Update on the latest sports

MLB

Dodgers star Pujols back at Busch Stadium

UNDATED (AP) — Albert Pujols is sure to get a big ovation at Busch Stadium when the Los Angeles Dodgers slugger returns to face the Cardinals this afternoon.

The 41-year-old Pujols called St. Louis home for his first 11 major league seasons from 2001-2011 and helped the Cards win two World Series championships. Pujols insists he’ll try to focus on the games between the playoff contenders that starts Monday, rather than the fanfare.

Pujols has made one return since leaving Cardinals, back in 2019 with the Los Angeles Angels.

Also in MLB: — Boston ace Chris Sale (3-0, 2.53 ERA) makes his fifth start since recovering from Tommy John surgery when the coronavirus-impacted Red Sox open a three-game series against the AL East-leading Rays at Fenway Park this afternoon. The Red Sox begin the day a half-game behind the Yankees for the AL’s top wild-card spot. Boston currently has 11 players, including five pitchers, on the COVID-19-related injured list. They added two more on Sunday.

— Franmil Reyes and the Indians can set a franchise record if they can connect at home against Minnesota this evening. Cleveland matched a team mark by homering in its 19th straight game Sunday. Reyes kept the string going by homering over the Green Monster in Boston — that tied the club record set in 2000 when Jim Thome and Manny Ramirez led the way. Twins right-hander Bailey Ober (2-2, 3.98) is set to face the Indians at Progressive Field.

— Texas rookie A.J. Alexy tries to follow up on his impressive debut when he starts on the road against the Angels tonight. The 23-year-old righty won his first game in the majors, shutting out Colorado on one hit over five innings last week. He struck out four and walked three. Alexy was acquired by the Rangers in July 2017 in the trade that sent pitcher Yu Darvish to the Dodgers.

US OPEN

California’s Brooksby, 20, faces Djokovic

NEW YORK (AP) — Novak Djokovic tries to move one win closer toward becoming the first man since 1969 to win a calendar-year Grand Slam and break a tie with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for most major titles among men if he wins the U.S. Open.

He tied them with 20 Slam trophies by winning this year’s Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon.

No. 1 Djokovic plays 20-year–old American Jenson Brooksby tonight in Arthur Ashe Stadium. Brooksby began this season ranked outside the top 300 and is now a career-best 99th. He is a wild-card entry at this surprise-filled U.S. Open.

In other US Open news:

— Garbiñe Muguruza (gahr-BEEN’-yuh moo-gah-ROO’-thah) does not like how her topsy-turvy fourth-round match at the U.S. Open against Barbora Krejcikova ended. And that’s not just because Muguruza lost. It had a lot to do with what Krejcikova did toward the end of her 6-3, 7-6 (4) victory that ended after 1 a.m. as Sunday became Monday — behavior that Muguruza told the reigning French Open champion was “so unprofessional.” The eighth-seeded Krejcikova took a medical timeout while down 6-5 in the second set after saying she wanted to see the trainer for a diaphragm issue and then took her time between points after play resumed.