Sports News Roundup: Big Three 'almost impossible' to beat at U.S. Open; Crew head to Cincy to cap rivalry series

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

MLB roundup: Cardinals ride Flaherty into first place

Jack Flaherty struck out nine in six shutout innings and the host St. Louis Cardinals beat the Colorado Rockies 8-3 on Friday night. Marcell Ozuna homered and drove in three runs, Yadier Molina went 3-for-5, and three other St. Louis batters had two hits each. The Cardinals moved a half-game ahead of the Chicago Cubs for first place in the National League Central.

Big Three 'almost impossible' to beat at U.S. Open

Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, and Novak Djokovic have enjoyed a years-long stranglehold on Grand Slam titles and that dominance is unlikely to end at the U.S. Open where a cast of hopefuls will try to end their reign. The 'Big Three' have combined to win each of the last 11 Grand Slams, with Serb Djokovic having triumphed in four of the last five blue riband events and a popular pick to successfully defend his New York title despite being dealt a tough draw.

Crew head to Cincy to cap rivalry series

State bragging rights outweigh playoff implications when Columbus travels south on Interstate 71 to face expansion FC Cincinnati in round two of their budding derby at Nippert Stadium on Sunday. The teams tied 2-2 in Columbus on Aug. 10 in the first "Hell is Real" derby, so named by the supporter's groups of both clubs for a forewarning billboard seen by travelers heading south on the interstate about midway between the cities.

Chair umpire Ramos has lasting impact on U.S. Open

Until last year's U.S. Open, few tennis fans could identify a tournament official by name. That changed during the 2018 women's final when chair umpire Carlos Ramos shot to prominence after a seismic clash with Serena Williams. A year on from the tense decider won 6-2 6-4 by Naomi Osaka, opinion remains deeply divided over how Ramos handled the match and the heated exchanges with Williams, one of the game's greatest players.

Nadal fit and ready for hardcourt challenge at U.S. Open

Rafa Nadal was forced out of the U.S. Open last year in the semi-finals with a knee injury but the in-form Spaniard on Friday declared himself fit and ready for the punishing hardcourts at Flushing Meadows. Nadal's hopes of defending his 2017 U.S. Open title last year were crushed when his chronic knee issues forced him to retire while trailing Juan Martin del Potro 7-6(3) 6-2 after a number of long and grueling matches.

Kuzma off final 12-man Team USA roster

An injured left ankle will keep Kyle Kuzma off of Team USA for the upcoming FIBA World Cup in Shanghai, China. Kuzma sat out Saturday's exhibition loss to Australia with the injury. He scored 12 points in Thursday's exhibition win over the same team.

Mariners RHP Bradford undergoes Tommy John surgery

Seattle Mariners reliever Chasen Bradford, out since June with an elbow strain, underwent Tommy John surgery and is expected to miss the 2020 season. Bradford, a 30-year-old right-hander, pitched in just 12 games for the Mariners in 2019. He posted one save and an ERA of 4.86 in 16 2/3 innings of relief.

Vondrousova out of U.S. Open with wrist injury

French Open runner-up Marketa Vondrousova has withdrawn from the U.S. Open with a left wrist injury, tournament organizers said on Friday. The 20-year-old Czech did not compete in any U.S. Open tune-up events and has not been in action since falling in the first round at Wimbledon.

Family vacation has Federer ready for U.S. Open charge

Roger Federer needed a couple of days to get over his heartbreaking Wimbledon final loss but a family caravan vacation around the Swiss countryside proved the perfect tonic. Federer, who will chase a record-extending 21st Grand Slam title at the Aug. 26-Sept. 8 U.S. Open in New York struggled with the five-set defeat to Novak Djokovic for a short time, but could not dwell on the missed opportunity.

With no dominant force, U.S. Open women's trophy up for grabs

As many as 10 women competing at this year's U.S. Open have a realistic shot at raising the trophy including all-time great Serena Williams and big-hitting teenager Bianca Andreescu. That is the view of former world number one Chris Evert who said on Friday that without a dominant force it is the depth of the women's game that should be celebrated.