KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Cole Ragans scattered four hits in six scoreless innings as the Kansas City Royals defeated the Minnesota Twins 5-0 on Friday night and traded places with the Twins in the AL Central and wild card standings.

The Royals now hold a half-game lead for second place in the division and the second wild card spot.

Michael Massey had three hits,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Royals/status/1832225056514080933">including a home run</a>, for the Royals.

Ragans (11-9) won for the first time since a 4-1 victory in Minneapolis on August 14, the Royals' lone win in Minnesota this season.

Zebby Matthews (1-3) took the loss. He allowed four runs on nine hits in five innings.

Ragans picked up his third strikeout of the game — and 200th of the season — to end the third inning, making him the fifth pitcher in Royals history to post 200 strikeouts in a season. He is the first Royals pitcher since Zack Greinke in 2009 to accomplish the feat.

The Royals plated a run in the third. Kyle Isbel drew a one-out walk and scored from first when Tommy Pham yanked the ball into the left field corner. The Twins answered with an almost identical play in the top of the fourth. Austin Martin ripped a two-out double to the wall in left, but Pham threw a relay to Bobby Witt Jr., who fired a strike to Salvador Perez to retire Kyle Farmer at the plate.

Massey then extended the lead in the bottom of the fourth on a 408-foot solo home run into the bullpen in right.

The Royals used their speed to add on in the fifth. Witt avoided a double play on a comebacker to Matthews and went to third on a single by MJ Melendez. Melendez stole second and both runners scored on a single by Hunter Renfroe.

Yuli Gurriel's sacrifice fly in the eighth scored the final run.

Royals: Renfroe was returned from the 10-day Injured List on Thursday's off day. In corresponding moves, RHP Steven Cruz was optioned to Triple-A Omaha and RHP Dan Altavilla was returned from the IL and designated for assignment.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Cole Ragans scattered four hits in six scoreless innings as the Kansas City Royals defeated the Minnesota Twins 5-0 on Friday night and traded places with the Twins in the AL Central and wild card standings.The Royals now hold a half-game lead for second place in the division and the second wild card spot.Michael Massey had three hits,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Royals/status/1832225056514080933">including a home run</a>, for the Royals.Ragans (11-9) won for the first time since a 4-1 victory in Minneapolis on August 14, the Royals' lone win in Minnesota this season.Zebby Matthews (1-3) took the loss. He allowed four runs on nine hits in five innings.Ragans picked up his third strikeout of the game — and 200th of the season — to end the third inning, making him the fifth pitcher in Royals history to post 200 strikeouts in a season. He is the first Royals pitcher since Zack Greinke in 2009 to accomplish the feat.The Royals plated a run in the third. Kyle Isbel drew a one-out walk and scored from first when Tommy Pham yanked the ball into the left field corner. The Twins answered with an almost identical play in the top of the fourth. Austin Martin ripped a two-out double to the wall in left, but Pham threw a relay to Bobby Witt Jr., who fired a strike to Salvador Perez to retire Kyle Farmer at the plate.Massey then extended the lead in the bottom of the fourth on a 408-foot solo home run into the bullpen in right.The Royals used their speed to add on in the fifth. Witt avoided a double play on a comebacker to Matthews and went to third on a single by MJ Melendez. Melendez stole second and both runners scored on a single by Hunter Renfroe.Yuli Gurriel's sacrifice fly in the eighth scored the final run.TRANSACTIONSRoyals: Renfroe was returned from the 10-day Injured List on Thursday's off day. In corresponding moves, RHP Steven Cruz was optioned to Triple-A Omaha and RHP Dan Altavilla was returned from the IL and designated for assignment.UP NEXT

⚾ Ragans throws 6 scoreless inning as Royals top Twins

Friday night marks the opening of the high school football season in Kansas.

--Junction City plays Haysville Campus in Wichita. The contest can be heard on 107.9 FM and 1420 KJCK. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

--Blue Valley - Randolph is at Washington County

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725635452198.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Friday night marks the opening of the high school football season in Kansas.In games of area interest:--Junction City plays Haysville Campus in Wichita. The contest can be heard on 107.9 FM and 1420 KJCK. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.--Manhattan goes to Garden City--Topeka High is at Wichita West--Washburn Rural hosts Shawnee Heights--Abilene travels to Clay Center--Chapman hosts Smith Center--Wamego visits Concordia--Marysville at Nemaha Central--Rock Creek hosts Bishop Ward--Hayden travels to Eudora--Council Grove plays at Wabaunsee--Marion travels to Herington--Riley County goes to Jefferson West--Blue Valley - Randolph is at Washington County--Solomon travels to Rural Vista--Wakefield hosts Goessel

High school football season opens Friday night

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes thought for a moment that the Chiefs were headed to overtime. So did Ravens counterpart Lamar Jackson, who had found Isaiah Likely in the back of the end zone with no time left for a touchdown that appeared to tie the game.

In the end, the NFL's season opener Thursday night was decided by referee Shawn Hochuli undertaking a video review.

With a capacity crowd that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ravens-chiefs-taylor-swift-nfl-9f78a6dad40ff62993c2462e9c653964">included pop superstar Taylor Swift</a>&nbsp;waiting in anticipation, Hochuli needed just seconds looking at that final play before making his announcement:&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/NFL/status/1831903953250136219">Likely landed with his toe on the endline</a>, putting the Baltimore tight end out of bounds, and giving the Chiefs a 27-20 victory as they began pursuit of a record third consecutive Super Bowl title.

“Definitely nerve-wracking because it looked good from my angle on the sideline," Mahomes said, “but then the first view you could see his cleat. ... You have to wear white cleats next time. That's my advice for him.”

Mahomes threw for 291 yards and with a touchdown pass to Xavier Worthy, who also scored a rushing TD in his NFL debut, as the Chiefs not only won the rematch of last season’s AFC title game but beat the Ravens for the fifth time in six meetings.

That lopsided ledger has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ravens-chiefs-nfl-season-opener-arrowhead-stadium-e09ee6b958e96be75cfceeda74dab02f">especially frustrating for Jackson,</a>&nbsp;who has called Kansas City the Ravens’ “kryptonite.” He was sublime Thursday night, throwing for 273 yards and a touchdown and adding 122 yards on the ground, but that review of the final play left him to rue another missed opportunity to finally upstage Mahomes and Co.

“I thought it was a touchdown,” Jackson said. “Still think it was a touchdown.”

The Ravens were trailing 27-17 in the fourth quarter before kicking a field goal, then got the ball back at their own 13 with 1:50 left and no timeouts. Jackson completed a couple of throws to Likely, who had 111 yards receiving and a score, and scrambled for a crucial first down. Two plays later, Jackson found Rashod Bateman down the sideline for 38 yards to move the Ravens to the Kansas City 10 with 19 seconds remaining.

Jackson’s first pass was a throwaway, but his second missed wide-open Zay Flowers in the back of the end zone. Then came the final throw, after Jackson had scrambled for what seemed like an eternity, and Likely looked like he had forced overtime.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh even signaled for his team to try a winning 2-point conversion, though it never got the chance.

“I thought our guys (overcame) setbacks at times, and fought like crazy to overcome. It looked like we had an opportunity there to tie the game up and try to win,” Harbaugh said. “Didn’t happen at the end, but our guys fought.”

The wild ending came after the start was delayed about 20 minutes by a storm that brought heavy rain and lightning.

The Ravens proceeded to open with an 11-play, 70-yard drive that ended with Derrick Henry, who had tormented the Chiefs in six previous meetings while he was with Tennessee, plunging into the end zone from 5 yards out for the early lead.

But the high-octane Chiefs, trying to avoid back-to-back season-opening losses, needed just two minutes to answer. Mahomes twice connected with Rashee Rice, who has so far avoided any NFL punishment for his role in an alleged street-racing crash in Dallas, before Worthy showed why the Chiefs made him their first-round pick with his 21-yard touchdown run.

After those two drives, though, the first half was mostly marked by Week 1 blunders.

Jackson was strip-sacked by Chris Jones deep in his own territory, leading to a Kansas City field goal. Flowers was stopped short of the first-down marker on fourth-and-3 near midfield on the Ravens’ next series, leading to another field goal. And even Justin Tucker, one of the league’s most accurate kickers, pulled a 53-yard field-goal attempt wide left.

The Chiefs were not immune to mistakes. Mahomes' pass was picked off by Roquan Smith on a poor throw late in the first half, leading to a chip-shot field goal that got Baltimore — which trailed twice at halftime all of last season — to 13-10 at the break.

Yet the Ravens’ inability to get into the end zone, and swing the momentum their way, ultimately proved costly.

The Chiefs opened the second half with an 81-yard touchdown march to extend their lead. Then, after Jackson had connected with Likely on a broken play for a 49-yard touchdown throw, Mahomes drove them 70 yards against the No. 1 scoring defense in the NFL last season for a touchdown that made it 27-17 with 10 minutes to go.

Tucker made it a one-score game with his field goal with 4:54 to go, and Baltimore quickly forced a punt. But despite Jackson’s impassioned play, he was left to trudge off the field after another disappointing loss to the Chiefs.

“It was a fight down to the end,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “When they say it's a game of inches, might be shorter than that.”

Swift, the girlfriend of Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, wasn’t the only star attending the NFL’s opening night. Quincy Hall, the Olympic 400-meter champion, was in the crowd along with AC Milan midfielder Christian Pulisic, who will join his U.S. teammates Saturday night for an exhibition against Canada at nearby Children’s Mercy Park.

Baltimore: LB Kyle Van Noy left six plays into the second half because of an eye injury and did not return.

Ravens: Host Las Vegas on Sunday, Sept. 15.

Chiefs: Host Cincinnati on Sunday, Sept. 15.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725597547282.jpeg" alt="Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely (80) catches a pass with his toe out of bounds as Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton and linebacker Drue Tranquill, left, defend as time time expires in the second half of an NFL football game Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. The Chiefs won 27-20.(AP Photo/Ed Zurga)" />
 <figcaption>Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely (80) catches a pass with his toe out of bounds as Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton and linebacker Drue Tranquill, left, defend as time time expires in the second half of an NFL football game Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. The Chiefs won 27-20.(AP Photo/Ed Zurga)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes thought for a moment that the Chiefs were headed to overtime. So did Ravens counterpart Lamar Jackson, who had found Isaiah Likely in the back of the end zone with no time left for a touchdown that appeared to tie the game.In the end, the NFL's season opener Thursday night was decided by referee Shawn Hochuli undertaking a video review.With a capacity crowd that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ravens-chiefs-taylor-swift-nfl-9f78a6dad40ff62993c2462e9c653964">included pop superstar Taylor Swift</a>&nbsp;waiting in anticipation, Hochuli needed just seconds looking at that final play before making his announcement:&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/NFL/status/1831903953250136219">Likely landed with his toe on the endline</a>, putting the Baltimore tight end out of bounds, and giving the Chiefs a 27-20 victory as they began pursuit of a record third consecutive Super Bowl title.“Definitely nerve-wracking because it looked good from my angle on the sideline," Mahomes said, “but then the first view you could see his cleat. ... You have to wear white cleats next time. That's my advice for him.”Mahomes threw for 291 yards and with a touchdown pass to Xavier Worthy, who also scored a rushing TD in his NFL debut, as the Chiefs not only won the rematch of last season’s AFC title game but beat the Ravens for the fifth time in six meetings.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Call it what you want, but football season is here. Welcome back, <a href="https://twitter.com/taylorswift13?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@taylorswift13</a>! ❤️ <a href="https://t.co/3ObP1JNoyz">pic.twitter.com/3ObP1JNoyz</a>&mdash; Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) <a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs/status/1831867628240937422?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>That lopsided ledger has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ravens-chiefs-nfl-season-opener-arrowhead-stadium-e09ee6b958e96be75cfceeda74dab02f">especially frustrating for Jackson,</a>&nbsp;who has called Kansas City the Ravens’ “kryptonite.” He was sublime Thursday night, throwing for 273 yards and a touchdown and adding 122 yards on the ground, but that review of the final play left him to rue another missed opportunity to finally upstage Mahomes and Co.“I thought it was a touchdown,” Jackson said. “Still think it was a touchdown.”The Ravens were trailing 27-17 in the fourth quarter before kicking a field goal, then got the ball back at their own 13 with 1:50 left and no timeouts. Jackson completed a couple of throws to Likely, who had 111 yards receiving and a score, and scrambled for a crucial first down. Two plays later, Jackson found Rashod Bateman down the sideline for 38 yards to move the Ravens to the Kansas City 10 with 19 seconds remaining.Jackson’s first pass was a throwaway, but his second missed wide-open Zay Flowers in the back of the end zone. Then came the final throw, after Jackson had scrambled for what seemed like an eternity, and Likely looked like he had forced overtime.Ravens coach John Harbaugh even signaled for his team to try a winning 2-point conversion, though it never got the chance.“I thought our guys (overcame) setbacks at times, and fought like crazy to overcome. It looked like we had an opportunity there to tie the game up and try to win,” Harbaugh said. “Didn’t happen at the end, but our guys fought.”The wild ending came after the start was delayed about 20 minutes by a storm that brought heavy rain and lightning.The Ravens proceeded to open with an 11-play, 70-yard drive that ended with Derrick Henry, who had tormented the Chiefs in six previous meetings while he was with Tennessee, plunging into the end zone from 5 yards out for the early lead.But the high-octane Chiefs, trying to avoid back-to-back season-opening losses, needed just two minutes to answer. Mahomes twice connected with Rashee Rice, who has so far avoided any NFL punishment for his role in an alleged street-racing crash in Dallas, before Worthy showed why the Chiefs made him their first-round pick with his 21-yard touchdown run.After those two drives, though, the first half was mostly marked by Week 1 blunders.Jackson was strip-sacked by Chris Jones deep in his own territory, leading to a Kansas City field goal. Flowers was stopped short of the first-down marker on fourth-and-3 near midfield on the Ravens’ next series, leading to another field goal. And even Justin Tucker, one of the league’s most accurate kickers, pulled a 53-yard field-goal attempt wide left.The Chiefs were not immune to mistakes. Mahomes' pass was picked off by Roquan Smith on a poor throw late in the first half, leading to a chip-shot field goal that got Baltimore — which trailed twice at halftime all of last season — to 13-10 at the break.Yet the Ravens’ inability to get into the end zone, and swing the momentum their way, ultimately proved costly.The Chiefs opened the second half with an 81-yard touchdown march to extend their lead. Then, after Jackson had connected with Likely on a broken play for a 49-yard touchdown throw, Mahomes drove them 70 yards against the No. 1 scoring defense in the NFL last season for a touchdown that made it 27-17 with 10 minutes to go.Tucker made it a one-score game with his field goal with 4:54 to go, and Baltimore quickly forced a punt. But despite Jackson’s impassioned play, he was left to trudge off the field after another disappointing loss to the Chiefs.“It was a fight down to the end,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “When they say it's a game of inches, might be shorter than that.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725580468000.png" alt="Taylor Swift arrives at Arrowhead Stadium for the Chiefs' season opener -photo by Micaela Dea courtesy KAKE&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Taylor Swift arrives at Arrowhead Stadium for the Chiefs' season opener -photo by Micaela Dea courtesy KAKE&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Star-studded crowd</h2><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨| Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce leaving after today&#39;s Chiefs vs Ravens game! <a href="https://t.co/soAHLC6hAq">pic.twitter.com/soAHLC6hAq</a>&mdash; The Eras Tour (@tswifterastour) <a href="https://twitter.com/tswifterastour/status/1831929172580823268?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Swift, the girlfriend of Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, wasn’t the only star attending the NFL’s opening night. Quincy Hall, the Olympic 400-meter champion, was in the crowd along with AC Milan midfielder Christian Pulisic, who will join his U.S. teammates Saturday night for an exhibition against Canada at nearby Children’s Mercy Park.<h2>Injuries</h2>Baltimore: LB Kyle Van Noy left six plays into the second half because of an eye injury and did not return.<h2>Up next</h2>Ravens: Host Las Vegas on Sunday, Sept. 15.Chiefs: Host Cincinnati on Sunday, Sept. 15.

🏈 Chiefs hold off Ravens when review overturns TD on final play of season opener

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Archive=23516&amp;type=Archive">Watch Conor Riley’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Archive=23517&amp;type=Archive">Watch Joe Klanderman’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kstatesports.com/podcasts/coordinator-press-conference-september-5-2024/4885">Listen on Wildcats Uncut</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1EumD2G5yXNgLSarXhsUzllnCQ7-ea9GjrtXuVomWN3U/edit#gid=0">Media Download</a>

<a target="_blank" href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1EumD2G5yXNgLSarXhsUzllnCQ7-ea9GjrtXuVomWN3U/edit#gid=0"></a>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State offensive coordinator&nbsp;Conor Riley&nbsp;and defensive coordinator&nbsp;Joe Klanderman&nbsp;met with members of the media on Thursday at the Vanier Family Football Complex prior to the Wildcats’ first road game of the year on Saturday at Tulane. Links to video and audio of both press conferences are above, and a transcript of select quotes are below.

CONOR RILEY, OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR

On what he learned about the offense against UT Martin…

“Well, we learned quite a few things. We learned that we need to start faster, have a little bit more urgency. I think, collectively, and it was reflective of us early on, I think we were playing a little bit tight. In a regard – and I used this earlier – playing not to lose as opposed to playing to win. I was very pleased with the fact that you're looking at a lot of new faces, and, knock on wood, we didn't have an offensive penalty. I don't feel like we had an operation error. From the sideline standpoint, there was one point where a guy got lined up in the wrong formation. (He) didn't see a particular formation signal, and then a guy kind of jogged out, but we were able to, with a young quarterback, not rush that particular play. So, from a discipline standpoint, I was very pleased with that. I did very much like the way that we kind of answered the bell there in the second half. We had some adversity in the first half, and we had some adversity in the second half, and I felt like we handled that better.”

On the offensive line and their first time playing together…

“That was kind of a very similar synopsis. I know that we can play better. They know that we can play better. You look at it, and the statistics are what they are. I thought we made a poor decision a few times in some technique in pass pro, but, for as little pressures as we gave up, that's encouraging. In the run game, like I said, I thought early we were kind of catching a little bit and feeling things out as opposed to attacking. That resulted, a little bit, in a slower start. When you have the success that we did have running a football, there's a lot of positives to build on as well. I'm not going to say, ‘Well man, we averaged this per rush, so all is well and good.’ We know that we have to get better, and I expect that we will.”

What he liked and did not like about the passing game…

“Well, I like that we took advantage of some of the things that they gave us. There's a few things where I think that we had some missed opportunities within the passing game. Where I didn't like it was on some third downs. I thought that there were some third downs that we missed opportunities on. Maybe it was a bad read by a tight end, maybe it was a guy running into a backer that didn't open up a particular window, maybe it was progressing through something just a little too quick, or not progressing completely right on it. That's probably where I see that we need to improve. I didn't like where we were at third down conversion wise. To me – and very much credit them – I believe that they are very easily correctable on our end.”

On the challenges that Tulane’s defensive line presents…

“I think the defensive line is very reflective of their defense in general. They are fast, they are physical, and they are aggressive. The defensive line is probably the greatest indicator of that. They do not make a ton of mistakes. They don't get out of fits. I know that they played their first game under a new head coach under a new defensive system, and that's one of the things that's very impressive to me is you have a lot of new pieces. They do have a few players who did come with the head football coach from Troy that played right out here against Kansas State last year, including their starting nickel, who I think is a great football player. How physical they are, how well they get off blocks. We got a tremendous amount of respect for that head coach and that entire staff. They play their tails off.”

On if he got everything out of Dylan Edwards that he was hoping for in the first game…

“I was pleased with some of the touches that he got. When you look at the limited amount of plays that we had, I think there's a couple things to that. One is, I'm kind of looking at a stat line late Saturday night, and I'm going, ‘Holy cow.’ The thing that you come back to is a lost possession on a block punt because that's a lost possession. You come to a lost possession, or smaller possession, on a turnover. Then, obviously, the turnover in the second half (on the kickoff return). That's a lost possession. Another thing that's really going on in college football as well is there's new play clock rules. I'm kind of looking at that, and I obviously very much knew about what had happened during the course of the game that may have caused our play count to be a little bit lower, and the first person I looked at was me. Then the second thing, I started looking at other teams around the country. With the new play clock rules that the (clock) is continuing to go on on first down, you're seeing, I believe, something that the top 20 in the country with play count numbers from a year ago, they were all down about 10 plays. That could be for any number of reasons, but that's something that we as coaches need to continue to look at. So, I do believe that ties into Dylan. There were some things that were on the card. There's some things that we have done that you're going to continue to see as the season progresses.”

JOE KLANDERMAN, DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR

On what he learned about the defense in the first game…

“Kind of what we thought. I think it was a good situation. I knew we had some veteran guys, and I really felt like our stars played like stars, the guys that you would expect to would play well, played well – Brendan Mott, Desmond Purnell, Marques Sigle, Jacob Parrish, I could name others. Then the guys that were new that we knew were going to have wide eyes had wide eyes. We made some mistakes early. As the game went on, they got a little more comfortable, and hopefully that's going to be a trend that continues to just keep getting better and better because we're going to need those guys to get better and better.”

On the next step for Tobi Osunsanmi…

“I think sometimes he's a little inconsistent with his footwork in the run game. You bet – he can get off the ball and be really disruptive. He is a physical player. It’s not like he can't play the run. It's just that's all new to him. We've got to keep that in mind with the different things that he sees. Obviously, he's been going against our offense in the spring and fall camp and all those things. Sometimes he sees some run schemes that our offense doesn't do. So, for him to get some game time in those concepts is a big deal for him. He's just going to keep getting better, too.”

On Tulane’s running back being one of the best in the Group of 5…

“Great contact balance. I think he fits their run stuff really well. I feel like we're at a little bit of a disadvantage because of how we played Troy last year, and I think they're very similar, personnel wise, to what Troy had, honestly. They had a great running back at Troy; they a have great running back here. They had great receivers at Troy; they have great receivers here. I think they're physical up front in both places. They probably know a little bit more about how we defended them a year ago than we know how they're going to present what they do this year with their new personnel. So, that's going to be the biggest challenge, is getting all that stuff sorted out. But, to go back to your question not to dodge that, he's just a really physical runner with great contact balance. He doesn't fumble. I can't remember the stat, but he had all those carries and touches last year, and not one time did he put it on the ground. They say Group of 5, he's one of the better ones in the country, I think.”

On covering Tulane wide receiver Mario Williams…

“Yeah, he’s really fast. That's going to be the thing is checking out how our guys match up against their guys. He’s electric, fast and slippery and good at the top of route. Those guys are a really good group of receivers.”

On if there were any younger guys on the roster that he was pleased with last week…

“Aside from the guys that are in the two deep, is that what you're asking? It was cool to see Donovan McIntosh sort through a few things at corner. It was really cool – I know he's kind of quote, unquote in the two deep – but watching Wesley Fair run around and fly around and throw his body around. It was cool. Terry Kirksey, when he was in there, I thought was a difference maker. Asher Tomaszewski at nose played quite a bit at the end of the game. He's another one, with Uso (Seumalo) and Damian (Ilalio), his role is going to be his role this year, but for him to get in there and get some snaps and run around like he did was cool. So, a lot of positivity from the young guys.”

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Archive=23516&amp;type=Archive">Watch Conor Riley’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Archive=23517&amp;type=Archive">Watch Joe Klanderman’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kstatesports.com/podcasts/coordinator-press-conference-september-5-2024/4885">Listen on Wildcats Uncut</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1EumD2G5yXNgLSarXhsUzllnCQ7-ea9GjrtXuVomWN3U/edit#gid=0">Media Download</a><a target="_blank" href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1EumD2G5yXNgLSarXhsUzllnCQ7-ea9GjrtXuVomWN3U/edit#gid=0"></a>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State offensive coordinator&nbsp;Conor Riley&nbsp;and defensive coordinator&nbsp;Joe Klanderman&nbsp;met with members of the media on Thursday at the Vanier Family Football Complex prior to the Wildcats’ first road game of the year on Saturday at Tulane. Links to video and audio of both press conferences are above, and a transcript of select quotes are below.CONOR RILEY, OFFENSIVE COORDINATOROn what he learned about the offense against UT Martin…“Well, we learned quite a few things. We learned that we need to start faster, have a little bit more urgency. I think, collectively, and it was reflective of us early on, I think we were playing a little bit tight. In a regard – and I used this earlier – playing not to lose as opposed to playing to win. I was very pleased with the fact that you're looking at a lot of new faces, and, knock on wood, we didn't have an offensive penalty. I don't feel like we had an operation error. From the sideline standpoint, there was one point where a guy got lined up in the wrong formation. (He) didn't see a particular formation signal, and then a guy kind of jogged out, but we were able to, with a young quarterback, not rush that particular play. So, from a discipline standpoint, I was very pleased with that. I did very much like the way that we kind of answered the bell there in the second half. We had some adversity in the first half, and we had some adversity in the second half, and I felt like we handled that better.”On the offensive line and their first time playing together…“That was kind of a very similar synopsis. I know that we can play better. They know that we can play better. You look at it, and the statistics are what they are. I thought we made a poor decision a few times in some technique in pass pro, but, for as little pressures as we gave up, that's encouraging. In the run game, like I said, I thought early we were kind of catching a little bit and feeling things out as opposed to attacking. That resulted, a little bit, in a slower start. When you have the success that we did have running a football, there's a lot of positives to build on as well. I'm not going to say, ‘Well man, we averaged this per rush, so all is well and good.’ We know that we have to get better, and I expect that we will.”What he liked and did not like about the passing game…“Well, I like that we took advantage of some of the things that they gave us. There's a few things where I think that we had some missed opportunities within the passing game. Where I didn't like it was on some third downs. I thought that there were some third downs that we missed opportunities on. Maybe it was a bad read by a tight end, maybe it was a guy running into a backer that didn't open up a particular window, maybe it was progressing through something just a little too quick, or not progressing completely right on it. That's probably where I see that we need to improve. I didn't like where we were at third down conversion wise. To me – and very much credit them – I believe that they are very easily correctable on our end.”On the challenges that Tulane’s defensive line presents…“I think the defensive line is very reflective of their defense in general. They are fast, they are physical, and they are aggressive. The defensive line is probably the greatest indicator of that. They do not make a ton of mistakes. They don't get out of fits. I know that they played their first game under a new head coach under a new defensive system, and that's one of the things that's very impressive to me is you have a lot of new pieces. They do have a few players who did come with the head football coach from Troy that played right out here against Kansas State last year, including their starting nickel, who I think is a great football player. How physical they are, how well they get off blocks. We got a tremendous amount of respect for that head coach and that entire staff. They play their tails off.”On if he got everything out of Dylan Edwards that he was hoping for in the first game…“I was pleased with some of the touches that he got. When you look at the limited amount of plays that we had, I think there's a couple things to that. One is, I'm kind of looking at a stat line late Saturday night, and I'm going, ‘Holy cow.’ The thing that you come back to is a lost possession on a block punt because that's a lost possession. You come to a lost possession, or smaller possession, on a turnover. Then, obviously, the turnover in the second half (on the kickoff return). That's a lost possession. Another thing that's really going on in college football as well is there's new play clock rules. I'm kind of looking at that, and I obviously very much knew about what had happened during the course of the game that may have caused our play count to be a little bit lower, and the first person I looked at was me. Then the second thing, I started looking at other teams around the country. With the new play clock rules that the (clock) is continuing to go on on first down, you're seeing, I believe, something that the top 20 in the country with play count numbers from a year ago, they were all down about 10 plays. That could be for any number of reasons, but that's something that we as coaches need to continue to look at. So, I do believe that ties into Dylan. There were some things that were on the card. There's some things that we have done that you're going to continue to see as the season progresses.”JOE KLANDERMAN, DEFENSIVE COORDINATOROn what he learned about the defense in the first game…“Kind of what we thought. I think it was a good situation. I knew we had some veteran guys, and I really felt like our stars played like stars, the guys that you would expect to would play well, played well – Brendan Mott, Desmond Purnell, Marques Sigle, Jacob Parrish, I could name others. Then the guys that were new that we knew were going to have wide eyes had wide eyes. We made some mistakes early. As the game went on, they got a little more comfortable, and hopefully that's going to be a trend that continues to just keep getting better and better because we're going to need those guys to get better and better.”On the next step for Tobi Osunsanmi…“I think sometimes he's a little inconsistent with his footwork in the run game. You bet – he can get off the ball and be really disruptive. He is a physical player. It’s not like he can't play the run. It's just that's all new to him. We've got to keep that in mind with the different things that he sees. Obviously, he's been going against our offense in the spring and fall camp and all those things. Sometimes he sees some run schemes that our offense doesn't do. So, for him to get some game time in those concepts is a big deal for him. He's just going to keep getting better, too.”On Tulane’s running back being one of the best in the Group of 5…“Great contact balance. I think he fits their run stuff really well. I feel like we're at a little bit of a disadvantage because of how we played Troy last year, and I think they're very similar, personnel wise, to what Troy had, honestly. They had a great running back at Troy; they a have great running back here. They had great receivers at Troy; they have great receivers here. I think they're physical up front in both places. They probably know a little bit more about how we defended them a year ago than we know how they're going to present what they do this year with their new personnel. So, that's going to be the biggest challenge, is getting all that stuff sorted out. But, to go back to your question not to dodge that, he's just a really physical runner with great contact balance. He doesn't fumble. I can't remember the stat, but he had all those carries and touches last year, and not one time did he put it on the ground. They say Group of 5, he's one of the better ones in the country, I think.”On covering Tulane wide receiver Mario Williams…“Yeah, he’s really fast. That's going to be the thing is checking out how our guys match up against their guys. He’s electric, fast and slippery and good at the top of route. Those guys are a really good group of receivers.”On if there were any younger guys on the roster that he was pleased with last week…“Aside from the guys that are in the two deep, is that what you're asking? It was cool to see Donovan McIntosh sort through a few things at corner. It was really cool – I know he's kind of quote, unquote in the two deep – but watching Wesley Fair run around and fly around and throw his body around. It was cool. Terry Kirksey, when he was in there, I thought was a difference maker. Asher Tomaszewski at nose played quite a bit at the end of the game. He's another one, with Uso (Seumalo) and Damian (Ilalio), his role is going to be his role this year, but for him to get in there and get some snaps and run around like he did was cool. So, a lot of positivity from the young guys.”– k-statesports.com –RYAN LACKEY

K-State Coordinators Discuss Contest at Tulane

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Tommy Pham hit his first home run for Kansas City, a tiebreaking, three-run drive in a four-run fourth inning, and the Royals stopped a season-high, seven-game losing streak with a 4-1 win over the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday night.

Seth Lugo (15-8) allowed one run and five hits in seven innings. He is one win behind Detroit’s Tarik Skubal and Atlanta’s Chris Sale, who are tied for the major league lead. Lugo is 11-1 with a 1.40 ERA in 15 starts with four days’ rest.

Kansas City (76-65) closed within one percentage point of Minnesota (75-64) for the second AL wild card spot. The Royals and Twins are both 4 1/2 games behind AL Central-leading Cleveland (80-60).

Royals manager Matt Quatraro returned after missing two games following the death of his mother.

“Really happy for those guys,” Quatraro said. “Nobody wants to lose, and when you string a whole week of games together where you don’t win any of them, it wears on you, mentally, physically. It makes it tougher to believe in yourself, so however it had to happen ... it’s good to get a win.”

During the seven-game skid, the Royals had scored three runs or fewer in six straight games, the team’s longest such streak since Aug. 15-21, 2022. The Royals had scored two runs or fewer in five straight, their longest span since June 7-13, 2018.

Pham, claimed off waivers from St. Louis on Saturday, broke a 1-1 tie with his homer off Ben Lively (11-9), who allowed seven hits in four innings. The drive deep into the left-field seats was Pham’s eighth home run this season and gave Pham his first RBIs with the Royals.

“It just seems like we’ve had some chances and we just couldn’t come through with the big hit until tonight,” Pham said. “It felt very good because I’ve been having a hard time barreling up balls to the pull side, and today it was something I worked on, and it’s even better to see it translate into the game.”

Quatraro said it was a relief to have someone come through.

“Somebody’s got to let the pressure off, and he did,” Quatraro said. “It was nice to tie it up ... but you’re trying to play for a big inning there. It took till two outs to do it but that was a big, big hit for Tommy."

Paul DeJong reached on an infield single, Robbie Grossman singled for his first Royals hit since he was claimed from Texas on Saturday, and Michael Massey hit a tying single.

Lugo got help from DeJong when the third baseman made a diving grab on Daniel Schneeman’s sharp grounder in the hole in the fifth. Lugo also benefited from three double plays, one started by the pitcher

“It looked he really had a good curveball. He got in on the lefties with the cutter and when they were looking in, he softened it up away,” Quatraro said. “Pretty good soft contact night, I would say, the double plays, just had it all going.”

Lugo had a loss and no-decision since beating the Los Angeles Angels on Aug. 19.

“I thought I threw the ball well,” Lugo said. “I thought I was using both sides of the plate with my fastball and breaking balls and kept the hitters off balance. I used a pretty good mix out there tonight.”

José Ramírez put Cleveland ahead 1-0 in the third with a two-out bloop single.

Kris Bubic struck out the side in the eighth and Lucas Erceg worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his ninth save and sixth with the Royals.

Guardians: 1B Josh Naylor did not play after leaving Tuesday’s game with a back spasm.

Royals: OF Hunter Renfroe (hamstring) was 0 for 4 with a sacrifice fly as began a rehab assignment with Double-A Northwest Arkansas. He has been on the 10-day IL since Aug. 25.

Royals INF CJ Alexander was claimed off waivers by Oakland. He was designated for assignment on Saturday.

Guardians: LHP Matthew Boyd (1-1, 2.38) starts Friday’s series opener at the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Royals: LHP Cole Ragans (10-9, 3.46) starts Friday’s series opener against Minnesota and RHP Zebby Matthews (1-2, 7.41).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725502875509.png" alt="Photo Kansas City Royals" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas City Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Tommy Pham hit his first home run for Kansas City, a tiebreaking, three-run drive in a four-run fourth inning, and the Royals stopped a season-high, seven-game losing streak with a 4-1 win over the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday night.Seth Lugo (15-8) allowed one run and five hits in seven innings. He is one win behind Detroit’s Tarik Skubal and Atlanta’s Chris Sale, who are tied for the major league lead. Lugo is 11-1 with a 1.40 ERA in 15 starts with four days’ rest.Kansas City (76-65) closed within one percentage point of Minnesota (75-64) for the second AL wild card spot. The Royals and Twins are both 4 1/2 games behind AL Central-leading Cleveland (80-60).Royals manager Matt Quatraro returned after missing two games following the death of his mother.“Really happy for those guys,” Quatraro said. “Nobody wants to lose, and when you string a whole week of games together where you don’t win any of them, it wears on you, mentally, physically. It makes it tougher to believe in yourself, so however it had to happen ... it’s good to get a win.”During the seven-game skid, the Royals had scored three runs or fewer in six straight games, the team’s longest such streak since Aug. 15-21, 2022. The Royals had scored two runs or fewer in five straight, their longest span since June 7-13, 2018.Pham, claimed off waivers from St. Louis on Saturday, broke a 1-1 tie with his homer off Ben Lively (11-9), who allowed seven hits in four innings. The drive deep into the left-field seats was Pham’s eighth home run this season and gave Pham his first RBIs with the Royals.“It just seems like we’ve had some chances and we just couldn’t come through with the big hit until tonight,” Pham said. “It felt very good because I’ve been having a hard time barreling up balls to the pull side, and today it was something I worked on, and it’s even better to see it translate into the game.”Quatraro said it was a relief to have someone come through.“Somebody’s got to let the pressure off, and he did,” Quatraro said. “It was nice to tie it up ... but you’re trying to play for a big inning there. It took till two outs to do it but that was a big, big hit for Tommy."Paul DeJong reached on an infield single, Robbie Grossman singled for his first Royals hit since he was claimed from Texas on Saturday, and Michael Massey hit a tying single.Lugo got help from DeJong when the third baseman made a diving grab on Daniel Schneeman’s sharp grounder in the hole in the fifth. Lugo also benefited from three double plays, one started by the pitcher“It looked he really had a good curveball. He got in on the lefties with the cutter and when they were looking in, he softened it up away,” Quatraro said. “Pretty good soft contact night, I would say, the double plays, just had it all going.”Lugo had a loss and no-decision since beating the Los Angeles Angels on Aug. 19.“I thought I threw the ball well,” Lugo said. “I thought I was using both sides of the plate with my fastball and breaking balls and kept the hitters off balance. I used a pretty good mix out there tonight.”José Ramírez put Cleveland ahead 1-0 in the third with a two-out bloop single.Kris Bubic struck out the side in the eighth and Lucas Erceg worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his ninth save and sixth with the Royals.TRAINER’S ROOMGuardians: 1B Josh Naylor did not play after leaving Tuesday’s game with a back spasm.Royals: OF Hunter Renfroe (hamstring) was 0 for 4 with a sacrifice fly as began a rehab assignment with Double-A Northwest Arkansas. He has been on the 10-day IL since Aug. 25.ROSTER MOVESRoyals INF CJ Alexander was claimed off waivers by Oakland. He was designated for assignment on Saturday.UP NEXTGuardians: LHP Matthew Boyd (1-1, 2.38) starts Friday’s series opener at the Los Angeles Dodgers.Royals: LHP Cole Ragans (10-9, 3.46) starts Friday’s series opener against Minnesota and RHP Zebby Matthews (1-2, 7.41).___

⚾ Pham homers and Royals end 7-game losing streak

USD 475 announced that the Junction City High School boys soccer team opened its 2024 season on Tuesday night, claiming a 5-1 victory over Salina Central High School.

USD 475 announced that the Junction City High School boys soccer team opened its 2024 season on Tuesday night, claiming a 5-1 victory over Salina Central High School.

Blue Jay boys soccer wins

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — No. 9 hitter Brayan Rocchio drove in four runs and the Cleveland Guardians beat Kansas City 7-1 Tuesday night, extending the Royals’ losing streak to a season-high seven.

Kansas City was held to two runs or fewer for the fifth straight game and managed just four hits. The Royals’ losing streak is its longest since a 10-game skid from June 5-16 last year.

Since tying Cleveland for the AL Central lead on Aug. 27, the Royals (76-65) have dropped 5 1/2 games behind the Guardians (80-59), who have won five of six. Kansas City maintained a 4 1/2-game lead for the final AL wild card.

Royals manager Matt Quatraro missed his second game after the death of his mother Dorann Stagnitta. Bench coach Paul Hoover served as acting manager.

Cleveland first baseman Josh Naylor left for a pinch runner after singling in the eighth inning because of lower back tightness.

Steven Kwan had a two-run single for the Guardians and Kyle Manzardo had three hits.

Tanner Bibee (11-6) allowed one run and two hits in six innings — just the 39th time a Cleveland starter pitched six or more innings.

“I thought he was great, just attacking, throwing a lot of strikes," Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. "Especially after the third, he settled in and threw a ton of strikes, kept them off balance.”

Kansas City’s Bobby Witt Jr. had his big league-best 57th multihit game of the season.

Brady Singer (9-10) allowed two runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Rocchio’s sacrifice fly in the second and Andrés Giménez’s bloop RBI single in the fifth built a 2-0 lead.

Kansas City loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth, but Tommy Pham failed to tag up at third on Salvador Perez’s line drive to left. Paul DeJong followed with a sacrifice fly and Bibee struck out MJ Melendez.

“He can make pitches in big-time moments,” Vogt said. “Tanner is a big-time pitcher. He wants those moments, and for him to be able to slow down and execute in that situation was huge.”

Bibee is 7-3 with a 2.71 ERA in 14 road starts, and the Guardians are 20-7 in his outings this year.

“I was just trying to execute the next pitch,” Bibee said of the sixth inning. “When I get into a lot of trouble, I feel like it’s trying to do way too much. I think one goal for me today was just to execute one pitch at a time.”

Rocchio hit his seventh home run of the season in the bottom of the sixth, a two-run drive against Sam Long that was just inside the left-field foul pole. The 23-year-old rookie homered after failing on a pair of bunt attempts.

“When I missed the first two bunts, I’m trying to stay calm and be patient to move the runner to second base. But I put a good swing on it," Roochio said. “Awesome, because I know if I don’t do anything, maybe he’s mad at me” in a reference to Vogt.

“It’s really easy when you don’t do your job or don’t get the job done to get down on yourself and just give away and at-bat, but he got pitch up and he crushed it,” Vogt said.

Rocchio added a bases-loaded walk in the eighth against James McArthur for a career-best four RBIs.

“What you saw in the sixth is probably what we need to do hopefully from inning one, just stringing a couple at-bats together, passing the baton and the next guy up hopefully can do the job,” Hoover said. “We want to be successful, but sometimes we want it so bad that we try to do a little too much.”

Royals: 1B-3B Yuli Gurriel, acquired from Atlanta on Sunday, is listed as day to day with right hamstring tightness. He was replaced after doubling in the eighth inning Monday and did not play Tuesday.

Cleveland RHP Ben Lively (11-8, 3.92) starts Wednesday’s series finale against Royals RHP Seth Lugo (14-8, 3.12).

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — No. 9 hitter Brayan Rocchio drove in four runs and the Cleveland Guardians beat Kansas City 7-1 Tuesday night, extending the Royals’ losing streak to a season-high seven.Kansas City was held to two runs or fewer for the fifth straight game and managed just four hits. The Royals’ losing streak is its longest since a 10-game skid from June 5-16 last year.Since tying Cleveland for the AL Central lead on Aug. 27, the Royals (76-65) have dropped 5 1/2 games behind the Guardians (80-59), who have won five of six. Kansas City maintained a 4 1/2-game lead for the final AL wild card.Royals manager Matt Quatraro missed his second game after the death of his mother Dorann Stagnitta. Bench coach Paul Hoover served as acting manager.Cleveland first baseman Josh Naylor left for a pinch runner after singling in the eighth inning because of lower back tightness.Steven Kwan had a two-run single for the Guardians and Kyle Manzardo had three hits.Tanner Bibee (11-6) allowed one run and two hits in six innings — just the 39th time a Cleveland starter pitched six or more innings.“I thought he was great, just attacking, throwing a lot of strikes," Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. "Especially after the third, he settled in and threw a ton of strikes, kept them off balance.”Kansas City’s Bobby Witt Jr. had his big league-best 57th multihit game of the season.Brady Singer (9-10) allowed two runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings.Rocchio’s sacrifice fly in the second and Andrés Giménez’s bloop RBI single in the fifth built a 2-0 lead.Kansas City loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth, but Tommy Pham failed to tag up at third on Salvador Perez’s line drive to left. Paul DeJong followed with a sacrifice fly and Bibee struck out MJ Melendez.“He can make pitches in big-time moments,” Vogt said. “Tanner is a big-time pitcher. He wants those moments, and for him to be able to slow down and execute in that situation was huge.”Bibee is 7-3 with a 2.71 ERA in 14 road starts, and the Guardians are 20-7 in his outings this year.“I was just trying to execute the next pitch,” Bibee said of the sixth inning. “When I get into a lot of trouble, I feel like it’s trying to do way too much. I think one goal for me today was just to execute one pitch at a time.”Rocchio hit his seventh home run of the season in the bottom of the sixth, a two-run drive against Sam Long that was just inside the left-field foul pole. The 23-year-old rookie homered after failing on a pair of bunt attempts.“When I missed the first two bunts, I’m trying to stay calm and be patient to move the runner to second base. But I put a good swing on it," Roochio said. “Awesome, because I know if I don’t do anything, maybe he’s mad at me” in a reference to Vogt.“It’s really easy when you don’t do your job or don’t get the job done to get down on yourself and just give away and at-bat, but he got pitch up and he crushed it,” Vogt said.Rocchio added a bases-loaded walk in the eighth against James McArthur for a career-best four RBIs.Hoover said the Royals are pressing.“What you saw in the sixth is probably what we need to do hopefully from inning one, just stringing a couple at-bats together, passing the baton and the next guy up hopefully can do the job,” Hoover said. “We want to be successful, but sometimes we want it so bad that we try to do a little too much.”TRAINER’S ROOMRoyals: 1B-3B Yuli Gurriel, acquired from Atlanta on Sunday, is listed as day to day with right hamstring tightness. He was replaced after doubling in the eighth inning Monday and did not play Tuesday.UP NEXTCleveland RHP Ben Lively (11-8, 3.92) starts Wednesday’s series finale against Royals RHP Seth Lugo (14-8, 3.12).

⚾ Guardians extend Royals losing streak to season-high 7

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Archive=23507&amp;type=Archive">Watch Coach Klieman’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kstatesports.com/podcasts/chris-klieman-press-conference-september-2-2024/4883">Listen to Coach Klieman’s Press Conference</a>

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State head coach&nbsp;Chris Klieman&nbsp;and select players met with members of the media on Monday inside the Vanier Family Football Complex to preview Saturday’s contest at Tulane. Links to video and audio of Klieman’s press conference – which was streamed live on ESPN+ – are above, while a transcript of Klieman’s opening statement is below.

“Good afternoon. Changing this (press conference) to Mondays, I feel like I just saw you guys, which is a really positive, good thing. Looking at the film (from Saturday), we did some good things, did some really good things, and we made some mistakes that we've got to clean up. I think we have their attention because there's some things – just some detail, some recognition of running the correct route or the correct depth, maybe a blocking scheme that got screwed up a couple of times. We talked about it on Saturday night. We didn't blow the coverage, but we didn't get the best leverage with the coverage. So, we've got some things we've got to get shored up this week. We have, in essence, a pretty short week because our Friday gets rolling really early with some meetings, then walkthroughs before we head on the plane to head to New Orleans.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725375009769.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a target="_blank" href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Archive=23507&amp;type=Archive">Watch Coach Klieman’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kstatesports.com/podcasts/chris-klieman-press-conference-september-2-2024/4883">Listen to Coach Klieman’s Press Conference</a>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State head coach&nbsp;Chris Klieman&nbsp;and select players met with members of the media on Monday inside the Vanier Family Football Complex to preview Saturday’s contest at Tulane. Links to video and audio of Klieman’s press conference – which was streamed live on ESPN+ – are above, while a transcript of Klieman’s opening statement is below.CHRIS KLIEMAN, HEAD COACHOpening Statement…“Good afternoon. Changing this (press conference) to Mondays, I feel like I just saw you guys, which is a really positive, good thing. Looking at the film (from Saturday), we did some good things, did some really good things, and we made some mistakes that we've got to clean up. I think we have their attention because there's some things – just some detail, some recognition of running the correct route or the correct depth, maybe a blocking scheme that got screwed up a couple of times. We talked about it on Saturday night. We didn't blow the coverage, but we didn't get the best leverage with the coverage. So, we've got some things we've got to get shored up this week. We have, in essence, a pretty short week because our Friday gets rolling really early with some meetings, then walkthroughs before we head on the plane to head to New Orleans.”– k-statesports.com –

Wildcats Discuss Season’s First Road Game at Weekly Press Conference

The Kansas City Chiefs have placed running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire on the non-football injury list, which removes him from the active 53-man roster and means he will be out for at least the first four games of the season. Kansas City plays Baltimore, Cincinnati, Atlanta and the Los Angeles Chargers during that span.

Edwards-Helaire has been dealing with PTSD and vomiting after a 2018 incident when he was in college at LSU.

The Kansas City Chiefs have placed running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire on the non-football injury list, which removes him from the active 53-man roster and means he will be out for at least the first four games of the season. Kansas City plays Baltimore, Cincinnati, Atlanta and the Los Angeles Chargers during that span.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Living With PTSD is no small feat, its hard and very overwhelming . Within the last month Ive Had many flare ups and the Amazing staff here at the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Chiefs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Chiefs</a> have been helping me get through some tough times. I’ll be back rolling next Practice! All Love , Glydro ❤️💛&mdash; GLYDE (@Clydro_22) <a href="https://twitter.com/Clydro_22/status/1817926604770906578?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 29, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Edwards-Helaire has been dealing with PTSD and vomiting after a 2018 incident when he was in college at LSU.

🏈 Edwards-Helaire out for first four Chiefs games

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Gavin Williams pitched seven sharp innings, and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Kansas City Royals 4-2 on Monday.

Lane Thomas and Josh Naylor each hit a two-run homer for AL Central-leading Cleveland, which won for the fourth time in five games.

Williams (3-7) allowed one run and one hit in an encouraging September performance after he went 1-4 with a 6.56 ERA in five starts last month. The right-hander retired his last 16 batters.

The Guardians began the day with a 3 1/2-game lead over Minnesota and Kansas City in the division.

The Royals finished with two hits in their season-high sixth consecutive loss.

Thomas' ninth homer of the season lifted Cleveland to a 2-1 lead in the fifth. It was Thomas’ first homer since he was acquired in a July 29 trade with Washington.

José Ramírez led off the sixth with an infield single off Kris Bubic. Naylor followed with his 29th homer, a 420-foot drive to center on a 1-0 fastball.

In his last five games, Naylor has eight RBIs and 11 hits, three for extra bases.

Emmanuel Clase handled the ninth for his 41st save. He has converted 28 consecutive save chances.

Maikel Garcia doubled home Yuli Gurriel in the second for Kansas City, and Kyle Isbel added a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

Garcia started at shortstop as Bobby Witt Jr. served as the designated hitter. It was Witt’s first game away from shortstop since last Sept. 4, a span of 161 games.

Kansas City right-hander Michael Wacha (11-7) permitted two runs and five hits in five innings in his first loss since June 22.

Royals: 1B Gurriel left in the eighth because of right hamstring tightness.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Gavin Williams pitched seven sharp innings, and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Kansas City Royals 4-2 on Monday.Lane Thomas and Josh Naylor each hit a two-run homer for AL Central-leading Cleveland, which won for the fourth time in five games.Williams (3-7) allowed one run and one hit in an encouraging September performance after he went 1-4 with a 6.56 ERA in five starts last month. The right-hander retired his last 16 batters.The Guardians began the day with a 3 1/2-game lead over Minnesota and Kansas City in the division.The Royals finished with two hits in their season-high sixth consecutive loss.Thomas' ninth homer of the season lifted Cleveland to a 2-1 lead in the fifth. It was Thomas’ first homer since he was acquired in a July 29 trade with Washington.José Ramírez led off the sixth with an infield single off Kris Bubic. Naylor followed with his 29th homer, a 420-foot drive to center on a 1-0 fastball.In his last five games, Naylor has eight RBIs and 11 hits, three for extra bases.Emmanuel Clase handled the ninth for his 41st save. He has converted 28 consecutive save chances.Maikel Garcia doubled home Yuli Gurriel in the second for Kansas City, and Kyle Isbel added a sacrifice fly in the eighth.Garcia started at shortstop as Bobby Witt Jr. served as the designated hitter. It was Witt’s first game away from shortstop since last Sept. 4, a span of 161 games.Kansas City right-hander Michael Wacha (11-7) permitted two runs and five hits in five innings in his first loss since June 22.TRAINER’S ROOMRoyals: 1B Gurriel left in the eighth because of right hamstring tightness.UP NEXT

⚾Williams pitches 7 sharp innings as the Guardians beat the Royals

HOUSTON (AP) — Yordan Alvarez homered twice and Jon Singleton added a two-run shot as the Houston Astros completed a four-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals with a 7-2 win Sunday.

It’s Houston’s fifth straight win overall and comes after the Royals swept a three-game series against the AL West leaders at home in April.

“They kicked our butts early in the season in Kansas City when we were not playing our best,” Houston manager Joe Espada said. “But that's why you play 162 and we are a different club. We're getting closer to our goal and we're playing with a different type of intensity and focus and we demonstrated that this series.”

Kansas City lost a season-high fifth straight game to fall into a tie with Minnesota for second in the AL Central, 3 1/2 games behind division-leading Cleveland. The losing streak comes after the Royals won the first of three games of a four-game set against the Guardians and moved into a tie for the division lead. Cleveland and the Royals open another three-game series in Kansas City on Monday.

“The whole series was frustrating,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “We didn’t come out of here with any wins. That’s what we play for, is to win every day. So that stinks.”

It’s the sixth multi-homer game for Alvarez this season and his second this week after the Cuban slugger tied a career high with three home runs in Wednesday’s 10-0 rout of the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies.

Alvarez connected off Alec Marsh (7-8) in the fourth inning before Singleton’s shot made it 3-0. Alvarez belted his 30th home run of the season off Sam Long to start the sixth. He joins Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell as the only players in franchise history with at least four consecutive seasons with at least 30 home runs.

He nearly had another three homer game Sunday, but Tommy Pham caught his fly ball in the eighth inning on the track, just in front of the bullpen.

Sunday was the first time since June 22 that Alvarez homered at Minute Maid Park.

“When I hit the ball, there was like a stress that just left me,” Alvarez said in Spanish through a translator. “Obviously, there had been a while where I hadn’t been hitting the ball for homers here. So I hit that one, then came the other one and then almost the third one came. So hopefully that bad streak is gone."

Houston starter Ronel Blanco (10-6) allowed three hits and struck out three in five innings for his first win since July 9.

Yuli Gurriel hit an RBI single for Kansas City in the sixth and Bobby Witt Jr. homered for a second straight game with a solo shot in the seventh. Gurriel made his debut with the Royals on Sunday after being acquired from Atlanta on Saturday for cash considerations.

The Astros led by three runs when MJ Melendez walked with one out in the sixth and Freddie Fermin singled. Gurriel then singled on a line drive to left field, scoring Melendez and cutting the lead to 3-1.

Witt collected his 30th home run of the season with one out in the seventh, when he connected off Héctor Neris for a second straight game. Witt, who leads the major leagues in hits, batting average and runs, was 0 for 11 in the series before his home run on Saturday.

The Astros padded the lead in the eighth when Yainer Diaz hit an RBI double and Jeremy Peña scored two more on a single to make it 7-2.

Marsh permitted four hits and three runs in five innings.

Astros: OF Kyle Tucker, who has been out since fouling a ball off his shin June 3, continues to improve and could return next week. … 3B Alex Bregman missed a third straight game with elbow inflammation Sunday. But manager Joe Espada said the swelling is almost gone and he should return to the lineup Monday.

Gurriel, who spent his first seven MLB seasons with the Astros, was given a big ovation when he was introduced before the game. Houston fans also cheered loudly for him each time he came to the plate.

The 40-year-old helped the Astros to two World Series titles and won a Gold Glove Award and the AL batting title in 2021.

Gurriel played his first game in the majors this season on Sunday after spending the year in Atlanta’s minor league system.

Royals: RHP Michael Wacha (11-6, 3.50 ERA) opposes Cleveland RHP Gavin Williams (2-7, 4.99) when Kansas City opens a three-game series against the Cleveland Guardians on Monday.

Astros: RHP Justin Verlander (3-4, 4.16) will start the opener of a three-game series at Cincinnati on Monday. The Reds haven’t released their rotation for the series.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725236998008.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals left fielder MJ Melendez catches a line drive hit by Houston Astros' Jose Altuve during the third inning of a baseball game Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals left fielder MJ Melendez catches a line drive hit by Houston Astros' Jose Altuve during the third inning of a baseball game Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox)</figcaption>
 </figure>HOUSTON (AP) — Yordan Alvarez homered twice and Jon Singleton added a two-run shot as the Houston Astros completed a four-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals with a 7-2 win Sunday.It’s Houston’s fifth straight win overall and comes after the Royals swept a three-game series against the AL West leaders at home in April.“They kicked our butts early in the season in Kansas City when we were not playing our best,” Houston manager Joe Espada said. “But that's why you play 162 and we are a different club. We're getting closer to our goal and we're playing with a different type of intensity and focus and we demonstrated that this series.”Kansas City lost a season-high fifth straight game to fall into a tie with Minnesota for second in the AL Central, 3 1/2 games behind division-leading Cleveland. The losing streak comes after the Royals won the first of three games of a four-game set against the Guardians and moved into a tie for the division lead. Cleveland and the Royals open another three-game series in Kansas City on Monday.“The whole series was frustrating,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “We didn’t come out of here with any wins. That’s what we play for, is to win every day. So that stinks.”It’s the sixth multi-homer game for Alvarez this season and his second this week after the Cuban slugger tied a career high with three home runs in Wednesday’s 10-0 rout of the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies.Alvarez connected off Alec Marsh (7-8) in the fourth inning before Singleton’s shot made it 3-0. Alvarez belted his 30th home run of the season off Sam Long to start the sixth. He joins Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell as the only players in franchise history with at least four consecutive seasons with at least 30 home runs.He nearly had another three homer game Sunday, but Tommy Pham caught his fly ball in the eighth inning on the track, just in front of the bullpen.Sunday was the first time since June 22 that Alvarez homered at Minute Maid Park.“When I hit the ball, there was like a stress that just left me,” Alvarez said in Spanish through a translator. “Obviously, there had been a while where I hadn’t been hitting the ball for homers here. So I hit that one, then came the other one and then almost the third one came. So hopefully that bad streak is gone."Houston starter Ronel Blanco (10-6) allowed three hits and struck out three in five innings for his first win since July 9.Yuli Gurriel hit an RBI single for Kansas City in the sixth and Bobby Witt Jr. homered for a second straight game with a solo shot in the seventh. Gurriel made his debut with the Royals on Sunday after being acquired from Atlanta on Saturday for cash considerations.The Astros led by three runs when MJ Melendez walked with one out in the sixth and Freddie Fermin singled. Gurriel then singled on a line drive to left field, scoring Melendez and cutting the lead to 3-1.Witt collected his 30th home run of the season with one out in the seventh, when he connected off Héctor Neris for a second straight game. Witt, who leads the major leagues in hits, batting average and runs, was 0 for 11 in the series before his home run on Saturday.The Astros padded the lead in the eighth when Yainer Diaz hit an RBI double and Jeremy Peña scored two more on a single to make it 7-2.Marsh permitted four hits and three runs in five innings.TRAINER'S ROOMAstros: OF Kyle Tucker, who has been out since fouling a ball off his shin June 3, continues to improve and could return next week. … 3B Alex Bregman missed a third straight game with elbow inflammation Sunday. But manager Joe Espada said the swelling is almost gone and he should return to the lineup Monday.WELCOME BACKGurriel, who spent his first seven MLB seasons with the Astros, was given a big ovation when he was introduced before the game. Houston fans also cheered loudly for him each time he came to the plate.The 40-year-old helped the Astros to two World Series titles and won a Gold Glove Award and the AL batting title in 2021.Gurriel played his first game in the majors this season on Sunday after spending the year in Atlanta’s minor league system.UP NEXTRoyals: RHP Michael Wacha (11-6, 3.50 ERA) opposes Cleveland RHP Gavin Williams (2-7, 4.99) when Kansas City opens a three-game series against the Cleveland Guardians on Monday.Astros: RHP Justin Verlander (3-4, 4.16) will start the opener of a three-game series at Cincinnati on Monday. The Reds haven’t released their rotation for the series.___

⚾ Alvarez homers twice as Astros complete 4-game sweep of Royals 

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Avery Johnson threw two touchdown passes and Kansas State got contributions from all three phases of the game to lead the No. 18 Wildcats to a season-opening 41-6 win over UT Martin on Saturday night.

The Wildcats’ defense dominated early and often, allowing the Wildcats’ offense to find its footing. Kansas State limited the Skyhawks to 134 total yards (2.4 yards per play).

K-State also befuddled UT Martin's passing attack by sacking Kinkead Dent three times. The Wildcats finished with four sacks, led by sophomore defensive end Tobi Osunsanmi’s 1 1/2.

Meanwhile, the Wildcats’ offense had its moments behind Johnson, a sophomore who became K-State’s second-youngest quarterback to start a season opener.

He made his mark in the first quarter when he connected with tight end Brayden Loftin for a 23-yard touchdown to cap a seven-play, 80-yard drive that gave K-State an early 7-0 lead.

Johnson finished 14 of 21 for 153 yards and two TDs with an interception. He also ran for 37 yards on three carries.

DJ Giddens gouged UT Martin’s defense with a team-high 124 yards on 13 carries, averaging 9.5 yards per attempt. As a team, the Wildcats totaled 283 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries.

K-State’s special teams took center stage in the first half when the Skyhawks were forced to punt deep in their own territory. Ty Bowman burst through the right side of the line of scrimmage at the snap and blocked UT Martin’s Jaren Van Winkle’s punt. Colby McCalister scooped the loose ball at the 2-yard line and took it into the end zone to give the Wildcats a 14-0 lead.

Dent got the Skyhawks moving on their fifth possession. He took advantage of a missed sack opportunity by the K-State defense on the drive. Facing a third-and-19 situation, Dent slipped a tackle attempt and rolled to his left before throwing across his body to an open Trevonte Rucker, who got behind the Wildcats defense for a 45-yard gain.

The Wildcats stiffened, however, and the Skyhawks settled for Van Winkle’s 34-yard field goal. Van Winkle added a 31-yarder in the third quarter.

But outside of the 45-yard gain, the Wildcats limited UT Martin’s big plays and kept the Skyhawks out of the end zone en route to the win.

Young’s interception came on a play during which he stared down his intended receiver — Giddens — down the middle of the field. Young’s pass resulted in Chris Martin easily picking off the ball to end a Wildcats drive in Skyhawks territory.

UT Martin had no semblance of a run game. A total of nine Skyhawks rushers combined for 36 yards on 38 carries, averaging a paltry 0.9 yards per attempt.

K-State’s season is off to a good start with a win against a team they should beat. The victory, however, isn’t likely to see the Wildcats make a move up the polls.

K-State: On the road on Sept. 7 to play Tulane.

UT Martin: Travels to Cape Girardeau, Missouri, on Sept. 7 to take on Southeast Missouri State University.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1725157501496.png" alt="Photo K-State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo K-State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Avery Johnson threw two touchdown passes and Kansas State got contributions from all three phases of the game to lead the No. 18 Wildcats to a season-opening 41-6 win over UT Martin on Saturday night.The Wildcats’ defense dominated early and often, allowing the Wildcats’ offense to find its footing. Kansas State limited the Skyhawks to 134 total yards (2.4 yards per play).K-State also befuddled UT Martin's passing attack by sacking Kinkead Dent three times. The Wildcats finished with four sacks, led by sophomore defensive end Tobi Osunsanmi’s 1 1/2.Meanwhile, the Wildcats’ offense had its moments behind Johnson, a sophomore who became K-State’s second-youngest quarterback to start a season opener.He made his mark in the first quarter when he connected with tight end Brayden Loftin for a 23-yard touchdown to cap a seven-play, 80-yard drive that gave K-State an early 7-0 lead.Johnson finished 14 of 21 for 153 yards and two TDs with an interception. He also ran for 37 yards on three carries.DJ Giddens gouged UT Martin’s defense with a team-high 124 yards on 13 carries, averaging 9.5 yards per attempt. As a team, the Wildcats totaled 283 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries.K-State’s special teams took center stage in the first half when the Skyhawks were forced to punt deep in their own territory. Ty Bowman burst through the right side of the line of scrimmage at the snap and blocked UT Martin’s Jaren Van Winkle’s punt. Colby McCalister scooped the loose ball at the 2-yard line and took it into the end zone to give the Wildcats a 14-0 lead.Dent got the Skyhawks moving on their fifth possession. He took advantage of a missed sack opportunity by the K-State defense on the drive. Facing a third-and-19 situation, Dent slipped a tackle attempt and rolled to his left before throwing across his body to an open Trevonte Rucker, who got behind the Wildcats defense for a 45-yard gain.The Wildcats stiffened, however, and the Skyhawks settled for Van Winkle’s 34-yard field goal. Van Winkle added a 31-yarder in the third quarter.But outside of the 45-yard gain, the Wildcats limited UT Martin’s big plays and kept the Skyhawks out of the end zone en route to the win.THE TAKEAWAYYoung’s interception came on a play during which he stared down his intended receiver — Giddens — down the middle of the field. Young’s pass resulted in Chris Martin easily picking off the ball to end a Wildcats drive in Skyhawks territory.UT Martin had no semblance of a run game. A total of nine Skyhawks rushers combined for 36 yards on 38 carries, averaging a paltry 0.9 yards per attempt.POLL IMPLICATIONSK-State’s season is off to a good start with a win against a team they should beat. The victory, however, isn’t likely to see the Wildcats make a move up the polls.UP NEXTK-State: On the road on Sept. 7 to play Tulane.UT Martin: Travels to Cape Girardeau, Missouri, on Sept. 7 to take on Southeast Missouri State University.

🏈 No. 18 Kansas State cruises to win over UT Martin

HOUSTON (AP) — Yusei Kikuchi struck out 12 in seven innings to lead the Houston Astros to a 5-2 win over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday night.

Kikuchi (7-9) improved to 3-0 with a 2.57 ERA since he was acquired by Houston a day before the trade deadline. He gave up five hits, only allowing Kansas City a run on a fielder’s choice grounder that followed two singles in the seventh. He threw 101 pitches, including 75 for strikes and walked none.

“He was really, really, really good,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “He had all his pitches working, both sides of the plate. Our starting pitching has been phenomenal for a while, and Kikuchi just adds another level of quality of starts that we’ve been getting from these guys.”

Kikuchi pumped his fist following his 12th strikeout to end the seventh.

“The last couple of games, the starters have been doing really well so I wanted to do my part,” Kikuchi said. “The defensive plays behind me, especially (Ben) Gamel there in right, that was a huge play. Just watching that, I got pumped up today.”

Ryan Pressly pitched a scoreless ninth for his third save of the season.

Kikuchi had no run support until the Astros chased Royals starter Cole Ragans (10-9) in a five-run sixth inning. Yainer Diaz hit a two-run single, and Jeremy Peña hit a two-run triple during the inning, before Peña scored on a wild pitch.

Ragans looked dominant for much of the first five innings, allowing just one hit and matching a Royals franchise record with eight consecutive strikeouts. The record was set by Blake Stein in 2001 at Milwaukee.

“I was good for five and terrible for one,” Ragans said. “I mean, the record’s cool, but all I want to do is win. That’s all I want to do. Obviously, I didn’t get that done tonight, and I feel like I let the guys down."

Ragans finished with 10 strikeouts, pushing his season total to 197, which is the most by a Royals lefty in a single season.

“He was extremely sharp early,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “Then, in the fifth, it was an 0-2 hit, a hit batter, a tough walk, and then things just kind of unraveled.”

Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. hit his 29th home run of the season in the eighth inning off reliever Hector Neris, who the Astros signed on Aug. 24 after he was released by the Cubs on Aug. 20.

Witt, who leads the major leagues in hits, batting average and runs, had previously had a rough time in Houston, going 0 for 11 this series. He entered Saturday 0 for 19 in his home state of Texas.

HOUSTON (AP) — Yusei Kikuchi struck out 12 in seven innings to lead the Houston Astros to a 5-2 win over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday night.Kikuchi (7-9) improved to 3-0 with a 2.57 ERA since he was acquired by Houston a day before the trade deadline. He gave up five hits, only allowing Kansas City a run on a fielder’s choice grounder that followed two singles in the seventh. He threw 101 pitches, including 75 for strikes and walked none.“He was really, really, really good,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “He had all his pitches working, both sides of the plate. Our starting pitching has been phenomenal for a while, and Kikuchi just adds another level of quality of starts that we’ve been getting from these guys.”Kikuchi pumped his fist following his 12th strikeout to end the seventh.“The last couple of games, the starters have been doing really well so I wanted to do my part,” Kikuchi said. “The defensive plays behind me, especially (Ben) Gamel there in right, that was a huge play. Just watching that, I got pumped up today.”Ryan Pressly pitched a scoreless ninth for his third save of the season.Kikuchi had no run support until the Astros chased Royals starter Cole Ragans (10-9) in a five-run sixth inning. Yainer Diaz hit a two-run single, and Jeremy Peña hit a two-run triple during the inning, before Peña scored on a wild pitch.Ragans looked dominant for much of the first five innings, allowing just one hit and matching a Royals franchise record with eight consecutive strikeouts. The record was set by Blake Stein in 2001 at Milwaukee.“I was good for five and terrible for one,” Ragans said. “I mean, the record’s cool, but all I want to do is win. That’s all I want to do. Obviously, I didn’t get that done tonight, and I feel like I let the guys down."Ragans finished with 10 strikeouts, pushing his season total to 197, which is the most by a Royals lefty in a single season.“He was extremely sharp early,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “Then, in the fifth, it was an 0-2 hit, a hit batter, a tough walk, and then things just kind of unraveled.”Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. hit his 29th home run of the season in the eighth inning off reliever Hector Neris, who the Astros signed on Aug. 24 after he was released by the Cubs on Aug. 20.Witt, who leads the major leagues in hits, batting average and runs, had previously had a rough time in Houston, going 0 for 11 this series. He entered Saturday 0 for 19 in his home state of Texas.“You just wake up tomorrow and move on,” Witt said. “We can’t really do anything now so we just learn what we did and prepare for tomorrow.”Later in the eighth, Royals right fielder Garrett Hampson robbed Alvarez of what would have been his 29th homer of the season. Hampson leaped at the wall and had to fully extend his left arm well above the yellow home run line to bring it back.ROYALS’ NEW ADDITIONSKansas City claimed a pair of veteran outfielders off waivers on Saturday in Robbie Grossman, 35, and Tommy Pham, 36. Grossman was claimed from Texas, where he won the World Series last year, while Pham was claimed from St. Louis. The Royals also acquired former Astros 1B Yuli Gurriel from Atlanta on a minor league deal for cash considerations.TRAINER’S ROOMAstros: 3B Alex Bregman is “still sore” but was “much better” as he missed Saturday’s game with elbow soreness that has sidelined him for several games in recent weeks.UP NEXTRoyals RHP Alec Marsh (7-7, 4.67 ERA) will start against Astros RHP Ronel Blanco (9-6, 3.14) as Houston goes for a four-game sweep on Sunday.___

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