The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast with Jim Field.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (5.3MB)

Subscribe: RSS

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

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Rookie Jake Cave hit his first career grand slam and closer Fernando Rodney survived a chaotic ninth inning as the Minnesota Twins defeated the Kansas City Royals 6-5. Rodney gave up Whit Merrifield’s fourth hit of the game leading off the ninth, but catcher Mitch Garver threw him out trying to steal second. Rodney then allowed two more base runners, but with the tying run 90 feet away he retired Rosell Herrera on a ground ball to earn his 24th save in 30 chances.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Jack Flaherty cruised through six innings, Matt Carpenter hit another homer and the St. Louis Cardinals held on for a 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Flaherty allowed three hits with seven strikeouts and one walk in six innings. It marked the first time he completed six innings since July 3. Carpenter’s solo home run was his career-high 29th of the season.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals have claimed right-hander Tyson Ross off waivers from the San Diego Padres. The 31-year-old Ross is 6-9 with a 4.45 ERA in 22 starts this season. He will join the team during its upcoming series in Miami.

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

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Jedd Gyorko drove in three runs while Kolten Wong, just off the disabled list, and Yadier Molina both had three hits to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to an 8-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Gyorko hit a pair of doubles, including a tiebreaking one in the fifth inning.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Dexter Fowler’s difficult season has taken another downturn as the St. Louis Cardinals outfielder fielder has sustained a broken left foot. Fowler has been put on the 10-day disabled list. Second baseman Kolten Wong was activated from the 10-day DL.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Max Kepler had three hits, including a two-run homer that put Minnesota ahead to stay, and Jose Berrios threw seven sharp innings to help the Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 8-2. Eddie Rosario and Logan Morrison also homered as the Twins won their second straight against the Royals. Kepler went 3 for 3 with a walk and scored two runs.

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt is just as excited to see Patrick Mahomes II at quarterback as the rest of the team’s fans. Hunt took in practice at Missouri Western and spoke on a number of issues. But his most effusive praise was reserved for Mahomes. He thinks the QB could lead Kansas City to playoff success.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Lee Westwood of England withdraws from the PGA Championship next week with an injury, missing the major for only the second time since he first played it in 1997. The PGA of America did not specify the nature of Westwood’s injury.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Dexter Fowler’s difficult season has taken another downturn as the St. Louis Cardinals outfielder has sustained a broken left foot and will wear a walking boot for one month.

Fowler was put on the 10-day disabled list prior to Saturday night’s game with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Second baseman Kolten Wong was activated from the 10-day DL.
Fowler was examined by team doctors. He’ll be reevaluated after a month in the boot.
The 32-year-old Fowler was removed in the eighth inning of Friday night’s 7-6 loss to the Pirates. Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said Fowler was injured earlier in the game when he fouled a ball off the foot.

Fowler is hitting just .180 with eight home runs and 31 RBIs in 90 games. This is the second year of his $82.5-million, five-year contract. Wong had been out since July 22 with left knee inflammation. He is hitting .216 with seven homers and 24 RBIs in 91 games.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Chris Archer didn’t make it past the fifth inning in his Pittsburgh Pirates’ debut.

However, he still got a standing ovation when he was removed from the game. And his team pulled out a win, too.

Adam Frazier’s RBI single in the eighth inning helped the Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-6 on Friday night.

Pittsburgh overcame a rough outing by Archer, acquired from Tampa Bay earlier in the week, as gave up five runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings. He struck out six and walked four. Despite the uneven performance, the right-hander — winless in his last eight starts — received the ovation when he was removed during a three-run fifth inning.

The Pirates broke a 6-6 tie in the eighth when Josh Harrison singled with one out off Jordan Hicks (3-3) and Jordy Mercer walked. After pinch-hitter Jose Osuna struck out, Frazier drove in Harrison by grounding a single into center field.

Kyle Crick (2-1) gave up Jedd Gyorko’s tying RBI grounder in the top of the eighth. Felipe Vazquez pitched a scoreless ninth for his 25th save, the most in a season by a Pirates’ left-hander. Mike Gonzalez had 24 in 2006.

Pittsburgh improved to a major league-best 17-5 since July 8.

Archer ran into trouble early as Matt Carpenter hit a home run to center field, his 27th, on the game’s third pitch. Carpenter extended his franchise record for homers leading off a game to 23, including eight this season.

Frazier and Starling Marte had three hits for Pittsburgh, which had a total of 12, and Gregory Polanco drove in three runs. Polanco hit a two-run triple and scored on Colin Moran’s sacrifice fly in the first inning then hit a sacrifice fly during a three-run third that pushed the lead to 6-2.

Rookies Tyler O’Neill and Yairo Munoz each had three hits of St. Louis’ 15 hits and Carpenter, Gyorko and Dexter Fowler added two each. The Cardinals left 16 runners on base while losing for the third time in four games.

St. Louis starter John Gant gave up six runs in four innings.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: Rookie LHP Austin Gomber (1-0, 3.22 ERA) will make his second career start Saturday night. He is moving from the bullpen to replace RHP Carlos Martinez (strained right shoulder).

Pirates: RHP Ivan Nova (6-6, 4.33) is 4-1 with a 3.59 ERA in nine starts since being activated from the disabled list. He was out from May 25-June 9 with a sprained right ring finger.

(Radio Iowa) — The cost Iowans pay for an annual hunting or fishing license would rise from $17 to $20 under a proposal from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Joe Larscheid, chief of the Iowa DNR’s Fisheries Bureau, believes the fee increases are long overdue.

“It’s been 14 years for most licenses and some licenses, it’s been over 20 years since they’ve been raised,” Larscheid said. Revenue from the sale of hunting and fishing licenses is deposited into the Fish and Wildlife Trust Fund, which receives no tax payer money from the state general fund. This would be the first increase in the price of a hunting license since 2002 and the first increase of a fishing license since 2004.

“Really, the modest increase we’re talking about – which is about a 17-percent increase – doesn’t even keep up with the cost of inflation since the last time the fees were raised,” Larscheid said. “What we’re going to be able to do with this increase is keep the programs we have going now and hopefully add back some programs that were reduced or actually cut in recent years.” According to Larscheid, even with the proposed increase, Iowa’s hunting and fishing license fees would remain lower than most other Midwest states.

“With the caveat that some states, such as Missouri and Minnesota, receive a lot of general funding from different initiatives that have passed over the years and not just license revenues that run the state’s trust fund programs,” Larscheid said. Until recently, hunting and fishing license fees were controlled by state lawmakers. The Iowa Legislature and Governor Reynolds approved a bill last year that shifted the authority to the Iowa DNR and the Natural Resource Commission.

“It puts it on us, the DNR and the Natural Resource Commission, to adjust the fees more often – hopefully – than in the past,” Larscheid said. “So, instead of going for a 17-percent or 30-percent increase, maybe a two-to-five-percent increase every couple of years, which I think would be more acceptable to most people – because people understand, you know, inflation happens.”

Full details on the proposed license fee increases are on the DNR’s website ( www.iowadnr.gov/hunting ) and Iowans can provide feedback either online or at “listening sessions” scheduled for August 21 from Noon until 2-p.m. One of the sessions is in Lewis.

The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast with Jim Field.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (6.3MB)

Subscribe: RSS

(Learfield Sports) — After an 8-5 record and a bowl victory expectations are high at Iowa State as the Cyclones open preseason practice today (Friday). Matt Campbell begins his third season on the sideline and the Cyclones open at home on September first against South Dakota State. (Click on the left side of the audio bar to listen)

Campbell says there is always a sense of urgency when practice begins.

Campbell says there will be plenty of position battles and most notably on offense it is in the offensive line where the Cyclones have added depth.

On defense there will be battles at linebacker and safety.

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

CHICAGO (AP) — Jose Abreu hit a tying home run off Jason Adam in the eighth and pinch-hitter Daniel Palka had a three-run homer off Jason Hammel later in the inning, leading the Chicago White Sox over the Kansas City Royals 6-4. In a matchup of teams on track to both lose 100 or more games, the White Sox avoided getting swept in the three-game series. Palka tied the White Sox record of three pinch homers in one season, set by Oscar Gamble in 1977.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Pinch-hitter Jose Martinez sliced an opposite-field single to the right-center field gap off Wade Davis with one out in the ninth inning, driving in the tying and go-ahead runs and lifting the St. Louis Cardinals over the Colorado Rockies 3-2. The Cardinals have nine walk-off wins this season. Davis has a career-high five blown saves in 36 chances. Colorado lost three of four at the Cardinals, its first series loss since June.

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — Justin Houston was poised to reach transcendent status just a few years ago when he nearly set an NFL record with 22 sacks. The Kansas City Chiefs rewarded him with a $101 million, six-year contract that made him one of the league’s highest-paid players. But a series of injuries slowed his career. Now Houston is trying to establish himself again as the league’s best pass rusher.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska opens its first preseason practice under coach Scott Frost on Friday. Hall of Fame coach Tom Osborne is like others in this football-mad state in that he senses a resurgence coming for the program. Frost says he plans to use the Osborne formula for rebuilding the Cornhuskers. That means emphasizing player development, bringing back the renowned strength and conditioning program, and pursuing walk-ons to build the roster.

The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast with Jim Field.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (5.2MB)

Subscribe: RSS