HUTCHINSON, Kan.-The Hutch High Salthawks host the Derby Panthers in football action Friday night at Gowans Stadium in Hutchinson. &nbsp;It's homecoming so come early and stay late! &nbsp;Catch the Eagle Radio Sports team with all the action on KWBW Radio 1450am/98.5fm and streamed live on Hutchpost.com beginning with the Kansas Kickoff Show beginning at 6pm followed by the Medicine Shoppe Salthawk Pregame Show at 6:30pm. Stay tuned on KWBW afterward for the Highschool Scoreboard Show with Nick Gosnell immediately following the Salthawk post 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;

HUTCHINSON, Kan.-The Hutch High Salthawks host the Derby Panthers in football action Friday night at Gowans Stadium in Hutchinson. &nbsp;It's homecoming so come early and stay late! &nbsp;Catch the Eagle Radio Sports team with all the action on KWBW Radio 1450am/98.5fm and streamed live on Hutchpost.com beginning with the Kansas Kickoff Show beginning at 6pm followed by the Medicine Shoppe Salthawk Pregame Show at 6:30pm. Stay tuned on KWBW afterward for the Highschool Scoreboard Show with Nick Gosnell immediately following the Salthawk post game.<figure>
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 </figure><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;

🎥 LIVE VIDEO TV: Hutch High Homecoming vs Derby @ Gowans Stadium

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State forward Seryee Lewis will miss the upcoming season after surgery last week to repair a torn ACL that he sustained in preseason workouts, Wildcats coach Bruce Weber said Thursday.

The 6-foot-9 sophomore came off the bench to appear in 18 games as a freshman. He was expected to compete for minutes alongside Davion Bradford, Kaosi Ezeagu and Ismael Massoud in a revamped front court for the Wildcats.

Carlton Linguard and Logan Landers also will take on extra minutes this season.

Kansas State, which opens practice this week, is coming off back-to-back losing seasons that have Weber's future in limbo.

The Wildcats return four of their top five scorers and brought in Massoud from Wake Forest, Mark Smith from Missouri and Markquis Nowell from Arkansas-Little Rock to provide some immediate help.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State forward Seryee Lewis will miss the upcoming season after surgery last week to repair a torn ACL that he sustained in preseason workouts, Wildcats coach Bruce Weber said Thursday.The 6-foot-9 sophomore came off the bench to appear in 18 games as a freshman. He was expected to compete for minutes alongside Davion Bradford, Kaosi Ezeagu and Ismael Massoud in a revamped front court for the Wildcats.Carlton Linguard and Logan Landers also will take on extra minutes this season.Kansas State, which opens practice this week, is coming off back-to-back losing seasons that have Weber's future in limbo.The Wildcats return four of their top five scorers and brought in Massoud from Wake Forest, Mark Smith from Missouri and Markquis Nowell from Arkansas-Little Rock to provide some immediate help.

Lewis out for K-State men, practice starts this week

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Oklahoma hasn’t played a true road game in nearly two years thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced those schools that did allow fans last year to limit capacity, and four consecutive home games to start this season. 

The sixth-ranked Sooners figure to be in for a rude welcome on Saturday. Not only are they finally venturing out of Norman, they are playing their first Big 12 road game since they announced plans to bolt the conference along with Texas shortly before the season. 

The decision to head for the SEC was hardly appreciated by longtime cohorts such as Kansas State.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Oklahoma hasn’t played a true road game in nearly two years thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced those schools that did allow fans last year to limit capacity, and four consecutive home games to start this season. The sixth-ranked Sooners figure to be in for a rude welcome on Saturday. Not only are they finally venturing out of Norman, they are playing their first Big 12 road game since they announced plans to bolt the conference along with Texas shortly before the season. The decision to head for the SEC was hardly appreciated by longtime cohorts such as Kansas State.

Oklahoma's first road trip to Bill Snyder Family Stadium Saturday

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Shane Bieber pitched three effective innings, Bradley Zimmer drove in three runs and the Cleveland Indians beat the Kansas City Royals 6-1 to avoid a three-game sweep. 

Royals star Salvador Perez, who left Wednesday’s game after spraining his right ankle, started and hit a double. He leads the majors with 48 home runs and 121 RBIs. 

Bieber allowed one run on four hits, with one strikeout. The reigning AL Cy Young Award made his second start since returning from a three-month stay on the injured list.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Shane Bieber pitched three effective innings, Bradley Zimmer drove in three runs and the Cleveland Indians beat the Kansas City Royals 6-1 to avoid a three-game sweep. Royals star Salvador Perez, who left Wednesday’s game after spraining his right ankle, started and hit a double. He leads the majors with 48 home runs and 121 RBIs. Bieber allowed one run on four hits, with one strikeout. The reigning AL Cy Young Award made his second start since returning from a three-month stay on the injured list.

Indians win over Royals Thursday

September 30, 2021 Afternoon Sports

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Kansas City Royals have named their Minor League Players and Pitchers of the Year for their respective affiliates.

Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., 21, was named the Omaha Player of the Year, after being named the George Brett Hitter of the Year last week. He split the season between Omaha and Northwest Arkansas (AA) and through Sept. 29, he’s played in 121 combined games and is batting .293 (143-for-488). He leads all minor league players in extra-base hits (72) and is also second in total bases (285), tied for second in runs scored (98), third in RBI (96), fourth in homers (33) and tied for fourth in hits. The right-handed hitter became the first Royals minor league player to record 20+ home runs and 20+ stolen bases in a season since Alex Gordon did so in 2006 with the Wichita Wranglers (AA). Witt Jr. was selected in the first round (2nd overall) of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft out of Colleyville Heritage High School in Texas.

Right hander Jackson Kowar, 24, was named the Omaha Pitcher of the Year, after being tabbed the Paul Splittorff Pitcher of the Year last week. Kowar went 9-4 with a 3.46 ERA (31 ER in 80.2 IP) and 115 strikeouts (12.8 K/9) in 17 overall appearances (16 starts) over two stints with the Storm Chasers. He’s recorded the seventh-most strikeouts among Triple-A pitchers, despite a pair of stints in the Majors, including two weeks in June and the entire month of September. The righty opened the season going 5-0 with a 0.85 ERA (3 ER in 31.2 IP) and a .165 opponents’ average (18-for-109) in six starts before having his contract selected by Kansas City on June 6. He was selected by the Royals in the first round (33rd overall) of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Florida.

Catcher MJ Melendez, 22, was named the Northwest Arkansas Player of the Year, and through games on Sept. 29, he leads all minor league players in home runs (41), while ranking second in RBI (99) and slugging percentage (.628), and fourth in extra-base hits (63). He opened the season with the Naturals and was hitting .285/.372/.628 (85-for-298) and led all Double-A players in home runs (28), RBI (65), slugging percentage, OPS (.999), extra-base hits (46) and total bases (187), when he was promoted to Omaha (AAA) on Aug. 9. He was selected in the second round of the 2017 First-Year Player Draft out of Westminster Christian High School in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Right hander Jonathan Heasley, 24, has been named the Northwest Arkansas Pitcher of the Year, going 7-3 with a 3.33 ERA (39 ER in 105.1 IP) in 22 appearances (21 starts) with the Naturals, before having his contract selected by the Royals on Sept. 17. His ERA ranked third among all Double-A pitchers, while he was fourth in WHIP (1.22), sixth in opponents’ average (.244) and tied for sixth in strikeouts (120). He allowed three earned runs or fewer in all but four of his Double-A starts and posted a 1.50 ERA (6 ER in 36.0 IP) in his final seven outings with Northwest Arkansas. Heasley was selected in the 13th round of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft out of Oklahoma State University.

First baseman Vinnie Pasquatino, 23, was tabbed the Quad Cities Player of the Year, after hitting a combined .300/.394/.563 (131-for-437) between Quad Cities and Northwest Arkansas. The left-handed hitter is tied for second among all minor league players in doubles (37), ranks fifth in extra-base hits (64) and 10th in total bases (246). He opened the year with the River Bandits and hit .291 (69-for-237) with 20 doubles, three triples, 13 homers, 33 walks and 42 RBI, before being promoted to Double-A on July 20. Among Royals minor league players this season, he’s tops in doubles, ranks second in hits, third in walks (64) and tied for fourth in runs scored (79). He was selected in the 11th round of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft out of Old Dominion University.

Left hander Anthony Veneziano, 24, was named the Quad Cities Pitcher of the Year, after going 6-4 with a 3.75 ERA (39 ER in 93.2 IP) with 127 strikeouts (12.2 K/9), holding the opposition to a .222 average (76-for-342). He tied for the High-A Central lead in strikeouts, ranking tied for second among all High-A pitchers overall and tied for third in starts (22). His strikeout total also leads all Royals minor league pitchers and included a career-high 10 K’s on July 30 vs. South Bend. He was selected in the 10th round of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft out of Coastal Carolina University.

Shortstop Maikel Garcia, 21, was tabbed the Columbia Player of the Year. The infielder split the year between Columbia and Quad Cities, batting a combined .291/.380/.405 (120-for-412) with 21 doubles, seven triples, four homers and 35 stolen bases. He was promoted to High-A on July 13, and at the time of his promotion, he ranked fourth among Low-A East hitters in walks (38) and stolen bases (24) and fifth in on-base percentage (.409). The right-handed hitter is tied for fourth among Royals minor league players in walks (62) and stolen bases (35), ranks fifth in hits and is tied for sixth in runs scored (78). He was originally signed as an international free agent on July 27, 2016 out of La Sabana, Venezuela.

Left hander Emilio Marquez, 23, has been named the Columbia Pitcher of the Year. He made 20 appearances (5 starts) with the Fireflies, going 6-1 with a 1.86 ERA (13 ER in 63.0 IP) and 87 strikeouts (12.43 K/9), while holding the opposition to a .170 batting average (83-for-224). Among Low-A East pitchers that worked at least 60 innings, the southpaw tied for the league lead in WHIP (0.83), ranked second in ERA, third in opponents’ average and strikeouts per 9.0 innings. His .857 winning percentage was also third in the division (min. 7 decisions) and included four-straight winning decisions to open the year. He signed as an international free agent on March 4, 2018 out of Upata, Venezuela.

Arizona Complex League Royals (Rookie)

Catcher Guillermo Quintana, 20, has been named the ACL Royals Player of the Year, after hitting .298/.454/.452 (25-for-84), leading the team in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS (.906). He started 31 of the 33 games he appeared in, posting a .978 fielding percentage behind the plate. He was originally signed as an international free agent on July 14, 2017 out of Cartagena, Colombia.

Right hander Heribert Garcia, 21, was tabbed the ACL Royals Pitcher of the Year, after splitting the season between the Arizona Complex League and Low-A. He combined to go 2-5 with a 5.12 ERA (33 ER in 58.0 IP) between his two stops, but posted a 2.62 ERA (10 ER in 34.1 IP) with 40 strikeouts (10.5 K/9) and just six walks in the ACL. Among pitchers in the Arizona Complex League that worked at least 30.0 innings, he ranked fifth in ERA and issued the fifth-fewest walks. He was originally signed as an international free agent on March 31, 2018 out of Bolivar, Venezuela.

Dominican Summer League Royals Blue

Shortstop Lizandro Rodriguez, 18, was named the DSL Royals Blue Player of the Year, hitting .309/.446/.567 (30-for-97) through Sept. 29 in the Dominican Summer League, ranking fifth in the league in OPS (1.013) among players with at least 80 at bats. The switch-hitter also drew more walks (21) than strikeouts (18) and recorded 14 stolen bases in 18 attempts. He signed as an international free agent on July 2, 2019 out of Santiago, Dominican Republic.

Left hander Jose Catano, 20, was named DSL Royals Blue Pitcher of the Year, posting a 1.16 ERA (5 ER in 38.2 IP) with 53 strikeouts to just 14 walks in 11 starts through Sept. 29. He ranks second in the DSL (min. 35 IP), holding the opposition to a .123 average (16-for-130), and ranks third in ERA and seventh in WHIP (0.78). The lefty hasn’t allowed an earned run over his last seven outings, dating back to Aug. 10 (24.0 IP). He was originally signed as an international free agent on June 14, 2019 out of San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic.

Dominican Summer League Royals White

Shortstop Yeudi Advincola, 19, has been selected DSL Royals White Player of the Year. The right-handed hitter is batting .313/.365/.385 (30-for-96) with seven doubles, 14 RBI and 18 runs scored in 32 games with DSL Royals White through Sept. 29. He also appeared in three games for DSL Royals Blue. He signed as an international free agent on July 2, 2019 out of San Cristobal, Dominican Republic.

Left hander Fraicy Breton, 20, was named DSL Royals White Pitcher of the Year, posting a 2.11 ERA (10 ER in 42.2 IP), with 44 strikeouts (9.28 K/9) and a .209 opponents’ batting average (33-for-158) in 11 appearances (10 starts) through Sept. 29. He was originally signed as an international free agent on July 2, 2018 out of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Kansas City Royals have named their Minor League Players and Pitchers of the Year for their respective affiliates.Omaha (AAA)Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., 21, was named the Omaha Player of the Year, after being named the George Brett Hitter of the Year last week. He split the season between Omaha and Northwest Arkansas (AA) and through Sept. 29, he’s played in 121 combined games and is batting .293 (143-for-488). He leads all minor league players in extra-base hits (72) and is also second in total bases (285), tied for second in runs scored (98), third in RBI (96), fourth in homers (33) and tied for fourth in hits. The right-handed hitter became the first Royals minor league player to record 20+ home runs and 20+ stolen bases in a season since Alex Gordon did so in 2006 with the Wichita Wranglers (AA). Witt Jr. was selected in the first round (2nd overall) of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft out of Colleyville Heritage High School in Texas.Right hander Jackson Kowar, 24, was named the Omaha Pitcher of the Year, after being tabbed the Paul Splittorff Pitcher of the Year last week. Kowar went 9-4 with a 3.46 ERA (31 ER in 80.2 IP) and 115 strikeouts (12.8 K/9) in 17 overall appearances (16 starts) over two stints with the Storm Chasers. He’s recorded the seventh-most strikeouts among Triple-A pitchers, despite a pair of stints in the Majors, including two weeks in June and the entire month of September. The righty opened the season going 5-0 with a 0.85 ERA (3 ER in 31.2 IP) and a .165 opponents’ average (18-for-109) in six starts before having his contract selected by Kansas City on June 6. He was selected by the Royals in the first round (33rd overall) of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Florida.Northwest Arkansas (AA)Catcher MJ Melendez, 22, was named the Northwest Arkansas Player of the Year, and through games on Sept. 29, he leads all minor league players in home runs (41), while ranking second in RBI (99) and slugging percentage (.628), and fourth in extra-base hits (63). He opened the season with the Naturals and was hitting .285/.372/.628 (85-for-298) and led all Double-A players in home runs (28), RBI (65), slugging percentage, OPS (.999), extra-base hits (46) and total bases (187), when he was promoted to Omaha (AAA) on Aug. 9. He was selected in the second round of the 2017 First-Year Player Draft out of Westminster Christian High School in Daytona Beach, Florida.Right hander Jonathan Heasley, 24, has been named the Northwest Arkansas Pitcher of the Year, going 7-3 with a 3.33 ERA (39 ER in 105.1 IP) in 22 appearances (21 starts) with the Naturals, before having his contract selected by the Royals on Sept. 17. His ERA ranked third among all Double-A pitchers, while he was fourth in WHIP (1.22), sixth in opponents’ average (.244) and tied for sixth in strikeouts (120). He allowed three earned runs or fewer in all but four of his Double-A starts and posted a 1.50 ERA (6 ER in 36.0 IP) in his final seven outings with Northwest Arkansas. Heasley was selected in the 13th round of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft out of Oklahoma State University.Quad Cities (High-A)First baseman Vinnie Pasquatino, 23, was tabbed the Quad Cities Player of the Year, after hitting a combined .300/.394/.563 (131-for-437) between Quad Cities and Northwest Arkansas. The left-handed hitter is tied for second among all minor league players in doubles (37), ranks fifth in extra-base hits (64) and 10th in total bases (246). He opened the year with the River Bandits and hit .291 (69-for-237) with 20 doubles, three triples, 13 homers, 33 walks and 42 RBI, before being promoted to Double-A on July 20. Among Royals minor league players this season, he’s tops in doubles, ranks second in hits, third in walks (64) and tied for fourth in runs scored (79). He was selected in the 11th round of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft out of Old Dominion University.Left hander Anthony Veneziano, 24, was named the Quad Cities Pitcher of the Year, after going 6-4 with a 3.75 ERA (39 ER in 93.2 IP) with 127 strikeouts (12.2 K/9), holding the opposition to a .222 average (76-for-342). He tied for the High-A Central lead in strikeouts, ranking tied for second among all High-A pitchers overall and tied for third in starts (22). His strikeout total also leads all Royals minor league pitchers and included a career-high 10 K’s on July 30 vs. South Bend. He was selected in the 10th round of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft out of Coastal Carolina University.Columbia (Low-A)Shortstop Maikel Garcia, 21, was tabbed the Columbia Player of the Year. The infielder split the year between Columbia and Quad Cities, batting a combined .291/.380/.405 (120-for-412) with 21 doubles, seven triples, four homers and 35 stolen bases. He was promoted to High-A on July 13, and at the time of his promotion, he ranked fourth among Low-A East hitters in walks (38) and stolen bases (24) and fifth in on-base percentage (.409). The right-handed hitter is tied for fourth among Royals minor league players in walks (62) and stolen bases (35), ranks fifth in hits and is tied for sixth in runs scored (78). He was originally signed as an international free agent on July 27, 2016 out of La Sabana, Venezuela.Left hander Emilio Marquez, 23, has been named the Columbia Pitcher of the Year. He made 20 appearances (5 starts) with the Fireflies, going 6-1 with a 1.86 ERA (13 ER in 63.0 IP) and 87 strikeouts (12.43 K/9), while holding the opposition to a .170 batting average (83-for-224). Among Low-A East pitchers that worked at least 60 innings, the southpaw tied for the league lead in WHIP (0.83), ranked second in ERA, third in opponents’ average and strikeouts per 9.0 innings. His .857 winning percentage was also third in the division (min. 7 decisions) and included four-straight winning decisions to open the year. He signed as an international free agent on March 4, 2018 out of Upata, Venezuela.Arizona Complex League Royals (Rookie)Catcher Guillermo Quintana, 20, has been named the ACL Royals Player of the Year, after hitting .298/.454/.452 (25-for-84), leading the team in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS (.906). He started 31 of the 33 games he appeared in, posting a .978 fielding percentage behind the plate. He was originally signed as an international free agent on July 14, 2017 out of Cartagena, Colombia.Right hander Heribert Garcia, 21, was tabbed the ACL Royals Pitcher of the Year, after splitting the season between the Arizona Complex League and Low-A. He combined to go 2-5 with a 5.12 ERA (33 ER in 58.0 IP) between his two stops, but posted a 2.62 ERA (10 ER in 34.1 IP) with 40 strikeouts (10.5 K/9) and just six walks in the ACL. Among pitchers in the Arizona Complex League that worked at least 30.0 innings, he ranked fifth in ERA and issued the fifth-fewest walks. He was originally signed as an international free agent on March 31, 2018 out of Bolivar, Venezuela.Dominican Summer League Royals BlueShortstop Lizandro Rodriguez, 18, was named the DSL Royals Blue Player of the Year, hitting .309/.446/.567 (30-for-97) through Sept. 29 in the Dominican Summer League, ranking fifth in the league in OPS (1.013) among players with at least 80 at bats. The switch-hitter also drew more walks (21) than strikeouts (18) and recorded 14 stolen bases in 18 attempts. He signed as an international free agent on July 2, 2019 out of Santiago, Dominican Republic.Left hander Jose Catano, 20, was named DSL Royals Blue Pitcher of the Year, posting a 1.16 ERA (5 ER in 38.2 IP) with 53 strikeouts to just 14 walks in 11 starts through Sept. 29. He ranks second in the DSL (min. 35 IP), holding the opposition to a .123 average (16-for-130), and ranks third in ERA and seventh in WHIP (0.78). The lefty hasn’t allowed an earned run over his last seven outings, dating back to Aug. 10 (24.0 IP). He was originally signed as an international free agent on June 14, 2019 out of San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic.Dominican Summer League Royals WhiteShortstop Yeudi Advincola, 19, has been selected DSL Royals White Player of the Year. The right-handed hitter is batting .313/.365/.385 (30-for-96) with seven doubles, 14 RBI and 18 runs scored in 32 games with DSL Royals White through Sept. 29. He also appeared in three games for DSL Royals Blue. He signed as an international free agent on July 2, 2019 out of San Cristobal, Dominican Republic.Left hander Fraicy Breton, 20, was named DSL Royals White Pitcher of the Year, posting a 2.11 ERA (10 ER in 42.2 IP), with 44 strikeouts (9.28 K/9) and a .209 opponents’ batting average (33-for-158) in 11 appearances (10 starts) through Sept. 29. He was originally signed as an international free agent on July 2, 2018 out of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Royals name minor league affiliate players and pitchers of year

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have never been shy about giving players with questionable backgrounds a second chance. 

But when it comes to wide receiver Josh Gordon, they are giving him what amounts to a sixth. Gordon was just reinstated by the NFL following a fifth drug-related suspension. 

But if he can steer clear of trouble in Kansas City, the wildly talented Gordon could provide the Chiefs with the kind of big, athletic wide receiver they have been lacking. And that could make Patrick Mahomes even more dangerous under center.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have never been shy about giving players with questionable backgrounds a second chance. But when it comes to wide receiver Josh Gordon, they are giving him what amounts to a sixth. Gordon was just reinstated by the NFL following a fifth drug-related suspension. But if he can steer clear of trouble in Kansas City, the wildly talented Gordon could provide the Chiefs with the kind of big, athletic wide receiver they have been lacking. And that could make Patrick Mahomes even more dangerous under center.

Josh Gordon getting another chance with Chiefs


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
The Hutchinson Salthawk volleyball squad remains in the latest Kansas Volleyball Association Rankings.

Hutchinson Central Christian is #9 in 1A Division II.

KANSAS VOLLEYBALL ASSOCIATION RANKINGS

Olathe Heritage Christian, 19-0 (1 in 2A)

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HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
The Hutchinson Salthawk volleyball squad remains in the latest Kansas Volleyball Association Rankings.Hutchinson is #8 in 6AAndale is #1 in 4AMcPherson is #2 in 4ASmoky Valley is #1 in 3ACheney is #3 in 3ASedgwick is #3 in 2ASterling is #7 in 2AInman is #10 in 2ALittle River is #2 in 1A Division IPretty Prairie is #4 in 1A Division IHutchinson Central Christian is #9 in 1A Division II.KANSAS VOLLEYBALL ASSOCIATION RANKINGSCLASS 6AWashburn Rural, 20-0 (1)Blue Valley North, 15-2 (2)Shawnee Mission Northwest, 21-4 (3)Blue Valley West, 14-6 (4)Wichita Northwest, 18-0 (6)Free State, 11-4 (5)Olathe Northwest, 10-5 (7)Hutchinson, 17-1 (8)Blue Valley Northwest, 9-7 (10)Blue Valley, 5-9 (9)CLASS 5ASt. Thomas Aquinas, 21-1 (1)St. James Academy, 11-6 (2)Lansing, 16-1 (3)Mill Valley, 11-2 (4)Maize South, 10-3 (6)Seaman, 15-6 (7)Spring Hill, 13-5 (8)Shawnee Heights, 8-5 (5)Basehor-Linwood, 14-5 (10)Bishop Carroll, 9-6 (9)CLASS 4AAndale, 20-1 (1)McPherson, 15-4 (5)Baldwin, 17-2 (6)Circle, 15-4 (3)Bishop Miege, 2-10 (4)Clay Center, 15-3 (7)Louisburg, 14-6 (2)Augusta, 14-3 (NR)Paola, 14-5 (9)Clearwater, 12-5 (10)CLASS 3ASmoky Valley, 19-3 (1)Olathe Heritage Christian, 19-0 (1 in 2A)Cheney, 17-1 (2)Nemaha Central, 22-3 (5)Hiawatha, 18-2 (3)Riverton, 20-1 (4)Eureka, 18-0 (6)Goodland, 12-1 (10)TMP-Marian, 17-5 (8)Phillipsburg, 16-2 (NR)CLASS 2ASmith Center, 18-0 (2)Garden Plain, 13-3 (3)Sedgwick, 23-3 (6)Hillsboro, 17-6 (4)Wabaunsee, 19-3 (5)Ellinwood, 19-3 (8)Sterling, 16-5 (9)Meade/Fowler, 20-0 (7)Jefferson County North, 14-5 (10)Inman, 13-6 (NR)CLASS 1A DIVISION IVictoria, 13-0 (2)Little River, 16-3 (1)Kiowa County, 17-3 (3)Pretty Prairie, 15-4 (6)Centralia, 14-4 (7)St. Paul, 19-1 (7 in 1A II)Spearville, 11-4 (NR)Burlingame, 15-4 (NR)South Gray, 15-4 (8)Ness City, 12-6 (NR)CLASS 1A DIVISION IIHanover, 18-1 (1)Attica, 17-0 (2)Lebo, 12-2 (4 in 1A I)Golden Plains, 19-2 (3)Central Plains, 13-5 (5 in 1A I)Argonia, 9-3 (10)Linn, 8-4 (4)Wheatland-Grinnell, 12-5 (5)Hutchinson Central Christian, 9-6 (9)Dighton, 15-5 (6)

Salthawks, several area teams ranked by Kansas Volleyball Association

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🎙 Eagle Radio Sports for Thursday Morning

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

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The Cardinals' team-record 17-game winning streak ended when Daniel Vogelbach hit a two-run homer that backed Adrian Houser and led the Milwaukee Brewers over St. Louis 4-0. St. Louis was given a standing ovation after the defeat by the crowd of 35,283. The streak, the longest in the major leagues since Cleveland won 22 straight in 2017, lifted the Cardinals into next week's NL wild-card game against the Los Angeles Dodgers or San Francisco. The Cardinals were 71-69 after losing to Cincinnati 6-4 on Sept. 10, their previous defeat.&nbsp;

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez tied a Royals record with his 48th homer of the season before leaving with a sprained right ankle, and Kansas City went on to beat the Cleveland Indians 10-5. Perez leads the majors in home runs and RBIs with 121. He homered on the first pitch he saw from Zach Plesac and struck out in the second inning before being replaced in the third by Cam Gallagher. Perez has 200 career homers and matched Jorge Soler's 2019 total for the Royals. Hunter Dozier hit a tiebreaking two-run triple in the seventh and scored on a wild pitch by Nick Wittgren to make it 8-5.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City Royals star Salvador Perez hit his team record-tying 48th home run in the first inning, then exited after the second with a sprained right ankle. Perez homered on the first pitch he saw Wednesday night, extending his major league lead with a three-run drive against the Cleveland Indians. He also tops MLB with 121 RBIs. Perez struck out the next inning and left the game. &nbsp;The All-Star catcher matched the club mark of 48 home runs set by Jorge Soler in 2019. It was the 200th career homer for Perez. &nbsp;

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid was back to work Wednesday as if nothing was amiss, three days after he was taken to the hospital with an illness and dehydration following a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Reid was released from The University of Kansas Hospital on Monday and wasted no time getting back to the team facility on Tuesday. That allowed Reid to move seamlessly into Wednesday, when the Chiefs have their most important full-squad practice of game week. They are headed to Philadelphia on Sunday trying to snap a two-game skid.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Outfielder Michael A. Taylor and the Kansas City Royals have agreed to a $9 million, two-year contract covering 2022 and '23. Taylor can earn $250,000 annually in performance bonuses. He would have been eligible for free agency after this year's World Series. The 30-year-old is batting .244 in his first season with the Royals with 12 homers, 52 RBIs and 14 stolen bases in 20 attempts. Taylor has a $1.75 million base salary this year, and has earned $900,000 of $1 million in available bonuses for plate appearances.

UNDATED (AP) — Vladimir Tarasenko is back with the St. Louis Blues. But more than half the roster has turned over since they won the Stanley Cup in 2019. Tarasenko is one of just 11 players left from the team's championship run two years ago. Another first-round exit precipitated more change via trade, free agency and the Seattle expansion draft. General manager Doug Armstrong and coach Craig Berube have high expectations again. The season opener is Oct. 16 at Colorado.

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Dániel Sallói had two goals to push his season total to 15, Johnny Russell scored on a penalty kick and Sporting Kansas City beat 10-man FC Dallas 3-1 on Wednesday night. Kansas City has won three of its past four games as it chases the top spot in the Western Conference. Dallas lost its third straight game. U.S. national team player Ricardo Pepi scored for Dallas.

UNDATED (AP) — The Southeastern Conference is already changing with Oklahoma and Texas preparing to join in a few seasons. There are other changes looming, including maybe how the SEC compiles its football schedule that might put matchups with FCS programs, teams from Group of Five conferences and long-time rivalries in jeopardy. The SEC will pay about $7 million in financial guarantees to teams from the Football Championship Subdivision this season. The money can be a lifeline for FCS school's athletic department. The expanding SEC could mean a nine or 10-game schedule, similar to the what the league implemented in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp;

UNDATED (AP) — The AL wild-card races just got a bit tighter. The Boston Red Sox are back within a game of the New York Yankees for the first wild card, with the Mariners a half-game behind the Sox and a half-game ahead of Toronto. 

The Red Sox's four-game skid is over after J.D. Martinez smacked a solo homer and a two-run double in a 6-0 shutout of the Orioles. Hunter Renfroe also homered to back Nathan Eovaldi (eh-VAHL'-dee), who allowed four hits over six innings.

Alex Verdugo (vur-DOO'-goh) added a two-run single in the eighth for Boston.

Bo Bichette homered twice for the Blue Jays, including the tiebreaking blast in the eighth inning of their 6-5 victory over the Yankees. Marcus Semien slammed his 44th home run, breaking the single-season record for second basemen.

The Jays lead the majors with 251 home runs, six off the team record.

José Berríos (beh-REE'-ohs) retired the first 14 Yankees in order, striking out seven, before giving up three straight hits in the fifth.

Checking out Wednesday's other major league action:

— The Rays clinched home-field advantage throughout the AL postseason with a 7-0 rout of the Astros. Brandon Lowe (low) and Ji-Man Choi both homered to back Drew Rasmussen, who combined with three relievers on a three-hitter. Wander Franco had three hits in stretching his on-base streak to 43 consecutive games, tying Frank Robinson's rookie record set with the 1956 Reds. The outcome keeps the Astros' magic number at one for winning the AL West.

— The Mariners rallied for a 4-2 win over the Athletics, keeping Seattle just a half-game behind the Red Sox for the second AL wild card. Ty France broke a 2-2 tie with a sacrifice fly in the seventh, one inning before Abraham Toro homered for the first time this month. Jarred Kelenic provided a two-run double in the Mariners' 10th win in 11 games overall, and their 12th straight over the A's. 

— Carlos Rodón (roh-DAHN') for his 13th victory as the White Sox dumped the Reds, 6-1. Tim Anderson and Gavin Sheets homered to help Chicago win its fourth in a row and move a season-high 23 games above .500. Sheets drove in three runs for the AL Central champions.

— The Dodgers wasted an early 5-1 lead and trailed 9-6 before homering four times in the eighth inning to beat the Padres, 11-9. Max Muncy and AJ Pollock ignited the rally with back-to-back homers, Cody Bellinger tied it with a blast and Corey Seager delivered a two-run shot that allowed Los Angeles to stay two games behind the NL West-leading Giants. Pollock homered twice and Mookie Betts hit a solo shot for the Dodgers.

— The Giants have reached 104 wins for the first time since 1905 by completing a 1-0 win over the Diamondbacks. Alex Wood and three relievers combined for a four-hitter, allowing San Francisco to win on a sacrifice fly by Kris Bryant. This year's Giants are just the second team to win 104 games following a losing season, joining the 1946 Red Sox.

— The Cardinals' team-record, 17-game winning streak is over following a 4-0 loss to the Brewers. Daniel Vogelbach belted a two-run homer and Adrian Houser scattered three hits over five innings. Manny Piña (PEEN'-yah) added a solo homer for the Brewers, who have won four of five.

— The Braves have reduced their magic number to one for clinching their fourth straight NL East title by whipping the second-place Phillies, 7-2. Austin Riley provided a two-run double and three RBIs for Atlanta, which can wrap up the division by winning on Thursday. Max Fried is 7-0 with a 1.46 ERA over his last 11 starts after allowing one earned run over seven innings of his 14th victory.

— Shohei Ohtani (SHOH'-hay oh-TAH'-nee) sparked a four-run sixth-inning rally as the Angels handed the Rangers their 100th loss, 7-2. Ohtani beat out an infield grounder, stole second and proceeded to third on an error by catcher Jose Trevino before scoring on Jack Mayfield's single.

— Salvador Perez tied a Royals record with his 48th homer of the season before leaving with a sprained right ankle in the third inning of a 10-5 thrashing of the Indians. Hunter Dozier hit a tiebreaking, two-run triple in the seventh and scored on a wild pitch by Nick Wittgren. 

— Miguel Rojas' two-run single capped a three-run eighth that pushed the Marlins past the Mets, 3-2. Taijuan (TY'-wahn) Walker carried a one-hitter and a 2-0 lead into the eighth before Miami ended its seven-game losing streak.

— Willson Contreras drove in all the Cubs' runs in a 3-2 win at Pittsburgh, ending Chicago's seven-game losing streak. The Pirates led 2-1 in the seventh until Contreras delivered a two-run double.

— The Twins knocked off the Tigers, 5-2 as Jorge Polanco launched a three-run homer and Michael Pineda allowed one run over 5 2/3 innings. Polanco's 32nd homer of the season gave him 94 RBIs, both team highs.

— Trevor Story had four hits in possibly his final appearance at Coors Field with Colorado, helping the Rockies earn a 10-5 win over the Nationals. Ryan McMahon added a three-run homer in Colorado's home finale, which was interrupted for two hours by rain. 

UNDATED (AP) — Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson has appealed the three-game suspension he received from Major League Baseball on Wednesday.

Anderson was punished for making contact with Umpire Tim Timmons during the on-field incident in Monday's game against the Tigers. The All-Star also was fined for the incident and will be allowed to play until the appeals process is completed.

— Toronto's Marcus Semien has broken the single-season record for home runs by a second baseman. Semien belted his 44th tonight against the Yankees, topping the previous mark of 43 set by Davey Johnson with the 1973 Braves. Four of Semien's home runs this season have come while he was playing shortstop. 

— Brewers reliever Devin Williams fractured his throwing hand when he punched a wall after his team celebrated its NL Central title. The injury will require surgery and likely knocks him out of the entire postseason. It leaves the NL Central champs without their main setup man for All-Star closer Josh Hader.

— Shohei Ohtani (SHOH'-hay oh-TAH'-nee) won't pitch the rest of the season, scrapping Sunday's scheduled start for the Angels against the Mariners. Manager Joe Maddon says it was a mutual decision to keep him off the mound, although Ohtani will continue to serve as the designated hitter. Ohtani was 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA for Los Angeles this season.

— Royals outfielder Michael A. Taylor has accepted a two-year, $9 million contract through 2023. The 30-year-old is batting .244 in his first season with the Royals, providing 12 homers, 52 RBIs and 14 stolen bases in 20 attempts. The defensive standout spent his first seven seasons with Washington before coming to Kansas City.

NBA ready to harness unvaccinated players

UNDATED (AP) — The NBA has released tentative health and safety protocols to its teams, detailing a host of restrictions and rules for players who haven't gotten the COVID-19 vaccination. 

Most restrictions are designed to prevent unvaccinated players from frequenting local establishments and keeping them cloistered from their teammates away from the court. 

League spokesman Mike Bass says any player who elects not to comply with local vaccination mandates will not be paid for games missed. Bass also acknowledged that any vaccine mandate needs to be approved by the NBA Players Association.

NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA Board of Governors has approved changes to the league's instant replay rules on a one-year trial basis for the upcoming season. 

The NBA has eliminated referee-initiated replay review of out-of-bounds violations during the last two minutes of the fourth quarter and the final two minutes of any overtime period. The league has also extended the coach's challenge so that teams can trigger replay review of out-of-bounds violations throughout the entire game.

Bucs add CB Richard Sherman to injury-ravaged secondary 

UNDATED (AP) — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hope they've addressed a need in the secondary by signing veteran cornerback Richard Sherman for the rest of the season. 

The three-time All-Pro cornerback and Super Bowl champion has been dealing with legal issues in the offseason, including his arrest at the home of his wife's parents. 

Sherman said Tom Brady helped recruit him to the defending Super Bowl champions, who have been hit hard by injuries to their secondary.

The five-time Pro Bowler spent the last three seasons with the 49ers after a seven-year run with Seattle, where he won the 2013 Super Bowl and reached the title game the following season.

— Raiders defensive tackle Gerald McCoy has been suspended for six games for violating the league's policy on performance enhancing substances. McCoy is out for the season after hurting his knee in the season opener. He can serve the suspension handed down Wednesday while recovering from the injury. 

— Colts coach Frank Reich isn't sure who he'll have for Sunday's game at Miami. Quarterback Carson Wentz played last weekend with two sprained ankles that are still healing. All-Pro left guard Quenton Nelson's streak of 51 consecutive starts is in jeopardy because of his own sprained ankle. 

— Chiefs coach Andy Reid says he is "feeling great," three days after he was taken to the hospital with an illness and dehydration following a loss to the Chargers. Reid declined to discuss details of his health with reporters. 

— The Jaguars have ruled out struggling kicker Josh Lambo for Thursday night's game at Cincinnati. That leaves Matthew Wright to handle field goals and extra points.

— Jets wide receiver Jeff Smith has a concussion after being involved in a car accident. The head injury leaves his availability for the Jets' game Sunday against the Tennessee Titans in doubt. 

— A person with direct knowledge of the situation says Jets safety Marcus Maye will be sidelined three to four weeks with an ankle injury. The exact nature of the injury is uncertain, but it is believed Maye was hurt in the 26-0 loss at Denver on Sunday although he played every snap on defense. 

— The Bengals will be without receiver Tee Higgins and safety Jessie Bates for their Thursday night matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars, as well as kicker Josh Lambo and defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris. But cornerback Trae Waynes is expected to make his Bengals debut. 

— The Titans may not have either of their two Pro Bowl wide receivers as they start a two-game road swing Sunday at the Jets. A.J. Brown played only eight snaps before hurting a hamstring in last week's win over Indianapolis. Julio Jones played half of the offensive snaps. 

— Browns rookie cornerback Greg Newsome II will miss Sunday's game at Minnesota with a calf injury.

— The Ravens have activated receivers Rashod Bateman and Miles Boykin from injured reserve. They also activated defensive lineman Justin Madubuike and linebacker Justin Houston from the reserve/COVID-19 list.

— The Bears have taken a major step toward building a new stadium by signing a purchase agreement for Arlington Park about 30 miles northwest of the city. The Bears have been playing at Soldier Field since 1971, but the stadium's seating capacity is the smallest in the NFL at 61,500. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in a tweet Tuesday night that the city "remains committed to continuing to work to keep the team in Chicago." 

NLRB: College football players are employees, can unionize

UNDATED (AP) — The National Labor Relations Board says college football players and some other athletes in money-making sports are employees of their schools. The guidance in a memo from the board's top lawyer could lead to expansive rights for players to unionize and negotiate over their working conditions.

NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo also threatened action against schools, conferences and the NCAA if they continue to use the term "student-athlete." She says the term was designed to obscure the employment relationship with college athletes and discourage them from pursuing their rights.

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) — Top-ranked Novak Djokovic (JOH'-koh-vihch) is the latest big name to drop out of the BNP Paribas Open set for next month in the Southern California desert. He joins women's No. 1 Ash Barty in skipping the tournament set to run Oct. 4 to Oct. 17 in Indian Wells. 

Djokovic didn't provide a reason when he announced his change of plans on Twitter. 

Longtime AP sports radio reporter Loede dies

CLEVELAND (AP) — Longtime AP Radio stringer and Cleveland sports fixture Matt Loede (LOH'-dee) has died after battling cancer for more than two years. He was 46.

Despite his diagnosis, Loede barely stopped working and continued to keep a positive attitude while undergoing chemotherapy treatments and hospital stays. He was still covering Indians games this month.

Loede was one of the first two recipients of the "Marv Schneider AP Sports Stringer Lifetime Service Award" in 2020.

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<h2>Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press</h2>ST. LOUIS (AP) — The Cardinals' team-record 17-game winning streak ended when Daniel Vogelbach hit a two-run homer that backed Adrian Houser and led the Milwaukee Brewers over St. Louis 4-0. St. Louis was given a standing ovation after the defeat by the crowd of 35,283. The streak, the longest in the major leagues since Cleveland won 22 straight in 2017, lifted the Cardinals into next week's NL wild-card game against the Los Angeles Dodgers or San Francisco. The Cardinals were 71-69 after losing to Cincinnati 6-4 on Sept. 10, their previous defeat.&nbsp;KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez tied a Royals record with his 48th homer of the season before leaving with a sprained right ankle, and Kansas City went on to beat the Cleveland Indians 10-5. Perez leads the majors in home runs and RBIs with 121. He homered on the first pitch he saw from Zach Plesac and struck out in the second inning before being replaced in the third by Cam Gallagher. Perez has 200 career homers and matched Jorge Soler's 2019 total for the Royals. Hunter Dozier hit a tiebreaking two-run triple in the seventh and scored on a wild pitch by Nick Wittgren to make it 8-5.KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City Royals star Salvador Perez hit his team record-tying 48th home run in the first inning, then exited after the second with a sprained right ankle. Perez homered on the first pitch he saw Wednesday night, extending his major league lead with a three-run drive against the Cleveland Indians. He also tops MLB with 121 RBIs. Perez struck out the next inning and left the game. &nbsp;The All-Star catcher matched the club mark of 48 home runs set by Jorge Soler in 2019. It was the 200th career homer for Perez. &nbsp;KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid was back to work Wednesday as if nothing was amiss, three days after he was taken to the hospital with an illness and dehydration following a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Reid was released from The University of Kansas Hospital on Monday and wasted no time getting back to the team facility on Tuesday. That allowed Reid to move seamlessly into Wednesday, when the Chiefs have their most important full-squad practice of game week. They are headed to Philadelphia on Sunday trying to snap a two-game skid.KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Outfielder Michael A. Taylor and the Kansas City Royals have agreed to a $9 million, two-year contract covering 2022 and '23. Taylor can earn $250,000 annually in performance bonuses. He would have been eligible for free agency after this year's World Series. The 30-year-old is batting .244 in his first season with the Royals with 12 homers, 52 RBIs and 14 stolen bases in 20 attempts. Taylor has a $1.75 million base salary this year, and has earned $900,000 of $1 million in available bonuses for plate appearances.UNDATED (AP) — Vladimir Tarasenko is back with the St. Louis Blues. But more than half the roster has turned over since they won the Stanley Cup in 2019. Tarasenko is one of just 11 players left from the team's championship run two years ago. Another first-round exit precipitated more change via trade, free agency and the Seattle expansion draft. General manager Doug Armstrong and coach Craig Berube have high expectations again. The season opener is Oct. 16 at Colorado.FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Dániel Sallói had two goals to push his season total to 15, Johnny Russell scored on a penalty kick and Sporting Kansas City beat 10-man FC Dallas 3-1 on Wednesday night. Kansas City has won three of its past four games as it chases the top spot in the Western Conference. Dallas lost its third straight game. U.S. national team player Ricardo Pepi scored for Dallas.UNDATED (AP) — The Southeastern Conference is already changing with Oklahoma and Texas preparing to join in a few seasons. There are other changes looming, including maybe how the SEC compiles its football schedule that might put matchups with FCS programs, teams from Group of Five conferences and long-time rivalries in jeopardy. The SEC will pay about $7 million in financial guarantees to teams from the Football Championship Subdivision this season. The money can be a lifeline for FCS school's athletic department. The expanding SEC could mean a nine or 10-game schedule, similar to the what the league implemented in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp;MLB-SCHEDULEBosox, win, Yankees fallUNDATED (AP) — The AL wild-card races just got a bit tighter. The Boston Red Sox are back within a game of the New York Yankees for the first wild card, with the Mariners a half-game behind the Sox and a half-game ahead of Toronto. The Red Sox's four-game skid is over after J.D. Martinez smacked a solo homer and a two-run double in a 6-0 shutout of the Orioles. Hunter Renfroe also homered to back Nathan Eovaldi (eh-VAHL'-dee), who allowed four hits over six innings.Alex Verdugo (vur-DOO'-goh) added a two-run single in the eighth for Boston.Bo Bichette homered twice for the Blue Jays, including the tiebreaking blast in the eighth inning of their 6-5 victory over the Yankees. Marcus Semien slammed his 44th home run, breaking the single-season record for second basemen.The Jays lead the majors with 251 home runs, six off the team record.José Berríos (beh-REE'-ohs) retired the first 14 Yankees in order, striking out seven, before giving up three straight hits in the fifth.The Yankees had won seven in a row.Checking out Wednesday's other major league action:— The Rays clinched home-field advantage throughout the AL postseason with a 7-0 rout of the Astros. Brandon Lowe (low) and Ji-Man Choi both homered to back Drew Rasmussen, who combined with three relievers on a three-hitter. Wander Franco had three hits in stretching his on-base streak to 43 consecutive games, tying Frank Robinson's rookie record set with the 1956 Reds. The outcome keeps the Astros' magic number at one for winning the AL West.— The Mariners rallied for a 4-2 win over the Athletics, keeping Seattle just a half-game behind the Red Sox for the second AL wild card. Ty France broke a 2-2 tie with a sacrifice fly in the seventh, one inning before Abraham Toro homered for the first time this month. Jarred Kelenic provided a two-run double in the Mariners' 10th win in 11 games overall, and their 12th straight over the A's. — Carlos Rodón (roh-DAHN') for his 13th victory as the White Sox dumped the Reds, 6-1. Tim Anderson and Gavin Sheets homered to help Chicago win its fourth in a row and move a season-high 23 games above .500. Sheets drove in three runs for the AL Central champions.— The Dodgers wasted an early 5-1 lead and trailed 9-6 before homering four times in the eighth inning to beat the Padres, 11-9. Max Muncy and AJ Pollock ignited the rally with back-to-back homers, Cody Bellinger tied it with a blast and Corey Seager delivered a two-run shot that allowed Los Angeles to stay two games behind the NL West-leading Giants. Pollock homered twice and Mookie Betts hit a solo shot for the Dodgers.— The Giants have reached 104 wins for the first time since 1905 by completing a 1-0 win over the Diamondbacks. Alex Wood and three relievers combined for a four-hitter, allowing San Francisco to win on a sacrifice fly by Kris Bryant. This year's Giants are just the second team to win 104 games following a losing season, joining the 1946 Red Sox.— The Cardinals' team-record, 17-game winning streak is over following a 4-0 loss to the Brewers. Daniel Vogelbach belted a two-run homer and Adrian Houser scattered three hits over five innings. Manny Piña (PEEN'-yah) added a solo homer for the Brewers, who have won four of five.— The Braves have reduced their magic number to one for clinching their fourth straight NL East title by whipping the second-place Phillies, 7-2. Austin Riley provided a two-run double and three RBIs for Atlanta, which can wrap up the division by winning on Thursday. Max Fried is 7-0 with a 1.46 ERA over his last 11 starts after allowing one earned run over seven innings of his 14th victory.— Shohei Ohtani (SHOH'-hay oh-TAH'-nee) sparked a four-run sixth-inning rally as the Angels handed the Rangers their 100th loss, 7-2. Ohtani beat out an infield grounder, stole second and proceeded to third on an error by catcher Jose Trevino before scoring on Jack Mayfield's single.— Salvador Perez tied a Royals record with his 48th homer of the season before leaving with a sprained right ankle in the third inning of a 10-5 thrashing of the Indians. Hunter Dozier hit a tiebreaking, two-run triple in the seventh and scored on a wild pitch by Nick Wittgren. — Miguel Rojas' two-run single capped a three-run eighth that pushed the Marlins past the Mets, 3-2. Taijuan (TY'-wahn) Walker carried a one-hitter and a 2-0 lead into the eighth before Miami ended its seven-game losing streak.— Willson Contreras drove in all the Cubs' runs in a 3-2 win at Pittsburgh, ending Chicago's seven-game losing streak. The Pirates led 2-1 in the seventh until Contreras delivered a two-run double.— The Twins knocked off the Tigers, 5-2 as Jorge Polanco launched a three-run homer and Michael Pineda allowed one run over 5 2/3 innings. Polanco's 32nd homer of the season gave him 94 RBIs, both team highs.— Trevor Story had four hits in possibly his final appearance at Coors Field with Colorado, helping the Rockies earn a 10-5 win over the Nationals. Ryan McMahon added a three-run homer in Colorado's home finale, which was interrupted for two hours by rain. MLB-NEWSWhite Sox's Anderson suspendedUNDATED (AP) — Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson has appealed the three-game suspension he received from Major League Baseball on Wednesday.Anderson was punished for making contact with Umpire Tim Timmons during the on-field incident in Monday's game against the Tigers. The All-Star also was fined for the incident and will be allowed to play until the appeals process is completed.Also in the majors:— Toronto's Marcus Semien has broken the single-season record for home runs by a second baseman. Semien belted his 44th tonight against the Yankees, topping the previous mark of 43 set by Davey Johnson with the 1973 Braves. Four of Semien's home runs this season have come while he was playing shortstop. — Brewers reliever Devin Williams fractured his throwing hand when he punched a wall after his team celebrated its NL Central title. The injury will require surgery and likely knocks him out of the entire postseason. It leaves the NL Central champs without their main setup man for All-Star closer Josh Hader.— Shohei Ohtani (SHOH'-hay oh-TAH'-nee) won't pitch the rest of the season, scrapping Sunday's scheduled start for the Angels against the Mariners. Manager Joe Maddon says it was a mutual decision to keep him off the mound, although Ohtani will continue to serve as the designated hitter. Ohtani was 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA for Los Angeles this season.— Royals outfielder Michael A. Taylor has accepted a two-year, $9 million contract through 2023. The 30-year-old is batting .244 in his first season with the Royals, providing 12 homers, 52 RBIs and 14 stolen bases in 20 attempts. The defensive standout spent his first seven seasons with Washington before coming to Kansas City.NBA-COVID-19NBA ready to harness unvaccinated playersUNDATED (AP) — The NBA has released tentative health and safety protocols to its teams, detailing a host of restrictions and rules for players who haven't gotten the COVID-19 vaccination. Most restrictions are designed to prevent unvaccinated players from frequenting local establishments and keeping them cloistered from their teammates away from the court. League spokesman Mike Bass says any player who elects not to comply with local vaccination mandates will not be paid for games missed. Bass also acknowledged that any vaccine mandate needs to be approved by the NBA Players Association.NBA-REPLAY CHANGESNBA OKs replay alterationsNEW YORK (AP) — The NBA Board of Governors has approved changes to the league's instant replay rules on a one-year trial basis for the upcoming season. The NBA has eliminated referee-initiated replay review of out-of-bounds violations during the last two minutes of the fourth quarter and the final two minutes of any overtime period. The league has also extended the coach's challenge so that teams can trigger replay review of out-of-bounds violations throughout the entire game.NFL-NEWSBucs add CB Richard Sherman to injury-ravaged secondary UNDATED (AP) — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hope they've addressed a need in the secondary by signing veteran cornerback Richard Sherman for the rest of the season. The three-time All-Pro cornerback and Super Bowl champion has been dealing with legal issues in the offseason, including his arrest at the home of his wife's parents. Sherman said Tom Brady helped recruit him to the defending Super Bowl champions, who have been hit hard by injuries to their secondary.The five-time Pro Bowler spent the last three seasons with the 49ers after a seven-year run with Seattle, where he won the 2013 Super Bowl and reached the title game the following season.In other NFL news: — Raiders defensive tackle Gerald McCoy has been suspended for six games for violating the league's policy on performance enhancing substances. McCoy is out for the season after hurting his knee in the season opener. He can serve the suspension handed down Wednesday while recovering from the injury. — Colts coach Frank Reich isn't sure who he'll have for Sunday's game at Miami. Quarterback Carson Wentz played last weekend with two sprained ankles that are still healing. All-Pro left guard Quenton Nelson's streak of 51 consecutive starts is in jeopardy because of his own sprained ankle. — Chiefs coach Andy Reid says he is "feeling great," three days after he was taken to the hospital with an illness and dehydration following a loss to the Chargers. Reid declined to discuss details of his health with reporters. — The Jaguars have ruled out struggling kicker Josh Lambo for Thursday night's game at Cincinnati. That leaves Matthew Wright to handle field goals and extra points.— Jets wide receiver Jeff Smith has a concussion after being involved in a car accident. The head injury leaves his availability for the Jets' game Sunday against the Tennessee Titans in doubt. — A person with direct knowledge of the situation says Jets safety Marcus Maye will be sidelined three to four weeks with an ankle injury. The exact nature of the injury is uncertain, but it is believed Maye was hurt in the 26-0 loss at Denver on Sunday although he played every snap on defense. — The Bengals will be without receiver Tee Higgins and safety Jessie Bates for their Thursday night matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars, as well as kicker Josh Lambo and defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris. But cornerback Trae Waynes is expected to make his Bengals debut. — The Titans may not have either of their two Pro Bowl wide receivers as they start a two-game road swing Sunday at the Jets. A.J. Brown played only eight snaps before hurting a hamstring in last week's win over Indianapolis. Julio Jones played half of the offensive snaps. — Browns rookie cornerback Greg Newsome II will miss Sunday's game at Minnesota with a calf injury.— The Ravens have activated receivers Rashod Bateman and Miles Boykin from injured reserve. They also activated defensive lineman Justin Madubuike and linebacker Justin Houston from the reserve/COVID-19 list.— The Bears have taken a major step toward building a new stadium by signing a purchase agreement for Arlington Park about 30 miles northwest of the city. The Bears have been playing at Soldier Field since 1971, but the stadium's seating capacity is the smallest in the NFL at 61,500. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in a tweet Tuesday night that the city "remains committed to continuing to work to keep the team in Chicago." NLRB-COMPENSATING ATHLETESNLRB: College football players are employees, can unionizeUNDATED (AP) — The National Labor Relations Board says college football players and some other athletes in money-making sports are employees of their schools. The guidance in a memo from the board's top lawyer could lead to expansive rights for players to unionize and negotiate over their working conditions.NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo also threatened action against schools, conferences and the NCAA if they continue to use the term "student-athlete." She says the term was designed to obscure the employment relationship with college athletes and discourage them from pursuing their rights.TENNIS-INDIAN WELLSDjokovic skipping Indian WellsINDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) — Top-ranked Novak Djokovic (JOH'-koh-vihch) is the latest big name to drop out of the BNP Paribas Open set for next month in the Southern California desert. He joins women's No. 1 Ash Barty in skipping the tournament set to run Oct. 4 to Oct. 17 in Indian Wells. Djokovic didn't provide a reason when he announced his change of plans on Twitter. SPORTS JOURNALISM-LOEDE OBITLongtime AP sports radio reporter Loede diesCLEVELAND (AP) — Longtime AP Radio stringer and Cleveland sports fixture Matt Loede (LOH'-dee) has died after battling cancer for more than two years. He was 46.Despite his diagnosis, Loede barely stopped working and continued to keep a positive attitude while undergoing chemotherapy treatments and hospital stays. He was still covering Indians games this month.Loede was one of the first two recipients of the "Marv Schneider AP Sports Stringer Lifetime Service Award" in 2020.<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 Thursday

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Outfielder Michael A. Taylor and the Kansas City Royals have agreed to a $9 million, two-year contract covering 2022 and ’23. 

Taylor can earn $250,000 annually in performance bonuses. He would have been eligible for free agency after this year’s World Series. The 30-year-old is batting .244 in his first season with the Royals with 12 homers, 52 RBIs and 14 stolen bases in 20 attempts. 

Taylor has a $1.75 million base salary this year, and has earned $900,000 of $1 million in available bonuses for plate appearances.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Outfielder Michael A. Taylor and the Kansas City Royals have agreed to a $9 million, two-year contract covering 2022 and ’23. Taylor can earn $250,000 annually in performance bonuses. He would have been eligible for free agency after this year’s World Series. The 30-year-old is batting .244 in his first season with the Royals with 12 homers, 52 RBIs and 14 stolen bases in 20 attempts. Taylor has a $1.75 million base salary this year, and has earned $900,000 of $1 million in available bonuses for plate appearances.

Royals come to terms with Michael A. Taylor

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Dániel Sallói had two goals to push his season total to 15, Johnny Russell scored on a penalty kick and Sporting Kansas City beat 10-man FC Dallas 3-1 on Wednesday night. 

Kansas City has won three of its past four games as it chases the top spot in the Western Conference. Dallas lost its third straight game. 

U.S. national team player Ricardo Pepi scored for Dallas.

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Dániel Sallói had two goals to push his season total to 15, Johnny Russell scored on a penalty kick and Sporting Kansas City beat 10-man FC Dallas 3-1 on Wednesday night. Kansas City has won three of its past four games as it chases the top spot in the Western Conference. Dallas lost its third straight game. U.S. national team player Ricardo Pepi scored for Dallas.

Sporting KC wins in Texas Wednesday

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid was back to work Wednesday as if nothing was amiss, three days after he was taken to the hospital with an illness and dehydration following a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. 

Reid was released from The University of Kansas Hospital on Monday and wasted no time getting back to the team facility on Tuesday. That allowed Reid to move seamlessly into Wednesday, when the Chiefs have their most important full-squad practice of game week. 

They are headed to Philadelphia on Sunday trying to snap a two-game skid.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid was back to work Wednesday as if nothing was amiss, three days after he was taken to the hospital with an illness and dehydration following a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Reid was released from The University of Kansas Hospital on Monday and wasted no time getting back to the team facility on Tuesday. That allowed Reid to move seamlessly into Wednesday, when the Chiefs have their most important full-squad practice of game week. They are headed to Philadelphia on Sunday trying to snap a two-game skid.

Reid back at work ahead of Chiefs trip to Philadelphia

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez tied a Royals record with his 48th homer of the season before leaving with a sprained right ankle, and Kansas City went on to beat the Cleveland Indians 10-5. 

Perez leads the majors in home runs and RBIs with 121. He homered on the first pitch he saw from Zach Plesac and struck out in the second inning before being replaced in the third by Cam Gallagher. 

Perez has 200 career homers and matched Jorge Soler's 2019 total for the Royals. Hunter Dozier hit a tiebreaking two-run triple in the seventh and scored on a wild pitch by Nick Wittgren to make it 8-5.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez tied a Royals record with his 48th homer of the season before leaving with a sprained right ankle, and Kansas City went on to beat the Cleveland Indians 10-5. Perez leads the majors in home runs and RBIs with 121. He homered on the first pitch he saw from Zach Plesac and struck out in the second inning before being replaced in the third by Cam Gallagher. Perez has 200 career homers and matched Jorge Soler's 2019 total for the Royals. Hunter Dozier hit a tiebreaking two-run triple in the seventh and scored on a wild pitch by Nick Wittgren to make it 8-5.

Royals beat Cleveland, Perez ties Soler

<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;

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🎙 Eagle Radio Sports for Wednesday Morning

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Dylan Carlson, Nolan Arenado and Jose Rondon homered to back Adam Wainwright, and the St. Louis Cardinals extended their winning streak to 17 games and clinched an NL wild card berth with a 6-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. St. Louis will play in the NL wild-card game on Oct. 6 at the Los Angeles Dodgers or San Francisco, whichever does not win the NL West. The postseason trip will be the third in a row for the Cardinals.Milwaukee already was assured of the NL Central title.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez hit his major league-leading 47th home run and the Kansas City Royals defeated the Cleveland Indians 6-4 Tuesday night. Perez also leads the majors in RBIs (118) and go-ahead home runs (17). The 31-year-old Perez trails Jorge Soler (2019) by one for the club record in homers. Josh Staumont (4-3) came on with two outs in the eighth and got the win. He was the seventh pitcher of the game for the Royals. Blake Parker (2-1) took the loss for the Indians.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Jack Campbell has blossomed into one of the top playmakers on defense for fifth-ranked Iowa. Many college recruiters thought Campbell did not have the right body type to play linebacker. The Hawkeyes gave him his chance and he has run with it. The 6-foot-5 junior made a career-high 18 tackles, broke up three passes and recovered a fumble to set up a touchdown in a win over Colorado State last week. He was named &nbsp;Bronko Nagurski National Player of the Week and Big Ten defensive player of the week. Iowa visits Maryland on Friday night in a matchup of unbeatens.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Maryland's home game against No. 5 Iowa this week should be a big event for the school as a whole. The Terrapins have come up short against tough competition before under coach Michael Locksley, but this time there's reason to think the Terps are more ready to compete. Maryland is 4-0 for the first time since 2016, and a victory over the Hawkeyes would give the Terrapins their first 5-0 start since 2001. Maryland's most recent win over a top-five team was against Florida State in 2004. The week after hosting Iowa, the Terps continue their grueling stretch when they play at Ohio State.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State quarterback Skylar Thompson is unlikely to play against sixth-ranked Oklahoma on Saturday, even though he is making progress from a knee injury that he sustained in an early victory over Southern Illinois. Wildcats coach Chris Klieman says Thompson remains on target to return against Iowa State on Oct. 16. That means Will Howard and fellow sophomore Jaren Lewis are in line to play against Oklahoma. Howard has been the starter since Thompson got hurt, but his ineffectiveness could mean more opportunities for Lewis this weekend.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Albert Pujols went on the Los Angeles Dodgers' COVID-19 injured list as Cody Bellinger was activated from the IL after missing eight games with a broken left rib. Pujols received his Manager Dave Roberts said Pujols did not feel well after receiving his second COVID-19 vaccine. Roberts said Pujols will be re-evaluated Wednesday. The 41-year-old Pujols is batting .255 with 12 homers and 38 RBIs in 82 games since he signed with the Dodgers on May 17 following his release from the Los Angeles Angels.

UNDATED (AP) — Much of the quarterback play in the Big 12 so far this season is not what anyone expected. The league's best are struggling. Some newcomers have made some big early impressions. Oklahoma's Spencer Rattler and Iowa State's Brock Purdy led their teams to the Big 12 title game last season. Both have struggled this year. Casey Thompson has come off the bench to lead a Texas offense that is piling up yards and points. Gerry Bohanon has been excellent for Baylor. Other teams have seen their QBs injured.

UNDATED (AP) — Quarterback questions are mounting for many Big Ten coaches this season. Purdue, Illinois and Wisconsin are just some of the teams that are seeing their QBs struggle. There are many reasons for the sub-par performances. They include defensive schemes and injuries. But one thing has become clear: Most coaches are reluctant to make an early-season change at the game's most important position.

Cards wrap up playoff berth with 17th straight win

UNDATED (AP) — A 17-game winning streak has allowed the St. Louis Cardinals to wrap up the second National League wild card with five days to spare.

Dylan Carlson, Nolan Arenado (ar-eh-NAH'-doh) and Jose Rondon rahn-DOHN') homered to back Adam Wainwright in the Redbirds' 6-2 victory over the Brewers. 

The game was tied 2-2 in the fifth until Tyler O'Neill hit a run-scoring single, his 22nd RBI in his last 20 games.

Wainwright allowed two runs and seven hits in six innings for his 17th victory. He's won his last six decisions.

St. Louis was 71-69 on Sept. 11 before the winning streak, the longest in team history and the longest in the major leagues since Cleveland took 22 in a row in 2017. 

Checking out Tuesday's other major league action:

— The Giants kept their two-game lead over the Dodgers in the NL West by defeating the Diamondbacks, 6-4. Wilmer Flores furnished a go-ahead, bases-loaded single in a four-run sixth that sent San Francisco to its 103rd win, tying the third-highest total in franchise history. Logan Webb struck out six and walked two, not allowing an earned run over five innings in a third straight no-decision.

— The Dodgers were 2-1 winners over the Padres behind Walker Buehler, who limited San Diego to three hits over seven scoreless innings. Buehler shook off his September swoon and picked up his 15th victory. The L.A. runs came on Trea Turner's RBI double and AJ Pollock's RBI single.

— The Yankees moved two games ahead of Boston for the first AL wild card with a 7-2 verdict over the Blue Jays. Giancarlo Stanton hit a three-run home run, while Aaron Judge chipped in a solo shot and two RBIs in New York's seventh consecutive win. Gio Urshela (ur-SHEH'-luh) added a solo blast after Stanton homered for the fourth consecutive game, giving him 35 this season.

— The Red Sox absorbed their fourth straight loss by falling to the American League-worst Orioles, 4-2. Boston led 2-0 in the sixth until Ryan Mountcastle smacked a two-run homer and Pedro Severino added an RBI single later in the inning. Kyle Schwarber and Hunter Renfroe homered for the Bosox, who are just a half-game ahead of Seattle for the second AL wild card.

— The Mariners gained ground on Boston as Mitch Haniger slammed his 100th career home run in a 4-2 win against the Athletics. Jake Fraley had a go-ahead two-run double on the Ms' 40th comeback win. The Mariners are 18 games over .500 for the first time since August 2018 following their ninth victory in 10 contests.

— Charlie Morton and Jorge Soler (soh-LEHR') led the Braves to a 2-1 win over the Phillies and a 3 ½-game lead over Philadelphia atop the NL East. Morton struck out 10 while limiting the Phils to three hits over seven shutout innings. Soler delivered a two-run single in the third off Zack Wheeler, who entered the game 3-0 with a 1.14 ERA in four starts this month. 

— The White Sox thumped the Reds, 7-1 as Luis Robert homered twice and Reynaldo Lopez pitched two-hit ball over a season-high six innings. Yoan Moncada (yoh-AHN mohn-KAH'-dah) and Gavin Sheets also homered for the White Sox, who have hit at least four in a tow 12 times this season. Chicago remains 2 1/2 games behind Houston for home-field advantage in the AL Division Series.

— The Astros walked twice with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth to pull out a 4-3 triumph over the Rays. Alex Bregman and Jose Altuve (al-TOO'-vah) hit solo homers for the Astros, who ended a four-game skid and will clinch the AL West if the Mariners fall to the Athletics. The Rays took a 3-2 lead when Randy Arozarena hit a solo homer off Phil Maton with one out in the ninth.

— Salvador Perez clubbed his major league-leading 47th home run, a go-ahead blast in the sixth inning of the Royals' 6-4 downing of the Indians. Perez also tops the majors with 118 RBIs and 17 go-ahead home runs. 

— The Mets ended a five-game skid as Francisco Lindor hit a two-run homer and an RBI single in their 5-2 win over the Marlins in Game 1 of a doubleheader. Winning pitcher Marcus Stroman made his major league-leading 33rd start and allowed five hits over five innings, including a two-run homer by Lewin Diaz.

— Javier Baez beat a throw to the plate on a grounder in the bottom of the ninth to give the Mets a 2-1 victory in the nightcap. Mets starter Noah Syndergaard (SIHN'-dur-gaard) struck out two in a perfect first inning, his first major league action since undergoing Tommy John surgery 18 months ago.

— Kyle Freeland carried a shutout into the seventh inning to help the Rockies end a five-game home losing streak, 3-1 versus the Nationals. Trevor Story lined a long solo homer and Freeland blanked Washington until his bases-loaded walk in the seventh.

— Colin Moran slammed a three-run homer and drove in four runs as the Pirates dealt the Cubs their seventh straight loss, 8-6. Bryan Reynolds had three hits and scored three times in Pittsburgh's second win in six games.

— Miguel Sanó (sah-NOH') homered and the Twins shut down the Tigers until the ninth inning of a 3-2 victory. Sanó connected for his 30th home run of the season, a solo shot in the seventh inning.

— Texas avoided 100 losses for the second straight game as rookie Andy Ibanez slapped a two-run single while the Rangers scored four in the second to beat the Angels, 5-2. A.J. Alexy won for the third time in four career starts, yielding Max Stassi's two-run homer and just two other hits over five innings.

UNDATED (AP) — Albert Pujols (POO'-hohlz) has switched places with Cody Bellinger on the Dodgers' COVID-19 list.

Pujols landed on the list and will be re-evaluated on Wednesday. Manager Dave Roberts says Pujols wasn't feeling well after receiving his second vaccination.

Bellinger was activated from the IL after missing eight games with a broken left rib.

— The Mets said that pitcher Jacob deGrom will be shut down for the remainder of the season. The two-time Cy Young Award winner has been sidelined since mid-July because of an elbow injury. The club says the injury has healed. 

— Hall of Fame broadcaster Jaime Jarrín will retire as the Dodgers' Spanish-language announcer following the 2022 season, ending a 64-year run with the team. The 85-year-old Jarrin made the announcement today, saying he wants to spend more time with his two sons and grandchildren as well as travel. He began calling Dodgers games in 1959 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998, becoming just the second Spanish-language announcer to receive the honor.

76ers kick off camp without unhappy All-Star Simmons

CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) — Ben Simmons was absent from Philadelphia 76ers training camp on Tuesday as expected as he tries to persuade the team to trade him, even with $147 million and four years left on his contract.

Coach Doc Rivers clings to the belief that Simmons may show up at training camp or at some point this season to try to lead the Sixers back to the top of the Eastern Conference.

For the moment, the focus is on getting Tyrese Maxey first-team reps and ready for an increased workload in his second season with the Sixers.

NBA ready to clamp down on unvaccinated players

UNDATED (AP) — The NBA has released tentative health and safety protocols to its teams.

These rules detail how unvaccinated players will be tested far more often than their vaccinated colleagues and face a slew of other restrictions. Teams were told in the draft of the rules, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press.

Among the other restrictions for unvaccinated players:

— They will not be able to eat in the same room with vaccinated teammates or staff.

— They must have lockers as far away from vaccinated players as possible

— They must stay masked and at least six feet away from all other attendees in any team meeting.

— They will be required to remain at their residence when in their home market. 

NFL urges players, team staff to report COVID-19 symptoms

UNDATED (AP) — The NFL is stressing the importance of symptom reporting to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in a video featuring coaches Pete Carroll, Andy Reid, John Harbaugh and Ron Rivera. 

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a memo sent to teams on Tuesday and obtained by The Associated Press that "it is vital for all players, coaches and other personnel to understand and report symptoms immediately." 

Seattle's Carroll, Kansas City's Reid, Baltimore's Harbaugh and Washington's Rivera appear to repeat a simple message: "If you feel something, say something."

— The Panthers have placed starting safety Juston Burris on injured reserve with a groin injury, meaning he will miss at least three games. Burris was injured during Carolina's 24-9 win over the Texans last Thursday night. 

<h2>Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press</h2>ST. LOUIS (AP) — Dylan Carlson, Nolan Arenado and Jose Rondon homered to back Adam Wainwright, and the St. Louis Cardinals extended their winning streak to 17 games and clinched an NL wild card berth with a 6-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. St. Louis will play in the NL wild-card game on Oct. 6 at the Los Angeles Dodgers or San Francisco, whichever does not win the NL West. The postseason trip will be the third in a row for the Cardinals.Milwaukee already was assured of the NL Central title.KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez hit his major league-leading 47th home run and the Kansas City Royals defeated the Cleveland Indians 6-4 Tuesday night. Perez also leads the majors in RBIs (118) and go-ahead home runs (17). The 31-year-old Perez trails Jorge Soler (2019) by one for the club record in homers. Josh Staumont (4-3) came on with two outs in the eighth and got the win. He was the seventh pitcher of the game for the Royals. Blake Parker (2-1) took the loss for the Indians.IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Jack Campbell has blossomed into one of the top playmakers on defense for fifth-ranked Iowa. Many college recruiters thought Campbell did not have the right body type to play linebacker. The Hawkeyes gave him his chance and he has run with it. The 6-foot-5 junior made a career-high 18 tackles, broke up three passes and recovered a fumble to set up a touchdown in a win over Colorado State last week. He was named &nbsp;Bronko Nagurski National Player of the Week and Big Ten defensive player of the week. Iowa visits Maryland on Friday night in a matchup of unbeatens.COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Maryland's home game against No. 5 Iowa this week should be a big event for the school as a whole. The Terrapins have come up short against tough competition before under coach Michael Locksley, but this time there's reason to think the Terps are more ready to compete. Maryland is 4-0 for the first time since 2016, and a victory over the Hawkeyes would give the Terrapins their first 5-0 start since 2001. Maryland's most recent win over a top-five team was against Florida State in 2004. The week after hosting Iowa, the Terps continue their grueling stretch when they play at Ohio State.MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State quarterback Skylar Thompson is unlikely to play against sixth-ranked Oklahoma on Saturday, even though he is making progress from a knee injury that he sustained in an early victory over Southern Illinois. Wildcats coach Chris Klieman says Thompson remains on target to return against Iowa State on Oct. 16. That means Will Howard and fellow sophomore Jaren Lewis are in line to play against Oklahoma. Howard has been the starter since Thompson got hurt, but his ineffectiveness could mean more opportunities for Lewis this weekend.LOS ANGELES (AP) — Albert Pujols went on the Los Angeles Dodgers' COVID-19 injured list as Cody Bellinger was activated from the IL after missing eight games with a broken left rib. Pujols received his Manager Dave Roberts said Pujols did not feel well after receiving his second COVID-19 vaccine. Roberts said Pujols will be re-evaluated Wednesday. The 41-year-old Pujols is batting .255 with 12 homers and 38 RBIs in 82 games since he signed with the Dodgers on May 17 following his release from the Los Angeles Angels.UNDATED (AP) — Much of the quarterback play in the Big 12 so far this season is not what anyone expected. The league's best are struggling. Some newcomers have made some big early impressions. Oklahoma's Spencer Rattler and Iowa State's Brock Purdy led their teams to the Big 12 title game last season. Both have struggled this year. Casey Thompson has come off the bench to lead a Texas offense that is piling up yards and points. Gerry Bohanon has been excellent for Baylor. Other teams have seen their QBs injured.UNDATED (AP) — Quarterback questions are mounting for many Big Ten coaches this season. Purdue, Illinois and Wisconsin are just some of the teams that are seeing their QBs struggle. There are many reasons for the sub-par performances. They include defensive schemes and injuries. But one thing has become clear: Most coaches are reluctant to make an early-season change at the game's most important position.MLB-SCHEDULECards wrap up playoff berth with 17th straight winUNDATED (AP) — A 17-game winning streak has allowed the St. Louis Cardinals to wrap up the second National League wild card with five days to spare.Dylan Carlson, Nolan Arenado (ar-eh-NAH'-doh) and Jose Rondon rahn-DOHN') homered to back Adam Wainwright in the Redbirds' 6-2 victory over the Brewers. The game was tied 2-2 in the fifth until Tyler O'Neill hit a run-scoring single, his 22nd RBI in his last 20 games.Wainwright allowed two runs and seven hits in six innings for his 17th victory. He's won his last six decisions.St. Louis was 71-69 on Sept. 11 before the winning streak, the longest in team history and the longest in the major leagues since Cleveland took 22 in a row in 2017. Checking out Tuesday's other major league action:— The Giants kept their two-game lead over the Dodgers in the NL West by defeating the Diamondbacks, 6-4. Wilmer Flores furnished a go-ahead, bases-loaded single in a four-run sixth that sent San Francisco to its 103rd win, tying the third-highest total in franchise history. Logan Webb struck out six and walked two, not allowing an earned run over five innings in a third straight no-decision.— The Dodgers were 2-1 winners over the Padres behind Walker Buehler, who limited San Diego to three hits over seven scoreless innings. Buehler shook off his September swoon and picked up his 15th victory. The L.A. runs came on Trea Turner's RBI double and AJ Pollock's RBI single.— The Yankees moved two games ahead of Boston for the first AL wild card with a 7-2 verdict over the Blue Jays. Giancarlo Stanton hit a three-run home run, while Aaron Judge chipped in a solo shot and two RBIs in New York's seventh consecutive win. Gio Urshela (ur-SHEH'-luh) added a solo blast after Stanton homered for the fourth consecutive game, giving him 35 this season.— The Red Sox absorbed their fourth straight loss by falling to the American League-worst Orioles, 4-2. Boston led 2-0 in the sixth until Ryan Mountcastle smacked a two-run homer and Pedro Severino added an RBI single later in the inning. Kyle Schwarber and Hunter Renfroe homered for the Bosox, who are just a half-game ahead of Seattle for the second AL wild card.— The Mariners gained ground on Boston as Mitch Haniger slammed his 100th career home run in a 4-2 win against the Athletics. Jake Fraley had a go-ahead two-run double on the Ms' 40th comeback win. The Mariners are 18 games over .500 for the first time since August 2018 following their ninth victory in 10 contests.— Charlie Morton and Jorge Soler (soh-LEHR') led the Braves to a 2-1 win over the Phillies and a 3 ½-game lead over Philadelphia atop the NL East. Morton struck out 10 while limiting the Phils to three hits over seven shutout innings. Soler delivered a two-run single in the third off Zack Wheeler, who entered the game 3-0 with a 1.14 ERA in four starts this month. — The White Sox thumped the Reds, 7-1 as Luis Robert homered twice and Reynaldo Lopez pitched two-hit ball over a season-high six innings. Yoan Moncada (yoh-AHN mohn-KAH'-dah) and Gavin Sheets also homered for the White Sox, who have hit at least four in a tow 12 times this season. Chicago remains 2 1/2 games behind Houston for home-field advantage in the AL Division Series.— The Astros walked twice with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth to pull out a 4-3 triumph over the Rays. Alex Bregman and Jose Altuve (al-TOO'-vah) hit solo homers for the Astros, who ended a four-game skid and will clinch the AL West if the Mariners fall to the Athletics. The Rays took a 3-2 lead when Randy Arozarena hit a solo homer off Phil Maton with one out in the ninth.— Salvador Perez clubbed his major league-leading 47th home run, a go-ahead blast in the sixth inning of the Royals' 6-4 downing of the Indians. Perez also tops the majors with 118 RBIs and 17 go-ahead home runs. — The Mets ended a five-game skid as Francisco Lindor hit a two-run homer and an RBI single in their 5-2 win over the Marlins in Game 1 of a doubleheader. Winning pitcher Marcus Stroman made his major league-leading 33rd start and allowed five hits over five innings, including a two-run homer by Lewin Diaz.— Javier Baez beat a throw to the plate on a grounder in the bottom of the ninth to give the Mets a 2-1 victory in the nightcap. Mets starter Noah Syndergaard (SIHN'-dur-gaard) struck out two in a perfect first inning, his first major league action since undergoing Tommy John surgery 18 months ago.— Kyle Freeland carried a shutout into the seventh inning to help the Rockies end a five-game home losing streak, 3-1 versus the Nationals. Trevor Story lined a long solo homer and Freeland blanked Washington until his bases-loaded walk in the seventh.— Colin Moran slammed a three-run homer and drove in four runs as the Pirates dealt the Cubs their seventh straight loss, 8-6. Bryan Reynolds had three hits and scored three times in Pittsburgh's second win in six games.— Miguel Sanó (sah-NOH') homered and the Twins shut down the Tigers until the ninth inning of a 3-2 victory. Sanó connected for his 30th home run of the season, a solo shot in the seventh inning.— Texas avoided 100 losses for the second straight game as rookie Andy Ibanez slapped a two-run single while the Rangers scored four in the second to beat the Angels, 5-2. A.J. Alexy won for the third time in four career starts, yielding Max Stassi's two-run homer and just two other hits over five innings.MLB-NEWSPujols on COVID-19 listUNDATED (AP) — Albert Pujols (POO'-hohlz) has switched places with Cody Bellinger on the Dodgers' COVID-19 list.Pujols landed on the list and will be re-evaluated on Wednesday. Manager Dave Roberts says Pujols wasn't feeling well after receiving his second vaccination.Bellinger was activated from the IL after missing eight games with a broken left rib.Also around the majors:— The Mets said that pitcher Jacob deGrom will be shut down for the remainder of the season. The two-time Cy Young Award winner has been sidelined since mid-July because of an elbow injury. The club says the injury has healed. — Hall of Fame broadcaster Jaime Jarrín will retire as the Dodgers' Spanish-language announcer following the 2022 season, ending a 64-year run with the team. The 85-year-old Jarrin made the announcement today, saying he wants to spend more time with his two sons and grandchildren as well as travel. He began calling Dodgers games in 1959 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998, becoming just the second Spanish-language announcer to receive the honor.NBA-NEWS76ers kick off camp without unhappy All-Star SimmonsCAMDEN, N.J. (AP) — Ben Simmons was absent from Philadelphia 76ers training camp on Tuesday as expected as he tries to persuade the team to trade him, even with $147 million and four years left on his contract.Coach Doc Rivers clings to the belief that Simmons may show up at training camp or at some point this season to try to lead the Sixers back to the top of the Eastern Conference.For the moment, the focus is on getting Tyrese Maxey first-team reps and ready for an increased workload in his second season with the Sixers.NBA-VACCINE RULESNBA ready to clamp down on unvaccinated playersUNDATED (AP) — The NBA has released tentative health and safety protocols to its teams.These rules detail how unvaccinated players will be tested far more often than their vaccinated colleagues and face a slew of other restrictions. Teams were told in the draft of the rules, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press.Among the other restrictions for unvaccinated players:— They will not be able to eat in the same room with vaccinated teammates or staff.— They must have lockers as far away from vaccinated players as possible— They must stay masked and at least six feet away from all other attendees in any team meeting.— They will be required to remain at their residence when in their home market. NFL-NEWS-COVID VIDEONFL urges players, team staff to report COVID-19 symptomsUNDATED (AP) — The NFL is stressing the importance of symptom reporting to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in a video featuring coaches Pete Carroll, Andy Reid, John Harbaugh and Ron Rivera. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a memo sent to teams on Tuesday and obtained by The Associated Press that "it is vital for all players, coaches and other personnel to understand and report symptoms immediately." Seattle's Carroll, Kansas City's Reid, Baltimore's Harbaugh and Washington's Rivera appear to repeat a simple message: "If you feel something, say something."Elsewhere in the NFL:— The Panthers have placed starting safety Juston Burris on injured reserve with a groin injury, meaning he will miss at least three games. Burris was injured during Carolina's 24-9 win over the Texans last Thursday night. COLLEGE FOOTBALL-KANSAS STATE-THOMPSONK-State QB unlikely to play vs OklahomaMANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State quarterback Skylar Thompson is unlikely to play against sixth-ranked Oklahoma on Saturday, even though he is making progress from a knee injury that he sustained in an early victory over Southern Illinois. Wildcats coach Chris Klieman says Thompson remains on target to return against Iowa State on Oct. 16. That means Will Howard and fellow sophomore Jaren Lewis are in line to play against Oklahoma. COLLEGE FOOTBALL-KENTUCKY-ARRESTSNo indictments for 6 WildcatsLEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — A grand jury in Fayette County, Kentucky has declined to indict six University of Kentucky football players on first-degree burglary charges. The charges were brought last month following a police investigation of an incident last March at a private party. Lexington Police arrested Reuben Adams, Robert McClain, Devito Tisdale, Joel Williams, Earnest Sanders IV and Andru Phillips.BOXING-PACQUIAOPacquiao leaving ringMANILA, Philippines (AP) — Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao (PA'-kay-ow) is officially hanging up his gloves. The eight-division world champion and Philippines senator on Wednesday announced his retirement from the ring, The 42-year-old Pacquiao finishes his 26-year, 72-fight career with 62 wins, eight losses and two draws.<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;