AP Monday Sports Roundup

NFL-OBIT

Hall of Famer Gifford dies

NEW YORK (AP) — Frank Gifford was a versatile football player who parlayed his matinee-idol looks into an even longer television career. Gifford's family announced that the Pro Football Hall of Famer died of natural causes Sunday morning at age 84.

Gifford was a 1951 All-American at Southern California and the top draft pick of the New York Giants in 1952. He averaged almost 50 minutes a game as a halfback, flanker and defensive back in 1953, three years after he was named the NFL's Most Valuable Player. Gifford helped the Giants reach the NFL title game five times, winning it in 1956.

He was named to the Pro Bowl at three different positions in his career, defensive back, offensive halfback and flanker. Six times he was named either first or second team All-NFL.

His good looks led to numerous endorsement deals and an entry into broadcasting. He was in NFL television booths for CBS and later became the voice of ABC's Monday Night Football broadcasts for 27 years until 1997, 20 years after he was elected to the Hall of Fame.

NFL-HALL OF FAME GAME

Vikes beat Steelers

CANTON, Ohio (AP) — The NFL preseason has begun with Minnesota's 14-3 win over Pittsburgh in the annual Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio.

Vikings backup quarterback Mike Kafka threw a touchdown pass after starter Teddy Bridgewater completed five of his six passes for 44 yards in his one series of work.

Minnesota running back Joe Banyard ran for another score while Adrian Peterson watched the entire game from the sidelines.

NFL-BILLS

New deal for Robey

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills have signed cornerback Nickell Robey to a contract extension. The third-year defensive back was entering the final season of his contract. Robey signed with the Bills as an undrafted free agent out of Southern Cal in April 2013 and has not missed a game for Buffalo.

In 32 games and eight starts, Robey has four sacks and an interception.

MLB-SCHEDULE

Blue Jays complete sweep over stifled Yankees

UNDATED (AP) — The Toronto Blue Jays are another game closer to first place in the AL East after holding the first-place New York Yankees to one run in a three-game sweep in the Bronx.

Marco Estrada outpitched Masahiro Tanaka and the Jays banged out two long homers in Sunday's 2-0 blanking of the Yanks. Estrada tossed three-hit ball into the seventh inning before Toronto became the first team to post back-to-back shutouts of the Yankees since the Angels in May 1999.

Josh Donaldson and Jose Bautista provided the long balls for the Blue Jays, who are within 1 1/2 games of the Yankees after their first series sweep of at least three games against New York since May 2003.

The Yankees failed to score in the last 26 innings of the series after Mark Teixeira went deep leading off the second inning of the series opener on Friday.

In Sunday's other major league finals:

— The Angels are within a half-game of the AL West-leading Houston Astros after Los Angeles beat Baltimore 5-4 on David Murphy's walk-off single in the bottom of the 11th. Murphy's three-run blast put the Angels ahead 4-2 in the third, but the Orioles extended the game on homers by Gerardo Parra and Chris Davis in the sixth. Kole Calhoun also homered for the Angels, who have won three of four since a 1-6 skid.

— Oakland blew a 3-1 lead in the ninth before Josh Reddick and Danny Valencia delivered RBI singles in the bottom half to give the Athletics a 5-4 victory and a three-game sweep of the Astros. Valencia also homered for the A's, who sent Houston to its sixth loss in seven games. Colby Rasmus belted a three-run homer in the ninth to give the Astros their only lead of the series.

— Kansas City blew leads of 3-0 and 4-3 before Alex Rios beat the tag on Omar Infante's grounder in the eighth inning to lift the Royals past the White Sox 5-4. Chicago rallied twice after Eric Hosmer lined an RBI double and scored on a two-run homer by Kendrys Morales later in the first inning. Ryan Madson picked up the save with a perfect ninth as the Royals completed a three-game sweep and stretched their lead in the AL Central to a major league-leading 11 ½ games over Minnesota.

— The Twins were spanked 8-1 in Cleveland as Corey Kluber pitched a three-hitter for his third complete game of the season. Kluber had a no-hitter until Joe Mauer's two-out single in the seventh. Chris Johnson was 4 for 4 with two doubles, while fellow Indians newcomer Abraham Almonte homered for the second straight day to help Cleveland drop the Twins under .500 for the first time since May 1.

— Tampa Bay rallied from an early 3-0 deficit for the second straight day and beat the New York Mets 4-3 on rookie Richie Shaffer's solo homer in the seventh. John Jaso  collected three RBIs with a sacrifice fly and a double after Daniel Murphy's two-run single put the Mets up by three in the second inning. The Mets have dropped two straight since a seven-game winning streak.

— New York continues to lead the NL East by 1 ½ games following second-place Washington's 6-4 loss to Colorado. DJ LeMahieu hit a tiebreaking, two-run single off Drew Storen with two out in the eighth inning to give the Rockies the rubber match of the series. Carlos Gonzalez homered twice and Daniel Descalso added a solo blast to help Colorado overcome the Nationals' three homers, two by Ryan Zimmerman and one by Jayson Werth.

— Khris Davis smacked a pair of homers, including a go-ahead, two-run shot in the eighth inning as Milwaukee beat St. Louis 5-4 to avoid a three-game sweep. The Cardinals ended a four-game winning streak after Matt Carpenter's three-run blast off Jimmy Nelson put the Redbirds ahead 4-3 in the seventh. The Cards top the NL Central by five games over Pittsburgh.

— Jung Ho Kang highlighted the Pirates' nine-run seventh in a 13-6 comeback over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Kang scored the first run of the seventh on Francisco Cervelli's RBI single and capped the rally with a three-run homer. Andrew McCutchen drove in four runs and Cervelli had three RBIs in the Pirates' fourth consecutive win.

— Jake Arrieta pitched four-hit ball into the eighth inning to lead the Chicago Cubs past San Francisco 2-0. Arrieta also tripled and scored in the second as the Cubs completed their first four-game sweep of the Giants since 1977 and won for the 10th time in 11 games overall. The Giants are 3 ½ games behind the Cubs for the second NL wild-card berth, and three behind the first-place Dodgers in the NL West.

— Seattle beat Texas 4-2 as Nelson Cruz socked his 33rd homer and Felix Hernandez earned his 14th win. Cruz extended his hitting streak to 19 games and tied Angels outfielder Mike Trout for the major league home run lead. Hernandez is 14-6 after limiting the Rangers to two runs and six hits in seven innings.

— Brad Hand was sharp in Miami's 4-1 verdict over Atlanta, holding the Braves to a run and two hits in seven innings. Hand also laid down a pair of run-scoring bunts and Christian Yelich was 3-for-5 with an RBI to help the Marlins end a six-game losing streak.

— Jackie Bradley Jr. homered and drove in a career-high five runs in Boston's 7-2 win over the Tigers and losing pitcher Justin Verlander. Bradley walked with the bases loaded in the second, homered in the seventh and laced a bases-loaded triple in the eighth.

— Chris Owings supplied a walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th to give Arizona a 4-3 win over Cincinnati. Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt was 3-for-4 with an RBI double and two runs scored, leaving him with 79 ribbies and a National League-leading .337 average.

— Jerome Williams allowed a run and five hits over seven innings as Philadelphia beat San Diego 5-3 to complete a three-game sweep. Chase Utley added a pinch-hit, two-run double in the eighth to give the Phillies a 5-2 lead in their 16th victory in 21 games since the All-Star break.

MLB-WRIGLEY FIELD-THREAT

Police sweep through Wrigley following unfriendly threat to Friendly Confines

CHICAGO (AP) — Police swept through Wrigley Field with dogs after a telephone threat prompted police to evacuate the ballpark for about an hour late Sunday afternoon.

Security told the media to leave the press box right following the Cubs' 2-0 victory over the Giants. A Chicago Police spokesman said the department received a telephone threat that prompted officers to investigate. Neither police, nor ballpark security, would provide further details about the nature of the threat.

Authorities also redirected traffic away from a street that runs behind Wrigley.

NASCAR-WATKINS GLEN

Logano wins

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (AP) — For the second straight weekend a splash of gas was the difference between winning and losing a Sprint Cup race.

Joey Logano won Sunday's road race at Watkins Glen after Kevin Harvick ran out of gas on the last lap. A week ago, Logano was leading at Pocono Raceway before running out of gas on the final lap.

Kyle Busch experienced a similar two-race stretch by finishing second at Watkins Glen, one week after he finished the Pocono race on an empty tank.

The runner-up finish was very beneficial to Busch, who climbed to 30th in points to reach the cutoff for making the Chase for the Sprint Cup title. He has won four Sprint Cup events since missing the first 11 of the season because of a broken leg and foot suffered in an Xfinity race at Daytona in February.

Harvick coasted home third, ahead of Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch.

GOLF-BRIDGESTONE INVITATIONAL

Lowry wins

AKRON, Ohio (AP) — Shane Lowry carded four birdies and no bogies in a 66 that allowed him to win the PGA's Bridgestone Invitational at 11-under par, two strokes ahead of Bubba Watson. Lowry locked up victory with a shot that sailed through trees from left of the 18th fairway and descended over a bunker before settling just over 10 feet from the hole for one final birdie.

Watson had a final round 4-under-66 as well to finish alone in second at minus-9.

Jim Furyk and Justin Rose shared the 54-hole lead before closing with 72s to finish in a tie for third at 7-under.

GOLF-BARRACUDA CHAMPIONSHIP

Henry outlasts Reifers

RENO, Nev. (AP) — J.J. Henry won the Barracuda Championship for the second time in four years by beating Kyle Reifers with a 15-foot eagle putt from the fringe on the second playoff hole.

Reifers had three back-nine eagles in a 22-point round to match Henry at 47 points at Montreux Golf and Country Club in the PGA Tour's only modified Stableford event.

GOLF-CHAMPIONS TOUR

Maggert finishes first

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Jeff Maggert shot a final round 6-under-64 to win the Champions Tour Shaw Charity Classic. He finished 16-under-par, four shots in front of Colin Montgomerie and five better than Scott Dunlap and Mark O'Meara.

Maggert's round featured seven birdies and a bogey.