Reuters Sports News Summary

Alonso cleared for Indy 500 after U.S. visa hurdle Two times Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso is clear to compete in this month's Indianapolis 500 after resolving a U.S. visa hurdle, McLaren F1 team boss Zak Brown said on Saturday.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs. Horse racing: Champion jockey Mellor dies aged 83

Three-times champion jockey Stan Mellor - the first to ride 1,000 winners over jumps during a celebrated career - has died aged 83, the British media reported on Saturday. Mellor, the champion jockey between 1959 and 1962, also enjoyed success as a trainer with more than 750 winners over the years. NBA roundup: Harden, Rockets rally, top Mavs in OT

James Harden scored 49 points, Russell Westbrook added 31 points and 11 rebounds, and the Houston Rockets erased a 14-point deficit and rallied for a 153-149 overtime win over the Dallas Mavericks on Friday at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando. The Rockets claimed the season series with Dallas two games to one by finally mustering some defensive might down the stretch of the fourth quarter. Alonso cleared for Indy 500 after U.S. visa hurdle

Two times Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso is clear to compete in this month's Indianapolis 500 after resolving a U.S. visa hurdle, McLaren F1 team boss Zak Brown said on Saturday. Speaking to reporters at the British Grand Prix, Brown said the Spaniard would travel to America next week. MLB roundup: Padres rally past Rockies in wild 9th

Tommy Pham and Fernando Tatis Jr. homered in a four-run ninth inning and had two hits apiece, Jake Cronenworth also had two hits, and the visiting San Diego Padres beat the Colorado Rockies 8-7 on Friday night in Denver. Trevor Story and Charlie Blackmon homered and had three hits each, and Ryan McMahon, Nolan Arenado and David Dahl had two hits apiece for the Rockies, who had their four-game winning streak snapped. Kang seizes lead in Ohio with flawless round as LPGA returns

A flawless, six-under-par round propelled Danielle Kang into a first-round lead at the LPGA's inaugural Drive On Championship in Toledo, Ohio, heading into Saturday one stroke ahead of Jodi Ewart Shadoff. The 54-hole tournament at Inverness Club started on Friday in a fanless setting as the LPGA got back into action after the coronavirus outbreak forced the suspension of play following the Women's Australia Open on Feb. 16. WR Lee becomes seventh Patriots player to opt out

New England wide receiver Marqise Lee became the seventh Patriots player to opt out of the 2020 season due to the coronavirus. No team has had as many players choose not play this fall. "This is a big sit-down process I had, with me and my significant other, as far as family goes. The risk factor in which we believe that's going out there, it just wasn't worth it in a sense. Just too many unknowns," Lee told ESPN.com of his decision. Cycling: Evenepoel wins Vuelta a Burgos, Sosa takes fifth stage

Belgian Remco Evenepoel of Deceuninck-QuickStep won the Vuelta a Burgos in Spain after finishing third in Saturday's fifth and final stage between Covarrubias and Lagunas de Neila. The 20-year-old Evenepoel had led the general classification after winning Thursday's 150-km third stage between Sargentes de la Lora and Picon Blanco. He finished with an overall time of 19 hours, 14 minutes and 42 seconds. Motor racing: Hamilton takes pole for home British GP in record time

Six times Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton shattered the Silverstone track record with a blistering lap to put dominant Mercedes on pole position for his home British Grand Prix on Saturday. The 35-year-old, who will be chasing a record seventh win at Silverstone on Sunday, was joined on the front row by Finnish team mate Valtteri Bottas with Red Bull's Max Verstappen qualifying third. NFL: Free agent Antonio Brown suspended for eight games

The National Football League (NFL) on Friday suspended wide receiver Antonio Brown for the first eight regular-season games of the 2020 campaign for violating its personal conduct policy. A woman told Sports Illustrated https://www.si.com/nfl/2019/09/19/antonio-brown-accuser-text-messages in September that Brown fired her from a job at his home in 2017 after she rejected an "unwanted sexual advance" from him and said he later sent her intimidating text messages. MLB warns players to get serious about safety or have season shut down: ESPN

Major League Baseball warned the MLB Players Association on Friday to get serious about COVID-19 safety protocols or risk having the season shut down, ESPN reported citing unnamed sources. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred delivered the stern message to MLBPA executive director Tony Clark after Friday's game between the St. Louis Cardinals and host Milwaukee Brewers became the latest to be postponed after two visiting players tested positive for coronavirus.