Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Miles Mikolas pitched an eight-hitter and Tyler O’Neill hit a pair of two-run homers, leading the St. Louis Cardinals to a 7-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was the first complete game this season and second overall for Mikolas, who lasted just four innings in his last start before the All-Star game. It was first complete game by a Cardinals pitcher this season. Mikolas had the only one last year on May 21 against Kansas City.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jakob Junis struck out a career-high 10 and Nicky Lopez drove in a pair of runs and scored twice as the Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago White Sox 5-2. The Royals beat Lucas Giolito for the first time and thwarted his bid for a 12th victory.
CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs have acquired catcher Martin Maldonado in a trade with Kansas City that sent left-hander Mike Montgomery to the Royals. Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein announced the deal following Chicago’s 6-3 loss to Cincinnati _ adding that All-Star catcher Willson Contreras was going on the 10-day injured list with a strain to the arch area of his right foot.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Kansas coach Les Miles figures he’s back where he belongs, on the sideline after 2½ years away from coaching. The national championship winner at LSU has a rebuilding job similar to the last time he was in the Big 12 at Oklahoma State 18 years ago. Miles led the Cowboys to bowl games the last three of his four seasons there. He was fired at LSU midseason in 2016 with a 114-34 record. Now Miles is trying to lift a woebegone program with an 18-90 record since 2010.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Oklahoma has won four Big 12 titles in a row while Kansas finished last each of those years. The Sooners are the league favorite again under Lincoln Riley. Oklahoma has been to the College Football Playoff twice with different Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks in Riley’s two seasons. Kansas is again expected to be on the opposite end of the Big 12 standings. But new Jayhawks coach Les Miles is the only Big 12 head coach with a national championship at college football’s highest level.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby says there is no discussion at any level about expanding the 10-team league. Bowlsby began the league’s football media days talking about the successes of the smallest Power Five conference. That includes increasing revenue and new media opportunities. Bowlsby says the league likes its 10 schools and that won’t be an active topic within in the conference in the foreseeable future.