Update on the latest sports
APGOLF-BRITISH OPEN
Spieth takes a share of the lead
SANDWICH, England (AP) — Jordan Spieth (speeth) is tied for the lead as he chases another claret jug in the British Open.
The three-time major champion had four birdies through seven holes, the only blemish coming on a three-putt bogey from about 70 feet on the par-5 fifth. That put Spieth at 11-under, tied with 36-hole leader Louis Oosthuizen (OOST’-hay-zehn).
Oosthuizen has been solid, though not spectacular. He had all pars through six holes, twice having to get up-and-down for tough saves.
Collin Morikawa had two bogeys, no birdies and has fallen four shots back.
Dylan Frittelli had back-to-back birdies and is at 9 under. He is playing with Spieth, his former teammate at the University of Texas when the Longhorns won the national title at Riviera. Frittelli had the winning shot that day with a birdie on the last hole to win his match.
Spieth won the British Open at Royal Birkdale in 2017.
NBA FINALS
Series a tossup heading into Game 5
PHOENIX (AP) — The NBA Finals seemed very much in the Suns’ control when they left Phoenix a week ago. Then the Bucks won their two games in Milwaukee and the Suns return to Arizona for Game 5 Saturday with the series tied.
The Bucks overcame a 2-0 deficit in the second round against Brooklyn and now are trying to become the fifth club to do it in the NBA Finals.
Suns point guard Chris Paul is looking to bounce back from a rough Game 4 when he finished with 10 points, seven assists and five costly turnovers, including a crucial one in the final minute that led to a 109-103 loss.
MLB-SCHEDULE
Twins play Tigers after 5-day break
UNDATED (AP) — The Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers will play a doubleheader Saturday in Detroit after having their All-Star break extended by a day when their doubleheader was rained out Friday. That made them the only major league clubs to get a five-day midsummer respite.
José Ureña is scheduled to start the opener for the Tigers, who were planning a bullpen game in the nightcap. Charlie Barnes makes his major league debut in Game 1 for the Twins, and Kenta Maeda is set for Game 2.
The teams will make up the other postponed game on Aug. 30.
Minnesota swept Detroit in a four-game series at Target Field before the break.
In other highlights of Saturday’s schedule:
— Nathan Eovaldi (eh-VAHL’-dee) and the Boston Red Sox try to improve to 8-0 against the rival New York Yankees this season when they face Gerrit Cole in a prime-time matchup of AL All-Stars in the Bronx. With slugger Aaron Judge and five of his teammates sidelined due to a coronavirus outbreak, the fourth-place Yankees were held to three hits Friday night in a 4-0 loss to Boston that dropped them nine games behind the AL East-leading Red Sox. New York is also minus first baseman Luke Voit, who went on the injured list with a bone bruise in his left knee.
— The Houston Astros send Jake Odorizzi (oh-duh-REE’-zee) to the mound against Lucas Giolito (jee-oh-LEE’-toh) and the Chicago White Sox as the AL division leaders continue their weekend set. Odorizzi is 2-1 with a sparkling 1.04 ERA over his last five appearances. He is 3-4 with a 3.15 ERA in 11 career starts against Chicago. Giolito struck out nine over 5 1/3 innings in an 8-3 win at Baltimore last Saturday. The 6-foot-6 right-hander is 1-3 with a 4.68 ERA in four career starts versus the Astros.
— Angels second baseman David Fletcher tries to extend his hitting streak to 26 games, which would break a tie with Hall of Famer Rod Carew for the second-longest in franchise history behind Garret Anderson’s 28-game run in 1998. Fletcher and his Los Angeles teammates face Seattle lefty Yusei Kikuchi (YOO’-say kih-KOO’-chee).
MLB-NEWS
Braves swing another deal, get catcher Vogt from Arizona
UNDATED (AP) — The Atlanta Braves have acquired veteran catcher Stephen Vogt from the Arizona Diamondbacks for minor league first baseman Mason Berne.
The 36-year-old Vogt, a two-time All-Star with Oakland, batted .212 with five homers and 17 RBIs in 52 games for the major league-worst Diamondbacks this season. He has thrown out 10 of 30 runners attempting to steal.
The move came one night after the depleted Braves obtained Joc Pederson in a trade with the Chicago Cubs, bolstering their outfield after recently losing star slugger Ronald Acuña Jr. to a season-ending knee injury. Atlanta, hoping to chase down the New York Mets and win its fourth straight NL East title, has struggled to replace injured catcher Travis d’Arnaud this year.
In other MLB news:
— For the first time in months, COVID-19 is creating chaos around Major League Baseball. The Yankees and Rockies are dealing with outbreaks that have sidelined a total of 10 players and two coaches as baseball resumes play following the All-Star break. The Red Sox and Yankees played Friday night after their series opener Thursday was postponed due to New York’s outbreak. Boston won 4-0 with the Yankees down six players including slugger Aaron Judge. The Rockies were without manager Bud Black and five other team members Friday night as they lost to the Dodgers 10-4.
— The New York Mets are waiting for news on Francisco Lindor (lihn-DOHR’), who left Friday night’s 4-1 loss in Pittsburgh with soreness on his right side. New York manager Luis Rojas (ROH’-hahs) had no further update after the game other than to say the star shortstop would be examined in the morning. Lindor is in his first season with the first-place Mets after being acquired from Cleveland in a January trade. The four-time All-Star agreed to a $341 million, 10-year contract just before opening day. He is hitting .228 with 11 home runs in 88 games.
— Shohei Ohtani (SHOH’-hay oh-TAH’-nee) has donated his earnings from this week’s Home Run Derby to members of the Los Angeles Angels’ support staff. That’s according to a person with knowledge of the situation, who says Ohtani donated the $150,000 he received to more than a couple dozen people, including clubhouse staff, trainers and members of the media relations department. The two-way Japanese sensation handed out the checks before last night’s game against the Seattle Mariners, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press. Ohtani hasn’t commented on it.
OLYMPICS-NEWS
First positive COVID-19 test in Olympic Village
TOKYO (AP) — Tokyo Olympic organizers say the first resident of the Olympic Village has tested positive for COVID-19. Officials say it was not an athlete.
Tokyo officials including the president of the organizing committee confirmed the case. They said the positive test was Friday, one week before the Olympics open.
The person is identified simply as a “games-concerned personnel.” The person is also listed as a non-resident of Japan. Tokyo officials said the person was placed in a 14-day quarantine.
In other Olympics news:
— Japan’s massive security apparatus for the Olympics is raising complaints that the nation will look more like authoritarian North Korea or China than one of the world’s most powerful, vibrant democracies. The worry for many Japanese, however, isn’t too much Big Brother. It’s that all the increased precautions won’t be nearly enough to stop the estimated 85,000 athletes, officials, journalists and other workers coming into Japan from introducing fast-spreading coronavirus variants to a largely unvaccinated population struggling with mounting cases. So far, the majority of athletes and others are exempted from typical quarantine requirements. The Japanese press is filled with reports of Olympic-related people testing positive, breaking mask rules and drinking in public.
— Germany’s Olympic soccer team walked off the field Saturday during a preparation match for the Tokyo Games in response to alleged racist abuse from an opposing Honduras player toward German defender Jordan Torunarigha. The German soccer federation says Torunarigha “was racially insulted” and that the players walked off with five minutes remaining in the game. Germany coach Stefan Kuntz says Torunarigha was “terribly upset” and that the Honduras team later apologized. The friendly game in Wakayama, Japan was Germany’s last preparation match before it plays Brazil in Yokohama on Thursday.
— South Korea’s Olympic committee says it has removed banners at the athletes’ village in Tokyo that referred to a 16th-century war between Korea and Japan. It followed an intervention from the International Olympic Committee, which saw the banners as provocative. In agreeing to take down the banners, the South Koreans said they received a promise from the IOC that the displaying of the Japanese “rising sun” flag will be banned at stadiums and other Olympic venues. The flag is resented by many people in South Korea and other parts of Asia who see it as a symbol of Japan’s wartime past.
CYCLING-TOUR DE FRANCE
Pogacar poised to win 2nd Tour de France title
SAINT-EMILION, France (AP) — Tadej Pogacar is all but guaranteed to win a second straight Tour de France title after completing the second-last stage unscathed.
With the final day of the race usually uneventful until the final sprint on the Champs Elysees, the stage 20 time trial marked the last serious test after nearly three exhausting weeks. Wout van Aert claimed the 30.8-kilometer stage from Libourne to Saint-Emilion.
Pogacar played it safe and finished eighth. He will carry an insurmountable lead of more than five minutes into the final day, a 108.4-kilometer stretch from Chatou to the Champs Elysees in Paris.
NFL-BUCCANEERS-WHITE HOUSE
Official: Super Bowl champs to visit White House Tuesday
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will celebrate the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Super Bowl title when the team visits the White House on Tuesday.
No other details about the visit were provided by a White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the event has not been formally announced.
Biden has resumed the tradition of opening the White House to championship sports teams after an uneven record of such visits under the Trump administration. Biden welcomed the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers earlier this month.
Tampa Bay won the Super Bowl in February by defeating the Kansas City Chiefs, 31-9.
NFL players report to training camp for the 2021 season later in July.
