MANHATTAN, Kan. — Camden Beebe had a bittersweet announcement on X.

MANHATTAN, Kan. — Camden Beebe had a bittersweet announcement on X.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Thank you for everything K-State family, forever and always a wildcat 💜 <a href="https://t.co/FeaS68n4Ki">pic.twitter.com/FeaS68n4Ki</a>&mdash; 𝓒𝓪𝓶𝓭𝓮𝓷 𝓑𝓮𝓮𝓫𝓮 (@Cbeebe_56) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cbeebe_56/status/1825658961221112186?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 19, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🏈 Wildcat lineman medically retires

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Paul DeJong hit a two-run homer, Seth Lugo once again looked like the pitcher whose brilliant first half made him an All-Star, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Los Angeles Angels 5-3 on Monday night to extend their winning streak to five games.

Lugo (14-7), who had been just 2-3 with 5.23 ERA since the All-Star break, allowed four hits and three walks over seven innings while striking out eight. That tied him with the Braves’ Chris Sale and the Tigers’ Tarik Skubal for the big league lead in wins.

Salvador Perez added two hits and three RBIs for the Royals, who have outscored their opponents 37-7 during their winning streak. Kansas City never trailed in any of those games against the AL Central-rival Twins, Reds and Angels.

“It's something we all feel together,” Lugo said simply. “It's a team sport and we're all doing it together.”

Lugo only allowed two hits until the seventh, when Brandon Drury drew a walk and Mickey Moniak and Jo Adell followed with doubles to draw the Angels to 3-2. Lugo bounced back by getting Taylor Ward to pop out and end the inning.

Kris Bubic gave up Zach Neto's homer in the eighth before John Schreiber worked the ninth for his second save.

“We battled him, battled him, battled him,” Angels manager Ron Washington said of Lugo. "At the end, we got some runs on him, but we just couldn’t put him away. If you can stay with a good pitcher like that, usually toward the end, hopefully you get an opportunity. We started getting to him in the seventh, but by that time he’d already did his damage.”

Washington confirmed that hitting coach Johnny Washington was ejected during the game for arguing balls and strikes.

"He thought he had to do what he had to do to protect his hitters,” the manager said.

Carson Fulmer (0-4) allowed three runs — two earned — and five hits with three walks over four innings for Los Angeles.

He was in trouble right from the start, when Michael Massey led off with a single and Fulmer walked two batters in the first inning. And while he was able to wiggle out of that jam, it drove Fulmer's pitch count up and led to a short night.

Massey walked leading off the third and scored on Perez's single. But the first big blow for Kansas City came in the fourth, when DeJong hit his two-run shot into the left-field bullpen. It came one pitch after he had yanked a would-be homer just foul.

Perez added a two-run double off Angels reliever Victor Mederos in the seventh to restore the Royals' cushion.

“I mean, that was the base hit of the night right there,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “It separated us again a little bit with two innings to go.”

Angels: 3B Anthony Rendon was back in the lineup after getting hit by a pitch on the elbow in Atlanta and missing the next two games. “The last three days he's been taking care of it, and he said he's ready to go,” Ron Washington said.

Royals: RHP Hunter Harvey (back tightness) hopes to throw a bullpen session later in the week. He has been out since Aug. 5. If that goes well, the club will decide whether Harvey needs a rehab assignment, Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said,

Royals: Schreiber (right patellar tendon) was reinstated from the injured list before the game. The reliever had been out since July 28. RHP Carlos Hernandez was optioned to Triple-A Omaha in the corresponding roster move.

Angels LHP Tyler Anderson (9-11, 3.30 ERA) starts the second game of the series on Tuesday night. LHP Cole Ragans (10-7, 3.18) goes for his sixth win in his last seven starts for Kansas City.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724146694498.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals' Paul DeJong hits a two-run home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals' Paul DeJong hits a two-run home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Paul DeJong hit a two-run homer, Seth Lugo once again looked like the pitcher whose brilliant first half made him an All-Star, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Los Angeles Angels 5-3 on Monday night to extend their winning streak to five games.Lugo (14-7), who had been just 2-3 with 5.23 ERA since the All-Star break, allowed four hits and three walks over seven innings while striking out eight. That tied him with the Braves’ Chris Sale and the Tigers’ Tarik Skubal for the big league lead in wins.Salvador Perez added two hits and three RBIs for the Royals, who have outscored their opponents 37-7 during their winning streak. Kansas City never trailed in any of those games against the AL Central-rival Twins, Reds and Angels.“It's something we all feel together,” Lugo said simply. “It's a team sport and we're all doing it together.”Lugo only allowed two hits until the seventh, when Brandon Drury drew a walk and Mickey Moniak and Jo Adell followed with doubles to draw the Angels to 3-2. Lugo bounced back by getting Taylor Ward to pop out and end the inning.Kris Bubic gave up Zach Neto's homer in the eighth before John Schreiber worked the ninth for his second save.“We battled him, battled him, battled him,” Angels manager Ron Washington said of Lugo. "At the end, we got some runs on him, but we just couldn’t put him away. If you can stay with a good pitcher like that, usually toward the end, hopefully you get an opportunity. We started getting to him in the seventh, but by that time he’d already did his damage.”Washington confirmed that hitting coach Johnny Washington was ejected during the game for arguing balls and strikes."He thought he had to do what he had to do to protect his hitters,” the manager said.Carson Fulmer (0-4) allowed three runs — two earned — and five hits with three walks over four innings for Los Angeles.He was in trouble right from the start, when Michael Massey led off with a single and Fulmer walked two batters in the first inning. And while he was able to wiggle out of that jam, it drove Fulmer's pitch count up and led to a short night.Massey walked leading off the third and scored on Perez's single. But the first big blow for Kansas City came in the fourth, when DeJong hit his two-run shot into the left-field bullpen. It came one pitch after he had yanked a would-be homer just foul.Perez added a two-run double off Angels reliever Victor Mederos in the seventh to restore the Royals' cushion.“I mean, that was the base hit of the night right there,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “It separated us again a little bit with two innings to go.”TRAINER'S ROOMAngels: 3B Anthony Rendon was back in the lineup after getting hit by a pitch on the elbow in Atlanta and missing the next two games. “The last three days he's been taking care of it, and he said he's ready to go,” Ron Washington said.Royals: RHP Hunter Harvey (back tightness) hopes to throw a bullpen session later in the week. He has been out since Aug. 5. If that goes well, the club will decide whether Harvey needs a rehab assignment, Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said,ROSTER MOVESRoyals: Schreiber (right patellar tendon) was reinstated from the injured list before the game. The reliever had been out since July 28. RHP Carlos Hernandez was optioned to Triple-A Omaha in the corresponding roster move.UP NEXTAngels LHP Tyler Anderson (9-11, 3.30 ERA) starts the second game of the series on Tuesday night. LHP Cole Ragans (10-7, 3.18) goes for his sixth win in his last seven starts for Kansas City.___

⚾ DeJong hits 2-run shot as Royals beat Angels for 5th straight win

Fall sports practices for the Junction City Lady Jays and Blue Jays began Monday.

Fall sports at JCHS include football, boys and girls cross country, volleyball, girls tennis and boys soccer.

Fall sports practices for the Junction City Lady Jays and Blue Jays began Monday.<figure>
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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724117649148.jpeg" alt="" />
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 </figure>Fall sports at JCHS include football, boys and girls cross country, volleyball, girls tennis and boys soccer.

High School practices begin

CINCINNATI (AP) — Dairon Blanco hit his third home run in two days and started a rally with a bunt single as the Kansas City Royals beat the Cincinnati Reds 8-1 on Sunday to complete a series sweep.

Blanco, an outfielder, had just 64 at-bats coming into the series, before helping the Royals outscore the Reds 26-3.

The 31-year old from Cuba drove in seven runs on Saturday with two home runs, including a grand slam. On Sunday, he started a two-run third inning against 10-game winner Andrew Abbott with a bunt single. Blanco stole second and scored on Vinnie Pasquantino's single. Salvatore Perez added a sacrifice fly.

Blanco hit his fourth home run of the season off Abbott (10-10). It was the 25th home run allowed by Abbott.

Pasquantino drove in three runs to take the team lead over Bobby Witt Jr. with 92.

Brady Singer (9-8) snapped a two-game losing streak, overcoming a 45-minute rain delay to pitch six scoreless innings. He allowed five hits, a walk and a hit batter while striking out seven.

Abbott allowed four runs in five innings on six hits and an intentional walk. He struck out four.

Sam Long took over for Singer, pitching the seventh inning in a light rain. He allowed Santiago Espinal's third single, then walked three straight Reds with one out. Lucas Erceg entered to face Elly De La Cruz with the bases loaded. Erceg struck out De La Cruz and Spencer Steer to end the threat.

TJ Friedl robbed Witt of his 26th home run, with a leaping catch in the seventh inning.

The Royals scored four in the ninth. Witt singled for his 91st RBI.

Reds: Hunter Greene was placed on the 15-day injured list with right elbow soreness retroactive to Aug. 14. He had an MRI exam and is seeking a second opinion.

The Royals will host the Los Angeles Angels on Monday. Carson Fulmer (0-3, 4.22) starts for the Angels. Seth Lugo (13-7, 3.04) takes the ball for the Royals.

The Reds will visit the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday. The Reds have not announced the replacement for Greene. The Blue Jays will start Kevin Gausman (11-8, 4.20)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724018434636.png" alt="Photo Kansas City Royals" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas City Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>CINCINNATI (AP) — Dairon Blanco hit his third home run in two days and started a rally with a bunt single as the Kansas City Royals beat the Cincinnati Reds 8-1 on Sunday to complete a series sweep.Blanco, an outfielder, had just 64 at-bats coming into the series, before helping the Royals outscore the Reds 26-3.The 31-year old from Cuba drove in seven runs on Saturday with two home runs, including a grand slam. On Sunday, he started a two-run third inning against 10-game winner Andrew Abbott with a bunt single. Blanco stole second and scored on Vinnie Pasquantino's single. Salvatore Perez added a sacrifice fly.Blanco hit his fourth home run of the season off Abbott (10-10). It was the 25th home run allowed by Abbott.Pasquantino drove in three runs to take the team lead over Bobby Witt Jr. with 92.Brady Singer (9-8) snapped a two-game losing streak, overcoming a 45-minute rain delay to pitch six scoreless innings. He allowed five hits, a walk and a hit batter while striking out seven.Abbott allowed four runs in five innings on six hits and an intentional walk. He struck out four.Sam Long took over for Singer, pitching the seventh inning in a light rain. He allowed Santiago Espinal's third single, then walked three straight Reds with one out. Lucas Erceg entered to face Elly De La Cruz with the bases loaded. Erceg struck out De La Cruz and Spencer Steer to end the threat.TJ Friedl robbed Witt of his 26th home run, with a leaping catch in the seventh inning.The Royals scored four in the ninth. Witt singled for his 91st RBI.TRAINER'S ROOMReds: Hunter Greene was placed on the 15-day injured list with right elbow soreness retroactive to Aug. 14. He had an MRI exam and is seeking a second opinion.UP NEXTThe Royals will host the Los Angeles Angels on Monday. Carson Fulmer (0-3, 4.22) starts for the Angels. Seth Lugo (13-7, 3.04) takes the ball for the Royals.The Reds will visit the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday. The Reds have not announced the replacement for Greene. The Blue Jays will start Kevin Gausman (11-8, 4.20)

⚾ Blanco homers again to help the Royals complete sweep of the Reds

CINCINNATI (AP) — Dairon Blanco homered twice — including his first career grand slam — and drove in seven runs as the Kansas City Royals routed the Cincinnati Reds 13-1 on Saturday night.

The offensive fireworks by the Royals overshadowed a fine start by Michael Wacha (10-6), who allowed just four hits and struck out nine through six shutout innings as Kansas City beat the Reds for the second straight night.

Blanco, who wielded a bat painted to look like a yellow crayon,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Royals/status/1824946497219158288">hit a two-run homer deep to center field</a>&nbsp;on the first pitch he saw from Reds starter Nick Lodolo in the second inning.

Then the 31-year-old Cuban&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Royals/status/1824957972276969981">cleared the loaded bases with a shot deep into the left-field seats</a>&nbsp;in the third, and drove in another run with a single in the fourth. He came into the game with just one homer and five RBIs this season.

It was a rough outing for Lodolo (9-5), who loaded the bases in the disastrous third and walked in a run before allowing an RBI single to Paul DeJong. Buck Farmer relieved, and promptly gave up the grand slam to Blanco.

The Royals scored seven in the third and led 10-0 before Cincinnati got through its batting order once.

Lodolo made it only 2 1/3 innings, allowing eight runs and eight hits.

Bobby Witt Jr. doubled in the first inning to extend his hitting streak to six games. He finished 1 for 4 with his major league-leading average slipping a point to .351.

Jeimer Candelario hit a solo homer, his 20th of the season, for the Reds in the seventh inning.

Reds&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/reds-hunter-greene-injured-elbow-903e6f10a550c29859000a7d1b31b661">RHP Hunter Greene went on the 15-day injured list</a>&nbsp;with right elbow soreness. He's expected to have an MRI in the next few days.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723945348114.jpeg" alt="Dairon Blanco hit two home runs in crushing 13-1 win for the Royals over the Reds/ Photo courtesy of the Royals on X" />
 <figcaption>Dairon Blanco hit two home runs in crushing 13-1 win for the Royals over the Reds/ Photo courtesy of the Royals on X</figcaption>
 </figure>CINCINNATI (AP) — Dairon Blanco homered twice — including his first career grand slam — and drove in seven runs as the Kansas City Royals routed the Cincinnati Reds 13-1 on Saturday night.The offensive fireworks by the Royals overshadowed a fine start by Michael Wacha (10-6), who allowed just four hits and struck out nine through six shutout innings as Kansas City beat the Reds for the second straight night.Blanco, who wielded a bat painted to look like a yellow crayon,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Royals/status/1824946497219158288">hit a two-run homer deep to center field</a>&nbsp;on the first pitch he saw from Reds starter Nick Lodolo in the second inning.Then the 31-year-old Cuban&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Royals/status/1824957972276969981">cleared the loaded bases with a shot deep into the left-field seats</a>&nbsp;in the third, and drove in another run with a single in the fourth. He came into the game with just one homer and five RBIs this season.It was a rough outing for Lodolo (9-5), who loaded the bases in the disastrous third and walked in a run before allowing an RBI single to Paul DeJong. Buck Farmer relieved, and promptly gave up the grand slam to Blanco.The Royals scored seven in the third and led 10-0 before Cincinnati got through its batting order once.Lodolo made it only 2 1/3 innings, allowing eight runs and eight hits.Bobby Witt Jr. doubled in the first inning to extend his hitting streak to six games. He finished 1 for 4 with his major league-leading average slipping a point to .351.Jeimer Candelario hit a solo homer, his 20th of the season, for the Reds in the seventh inning.TRAINER'S ROOMReds&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/reds-hunter-greene-injured-elbow-903e6f10a550c29859000a7d1b31b661">RHP Hunter Greene went on the 15-day injured list</a>&nbsp;with right elbow soreness. He's expected to have an MRI in the next few days.UP NEXT

⚾ Blanco hits 1st career grand slam as the Royals rout Reds

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DAVE%20SKRETTA%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By DAVE SKRETTA&nbsp;</a>

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes was rolling to his right in the first half of the Kansas City Chiefs' preseason game against the Detroit Lions on Saturday when he realized that Travis Kelce had run the wrong route.

So, Mahomes threw to his trusty tight end out of spite anyway — by throwing it to him behind his back.

The audacious throw was the highlight of an otherwise forgettable preseason game in which Mahomes threw for 93 yards in two tidy series of work, but the Lions rallied to win 24-23 on Jake Bates' 43-yard field goal with no time remaining.

“I always told you it had to happen naturally,” said Mahomes, who has fooled around with behind-the-back passes in practice but had never tried it in a game. “I knew it was on target. It was just low. But like I said, it wasn't like — I didn't do it to look cool. I did it because I was like, pissed off (at Kelce), like why did you run that route like that? And it just worked out.”

Mahomes was 8 of 14 through the air while leading the Chiefs to a pair of field goals against the Lions' backup defense. He also led Kansas City to a field goal in his only series in its preseason opener against the Jaguars last week.

But none of that will be remembered like his behind-the-back pass to Kelce, when Detroit defensive lineman Josh Paschal was beginning to bear down on him.

Kelce reached down and snagged the pass, and the completion on third-and-3 at the Detroit 33 was good for a first down and helped to set up an eventual field goal.

“He does it in practice every day,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “I'm alright with it as long as it's a completion.”

It didn’t take long for clips of the pass to go viral. Kelce’s brother and retired Eagles center Jason Kelce tweeted, “The son of a gun actually did it!” Quinton Lucas, the mayor of Kansas City, Missouri, added: “That was unnecessary, but beautiful!”

Carson Wentz took over for Mahomes and was 5 of 10 for 31 yards with a touchdown throw to Xavier Worthy. The speedy first-round pick out of Texas had three catches for 62 yards and the score while adding 11 yards on a rushing attempt.

Lions coach Dan Campbell opted to sit his starters for their second preseason game, just as he did last year against the Jaguars. Campbell had been noncommittal about his plan for the game earlier in the week, though he did cancel a planned scrimmage for Wednesday because of the number of injuries the team has sustained in training camp.

Nate Sudfeld was 14 of 27 for 196 yards with a touchdown and an interception as he tries to nail down the backup job behind Detroit starter Jared Goff. Hendon Hooker, who returned after sustaining a concussion last week against the Giants, was 12 of 15 for 150 yards while running for a touchdown as he tried to make some headway in the competition.

The Lions' special teams were in preseason form most of the game. They fumbled the ball away on a kickoff return — Wentz hit Worthy three plays later for their TD strike. They also fumbled a punt return and Bates missed an extra point.

Then again, Bates made the kick that won the Lions the game.

“That’s a big kick,” Campbell said. “That’s two weeks in a row. He hits a 53 (last week against the Giants) and a 55-yarder, and then hits a game-winner. Every time he does something like that, you gain a little more confidence in him.”

Chiefs LS James Winchester left in the first half with a shoulder injury but returned after the break.

Chiefs: Play the Bears on Thursday night.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723928013525.png" alt="Image from video by the Kansas City Chiefs" />
 <figcaption>Image from video by the Kansas City Chiefs</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DAVE%20SKRETTA%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By DAVE SKRETTA&nbsp;</a>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes was rolling to his right in the first half of the Kansas City Chiefs' preseason game against the Detroit Lions on Saturday when he realized that Travis Kelce had run the wrong route.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">FIRST BEHIND-THE-BACK IN GAME 🤯 <a href="https://t.co/DyfJs8mz5g">pic.twitter.com/DyfJs8mz5g</a>&mdash; Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) <a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs/status/1824907065145409794?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>So, Mahomes threw to his trusty tight end out of spite anyway — by throwing it to him behind his back.The audacious throw was the highlight of an otherwise forgettable preseason game in which Mahomes threw for 93 yards in two tidy series of work, but the Lions rallied to win 24-23 on Jake Bates' 43-yard field goal with no time remaining.“I always told you it had to happen naturally,” said Mahomes, who has fooled around with behind-the-back passes in practice but had never tried it in a game. “I knew it was on target. It was just low. But like I said, it wasn't like — I didn't do it to look cool. I did it because I was like, pissed off (at Kelce), like why did you run that route like that? And it just worked out.”Mahomes was 8 of 14 through the air while leading the Chiefs to a pair of field goals against the Lions' backup defense. He also led Kansas City to a field goal in his only series in its preseason opener against the Jaguars last week.But none of that will be remembered like his behind-the-back pass to Kelce, when Detroit defensive lineman Josh Paschal was beginning to bear down on him.Kelce reached down and snagged the pass, and the completion on third-and-3 at the Detroit 33 was good for a first down and helped to set up an eventual field goal.“He does it in practice every day,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “I'm alright with it as long as it's a completion.”It didn’t take long for clips of the pass to go viral. Kelce’s brother and retired Eagles center Jason Kelce tweeted, “The son of a gun actually did it!” Quinton Lucas, the mayor of Kansas City, Missouri, added: “That was unnecessary, but beautiful!”Carson Wentz took over for Mahomes and was 5 of 10 for 31 yards with a touchdown throw to Xavier Worthy. The speedy first-round pick out of Texas had three catches for 62 yards and the score while adding 11 yards on a rushing attempt.Lions coach Dan Campbell opted to sit his starters for their second preseason game, just as he did last year against the Jaguars. Campbell had been noncommittal about his plan for the game earlier in the week, though he did cancel a planned scrimmage for Wednesday because of the number of injuries the team has sustained in training camp.Nate Sudfeld was 14 of 27 for 196 yards with a touchdown and an interception as he tries to nail down the backup job behind Detroit starter Jared Goff. Hendon Hooker, who returned after sustaining a concussion last week against the Giants, was 12 of 15 for 150 yards while running for a touchdown as he tried to make some headway in the competition.The Lions' special teams were in preseason form most of the game. They fumbled the ball away on a kickoff return — Wentz hit Worthy three plays later for their TD strike. They also fumbled a punt return and Bates missed an extra point.Then again, Bates made the kick that won the Lions the game.“That’s a big kick,” Campbell said. “That’s two weeks in a row. He hits a 53 (last week against the Giants) and a 55-yarder, and then hits a game-winner. Every time he does something like that, you gain a little more confidence in him.”INJURIESChiefs LS James Winchester left in the first half with a shoulder injury but returned after the break.UP NEXTLions: Play the Steelers next Saturday.Chiefs: Play the Bears on Thursday night.

🏈 🎥Mahomes magic: Chiefs QB completes behind-the-back pass in preseason loss

CINCINNATI (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. homered, doubled and singled to boost his major league-leading average to .352, Michael Lorenzen pitched into the sixth inning to get his first win since being traded and the Kansas City Royals beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-1 in the opener of an interleague series on Friday night.

Witt, the Royals' All-Star shortstop, hit a four-seam fastball from Nick Martinez 430 feet into the upper deck for his 25th homer in the fourth inning. He doubled and scored on a fielder’s choice in the sixth and had an infield single in the seventh.

The Reds intentionally walked him with two outs in the ninth, just before he trotted home on Vinnie Pasquantino's 18th homer.

Lorenzen (6-6), acquired by the Royals in a July 29 trade with Texas, started his third game after two no-decisions. He allowed a run and two hits in 5 2/3 innings and departed after 83 pitches.

Salvador Perez, Adam Frazier and Freddie Fermin also drove in runs for Kansas City, helping snap Cincinnati's four-game win streak.

Martinez (6-6) pitched six innings, allowing three runs and three hits with four strikeouts.

Tyler Stephenson had an RBI double for the Reds in the sixth.

Royals: RHP John Schreiber (knee) is on a rehab assignment at Single-A Quad Cities. He landed on the 15-day injury list July 29.

Reds: LHP Brent Suter pitched live batting practice Friday. He went on the 15-day injured list July 20 with a partially torn muscle in the back of his left shoulder.

The Royals send right-hander Michael Wacha (9-6, 3.50 ERA) to the mound to oppose Reds lefty Nick Lodolo (9-4, 3.99) as the series continues Saturday night.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723861437207.png" alt="Photo Kansas City Royals" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas City Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>CINCINNATI (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. homered, doubled and singled to boost his major league-leading average to .352, Michael Lorenzen pitched into the sixth inning to get his first win since being traded and the Kansas City Royals beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-1 in the opener of an interleague series on Friday night.Witt, the Royals' All-Star shortstop, hit a four-seam fastball from Nick Martinez 430 feet into the upper deck for his 25th homer in the fourth inning. He doubled and scored on a fielder’s choice in the sixth and had an infield single in the seventh.The Reds intentionally walked him with two outs in the ninth, just before he trotted home on Vinnie Pasquantino's 18th homer.Lorenzen (6-6), acquired by the Royals in a July 29 trade with Texas, started his third game after two no-decisions. He allowed a run and two hits in 5 2/3 innings and departed after 83 pitches.Salvador Perez, Adam Frazier and Freddie Fermin also drove in runs for Kansas City, helping snap Cincinnati's four-game win streak.Martinez (6-6) pitched six innings, allowing three runs and three hits with four strikeouts.Tyler Stephenson had an RBI double for the Reds in the sixth.TRAINER'S ROOMRoyals: RHP John Schreiber (knee) is on a rehab assignment at Single-A Quad Cities. He landed on the 15-day injury list July 29.Reds: LHP Brent Suter pitched live batting practice Friday. He went on the 15-day injured list July 20 with a partially torn muscle in the back of his left shoulder.UP NEXTThe Royals send right-hander Michael Wacha (9-6, 3.50 ERA) to the mound to oppose Reds lefty Nick Lodolo (9-4, 3.99) as the series continues Saturday night.

⚾Bobby Witt Jr. collects 3 hits as Royals beat the Reds

OLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Will Howard has won Ohio State's quarterback battle against Devin Brown and will be the starter when the No. 2 Buckeyes open against Akron on Aug. 31, coach Ryan Day said Thursday.

Howard&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-state-howard-kansas-state-24e115277960806afc846754827b026f">transferred from Kansas State</a>&nbsp;after starting 28 games over four seasons, and he graded out the highest through nearly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-state-buckeyes-camp-big-ten-0df283ff7b01f0d4a2314da14dc945cc">30 practices over the spring and preseason</a>.

Brown is the No. 2 quarterback, but Day said Lincoln Kienholz, Julian Sayin and Air Noland would be given an opportunity to continue competing for the top backup job.

“We're excited about Will being the starter,” Day said. “Will has really taken a command of the offense, I believe. You feel him in the huddle, you feel his experience. He did a real good job of changing his body in the offseason so he's become a threat both with his legs and his arm.”

Howard led Kansas State to the 2022 Big 12 championship and set the school career record with 48 touchdown passes. He tied the K-State single-season record with 24 TD passes last season. He also rushed for 921 yards and 19 TDs in his career for the Wildcats.

Day said Howard had an excellent summer coming off an up-and-down spring, and he showed up to preseason practice with a much greater understanding of coordinator Chip Kelly's offensive system.

“You could see him playing faster, his feet were moving, the ball was coming out with more pace,” Day said. “After the first week, you started to see him take control, make good decisions.”

It was the second straight year Brown has been beaten out. Last year he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-state-kyle-mccord-quarterback-9ba04d6e9bd9311273cef7033ebcfa1c">lost a close competition</a>&nbsp;against Kyle McCord, who transferred to Syracuse after the season.

“Devin has shown the ability to do just about everything we ask him to do,” Day said. “It's the consistency part and taking care of the football part that he's got to make sure he does a great job of moving forward. If he can do that, he can play and be a contributor for us.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699750714350.png" alt="Howard-photo KSU Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Howard-photo KSU Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>OLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Will Howard has won Ohio State's quarterback battle against Devin Brown and will be the starter when the No. 2 Buckeyes open against Akron on Aug. 31, coach Ryan Day said Thursday.Howard&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-state-howard-kansas-state-24e115277960806afc846754827b026f">transferred from Kansas State</a>&nbsp;after starting 28 games over four seasons, and he graded out the highest through nearly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-state-buckeyes-camp-big-ten-0df283ff7b01f0d4a2314da14dc945cc">30 practices over the spring and preseason</a>.Brown is the No. 2 quarterback, but Day said Lincoln Kienholz, Julian Sayin and Air Noland would be given an opportunity to continue competing for the top backup job.“We're excited about Will being the starter,” Day said. “Will has really taken a command of the offense, I believe. You feel him in the huddle, you feel his experience. He did a real good job of changing his body in the offseason so he's become a threat both with his legs and his arm.”Howard led Kansas State to the 2022 Big 12 championship and set the school career record with 48 touchdown passes. He tied the K-State single-season record with 24 TD passes last season. He also rushed for 921 yards and 19 TDs in his career for the Wildcats.Day said Howard had an excellent summer coming off an up-and-down spring, and he showed up to preseason practice with a much greater understanding of coordinator Chip Kelly's offensive system.“You could see him playing faster, his feet were moving, the ball was coming out with more pace,” Day said. “After the first week, you started to see him take control, make good decisions.”It was the second straight year Brown has been beaten out. Last year he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-state-kyle-mccord-quarterback-9ba04d6e9bd9311273cef7033ebcfa1c">lost a close competition</a>&nbsp;against Kyle McCord, who transferred to Syracuse after the season.“Devin has shown the ability to do just about everything we ask him to do,” Day said. “It's the consistency part and taking care of the football part that he's got to make sure he does a great job of moving forward. If he can do that, he can play and be a contributor for us.”

Former KSU standout wins quarterback competition at Ohio State

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. homered on a pitch outside the strike zone for the fourth time this season and Paul DeJong finished a triple short of the cycle, helping the Kansas City Royals beat the Minnesota Twins 4-1 Wednesday to avoid a series sweep.

Witt homered into the left-center bullpen on a shoulder-high, full-count fastball from Louie Varland (0-5) in the third inning, putting the Royals ahead 2-0 with his 24th home run this season. The pitch was 4.07 feet above the ground, the highest hit by a Kansas City player for a home run since pitch tracking started in 2008, according to MLB Statcast.

Witt leads the major leagues with a .349 average.

DeJong doubled in the second inning and scored on Kyle Isbel's groundout, singled in the fourth and homered in the sixth. DeJong reached 20 homers for the first time since hitting a career-high 30 for St. Louis in 2019, when he was an All-Star.

Cole Ragans (10-7) struck out eight and walked none in seven innings, allowing one run and five hits. He has won three straight starts for the first time as a major leaguer.

Mixing 20 changeups, 12 knuckle-curves, 11 sliders and nine cutters with 54 fastballs that averaged 95.3 mph, the All-Star retired 13 of his first 15 batters and his final six. He gave up Carlos Santana's fourth-inning homer on a changeup, then stranded the bases loaded in the fifth when Royce Lewis grounded out.

Lucas Erceg induced two groundouts and a popup in a 13-pitch outing for his fifth save in eight chances.

Kansas City (66-55) is in position for the third AL wild card berth while the Twins (67-53) are on track for the second wild card spot. The Royals are 3-7 against the Twins this season and 14-28 against Minnesota since 2022.

Varland gave up three runs and eight hits in six innings, remaining winless since Sept. 12. He was recalled from St. Paul by the Twins, who optioned right-hander Josh Winder to the Triple-A club.

Vinnie Pasquantino added an RBI double in the seventh on a 100.3 mph pitch from Jhoan Duran.

Royals: INF Michael Massey (back tightness) didn't play.

Twins: Manager Rocco Baldelli said OF Byron Buxton will likely remain out of the lineup “not a long while, but a little while.” Buxton&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/twins-buxton-injury-415d16c520152c86c0eebce042f9ed8a">exited</a>&nbsp;Monday's game with right hip discomfort, but an MRI test did not show a significant issue.

Royals: RHP Michael Lorenzen (5-6, 3.79 ERA) is set to open Kansas City's three-game series in Cincinnati against Reds RHP Nick Martinez (6-5, 3.16) on Friday.

Twins: RHP Bailey Ober (12-5, 3.52 ERA) is to be on the mound on Thursday night at Texas, which starts LHP Cody Bradford (4-0, 3.60).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723667063976.jpeg" alt="Bobby Witt Jr., right, celebrates his solo home run with Royals teammate Vinnie Pasquantino, left, during the third inning Wednesday at Target Field. (Matt Krohn/Associated Press)" />
 <figcaption>Bobby Witt Jr., right, celebrates his solo home run with Royals teammate Vinnie Pasquantino, left, during the third inning Wednesday at Target Field. (Matt Krohn/Associated Press)</figcaption>
 </figure>MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. homered on a pitch outside the strike zone for the fourth time this season and Paul DeJong finished a triple short of the cycle, helping the Kansas City Royals beat the Minnesota Twins 4-1 Wednesday to avoid a series sweep.Witt homered into the left-center bullpen on a shoulder-high, full-count fastball from Louie Varland (0-5) in the third inning, putting the Royals ahead 2-0 with his 24th home run this season. The pitch was 4.07 feet above the ground, the highest hit by a Kansas City player for a home run since pitch tracking started in 2008, according to MLB Statcast.Witt leads the major leagues with a .349 average.DeJong doubled in the second inning and scored on Kyle Isbel's groundout, singled in the fourth and homered in the sixth. DeJong reached 20 homers for the first time since hitting a career-high 30 for St. Louis in 2019, when he was an All-Star.Cole Ragans (10-7) struck out eight and walked none in seven innings, allowing one run and five hits. He has won three straight starts for the first time as a major leaguer.Mixing 20 changeups, 12 knuckle-curves, 11 sliders and nine cutters with 54 fastballs that averaged 95.3 mph, the All-Star retired 13 of his first 15 batters and his final six. He gave up Carlos Santana's fourth-inning homer on a changeup, then stranded the bases loaded in the fifth when Royce Lewis grounded out.Lucas Erceg induced two groundouts and a popup in a 13-pitch outing for his fifth save in eight chances.Kansas City (66-55) is in position for the third AL wild card berth while the Twins (67-53) are on track for the second wild card spot. The Royals are 3-7 against the Twins this season and 14-28 against Minnesota since 2022.Varland gave up three runs and eight hits in six innings, remaining winless since Sept. 12. He was recalled from St. Paul by the Twins, who optioned right-hander Josh Winder to the Triple-A club.Vinnie Pasquantino added an RBI double in the seventh on a 100.3 mph pitch from Jhoan Duran.TRAINER'S ROOMRoyals: INF Michael Massey (back tightness) didn't play.Twins: Manager Rocco Baldelli said OF Byron Buxton will likely remain out of the lineup “not a long while, but a little while.” Buxton&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/twins-buxton-injury-415d16c520152c86c0eebce042f9ed8a">exited</a>&nbsp;Monday's game with right hip discomfort, but an MRI test did not show a significant issue.UP NEXTRoyals: RHP Michael Lorenzen (5-6, 3.79 ERA) is set to open Kansas City's three-game series in Cincinnati against Reds RHP Nick Martinez (6-5, 3.16) on Friday.Twins: RHP Bailey Ober (12-5, 3.52 ERA) is to be on the mound on Thursday night at Texas, which starts LHP Cody Bradford (4-0, 3.60).

⚾ Witt homers as Royals beat the Twins to avoid a sweep

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Zebby Matthews threw five crisp innings to win his major league debut for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/minnesota-twins">Minnesota Twins</a>, who hit Seth Lugo hard to hand the All-Star right-hander his worst start of the season and beat the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kansas-city-royals">Kansas City Royals</a>&nbsp;13-3 on Tuesday night.

Matthews (1-0) allowed two runs on five hits with no walks and five strikeouts, the latest and most meaningful feat for the 24-year-old right-hander who started the season in Class A.

Matt Wallner and Jose Miranda led the barrage against Lugo (13-7) from the middle of the batting order, and Max Kepler had a three-run homer and Kyle Farmer hit a two-run shot once the Twins reached the bullpen. Minnesota kept pace with AL Central leader Cleveland, still trailing by 3½ games. Kansas City fell six games back.

The Twins (67-52) and Royals (65-55) control the second and third wild-card spots, respectively.

The first four batters reached against Lugo, the major league wins leader who endured by far the shortest of his 25 starts this year. Already trailing 5-2, he gave up three hits and a walk to start the fifth before being pulled. Lugo had logged at least six innings in all but four of his turns until this.

Lugo was charged with nine hits, eight runs, two walks with four strikeouts. One run was unearned due to a throwing error on third baseman Maikel Garcia that put Miranda on and gave the Twins a fourth consecutive batter to reach base to start their first inning.

Christian Vázquez also homered for the Twins, who got three hits and two RBIs from Miranda, and three runs plus two hits and a walk from Wallner in their 15-hit attack — eight for extra bases. Wallner started the game with a leaping catch against the left field wall to steal a home run from Michael Massey.

Matthews didn't need much help after that. The eighth-round 2022 draft pick out of Western Carolina induced a steady stream of routine groundballs and showed off his stellar control. In 102 combined innings over four levels this season, Matthews has just seven walks and 119 strikeouts.

The Twins have won 18 of their last 20 games against the Royals at Target Field, a stretch of dominance during which they’ve outscored them 123-56. The Twins are 7-2 against the Royals overall this year.

Twins CF Byron Buxton was held out of the lineup with a discomfort in his right hip that prompted his early removal from the game on Monday, but an MRI test came back clean so the 10th-year veteran's status remained day to day.

Royals: LHP Cole Ragans (9-7, 3.27 ERA) will pitch on Wednesday afternoon.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723628633213.jpeg" alt="Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Zebby Matthews throws to the Kansas City Royals in the first inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)" />
 <figcaption>Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Zebby Matthews throws to the Kansas City Royals in the first inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)</figcaption>
 </figure>MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Zebby Matthews threw five crisp innings to win his major league debut for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/minnesota-twins">Minnesota Twins</a>, who hit Seth Lugo hard to hand the All-Star right-hander his worst start of the season and beat the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kansas-city-royals">Kansas City Royals</a>&nbsp;13-3 on Tuesday night.Matthews (1-0) allowed two runs on five hits with no walks and five strikeouts, the latest and most meaningful feat for the 24-year-old right-hander who started the season in Class A.Matt Wallner and Jose Miranda led the barrage against Lugo (13-7) from the middle of the batting order, and Max Kepler had a three-run homer and Kyle Farmer hit a two-run shot once the Twins reached the bullpen. Minnesota kept pace with AL Central leader Cleveland, still trailing by 3½ games. Kansas City fell six games back.The Twins (67-52) and Royals (65-55) control the second and third wild-card spots, respectively.The first four batters reached against Lugo, the major league wins leader who endured by far the shortest of his 25 starts this year. Already trailing 5-2, he gave up three hits and a walk to start the fifth before being pulled. Lugo had logged at least six innings in all but four of his turns until this.Lugo was charged with nine hits, eight runs, two walks with four strikeouts. One run was unearned due to a throwing error on third baseman Maikel Garcia that put Miranda on and gave the Twins a fourth consecutive batter to reach base to start their first inning.Christian Vázquez also homered for the Twins, who got three hits and two RBIs from Miranda, and three runs plus two hits and a walk from Wallner in their 15-hit attack — eight for extra bases. Wallner started the game with a leaping catch against the left field wall to steal a home run from Michael Massey.Matthews didn't need much help after that. The eighth-round 2022 draft pick out of Western Carolina induced a steady stream of routine groundballs and showed off his stellar control. In 102 combined innings over four levels this season, Matthews has just seven walks and 119 strikeouts.The Twins have won 18 of their last 20 games against the Royals at Target Field, a stretch of dominance during which they’ve outscored them 123-56. The Twins are 7-2 against the Royals overall this year.TRAINER'S ROOMTwins CF Byron Buxton was held out of the lineup with a discomfort in his right hip that prompted his early removal from the game on Monday, but an MRI test came back clean so the 10th-year veteran's status remained day to day.UP NEXTRoyals: LHP Cole Ragans (9-7, 3.27 ERA) will pitch on Wednesday afternoon.

⚾ Twins clobber Royals to win in debut of pitcher Zebby Matthews

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Willi Castro had a three-run home run and Royce Lewis hit a two-run shot in a six-run second inning for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/minnesota-twins">Minnesota Twins</a>&nbsp;on the way to an 8-3 victory over the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kansas-city-royals">Kansas City Royals</a>&nbsp;to open a key series between the division rivals and close wild card competitors on Monday night.

“If we keep playing like this, a game like today, we’re going to be a good spot at the end of the year,” Castro said.

Pablo López (11-8) finished six innings with two earned runs allowed for his third win in four starts for the Twins. He fell behind on a first-inning home run by Bobby Witt Jr. and an RBI single in the second by Kyle Isbel, who had three hits, but the Twins overwhelmed Royals starter Brady Singer (8-8) after that.

The Twins, who improved to 6-2 against the Royals this season, remained 3 1/2 games behind American League Central leader Cleveland after splitting a four-game series with the Guardians during the weekend. The third-place Royals dropped to five games back.

“We pay enough attention to it because it’s everywhere: it’s on social media, it’s in the MLB app, it’s on the scoreboard, it’s in every ballpark when you walk in and the scoreboard has standings,” López said. “So you’re aware of it, but we like to be in the mindset that we control our own destiny.”

The Twins (66-52) occupy the second AL wild card spot. The Royals (65-54) control the third spot, with a two-game cushion above the cut in their refreshing push to return to the playoffs for the first time since they won the 2015 World Series.

Six consecutive batters reached with two outs against Singer, whose first three starts out of the All-Star break were superb before some vulnerability for the fifth-year right-hander in his last two turns.

After Austin Martin started the onslaught with an RBI single, Castro hit his ninth homer to set a career high as his helmet tumbled off on the exuberant turn around second base. Lewis then unloaded to finish an eight-pitch at-bat for his 15th home run — in just 40 games — this season.

“That’s the inning that messed up the whole night," said Singer, who hadn't given up a homer since July 14. "Obviously I would like to have that back.”

Witt was hit by a 95 mph fastball on the forearm by López, but the major league batting leader — who also has the most games, hits and runs in baseball — was able to stay in.

Royals: 2B Michael Massey batted leadoff after being scratched from the lineup with tightness in his back two days ago. The team had a rare Sunday off after a two-game series against interleague rival St. Louis. Massey had two different stints on the injured list this season with back trouble.

Twins: CF Byron Buxton departed after the fifth inning with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/twins-buxton-injury-415d16c520152c86c0eebce042f9ed8a">discomfort in his right hip</a>.

Royals: RHP Seth Lugo (13-6, 2.72 ERA) will pitch on Tuesday night. Lugo, who leads MLB in wins and is second in innings, is 8-2 with a 2.37 ERA in 12 starts on the road this season.

Twins: RHP Zebby Matthews, who began the year in Class A, is scheduled to make his major league debut in the middle game of the series as the rotation gets reshuffled following the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/twins-injuries-joe-ryan-fc233dd9caf207f75bb976e31b19fe07">injury to Joe Ryan</a>.

Matthews had yet to be added to the roster but was in the clubhouse on Monday afternoon after being summoned from Triple-A St. Paul. The native of North Carolina, an eighth-round draft pick in 2022, was expecting family and friends in a group of at least 20 people to be at Target Field on Tuesday.

“Most of them were kind of in shock. They couldn’t believe this was actually happening because of where I started, but they’re really excited for me,” Matthews said. "They’ve all played a big piece in my journey along the way, so being able to tell them and then having them up here tomorrow will be special.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723542270059.jpeg" alt="Minnesota Twins' Willi Castro runs the bases on his three-run home run against the Kansas City Royals in the second inning of a baseball game Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)" />
 <figcaption>Minnesota Twins' Willi Castro runs the bases on his three-run home run against the Kansas City Royals in the second inning of a baseball game Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)</figcaption>
 </figure>MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Willi Castro had a three-run home run and Royce Lewis hit a two-run shot in a six-run second inning for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/minnesota-twins">Minnesota Twins</a>&nbsp;on the way to an 8-3 victory over the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kansas-city-royals">Kansas City Royals</a>&nbsp;to open a key series between the division rivals and close wild card competitors on Monday night.“If we keep playing like this, a game like today, we’re going to be a good spot at the end of the year,” Castro said.Pablo López (11-8) finished six innings with two earned runs allowed for his third win in four starts for the Twins. He fell behind on a first-inning home run by Bobby Witt Jr. and an RBI single in the second by Kyle Isbel, who had three hits, but the Twins overwhelmed Royals starter Brady Singer (8-8) after that.The Twins, who improved to 6-2 against the Royals this season, remained 3 1/2 games behind American League Central leader Cleveland after splitting a four-game series with the Guardians during the weekend. The third-place Royals dropped to five games back.“We pay enough attention to it because it’s everywhere: it’s on social media, it’s in the MLB app, it’s on the scoreboard, it’s in every ballpark when you walk in and the scoreboard has standings,” López said. “So you’re aware of it, but we like to be in the mindset that we control our own destiny.”The Twins (66-52) occupy the second AL wild card spot. The Royals (65-54) control the third spot, with a two-game cushion above the cut in their refreshing push to return to the playoffs for the first time since they won the 2015 World Series.Six consecutive batters reached with two outs against Singer, whose first three starts out of the All-Star break were superb before some vulnerability for the fifth-year right-hander in his last two turns.After Austin Martin started the onslaught with an RBI single, Castro hit his ninth homer to set a career high as his helmet tumbled off on the exuberant turn around second base. Lewis then unloaded to finish an eight-pitch at-bat for his 15th home run — in just 40 games — this season.“That’s the inning that messed up the whole night," said Singer, who hadn't given up a homer since July 14. "Obviously I would like to have that back.”Witt was hit by a 95 mph fastball on the forearm by López, but the major league batting leader — who also has the most games, hits and runs in baseball — was able to stay in.TRAINER'S ROOMRoyals: 2B Michael Massey batted leadoff after being scratched from the lineup with tightness in his back two days ago. The team had a rare Sunday off after a two-game series against interleague rival St. Louis. Massey had two different stints on the injured list this season with back trouble.Twins: CF Byron Buxton departed after the fifth inning with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/twins-buxton-injury-415d16c520152c86c0eebce042f9ed8a">discomfort in his right hip</a>.UP NEXTRoyals: RHP Seth Lugo (13-6, 2.72 ERA) will pitch on Tuesday night. Lugo, who leads MLB in wins and is second in innings, is 8-2 with a 2.37 ERA in 12 starts on the road this season.Twins: RHP Zebby Matthews, who began the year in Class A, is scheduled to make his major league debut in the middle game of the series as the rotation gets reshuffled following the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/twins-injuries-joe-ryan-fc233dd9caf207f75bb976e31b19fe07">injury to Joe Ryan</a>.Matthews had yet to be added to the roster but was in the clubhouse on Monday afternoon after being summoned from Triple-A St. Paul. The native of North Carolina, an eighth-round draft pick in 2022, was expecting family and friends in a group of at least 20 people to be at Target Field on Tuesday.“Most of them were kind of in shock. They couldn’t believe this was actually happening because of where I started, but they’re really excited for me,” Matthews said. "They’ve all played a big piece in my journey along the way, so being able to tell them and then having them up here tomorrow will be special.”

⚾ Twins beat Royals with 6-run 2nd inning

<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Archive=23469&amp;type=Archive" target="_blank">Watch Coach Malone’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/podcasts/van-malone-press-conference-august-12-2024/4873" target="_blank">Listen to Coach Malone’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/podcasts/defensive-assistants-august-12-2024/4874" target="_blank">Listen to Defensive Assistant Coaches</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kstatesports.evenue.net/events/FBSG" target="_blank">Buy Tickets</a>

<a href="https://kstatesports.evenue.net/events/FBSG" target="_blank"></a>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State assistant head coach/cornerbacks coach&nbsp;Van Malone&nbsp;– along with linebackers coach&nbsp;Steve Stanard, defensive tackles coach&nbsp;Mike Tuiasosopo&nbsp;and defensive ends coach&nbsp;Buddy Wyatt&nbsp;– met with members of the media on Monday at the Vanier Family Football Complex. Links to video and audio of Malone’s press conference and breakout interviews with the defensive assistants are above, while a transcript of Malone’s opening statement is below.

VAN MALONE, ASSISTANT HEAD COACH/CORNERBACKS

“First of all, I want to thank you guys for all that you do. There are some places around the country that the relationship with the media is not positive, and it’s definitely not as good as it is here. We really appreciate you for what you do.

“I want to advise you that this message will kind of sound like a broken record, but actually, I know there's only one person in this room that knows what a record player looks like. I'm not going to call any names, but his initials is, uh, Wyatt Thompson. But actually, yeah, maybe a few other guys do as well. So, I'm going to use young people's terms, and I'm going to say this message will kind of sound more like a corrupted file. That's kind of what you guys are used to.

“Every year there's a ton of excitement for the season, especially this program with the expectations, but I think it's important that we note that there's a whole lot of people in our program behind the scenes that make it go. They really make it go. As coaches, yeah, we are on the field and we're yelling and screaming from practice to the games, but there are people on our staff, people like Riley Galpin, who does a great job in recruiting; like Matt Greenwald, who works in athletic training; Bill Banks, of course, in academics over the years – our guys have performed exceptionally well in the classroom; Ellie Yuska in nutrition; and Isaac Lopez in the weight room with our strength staff. They do a great job. Yeah, the people who run those departments, they also get a lot of glory, but at 5:30 in the morning, these people are behind the scenes making this program go. So, I think it's important that we always acknowledge the work that they do.

“Here this fall camp, I really, personally, have tried to pay close attention to what's going on in the other parts of the team because I know, as I try to learn from Coach Klieman in this role, just having a more holistic view of our team. Of course, I know what's going on with the cornerbacks. Of course, I know what's going on in the secondary. Of course, I know what's going on from a defensive standpoint, but this fall camp, I've really tried to make an effort to really see the team from a different vision.

“When I think about the offense, I don't necessarily believe in monsters. If you saw a man walking down the street with like eight arms or saw a guy with like, 10 heads, right, I would classify him as a monster, and that's when I watch our offense. That's kind of what I see. You know what I mean? I see a lot of weapons, and I see our offensive staff using them very effectively. I don't like watching it versus our defense, but I think I'm going to, just like you, be really excited about what we see in the season from our offense as a whole, especially from the skill players. But, the offensive linemen as I've kind of checked them out, and I have relationships with some of these guys. I try to hang around the offensive linemen as a cornerback coach more than any other offensive player. The guys that I've, honestly, on the football field watched, and seen them do some really good things or some common names, but Andrew Leingang, Hadley Panzer, Carver Willis and Taylor Poitier, those guys, again, they’re the mainstays in that offensive line, but this fall camp, I've really been impressed what I've seen from them.

“In the tight end room, from Will Swanson, I've been impressed with him. Garrett Oakley, I think, is going to do some big things for us in the tight end room, as well – both of those guys this season. The wide receivers, who every day I get an opportunity to experience the trash talking that they can give, but from an athletic standpoint, from a performance standpoint, it's really been exciting to watch Keagan Johnson operate in a healthy mode. I’ve just been really impressed with what he's done. I've been impressed with Tre Spivey and his size and his ability to be able to stretch the field. Dante Cephas, a new guy on our team, I’ve been impressed with what he's done. Andre Davis, a younger guy who is a massive player, I've been impressed with his development and watching him be able to go out and perform. Then Sterling Lockett, who, of course, we know the name, but Sterling is continuing to emerge, continuing to develop in that room.

“At the running back position, I don't have to say his whole name, you just say ‘DJ,’ and I've been impressed with his leadership, impressed with his abilities that he's shown when he's been on the field. That's all I'm going to say about him. Joe Jackson, I’ve been impressed with what he's done this fall camp, not only at running back, but what he's done as a special teams player. He's really developed, really improved over being just a little young kid running around. So, I've been impressed with him. Then, Dylan Edwards… that's it. The guy can fly, and he's done it over and over again. So, I'm excited about how our offense is going to be able to use him.

“Avery again, he's another guy that you just pause and you don't have to say anything. You just watch him. I’ve been impressed with Avery, of course, with what he does on the field, but been impressed with how he has taken ownership of the team, and how through the winter conditioning, through the summertime, especially in the fall camp, how he's done a great job of being the leader of our whole team, and not just the offense. I’ve been impressed as well with Ta’Quan Roberson, a new guy on our team.

“When you switch to the defense, Brendan Mott, Jordan Allen, Tobi Osunsanmi and Damian Ilalio, those guys have been really impressive – and at times, even dominant – on the (defensive) line. Austin Moore, a mainstay – and I know every coach and every player who would come in here and talk about our team and the effective leadership that we have, they would mention Austin Moore's name, and I want to make sure I do the same. Asa Newsom, I've been impressed with how he's performed. Des (Desmond) Purnell, kind of like Austin, a guy who's been around and played quite a bit of football for us, but he's been consistent this fall. That's been really cool to see. I've been impressed with a few emerging guys in the safety room. Of course, we have those names, but guys like Wesley Fair, Jack Fabris and Colby McCalister, those guys, in my eyes, had just really started to show themselves in fall camp, and it's been impressive.

“In the cornerback room, Justice James, Donovan McIntosh, Jordan Dunbar, Kanijal Thomas, I put quite a bit of pressure on those guys in fall camp to step up to the plate, to find roles within that position group and on this team. I’ve been impressed and pleased with what they’ve done. We have a tenet that we go by in the cornerback room. We call it the four L's – we love one another, we lower the boom, we're lightning quick, and we're long and lean. Now everybody can't say they’re long and lean, but I think those other things, those other tenets, I’ve just been impressed in fall camp with what those guys have been able to show in those ways.

“Then as a specialist, Chris Tennant, man, I remember watching that kid walk in here as a very young player, and now I just see him operate with an incredible amount of confidence.

“As far as our team, where we are and how we develop here in this fall camp, I couldn't be more impressed with where we are from an accountability, from a leadership standpoint, of young guys being directed by players on our team, by the leaders, by the older players on our team. We have a leadership council where we have a few guys that we select as leaders, but the leadership that I'm seeing is not just those guys on leadership council, not just those names of guys you would call captains of our team. There’s leadership all over the place. That, for what Coach Klieman – the head coach – has said, this is their team, and they're really exhibiting that, not only in fall camp, but they've done it throughout the summer.”

Associate Athletics Director for Communications

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723501296549.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Archive=23469&amp;type=Archive" target="_blank">Watch Coach Malone’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/podcasts/van-malone-press-conference-august-12-2024/4873" target="_blank">Listen to Coach Malone’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/podcasts/defensive-assistants-august-12-2024/4874" target="_blank">Listen to Defensive Assistant Coaches</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kstatesports.evenue.net/events/FBSG" target="_blank">Buy Tickets</a><a href="https://kstatesports.evenue.net/events/FBSG" target="_blank"></a>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State assistant head coach/cornerbacks coach&nbsp;Van Malone&nbsp;– along with linebackers coach&nbsp;Steve Stanard, defensive tackles coach&nbsp;Mike Tuiasosopo&nbsp;and defensive ends coach&nbsp;Buddy Wyatt&nbsp;– met with members of the media on Monday at the Vanier Family Football Complex. Links to video and audio of Malone’s press conference and breakout interviews with the defensive assistants are above, while a transcript of Malone’s opening statement is below.VAN MALONE, ASSISTANT HEAD COACH/CORNERBACKSOpening Statement…“First of all, I want to thank you guys for all that you do. There are some places around the country that the relationship with the media is not positive, and it’s definitely not as good as it is here. We really appreciate you for what you do.“I want to advise you that this message will kind of sound like a broken record, but actually, I know there's only one person in this room that knows what a record player looks like. I'm not going to call any names, but his initials is, uh, Wyatt Thompson. But actually, yeah, maybe a few other guys do as well. So, I'm going to use young people's terms, and I'm going to say this message will kind of sound more like a corrupted file. That's kind of what you guys are used to.“Every year there's a ton of excitement for the season, especially this program with the expectations, but I think it's important that we note that there's a whole lot of people in our program behind the scenes that make it go. They really make it go. As coaches, yeah, we are on the field and we're yelling and screaming from practice to the games, but there are people on our staff, people like Riley Galpin, who does a great job in recruiting; like Matt Greenwald, who works in athletic training; Bill Banks, of course, in academics over the years – our guys have performed exceptionally well in the classroom; Ellie Yuska in nutrition; and Isaac Lopez in the weight room with our strength staff. They do a great job. Yeah, the people who run those departments, they also get a lot of glory, but at 5:30 in the morning, these people are behind the scenes making this program go. So, I think it's important that we always acknowledge the work that they do.“Here this fall camp, I really, personally, have tried to pay close attention to what's going on in the other parts of the team because I know, as I try to learn from Coach Klieman in this role, just having a more holistic view of our team. Of course, I know what's going on with the cornerbacks. Of course, I know what's going on in the secondary. Of course, I know what's going on from a defensive standpoint, but this fall camp, I've really tried to make an effort to really see the team from a different vision.“When I think about the offense, I don't necessarily believe in monsters. If you saw a man walking down the street with like eight arms or saw a guy with like, 10 heads, right, I would classify him as a monster, and that's when I watch our offense. That's kind of what I see. You know what I mean? I see a lot of weapons, and I see our offensive staff using them very effectively. I don't like watching it versus our defense, but I think I'm going to, just like you, be really excited about what we see in the season from our offense as a whole, especially from the skill players. But, the offensive linemen as I've kind of checked them out, and I have relationships with some of these guys. I try to hang around the offensive linemen as a cornerback coach more than any other offensive player. The guys that I've, honestly, on the football field watched, and seen them do some really good things or some common names, but Andrew Leingang, Hadley Panzer, Carver Willis and Taylor Poitier, those guys, again, they’re the mainstays in that offensive line, but this fall camp, I've really been impressed what I've seen from them.“In the tight end room, from Will Swanson, I've been impressed with him. Garrett Oakley, I think, is going to do some big things for us in the tight end room, as well – both of those guys this season. The wide receivers, who every day I get an opportunity to experience the trash talking that they can give, but from an athletic standpoint, from a performance standpoint, it's really been exciting to watch Keagan Johnson operate in a healthy mode. I’ve just been really impressed with what he's done. I've been impressed with Tre Spivey and his size and his ability to be able to stretch the field. Dante Cephas, a new guy on our team, I’ve been impressed with what he's done. Andre Davis, a younger guy who is a massive player, I've been impressed with his development and watching him be able to go out and perform. Then Sterling Lockett, who, of course, we know the name, but Sterling is continuing to emerge, continuing to develop in that room.“At the running back position, I don't have to say his whole name, you just say ‘DJ,’ and I've been impressed with his leadership, impressed with his abilities that he's shown when he's been on the field. That's all I'm going to say about him. Joe Jackson, I’ve been impressed with what he's done this fall camp, not only at running back, but what he's done as a special teams player. He's really developed, really improved over being just a little young kid running around. So, I've been impressed with him. Then, Dylan Edwards… that's it. The guy can fly, and he's done it over and over again. So, I'm excited about how our offense is going to be able to use him.“Avery again, he's another guy that you just pause and you don't have to say anything. You just watch him. I’ve been impressed with Avery, of course, with what he does on the field, but been impressed with how he has taken ownership of the team, and how through the winter conditioning, through the summertime, especially in the fall camp, how he's done a great job of being the leader of our whole team, and not just the offense. I’ve been impressed as well with Ta’Quan Roberson, a new guy on our team.“When you switch to the defense, Brendan Mott, Jordan Allen, Tobi Osunsanmi and Damian Ilalio, those guys have been really impressive – and at times, even dominant – on the (defensive) line. Austin Moore, a mainstay – and I know every coach and every player who would come in here and talk about our team and the effective leadership that we have, they would mention Austin Moore's name, and I want to make sure I do the same. Asa Newsom, I've been impressed with how he's performed. Des (Desmond) Purnell, kind of like Austin, a guy who's been around and played quite a bit of football for us, but he's been consistent this fall. That's been really cool to see. I've been impressed with a few emerging guys in the safety room. Of course, we have those names, but guys like Wesley Fair, Jack Fabris and Colby McCalister, those guys, in my eyes, had just really started to show themselves in fall camp, and it's been impressive.“In the cornerback room, Justice James, Donovan McIntosh, Jordan Dunbar, Kanijal Thomas, I put quite a bit of pressure on those guys in fall camp to step up to the plate, to find roles within that position group and on this team. I’ve been impressed and pleased with what they’ve done. We have a tenet that we go by in the cornerback room. We call it the four L's – we love one another, we lower the boom, we're lightning quick, and we're long and lean. Now everybody can't say they’re long and lean, but I think those other things, those other tenets, I’ve just been impressed in fall camp with what those guys have been able to show in those ways.“Then as a specialist, Chris Tennant, man, I remember watching that kid walk in here as a very young player, and now I just see him operate with an incredible amount of confidence.“As far as our team, where we are and how we develop here in this fall camp, I couldn't be more impressed with where we are from an accountability, from a leadership standpoint, of young guys being directed by players on our team, by the leaders, by the older players on our team. We have a leadership council where we have a few guys that we select as leaders, but the leadership that I'm seeing is not just those guys on leadership council, not just those names of guys you would call captains of our team. There’s leadership all over the place. That, for what Coach Klieman – the head coach – has said, this is their team, and they're really exhibiting that, not only in fall camp, but they've done it throughout the summer.”– k-statesports.com –&nbsp;RYAN LACKEYAssociate Athletics Director for Communications

K-State’s Malone, Defensive Assistants Meet Media on Monday

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Parker Washington delivered the longest return under the NFL’s new kickoff rules —&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Jaguars/status/1822412003433923070">an ankle-breaking, 73-yarder that set up an early touchdown</a>&nbsp;— and the Jacksonville Jaguars beat two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs 26-13 in a preseason game Saturday night.

Washington made at least five tacklers miss before finally going down at the Chiefs’ 30-yard line.&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1822413318264623461">Trevor Lawrence found running back Travis Etienne for a 9-yard score</a>&nbsp;four plays later to give the Jaguars the two biggest highlights of the game.

Chiefs receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, who signed a one-year, $7 million contract in March, landed awkwardly on a shoulder following an 11-yard reception on the opening play and did not return.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce and Kansas City’s other starters played a series before watching the rest from the sideline. Mahomes drove the Chiefs into field-goal range and might have done more had Rashee Rice not dropped a third-down pass over the middle.

Washington, meanwhile, made the most of every opportunity.

The second-year pro, a sixth-round draft pick in 2023 from Penn State, turned heads with the kickoff return and then added a 13-yard punt return. He later chipped in a 10-yard catch in which he slipped out of Keith Taylor’s grasp.

The Jaguars have raved about Washington since training camp opened, and he showed up under the lights. He’s expected to be the team’s No. 4 receiver in a room that includes Christian Kirk, Gabe Davis and first-round rookie Brian Thomas Jr.

Washington gave the Chiefs plenty to work on moving forward. Covering kickoffs has to be an area of emphasis for them.

After Jacksonville went ahead 18-10 on&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Jaguars/status/1822430364746367133">C.J. Beathard’s 44-yard TD pass to speedster Devin Duvernay</a>, Mecole Hardman tried to down a kickoff that bounced in and out of the end zone. Officials huddled, checked the replay and ruled it a safety.

“I think that’s kind of the first time that’s ever happened,” Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said at halftime. “With the new kickoff rule, the ball is always live, even when it hits in the end zone.”

Jacksonville’s Tank Bigsby looked like he was going to return the ensuing kickoff for a score — kicker Harrison Butker showed no interest in trying to tackle the 215-pound running back — but Bigsby tripped near midfield.

Officials overturned Jaguars cornerback Christian Braswell’s 52-yard fumble return for a touchdown late in the third. Braswell stripped the ball from Nikko Remigio following a 29-yard reception in which he landed on the ground and got up to gain more yards.

Officials ruled Braswell touched Remigio while he was still on the ground, but few in the stands and none on Jacksonville’s sideline agreed.

Thomas, the 23rd overall pick in April from LSU, had the catch of the night for Jacksonville. Thomas&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1822421357621387698">hauled in a 41-yarder from Beathard in the first quarter</a>&nbsp;despite having cornerback Joshua Williams draped all over him. Williams was flagged for pass interference. It was Thomas’ lone reception.

Kansas City’s Xavier Worthy, selected five picks after Thomas, started but wasn’t even targeted in the game.

The Jaguars held out eight players, including starting defensive backs Darnell Savage (shoulder) and Tyson Campbell (ankle). They also held out two starting offensive linemen: left guard Ezra Cleveland (heel) and right tackle Anton Harrison (concussion protocol).

Second-year linebacker Ventrell Miller, who missed all of last season after tearing his right Achilles tendon, left the game briefly with a right shoulder injury but later returned.

Chiefs guard McKade Mettauer limped off the field in the fourth with a left knee injury after getting caught in a pile. Rookie linebacker Curtis Jacobs also was shaken up late.

The Jaguars host Tampa Bay next Saturday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723343108482.png" alt="Photo Kansas City Chiefs" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas City Chiefs</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Parker Washington delivered the longest return under the NFL’s new kickoff rules —&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Jaguars/status/1822412003433923070">an ankle-breaking, 73-yarder that set up an early touchdown</a>&nbsp;— and the Jacksonville Jaguars beat two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs 26-13 in a preseason game Saturday night.Washington made at least five tacklers miss before finally going down at the Chiefs’ 30-yard line.&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1822413318264623461">Trevor Lawrence found running back Travis Etienne for a 9-yard score</a>&nbsp;four plays later to give the Jaguars the two biggest highlights of the game.Chiefs receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, who signed a one-year, $7 million contract in March, landed awkwardly on a shoulder following an 11-yard reception on the opening play and did not return.Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce and Kansas City’s other starters played a series before watching the rest from the sideline. Mahomes drove the Chiefs into field-goal range and might have done more had Rashee Rice not dropped a third-down pass over the middle.Washington, meanwhile, made the most of every opportunity.The second-year pro, a sixth-round draft pick in 2023 from Penn State, turned heads with the kickoff return and then added a 13-yard punt return. He later chipped in a 10-yard catch in which he slipped out of Keith Taylor’s grasp.The Jaguars have raved about Washington since training camp opened, and he showed up under the lights. He’s expected to be the team’s No. 4 receiver in a room that includes Christian Kirk, Gabe Davis and first-round rookie Brian Thomas Jr.Washington gave the Chiefs plenty to work on moving forward. Covering kickoffs has to be an area of emphasis for them.After Jacksonville went ahead 18-10 on&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Jaguars/status/1822430364746367133">C.J. Beathard’s 44-yard TD pass to speedster Devin Duvernay</a>, Mecole Hardman tried to down a kickoff that bounced in and out of the end zone. Officials huddled, checked the replay and ruled it a safety.“I think that’s kind of the first time that’s ever happened,” Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said at halftime. “With the new kickoff rule, the ball is always live, even when it hits in the end zone.”Jacksonville’s Tank Bigsby looked like he was going to return the ensuing kickoff for a score — kicker Harrison Butker showed no interest in trying to tackle the 215-pound running back — but Bigsby tripped near midfield.QUESTIONABLE CALLOfficials overturned Jaguars cornerback Christian Braswell’s 52-yard fumble return for a touchdown late in the third. Braswell stripped the ball from Nikko Remigio following a 29-yard reception in which he landed on the ground and got up to gain more yards.Officials ruled Braswell touched Remigio while he was still on the ground, but few in the stands and none on Jacksonville’s sideline agreed.ROOKIE WATCHThomas, the 23rd overall pick in April from LSU, had the catch of the night for Jacksonville. Thomas&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1822421357621387698">hauled in a 41-yarder from Beathard in the first quarter</a>&nbsp;despite having cornerback Joshua Williams draped all over him. Williams was flagged for pass interference. It was Thomas’ lone reception.Kansas City’s Xavier Worthy, selected five picks after Thomas, started but wasn’t even targeted in the game.NOTABLE INJURIESThe Jaguars held out eight players, including starting defensive backs Darnell Savage (shoulder) and Tyson Campbell (ankle). They also held out two starting offensive linemen: left guard Ezra Cleveland (heel) and right tackle Anton Harrison (concussion protocol).Second-year linebacker Ventrell Miller, who missed all of last season after tearing his right Achilles tendon, left the game briefly with a right shoulder injury but later returned.Chiefs guard McKade Mettauer limped off the field in the fourth with a left knee injury after getting caught in a pile. Rookie linebacker Curtis Jacobs also was shaken up late.UP NEXTThe Chiefs host Detroit next Saturday.The Jaguars host Tampa Bay next Saturday.

🏈 Jags beat Super Bowl champion Chiefs in the preseason opener

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. drove in three runs and Michael Wacha struck out six in seven innings to lead the Kansas City Royals to an 8-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday night.

Maikel Garcia had an RBI single, Witt added an RBI triple and Salvador Perez hit a two-run, opposite field homer to right in the Royals’ four-run seventh inning.

The victory clinched the season season for Kansas City for the first time since 2016. The teams split the two-game series.

Wacha (9-6) gave up two runs on five hits with two walks. He has allowed two runs or fewer in eight of his 10 starts at Kauffman Stadium this season. Lucas Erceg recorded his fourth save.

Garcia gave the Royals a 3-2 lead in the seventh. Kyle Isbel gave Kansas City an insurance run in the eighth with an RBI triple. Freddy Fermin drove in his 31st run of the season.

Cardinals starter Andre Pallante pitched 5 2/3 innings, giving up two runs, one earned, on three hits with four walks with four strikeouts. Ryan Fernandez (1-4) took the loss in relief.

Paul Goldschmidt hit a 430-foot, two-run home run, his 18th of the season, to give the Cardinals a lead in the second inning. Nolan Gorman added two hits as St. Louis went 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position.

Royals: Placed RHP Hunter Harvey (mid-back tightness) on the 15-day injured list retroactive to August 7. RHP Carlos Hernandez was recalled in the corresponding move.

St. Louis will head to Cincinnati for a three-game series starting Monday. Sonny Gray (11-6, 3.65 ERA) is slated to take the mound for the Cardinals. Kansas City will head to Minnesota for a three-game series starting Monday. Brady Singer (8-7, 3.03) will get the start.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723342921795.png" alt="Photo Kansas City Royals" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas City Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. drove in three runs and Michael Wacha struck out six in seven innings to lead the Kansas City Royals to an 8-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday night.Maikel Garcia had an RBI single, Witt added an RBI triple and Salvador Perez hit a two-run, opposite field homer to right in the Royals’ four-run seventh inning.The victory clinched the season season for Kansas City for the first time since 2016. The teams split the two-game series.Wacha (9-6) gave up two runs on five hits with two walks. He has allowed two runs or fewer in eight of his 10 starts at Kauffman Stadium this season. Lucas Erceg recorded his fourth save.Garcia gave the Royals a 3-2 lead in the seventh. Kyle Isbel gave Kansas City an insurance run in the eighth with an RBI triple. Freddy Fermin drove in his 31st run of the season.Cardinals starter Andre Pallante pitched 5 2/3 innings, giving up two runs, one earned, on three hits with four walks with four strikeouts. Ryan Fernandez (1-4) took the loss in relief.Paul Goldschmidt hit a 430-foot, two-run home run, his 18th of the season, to give the Cardinals a lead in the second inning. Nolan Gorman added two hits as St. Louis went 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position.TRAINER’S ROOMRoyals: Placed RHP Hunter Harvey (mid-back tightness) on the 15-day injured list retroactive to August 7. RHP Carlos Hernandez was recalled in the corresponding move.UP NEXTSt. Louis will head to Cincinnati for a three-game series starting Monday. Sonny Gray (11-6, 3.65 ERA) is slated to take the mound for the Cardinals. Kansas City will head to Minnesota for a three-game series starting Monday. Brady Singer (8-7, 3.03) will get the start.

⚾ Bobby Witt drives in 3 to lead Royals over rival Cardinals

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Willson Contreras hit a pair of two-run homers and the St. Louis Cardinals rallied to beat the Kansas City Royals 8-5 on Friday night.

Contreras opened the scoring in the first with a two-run shot off the top of the bullpen fence in right and added another two-run shot in the ninth,&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/Contreras%20homers%20twice,%20drives%20in%20four,%20as%20Cards%20down%20Royals,%208-5">blasting his 15th homer</a>&nbsp;424 feet to left for his 15th multi-homer game.

“An absolute tank to left,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “Some really good at-bats and big swings by Contreras.”

Trailing 5-3 after five innings, the Cardinals scored five runs on seven hits against six relievers.

Will Smith (0-4) retired one of three batters faced in the eighth and, after a failed Kansas City challenge on a potential inning-ending double play grounder, St. Louis took a 6-5 lead on Victor Scott II’s two-out, two-run double.

“I was telling myself if he’s safe, it’s going to be definitely a critical situation in the ballgame,” Scott said. “Being able to come through right there is definitely special. There’s runners on base, so I’m just trying to do damage.”

Contreras, Alex Burleson and Brendan Donovan each had three of St. Louis’ 13 hits.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Willson Contreras hit a pair of two-run homers and the St. Louis Cardinals rallied to beat the Kansas City Royals 8-5 on Friday night.Contreras opened the scoring in the first with a two-run shot off the top of the bullpen fence in right and added another two-run shot in the ninth,&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/Contreras%20homers%20twice,%20drives%20in%20four,%20as%20Cards%20down%20Royals,%208-5">blasting his 15th homer</a>&nbsp;424 feet to left for his 15th multi-homer game.“An absolute tank to left,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “Some really good at-bats and big swings by Contreras.”Trailing 5-3 after five innings, the Cardinals scored five runs on seven hits against six relievers.Will Smith (0-4) retired one of three batters faced in the eighth and, after a failed Kansas City challenge on a potential inning-ending double play grounder, St. Louis took a 6-5 lead on Victor Scott II’s two-out, two-run double.“I was telling myself if he’s safe, it’s going to be definitely a critical situation in the ballgame,” Scott said. “Being able to come through right there is definitely special. There’s runners on base, so I’m just trying to do damage.”Contreras, Alex Burleson and Brendan Donovan each had three of St. Louis’ 13 hits.Matthew Liberatore (3-3) threw three hitless innings in relief of Miles Mikolas, who allowed five runs on eight hits in four innings.“My goodness, look at what (Liberatore) did,” Marmol said. “36 pitches, three innings, didn’t give up anything at all. His stuff was sharp. He was pretty dominant. It was good to go to him early. (He) just shut them down.”Mikolas has a 7.11 ERA over his past five starts. Ryan Hensley allowed a hit and a walk in finishing for his 37th save.“I felt like we had a pretty good game plan going in,” Michael Massey said. “I felt like we did a pretty good job against him.”Burleson lined his team-leading 20th home run to right leading off the third as the Cardinals built a 3-0 lead.Kyle Isbel’s third-inning RBI triple snapped his 0-for-21 slide, plating the first run Mikolas surrendered to the Royals after 19 career scoreless frames. RBI singles by Massey and Salvador Perez tied it.Maikel Garcia’s RBI double into the left-field corner and Massey’s deep sacrifice fly to center gave Kansas City a 5-3 lead in the fourth.Michael Lorenzen made his second start since his July 29 acquisition from Texas, working 4 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on six hits and two walks with three strikeouts.Massey had three of Kansas City’s 10 hits.The Royals were homerless, snapping a 13-game streak with at least one home run, the second longest streak in club history.TRAINER’S ROOMRoyals RHP John Schreiber (right knee patella tendon inflammation) threw a bullpen session Thursday.UP NEXT

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