MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Simeon Woods Richardson earned his first win in eight starts, Jose Miranda drove in two runs and the Minnesota Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 4-2 on Tuesday night.

Minnesota, winners of six of their last seven games, got two hits apiece from Manuel Margot, Byron Buxton and Carlos Santana.

Jhoan Duran allowed the first two hitters he faced in the ninth to reach base, but helped by Christian Vazquez throwing out a runner trying to steal second, he didn't allow a run and earned his ninth save.

Kansas City tied a season-low with five hits to lose its third straight after winning eight in a row. The Royals have dropped 15 of their last 16 at Target Field.

Woods Richardson (2-0) allowed three hits and struck out four in five innings for his first win since April 13.

He allowed two or fewer earned runs in seven of his past eight starts, and only once did he receive more than two runs of support. His 2.70 ERA is third among rookies with at least 35 innings pitched, trailing Shota Imanaga of the Cubs (0.84) and Luis Gil of the Yankees (2.11).

After cruising through four innings, Woods Richardson found trouble in the fifth. Nick Loftin walked, advanced to third on Hunter Renfroe's double, and scored on Garrett Hampson's single. Kyle Isbel's groundout plated Renfroe to make it 3-2.

Cole Ragans (4-4), who took a no-hit bid into the sixth inning last Wednesday, struggled early for Kansas City but got through five innings. He allowed nine hits and struck out seven.

The left-hander gave up hits to Minnesota’s first two batters: Margot singled and Carlos Correa doubled. Both scored on Miranda's single to end Ragans' 13-inning scoreless streak.

Back-to-back doubles by Vazquez and Margot made it 3-0 in the fourth.

Royals: 1B Vinnie Pasquantino left the game in the third inning with a lower left leg contusion after fully extending to catch a high throw from 3B Maikel Garcia. He is considered day to day.

Twins: To make room on the 40-man roster for RHP Diego Castillo, whose contract was selected from Triple-A St. Paul, RHP Justin Toba was transferred to the 60-day injured list. He’s been out since March 25 with left patellar tendinitis.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Simeon Woods Richardson earned his first win in eight starts, Jose Miranda drove in two runs and the Minnesota Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 4-2 on Tuesday night.Minnesota, winners of six of their last seven games, got two hits apiece from Manuel Margot, Byron Buxton and Carlos Santana.Jhoan Duran allowed the first two hitters he faced in the ninth to reach base, but helped by Christian Vazquez throwing out a runner trying to steal second, he didn't allow a run and earned his ninth save.Kansas City tied a season-low with five hits to lose its third straight after winning eight in a row. The Royals have dropped 15 of their last 16 at Target Field.Woods Richardson (2-0) allowed three hits and struck out four in five innings for his first win since April 13.He allowed two or fewer earned runs in seven of his past eight starts, and only once did he receive more than two runs of support. His 2.70 ERA is third among rookies with at least 35 innings pitched, trailing Shota Imanaga of the Cubs (0.84) and Luis Gil of the Yankees (2.11).After cruising through four innings, Woods Richardson found trouble in the fifth. Nick Loftin walked, advanced to third on Hunter Renfroe's double, and scored on Garrett Hampson's single. Kyle Isbel's groundout plated Renfroe to make it 3-2.Cole Ragans (4-4), who took a no-hit bid into the sixth inning last Wednesday, struggled early for Kansas City but got through five innings. He allowed nine hits and struck out seven.The left-hander gave up hits to Minnesota’s first two batters: Margot singled and Carlos Correa doubled. Both scored on Miranda's single to end Ragans' 13-inning scoreless streak.Back-to-back doubles by Vazquez and Margot made it 3-0 in the fourth.TRAINER’S ROOMRoyals: 1B Vinnie Pasquantino left the game in the third inning with a lower left leg contusion after fully extending to catch a high throw from 3B Maikel Garcia. He is considered day to day.Twins: To make room on the 40-man roster for RHP Diego Castillo, whose contract was selected from Triple-A St. Paul, RHP Justin Toba was transferred to the 60-day injured list. He’s been out since March 25 with left patellar tendinitis.UP NEXT

⚾️ Woods Richardson gets first win in 8 starts as Twins top Royals

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Joe Ryan pitched seven smooth innings for the Minnesota Twins, who got a two-run homer by Jose Miranda and a three-run shot from Trevor Larnach before hanging on for a 6-5 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Monday in the opener of a four-game series.

Ryan allowed one run and four singles while lowering his team-leading ERA to 2.96. The right-hander struck out nine and walked none, getting 15 swings and misses while topping his four-seam fastball out at 96.6 mph, according to MLB's Statcast. He threw 44 of 52 fastballs above his average velocity (93.7).

“He’s a different animal when he’s throwing that hard,” Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers said.

Ryan (4-3) has pitched into at least the sixth in each of his 11 starts.

“The ball’s coming out well, and it’s not just like he’s throwing hard,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “He’s locating his pitches. He’s putting them in great places, and that’s a good combination for him.”

Alex Kirilloff’s two-out RBI single in the eighth inning gave the Twins (29-24) enough insurance to improve to 5-1 since a seven-game losing streak.

Hunter Renfroe’s two-out RBI double in the ninth off Cole Sands put men on second and third for the Royals (34-21), before Jhoan Duran was summoned for the final out.

Duran hit M.J. Melendez on the foot with an 0-2 curveball, and Dairon Blanco reached on a slow-rolling single to third base that cut the lead to three. Maikel Garcia hit a similar ball up the line that Willi Castro fielded but threw off balance and off the bag for an error that allowed a second run to score.

With Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. at the plate, Duran induced a bouncer back to the mound to record his seventh save.

Miranda took Alec Marsh (4-2) deep to the bullpen beyond left-center in the third inning. Larnach hit a two-out fastball&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/MLB/status/1795174599807668361">into the upper deck above right field</a>&nbsp;in the fifth, a smash measured at 441 feet and 109.1 mph that gave the Twins a 5-0 lead.

Marsh finished five innings with seven strikeouts. He allowed three other hits — all singles — beside the home runs. But his only two walks came in the fifth, preceding Larnach's blast.

“Other than that I thought I was fine. Just unfortunate that out of the (five) hits, two of them were big flies with guys on,” Marsh said.

The Royals have their first losing streak since a two-game skid from May 4-5 and just their second since April 30. Their eight-game winning streak was stopped&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-rays-score-1c65a6b4c9681c6b6eb9740bab33bf44">on Sunday in Tampa Bay</a>.

Ryan's previous outing was a three-hit gem of seven shutout innings that stopped&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/twins-losing-streak-players-meeting-fb7d04e8c417e2710aa5cd04fe0635cf">the seven-game skid</a>. He improved to 6-0 with a 1.50 ERA in eight career starts against the Royals.

“They’re a really good team, so it was just good to get a win,” Ryan said. “The offense scoring so many runs allows me to be a little bit free-er in there, (get) a little bit more rest in between innings."

Royals CF Kyle Isbel was cleared for action after a full pregame workout but remained on the bench as a precaution, two days after fouling a ball off his face that caused a small fracture in his upper nose.

Royals: LHP Cole Ragans (4-3, 3.34 ERA) takes the mound on Tuesday night with a 13-inning scoreless streak over his last two starts with 19 strikeouts and just three hits allowed.

Twins: RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (1-0, 2.57 ERA) pitches the second game of the series. In two starts at home this season, he has allowed only two runs over 11 innings with 14 strikeouts.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716890046456.jpeg" alt="Minnesota Twins' Jose Miranda hits a two-run home run against the Kansas City Royals in the third inning of a baseball game Monday, May 27, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)" />
 <figcaption>Minnesota Twins' Jose Miranda hits a two-run home run against the Kansas City Royals in the third inning of a baseball game Monday, May 27, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)</figcaption>
 </figure>MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Joe Ryan pitched seven smooth innings for the Minnesota Twins, who got a two-run homer by Jose Miranda and a three-run shot from Trevor Larnach before hanging on for a 6-5 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Monday in the opener of a four-game series.Ryan allowed one run and four singles while lowering his team-leading ERA to 2.96. The right-hander struck out nine and walked none, getting 15 swings and misses while topping his four-seam fastball out at 96.6 mph, according to MLB's Statcast. He threw 44 of 52 fastballs above his average velocity (93.7).“He’s a different animal when he’s throwing that hard,” Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers said.Ryan (4-3) has pitched into at least the sixth in each of his 11 starts.“The ball’s coming out well, and it’s not just like he’s throwing hard,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “He’s locating his pitches. He’s putting them in great places, and that’s a good combination for him.”Alex Kirilloff’s two-out RBI single in the eighth inning gave the Twins (29-24) enough insurance to improve to 5-1 since a seven-game losing streak.Hunter Renfroe’s two-out RBI double in the ninth off Cole Sands put men on second and third for the Royals (34-21), before Jhoan Duran was summoned for the final out.Duran hit M.J. Melendez on the foot with an 0-2 curveball, and Dairon Blanco reached on a slow-rolling single to third base that cut the lead to three. Maikel Garcia hit a similar ball up the line that Willi Castro fielded but threw off balance and off the bag for an error that allowed a second run to score.With Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. at the plate, Duran induced a bouncer back to the mound to record his seventh save.Miranda took Alec Marsh (4-2) deep to the bullpen beyond left-center in the third inning. Larnach hit a two-out fastball&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/MLB/status/1795174599807668361">into the upper deck above right field</a>&nbsp;in the fifth, a smash measured at 441 feet and 109.1 mph that gave the Twins a 5-0 lead.Marsh finished five innings with seven strikeouts. He allowed three other hits — all singles — beside the home runs. But his only two walks came in the fifth, preceding Larnach's blast.“Other than that I thought I was fine. Just unfortunate that out of the (five) hits, two of them were big flies with guys on,” Marsh said.The Royals have their first losing streak since a two-game skid from May 4-5 and just their second since April 30. Their eight-game winning streak was stopped&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-rays-score-1c65a6b4c9681c6b6eb9740bab33bf44">on Sunday in Tampa Bay</a>.Ryan's previous outing was a three-hit gem of seven shutout innings that stopped&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/twins-losing-streak-players-meeting-fb7d04e8c417e2710aa5cd04fe0635cf">the seven-game skid</a>. He improved to 6-0 with a 1.50 ERA in eight career starts against the Royals.“They’re a really good team, so it was just good to get a win,” Ryan said. “The offense scoring so many runs allows me to be a little bit free-er in there, (get) a little bit more rest in between innings."TRAINER'S ROOMRoyals CF Kyle Isbel was cleared for action after a full pregame workout but remained on the bench as a precaution, two days after fouling a ball off his face that caused a small fracture in his upper nose.UP NEXTRoyals: LHP Cole Ragans (4-3, 3.34 ERA) takes the mound on Tuesday night with a 13-inning scoreless streak over his last two starts with 19 strikeouts and just three hits allowed.Twins: RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (1-0, 2.57 ERA) pitches the second game of the series. In two starts at home this season, he has allowed only two runs over 11 innings with 14 strikeouts.

 ⚾️ Twins take opener from Royals with strong start from Ryan 

NEW YORK (AP)—Bill Walton, who starred for John Wooden's UCLA Bruins before becoming a Hall of Famer for his NBA career and one of the biggest stars in basketball broadcasting, died Monday, the league announced on behalf of his family. Walton, who had a prolonged fight with cancer, was 71.

He was the NBA's MVP in the 1977-78 season, a two-time champion and a member of both the NBA's 50th anniversary and 75th anniversary teams. That followed a college career in which he was a two-time champion at UCLA and a three-time national player of the year.

“Bill Walton,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said, “was truly one of a kind.”

Walton, who was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 1993, was larger than life, on the court and off. His NBA career — disrupted by chronic foot injuries — lasted only 468 games with Portland, the San Diego and eventually Los Angeles Clippers and Boston. He averaged 13.3 points and 10.5 rebounds in those games, neither of those numbers exactly record-setting.

Still, his impact on the game was massive.

His most famous game was the 1973 NCAA title game, UCLA against Memphis, in which he shot an incredible 21 for 22 from the field and led the Bruins to another national championship.

“One of my guards said, ’Let’s try something else,” Wooden told The Associated Press in 2008 for a 35th anniversary retrospective on that game.

Wooden’s response during that timeout: “Why? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

They kept giving the ball to Walton, and he kept delivering in a performance for the ages.

“It’s very hard to put into words what he has meant to UCLA’s program, as well as his tremendous impact on college basketball," UCLA coach Mick Cronin said Monday. "Beyond his remarkable accomplishments as a player, it’s his relentless energy, enthusiasm for the game and unwavering candor that have been the hallmarks of his larger than life personality.

“As a passionate UCLA alumnus and broadcaster, he loved being around our players, hearing their stories and sharing his wisdom and advice. For me as a coach, he was honest, kind and always had his heart in the right place. I will miss him very much. It’s hard to imagine a season in Pauley Pavilion without him.”

Walton retired from the NBA and turned to broadcasting, something he never thought he could be good at — and an avenue he sometimes wondered would be possible for him, because he had a pronounced stutter at times in his life.

Turns out, he was excellent at that, too: Walton was an Emmy winner.

“In life, being so self-conscious, red hair, big nose, freckles and goofy, nerdy-looking face and can’t talk at all. I was incredibly shy and never said a word,” Walton told The Oregonian newspaper in 2017. “Then, when I was 28 I learned how to speak. It’s become my greatest accomplishment of my life and everybody else’s biggest nightmare.”

The last part of that was just Walton hyperbole. He was beloved for his on-air tangents.

He sometimes appeared on-air in Grateful Dead T-shirts; Walton was a huge fan of the band and referenced it often, even sometimes recording satellite radio specials celebrating what it meant to be a “Deadhead.”

And the Pac-12 Conference, which has basically evaporated in many ways now because of college realignment, was another of his many loves. He always referred to it as the “Conference of Champions” and loved it all the way to the end.

“It doesn’t get any better than this,” he once said on a broadcast, tie-dyed T-shirt on, a Hawaiian lei around his neck.

“What I will remember most about him was his zest for life,” Silver said. “He was a regular presence at league events — always upbeat, smiling ear to ear and looking to share his wisdom and warmth. I treasured our close friendship, envied his boundless energy and admired the time he took with every person he encountered.”

Walton died surrounded by his loved ones, his family said. He is survived by wife Lori and sons Adam, Nate, Chris and Luke — a former NBA player and now a coach.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716834153461.png" alt="FILE - Basketball Hall of Fame legend Bill Walton, left, jokes with Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic during a practice session for the NBA All-Star basketball game in Cleveland, Feb. 19, 2022. Walton, who starred for John Wooden's UCLA Bruins before becoming a Basketball Hall of Famer and one of the biggest stars of basketball broadcasting, died Monday, May 27, 2024, the league announced on behalf of his family. He was 71. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - Basketball Hall of Fame legend Bill Walton, left, jokes with Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic during a practice session for the NBA All-Star basketball game in Cleveland, Feb. 19, 2022. Walton, who starred for John Wooden's UCLA Bruins before becoming a Basketball Hall of Famer and one of the biggest stars of basketball broadcasting, died Monday, May 27, 2024, the league announced on behalf of his family. He was 71. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP)—Bill Walton, who starred for John Wooden's UCLA Bruins before becoming a Hall of Famer for his NBA career and one of the biggest stars in basketball broadcasting, died Monday, the league announced on behalf of his family. Walton, who had a prolonged fight with cancer, was 71.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The following has been released by the NBA. <a href="https://t.co/fdlty5X3F5">pic.twitter.com/fdlty5X3F5</a>&mdash; NBA Communications (@NBAPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAPR/status/1795140623239926129?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>He was the NBA's MVP in the 1977-78 season, a two-time champion and a member of both the NBA's 50th anniversary and 75th anniversary teams. That followed a college career in which he was a two-time champion at UCLA and a three-time national player of the year.“Bill Walton,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said, “was truly one of a kind.”Walton, who was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 1993, was larger than life, on the court and off. His NBA career — disrupted by chronic foot injuries — lasted only 468 games with Portland, the San Diego and eventually Los Angeles Clippers and Boston. He averaged 13.3 points and 10.5 rebounds in those games, neither of those numbers exactly record-setting.Still, his impact on the game was massive.His most famous game was the 1973 NCAA title game, UCLA against Memphis, in which he shot an incredible 21 for 22 from the field and led the Bruins to another national championship.“One of my guards said, ’Let’s try something else,” Wooden told The Associated Press in 2008 for a 35th anniversary retrospective on that game.Wooden’s response during that timeout: “Why? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”They kept giving the ball to Walton, and he kept delivering in a performance for the ages.“It’s very hard to put into words what he has meant to UCLA’s program, as well as his tremendous impact on college basketball," UCLA coach Mick Cronin said Monday. "Beyond his remarkable accomplishments as a player, it’s his relentless energy, enthusiasm for the game and unwavering candor that have been the hallmarks of his larger than life personality.“As a passionate UCLA alumnus and broadcaster, he loved being around our players, hearing their stories and sharing his wisdom and advice. For me as a coach, he was honest, kind and always had his heart in the right place. I will miss him very much. It’s hard to imagine a season in Pauley Pavilion without him.”Walton retired from the NBA and turned to broadcasting, something he never thought he could be good at — and an avenue he sometimes wondered would be possible for him, because he had a pronounced stutter at times in his life.Turns out, he was excellent at that, too: Walton was an Emmy winner.“In life, being so self-conscious, red hair, big nose, freckles and goofy, nerdy-looking face and can’t talk at all. I was incredibly shy and never said a word,” Walton told The Oregonian newspaper in 2017. “Then, when I was 28 I learned how to speak. It’s become my greatest accomplishment of my life and everybody else’s biggest nightmare.”The last part of that was just Walton hyperbole. He was beloved for his on-air tangents.He sometimes appeared on-air in Grateful Dead T-shirts; Walton was a huge fan of the band and referenced it often, even sometimes recording satellite radio specials celebrating what it meant to be a “Deadhead.”And the Pac-12 Conference, which has basically evaporated in many ways now because of college realignment, was another of his many loves. He always referred to it as the “Conference of Champions” and loved it all the way to the end.“It doesn’t get any better than this,” he once said on a broadcast, tie-dyed T-shirt on, a Hawaiian lei around his neck.“What I will remember most about him was his zest for life,” Silver said. “He was a regular presence at league events — always upbeat, smiling ear to ear and looking to share his wisdom and warmth. I treasured our close friendship, envied his boundless energy and admired the time he took with every person he encountered.”Walton died surrounded by his loved ones, his family said. He is survived by wife Lori and sons Adam, Nate, Chris and Luke — a former NBA player and now a coach.

Bill Walton, Hall of Fame player and star broadcaster, dies at 71

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Brandon Lowe drove in three runs with a pinch-hit triple during Tampa Bay's four-run seventh inning, and the Rays stopped Kansas City's eight-game win streak with a 4-1 victory over the Royals on Sunday.

The Rays had lost a season-high six straight.

“To get a win that way, to show up in those high stress situations, it feels good and I feel like it really ignites everybody around it," Lowe said.

Kansas City's Michael Wacha (4-5) lost his perfect-game bid in the sixth, and was pulled after Harold Ramírez singled and Isaac Paredes had a double to start the seventh. John Schreiber then hit Randy Arozarena and permitted a fielder’s choice grounder before Lowe delivered on the first pitch he saw.

It was Lowe's second hit in 17 at-bats since returning from a strained right oblique.

Garrett Cleavinger (4-0) got three outs for the win, and Pete Fairbanks handled the ninth for his fifth save in six chances.

Batting with the bases loaded, Bobby Witt Jr. bounced to second for the final out of the game.

“It was a good ballgame," Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “Really well pitched game. They came up with a big hit when they needed it, and we fought back and just came up a little bit short.”

Wacha retired his first 15 batters on 54 pitches before José Caballero grounded a leadoff double down the third base line in the sixth. After a strikeout and grounder, Yandy Díaz drew a 10-pitch walk before Wacha struck out Jonny DeLuca to complete a 33-pitch inning.

“Those are always tough decisions," Quatraro said about sending Wacha back out for the seventh. "Some of them work. Some of them don’t. That one stings because it didn’t.”

Witt extended his hitting streak to nine games and put the Royals up 1-0 on a sixth-inning homer off Rays reliever Shawn Armstrong. He has homered four times in his last five games.

Witt was thrown out by Arozarena when he tried to score from second in the eighth on Salvador Perez’s one-out single to left.

“Look, we don’t get an out right there that rally just keeps going,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said.

Tampa Bay’s Taj Bradley allowed Adam Frazier’s opposite-field flare single to left in the second and walked three over five innings. After a pair of two-out walks in the fifth, the right-hander fanned Maikel Garcia for his sixth strikeout on his season-high 95th pitch.

Royals: OF Kyle Isbel has a small nose fracture to go with facial lacerations after fouling a ball off his face Saturday, but he avoided going on the 10-day injured list. “He’s very fortunate because the ball grazed the bat, grazed the helmet and (then) hit him,” Quatraro said. “But nothing that needs any time other than just the swelling to go down and get him back out there.” ... INF Michael Massey (lower back sprain) went on the 10-day IL.

Rays: Opening-day starter Zach Eflin (lower back inflammation) has resumed playing catch.

Royals: RHP Alec Marsh (4-1, 2.72 ERA) and Minnesota RHP Joe Ryan (3-3, 3.15 ERA) are Monday’s starters.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716760605243.jpeg" alt="Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Taj Bradley throws against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, May 26, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)" />
 <figcaption>Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Taj Bradley throws against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, May 26, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)</figcaption>
 </figure>ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Brandon Lowe drove in three runs with a pinch-hit triple during Tampa Bay's four-run seventh inning, and the Rays stopped Kansas City's eight-game win streak with a 4-1 victory over the Royals on Sunday.The Rays had lost a season-high six straight.“To get a win that way, to show up in those high stress situations, it feels good and I feel like it really ignites everybody around it," Lowe said.Kansas City's Michael Wacha (4-5) lost his perfect-game bid in the sixth, and was pulled after Harold Ramírez singled and Isaac Paredes had a double to start the seventh. John Schreiber then hit Randy Arozarena and permitted a fielder’s choice grounder before Lowe delivered on the first pitch he saw.It was Lowe's second hit in 17 at-bats since returning from a strained right oblique.Garrett Cleavinger (4-0) got three outs for the win, and Pete Fairbanks handled the ninth for his fifth save in six chances.Batting with the bases loaded, Bobby Witt Jr. bounced to second for the final out of the game.“It was a good ballgame," Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “Really well pitched game. They came up with a big hit when they needed it, and we fought back and just came up a little bit short.”Wacha retired his first 15 batters on 54 pitches before José Caballero grounded a leadoff double down the third base line in the sixth. After a strikeout and grounder, Yandy Díaz drew a 10-pitch walk before Wacha struck out Jonny DeLuca to complete a 33-pitch inning.“Those are always tough decisions," Quatraro said about sending Wacha back out for the seventh. "Some of them work. Some of them don’t. That one stings because it didn’t.”Witt extended his hitting streak to nine games and put the Royals up 1-0 on a sixth-inning homer off Rays reliever Shawn Armstrong. He has homered four times in his last five games.Witt was thrown out by Arozarena when he tried to score from second in the eighth on Salvador Perez’s one-out single to left.“Look, we don’t get an out right there that rally just keeps going,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said.Tampa Bay’s Taj Bradley allowed Adam Frazier’s opposite-field flare single to left in the second and walked three over five innings. After a pair of two-out walks in the fifth, the right-hander fanned Maikel Garcia for his sixth strikeout on his season-high 95th pitch.TRAINER’S ROOMRoyals: OF Kyle Isbel has a small nose fracture to go with facial lacerations after fouling a ball off his face Saturday, but he avoided going on the 10-day injured list. “He’s very fortunate because the ball grazed the bat, grazed the helmet and (then) hit him,” Quatraro said. “But nothing that needs any time other than just the swelling to go down and get him back out there.” ... INF Michael Massey (lower back sprain) went on the 10-day IL.Rays: Opening-day starter Zach Eflin (lower back inflammation) has resumed playing catch.UP NEXTRoyals: RHP Alec Marsh (4-1, 2.72 ERA) and Minnesota RHP Joe Ryan (3-3, 3.15 ERA) are Monday’s starters.

⚾️ Lowe hits a 3-run triple as the Rays stop the Royals' 8-game win streak

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Nelson Velázquez homered and had an RBI double in a three-run 11th inning as the Kansas City Royals beat the Tampa Bay Rays 7-4 on Saturday for their eighth straight victory.

After both teams scored once in the 10th, Velázquez opened the 11th with his hit and scored on Adam Frazier's run-scoring single off Richard Lovelady (0-3). Maikel Garcia also drove in a run with a hit.

James McArthur (2-2) allowed one run in two innings, and Nick Anderson worked a scoreless 11th to get his first save.

Kansas City's Kyle Isbel left in the seventh after a pitch by reliever Garrett Cleavinger hit him in the face while swinging. Isabel remained on his feet and walked off with a trainer holding a towel on his face. The team announced that Isbel has facial lacerations and will undergo additional tests.

Dairon Blanco pinch-hit for Isbel and put the Royals ahead 3-2 on a sacrifice fly.

Velázquez had a second-inning homer and Bobby Witt Jr. extended his hitting streak to a season-high eight games with an RBI single off Aaron Civale in the third.

Kansas City reliever Chris Stratton got the first out in the seventh with a nifty reach behind-the-back grab on Amed Rosario's comeback. The right-hander then hit a batter and issued a walk, and was replaced by Angel Zerpa, who allowed pinch-hitter Harold Ramírez's game-tying RBI single.

Kansas City’s Hunter Renfroe hit a towering fly with a runner on second and two outs in the ninth that Ramírez lost sight of in left field, but center fielder Jose Siri was backing up the play and made the catch.

Jonathan Aranda hit a solo homer in fourth off Royals starter Brady Singer.

Both Civale and Singer gave up two runs and four hits over five innings.

Royals: INF Michael Massey, who left Friday’s game with lower back tightness, didn’t play. Massey has had occasional back issues since spring training.

Rays: OF Josh Lowe went on the 10-day injured list with a right oblique strain. Lowe has played in just 14 games after starting the season on the IL with an injury in the same area.

Royals RHP Michael Wacha (4-4. 4.35 ERA) and Rays RHP Taj Bradley (1-2, 4.00 ERA) are Sunday’s starters.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716680537166.png" alt="Nelson Velázquez homered and had an RBI double in a three-run 11th inning-image Kansas City Royals" />
 <figcaption>Nelson Velázquez homered and had an RBI double in a three-run 11th inning-image Kansas City Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Nelson Velázquez homered and had an RBI double in a three-run 11th inning as the Kansas City Royals beat the Tampa Bay Rays 7-4 on Saturday for their eighth straight victory.After both teams scored once in the 10th, Velázquez opened the 11th with his hit and scored on Adam Frazier's run-scoring single off Richard Lovelady (0-3). Maikel Garcia also drove in a run with a hit.James McArthur (2-2) allowed one run in two innings, and Nick Anderson worked a scoreless 11th to get his first save.The Rays have lost six in a row.Kansas City's Kyle Isbel left in the seventh after a pitch by reliever Garrett Cleavinger hit him in the face while swinging. Isabel remained on his feet and walked off with a trainer holding a towel on his face. The team announced that Isbel has facial lacerations and will undergo additional tests.Dairon Blanco pinch-hit for Isbel and put the Royals ahead 3-2 on a sacrifice fly.Velázquez had a second-inning homer and Bobby Witt Jr. extended his hitting streak to a season-high eight games with an RBI single off Aaron Civale in the third.Kansas City reliever Chris Stratton got the first out in the seventh with a nifty reach behind-the-back grab on Amed Rosario's comeback. The right-hander then hit a batter and issued a walk, and was replaced by Angel Zerpa, who allowed pinch-hitter Harold Ramírez's game-tying RBI single.Kansas City’s Hunter Renfroe hit a towering fly with a runner on second and two outs in the ninth that Ramírez lost sight of in left field, but center fielder Jose Siri was backing up the play and made the catch.Jonathan Aranda hit a solo homer in fourth off Royals starter Brady Singer.Both Civale and Singer gave up two runs and four hits over five innings.TRAINER’S ROOMRoyals: INF Michael Massey, who left Friday’s game with lower back tightness, didn’t play. Massey has had occasional back issues since spring training.Rays: OF Josh Lowe went on the 10-day injured list with a right oblique strain. Lowe has played in just 14 games after starting the season on the IL with an injury in the same area.UP NEXTRoyals RHP Michael Wacha (4-4. 4.35 ERA) and Rays RHP Taj Bradley (1-2, 4.00 ERA) are Sunday’s starters.

⚾️ Velázquez homers as Royals beat Rays for 8th consecutive win

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Seth Lugo became the American League's first eight-game winner, Michael Massey and Bobby Witt Jr, homered and the Kansas City Royals beat the Tampa Bay Rays 8-1 on Friday night for their seventh consecutive victory.

Lugo (8-1) allowed one run and four hits, lowering his AL-best ERA from 1.79 to to 1.74. Only Philadelphia's Ranger Suárez has more victories in the majors with nine.

The Royals are a season-best 14-game over .500 at 33-19. Kansas City was 15-37 after 52 games last season and did not get to 33 wins until Aug. 1.

Massey put Kansas City ahead 5-1 in the fifth with a three-run homer off Tyler Alexander (2-3). Massey, who has 21 RBIs in his last 21 games, left in the sixth due to lower back tightness.

Witt extended his hitting streak to seven games with a solo homer against Alexander in a two-run seventh that made it 8-1. Both dugouts were warned by the umpires after Alexander hit the next batter after Witt, Vinnie Pasquantino, with a 90.3 mph fastball.

Tampa Bay has lost a season-high five in a row to fall to 25-27.

The Rays loaded the bases with one out in the first against Lugo, but scored just once on Jonathan Aranda’s fielder’s choice grounder.

After opener Shawn Armstrong went two perfect innings. Alexander gave up eight runs and 11 hits in five innings. Alexander took a perfect game into the eighth in his previous outing, a start May 17 at Toronto.

Royals: Reliever Carlos Hernández (right shoulder impingement) was reinstated from the 15-day injured list. The righty had been out since opening day. To clear a roster spot, RHP Tyler Duffey was designated for assignment.

Rays: OF Josh Lowe (right side strain) received a cortisone shot in an attempt to avoid going on the injured list. … RHP Shane Baz (Tommy John surgery) was optioned to Triple-A Durham after making four minor league rehab starts.

Royals RHP Brady Singer (4-2, 2.70 ERA) and Rays RHP Aaron Civale (2-4, 5.92 ERA) are set to start Saturday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716600609530.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo delivers to the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, May 24, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo delivers to the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, May 24, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)</figcaption>
 </figure>ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Seth Lugo became the American League's first eight-game winner, Michael Massey and Bobby Witt Jr, homered and the Kansas City Royals beat the Tampa Bay Rays 8-1 on Friday night for their seventh consecutive victory.Lugo (8-1) allowed one run and four hits, lowering his AL-best ERA from 1.79 to to 1.74. Only Philadelphia's Ranger Suárez has more victories in the majors with nine.The Royals are a season-best 14-game over .500 at 33-19. Kansas City was 15-37 after 52 games last season and did not get to 33 wins until Aug. 1.Massey put Kansas City ahead 5-1 in the fifth with a three-run homer off Tyler Alexander (2-3). Massey, who has 21 RBIs in his last 21 games, left in the sixth due to lower back tightness.Witt extended his hitting streak to seven games with a solo homer against Alexander in a two-run seventh that made it 8-1. Both dugouts were warned by the umpires after Alexander hit the next batter after Witt, Vinnie Pasquantino, with a 90.3 mph fastball.Tampa Bay has lost a season-high five in a row to fall to 25-27.The Rays loaded the bases with one out in the first against Lugo, but scored just once on Jonathan Aranda’s fielder’s choice grounder.After opener Shawn Armstrong went two perfect innings. Alexander gave up eight runs and 11 hits in five innings. Alexander took a perfect game into the eighth in his previous outing, a start May 17 at Toronto.TRAINER’S ROOMRoyals: Reliever Carlos Hernández (right shoulder impingement) was reinstated from the 15-day injured list. The righty had been out since opening day. To clear a roster spot, RHP Tyler Duffey was designated for assignment.Rays: OF Josh Lowe (right side strain) received a cortisone shot in an attempt to avoid going on the injured list. … RHP Shane Baz (Tommy John surgery) was optioned to Triple-A Durham after making four minor league rehab starts.UP NEXTRoyals RHP Brady Singer (4-2, 2.70 ERA) and Rays RHP Aaron Civale (2-4, 5.92 ERA) are set to start Saturday.

⚾️ Seth Lugo becomes AL's first 8-game winner as Royals beat Rays

NEW YORK (AP) —The NCAA and the nation's five biggest conferences have agreed to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9a01e3058fee79cbd69bfce7d861e3c9">pay nearly $2.8 billion to settle a host of antitrust claims</a>,a monumental decision that sets the stage for a groundbreaking revenue-sharing model that could start directing millions of dollars directly to athletes as soon as the 2025 fall semester.

The Pac-12 became the final conference to sign off on the proposal Thursday when its university leaders voted to approve, according to a person with direct knowledge of the results.

The Southeastern Conference presidents and chancellors unanimously approved the deal earlier Thursday, another person with knowledge of that decision told The Associated Press. Both spoke spoke on condition of anonymity because an official announcement between the Pac-12, SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, Atlantic Coast Conference and NCAA was still being prepared.

The other organizations voted to approve earlier in the week ahead of a Thursday deadline given by the plaintiffs’ attorneys.

The deal still must be approved by the federal judge overseeing the case and challenges could arise, but if the agreement stands it will mark the beginning of a new era in college sports where athletes are compensated more like professionals and schools can compete for talent using direct payments.

The details in the plan signal the end of the NCAA’s bedrock amateurism model that dates to its founding in 1906. Indeed, the days of NCAA punishments for athletes driving booster-provided cars started vanishing three years ago when the organization&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-sports-sports-0aee610b0152c02dcd5d3eddb4d29f76">lifted restrictions on endorsement deals</a>&nbsp;backed by so-called name, image and likeness money.

Now it is not far-fetched to look ahead to seasons where a star quarterback or top prospect on a college basketball team are not only cashing in big-money NIL deals but have a $100,000 school payment in the bank to play.

There are a host of details still to be determined, but the agreement calls for the NCAA and the conferences to pay $2.77 billion over 10 years to more than 14,000 former and current college athletes who say now-defunct rules prevented them from earning money from endorsement and sponsorship deals dating to 2016.

Some of that money will come from NCAA reserve funds and insurance but even though the lawsuit specifically targeted five conferences that are comprised of 69 schools (including Notre Dame),&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-lawsuit-settlement-752156fdb0ea01445f52b1b109d14922">dozens of other NCAA member schools</a>&nbsp;will see smaller distributions from the NCAA to cover the mammoth payout.

Schools in the Big Ten, Big 12, Atlantic Coast and Southeastern conferences will end up bearing the brunt of the settlement at a cost of about $300 million each over 10 years, the majority of which will be paid to athletes going forward.

The Pac-12 is also part of the settlement, with all 12 sharing responsibility even though Washington State and Oregon State will be the only league members left by this fall after the other 10 schools leave.

In the new compensation model, each school will be permitted but not required to set aside up to $21 million in revenue to share with athletes per year, though as revenues rise so could the cap.

Athletes in all sports would be eligible for payments and schools would be given the freedom to decide how that money is divvied up among sports programs. Scholarship limits by sport will be replaced by roster restrictions.

Whether the new compensation model is subject to the Title IX gender equity law is unknown along with whether schools will be able to bring NIL activities in-house as they hope and squeeze out the booster-run collectives that have sprouted up in the last few years to pay athletes. Both topics could lead to more lawsuits.

The class-action federal lawsuit at the center of the settlement,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9a01e3058fee79cbd69bfce7d861e3c9">House v. the NCAA,</a>&nbsp;was set to go to trial in January. The complaint, brought by former Arizona State swimmer Grant House and Sedona Prince, a former Oregon and current TCU basketball player, said the NCAA, along with the five wealthiest conferences, improperly barred athletes from earning endorsement money.

The suit also made the case that athletes were entitled to a piece of the billions of dollars the NCAA and those conferences earn from media rights agreements with television networks.

Amid political and public pressure, and facing the prospect of another court loss that some in college sports claimed could reach $20 billion in damages, NCAA and conference officials conceded on what has long been a core principal of the enterprise: That schools don't directly pay the athletes to play beyond a scholarship.

That principle had already been dented numerous times over the last decade.

Notably, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-supreme-court-alston-college-athlete-benefits-5be12caeaf014da7d71baf0bb60646fe">against the NCAA in 2021</a>&nbsp;in a case related to education-related benefits. The narrow focus of the Alston case didn't collapse the collegiate sports system, but the strong rebuke of the NCAA's model of amateurism flung the door open to more lawsuits. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, a former Yale athlete, put it bluntly: “The bottom line is that the NCAA and its member colleges are suppressing the pay of student athletes who collectively generate billions of dollars in revenues for colleges every year."

The settlement is expected to cover two other antitrust cases facing the NCAA and major conferences that challenge athlete compensation rules. Hubbard vs. the NCAA and Carter vs. the NCAA are also currently in front of judges in the Northern District of California.

A fourth case, Fontenot vs, NCAA, creates a potential complication as it remains in a Colorado court after a judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-settlement-3e26c017980afe0ee1c6a28f77abcf5a">denied a request</a>&nbsp;to combine it with Carter. Whether Fontenot becomes part of the settlement is unknown and it matters because the NCAA and its conferences don't want to be on the hook for more damages should they lose in court.

“We’re going to continue to litigate our case in Colorado and look forward to hearing about the terms of a settlement proposal once they’re actually released and put in front of a court,” said George Zelcs, a plaintiffs' attorney in Fontenot.

The solution agreed to in the settlement is landmark, but not surprising. College sports has been trending in this direction for years, with athletes receiving more and more monetary benefits and rights they say were long overdue.

In December, NCAA President Charlie Baker, the former Massachusetts governor who has been on the job for 14 months,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-baker-nil-c26542c528df277385fea7167026dbe6">proposed creating a new tier of Division I athletics</a>&nbsp;where the schools with the most resources would be required to pay at least half their athletes $30,000 per year. That suggestion, along with many other possibilities, remain under discussion.

The settlement does not make every issue facing college sports go away. There is still a question of whether athletes should be&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=Dartmouth+apnews+ralph+russo&amp;rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS1095US1095&amp;oq=Dartmouth+apnews+ralph+russo&amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQIRigATIHCAIQIRigATIHCAMQIRigATIHCAQQIRigATIHCAUQIRigAdIBCjEzMTU2ajFqMTWoAgiwAgE&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">deemed employees</a>&nbsp;of their schools, something Baker and other college sports leaders&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-nil-charlie-baker-hearing-senate-83ed8f9e1fb267db1ce5e24d6b79617a">are fighting against.</a>

Some type of federal legislation or antitrust exemption is likely still needed to codify the terms of the settlement, protect the NCAA from future litigation and pre-empt state laws that attempt to neuter the organization's authority. As it is,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-lawsuits-d3abf6cdbe606668eb9a91ffd2218f72">the NCAA is still facing lawsuits</a>&nbsp;that challenge its ability to govern itself, including setting rules limiting multiple-time transfers.

Federal lawmakers have indicated they would like to get something done, but while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-congress-nil-f8b4d71460b9950694bfc66e2e6479e2">several bills have been introduced</a>&nbsp;none have gone anywhere.

Despite the unanswered questions, one thing is clear: Major college athletics is about to become more like professional sports than ever before.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1587379293613.jpeg" alt="The settlement could cost KU and K-State millions" />
 <figcaption>The settlement could cost KU and K-State millions</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) —The NCAA and the nation's five biggest conferences have agreed to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9a01e3058fee79cbd69bfce7d861e3c9">pay nearly $2.8 billion to settle a host of antitrust claims</a>,a monumental decision that sets the stage for a groundbreaking revenue-sharing model that could start directing millions of dollars directly to athletes as soon as the 2025 fall semester.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Statement on settlement: <a href="https://t.co/H6o5HYIhKM">pic.twitter.com/H6o5HYIhKM</a>&mdash; Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) <a href="https://twitter.com/Big12Conference/status/1793808006527738160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 24, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Pac-12 became the final conference to sign off on the proposal Thursday when its university leaders voted to approve, according to a person with direct knowledge of the results.The Southeastern Conference presidents and chancellors unanimously approved the deal earlier Thursday, another person with knowledge of that decision told The Associated Press. Both spoke spoke on condition of anonymity because an official announcement between the Pac-12, SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, Atlantic Coast Conference and NCAA was still being prepared.The other organizations voted to approve earlier in the week ahead of a Thursday deadline given by the plaintiffs’ attorneys.The deal still must be approved by the federal judge overseeing the case and challenges could arise, but if the agreement stands it will mark the beginning of a new era in college sports where athletes are compensated more like professionals and schools can compete for talent using direct payments.The details in the plan signal the end of the NCAA’s bedrock amateurism model that dates to its founding in 1906. Indeed, the days of NCAA punishments for athletes driving booster-provided cars started vanishing three years ago when the organization&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-sports-sports-0aee610b0152c02dcd5d3eddb4d29f76">lifted restrictions on endorsement deals</a>&nbsp;backed by so-called name, image and likeness money.Now it is not far-fetched to look ahead to seasons where a star quarterback or top prospect on a college basketball team are not only cashing in big-money NIL deals but have a $100,000 school payment in the bank to play.There are a host of details still to be determined, but the agreement calls for the NCAA and the conferences to pay $2.77 billion over 10 years to more than 14,000 former and current college athletes who say now-defunct rules prevented them from earning money from endorsement and sponsorship deals dating to 2016.Some of that money will come from NCAA reserve funds and insurance but even though the lawsuit specifically targeted five conferences that are comprised of 69 schools (including Notre Dame),&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-lawsuit-settlement-752156fdb0ea01445f52b1b109d14922">dozens of other NCAA member schools</a>&nbsp;will see smaller distributions from the NCAA to cover the mammoth payout.Schools in the Big Ten, Big 12, Atlantic Coast and Southeastern conferences will end up bearing the brunt of the settlement at a cost of about $300 million each over 10 years, the majority of which will be paid to athletes going forward.The Pac-12 is also part of the settlement, with all 12 sharing responsibility even though Washington State and Oregon State will be the only league members left by this fall after the other 10 schools leave.PAYING ATHLETESIn the new compensation model, each school will be permitted but not required to set aside up to $21 million in revenue to share with athletes per year, though as revenues rise so could the cap.Athletes in all sports would be eligible for payments and schools would be given the freedom to decide how that money is divvied up among sports programs. Scholarship limits by sport will be replaced by roster restrictions.Whether the new compensation model is subject to the Title IX gender equity law is unknown along with whether schools will be able to bring NIL activities in-house as they hope and squeeze out the booster-run collectives that have sprouted up in the last few years to pay athletes. Both topics could lead to more lawsuits.THE CASEThe class-action federal lawsuit at the center of the settlement,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9a01e3058fee79cbd69bfce7d861e3c9">House v. the NCAA,</a>&nbsp;was set to go to trial in January. The complaint, brought by former Arizona State swimmer Grant House and Sedona Prince, a former Oregon and current TCU basketball player, said the NCAA, along with the five wealthiest conferences, improperly barred athletes from earning endorsement money.The suit also made the case that athletes were entitled to a piece of the billions of dollars the NCAA and those conferences earn from media rights agreements with television networks.Amid political and public pressure, and facing the prospect of another court loss that some in college sports claimed could reach $20 billion in damages, NCAA and conference officials conceded on what has long been a core principal of the enterprise: That schools don't directly pay the athletes to play beyond a scholarship.That principle had already been dented numerous times over the last decade.Notably, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-supreme-court-alston-college-athlete-benefits-5be12caeaf014da7d71baf0bb60646fe">against the NCAA in 2021</a>&nbsp;in a case related to education-related benefits. The narrow focus of the Alston case didn't collapse the collegiate sports system, but the strong rebuke of the NCAA's model of amateurism flung the door open to more lawsuits. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, a former Yale athlete, put it bluntly: “The bottom line is that the NCAA and its member colleges are suppressing the pay of student athletes who collectively generate billions of dollars in revenues for colleges every year."THE OTHER CASESThe settlement is expected to cover two other antitrust cases facing the NCAA and major conferences that challenge athlete compensation rules. Hubbard vs. the NCAA and Carter vs. the NCAA are also currently in front of judges in the Northern District of California.A fourth case, Fontenot vs, NCAA, creates a potential complication as it remains in a Colorado court after a judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-settlement-3e26c017980afe0ee1c6a28f77abcf5a">denied a request</a>&nbsp;to combine it with Carter. Whether Fontenot becomes part of the settlement is unknown and it matters because the NCAA and its conferences don't want to be on the hook for more damages should they lose in court.“We’re going to continue to litigate our case in Colorado and look forward to hearing about the terms of a settlement proposal once they’re actually released and put in front of a court,” said George Zelcs, a plaintiffs' attorney in Fontenot.COLLEGE ATHLETICS OVERHAULThe solution agreed to in the settlement is landmark, but not surprising. College sports has been trending in this direction for years, with athletes receiving more and more monetary benefits and rights they say were long overdue.In December, NCAA President Charlie Baker, the former Massachusetts governor who has been on the job for 14 months,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-baker-nil-c26542c528df277385fea7167026dbe6">proposed creating a new tier of Division I athletics</a>&nbsp;where the schools with the most resources would be required to pay at least half their athletes $30,000 per year. That suggestion, along with many other possibilities, remain under discussion.The settlement does not make every issue facing college sports go away. There is still a question of whether athletes should be&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=Dartmouth+apnews+ralph+russo&amp;rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS1095US1095&amp;oq=Dartmouth+apnews+ralph+russo&amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQIRigATIHCAIQIRigATIHCAMQIRigATIHCAQQIRigATIHCAUQIRigAdIBCjEzMTU2ajFqMTWoAgiwAgE&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">deemed employees</a>&nbsp;of their schools, something Baker and other college sports leaders&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-nil-charlie-baker-hearing-senate-83ed8f9e1fb267db1ce5e24d6b79617a">are fighting against.</a>Some type of federal legislation or antitrust exemption is likely still needed to codify the terms of the settlement, protect the NCAA from future litigation and pre-empt state laws that attempt to neuter the organization's authority. As it is,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-lawsuits-d3abf6cdbe606668eb9a91ffd2218f72">the NCAA is still facing lawsuits</a>&nbsp;that challenge its ability to govern itself, including setting rules limiting multiple-time transfers.Federal lawmakers have indicated they would like to get something done, but while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-congress-nil-f8b4d71460b9950694bfc66e2e6479e2">several bills have been introduced</a>&nbsp;none have gone anywhere.Despite the unanswered questions, one thing is clear: Major college athletics is about to become more like professional sports than ever before.___

NCAA, nation's biggest conferences ok $2.8 billion lawsuit settlement

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Cole Ragans allowed one hit in six innings and Freddy Fermin drove in three runs as the Kansas City Royals beat the Detroit Tigers 8-3 on Wednesday for a series sweep.

Ragans (4-3) struck out a career-best 12 while holding the Tigers hitless until Riley Greene’s two-out single in the sixth.

The Royals opened the scoring in the second on Fermin’s one-out RBI double off the top of the left-centerfield wall. One out later, Garrett Hampson followed with an RBI double for a 2-0 lead.

Nelson Velázquez hit his fourth home run into the leftfield fountains to lead off the fourth.

Kansas City took a 4-0 lead in the fifth on three consecutive one-out singles with Vinnie Pasquantino’s RBI hit scoring Maikel Garcia, who extended his hitting streak to 10 games.

Tarik Skubal (6-1) threw five innings, allowing four runs on six hits with two walks and six strikeouts.

The loss snapped Skubal’s 14-game unbeaten streak dating to Aug. 29 last year.

Andy Ibáñez cut the deficit to 4-2 with a two-out, two-run double in the seventh.

Bobby Witt Jr. and Fermin delivered two-run hits in the bottom half of the frame, extending the lead to 8-2.

The Royals won their first series against the Tigers since taking two of three in September 2022. It was Kansas City’s first sweep of Detroit since July 2021.

Colt Keith recorded seven of the Tigers’ 19 hits in the series.

Tigers RHP Jack Flaherty (1-3, 3.79 ERA) opposes Blue Jays (undecided) on Thursday in Detroit.

Royals RHP Seth Lugo (7-1, 1.79) opposes Rays (undecided) on Friday in Tampa.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716411828410.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Cole Ragans throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers Wednesday, May 22, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Cole Ragans throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers Wednesday, May 22, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Cole Ragans allowed one hit in six innings and Freddy Fermin drove in three runs as the Kansas City Royals beat the Detroit Tigers 8-3 on Wednesday for a series sweep.Ragans (4-3) struck out a career-best 12 while holding the Tigers hitless until Riley Greene’s two-out single in the sixth.The Royals opened the scoring in the second on Fermin’s one-out RBI double off the top of the left-centerfield wall. One out later, Garrett Hampson followed with an RBI double for a 2-0 lead.Nelson Velázquez hit his fourth home run into the leftfield fountains to lead off the fourth.Kansas City took a 4-0 lead in the fifth on three consecutive one-out singles with Vinnie Pasquantino’s RBI hit scoring Maikel Garcia, who extended his hitting streak to 10 games.Tarik Skubal (6-1) threw five innings, allowing four runs on six hits with two walks and six strikeouts.The loss snapped Skubal’s 14-game unbeaten streak dating to Aug. 29 last year.Andy Ibáñez cut the deficit to 4-2 with a two-out, two-run double in the seventh.Bobby Witt Jr. and Fermin delivered two-run hits in the bottom half of the frame, extending the lead to 8-2.The Royals won their first series against the Tigers since taking two of three in September 2022. It was Kansas City’s first sweep of Detroit since July 2021.The Royals have won six straight.Colt Keith recorded seven of the Tigers’ 19 hits in the series.Detroit has lost four straight.UP NEXTTigers RHP Jack Flaherty (1-3, 3.79 ERA) opposes Blue Jays (undecided) on Thursday in Detroit.Royals RHP Seth Lugo (7-1, 1.79) opposes Rays (undecided) on Friday in Tampa.

⚾️ Ragans allows 1 hit, strikes out 12 in Royals win over Tigers

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. homered twice as the Kansas City Royals beat the Detroit Tigers 10-3 for their fifth straight win on Tuesday night.

Maikel Garcia led off the first with a triple and scored on Witt’s infield hit. Witt stole second and scored when Salvador Perez hit a single to right.

After Kyle Isbel and Garcia singled in the second, Witt hit Casey Mize’s splitter 468 feet — the farthest of his career —&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/gameday/746309/video/bobby-witt-jr-s-468-foot-home-run">into the upper deck fountains.</a>

Mize (1-3) surrendered six runs on nine hits with two strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings, the shortest outing of his career.

Garcia drove an RBI triple to right and scored on Witt’s third-inning sacrifice fly to give the Royals an 8-0 lead. Garcia scored three runs while matching a career best with four hits, extending his hitting streak to nine games.

Witt added a solo homer leading off the sixth. It was his fourth multihomer game as he matched a career best with six RBIs.

In the seventh, Hunter Renfroe’s fourth homer of the season capped the scoring.

Kansas City collected six extra-base hits and has at least one extra-base hit in all 50 games this year, one game shy of their franchise record set in 1978.

Alec Marsh (4-1) allowed three runs on five hits and two walks with five strikeouts in six innings. The Royals have won all but one of his eight starts.

Kansas City has led or been tied for all 45 innings of the current homestand and hasn’t trailed since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-mariners-score-0b62bf25f1441178eafb446f901ba9f2">Wednesday’s loss at Seattle.</a>

Matt Vierling hit a two-run triple in the fourth and scored on Colt Keith’s single. Keith had three of Detroit’s six hits.

Tigers LHP Tarik Skubal (6-0, 1.80 ERA) opposes Royals LHP Cole Ragans (3-3, 3.70) in Wednesday's series finale.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716344697393.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. celebrates in the dugout after hitting a three-run home run against the Detroit Tigers during the second inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 21, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. celebrates in the dugout after hitting a three-run home run against the Detroit Tigers during the second inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 21, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. homered twice as the Kansas City Royals beat the Detroit Tigers 10-3 for their fifth straight win on Tuesday night.Maikel Garcia led off the first with a triple and scored on Witt’s infield hit. Witt stole second and scored when Salvador Perez hit a single to right.After Kyle Isbel and Garcia singled in the second, Witt hit Casey Mize’s splitter 468 feet — the farthest of his career —&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/gameday/746309/video/bobby-witt-jr-s-468-foot-home-run">into the upper deck fountains.</a>Mize (1-3) surrendered six runs on nine hits with two strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings, the shortest outing of his career.Garcia drove an RBI triple to right and scored on Witt’s third-inning sacrifice fly to give the Royals an 8-0 lead. Garcia scored three runs while matching a career best with four hits, extending his hitting streak to nine games.Witt added a solo homer leading off the sixth. It was his fourth multihomer game as he matched a career best with six RBIs.In the seventh, Hunter Renfroe’s fourth homer of the season capped the scoring.Kansas City collected six extra-base hits and has at least one extra-base hit in all 50 games this year, one game shy of their franchise record set in 1978.Alec Marsh (4-1) allowed three runs on five hits and two walks with five strikeouts in six innings. The Royals have won all but one of his eight starts.Kansas City has led or been tied for all 45 innings of the current homestand and hasn’t trailed since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-mariners-score-0b62bf25f1441178eafb446f901ba9f2">Wednesday’s loss at Seattle.</a>Matt Vierling hit a two-run triple in the fourth and scored on Colt Keith’s single. Keith had three of Detroit’s six hits.UP NEXTTigers LHP Tarik Skubal (6-0, 1.80 ERA) opposes Royals LHP Cole Ragans (3-3, 3.70) in Wednesday's series finale.

⚾️ Bobby Witt Jr.’s 2 homers and 6 RBIs lead Royals past Tigers 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716323161553.png" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas Athletics<div>ARLINGTON, Texas &ndash; Kansas scored a go-ahead run in the top of the ninth inning to beat Kansas State 2-1 in the opening game of the 2024 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship at Globe Life Field Tuesday. Lenny Ashby led off the inning with his first triple of the season and Collier Cranford drove him in with a sacrifice fly.
Kansas has now won the opening game of the Big 12 Championship in back-to-back seasons after defeating No. 1-seeded Texas a year ago. The Jayhawks improved to 30-21 overall this season.
Kansas starter Evan Shaw tossed five innings and allowed only run while walking four and striking out six. The combination of Ethan Lanthier, Cooper Moore, Tegan Cain and Hunter Cranton combined to throw four shutout innings of relief. All of them pitched a single inning, with Cain earning the win and Cranton recording the save.
HOW IT HAPPENED &bull; Both teams were scoreless through the first three innings. &bull; Kansas broke the scoreless battle in the fourth inning. Ben Hartl hit a solo home run to give the Jayhawks a 1-0 lead. &bull; Kansas State (31-23) evened up the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the fifth inning with an RBI single by Kaelen Culpepper. &bull; The Wildcats threatened to score in the sixth and seventh innings with two runners on base, but Kansas was able to escape both innings unscathed with strikeouts to end each frame. &bull; The Jayhawks had two runners on in the eighth inning but were unable to score. &bull; In the ninth, Kansas got the go-ahead run after Ashby&rsquo;s leadoff triple and Cranford&rsquo;s sacrifice fly to take a 2-1 lead. &bull; Cranton then pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth to finish it off.
PITCHERS OF RECORD Win: Tegan Cain (1-2) Final line: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO Loss: Tyson Neighbors (1-2) Final line: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 SO Save: Hunter Cranton (7) Final line: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO
PLAYERS OF THE GAME Cooper Moore, Ethan Lanthier, Tegan Cain, Hunter Cranton: The four pitchers threw four shutout innings and helped hold Kansas State to only one run and seven hits on the day. All four of them had at least one strikeout, including inning-ending strikeouts with two runners on base by both Moore and Lanthier.
SOCIAL POST OF THE GAME
<blockquote data-twitter-extracted-i1716323081663955286="true" style="text-align: center;color: rgb(30, 31, 33);font-size: 16px;border: 0px;">
 BALLGAME. ROCK CHALK. <a href="https://t.co/jxyZw2ZYdH" style="color: transparent;font-size: 22px;border: 0px;">pic.twitter.com/jxyZw2ZYdH</a>
 
 &mdash; Kansas Baseball (@KUBaseball) <a href="https://twitter.com/KUBaseball/status/1792961106119668008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" style="color: transparent;font-size: 22px;border: 0px;">May 21, 2024</a>
 </blockquote>
QUOTABLES &amp; NOTABLES &ldquo;Great ballgame. I loved how our guys competed. To think that 23 months ago we started on a journey of rebuilding this thing, and to have these guys and all their teammates be playing the way they are is pretty awesome, against a really good K-State team. We had great preparation. These guys love playing together. We&rsquo;ve got a really tight group. I couldn&rsquo;t be more proud of these guys.&rdquo; &ndash; Head Coach Dan Fitzgerald
&ldquo;Evan Shaw had a great start and really gave us an opportunity to win. The bullpen did their job. The defense worked behind them, they filled up the zone and gave us every opportunity to win.&rdquo; &ndash; Ben Hartl
&ldquo;Runner on third and nobody out &ndash; we do it every single day at practice. We call it making your free throws. I was just trying to get a ball up in the zone, touch it, get it to the outfield and let Sam [Hunt&rsquo;s] speed get him home.&rdquo; &ndash; Collier Cranford
&bull; Kansas has won the opening game of the Big 12 Championship in back-to-back seasons for only the second time in program history (2017-18). &bull; Kansas improved to 2-2 all-time at Globe Life Field. The Jayhawks are now 14-24 all-time in the Big 12 Championship, including 4-6 against Kansas State. &bull; Kansas has 30 wins for the first time since the 2021 season. &bull; Kansas pitching set a program record for the most strikeouts in a game in the Big 12 Championship (12). &bull; Hartl hit his 11th home run of the season. &bull; Ashby hit his first triple of the season in the ninth inning. &bull; Cranton recorded his seventh save of the season. That is the most saves by a KU pitcher since Jonah Ulane in 2021.
UP NEXT Kansas will play either No. 1-seeded Oklahoma on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. CT or take Wednesday off and advance to Thursday if No. 9-seeded TCU were to beat No. 4-seeded West Virginia.</div>

⚾ Jayhawks edge Wildcats in Big 12 tournament opener

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Michael Massey and Salvador Perez homered as the Kansas City Royals beat the Detroit Tigers 8-3 on Monday night for their fourth straight win.

Massey opened the scoring in the second inning with a leadoff homer, the first long ball given up this season by Tigers starter Reese Olson after 48 1/3 innings, snapping the majors’ longest homerless streak.

In his next at-bat, Massey stunned Olson with a liner off his right hip while Vinnie Pasquantino scored on catcher Jake Rogers’ throwing error for a 2-0 Royals lead.

After tossing a few warmup pitches, Olson (0-5) exited with a right hip contusion. He threw 2 2/3 innings, allowing the two runs and five hits with one walk and two strikeouts.

Perez led off the sixth with his ninth homer as the Royals greeted reliever Joey Wentz with five consecutive hits. Seven straight batters reached safely while Kansas City scored six runs to build an 8-1 lead.

Michael Wacha (4-4) allowed two runs and six hits in seven innings while walking one with three strikeouts to win his third straight start.

Kerry Carpenter hit his sixth homer in the fourth inning – a one-out solo shot into the leftfield fountains – then doubled and scored in the seventh on Colt Keith’s two-out double. Keith had three of Detroit’s seven hits.

Carpenter’s eighth-inning sacrifice fly capped the scoring.

The Tigers have scored 20 runs while losing 8-of-9 starts by Olson.

Tigers RHP&nbsp;<a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/tigers-starter-olson-leaves-game-against-royals-after-being-struck-by-line-drive/ar-BB1mKkwa?ocid=BingNewsSerp">Reese Olson left Monday’s game with a right hip contusion</a>&nbsp;after being struck by a third-inning line drive.

Royals LHP Jake Brentz was reinstated from the Injured List and optioned to Double-A Northwest Arkansas.

Royals designated RHP Matt Sauer for assignment and selected LHP Sam Long from Triple-A Omaha.

Tigers RHP Casey Mize (1-2, 3.50 ERA) opposes Royals RHP Alec Marsh (3-1, 2.43) Tuesday evening.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716259319467.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals' Michael Massey celebrates as he crosses the plate after hitting a solo home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers Monday, May 20, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals' Michael Massey celebrates as he crosses the plate after hitting a solo home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers Monday, May 20, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Michael Massey and Salvador Perez homered as the Kansas City Royals beat the Detroit Tigers 8-3 on Monday night for their fourth straight win.Massey opened the scoring in the second inning with a leadoff homer, the first long ball given up this season by Tigers starter Reese Olson after 48 1/3 innings, snapping the majors’ longest homerless streak.In his next at-bat, Massey stunned Olson with a liner off his right hip while Vinnie Pasquantino scored on catcher Jake Rogers’ throwing error for a 2-0 Royals lead.After tossing a few warmup pitches, Olson (0-5) exited with a right hip contusion. He threw 2 2/3 innings, allowing the two runs and five hits with one walk and two strikeouts.Perez led off the sixth with his ninth homer as the Royals greeted reliever Joey Wentz with five consecutive hits. Seven straight batters reached safely while Kansas City scored six runs to build an 8-1 lead.Michael Wacha (4-4) allowed two runs and six hits in seven innings while walking one with three strikeouts to win his third straight start.Kerry Carpenter hit his sixth homer in the fourth inning – a one-out solo shot into the leftfield fountains – then doubled and scored in the seventh on Colt Keith’s two-out double. Keith had three of Detroit’s seven hits.Carpenter’s eighth-inning sacrifice fly capped the scoring.The Tigers have scored 20 runs while losing 8-of-9 starts by Olson.TRAINER’S ROOMTigers RHP&nbsp;<a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/tigers-starter-olson-leaves-game-against-royals-after-being-struck-by-line-drive/ar-BB1mKkwa?ocid=BingNewsSerp">Reese Olson left Monday’s game with a right hip contusion</a>&nbsp;after being struck by a third-inning line drive.Royals LHP Jake Brentz was reinstated from the Injured List and optioned to Double-A Northwest Arkansas.ROSTER MOVESRoyals designated RHP Matt Sauer for assignment and selected LHP Sam Long from Triple-A Omaha.UP NEXTTigers RHP Casey Mize (1-2, 3.50 ERA) opposes Royals RHP Alec Marsh (3-1, 2.43) Tuesday evening.

⚾️ Massey, Perez hit homers to lead Royals over Tigers

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Brady Singer stuck out nine, Vinnie Pasquantino hit a three-run triple and the Kansas City Royals completed a sweep of the Oakland Athletics with an 8-1 victory Sunday.

It was the third sweep of the season for Kansas City. It took until September 20 for the Royals to record their third sweep of the season last year.

Singer (4-2) tossed six innings on one-run ball, giving up six hits with one walk and nine strikeouts. It was the fifth time this season that Singer has stuck out six or more and was one shy of his season high. He has gone at least five innings in every start this season.

“That’s what we were hoping for, the early counts and low pitch counts and making them make decisions," Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. "Certainly couldn't ask more for that when it comes to efficiency. To have him set the tone like that and get the early lead that’s all we could hope for.”

Pasquantino hit a three-run pinch-hit triple to highlight a four-run sixth inning for the Royals. It was his first career triple in the Majors. Kansas City ended the day with five extra-base hits.

“The nice thing about the Majors is that we have a batting cage close, so from the third inning on, I’m getting hot for that one opportunity," Pasquantino said. “I’m not coming into the game for my speed; I know it’ll be a high-leverage situation, so I was able to do that today.”

Bobby Witt Jr. went 2 for 3 with a double, a triple and two RBIs. Maikel Garcia had a two-RBI game and extended a six-game hitting streak. Salvador Perez had a two-hit game with an RBI.

JP Sears (3-3) tossed 4 1/3 innings allowing four runs on five hits with two walks and four strikeouts.

Brent Rooker hit his 11th home run of the season with a three-run shot over the left-field bullpen. He leads the team in the category.

Tyler Soderstrom put the A’s on the board with a two-out double in the fourth. Since being recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas on Wednesday, Soderstorm has a hit in six of nine games. Max Schuemann had a two-hit game.

Trailing 2-1 in the fifth, Oakland had a chance to take the lead with bases loaded with two outs, but Singer ended the inning on a Rooker groundout. Oakland left 10 men on base on 11 hits.

“We have to do a better job of scoring on situations to keep ourselves close late in games,” Rooker said. “We just need to take advantage when we have opportunities. We are just going to keep working. The guys stepping into the box are working hard. We are just going to keep pushing through this tough stretch.”

On a 10-game road trip, the Athletics went 1-9, including an eight-game losing streak. It was also the fourth time Oakland has been swept this season.

“I think the at-bats were better the last two days. We pitched better than we had all series,” A's manager Mark Kotsay said. “Sometimes you get into these ruts where you start hitting well but not pitching and vice versa. You just have to push through them.”

The Athletics head home after a 10-day, tri-city road trip hosting the Rockies beginning on Tuesday night. Aaron Brooks (0-1, 3.86 ERA) will start game one for Oakland. Kansas City continues a six-game homestand with a matchup against Detroit beginning Monday night. Michael Wacha (3-4, 4.71 ERA) will take the mound for the Royals.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716155135747.png" alt="Photo Kansas City Royals" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas City Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Brady Singer stuck out nine, Vinnie Pasquantino hit a three-run triple and the Kansas City Royals completed a sweep of the Oakland Athletics with an 8-1 victory Sunday.It was the third sweep of the season for Kansas City. It took until September 20 for the Royals to record their third sweep of the season last year.Singer (4-2) tossed six innings on one-run ball, giving up six hits with one walk and nine strikeouts. It was the fifth time this season that Singer has stuck out six or more and was one shy of his season high. He has gone at least five innings in every start this season.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716159550190.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Brady Singer throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Brady Singer throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>“That’s what we were hoping for, the early counts and low pitch counts and making them make decisions," Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. "Certainly couldn't ask more for that when it comes to efficiency. To have him set the tone like that and get the early lead that’s all we could hope for.”Pasquantino hit a three-run pinch-hit triple to highlight a four-run sixth inning for the Royals. It was his first career triple in the Majors. Kansas City ended the day with five extra-base hits.“The nice thing about the Majors is that we have a batting cage close, so from the third inning on, I’m getting hot for that one opportunity," Pasquantino said. “I’m not coming into the game for my speed; I know it’ll be a high-leverage situation, so I was able to do that today.”Bobby Witt Jr. went 2 for 3 with a double, a triple and two RBIs. Maikel Garcia had a two-RBI game and extended a six-game hitting streak. Salvador Perez had a two-hit game with an RBI.JP Sears (3-3) tossed 4 1/3 innings allowing four runs on five hits with two walks and four strikeouts.Brent Rooker hit his 11th home run of the season with a three-run shot over the left-field bullpen. He leads the team in the category.Tyler Soderstrom put the A’s on the board with a two-out double in the fourth. Since being recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas on Wednesday, Soderstorm has a hit in six of nine games. Max Schuemann had a two-hit game.Trailing 2-1 in the fifth, Oakland had a chance to take the lead with bases loaded with two outs, but Singer ended the inning on a Rooker groundout. Oakland left 10 men on base on 11 hits.“We have to do a better job of scoring on situations to keep ourselves close late in games,” Rooker said. “We just need to take advantage when we have opportunities. We are just going to keep working. The guys stepping into the box are working hard. We are just going to keep pushing through this tough stretch.”On a 10-game road trip, the Athletics went 1-9, including an eight-game losing streak. It was also the fourth time Oakland has been swept this season.“I think the at-bats were better the last two days. We pitched better than we had all series,” A's manager Mark Kotsay said. “Sometimes you get into these ruts where you start hitting well but not pitching and vice versa. You just have to push through them.”UP NEXTThe Athletics head home after a 10-day, tri-city road trip hosting the Rockies beginning on Tuesday night. Aaron Brooks (0-1, 3.86 ERA) will start game one for Oakland. Kansas City continues a six-game homestand with a matchup against Detroit beginning Monday night. Michael Wacha (3-4, 4.71 ERA) will take the mound for the Royals.___

⚾️ Brady Singer strikes out nine, Royals sweep the A's

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Seth Lugo struck out 10 and earned his American League-leading seventh victory as the Kansas City Royals beat the Oakland Athletics 5-3 Saturday night.

The Royals improved to 28-19, nine games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2015 season, when they went on to win the World Series. Kansas City also claimed its eighth series win of the season, a mark the Royals didn't reach until mid-September in 2023.

“With this pitching staff, we don't need much,” second baseman Michael Massey said. "When a hitter is on a hot streak, at what point is he just good and not on a hot streak? I feel like that's where we're starting to get as a team. It's not really a streak. We're just playing the way we're supposed to play.

Oakland lost its seventh straight game, the team's longest skid of the season.

Lugo (7-1) allowed two runs on six hits with a walk in 5 2/3 innings. The 34-year-old right-hander had his second straight double-digit strikeout game and became the eighth Royals pitcher to accomplish that feat. James McArthur picked up his 11th save.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716087425332.png" alt="Photo KC Royals" />
 <figcaption>Photo KC Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Seth Lugo struck out 10 and earned his American League-leading seventh victory as the Kansas City Royals beat the Oakland Athletics 5-3 Saturday night.The Royals improved to 28-19, nine games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2015 season, when they went on to win the World Series. Kansas City also claimed its eighth series win of the season, a mark the Royals didn't reach until mid-September in 2023.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716090494222.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics Saturday, May 18, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo.(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics Saturday, May 18, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo.(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>“With this pitching staff, we don't need much,” second baseman Michael Massey said. "When a hitter is on a hot streak, at what point is he just good and not on a hot streak? I feel like that's where we're starting to get as a team. It's not really a streak. We're just playing the way we're supposed to play.“We're just a good team.”Oakland lost its seventh straight game, the team's longest skid of the season.Lugo (7-1) allowed two runs on six hits with a walk in 5 2/3 innings. The 34-year-old right-hander had his second straight double-digit strikeout game and became the eighth Royals pitcher to accomplish that feat. James McArthur picked up his 11th save.But Lugo was not satisfied.“The starter's job is to pitch deep into the game,” he said. “When (John) Schreiber's having to go multiple innings and three relievers are used, I feel like the standard should be to pitch deeper and to take the load off (the bullpen).”His manager was much more complimentary."You feel really good that he's going to keep you in it” Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said. ”His stuff looked really good. The home run pitch was just him not getting the ball where he wanted it.“This was a good test for Lugo. This was the first night when it was really warm and humid, and you could see that they made him work.”Ross Stripling (1-8) picked up his league-leading eighth loss. The 34-year-old righty allowed four runs on nine hits with no walks and two strikeouts in five-plus innings.The Athletics had plenty of chances, pounding out 11 hits, but they only pushed across three runs.“We just didn't get the big hit,” Oakland manager Mark Kotsay said. “They were able to capitalize with two outs. But, offensively, there were better signs.”The Royals got to Stripling for a pair of runs in the first. Maikel Garcia and Bobby Witt Jr. opened with singles. After the runners advanced to second and third on a groundout, Salvador Perez drove in both with a single to left field.“I don't care when we score runs,” Quatraro said, “but it's better to get out to a lead. We knew Stripling was going to be tough.”The Athletics answered in the second. Zack Gelof legged out a double before Seth Brown hit his fourth homer of the season, a 445-foot shot to center field to tie the score.The Royals regained the lead in the fifth when Vinnie Pasquantino snapped an 0-for-14 slump with a two-out line drive single that scored Garcia. The Royals added to the lead in the sixth on an RBI single by Nelson Velazquez that scored Massey, who led off with a double.The Athletics closed within a run on an RBI single by Brent Rooker in the seventh. But the Royals got that run back on a leadoff home run by Kyle Isbel, his fourth, in the bottom of the seventh.UP NEXT:The Athletics and Royals will close their three-game series Sunday afternoon. The Athletics will send LHP JP Sears (3-2, 3.96 ERA) to the mound to face RHP Brady Singer (3-2, 2.84 ERA).

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