MILWAUKEE (AP) — St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jack Flaherty became the major leagues’ first seven-game winner this year with a 2-0 victory over Milwaukee as the Brewers' Corbin Burnes extended his streak to 58 consecutive strikeouts before his first walk.. Flaherty allowed four hits in six innings, struck out six and walked two to help the Cardinals win a three-game series that featured dominant starting pitching. Burnes returned from the injured list after a positive test for coronavirus. Burnes struck out nine among his first 14 outs, giving him 58 strikeouts and no walks before walking Tommy Edman with two outs in the fifth.
DETROIT (AP) — Michael Fulmer shut down Kansas City’s ninth-inning rally for his second save, and the Detroit Tigers’ won 4-3 to extend the Royals’ losing streak to 11 games. Detroit led 4-1 entering the ninth, but Kansas City scored twice of Gregory Soto on a groundout by Carlos Santana and an RBI single from Salvador Perez. Fulmer relieved Soto and got a popout from Jorge Soler and struck out Andrew Benintendi swinging to end it. The Royals led the AL Central at the start of this skid but are now 16-20.
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Albert Pujols was released by the Los Angeles Angels after clearing waivers, one week after the 41-year-old star slugger was designated for assignment. Pujols became a free agent and can sign with any team. The Angels remain responsible for his $30 million salary in the final season of a $240 million, 10-year contract. A team signing him would pay only a prorated share of the $570,500 major league minimum, which would be offset against what the Angels owe him. Pujols is hitting .198 this season with five homers and 12 RBIs. He is fifth in major league history with 667 homers
ST. LOUIS (AP) — David Perron, Brayden Schenn, and Jordan Kyrou each scored twice and the St. Louis Blues scored seven straight goals to erase a first-period deficit and beat the Minnesota Wild 7-3 on Thursday night. Zach Sanford also scored Jordan Binnington made 16 saves. Zach Sanford also scored Jordan Binnington made 17 saves. The Blues are locked into fourth place in the West Division, and will face Colorado in the first round of the playoffs.Nico Sturm, Marcus Foligno, and Ryan Suter scored and Kappo Kahkonen stopped 20 shots for Minnesota, set to face Vegas in the playoffs.
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings have traded cornerback Mike Hughes to the Kansas City Chiefs in a swap of late-round selections. Hughes was Minnesota's 2018 first-round draft pick. The Vikings sent their 2022 seventh-round pick to the Chiefs for their 2022 sixth-round choice. The Vikings last week declined the fifth-year contract option for Hughes. He has 13 passes defensed, three fumble recoveries and two interceptions in 24 career games. Hughes missed more than half of Minnesota’s games over the last three years to injuries.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Two-time Pro Bowler Eric Fisher sees a perfect fit in Indianapolis. He needed a new job and the Colts needed a new left tackle. So earlier this week, Fisher signed a one-year deal to become the blind-side protector for Carson Wentz, Indy's new quarterback. The Colts checked all of Fisher's boxes — near his Michigan home, playoff team with Super Bowl hopes and an opportunity to play next to three-time All-Pro left guard Quenton Nelson.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Simone Biles is back to competing. The reigning Olympic gymnastics champion will return to competition for the first time in more than 18 months in the U.S. Classic next week in Indianapolis. The 24-year-old Biles is a heavy favorite to defend her Olympic title in Tokyo this summer. The event in Indianapolis will be her first since capturing her fifth world all-around championship in October 2019. The event set for Saturday, May 22 is the first in a busy stretch for the top American gymnasts. The national championships are scheduled for the first weekend in June in Fort Worth, Texas, with the U.S. Olympic trials set for St. Louis at the end of next month.
MIAMI (AP) — The United States will play its three group stage matches of the CONCACAF Gold Cup at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas. The Americans open Group B play July 11 against the qualifying winner from among Haiti, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Guatemala and Guyana. The U.S. plays Martinique on July 15 and closes the first round against Canada on July 18. U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter says he will allow top players to skip the tournament and will go what is in effect his junior varsity roster.