KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez, Hunter Renfroe, Kyle Isbel and Vinnie Pasquantino homered to lead the Kansas City Royals to a 10-3 win over the AL-leading Cleveland Guardians. Perez hit his 13th homer of the season in the second inning, a 447-foot shot over the bullpen in left to tie the game at 1-all. Renfroe followed with his eighth homer of the season that put the Royals ahead to stay. Pasquantino added a two-run shot in the eighth inning, his ninth of the season that extended the Kansas City lead to 10-3. The KC trio went a combined 6 for 12 with six RBIs and five runs scored. Guardians starter Triston McKenzie (3-5) lasted just 2 1/3 innings, allowing five runs on five hits, with three strikeouts and three walks.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Orlando Cepeda, the slugging first baseman nicknamed “Baby Bull” who became a Hall of Famer among the early Puerto Ricans to star in the major leagues, has died. He was 86. The San Francisco Giants and his family announced his death Friday night and a moment of silence was held on the scoreboard at Oracle Park midway through a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Cepeda was a seven-time All-Star who played in three World Series. One of the first Puerto Rican stars in the majors but limited by knee issues, he became Boston’s first designated hitter. He credited his time as a DH for getting him enshrined into the Hall of Fame in 1999 as selected by the Veteran’s Committee.
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Grant Holloway won U.S. track trials in the 110-meter hurdles Friday, finishing in 12.86 second to earn a chance to capture the Olympic title that eluded him in an upset loss three years ago. The 26-year-old three-time world champion will head to the Olympics as the favorite even after clipping the eighth hurdle and having to lean into the finish to beat Freddie Crittenden by .07. This marked Holloway’s third sub-13 run of the season — the second-fastest of his career. Daniel Roberts finished third in 12.96, making this the first race in history with three sub-13 times. Others with unfinished business looming at the Olympics include Sha’Carri Richardson and Noah Lyles, each of whom blazed through their 200-meter semifinals.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Simone Biles is four rotations away from a third trip to the Olympics. The list of contenders hoping to join her in Paris is thinning quickly. Biles had little trouble sprinting to the lead at the U.S. Olympic trials. Her all-around score of 58.900 put her well ahead of Jordan Chiles and in position to lock up an automatic berth on the five-woman team. The rest of the team is up in the air after injuries to Shilese Jones and Kayla DiCello potentially opened the door for 2020 Olympians Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey.
BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) — Longtime ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale said on social media he has been diagnosed with cancer for a fourth time. Vitale announced on Friday that a biopsy of a lymph node in his neck showed cancer. He is scheduled to have surgery on Tuesday. The 85-year-old Vitale has previously been treated for melanoma and lymphoma. He also had six weeks of radiation treatments last year when tests revealed he had vocal cord cancer.
ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Hawks are finalizing talks to trade high-scoring Dejounte Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans for a package expected to include two first-round draft picks, according to people with knowledge of the discussions. The people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the trade had not been finalized Friday night. The Hawks are expected to receive forward-center Larry Nance Jr. and point guard Dyson Daniels in the deal, as well as first-round picks in 2025 and 2029. The Hawks made swing player Zaccharie Risacher of France the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft on Wednesday night.
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — TCU athletic director Jeremiah Donati says that the private Big 12 school is all in on the maximum amount of revenue that will be allowed to be shared with student-athletes under a $2.8 billion antitrust settlement proposal. That proposal was agreed to earlier this year by the NCAA and the nation’s biggest conferences. It still has to be approved by a federal judge. It would allow schools to share more than $20 million a year with student-athletes. That wouldn't go into effect until at least next year. TCU's enrollment last fall of just under 13,000 students was the lowest in the Big 12.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A proposal that would require California universities to pay their athletes through a “degree completion fund” has been withdrawn. The plan would have required schools earning at least $10 million in athletics media rights revenue each year to pay $25,000 to certain athletes through the degree funds. The plan was dropped after the NCAA and the nation’s five biggest conferences announced a $2.8 billion settlement plan to address antitrust claims. Among other things, that plan allows each school to spend up to some $22 million each year in direct payments to athletes.
FRIDAY SCORES
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INTERLEAGUE
Final Tampa Bay 3 Washington 1
Final Chicago White Sox 5 Colorado 3
Final San Diego 9 Boston 2
Final N.Y. Mets 7 Houston 2
Final Oakland 9 Arizona 4
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final Baltimore 2 Texas 1
Final N.Y. Yankees 16 Toronto 5
Final Kansas City 10 Cleveland 3
Final L.A. Angels 5 Detroit 2
Final Seattle 3 Minnesota 2
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final Philadelphia 2 Miami 0
Final Atlanta 6 Pittsburgh 1
Final Milwaukee 4 Chicago Cubs 2
Final St. Louis 1 Cincinnati 0
Final San Francisco 5 L.A. Dodgers 3