ST. LOUIS (AP) β A big showdown series in the National League Central gets underway tonight in St. Louis with Milwaukee taking two-game lead into the opener against the second-place Cardinals. Adam Wainwright will try to continue to set the pace in the majors for victories, taking a 13-5 record and 1.92 ERA into his start. The Brewers go with 12-6 Wily Peralta.
CHICAGO (AP) β Chris Sale is hoping to carry over his stinginess from July into August when he takes a 10-1 record to the mound for the White Sox against Minnesota tonight. Sale allowed just three earned runs last month, lowering his major league-leading ERA to 1.88.
LOS ANGELES (AP) β The Dodgers have won six in a row heading into the start of their home series with the Cubs tonight. The NL West leaders are hoping starter Dan Haren can turn things around after he lost all four of his starts in July.
AKRON, Ohio (AP) β Second-round play is on tap in the Bridgestone Invitational, with eight-time winner and defending champ Tiger Woods starting the day just four shots back of leader Marc Leishman (LEESH’-muhn). Leishman has been on a solid run lately, tying for eighth at Congressional a month ago, and then for fifth in the British Open.
LONG POND, Pa. (AP) β Qualifying is set for this afternoon for Sunday’s 400-mile Sprint Cup race at Pocono Raceway. Points leader Jeff Gordon is coming off a big win in the Brickyard 400 last week and has won a record six times at Pocono. Dale Earnhardt Jr. scored one of his two wins this season in the June race on the 2.5 mile triangle.
