Following is a summary of current sports news briefs. MLB roundup: Benches clear in Dodgers’ win over Astros

Justin Turner and Cody Bellinger stroked consecutive bases-loaded singles in the fifth inning, and the Los Angeles Dodgers claimed a 5-2 interleague victory over the host Houston Astros on Tuesday in a contentious rematch of the 2017 World Series combatants. The Dodgers sent 10 batters to the plate in their fifth-run fifth, chasing Framber Valdez (0-1). AJ Pollock had three hits for Los Angeles, which got two hits apiece from Corey Seager and Mookie Betts. Dodgers reliever Brusdar Graterol (1-0) pitched one scoreless inning for the win. UK sports minister confident fans can return to stadiums safely

The British government is confident it can implement measures to ensure spectators can safely return to stadiums amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the country’s sports minister has said. The government aims to reopen elite sports to fans more widely from Oct. 1 after announcing plans this month to allow spectators at select events to ‘stress test’ new guidelines. Streamlined Tokyo Games may set future standard, says Coates

The Olympic movement faces its biggest challenge for four decades in getting a streamlined Tokyo Summer Games up and running next year but influential official John Coates believes it will happen. Coates heads up the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Coordination Commission for the Tokyo 2020 Games, which were postponed until 2021 because of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Kyrgios hits back at Coric for Adria Tour comments

Nick Kyrgios hit back at Borna Coric on Wednesday after the Croat said he was not bothered by criticism of Novak Djokovic’s Adria Tour exhibition where several players tested positive for COVID-19. Djokovic, Coric, Grigor Dimitrov and Viktor Troicki all tested positive during the event in Serbia and Croatia, which was later abandoned. NBA: Lakers, Clippers still the teams to beat in the west

The Hollywood star power fueling the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers makes them the favorites to win the Western Conference and hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy when the novel coronavirus-hit NBA season crowns its champion in Orlando, analysts said. LeBron James’ first place Lakers held a 5.5 game lead over Kawhi Leonard’s Clippers when the season was brought to an abrupt halt on March 11 due to the pandemic. 2021 Tour de France moved forward to avoid Tokyo Olympics clash

The start of next year’s Tour de France has been brought forward by a week to avoid clashing with the men’s road race at the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics, the International Cycling Union (UCI) has said. The 2021 Tour will begin on June 26 and end on July 18, six days before the start of the Mount Fuji road race. It was originally scheduled to begin on July 2 in Copenhagen, Denmark. MLB shuts Marlins down for a week in bid to contain virus

Major League Baseball has postponed all Miami Marlins games through Sunday in a bid to contain a COVID-19 outbreak among its players that could potentially endanger the 2020 season. Miami, who opened their season last Friday in Philadelphia, have reportedly had 17 confirmed cases – 15 players and two coaches – over the last five days. Bio-secure bubble presents unprecedented challenges for NBA

An NBA season like no other resumes inside a bio-secure bubble in Orlando this week, following a four-and-a-half month break, in what will probably be the most uniquely challenging title run in the 74-year history of the league. Bringing home the Larry O’Brien trophy in October will require a level of mental toughness never seen before. Players have to stay away from their families for three months, play in front of empty stands and also subject themselves to regular COVID-19 tests. Dodgers, Astros empty benches after Kelly gets wild

One of the more anticipated games of the shortened MLB season lived up to the hype — and perhaps then some — as benches emptied during the sixth inning of Tuesday night’s contest between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the host Houston Astros. The game marked the first time the teams faced off since the Astros’ cheating scandal erupted in the offseason, when an MLB investigation uncovered a sign-stealing system Houston implemented for the 2017 season — a year that ended with the Astros beating the Dodgers in a seven-game World Series. Fiery Evans warns Edmund over ‘belting’ racket in Battle of Brits

Handshakes across the net have been replaced by the tapping of rackets amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but a fired-up Dan Evans took umbrage at Kyle Edmund “belting” his frame after their Battle of the Brits match on Tuesday. Evans, ranked 28, defeated the 44th-ranked Edmund 6-4 6-4 in a high-quality encounter between Britain’s top two players.