Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) ā Ryan McBroom hit a go-ahead homer in the sixth inning to lift the Royals to a 3-2 victory over the Twins on Friday night. Nick Heath and Nicky Lopez also drove in runs for the Royals, who have won two straight after a six-game slide. Greg Holland earned the win in relief of starter Jakob Junis while Trevor Rosenthal earned his second save with a perfect ninth. Matt Wisler took the loss after serving up McBroom's homer.
ST. LOUIS (AP) ā The entire three-game series between the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis this weekend at Busch Stadium has been postponed after two more Cardinals players and a staff member tested positive for the coronavirus. Major League Baseball made the announcement, after hours saying Friday night's game had been scrapped to ensure everyone affected on the Cardinals was identified. The Cardinals have been off since last Friday, when two players returned positive coronavirus tests. Eight players in total have tested positive, including star catcher Yadier Molina.
Update on the latest sports
VIRUS OUTBREAK-COLLEGE SPORTS
Mid-American Conference cancels fall football due to virus
UNDATED (AP) ā The Mid-American Conference has become the first league competing at college football's highest level to cancel its fall season because of COVID-19 concerns.
With the MAC's 12 schools facing a significant financial burden by trying to maintain costly coronavirus protocols, the conference's university presidents made the decision to cancel all fall sports ā including soccer and volleyball ā and explore making them up in the spring season.
MAC schools rely heavily on revenue from playing road games against power conference teams. Most of those games were canceled when the Power Five went to exclusively or mostly conference games.
MAC Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher said he is "heartbroken we are in this place." He stressed this was first a decision about the health and well-being of the athletes, and the conference's medical experts were not comfortable that sports could be run safely.
A meeting of its presidents earlier in the week was expected to produce an agreement on how to go about a fall season, but instead some schools pushed to not play. The final decision was kicked to a Saturday morning meeting.
PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
China's Li Haotong starts Round 3 with 2-stroke lead
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ā Li Haotong (lee how-TAHNG') took a 2-shot lead into the weekend at the PGA Championship, thanks to a bogey-free 65 Friday at TPC Harding Park. The 25-year-old is the first Chinese golfer to lead any round at a major championship.
Among those in pursuit are two-time defending champion Brooks Koepka (KEHP'-kuh) and Tommy Fleetwood, whose 64 put him in the hunt for his first major.
Tiger Woods struggled with his new putter Friday and shot 72 to finish eight off the lead. Rickie Fowler is going home after nearly whiffing on a 6-inch tap-in on No. 6. He missed the cut by one.
NHL-SCHEDULE
Lightning-Flyers, Avalanche-Golden Knights vie for top seeds
UNDATED (AP) ā Neither of the teams vying for the top playoff seed in the Eastern Conference will be at full-strength when they face off Saturday. The Tampa Bay Lightning are still without captain Steven Stamkos after a setback in rehab from core muscle surgery in March. The Philadelphia Flyers won't have top-line right winger Jakub Voracek for undisclosed reasons. The winner of the game between the Lightning and Flyers gets home-ice advantage until the Stanley Cup Final.
The winner of the game between the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche gets the top seed in the Western Conference. Vegas isn't 100% healthy yet with winger Max Pacioretty (pash-uh-RET'-ee) still not ready to play. Colorado is healthy and undefeated in two round-robin games.
NFL-JAGUARS MOVES
Jaguars release 5, including Middleton, to cut roster to 80
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) ā The Jacksonville Jaguars parted ways with five players Saturday, including third-year safety Doug Middleton, to reduce their roster to 80.
The team also waived running back Tavien Feaster, place-kicker Brandon Wright and offensive linemen Tyler Gauthier and Steven Nielsen. Feaster, Wright and Nielsen are rookies. The Jags also placed veteran defensive tackle Rodney Gunter on the non-football illness list. Gunter signed a three-year, $18 million contract in free agency and is expected to step into a starting role for a revamped defense that includes six new starters.
By having 80 players on its roster now, Jacksonville is eligible to have its entire team at the facility and on the practice field during training camp.
MLB-SCHEDULE
Cardinals still waiting to play
UNDATED (AP) ā The Cardinals have to wait a while longer to resume their season. Their weekend series at Busch Stadium against the Cubs was called off Friday after two more St. Louis players and a staff member tested positive for the coronavirus.
The Cardinals already were scheduled to play three doubleheaders against Milwaukee to make up for games postponed last week.
St. Louis has been off since a week ago Friday, when two players returned positive coronavirus tests. Eight players in total have tested positive, including star catcher Yadier Molina.
St. Louis is next scheduled to play Monday at home against Pittsburgh. The Cubs next play Tuesday at Cleveland.
Elsewhere around the majors:
ā Gerrit Cole tries for his 20th straight regular-season win when he pitches for the Yankees in the first game of a Saturday doubleheader at Tampa Bay. Cole's streak dates to May 2019 with Houston and is the sixth-longest in big league history. The right-hander is 3-0 with a 2.55 ERA in three starts since signing a $324 million, nine-year contract with New York. Right-hander Tyler Glasnow pitches the opener for the Rays. Both teams will rely their bullpens in the second game.
ā The Marlins have rapidly become the most surprising team in the majors. They'll try for their seventh win in a row when they take on the Mets Saturday night at Citi Field. Miami is 7-1 overall, and 5-0 since missing more than a week because of the team's coronavirus outbreak. The Marlins keep winning despite already using 43 players, including 25 pitchers, to maintain a full roster amid COVID-19 concerns. Miami was 57-105 last year.
ā The matchup of Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw and Giants right-hander Johnny Cueto (KWAY'-toh) that was originally scheduled for opening day is now set to happen Saturday night in Los Angeles. Back trouble kept Kershaw out of the opener at Dodger Stadium. Kershaw looked every bit a three-time NL Cy Young Award winner in his first start this year, shutting out Arizona on three hits over 5 2-3 innings while striking out six without a walk. Cueto has started this season with three straight no-decisions and a 4.97 ERA.
MLS-SEASON RESUMES
MLS to resume regular season following Florida tournament
UNDATED (AP) ā Major League Soccer said Saturday it will resume its season once the MLS is Back tournament in Florida wraps up.
The league's 26 teams will each play 18 games, with the first between FC Dallas and Nashville set for Aug. 12. Dallas and Nashville are playing three additional games after withdrawing from the league's tournament because of positive COVID-19 cases.
A majority of games will be played without fans because of local regulations. Teams will be subject to a rigorous testing protocol and will use charter flights to travel.
MLS suspended the season on March 12 because of the pandemic after teams had played two games each.
The league has been playing the monthlong MLS is Back tournament without fans at ESPN's Wide World of Sports complex at Walt Disney World. The championship match is set for Tuesday between the Portland Timbers and Orlando City.
The group stage matches at the World Cup-style tournament counted toward the regular season.
F1-70TH ANNIVERSARY GP
Bottas on pole for Silverstone GP ahead of teammate Hamilton
SILVERSTONE, England (AP) ā Valtteri Bottas edged out Mercedes teammate and championship leader Lewis Hamilton to claim the pole position Saturday for Formula One's 70th Anniversary Grand Prix.
Hamilton appeared on course to take his 92nd career pole but he had a poor first sector on his final run and Bottas clocked 1 minute, 25.154 seconds, 0.063 seconds ahead of the six-time world champion. It gave Bottas his first pole since the opening race of the pandemic-delayed season in Austria, which he went on to win.
F1 is back at Hamilton's home circuit of Silverstone this weekend for a race also closed to spectators due to the coronavirus restrictions.