Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Miguel Cabrera and Robbie Grossman hit back-to-back home runs to lead the Detroit Tigers to a 4-3 interleague victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. Two days after hitting his 500th homer, Cabrera connected on No. 501. He crushed a 79-mph slider by starter Jack Flaherty into Big Mac Land, which is name of the upper left field deck, in the third inning. At 423 feet, it was his second longest home run this season. The Cardinals immediately removed starter Jack Flaherty (9-2) with what the team said was right shoulder tightness. Casey Mize (7-6) pitched five scoreless innings. He checked the Cardinals on three hits.
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Yadier Molina is staying with the St. Louis Cardinals, agreeing to a one-year contract that covers what could be his final season in 2022. St. Louis announced the deal with its longtime catcher before its matchup with Detroit. The 39-year-old Molina broke into the majors with the Cardinals in 2004 and never left. The 10-time All-Star helped the team win the World Series in 2006 and 2011. He has 2,089 career hits, 168 homers and 983 RBIs.
HOUSTON (AP) — Luis Garcia pitched into the seventh inning and two relievers completed a four-hitter to lead the Houston Astros to a 4-0 win over the Kansas City Royals. Garcia struck out seven and scattered four hits across 6 2/3 sharp innings. Ryne Stanek got the next four outs before Kendall Graveman worked a perfect ninth. Houston's strong pitching performance cooled off the hot-hitting Royals, who had scored 26 runs during a four-game winning streak.
UNDATED (AP) — Three-time All-Pro receiver Cliff Branch and Super Bowl-winning coach Dick Vermeil are finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's class of 2022. Branch is the senior candidate and Vermeil is the nominee in the coaches category picked by a five-person committee of Hall of Fame voters. To be elected to the Hall of Fame, Branch and Vermeil must receive 80% of the vote from the entire 49-member selection committee when it meets early next year.
UNDATED (AP) — Ohio State is the pick to win a fifth straight Big Ten football championship. Indiana is looking to challenge the Buckeyes after winning six of eight games and spending six weeks in the top 10 last year. The Hoosiers bring back one of the Big Ten's top defenses and they also return quarterback Michael Penix Jr. Wisconsin is the favorite in the West after finishing third in the division. The Badgers were plagued by injuries and had two games canceled because of COVID-19. Coaches under pressure are Michigan's Jim Harbaugh, Nebraska's Scott Frost and Purdue's Jeff Brohm.
Update on the latest sports
MLB-SCHEDULE
Yankees win again, Rays keep pace
UNDATED (AP) — The New York Yankees now own their longest winning streak since 1985.
The Yankees have run their winning streak to 11 games by beating the Braves in Atlanta for the second straight night, 5-4. DJ LeMahieu belted a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the fifth inning to help the Yankees stay four games behind the AL East-leading Rays. Giancarlo Stanton went deep for the second straight game and Rougned Odor (ROOG'-nehd oh-DOHR') capped the scoring for the Yankees with a solo blast in the seventh.
Yanks closer Aroldis Chapman allowed a ninth-inning run and left with the bases loaded before Wandy Peralta finished up the victory.
Dansby Swanson hit a two-run double in the first inning for Atlanta, which still leads the NL East by 4 1/2 games over the Phillies.
The Rays maintained their four-game lead over the Yanks as Nelson Cruz returned from the COVID-19 list and delivered a tiebreaking, two-run double in the eighth inning of a 3-1 win at Philadelphia.
Brandon Lowe (low) also drove in a run for the Rays, who have won seven of eight. Rays starter Drew Rasmussen got a no-decision after limiting Philadelphia to one run on four hits in five innings.
Checking out the rest of Tuesday's major league schedule:
— Hunter Renfroe homered twice and the Red Sox outscored the Twins, 11-9 to move two games ahead of Oakland for the second AL wild card. Alex Verdugo had three hits, and Renfroe drove in five runs with his 14th career multi-homer game. Boston blew most of a six-run lead before Kiké (KEE'-kay) Hernández hit a two-run homer in the eighth to make it 11-8.
— Luis Torrens (TOHR'-ehns) provided a tiebreaking, two-run single that helped the Mariners complete a two-game sweep of the Athletics, 5-1. Chris Flexen settled down after surrendering three straight singles in the first inning, allowing just three more hits and a walk over 6 2/3 innings to improve to 11-5. Jarred Kelenic (KEH'-leh-nihk) had two RBIs and scored a run to help Seattle hand Oakland its fourth straight loss.
— Luis Garcia pitched into the seventh inning and two relievers completed a four-hitter to carry the Astros past the Royals, 4-0. Garcia struck out seven and scattered four hits across 6 2/3 innings. Carlos Correa had two hits and two RBIs to help the AL West leaders snap a two-game skid and move 4 1/2 games over second-place Oakland.
— Dylan Cease (sees) worked seven innings and Jose Abreu (ah-BRAY'-oo) had four RBIs in leading the White Sox to their first win in four games, 5-2 at Toronto. Abreu slammed a three-run homer in the first inning to support Cease, who limited the Blue Jays to a run and four hits. Luis Robert, Yoan (yoh-AHN') Moncada and Abreu each had three hits from the top of Chicago's lineup.
— Miguel Cabrera and Robbie Grossman hit back-to-back home runs to lead the Tigers past the Cardinals, 4-3. Casey Mize was reached for just three hits over five scoreless innings. Losing pitcher Jack Flaherty allowed four runs on four hits with three walks before coming out of the game after two innings with what the team said was right shoulder tightness.
— The Angels pinned the Orioles with their 19th consecutive loss by building an 11-run lead in a 14-8 decision at Camden Yards. Jo Adell furnished a two-run triple and a two-run single while Los Angeles was building a 13-2 lead by the fourth inning. Juan Lagares added three RBIs against the Birds, who are two off the team record for consecutive losses set at the start of the 1988 season.
— Nate Lowe (loh) was 5-for-5 with a three-run homer as the Rangers whipped the Indians, 7-3. DJ Peters also smacked a three-run homer and had four RBIs for Texas. Winning pitcher Taylor Hearn and four relievers held Cleveland's offense in check after the Indians scored 17 runs in winning three straight.
— The Giants crushed the Mets, 8-0 behind Brandon Belt, who was 4-for-5 with two homers and three RBIs. Mike Yastrzemski (ya-STREHM'-skee) and LaMonte (lah-MAHNT') Wade Jr. also went deep off loser Tylor Megill (TY'-lohr meh-GIHL'), who was rocked for seven runs over 3 2/3 innings. Sammy Long scattered three hits over 5 1/3 innings as the NL West leaders dropped New York to 2-9 in a 13-game stretch against the Giants and Dodgers.
— Julio Urias (oo-REE'-uhs) earned his major league-leading 14th win by pitching one-hit ball over five scoreless innings of the Dodgers' 5-2 victory at San Diego. Will Smith put the Dodgers ahead with a second-inning homer and AJ Pollock added a two-run single that made it 3-0 in the seventh. The Padres managed just three hits and remain one game behind Cincinnati for the second NL wild card.
— Omar Narváez (nahr-VY'-ehz) hit a tiebreaking double in a four-run seventh inning as the Brewers knocked off the Reds, 7-4. Kolten Wong added a two-run homer in the eighth for Milwaukee, which finished the game without shortstop Willy Adames (ah-DAH'-mehs) because of a leg injury. The NL Central leaders have won 11 of their last 14 and are 8 1/2 games ahead of the second-place Reds.
— The Pirates doubled up the Diamondbacks, 4-2 as JT Brubaker pitched five scoreless innings for his first win in nearly three months. Brubaker allowed four hits with six strikeouts, stranding five runners in scoring position. Anthony Alford made it 4-0 with a two-run home run after Michael Chavis went deep in his second game with the Pirates.
— Tres Barrera and Ryan Zimmerman each smacked two-run homers for the Nationals in a 5-1 verdict over the Marlins. Erick Fedde (FEH'-dee) held the Marlins to a run and six hits over 6 1/3 innings. Miami didn't score until Jesus Aguilar (AG'-ee-ahr) hit an RBI single in the seventh.
— The Rockies-Cubs game at Wrigley Field was postponed because of thunderstorms and rescheduled as part of a Wednesday doubleheader.
MLB-NEWS
Lindor back in Mets' lineup
UNDATED (AP) — Shortstop Francisco Lindor (lihn-DOHR') went 0-for-4 in his return to the New York Mets' lineup.
Lindor had been out five weeks with a right oblique strain. He was batting .288 with three homers and an .875 OPS in his last 20 games before going on the injured list July 17.
Also around the majors:
— Cardinals catcher Yadier (YAH'-dee-ehr) Molina has agreed to a one-year contract that covers what could be his final season in 2022. The 10-time All-Star broke in with the 2004 Cardinals and helped the team win the World Series in 2006 and 2011. The 39-year-old Molina entered Tuesday with 2,080 games played behind the plate, more than any other backstop with one team.
— Diamondbacks left-hander Caleb Smith has been suspended 10 games and fined an undisclosed amount for having a foreign substance on his glove during a game last week. Smith's suspension is the second this season as Major League Baseball cracks down on pitchers using sticky substances to get a better grip on the ball. Smith has elected to appeal his suspension, which was scheduled to begin on Tuesday.
— The Rangers added catcher Jonah Heim to COVID-19 injured list before the start of their three-game series against Cleveland on Tuesday. Pitchers Spencer Howard and Dane Dunning are not with the team because of health and safety protocols. Howard and Dunning are scheduled to start the final two games of the series.
NFL-NEWS
Jaguars RB Etienne out for season with left foot injury
UNDATED, Fla. (AP) — Travis Etienne's rookie season is over before it begins.
The Jacksonville Jaguars' rookie running back suffered a left foot injury during Monday's preseason loss at New Orleans. The first-round draft pick from Clemson is expected to have surgery as soon as possible.
Losing Etienne is a significant setback for the Jaguars, who planned to use him to create mismatches in the slot and as a third-down back. Jacksonville selected Etienne with the 25th overall pick in April's draft and paired him with fellow Clemson star Trevor Lawrence.
In other NFL developments:
— Receivers Cole Beasley and Gabriel Davis are among four Bills players spending at least five days away from the team facility. The four are isolated from the team after having close contact with a trainer who tested positive. General manager Brandon Beane said additional players have been sent home for precautionary reasons. Beasley has been an outspoken critic against vaccinations and the league's COVID-19 policies.
— The Panthers and receiver Robby Anderson have agreed to a three-year, $37.5 million contract extension that includes $20.5 million in guaranteed money. That's according to a person with knowledge of the deal that keeps Anderson from testing the free agent market next spring. He's coming off a career season in his first year with the Panthers, catching 95 passes for 1,096 yards and three touchdowns.
— The Bears will start rookie quarterback Justin Fields in the preseason finale Saturday at Tennessee against the Titans. He still is regarded as the Bears' backup to veteran Andy Dalton for the regular-season opener against the Los Angeles Rams.
— Patriots coach Bill Belichick says he expects Cam Newton to return to the field this week for the second day of joint practices with the Giants. The quarterback missed a second day of practice because of a misunderstanding of COVID-19 testing rules. Newton is under an NFL-mandated five-day reentry process for unvaccinated players.
— Browns wide receiver Davion Davis has been suspended two games by the NFL for violating the league's policy on substance abuse. The league suspension stems from a driving under the influence charge Davis got while he was with the Vikings in 2019.
— Browns defensive end Takk McKinley has returned to the team after leaving training camp last month for personal reasons. McKinley took part in the early walkthrough portion of practice on Tuesday before he was spotted heading into the training facility.
— Former Cardinals first-round pick Josh Rosen has signed with the Falcons and will compete to open the season as the backup quarterback. Rosen replaces AJ McCarron, who was placed on injured reserve with a torn ACL. The Falcons are Rosen's fifth team in four seasons.
— Three-time All-Pro receiver Cliff Branch and Super Bowl-winning coach Dick Vermeil (vur-MEEL') are finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's class of 2022. Branch is the senior candidate and Vermeil is the nominee in the coaches category picked by a five-person committee of Hall of Fame voters.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL-CONFERENCE ALLIANCE
ACC, Big Ten, Pac-12 announce alliance plans
UNDATED (AP) — The ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12 have announced an alliance designed to navigate the future evolution of college athletics and scheduling.
The collaboration has a clear eye on the growing power of the Southeastern Conference and was unveiled less than a month after Texas and Oklahoma announced they are leaving the Big 12 for the SEC.
The new alliance hopes its 41 schools can lead to stability at the top of big-time college sports while thwarting future realignment.
The scheduling piece could lead to multiple nonconference football games per season between the league members, though schedules are set years in advance.
NBA-NEWS
Celtics ink Richardson
UNDATED (AP) — The Celtics have signed guard Josh Richardson to a contract extension as Boston tries to shore up its roster before training camp.
Acquired in a trade with Dallas last month, the 27-year-old Richardson saw his offensive numbers dip last season with the Mavericks. He is just two seasons removed from averaging a career-high 16.6 points with Miami in 2018-19.
In other NBA news:
— Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer has received a contract extension after guiding the team to its first NBA title in a half-century. Milwaukee has posted a league-best 162-65 regular-season record under Budenholzer, who was the Coach of the Year for the 2018-19 season. Milwaukee posted the league's top regular-season mark in 2018-19 and 2019-20.
SOCCER-PREMIER LEAGUE
EPL players barred from playing for "red list" countries
UNDATED (AP) — The Premier League will refuse to allow its players to compete in World Cup qualifiers for countries on England's red list.
Clubs face FIFA sanctions if they refuse to release players. But Liverpool has already told Egypt that Mo Salah (SAH'-lah) won't be released for next week's games because he would face a mandatory 10-day hotel quarantine on returning to England.
Premier League clubs also backed Liverpool's position, and the Spanish League is setting similar parameters.
All 10 South American countries competing are on England's red list. Brazil has eight players competing in the Premier League.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL-OBIT-JERRY HARKNESS
Loyola Chicago basketball pioneer Jerry Harkness dies at 81
UNDATED (AP) — Jerry Harkness, who led Loyola Chicago to a barrier-breaking national basketball championship and a was civil rights pioneer, has died at 81.
The two-time All-American was part of the 1963 team that won a national championship with four Black starters and played in what became known as the Game of Change. State laws prohibited Mississippi State from playing integrated teams, but the team slipped out of town to play Loyola in East Lansing, Michigan.
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