CLEVELAND (AP) — Salvador Perez hit a grand slam and drove in a career-high six runs as the Kansas City Royals completed a doubleheader sweep of Cleveland, beating the Guardians 9-4 to pull within one game of first in the AL Central. Bobby Witt Jr.’s 27th homer — and 11th since July 19 — snapped a tie in the eighth inning and sent the Royals to a 4-3 win in the day game. In Game 2, Perez hit a solo homer in the fifth inning and connected for his sixth career slam in the sixth. Kansas City was nine games back in early July, but have chipped away at Cleveland’s lead by posting an AL-best 22-13 record since the break. The Guardians dropped to 0-8 in doubleheaders this season.
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Manny Machado homered and drove in three runs, rookie Jackson Merrill also had three RBIs and the San Diego Padres defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 7-4. Rookie starter Randy Vásquez went six innings for the win, allowing two runs and six hits. Machado hit a two-run homer in the first and an RBI double in the fifth. He also scored three times. Merrill, who launched a game-ending homer Sunday against the New York Mets, delivered a two-run single in the third and an RBI single in the fifth. The Padres are 25-8 since July 20, a .758 winning percentage. That ties them with Arizona for the best record in the majors during that span. San Diego is a game behind the Diamondbacks for the top National League wild card.
BOSTON (AP) — Red Sox catcher Danny Jansen became the first player in Major League Baseball history to appear in the same game for both teams when he took the field for Boston in the resumption of a rain-delayed game he started for Toronto back in June. Jansen was in the Blue Jays' lineup at catcher and batting in the second inning on June 26 when the game was suspended. He was traded to the Red Sox last month, and on Monday he took his position behind the plate as pinch-hitter Daulton Varsho completed an at-bat that Jansen started.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs signed Juju Smith-Schuster on Monday, adding a veteran wide receiver familiar with the team one day before all NFL teams must reach the 53-player limit. Smith-Schuster was released from the Patriots earlier this month, one year into his three-year, $25 million contract. He played one season in Kansas City in 2022 before that deal. Smith-Schuster caught 78 passes for 933 yards and three touchdowns while helping the Chiefs reach the Super Bowl, where he caught seven passes for 53 yards in a 38-35 win over the Eagles.
FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Three people familiar with the deal say All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb has ended his holdout with the Dallas Cowboys by agreeing to a $136 million, four-year contract. Lamb is going into the last year of his rookie contract after being drafted 17th overall in 2020. He is a close second to Minnesota receiver Justin Jefferson as the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. Lamb led the NFL in receptions last season with 135 and was second in yards receiving with 1,749 and third in touchdown receptions with 12.
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Austin Dillon’s overly aggressive victory at Richmond Raceway won’t land him a spot in the Cup Series playoffs. A NASCAR appeal officer on Monday upheld the sanctioning body’s decision to revoke Dillon’s automatic postseason berth that came with his controversial win at Richmond on Aug. 11. Dillon intentionally wrecked Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano coming out of the final turn to take the checkered flag for his first victory in two years. Three days later, NASCAR announced that Dillon’s victory “crossed a line.” Richard Childress Racing appealed. A NASCAR “final appeal officer” upheld the penalties and said race data indicated “that more likely than not a rule violation did occur.”
UNDATED (AP) — After years of debate over cost and liability, college football finally has helmet communications between coach and player. Approved this spring in the wake of a sign-stealing scandal involving former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, coaches can relay plays to the helmet of a designated player on either side of the ball up to 15 seconds before the play clock expires. The move comes more than three decades after the NFL introduced it, but some coaches believe it’s arriving right on time. Others are fine with hand signals and those clever signs to prevent sign stealing.
UNDATED (AP) — As Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark steps up discussions in the conference about adding UConn, the question isn’t so much why add the Huskies as why add them now? With college sports about to enter a period of unprecedented transformation — superconferences, an expanded College Football Playoff and a new plan to compensate athletes more than ever — what’s the rush to add a school that has conceded it needs six years to get its football program Big 12-ready? Conference ADs and presidents are scheduled to hear from media consultants Monday and further discuss Yormark’s latest expansion vision.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has donated $5 million to alma mater Texas Tech to help fund a $242 million renovation of the south end zone of Jones AT&T Stadium and the Dustin R. Womble Football Center. The school said it would name the walkthrough area of the football center, the quarterback meeting room and the office of the offensive coordinator after Mahomes, who played for the Red Raiders from 2014-16. He declared for the NFL draft a year early and the Chiefs selected him in the first round in 2017. Mahomes has led the Chiefs to three Super Bowl titles, including the past two.
MONDAY SCORES
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INTERLEAGUE
Final Philadelphia 3 Houston 2
Final N.Y. Yankees 5 Washington 2
Final Atlanta 10 Minnesota 6
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final Kansas City 4 Cleveland 3
Final Toronto 4 Boston 1
Final Kansas City 9 Cleveland 4
Final Toronto 7 Boston 3
Final Detroit 6 Chicago White Sox 3
Final Seattle 5 Tampa Bay 1
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final Chicago Cubs 18 Pittsburgh 8
Final San Diego 7 St. Louis 4