Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — Hall of Famer Lou Brock, the dynamic leadoff hitter and base stealer who helped the St. Louis Cardinals win three pennants and two World Series in the 1960s, has died at 81. Dick Zitzmann, the outfielder's longtime agent and friend, confirmed Brock's death. Brock arrived in St. Louis in June 1964, swapped from the Chicago Cubs for pitcher Ernie Broglio in one of baseball's most lopsided trades. Brock was an anchor for St. Louis as its combination of speed, defense and pitching made a top teams in the '60s. Brock lost a leg from diabetes in recent years and was diagnosed with cancer in 2017.
CHICAGO (AP) — Paul Goldschmidt hit a three-run homer off a struggling Jon Lester, and the St. Louis Cardinals gained ground in the NL Central race with a 7-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs. St. Louis pulled within 1 1/2 games of Chicago with its third consecutive win over the division leaders, sweeping a doubleheader on Saturday after the Cubs won 4-1 in the series opener Friday night. The longtime rivals have one game left in their pandemic-shortened season series on Monday. Tommy Edman also homered for the Cardinals, who improved to 14-0 when they score at least five runs this season.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Edwin Encarnación hit a three-run homer, Dallas Keuchel threw five scoreless innings and the Chicago White Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 8-2 on Sunday to complete a four-game sweep. Keuchel left the game with lower back stiffness after throwing a few warmup pitches before the sixth inning and is considered day to day. He threw 49 pitches, allowed two hits and struck out two. The AL Central-leading White Sox went ahead 5-0 in the seventh inning against reliever Josh Staumont. Encarnación hit a 448-foot blast into the second deck of the fountains beyond the wall in left-center to score Yasmani Grandal and Jose Abreu.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs are content to defend their Super Bowl title largely with the team that won it. After signing a handful of veteran free agents during an offseason unlike other, the Chiefs waived the majority of them Saturday as they trimmed down to 53 players for the start of the regular season. Among the notable names were running back DeAndre Washington, who was signed from Oakland, and former Miami safety Adrian Colbert. Most of the players waived as the Chiefs trimmed from their 80-man camp roster ahead of their opener Thursday night against Houston were inexpensive fliers and undrafted free agents.
Update on the latest sports
US OPEN
4th round of US Open continues
NEW YORK (AP) — The fourth round of men's and women's singles continues.
Serena Williams and Sofia Kenin will try to reach the quarterfinals, joining two other Americans already into that round, Jennifer Brady and Shelby Rogers. Williams plays No. 15 seed Maria Sakkari of Greece, and Kenin faces No. 16 seed Elise Mertens of Belgium.
Victoria Azarenka looks to continue her resurgence since the tour resumed from the pandemic. She won the Western & Southern Open and is now trying to get deeper into the U.S. Open.
With Novak Djokovic gone from the men's bracket, second-seeded Dominic Thiem and No. 3 Daniil Medvedev — last year's runner-up to Rafael Nadal — have a clearer path to the title.
NHL-ISLANDERS
Islanders in conference final
UNDATED (AP) — The New York Islanders are in a conference final for the first time since 1993.
They've gotten this far with a 7-game series win over the Flyers and are 11-5 in this postseason.
Josh Bailey leads the Islanders with 15 assists and 17 points in 16 games. The Islanders have posted three shutouts and have outscored opponents 54-31 in the postseason.
NHL-LIGHTNING
5th time for Tampa Bay
UNDATED (AP) — The Tampa Bay Lightning are in the conference final for the fifth time since 2004, when they won the Stanley Cup.
They're coming off a five-game series win over the Bruins and are well rested compared to the Islanders, who played Saturday.
The Lightning went 8-2 in the first two rounds, compiling a 1.91 goals-against average along the way. Brayden Point leads the team with six goals and 18 points.
The Lightning announced Sunday that captain Steven Stamkos won't play in the series.
TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP
Dustin Johnson has 5-stroke lead
ATLANTA (AP) — Dustin Johnson has a commanding five-stroke lead going into the final round of the Tour Championship.
Johnson is gunning for the FedEx Cup and its $15 million first prize after firing a 6-under 64 yesterday.
Justin Thomas and Xander Schauffele (SHOW'-flee) share second. Both feel like they will need some help from Johnson if they are to have a chance to catch him.
JAGUAR-MOVES
Jaguars sign veteran QB Mike Glennon to practice squad
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The Jacksonville Jaguars have signed quarterback Mike Glennon to their practice squad.
The move adds a veteran under the NFL's revamped roster rules. Glennon and defensive lineman Caraun Reid will earn $12,000 a week under a setup altered because of the pandemic.
Sixth-round draft pick Jake Luton beat out Glennon for Jacksonville's backup spot, but the Jaguars likely would turn to Glennon early in the season if they needed someone to start in place of second-year pro Gardner Minshew.
TOUR DE FRANCE
Stressful Tour rest day as riders face COVID-19 tests
LA ROCHELLE, France (AP) — Tour de France riders will undergo COVID-19 tests during the race's first rest day today. The results will decide whether they can continue.
Anyone who tests positive will have to leave the race and any team with more than two positive tests within seven days will be thrown out.
After Primoz Roglic of Slovenia seized the race leader's yellow jersey on Sunday. Roglic leads defending champion Egan Bernal by 21 seconds, with Frenchman Guillaume Martin 28 seconds back in third place.