Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

DENVER (AP) — Dexter Fowler and Kolten Wong opened the game with successive home runs and the St. Louis Cardinals connected five times in all to beat the Colorado Rockies 10-3. Marcell Ozuna, Rangel Ravelo and Harrison Bader also homered for St. Louis, which holds a four-game lead over Chicago and Milwaukee atop the NL Central. Held to a total of two runs in losing the first two games of the series at Coors Field, the Cardinals quickly bounced back. Fowler homered on the first pitch of the game.

CHICAGO (AP) — Hunter Dozier hit a tie-breaking, three-run home run in the sixth, Jorge Soler had his third homer in two days and the Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago White Sox 6-3. Whit Merrifield walked and Soler singled off Chicago starter Lucas Giolito in the decisive inning. Then Dozier drove a 1-2 pitch into the left-field bleachers for a 5-2 lead. The homers spoiled a record performance by Giolito, who set a team mark with eight consecutive strikeouts.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Despite an offseason overhaul of the Chiefs defense, Week 1 proved that there is still plenty of room for improvement. Kansas City was sliced to shreds by a sixth-round pick, Gardner Minshew, despite rolling to a 40-26 victory over the Jaguars.

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — When AFC West rivals Kansas City and Oakland meet both teams will be without the receivers they thought would be major parts of their offense. Tyreek Hill of the Chiefs got injured in Week 1, while the Raiders released Antonio Brown two days before their opener. Sammy Watkins stepped up last week for Kansas City. Oakland got big contributions from Tyrell Williams and Darren Waller.

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) — It will be the end of an era of sorts this weekend in Oakland. Not that anyone figures to be mourning what should be the final NFL game ever played on a field with infield dirt, especially the players who have had to deal with the bad footing, ripped jerseys, scraped arms and legs and hard falls onto a surface with no cushion.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State heads to Mississippi State for its first road game under Chris Klieman, while Kansas hits the road to Boston College for the first time under Les Miles. West Virginia has a home game against North Carolina State and Texas Tech heads to Arizona. What do they all have in common? The four Big 12 programs have a chance to make Power Five statements this weekend for their new head coaches.