KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have released fullback Toben Opurum and signed safety Bradley McDougald to their practice squad in a swap of former Kansas standouts. Both players joined the Chiefs in May as rookie free agents.

McDougald was active for last Sunday’s win over Dallas but did not play. He was released from the active roster and brought back to the practice squad on Wednesday. The Chiefs made room by releasing Opurum, who had spent the first two weeks of the regular season on the practice squad.

DENVER (AP) — Adam Wainwright pitched effectively into the eighth after a shaky start and helped himself at the plate with three hits as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Colorado Rockies 4-3 on Wednesday night to expand their lead in the NL Central race. Wainwright gave up two runs in the first and then found his groove to earn his 17th win, second-most in the NL this season.

He went 3 for 3 with a double and two RBIs to help the Cardinals stretch their lead to two games over Pittsburgh after the Pirates lost 3-2 loss to San Diego. St. Louis also reduced its magic number for clinching a playoff spot to three with 10 games to play.

Tyler Chatwood allowed four runs in six innings before being lifted for a pinch hitter. Chatwood is rounding back into form after missing nearly a month with an inflamed right elbow.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State is averaging just 3.3 yards per carry through two games. It’s no coincidence that Iowa State lost both of those games. The Cyclones (0-2) stumbled to just 59 yards rushing on 24 carries in a 27-21 loss last week to the Hawkeyes — and they didn’t have a single run longer than 9 yards.

Iowa State’s young and banged-up offensive line has taken much of the blame, with senior running back Shontrelle Johnson saying that a lot of the linemen are still feeling their way through things. The Cyclones should get starting center Tom Farniok back for their next game, at Tulsa on Sept. 26. Farniok’s return should help the line gain the continuity it’s lacked this season.

Game Score:  Iowa Hawkeyes 27, Iowa State 21

$25 – Brad Van Gorden of Guthrie Center (IA 27-20, 1 pt)

$10 – Carlene Deist of Audubon (IA 27-20, 1 pt)

$5 – Wayne Allen of Avoca (IA 28-21, 1 pt)

$5 – Scott Ihnken of Atlantic (IA 27-23, 2 pts)

$5 – Dee Andersen of Marne (IA 27-24, 3 pts)

*** All ties broken by drawing ***

Saturday’s Game:  Western Michigan @ Iowa Hawkeyes

w/ Jim Field

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (7.0MB)

Subscribe: RSS

Boys

1. St. Albert             23
2. Riverside              39
3. A-H-S-T               87
4. Audubon              101
5. Underwood         107
6. Treynor                108

Girls

1. Underwood          60
2. St. Albert             61
3. Woodbine            61
4. Audubon              73
5. Treynor                81
6. Riverside            129

Click this link for individual results:  2013 AHST XC Meet (1)

Big Ten football coaches say there aren’t very many places where they can unload frustrations about fans, reporters or anyone else without paying a price. On a weekly call with reporters, Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said that about the only person a coach can vent to in confidence is his wife. And he joked that that isn’t a sure thing.

The sports website Deadspin this week released a two-year-old recording of Nebraska coach Bo Pelini complaining after a game about Cornhusker fans and news media. Pelini said he thought the conversation was private. He also has apologized.

Michigan State’s Mark Dantonio said venting is a necessity. Ferentz said he tells his players to assume they’re always being recorded and coaches have to do the same.

Hawkeye 10:

• (3-0) Clarinda 25-25-25, Atlantic 7-13-10
• (3-0) Harlan 25-25-27, Kuemper Catholic 16-15-25
• (3-1) Lewis Central 25-25-20-25, Red Oak 18-23-25-15
• (3-0) St. Albert 25-25-26, Creston 6-15-24

Western Iowa:

•  (3-2) Griswold 23-17-25-25-15, Tri-Center 25-25-20-15-9
• (3-0) IKM-Manning 25-25-25, Riverside, Oakland 15-7-15
• (3-0) Missouri Valley 25-25-25, Logan-Magnolia 11-16-15

Rolling Valley:

• (3-0) Adair-Casey 25-25-25, CAM 10-13-16
• (3-0) Ar-We-Va 25-25-25, Charter Oak-Ute 19-15-19
• (3-1) Coon Rapids-Bayard 17-25-25-25, Boyer Valley 25-13-14-18
• (3-0) Exira-EHK 25-25-25, Paton-Churdan 15-19-16
• (3-0) Exira-EHK 25-25-25, West Harrison 14-4-17
• (3-1) Woodbine 17-25-25-25, Glidden-Ralston 25-10-22-15
• (3-0) Paton-Churdan 25-25-25, West Harrison 22-22-17

Others:

• (2-1) CB Abraham Lincoln 22-25-15, Bishop Heelan Catholic 25-19-12
• (2-0) CB Abraham Lincoln 25-25, Sioux City, East 17-12
• (3-0) Earlham 25-26-25, Panorama 15-24-20
• (3-0) East Mills 25-25-25, Heartland Christian 20-20-11
• (3-2) East Union 14-19-25-25-15, Nodaway Valley 25-25-20-23-10
• (3-1) Fremont-Mills 25-20-26-25, Sidney 12-25-24-19
• (3-0) Guthrie Center 25-25-25, West Central Valley 8-15-9
• (2-0) Sioux City East 25-25, CB Thomas Jefferson 17-10
• (3-1) Southwest Valley 20-25-25-25, Lenox 25-14-20-19
• (3-0) Stanton 25-25-25, Essex 14-5-17

(AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals are back atop the National League Central. Matt Holliday was 4-for-4 with a two-run homer and three RBIs as the Redbirds ripped Colorado 11-4. Matt Carpenter, Yadier Molina and Daniel Descalso drove in two runs apiece as part of the Cards’ 18-hit attack. Joe Kelly is 9-4 after holding the Rockies to three hits in five shutout innings.

Pittsburgh’s 5-2 loss to San Diego drops the Pirates one game behind St. Louis. Jedd Gyorko went 3-for-5 and put the Padres ahead for good with a three-run homer in the third inning. The Padres’ bullpen tossed four hitless innings after Eric Stults gave up two runs and seven hits.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — It’s too early to begin comparing Iowa’s defense to some of the best of the Kirk Ferentz era. Iowa (2-1) is 52nd nationally with 21.7 points allowed per game heading into Saturday’s non-conference finale against Western Michigan (0-3). The Hawkeyes defense has given up just four touchdowns in the past two games, both wins.

Iowa did put itself in a dangerous spot by allowing Iowa State to score a pair of touchdowns in a 27-21 victory last weekend. But the Hawkeyes defense is clearly better than last season, when a lagging unit was a big reason why the Hawkeyes finished with six straight losses.