ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jack Flaherty struck out nine in seven strong innings and Matt Wieters hit a three-run homer as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 8-0 in a matchup of NL Central leaders. The Cardinals won two games in the three-game set and claimed first in the division, a game ahead of Chicago. The Cubs have lost four of six overall and 11 of their last 16 on the road.
AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State lost star wide receiver Hakeem Butler to the NFL a year earlier than it expected to. Graduate transfer La’Michael Pettway joined the Cyclones in hopes of joining Butler in the pros in 2020. The 6-foot-3 Pettway led Arkansas in catches a season ago. He will be counted on to replace the 1,318 yards and nine touchdowns that Butler had last year.
National Headlines
UNDATED (AP) _ Sam Dyson made his Minnesota Twins debut and promptly blew a 4-1 lead in the ninth before Harold Ramirez launched a walk-off homer in the 12th to complete the Marlins’ 5-4 comeback victory. Max Kepler led off the game with his 30th homer and Byron Buxton hit a two-run double for the Twins, who continue to lead the AL Central by three games over Cleveland. The Indians were 7-1 losers against the Astros as Alex Bregman went 3-for-3 with a solo homer and two RBIs to help Gerrit Cole pick up his ninth straight win.
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) _ Matt Chapman was mired in a 1-for-31 slump before crushing a go-ahead, two-run homer off Josh Hader in the eighth inning of the Oakland Athletics’ 5-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. Chad Pinder also homered for the A’s, who remain a half-game behind Tampa Bay for the second AL wild card. Brewers starter Chase Anderson held Oakland to one run and two hits over six innings before Milwaukee stayed one game off the NL Central lead.
BOSTON (AP) _ Mike Zunino and Austin Meadows homered as the Tampa Bay Rays thumped the Red Sox, 9-4 to complete a three-game sweep in Boston. Rookie left-hander Brendan McKay struck out seven while giving up three runs and seven hits over 5 1/3 innings for his second big league win. Xander Bogaerts went 4 for 4 with two homers for the Red Sox, who are 3 ½ games out of a playoff berth following their fourth consecutive loss.
UNDATED (AP) _ The St. Louis Cardinals rolled to an 8-0 rout of the Cubs to regain a one-game lead over Chicago atop the NL Central. Matt Wieters belted a three-run homer to back Jack Flaherty, who allowed just one hit while striking out nine over seven innings for his first victory since May 14. Kolten Wong had three hits and an RBI as St. Louis took the rubber match of the three-game set.
ATLANTA (AP) _ The Atlanta Braves have a seven-game lead over Washington and Philadelphia in the NL East after Freddie Freeman hit a three-run homer. Adam Duvall went deep again in a 4-1, rain-shortened win against the Reds. Max Fried improved to 12-4 with his third straight win, surrendering just four hits and a run over six-plus innings. The game was stopped by rain with Fried on the mound in the seventh before the game was called following a two-hour wait.
NEW YORK (AP) _ Major League Baseball has handed down a total of eight suspensions stemming from Tuesday’s brawl between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Reds in Cincinnati. Bucs reliever Keone Kela received the biggest punishment, getting a 10-game ban after admitting he threw at a batter during the game. Cincinnati reliever Amir Garrett earned an eight-game suspension and former Red Yasiel Puig picked up a three-game ban.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) _ Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton says he has not fully recovered from offseason shoulder surgery. Newton says uncorking a few 45 yard throws earlier in training camp felt good and provided him with a sigh of relief, but cautioned Thursday that his rehab remains “a work in progress.” He’s been held out of team drills three times in eight days as trainers look to ease him back into action and not overload his shoulder.
Thursday Scores
INTERLEAGUE
Final Miami 5 Minnesota 4, 12 Innings
Final N-Y Mets 4 Chi White Sox 0
Final Oakland 5 Milwaukee 3
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final Toronto 11 Baltimore 2
Final Houston 7 Cleveland 1
Final Tampa Bay 9 Boston 4
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final Philadelphia 10 San Francisco 2
Final St. Louis 8 Chi Cubs 0
Final Atlanta 4 Cincinnati 1, 7 Innings
Final L-A Dodgers 8 San Diego 2