Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press
UNDATED (AP) — Hall of Famer Bob Gibson, the dominating St. Louis Cardinals pitcher who won seven consecutive World Series starts and set a modern standard for excellence when he finished the 1968 season with an earned run average of 1.12, has died. The two-time Cy Young Award winner spent his entire 17-year career with the Cardinals and was named World Series MVP in their 1964 and '67 championship seasons. He came up short in 1968, although he was named the National League's MVP and won the Cy Young. Bob Gibson died Friday at 84.
SAN DIEGO (AP) — . Stammen and eight fellow relievers combined on a four-hitter in a brilliant, record-setting effort that sent the Padres over the St. Louis Cardinals 4-0 Friday night in the deciding Game 3 of their NL wild-card series. The Padres won a postseason series for the first time in 22 years and advanced to face the NL West rival Los Angeles Dodgers in a division series in Arlington, Texas, starting Tuesday. The Padres became the first team in baseball history to use eight or more pitchers in three straight postseason games.
UNDATED (AP) — Past and current baseball players and others beyond the sports world are remembering and praising Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson, the dominant St. Louis Cardinals ace who died Friday in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, at the age of 84. Gibson was a two-time World Series MVP and twice won the National League Cy Young Award.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have struggled over the years to stop the run, regardless of who was directing their defense, but they showed in last week's win over the Baltimore Ravens that they could rise to the challenge. They have another big one this weekend. The New England Patriots roll into Arrowhead Stadium behind new quarterback Cam Newton, himself a threat to run, and a backfield that just went roughshod over the Las Vegas Raiders last weekend. Sony Michel needed just nine carries to pile up 117 yards, Rex Burkhead reached the end zone three times and the Patriots totaled 250 yards rushing in the win.
UNDATED (AP) — Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley says it's too early to write off the 18th-ranked Sooners as they seek their fourth straight College Football Playoff appearance. The Sooners have overcome losses to make the playoff before. But their margin of error is slim as they head into Saturday night's game at Iowa State. The Cyclones have given OU fits since 2016. Other than Kansas State, which has beaten the Sooners two straight years, no Big 12 team has played them tougher the last four years. Iowa State is looking to beat Oklahoma in Ames for the first time since 1960.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Chuba Hubbard and the Oklahoma State offense will try to finally get on track Saturday when they visit Kansas. Hubbard fumbled twice last week and was briefly benched before returning to score the winning touchdown against West Virginia. Meanwhile, the Jayhawks have struggled to stop the run in consecutive losses to Coastal Carolina and Baylor to start the season. The school is allowing 10,000 fans into Memorial Stadium after COVID-19 forced them to play their home opener without any two weeks ago.
UNDATED (AP) — The Tennessee Volunteers showed they could pick up where they left off last season, and each victory just keeps building their confidence. The 21st-ranked Vols now have won seven consecutive games and trail only Air Force and Notre Dame, winners of eight straight, for the longest winning streak in the Football Bowl Subdivision. The streak includes five straight in the Southeastern Conference, a drastic change from a year ago when they started 1-4. Belief in third-year coach Jeremy Pruitt couldn't be higher following a win at South Carolina, and now the Vols host Missouri on Saturday in their home opener.
Update on the latest sports
NBA FINALS-LAKERS/HEAT
Lakers dump Heat again for 2-0 lead
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Two down, two to go in the NBA Finals as the Los Angeles Lakers seek their first championship in 10 years.
Anthony Davis and LeBron James provided performances that were near duplicates of their Game 1 efforts, leading the Lakers to a 124-114 victory and a 2-0 series lead over the Heat.
James finished with 33 points, nine rebounds and nine assists after falling one assist short of a triple-double in the opener. Davis hit 14 of his first 15 shots on the way to 32 points, just two fewer than his Game 1 output.
The Lakers shot 51%, making 16 consecutive shots from 2-point range in a stretch that started late in the first quarter and ended late in the third. Los Angeles also took a season-high 47 3s, making 16.
The Heat scored 39 points in the third quarter, but that was only good enough to cut a 14-point halftime deficit to a 10-point hole going into the fourth, mainly because they just couldn't get enough stops.
Jimmy Butler finished with 25 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds for Miami, which played without injured starters Bam Adebayo (ad-eh-BY'-oh) and Goran Dragic (DRAH'-gihch). Kelly Olynyk scored 24 points for the Heat.
Game 3 is Sunday night. It's unclear if Dragic, Adebayo or both could return. although each lobbied to play Friday night.
NBA-NEWS
Harris wins Daly award
UNDATED (AP) — Del Harris was a small-college player and once those days were over his life's goal was to be a successful small-college coach. He did quite a bit more than that. Harris was revealed today as this year's winner of the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award, as presented by the National Basketball Coaches Association.
Harris coached in the NBA for 32 seasons, 14 of them as a head coach with Houston, Milwaukee and the Los Angeles Lakers.
MLB-SCHEDULE
Marlins win first playoff series in 17 years
UNDATED (AP) — The Miami Marlins don't make a lot of trips to the postseason, but they are winners once they get there.
The Marlins won their first playoff series in 17 years by completing a two-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs, 2-0 in the NL Wild Card Series. That leaves Miami 7-for-7 all time in postseason series, having won the Fall Classic in 1997 and 2003.
The game was scoreless until Garrett Cooper homered off Yu Darvish in a two-run seventh. Magneuris Sierra added an RBI single to chase Darvish, who allowed just five hits over 6 2/3 innings.
Brad Boxberger threw 1 1/3 innings to get the win in relief of hard-throwing rookie Sixto Sánchez, who limited the Cubs to four hits over five innings.
Chicago collected nine hits and scored just one run in the series. Javier Báez, Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo combined to go 0 for 12 Friday and finished the series 1 for 24.
The outcome puts the Marlins in the NL Division Series against the Braves in Houston.
Elsewhere in the majors:
— The Padres are in the NL Division Series following a 4-0 shutout of the Cardinals. San Diego went the bullpen route to close out the Wild Card Series as nine pitchers combined on a four-hitter in the Padres' second straight win. Eric Hosmer broke a scoreless tie in the fifth with an RBI double off losing pitcher Jack Flaherty, who allowed six hits while striking out eight over six innings. Jake Cronenworth added an eighth-inning solo homer for the Padres, who will take on the Dodgers in the next round.
MLB-GIBSON-OBIT
Bob Gibson dies at 84
UNDATED (AP) — Bob Gibson was one of the most menacing pitchers in the 1960s and '70s. He was also one of the very best of any generation.
The St. Louis Cardinals announced that the Hall of Famer died Friday at age 84. Gibson's death came on the 52nd anniversary of perhaps his most overpowering performance, when he struck out a World Series record 17 batters in Game 1 of the 1968 World Series against Detroit.
He set a modern standard for excellence when he finished the 1968 season with a 1.12 ERA. Following the season, Major League Baseball decided to lower the mounds after offense dried up.
The two-time Cy Young Award winner spent his entire 17-year career with St. Louis and was named the World Series MVP in their 1964 and '67 championship seasons. The Cards came up just short in 1968, but Gibson was voted the National League's MVP in what is known as the Year of the Pitcher.
MLB-BBWAA AWARDS
Landis to be taken off awards
NEW YORK (AP) — Original baseball Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis will no longer be depicted on the annual awards presented by the Baseball Writers' Association of the America.
The BBWAA has voted to drop any mention of Landis, who never had a Black player in the majors during his long reign. He is being pulled off all future MVP plaques after more than 75 years.
The BBWAA says 89% of its members voted to remove Landis from the awards.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL-BYU/LOUISIANA TECH
Cougars clobber Tech
PROVO, Utah (AP) — BYU had no trouble winning a Friday showdown with Louisiana Tech.
Zach Wilson accounted for five touchdowns and the 22nd-ranked Cougars rolled up 523 total yards in a 45-14 rout of the Bulldogs. Wilson was 24 of 26 for 325 yards and two touchdowns, and he also ran for three scores
Tyler Allgeier added 93 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries to help BYU average eight yards per play. Gunner Romney led the receivers with 101 yards and a touchdown on seven receptions.
BYU is 3-0 for the first time in six years.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-NFL
NFL reschedules Steelers-Titans for Week 7
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The NFL has rescheduled the Pittsburgh-Tennessee game postponed from Sunday to Oct. 25 in Week 7. The Steelers will play Baltimore on Nov. 1 as a result of the Titans' COVID-19 outbreak. The league announced the scheduling changes Friday, hours after the Titans' outbreak expanded by two more players to a total of 14 within the past week.
The Vikings, who played the Titans last week, again had no positive results and are on target to play Houston on Sunday.
The unplanned bye this weekend means the Steelers will play 13 straight games to end the regular season.
Meanwhile, the NFL and its players' union have agreed to continue daily COVID-19 testing except on game days until further notice. The league also told teams daily testing will be required for players and coaches during bye weeks to help mitigate spread of the virus. That means players and coaches will have to stick around during the bye.
NFL-NEWS
Garoppolo still sidelined
UNDATED (AP) — 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (gah-RAH'-pah-loh) will miss his second straight start with a sprained ankle, clearing the way for Nick Mullens to make another start.
Garoppolo got hurt two weeks ago in a win against the New York Jets and hasn't practiced since then. The Niners will get All-Pro tight end George Kittle and No. 1 receiver Deebo Samuel back this week.
In other NFL news:
— Browns star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. practiced after missing time with a back injury earlier this week. He's expected to play Sunday against the Cowboys.
— Jaguars receiver DJ Chark is expected to return to the starting lineup at Cincinnati after being taken off the injury report. Chark missed last week's game against Miami with a chest/back injury.
— Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter does not appear close to returning to the team. Coach Mike Zimmer said the two-time Pro Bowl pick was in New York for a second medical opinion on his reported neck injury.
— Dolphins backup quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (TOO'-ah tuhng-ah-vy-LOH'-ah) has returned to practice on a limited basis after missing two days because of an illness. He's listed as questionable for Sunday's game against Seattle.
— Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert will make his third start but will be without one of his top receivers and a pair of starters on the offensive line. The Chargers officially ruled QB Tyrod Taylor out for Sunday's game at Tampa Bay along with tackle Bryan Bulaga, guard Trai Turner and wide receiver Mike Williams.
— The Saints have ruled out top receiver Michael Thomas and five other starters for this week's game against the Lions in Detroit. Marshon Lattimore, Janoris Jenkins, Marcus Davenport, Jared Cook and Andrus Peat are out as well.
NHL-NEWS
Senators acquire Josh Brown
UNDATED (AP) — The Ottawa Senators have acquired defenseman Josh Brown from the Florida Panthers for a fourth-round pick in Tuesday's NHL draft. Brown had three goals, five assists and 39 penalty minutes in a career-high 56 games with the Panthers last season. He has four goals and six assists in 93 career NHL games.
In other ice news:
— The Kings have fired the employee who dresses as the hockey team's mascot after an investigation into a sexual harassment lawsuit filed against him earlier this year. Tim Smith, the Kings and team owner AEG were sued by a former member of the Kings Ice Crew, which performs several functions for the team at home games at Staples Center and away from the arena.
TENNIS-FRENCH OPEN
Thiem and Halep among third-round winners on a rainy day in Paris
PARIS (AP) — U.S. Open champion Dominic Thiem (teem) has advanced to the fourth round of the French Open with another straight-sets win, beating Casper Ruud of Norway 6-4, 6-3, 6-1. Thiem was the losing finalist to Rafael Nadal at the last two French Opens. Ruud was bidding to become only the second Norwegian to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam. The first was his father at the Australian Open in 1997.
Among other results Friday:
Top-seeded Simona Halep had no trouble reversing the result of her loss to Amanda Anisimova at last year's French Open. Halep won the rematch 6-0, 6-1 in just 54 minutes to reach the fourth round, extending her winning streak to a career-best 17 matches as she seeks a third Grand Slam title. She won the trophy at Roland Garros in 2018.
French wild card Hugo Gaston eliminated former champion Stan Wawrinka (vah-VRINK'-ah) with a 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-0 victory.
It took 36 points in a marathon third-set tiebreaker for Lorenzo Sonego to shake off the 27th-seeded American Taylor Fritz. Sonego eventually won the tiebreaker in the 1-hour, 18-minute third set and the match 7-6, 6-3, 7-6.
France's Caroline Garcia beat 16th-seeded Elise Mertens 1-6, 6-4, 7-5.
PGA-SANDERSON FARMS CHAMPIONSHIP
Bradley leads in Mississippi
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Keegan Bradley is the leader of the Sanderson Farms Championship after firing a 7-under 65 in the second round.
Bradley made three straight birdies on the back nine to take the lead and closed with another short birdie putt to take a two-shot lead over J.T. Poston and Charley Hoffman at 13 under.
Bradley's victory in the BMW Championship two years ago is his only title in the last eight years.
Poston made five birdies on the back nine for a 67, while Hoffman shot 69.
LPGA-SHOPRITE CLASSIC
Nataoka leads through 36
GALLOWAY, N.J. (AP) —Nasa Hataoka birdied two of the last three holes for a 4-under 67 and a one-stroke lead through two rounds of the Shoprite LPGA Classic.
Mi Hyang Lee and Mel Reid share second. Lee followed Thursday's 63 with a 69, while Reid fired a 64.