Briefly: After Dan Le Batard brtaks ranks, ESPN reminds staff it wants no politics

ESPN is reminding employees of the network's policy to avoid talking about politics after radio talk show host Dan Le Batard criticized President Donald Trump and his recent racist comments and ESPN itself on the air last week.

The reminder went out Friday, according to an ESPN employee Saturday.

For ESPN, the episode goes back to anti-Trump tweets by former anchor Jemele Hill nearly two years ago. Network President Jimmy Pitaro decreed that ESPN employees should avoid political talk unless it's related to sports.

Le Batard spoke in the wake of the president's rally in North Carolina, where Trump renewed his attacks on four Democratic congresswomen of color.

"We here at ESPN don't have the stomach for the fight," Le Batard said. "We don't talk about what is happening unless there is some sort of weak, cowardly sports angle that we can run it through."

The first truly tough climb of the Tour de France, 6,500 feet up the Pyrenees, proved to be no obstacle for Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe, who kept his yellow jersey while defending champion Geraint Thomas lost time.

In another French success, Thibaut Pinot won the stage. Alaphilippe finished second to Pinot and now leads the Welshman Thomas by 2 minutes, 2 seconds.

Herman eagled the par-5 eighth and the par-5 15th. He also had six birdies to get to 24-under 192.

Kelly Kraft was second after a 61.

Cydney Clanton and Jasmine Suwannapura ran away with the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational in Midland, Mich., shooting an 11-under 59 in best-ball play for a six-stroke victory in the LPGA Tour's first-year team event.

Maximum Security won the $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park in New Jersey and, unlike in the Kentucky Derby, survived a steward's inquiry.

Maximum Security, disqualified after winning the Derby for interfering with another horse, beat Mucho Gusto by 1¼ lengths Saturday after stewards rejected an interference claim.

Manny Pacquiao handed Keith Thurman his first loss and took his WBA welterweight title, winning a split decision in Las Vegas. One judge scored it 114-113 for Thurman; the two others said 115-112 for Pacquiao.

Pacquiao, 40, improved to 61-7-2. Thurman fell to 29-1.

Boxing: Maxim Dadashev remained in a medically induced coma in Oxon Hill, Md., after losing a 140-pound world title eliminator against Subriel Matias.

Auto racing: The IndyCar race set for Saturday night in Newton, Iowa, was delayed more than four hours by storms.

Tennis: Top-seeded John Isner beat Ugo Humbert 6-7 (4), 7-6 (5), 6-3 and advanced to the Hall of Fame Open final in Newport, R.I. He will face Alexander Bublik, a 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-4 winner over Marcel Granollers.