Sports News Roundup: Falcons preparing big offer to WR Jones; Cuba have golden punch in Pan Am boxing ring

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Falcons preparing big offer to WR Jones

The Atlanta Falcons are prepared to pull out the checkbook and make a big offer to wide receiver Julio Jones. And while general manager Thomas Dimitroff wouldn't disclose the figure he has in mind, he sounded confident the two sides could make a deal.

Cuba have golden punch in Pan Am boxing ring

Cuba landed the golden punch in the Pan Am Games boxing ring on Thursday, rolling out a lineup of Olympic and world champions to fight their way up the medal table. Of the five men's gold medal bouts on Thursday's card, Cuba had fighters in all of them and, led by stylish light heavyweight Julio Cesar La Cruz, grabbed four golds and a silver.

MLB roundup: Cards one-hit Cubs, take NL Central lead

Jack Flaherty took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, allowed one hit in seven outstanding innings and combined with two relievers on a one-hitter as the St. Louis Cardinals continued their surge with an 8-0 victory over the visiting Chicago Cubs on Thursday night. The Cardinals, who lead the Cubs by one game in the race for the National League Central title, won for the 17th time in 25 games and improved to 14-6 since the All-Star break by collecting 14 hits. The Cubs lost for the seventh time in 10 games and did not hold a lead for the first time in their 18 games since the All-Star break.

Kyrgios, Tsitsipas advance to quarter-finals at Citi Open

Australian Nick Kyrgios blasted 15 aces to blow past Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka 6-2 7-5 on Thursday and reach the quarterfinals at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C. Kyrgios was dominant on serve as he enjoyed his least stressful match of the tournament thus far. He was broken on service just once by Nishioka and won 85 percent of his first serves. Playing in his first tournament since his testy second-round loss to Rafa Nadal at Wimbledon, Kyrgios will next face unseeded Slovakian Norbert Gombos.

Kubica pulls in the Polish fans for Hungary 'home' race

Robert Kubica has just one point to show for his comeback season, and even that could be taken away, but the Pole can still count on more support than most at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Tens of thousands of his compatriots are expected to make the journey to Budapest to support the country's first and only Formula One driver at what is the closest thing to a home race for the 34-year-old.

Japanese Koga's doping ban reduced to two years: CAS

Japanese Junya Koga's four-year suspension for an anti-doping rule violation has been reduced to two years after it was found that his supplements may have been contaminated, the Court Of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said on Friday. Koga, a gold medalist in the world championships in 2009 (100 meters backstroke) and 2016 (50 meters backstroke), tested positive in March last year for ostarine and ligrandrol, which are on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) prohibited list.

MLB suspends eight individuals for Pirates-Reds brawl

Eight individuals from the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds, including the managers of both clubs, have been suspended for their roles in a bench-clearing brawl this week, Major League Baseball said on Thursday. Tempers between the rival clubs, who also had a bench-clearing fracas during a game in April, reached new heights in the top of the ninth inning of their Tuesday game in Cincinnati when Reds reliever Amir Garrett charged the Pirates dugout.

U.S. medal juggernaut rolls on as Cuba unleash golden gloves

Cuba punched their way up the medal table picking up four golds and a silver in the boxing ring on Thursday but the United States continued to pull away and were closing in on 100 Pan Am Games medals after just six days of competition. The Caribbean boxing powerhouse will feature a fighter in every men's gold medal bout but one in Lima and are likely to add to their haul on Friday with no other nation able to match their roster of world and Olympic champions.

Kvitova withdraws from Toronto event with forearm injury

Twice Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova has withdrawn from next week's Rogers Cup in Toronto with a nagging forearm injury, Tennis Canada announced on Friday. The 29-year-old Czech, who won the Rogers Cup in 2012, initially injured her forearm while training in Paris ahead of the French Open and has not competed since her loss in the last 16 at Wimbledon last month.

Clippers G Shamet withdraws from USA training camp

Los Angeles Clippers guard Landry Shamet has withdrawn from USA Basketball Select Team camp, according to a report Friday by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. ESPN reported that Shamet's agent, George Langberg, confirmed the decision.