Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Cardinals closer Giovanny Gallegos fanned pinch-hitter Pablo Reyes with the bases loaded for the final out and St. Louis won its 10th straight game, increasing its lead in the playoff chase by holding off the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers 2-1. The Cardinals increased their edge for the second NL wild-card spot to four games over Cincinnati. Milwaukee, which has secured a playoff spot, lost its third straight. The Brewers, whose magic number to clinch the NL Central stayed at three, lead the Cardinals by 9 ½ games. The Brewers are 2-5 in their last seven games. Jake Woodford and four relievers combined on a four-hitter as the Cardinals moved closer to the longest winning streak in franchise history, 14 games set in 1935.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Yu Chang hit a bases-loaded triple off left fielder Andrew Benintendi's glove in the first inning, leading Cal Quantrill and Cleveland Indians over the Kansas City Royals 4-1 . Ernie Clement homered as the second-place Indians kept Chicago's magic number for clinching the AL Central at two. Cleveland hosts the White Sox in a five-game series beginning Thursday. Chang hit a line drive and Benintendi slipped on the wet grass in pursuit. Benintendi made a late jump and the ball tipped off his glove. He quickly looked at his mitt to see if he'd caught the ball as it rolled to the wall. Quantrill worked 6 2/3 innings, striking out six and allowing one run on Hunter Dozier's homer. The right-hander went 5-0 record at Progressive Field this year.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa running back Tyler Goodson slowly worked his way into the starting lineup as a true freshman in 2019. His 153-yard, three-touchdown game in a 30-7 win over Kent State last Saturday showed how important he is to the offense. Goodson has averaged 105.8 yards per game and has scored 11 touchdowns during the fifth-ranked Hawkeyes' nine-game win streak. Goodson ranks second in the Big Ten with five rushing touchdowns and is sixth in rushing yards at just over 102 per game. The Hawks hosts Colorado State this week.
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State returned to the national poll at No. 25 this week, and the unbeaten Wildcats have a chance to prove they belong right away. First up is a trip to Oklahoma State, which is also off to a 3-0 start, and then comes a game against No. 4 Oklahoma. The Wildcats have already racked up wins against Stanford, which recently upended USC, along with Southern Illinois and Nevada. And the last couple have come without quarterback Skylar Thompson, who is out indefinitely with a knee injury. The question now: Can young QB Will Howard keep the unbeaten season going Saturday?
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas running back Velton Gardner, who led the Jayhawks in rushing last season, has entered the transfer portal. The junior saw his playing time decrease over the first three games under new coach Lance Leipold. Gardner started each game. He got 19 carriers against South Dakota and eight against Coastal Carolina, then appeared in just four plays and carried twice for four yards in Saturday's blowout loss to Baylor. By transferring now, Gardner could potentially redshirt this season and still have two years of eligibility remaining.
NEW YORK (AP) — Led by seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady, the defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers have opened the season 2-0 and are the unanimous top team in the latest AP Pro32 poll. The Bucs will head to SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles to face the Rams in a matchup of unbeaten teams on Sunday. The Rams climbed three spots for the No. 2 position. The Kansas City Chiefs slipped a place to No. 3 after falling to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night. The Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders, also off to 2-0 starts, grabbed the No. 4 and No. 5 positions, respectively.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — The Big 12 built a football reputation over the past two decades as a pass-happy conference. That's no longer the case. The days of 4,000-yard passers are over for now. The league is seeing a wave of solid rushers and most teams are running the ball more than they throw it. Kansas State's Deuce Vaughn is the pacesetter with 371 rushing yards. Oklahoma State's Jaylen Warren is making an immediate impact since transferring from Utah State with 218 yards last week. Baylor has two running backs averaging more than 100 yards per game. The Bears already have surpassed their rushing total from all of last season.
MLB-SCHEDULE
Tigers stall White Sox's advance toward title
UNDATED (AP) — The Detroit Tigers have stalled the Chicago White Sox's drive for the AL Central title with a 5-3 victory. Akil Baddoo and Victor Reyes drove in two runs apiece.
The magic number for the White Sox to clinch the division remained at two games. Reyes had four of Detroit's 16 hits. Daz Cameron reached base four times and scored two runs for the Tigers, who have won the first two games of the three-game series. The White Sox have lost five of their last seven games.
In other Tuesday action:
— Shohei Ohtani hit his 45th homer in the eighth inning of the Los Angeles Angels' 10-5 loss to the Houston Astros. Ohtani connected for his first homer since Sept. 10, driving a solo shot off Houston's Cristian Javier 445 feet into the elevated right field stands at the Big A. The two-way superstar has only three homers in September, but he is just one behind Toronto's Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Kansas City's Salvador Perez for the major league lead. Aledmys DÃaz and Kyle Tucker hit back-to-back homers and drove in three runs apiece in Houston's sixth win in seven games.
— Marco Gonzales pitched six uneven innings and won his eighth straight decision, and the Seattle Mariners beat Oakland 5-2 to move into a tie with the Athletics in a matchup of wild-card contenders. J.P. Crawford homered in the ninth inning and had three hits. Kyle Seager doubled twice, and Dylan Moore added a two-run triple as Seattle won its second straight against the A's. Both teams are three games behind the Blue Jays in the race for the second AL wild card.
— Austin Riley and Ozzie Albies both launched two-run homers for the Atlanta Braves, who held their NL East lead by beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-1. Jorge Soler added a solo homer for the Braves, who won their third in a row and stayed three games ahead of second-place Philadelphia. Riley hit his 30th home run in the first inning, a drive deep into the left-center field stands. The 24-year-old third baseman continues to evolve into a cornerstone for the Braves lineup, batting .300 with 94 RBIs. Albies hit a shot far into the right-field seats in the third. He's up to 29 homers this season and has 97 RBIs.
— LaMonte Wade Jr. singled over leaping All-Star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. in the ninth inning to bring in the go-ahead run and the San Francisco Giants beat the staggering San Diego Padres 6-5 to keep a one-game lead in the NL West. Wade's hit was the third straight one-out single off Mark Melancon and brought in Brandon Belt. Melancon, who leads baseball with 37 saves, started the ninth with the score tied at 5. The Giants stayed ahead of the Dodgers in the division race after Los Angeles beat Colorado 5-4. The Padres blew a 4-1 lead and wasted a two-homer performance by Manny Machado.
— Josh Rogers pitched 7 2/3 innings of one-run ball and the Washington Nationals beat the Miami Marlins 7-1. Rogers (2-0) scattered five hits, struck out four and walked two in his longest outing since joining the club Sept. 4. Juan Soto and rookie Keibert Ruiz had two hits and an RBI each for the Nationals, who closed within two games of Miami for fourth in the NL East. Ruiz, acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers for Max Scherzer and Trea Turner on July 30, is 12 for 26 with nine RBIs in his last nine games.
— Yu Chang hit a bases-loaded triple off left fielder Andrew Benintendi's glove in the first inning, leading Cal Quantrill and Cleveland Indians over the Kansas City Royals 4-1. Ernie Clement homered as the second-place Indians kept Chicago's magic number for clinching the AL Central at two. Cleveland hosts the White Sox in a five-game series beginning Thursday.
— Cardinals closer Giovanny Gallegos fanned pinch-hitter Pablo Reyes for the final out and St. Louis won its 10th straight game, increasing its playoff lead by holding off the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers 2-1. The Cardinals increased their edge for the second NL wild-card spot to four games over Cincinnati. San Diego began the day four games behind St. Louis. Milwaukee, which has secured a playoff spot, lost its third straight. The Brewers, whose magic number to clinch the NL Central stayed at three, lead the Cardinals by 9 ½ games.
— Ben Gamel homered, Ke'Bryan Hayes had three hits and the Pittsburgh Pirates dampened the Cincinnati Reds' fading postseason hopes with a 6-2 win. Gamel hit his eighth home run in the fourth inning to erase the Reds' early lead in the fourth. Hayes singled to score Hoy Park, and Cole Tucker sent Hayes home with a single. Mitch Keller pitched out of trouble with the aid of two double plays to hold off the Reds, who are chasing the streaking St. Louis Cardinals for the second NL wild card. They trail St. Louis by four games with 10 remaining.
— J.T. Realmuto hit a two-run triple with two outs in the 10th inning to rally the Philadelphia Phillies past the Baltimore Orioles 3-2 for a boost to their longshot playoff odds. Realmuto lined a shot to right field past the outstretched glove of Anthony Santander, and NL MVP candidate Bryce Harper, who was intentionally walked, scored the winner and set off a wild celebration in the infield. The Phillies entered three games behind Atlanta in the NL East.
— Rookie Alek Manoah rebounded from early control issues to last six innings and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays 4-2 to improve to a major league-best 16-4 in September. Toronto maintained a half-game lead lover the New York Yankees for the second AL wild card. Tampa Bay, closing in on its second straight division title, began the day seven games ahead of second-place Boston. The Rays, just 9-11 this month, have 10 games remaining.
— Giancarlo Stanton lined a laser beam of a home run, Aaron Judge added a three-run shot and the New York Yankees powered past the Texas Rangers 7-1 to keep pace in the crowded AL wild-card chase. Joey Gallo also went deep — against his former team — and a finally healthy Luis Severino closed with two shutout innings in his first major league appearance since the 2019 AL Championship Series. New York, which remained a half-game behind Toronto for the final American League playoff spot, has taken two straight from last-place Texas following a 7-15 stretch.
MLB NEWS
Cody Bellinger placed on injured list with left rib fracture
UNDATED (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers placed outfielder Cody Bellinger on the injured list with a left rib fracture.
The team made the move just before its game in Colorado against the Rockies. The Dodgers recalled outfielder Luke Raley from Triple-A Oklahoma City to take his place on the roster. Bellinger was banged up in a collision with Gavin Lux last week. Bellinger missed 46 games earlier this season with a calf injury and seven more with hamstring tightness.
NBA-NEWS
AP source: Simmons won't report to 76ers' training camp
UNDATED (AP) — A person with direct knowledge of Ben Simmons' plans tells The Associated Press the All-Star guard won't report to training camp next week. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because discussions of Simmons' plans with the franchise have been private.
The 25-year-old guard from Australia was the No. 1 pick of the 2016 draft. He is a three-time All-Star and had been paired with Joel Embiid as the franchise cornerstones as the Sixers chase their first NBA championship since 1983. But Simmons took the brunt of the blame for the top-seeded Sixers' second-round exit in last season's playoffs.
In other NBA news:
— Following suggestions from the league's competition committee, the NBA has spent time this offseason teaching its referees how to handle it when offensive players are making non-basketball moves with hopes of drawing contact from defenders. ItGoing forward, such plays will merit either a no-call or an offensive foul. In the past, those have often wound up sending offensive players to the foul line.
NFL NEWS
Cleveland's Jarvis Landry sidelined
UNDATED (AP) — Browns wide receiver Jarvis Landry will miss at least Cleveland's next three games after being placed on injured reserve with a sprained knee ligament.
A model of consistency and durability in his NFL career, Landry got hurt after catching a pass on the second play from scrimmage in Sunday's 31-21 win over Houston. The 28-year-old Landry must sit out the next three games, and it's possible he could be out longer.
Elsewhere in the NFL:
— Broncos Pro Bowl linebacker Bradley Chubb needs another ankle surgery and will miss several weeks. Chubb had right ankle surgery in May to remove bone spurs and missed most of the offseason program. Now he needs surgery to remove bone spurs from his left ankle. Chubb missed the opener and didn't even last two quarters at Jacksonville before the pain forced him to the sideline.
— Rookie Davis Mills will start at quarterback for the Houston Texans on Thursday night against the Carolina Panthers with Tyrod Taylor out with a hamstring injury. Coach David Culley announced the decision Tuesday and said Taylor would be inactive. Culley said the 1-1 Texans plan to elevate Jeff Driskel from the practice squad to back up Mills against the 2-0 Panthers. Mills is a third-round draft pick from Stanford. He took over Sunday when Taylor was injured and threw for 102 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
— The NFL will stage an international combine for 50 athletes from 15 countries next month in London. The invitational scouting showcase is mirrored after the annual NFL combine usually held in Indianapolis. The idea is to find international athletes who have the skillset and potential to play in the league. It will take place Oct. 12 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Invited are athletes from Britain, Germany, Belgium, Australia, New Zealand, France, Nigeria, Austria, Slovakia, Italy, Switzerland, Japan, Finland, Sweden and Hungary.
— The parent companies of the Denver Broncos are heading to court Wednesday to ask a Denver County District Court judge to clear the decks for any potential sale of the franchise, which is valued at nearly $4 billion. The partnership wants Judge Shelly L. Gilman to rule that former owner Edgar Kaiser's estate no longer has the right of first refusal to any potential sale of the franchise. The trial is expected to last at least a week with a ruling coming in November or December.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL-NEWS
Brewer leaves Utes
UNDATED (AP) — Quarterback Charlie Brewer has left the Utah Utes after losing his starting job to Cameron Rising. Brewer was a four-year starter at Baylor who transferred to Utah for his final season. He won the starting job following a heated competition with Rising in the preseason camp. But the Utes struggled with Brewer under center.
Elsewhere in college football:
— Vanderbilt running back Ra'Mahn Davis will have season-ending surgery to repair a torn toe ligament on his right foot. Coach Clark Lea confirmed Davis' injury Tuesday. Vanderbilt hosts No. 2 Georgia on Saturday.
— Kansas running back Velton Gardner, who led the Jayhawks in rushing last season, has entered the transfer portal. The junior saw his playing time decrease over the first three games under new coach Lance Leipold.
— Two Rutgers players have been suspended from the football team after they were charged in an incident in which three people were struck by paintballs fired from a passing vehicle. Coach Greg Schiano took the action after defensive backs Malachi "Max" Melton and Chris Long were each charged with three counts of aggravated assault and a weapons count.
GEORGIA TECH-NCAA
NCAA places Ga Tech women's hoops team on 3 years probation
ATLANTA (AP) — The NCAA has placed Georgia Tech's women's basketball program on probation for three years.
The infractions committee cited violations committed under former coach MaChelle Joseph that included players being forced to practice longer than the rules allow and on scheduled off days. The NCAA finding means both the men's and women's programs at Georgia Tech have landed on probation for rules violations. That troubling situation prompted the governing body to also order a comprehensive compliance review of Georgia Tech's athletics department by an outside agency. The probationary period for the women's team does not include an NCAA Tournament ban.
NHL-FLYERS-HAYES
Flyers' Hayes has abdominal surgery, to miss start of season
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia Flyers center Kevin Hayes has had abdominal surgery and is expected to miss six to eight weeks. The Flyers are set to open training camp this week, the preseason starts next week and Philadelphia plays the season opener Oct. 15 at home against Vancouver.
The 29-year-old Hayes could miss roughly the first 10 games of the season. He scored 12 goals and had 31 points in 55 games last season in his second year with the Flyers. They could turn to 22-year-old Morgan Frost to take Hayes' spot and strengthen the team in the middle.
Elsewhere in the NHL:
— The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed goaltender Elvis Merzlikins to a five-year, $27 million contract extension. The 27-year-old Merzlikins will be in the final year of a two-year contract this season with a cap hit of $4 million. The new contract locks him up through the 2026-27 season with an annual salary of about $6.7 million. The long-term deal throws into question the future of Joonas Korpisalo, who has shared time in the net with Merzlikins the last two seasons.
CLICK HERE to download the Hutch Post mobile app.
CLICK HERE to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.