Update on the latest sports
APGOLF-RYDER CUP
US brings big lead into final day of Ryder Cup
SHEBOYGAN, Wis. (AP) — Ryder Cup singles matches have kicked off with Xander Schauffele (ZAN’-dur SHOW’-flee) of the U.S. taking on Europe’s Rory McIlroy in Sunday’s opener. Both players hit their opening drives just short of the green on the short par 4.
The United States comes into the final day of action with an 11-5 lead and needs 3 1/2 points out of the 12 singles matches to capture the cup for only the fourth time in the last 13 meetings. Europe has a massive hill to climb. No team has overcome such a large deficit on the final day to win.
None of the first six players in the American lineup has lost a match this week.
Schauffele, who won the Olympic gold medal last month, brings a 3-0 mark into his final match against McIlroy, the four-time major champion who hasn’t won in his three matches.
Other matches include Patrick Cantlay against Shane Lowry, Bryson DeChambeau against Sergio Garcia and Dustin Johnson against Paul Casey.
Garcia teamed up with Jon Rahm to go 3-0 this week and surpass Nick Faldo with the most wins in Ryder Cup history. Johnson is the first American to start 4-0 since Larry Nelson in 1979.
MLB-SCHEDULE
Cards seek sweet 16…Yanks and Red Sox fight for wild-card lead
UNDATED (AP) — Fresh off setting a franchise record with their 15th straight win, the St. Louis Cardinals try to finish off a sweep at Wrigley Field Sunday.
St. Louis owns the longest winning streak in the majors since Cleveland took 22 in a row in 2017. The major league record is 26 straight victories by the New York Giants in 1916.
Harrison Bader went 4 for 4 with a home run as the Cardinals beat the Cubs 8-5 Saturday. The energetic center fielder also rushed in to take part in a rundown during a double play to help St. Louis break the team mark of 14 consecutive wins set in 1935, a year after Dizzy Dean and the Gas House Gang won the World Series. The Cardinals date their history to 1892, when they were known as the Browns and joined the National League. They later were called the Perfectos before becoming the Cardinals in the early 20th century.
St. Louis holds a five-game lead over Philadelphia for the second NL wild-card spot.
In other highlights of Sunday’s schedule:
— The Yankees and Red Sox are tied atop the American League wild-card standings as they square off for the final time in the regular season at Fenway Park. Jordan Montgomery pitches for the Yankees as they try to complete a three-game sweep. The left-hander has allowed no more than one run in eight of his last 10 starts, going 3-1 with a 2.31 ERA. He’ll be opposed by Eduardo Rodriguez, who is 4-2 with a 3.64 ERA in nine starts since Aug. 1. Giancarlo Stanton smashed a go-ahead grand slam over the Green Monster with two outs in the eighth inning Saturday night, sending New York to a 5-3 victory over Boston.
— Milwaukee and Houston each have a chance to clinch a division title. The Brewers are already assured a fourth straight playoff berth. They can wrap up the NL Central crown with a win at home against the reeling Mets or a Cardinals loss to the Cubs in Chicago. Freddy Peralta faces the visiting Mets, who have lost four in a row and 12 of 15. The Astros need a victory in Oakland and a Seattle loss at the Angels to lock up the AL West. Jake Odorizzi (oh-duh-REE’-zee) is expected back from the 10-day injured list to start for Houston.
— Shohei Ohtani (SHOH’-hay oh-TAH’-nee) is set to start for the Angels against Seattle, another chance to boost his dazzling credentials for the AL MVP award. The two-way star is 9-2 with a 3.28 ERA on the mound. A 10th win would be a nice, round number, and he needs four strikeouts to reach 150. Ohtani ranked among the MLB leaders with 45 home runs going into Saturday night’s home game against the Mariners. He also had 95 RBIs and 24 stolen bases.
NFL-SCHEDULE
UNDATED (AP) — Seven teams entered Week 3 without a loss and six of them play on Sunday, highlighted by the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers visiting the Los Angeles Rams in a late afternoon matchup.
Arizona is the lone unbeaten playing in one of Sunday’s early games as they visit the winless Jacksonville Jaguars. Fellow unbeatens Denver and Las Vegas play in the late afternoon slot with San Francisco kicking off in the night game. The Broncos host the winless Jets while the Raiders host the 1-1 Dolphins. The 49ers host the 1-1 Packers.
Carolina has Sunday off after improving to 3-0 with a 24-9 victory over Houston on Thursday night. But Carolina has serious concerns going forward because of a hamstring injury to star running back Christian McCaffrey.
The Pittsburgh Steelers will be without both of their starting outside linebackers against Cincinnati. All-Pro T.J. Watt and second-year man Alex Highsmith are both battling groin injuries suffered in a loss last week to Las Vegas. Pittsburgh will also be without leading receiver Diontae Johnson. He’s out after injuring his knee on the final play against the Raiders.
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is playing for the first time since suffering a torn knee ligament on Oct. 25 at Cincinnati. His return gives quarterback Baker Mayfield a deep threat against the Bears.
NASCAR-LAS VEGAS
Larson returns to Las Vegas looking for another victory
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Kyle Larson returns to Las Vegas Motor Speedway Sunday looking for yet another victory.
Larson’s win last week at Bristol Motor Speedway was somewhat overlooked as Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott sparred with Kevin Harvick after the race. But the Larson win marked a shift in momentum from the first round of the playoffs, when Joe Gibbs Racing opened with a pair of wins while Hendrick seemed suddenly vulnerable with both William Byron and Alex Bowman in danger of playoff elimination.
All four Hendrick drivers go to Las Vegas with their title chances still intact.
F1-RUSSIAN GP
Hamilton wins 100th F1 race to take lead over Verstappen
SOCHI, Russia (AP) — Lewis Hamilton became the first Formula One driver to win 100 races with victory in the Russian Grand Prix on Sunday to retake the championship lead from Max Verstappen.
Hamilton dropped to seventh place when he was boxed in at the first corner but fought back and passed Lando Norris for the win when the McLaren driver stayed out on slick tires in late rain and slid off the track.
Hamilton turned Verstappen’s five-point championship lead into a two-point lead of his own as the Dutch driver finished second after a dramatic drive from last on the grid. Carlos Sainz was third for Ferrari.
