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.

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.

Cycling: Team Emirates trio withdrawn from Vuelta a Burgos due to COVID concerns

Colombian riders Sebastian Molano, Cristian Munoz and Camilo Ardila were withdrawn from the Vuelta a Burgos after coming into contact with an individual who tested positive for COVID-19, the UAE Team Emirates team said on Wednesday. The trio completed the first stage on Tuesday but are not participating in the second stage which started in Castrojeriz.

U.S. Open can’t be a national championships says Mouratoglou

Patrick Mouratoglou, the long-time coach of Serena Williams, feels the U.S. Open must not turn into a national championship for the United States and says organisers need to address players’ health concerns by next week. The Grand Slam is due to start without spectators on Aug. 31 and the United States Tennis Association (USTA) is planning to set up a strict bio-security ‘bubble’ around it for protection against the novel coronavirus.

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.

Djokovic, Nadal and Serena enter U.S. Open tune-up

Former champions Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams have all entered next month’s Western & Southern Open in New York, which will serve as a tune-up for the U.S. Open, tournament organisers said on Wednesday. Organisers of the Aug. 20-28 event, which was relocated from Cincinnati this year because of COVID-19, said defending champions Daniil Medvedev and Madison Keys are also among the initial entries.

Afghan girl takes up motocross and champions women’s rights

For 16-year-old Negin Afshar, riding a motorbike around a dirt track in Kabul isn’t just about the excitement. It is also a way to show that Afghan women can be tough too in a country where concerns are growing that hard-earned rights might be lost. Encouraged by her parents, Afshar took up motocross about a year ago after having competed for Afghanistan in athletics when she was younger.

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.