MOTOR SPORTS
Palou earns third victory
Alex Palou recovered from first-lap trouble at Portland International Raceway to win for the third time this season and reclaim the IndyCar points lead. The victory put the Spaniard back on top of the standings for the ninth time in 14 races this season. The second-year IndyCar driver had lost a 42-point lead in back-to-back races and came to Portland down 10 points to Pato O'Ward. But Palou won the pole to earn a point and start the race down just nine to O'Ward. But the start was nearly disastrous as Palou and his Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Scott Dixon hurtled toward the first turn on the permanent road course. Felix Rosenqvist appeared to clip Dixon, causing Dixon to lock his brakes as he and Palou rode side-by-side. Neither Ganassi car was going to make the turn and both followed Rosenqvist through a runoff to avoid crashing. The off-course adventure dropped Palou to 17th and Dixon to 18th when the race restarted on Lap 11 -- the first lap under green. But in all the ducking and weaving to avoid a multi-crash accident, O'Ward had cycled from seventh on the start to the lead before he even made it through the first turn.
Sub captures playoff opener
Tommy Johnson Jr. won the Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals in Mohnton, Pa., on Sunday as a substitute driver for Matt Hagan, beating John Force in the Funny Car final in the playoff opener. With Hagan recovering from covid-19, Don Schumacher Racing turned their Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat over to the 53-year-old Johnson last week in Indianapolis. On Sunday at Maple Grove Raceway, he beat the 72-year-old Force with a 3.926-second pass at 330.23 mph for his 22nd career Funny Car victory. Hagan received the points Johnson's earned. Billy Torrence won in Top Fuel, Greg Anderson in Pro Stock and Steve Johnson in Pro Stock Motorcycle.
GOLF
Horschel wins at Wentworth
Billy Horschel felt aggrieved this week at the manner in which he missed out on a place in the U.S. team for the Ryder Cup. So he took down a bunch of leading Europeans by himself. Horschel birdied Wentworth's storied 18th hole after an approach shot that spun back to inside 2 feet, securing a closing 7-under 65 and a one-shot victory at the BMW PGA Championship in Virginia Water, England, on Sunday. He became only the second American to win what is traditionally regarded as the biggest event on the European Tour, after Arnold Palmer in 1975. Not a bad way to get over the disappointment of being overlooked for a captain's pick for the Ryder Cup team.
BASEBALL
Snell suffers groin injury
San Diego Padres starter Blake Snell is day to day after leaving a game Sunday with a left adductor strain in the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Snell retired his first two batters on popups to left field. He was facing Trea Turner when he suddenly left the mound with a 2-1 count, having thrown 11 pitches. The left-hander limped slightly as he walked off with the groin injury. Manager Jayce Tingler said after the game that Snell is day to day. It was a significant blow to the Padres, who are fighting for the second NL wild card. The 2018 AL Cy Young Award winner is 7-6 with a 4.22 ERA. He set a franchise record with 13 consecutive hitless innings across his last two starts.
TENNIS
Stosur/Shuai claim title
Sam Stosur and Zhang Shuai won their second Grand Slam women's doubles title together and denied Coco Gauff and Caty McNally their first with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 victory. The No. 14 seeds added the U.S. Open title to the Australian Open they won in 2019. Gauff and McNally, seeded 11th, were hoping to join 18-year-old singles champion Emma Raducanu as teenage titlists at the U.S. Open. But the veterans were a little too good, with Stosur adding this doubles title to the one she won in Flushing Meadows in 2005, and the singles title she earned by beating Serena Williams in 2011.
FOOTBALL
Police: 45 fans ejected
University of Wisconsin police say 45 people were ejected and 32 people were arrested during the football game between the Badgers and Eastern Michigan on Saturday night. Police say 30 of the 32 citations were issued to UW students. The list included 30 citations for underage alcohol, one for possession of alcohol on UW lands and one for UW code theft. There were 22 first aid calls during the game, which the Badgers won 34-7.