% of their Tier 1 and 2 staffs. Teams have appropriate protocols set up for staffers who have not been vaccinated, consistent with the guidance given last April.

— If a vaccinated person tests positive and is asymptomatic, he or she will be isolated and contact tracing will promptly occur. The positive individual will be permitted to return to duty after two negative tests at least 24 hours apart, and will thereafter be tested every two weeks or as directed by the medical staffs. Vaccinated individuals will not be subject to quarantine as a result of close contact with an infected person.

— If an unvaccinated person tests positive, the protocols from 2020 will remain in effect. The person will be isolated for a period of 10 days and will then be permitted to return to duty if asymptomatic. Unvaccinated individuals will continue to be subject to a five-day quarantine period if they have close contact with an infected individual.

— Anyone who had a previous COVID-19 infection will be considered fully vaccinated 14 days after they have had at least one dose of an approved vaccine.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1578051322956.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>New York (AP) - NFL teams have been warned they could forfeit a game due to a COVID-19 outbreak among non-vaccinated players, and players on both teams wouldn’t get paid that week.“As we learned last year, we can play a full season if we maintain a firm commitment to adhering to our health and safety protocols and to making needed adjustments in response to changing conditions,” Commissioner Roger Goodell said Thursday in a memo sent to clubs that was obtained by The Associated Press.Goodell says the league doesn’t anticipate adding a 19th week to accommodate games that can’t be rescheduled within 18-week regular season.However, forfeits are among the consequences.“If a game can’t be rescheduled and is canceled due to a COVID outbreak among non-vaccinated players on one of the competing teams, the team with the outbreak will forfeit and will be deemed to have played 16 games for purposes of draft, waiver priority, etc,” Goodell says in the memo.For purposes of playoff seeding, the forfeiting team will be credited with a loss and the other team will be credited with a win.The league says more than half its teams have COVID-19 vaccination rates greater than 80% of their players, and more than 75% of players are in the process of being vaccinated.Nearly all clubs have vaccinated 100% of their Tier 1 and 2 staffs. Teams have appropriate protocols set up for staffers who have not been vaccinated, consistent with the guidance given last April.Among the other key points in the memo:— If a vaccinated person tests positive and is asymptomatic, he or she will be isolated and contact tracing will promptly occur. The positive individual will be permitted to return to duty after two negative tests at least 24 hours apart, and will thereafter be tested every two weeks or as directed by the medical staffs. Vaccinated individuals will not be subject to quarantine as a result of close contact with an infected person.— If an unvaccinated person tests positive, the protocols from 2020 will remain in effect. The person will be isolated for a period of 10 days and will then be permitted to return to duty if asymptomatic. Unvaccinated individuals will continue to be subject to a five-day quarantine period if they have close contact with an infected individual.— Anyone who had a previous COVID-19 infection will be considered fully vaccinated 14 days after they have had at least one dose of an approved vaccine.

NFL warning teams with strict COVID vaccination rules

July 22, 2021 Afternoon Sports

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Yadier Molina doubled home the winning run against All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel in the 10th inning to give the St. Louis Cardinals a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs. Adam Wainwright pitched seven strong innings for the Cardinals. Harrison Bader and Dylan Carlson each hit an RBI double in the seventh to put St. Louis ahead 2-1. Bader also robbed Willson Contreras of an early two-run homer. Chicago tied it in the ninth on pinch-hitter Eric Sogard's run-scoring double off Giovanny Gallegos.

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Nicky Lopez hit a bases-loaded, tiebreaking double, Brad Keller earned his first win in over six weeks and the Kansas City Royals completed a season sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers with a 6-3 win. On an afternoon when the Brewers made a pair of errors that caused Kansas City's first five runs to be unearned, two of the loudest ovations came when the scoreboard showed video clips of Milwaukee Bucks players asking fans to get loud. The Bucks won their first NBA championship since 1971 on Tuesday night, beating the Phoenix Suns in Game 6 in the downtown arena about three miles away. The Brewers lead the NL Central and the Royals are last in the AL Central, yet Kansas City won all four meetings this year.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Two people familiar with the proposal say the University of Iowa plans to name the field at Kinnick Stadium for Duke Slater. He was a trailblazing Black player who was an All-American tackle a century ago. The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the plan to honor Slater hasn't been announced. The Iowa Board of Regents is set to consider and approve "a proposed facility naming" at a meeting next week. No details about the agenda item have been released.

UNDATED (AP) — Duke Slater was so good the NFL couldn't keep him out. And now he's going into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The pioneering two-way lineman was part of the centennial class announced in 2020 to celebrate the NFL's 100th season. He will be included in induction festivities Aug. 7-8 after they were postponed last year. Slater tackled bigotry head-on, and blocked it, too. He was the NFL's first African-American lineman, and often the only Black player on the field. After retiring, he broke down more racial barriers to become a judge in Chicago.&nbsp;

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Dániel Sallói scored in stoppage time to give Sporting Kansas City a 1-1 tie with the San Jose Earthquakes on Wednesday night. Sallói tapped in a rebound in the fourth minute of injury time. Johnny Russell banged a free kick off the crossbar and into the back of goalkeeper James Marcinkowski and Sallói beat two teammates to the ball for the finish from point-blank range. Nathan Cardoso scored for San Jose in the 53rd minute.

Texas, Oklahoma reportedly reach out to SEC about joining

HOOVER, Ala. (AP) — The Southeastern Conference could be adding two marquee football programs in the future.

The Houston Chronicle is reporting that Big 12 powers Texas and Oklahoma have reached out to the SEC about potentially joining the league. The report cites a source the paper did not identify, only to say it was a high-ranking official with knowledge of the situation.

The paper said an announcement could come in the next couple of weeks. Adding two members would give the powerhouse SEC 16 teams, the largest in major college football.

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey declined to comment on the report.

UNDATED (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers enjoy a large lead in the National League Central right now, but they were never able to beat the worst team in the AL Central this season.

The Brewers put together a sloppy performance in a 6-3 loss to the Royals, allowing Kansas City to sweep the four-game season series.

Milwaukee made a pair of errors that caused the Royals' first five runs to be unearned. Nicky Lopez had the key hit, a tiebreaking, two-run double in a three-run sixth. 

Brad Keller won for the first time since June 4, allowing three runs over 6 2/3 innings. 

Milwaukee still leads its division by 6 ½ games over the Reds.

— Yadier (YAH'-dee-ehr) Molina singled home the game-winning run off Craig Kimbrel in the bottom of the 10th to give the Cardinals a 3-2 win over the Cubs. Chicago tied it 2-2 in the ninth when pinch-hitter Eric Sogard (SOH'-gahrd) doubled to right off reliever Giovanny Gallegos. Harrison Bader has five multi-hit performances in his last seven games after going 3-for-4 with an RBI double that put St. Louis ahead in the seventh.

— The Giants have restored their two-game lead in the NL West by scoring three times in the ninth inning of a 4-2 comeback over the second-place Dodgers in Los Angeles. The Dodgers owned a 2-1 lead and were on the verge of pulling into a first-place tie until Wilmer Flores slammed a two-run homer off Kenley Jansen. The Giants received four perfect innings from their bullpen after starter Logan Webb was reached for three hits, including Chris Taylor's homer leading off the bottom of the first.

— Marcus Stroman was terrific in the Mets' 7-0 win over the Reds, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out seven over eight innings. Stroman gave the bullpen a break after New York starters had worked just five innings over the last three games. Dominic Smith highlighted the offense with a grand slam for the Mets, who scored their other runs on homers by Luis Guillorme (gee-OHR'-may) and Jonathan Villar (vee-AHR').

— Fernando Tatis (tah-TEES') Jr. slammed his NL-leading 29th home run, a two-run blast that gave the Padres a 3-0 lead in a 3-2 win over the Braves in Game 1 of a doubleheader. The All-Star shortstop has eight hits, seven runs scored and six RBIs in his last five games. Chris Paddack reversed his recent struggles by limiting Atlanta to three hits over five scoreless innings.

— Game 2 of the Padres-Braves twinbill was suspended by rain in the middle of the fifth inning with San Diego leading, 5-4. The rest of the game could be played in San Diego when the Braves visit the Padres for a three-game series Sept. 24-26.

<h2>Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press</h2>ST. LOUIS (AP) — Yadier Molina doubled home the winning run against All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel in the 10th inning to give the St. Louis Cardinals a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs. Adam Wainwright pitched seven strong innings for the Cardinals. Harrison Bader and Dylan Carlson each hit an RBI double in the seventh to put St. Louis ahead 2-1. Bader also robbed Willson Contreras of an early two-run homer. Chicago tied it in the ninth on pinch-hitter Eric Sogard's run-scoring double off Giovanny Gallegos.MILWAUKEE (AP) — Nicky Lopez hit a bases-loaded, tiebreaking double, Brad Keller earned his first win in over six weeks and the Kansas City Royals completed a season sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers with a 6-3 win. On an afternoon when the Brewers made a pair of errors that caused Kansas City's first five runs to be unearned, two of the loudest ovations came when the scoreboard showed video clips of Milwaukee Bucks players asking fans to get loud. The Bucks won their first NBA championship since 1971 on Tuesday night, beating the Phoenix Suns in Game 6 in the downtown arena about three miles away. The Brewers lead the NL Central and the Royals are last in the AL Central, yet Kansas City won all four meetings this year.IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Two people familiar with the proposal say the University of Iowa plans to name the field at Kinnick Stadium for Duke Slater. He was a trailblazing Black player who was an All-American tackle a century ago. The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the plan to honor Slater hasn't been announced. The Iowa Board of Regents is set to consider and approve "a proposed facility naming" at a meeting next week. No details about the agenda item have been released.UNDATED (AP) — Duke Slater was so good the NFL couldn't keep him out. And now he's going into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The pioneering two-way lineman was part of the centennial class announced in 2020 to celebrate the NFL's 100th season. He will be included in induction festivities Aug. 7-8 after they were postponed last year. Slater tackled bigotry head-on, and blocked it, too. He was the NFL's first African-American lineman, and often the only Black player on the field. After retiring, he broke down more racial barriers to become a judge in Chicago.&nbsp;KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Dániel Sallói scored in stoppage time to give Sporting Kansas City a 1-1 tie with the San Jose Earthquakes on Wednesday night. Sallói tapped in a rebound in the fourth minute of injury time. Johnny Russell banged a free kick off the crossbar and into the back of goalkeeper James Marcinkowski and Sallói beat two teammates to the ball for the finish from point-blank range. Nathan Cardoso scored for San Jose in the 53rd minute.SEC EXPANSIONTexas, Oklahoma reportedly reach out to SEC about joiningHOOVER, Ala. (AP) — The Southeastern Conference could be adding two marquee football programs in the future.The Houston Chronicle is reporting that Big 12 powers Texas and Oklahoma have reached out to the SEC about potentially joining the league. The report cites a source the paper did not identify, only to say it was a high-ranking official with knowledge of the situation.The paper said an announcement could come in the next couple of weeks. Adding two members would give the powerhouse SEC 16 teams, the largest in major college football.SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey declined to comment on the report.MLB-SCHEDULERoyals sweep away BrewersUNDATED (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers enjoy a large lead in the National League Central right now, but they were never able to beat the worst team in the AL Central this season.The Brewers put together a sloppy performance in a 6-3 loss to the Royals, allowing Kansas City to sweep the four-game season series.Milwaukee made a pair of errors that caused the Royals' first five runs to be unearned. Nicky Lopez had the key hit, a tiebreaking, two-run double in a three-run sixth. Brad Keller won for the first time since June 4, allowing three runs over 6 2/3 innings. Milwaukee still leads its division by 6 ½ games over the Reds.In other major league action:— Yadier (YAH'-dee-ehr) Molina singled home the game-winning run off Craig Kimbrel in the bottom of the 10th to give the Cardinals a 3-2 win over the Cubs. Chicago tied it 2-2 in the ninth when pinch-hitter Eric Sogard (SOH'-gahrd) doubled to right off reliever Giovanny Gallegos. Harrison Bader has five multi-hit performances in his last seven games after going 3-for-4 with an RBI double that put St. Louis ahead in the seventh.— The Giants have restored their two-game lead in the NL West by scoring three times in the ninth inning of a 4-2 comeback over the second-place Dodgers in Los Angeles. The Dodgers owned a 2-1 lead and were on the verge of pulling into a first-place tie until Wilmer Flores slammed a two-run homer off Kenley Jansen. The Giants received four perfect innings from their bullpen after starter Logan Webb was reached for three hits, including Chris Taylor's homer leading off the bottom of the first.— Marcus Stroman was terrific in the Mets' 7-0 win over the Reds, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out seven over eight innings. Stroman gave the bullpen a break after New York starters had worked just five innings over the last three games. Dominic Smith highlighted the offense with a grand slam for the Mets, who scored their other runs on homers by Luis Guillorme (gee-OHR'-may) and Jonathan Villar (vee-AHR').— Fernando Tatis (tah-TEES') Jr. slammed his NL-leading 29th home run, a two-run blast that gave the Padres a 3-0 lead in a 3-2 win over the Braves in Game 1 of a doubleheader. The All-Star shortstop has eight hits, seven runs scored and six RBIs in his last five games. Chris Paddack reversed his recent struggles by limiting Atlanta to three hits over five scoreless innings.— Game 2 of the Padres-Braves twinbill was suspended by rain in the middle of the fifth inning with San Diego leading, 5-4. The rest of the game could be played in San Diego when the Braves visit the Padres for a three-game series Sept. 24-26.— The Marlins picked up a 3-1 win over the Nationals as pinch-hitter Jorge Alfaro doubled home the tiebreaking run in the 10th inning. Miguel Flores padded Miami's lead with a sacrifice fly before the Marlins ended a four-game losing streak. Andrew Stevenson had an RBI-double for Washington, which had its three-game winning streak halted.— Pavin (PAY'-vihn) Smith and Daulton Varsho hit consecutive home runs leading off the seventh inning of the Diamondbacks' 6-4 downing of the Pirates. Madison Bumgarner allowed three runs over five innings for Arizona in his second start since coming off the injured list. The DBacks completed a three-game sweep and ran their winning streak to four games, tying a season high.— Dom Nunez laced a three-run double while the Rockies scored five in the first inning of a 6-3 win against the Mariners. Austin Gomber pitched effectively for six innings in his return from the injured list, surrendering homers by Kyle Seager, Mitch Haniger and Luis Torrens. Gomber didn't allow any other hits in winning his fourth straight decision.— The Blue Jays dropped their final home game in Buffalo as the Red Sox banged out five home runs in a 7-4 decision over Toronto. Kiké (KEE'-kay) Hernández, Rafael Devers (DEH'-vurz), Michael Chavis, J.D. Martinez, and Hunter Renfroe all homered for Boston, which kept its one-game lead over Tampa Bay atop the AP East. Garrett Richards and three Sox relievers held Toronto to five hits.— The Rays pulled out a 5-4 win over the Orioles on Austin Meadows' two-out, two-strike, two-run single in the bottom of the ninth. Randy Arozarena (ah-roh-zah-REH'-nah) homered twice and had a key single in the ninth as Tampa Bay won for the 10th time in 13 games. The Birds' loss came after they announced that pitcher Keegan Akin and outfielder Anthony Santander (sahn-tahn-DEHR') were placed on the COVID-19 injured list. — The Yankees coughed up a 5-2 lead before beating the Phillies, 6-5 on Ryan LaMarre's (lah-MAHRZ') game-ending single in the 10th inning. LaMarre's clutch hit gave the Yankees their fourth straight win and ninth in 12 games heading into a four-game series with Boston. The Phils tied it with a three-run eighth with help from an error, four walks and a wild pitch that knotted the score.— Max Kepler homered in his second straight game and Jorge Polanco also went deep for the Twins in a 7-2 downing of the White Sox. Polanco made it 6-1 with his sixth-inning blast. The Twins beat the AL Central leaders for just the fourth time in 16 games. — The Tigers earned their sixth straight win as Matt Manning pitched six strong innings to lead a 4-2 victory over the Rangers. Robbie Grossman, Zack Short and Akil Baddoo hit home runs as the Tigers matched their longest winning streak since an eight-game run in 2016. Texas has lost eight in a row and has been outscored 47-5 in six games since the All-Star break.— The Indians were 5-4 winners over the Astros as rookie Ernie Clement had a season-high three RBIs and Cesar Hernandez smacked a tiebreaking home run in the seventh inning. Rookie starter Eli Morgan permitted three hits and three runs in five-plus innings. Jose Altuve (al-TOO'-vay) and Kyle Tucker both homered for the second straight game, but Houston lost to Cleveland for the first time in seven meetings this year.MLB-NEWSMets trade McKinney to Dodgers for minor leaguer, cashUNDATED (AP) — The Mets have traded outfielder Billy McKinney to the Dodgers for minor league outfielder Carlos Rincon and cash. The Mets acquired McKinney from Milwaukee on May 25. In 39 games with New York, the 26-year-old batted .220 with five home runs and 14 RBIs. He was designated for assignment on July 16. The NL East-leading Mets also claimed right-hander Roel Ramírez off waivers from the Cardinals. NHL-KRAKEN-EXPANSION DRAFTAP sources: Kraken pass on Carey Price in expansion draftSEATTLE (AP) — Carey Price remains property of the Montreal Canadiens after the Seattle Kraken passed on the netminder in the NHL expansion draft. Instead, the Kraken selected Panthers netminder Chris Driedger and gave him a three-year, $10.5 million package.Seattle took on some big contracts, selecting Flames defenseman Mark Giordano and Islanders forward Jordan Eberle. Other notable players chosen by the Kraken include Lightning center Yanni Gourde and Maple Leafs forward Jared McCann. Bruins defenseman Jeremy Lauzon was the first player taken by Seattle.NFL-NEWSWarner gets big extensionUNDATED (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers have agreed to a five-year contract extension with Fred Warner that makes him the highest-paid off-ball linebacker in the NFL.A person familiar with the deal said the extension that runs through 2026 is worth about $95 million with $40.5 million in guarantees. The package tops the $18 million a year average for Seattle's Bobby Wagner, which had been the top at the position. ESPN first reported the deal.In other NFL news:— Steelers linebacker Vince Williams has announced his retirement just months after taking a pay cut to return for a ninth season. The 31-year-old Williams appeared in 121 games for the Steelers after making the team as a sixth-round pick out of Florida State in 2013. He carved out early in his career as a special teams ace and then became one of the more physical inside linebackers in the NFL.COLLEGE FOOTBALL-BOWDEN-DIAGNOSISHall of Famer Bobby Bowden has terminal medical conditionUNDATED (AP) — Legendary college football coach Bobby Bowden says he has been diagnosed with a terminal medical condition. He did not disclose his condition in his statement Wednesday.The 91-year-old Bowden says he is at peace and is prepared for what is to come.The College Football Hall of Famer was hospitalized last October after he tested positive for COVID-19. The test came a few days after he returned home from a lengthy hospital stay for an infection in his leg. Bowden had 357 wins during his coaching career, most of them at Florida State. The Seminoles won 12 Atlantic Coast Conference championships and two national titles in his tenure. OLYMPICS-NEWSLaVine cleared, USA Basketball awaits 3 NBA Finals playersUNDATED (AP) — USA Basketball expects to have its full 12-man roster available for Sunday's matchup against France. It's the first game for both teams in the Tokyo Olympics. Zach LaVine (lah-VEEN') has been cleared to exit the health and safety protocols that stemmed from a coronavirus testing-related issue. He will fly to Japan and rejoin the team Thursday.Khris Middleton, Jrue (jroo) Holiday and Devin Booker are expected to arrive in Tokyo on Saturday after competing in the NBA Finals. Middleton and Holiday just helped the Bucks beat Booker's Suns.In other Olympics news:— U.S. gymnast Kara Eaker is doing well physically but remains in isolation three days after testing positive for COVID-19. A USA gymnastics official says Eaker is in isolation while teammate Leanne Wong is in quarantine. Both athletes served as alternates for the U.S. team. Wong continues to test negative but was put in quarantine due to contact tracing. The six-women U.S. delegation of Simone Biles, Sunisa Lee, Jordan Chiles, Grace McCallum, Jade Carey and MyKayla Skinner worked out on each event during podium training on Thursday. They're staying in a hotel near the venue rather than the Olympic village, a decision made before they arrived.— While it certainly wasn't the Olympic start the U.S. women's soccer team had anticipated, a rare loss didn't skewer the squad's hopes for gold. The United States fell to Sweden 3-0 in the team's opener in Tokyo to snap a 44-match unbeaten streak. It was a surprising result for the favorites in the field. There's still a good chance that the Americans make it to the knockout round. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the United States fell 2-0 to Norway in the first match, then went on to win the gold medal.— The Tokyo Olympic organizing committee has fired the director of the opening ceremony because of a Holocaust joke he made during a comedy show in 1998. His dismissal comes the day before Friday's opening ceremony of the pandemic-delayed Games. Earlier this week, a composer whose music is expected to be used at the opening ceremony was forced to resign because of past bullying of his classmates.— Four-time women's basketball gold medalist Sue Bird and baseball player Eddy Alvarez have been chosen as USA flag bearers for Friday's opening ceremony. They are the first duo to share the honor of leading the delegation into the ceremony. — Two athletes were among four residents of the Olympic Village who were added to the tally Thursday of people accredited for the Tokyo Games who have tested positive for COVID-19 this month. That brings the number to 91, including European swimming champion Ilya Borodin (BOH'-roh-deen) and a US volleyball player believed to be Taylor Crabb.— Tokyo's COVID-19 infections have surged to a six-month high with the Olympic host city logging 1,832 new cases just two days before the Games open. Tokyo is currently under its fourth state of emergency, which will last two weeks after the Olympics end.— Brisbane will host the 2032 Olympics, the inevitable winner of a one-city race steered by the IOC to avoid rival bids. The Games will go back to Australia 32 years after the popular 2000 Sydney Olympics. — The International Olympic Committee says it will now include images of Olympic athletes taking a knee in its official highlights reels and social media channels. Players from five women's soccer teams kneeled in support of racial justice before their games Wednesday. That was the first day it was allowed at the Olympic Games after a decades-long total ban on athlete protest gestures on the field. But the images were excluded from highlights package provided by the IOC to media that could not broadcast the games live.OLYMPICS-SCHEDULESweden beats US as Olympic women's soccer tournament beginsTOKYO (AP) — Sweden has once again stunned the United States women's soccer team at the Olympics, this time with a 3-0 victory.The top-ranked Americans were the favorites to win in Tokyo and owned a 44-match unbeaten streak. The Swedes bounced the Americans from the 2016 Brazil Games in the quarterfinals. Then in April, Sweden played the United States to a 1-1 draw in Stockholm, which snapped a winning streak dating back to January 2019. Sweden now leads Group G heading into Saturday's game against Australia, while the United States faces New Zealand. The top two teams in the group advance to the knockout round.In other Olympic action: — The U.S. is 2-0 in Olympic women's softball following a 1-0 victory over Canada. Monica Abbott struck out nine in a complete-game one-hitter. Amanda Chidester singled home the game's only run. Center fielder Haylie McCleney combined with second baseman Ali Aguilar to throw out the potential tying run at the plate following Canada's only hit of the game.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;