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.

“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.

Kansas 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.

Astros: 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.

Royals 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.

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.___

⚾ Kikuchi strikes out 12 in 7 innings as Astros beat Royals

HOUSTON (AP) — Framber Valdez pitched seven no-hit innings and Jose Altuve hit a game-ending RBI double in the ninth to lift the Houston Astros to a 3-2 win over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night.

The game was tied at 2-all when Jake Meyers singled off James McArthur (5-6) with one out in the ninth. There were two outs when Altuve bounced his double off the wall in left field to send Meyers home and set off a wild celebration.

“He always finds a way to wow us and that’s another big swing by Jose Altuve,” manager Joe Espada said.

The Royals trailed 2-0 and had just one hit when Bobby Witt Jr. reached on an error by shortstop Jeremy Peña to start the ninth. With one out, Paul DeJong sent a slider from Josh Hader (7-7) into the Crawford Boxes in left field to tie it.

Valdez was pulled after throwing 98 pitches, 60 for strikes, with seven strikeouts, three walks and a hit batter. He wasn't upset that Espada removed him from the game with the no-hitter intact.

“He made the decision that I was done there and I agreed,” Valdez said through an interpreter. “The most important thing was that we won the game.”

Espada raved about his starter's performance.

“That curveball, the sinker kept that all-righty lineup off-balance,” Espada said. “His stuff is so good. Efficient, composed, going after hitters, getting big outs.”

Bryan Abreu took over to start the eighth and retired Michael Massey on a fly ball before pinch-hitter MJ Melendez grounded out. Pinch-hitter Kyle Isbel then grounded a single to left field for the Royals' first hit.

The 30-year-old Valdez threw a no-hitter against Cleveland on Aug. 1, 2023. He nearly had a second one earlier this month before Corey Seager homered with two outs in the ninth inning of a 4-2 win over Texas on Aug. 6.

It was the second time this week the Astros took a no-hit bid into the eighth inning. Spencer Arrighetti allowed his first hit to start the eighth in a 10-0 win over the NL East-leading Phillies on Wednesday.

Valdez sailed through the first four innings but needed some help from his defense in the fifth. Freddy Fermin hit a sharp grounder to Peña, who fielded it and made a leaping throw that bounced to Victor Caratini at first just before Fermin’s foot hit the bag.

Valdez smiled and pointed at Peña after the play. Nick Loftin grounded out to end the inning.

Valdez hit Perez with a pitch with one out in the seventh before striking out DeJong. Fermin walked, prompting a visit from pitching coach Josh Miller. Valdez then struck out Loftin to end his night.

Espada said it was a tough decision to remove Valdez but that he thought it was best because of how hard he had to work in the seventh inning.

Ben Gamel led off Houston’s third with his first home run this season, a shot to center field.

Yainer Diaz singled with one out in the eighth before a double by Caratini. The Astros made it 2-0 when Diaz scored on a sacrifice fly by Peña.

Seth Lugo permitted six hits and a run with nine strikeouts in six innings.

“He had it all working,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “Seven innings of one-run baseball against that team is a phenomenal effort.”

Royals: 1B Vinnie Pasquantino will miss the rest of the regular season after breaking his right thumb while trying to make a play Thursday night. The injury will require surgery and the expected recovery time is 6-to-8 weeks, meaning Pasquantino could potentially return if the Royals make a playoff run. ... Reliever Lucas Erceg was injured on the same play when he tried to barehand a comebacker. His hand was bruised and swollen Friday but Quatraro said the injury wasn’t serious.

Astros: 3B Alex Bregman was out of the lineup Friday with elbow soreness. ... RF Kyle Tucker (right shin bruise) took live batting practice Friday for the first time since fouling a ball off his leg June 3. Tucker said he’s feeling good and believes he can return soon. He added that he hopes not to go on a minor league rehabilitation assignment and instead prepare for his return by doing more live BP and possibly simulated games.

Houston LHP Yusei Kikuchi (6-9, 4.39 ERA) opposes LHP Cole Ragans (10-8, 3.28) when the series continues Saturday night.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1725072957125.jpeg" alt="Houston Astros' Jose Altuve (27) is mobbed by his teammates after hitting a walk-off RBI double during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox)" />
 <figcaption>Houston Astros' Jose Altuve (27) is mobbed by his teammates after hitting a walk-off RBI double during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox)</figcaption>
 </figure>HOUSTON (AP) — Framber Valdez pitched seven no-hit innings and Jose Altuve hit a game-ending RBI double in the ninth to lift the Houston Astros to a 3-2 win over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night.The game was tied at 2-all when Jake Meyers singled off James McArthur (5-6) with one out in the ninth. There were two outs when Altuve bounced his double off the wall in left field to send Meyers home and set off a wild celebration.“He always finds a way to wow us and that’s another big swing by Jose Altuve,” manager Joe Espada said.The Royals trailed 2-0 and had just one hit when Bobby Witt Jr. reached on an error by shortstop Jeremy Peña to start the ninth. With one out, Paul DeJong sent a slider from Josh Hader (7-7) into the Crawford Boxes in left field to tie it.Valdez was pulled after throwing 98 pitches, 60 for strikes, with seven strikeouts, three walks and a hit batter. He wasn't upset that Espada removed him from the game with the no-hitter intact.“He made the decision that I was done there and I agreed,” Valdez said through an interpreter. “The most important thing was that we won the game.”Espada raved about his starter's performance.“That curveball, the sinker kept that all-righty lineup off-balance,” Espada said. “His stuff is so good. Efficient, composed, going after hitters, getting big outs.”Bryan Abreu took over to start the eighth and retired Michael Massey on a fly ball before pinch-hitter MJ Melendez grounded out. Pinch-hitter Kyle Isbel then grounded a single to left field for the Royals' first hit.The 30-year-old Valdez threw a no-hitter against Cleveland on Aug. 1, 2023. He nearly had a second one earlier this month before Corey Seager homered with two outs in the ninth inning of a 4-2 win over Texas on Aug. 6.It was the second time this week the Astros took a no-hit bid into the eighth inning. Spencer Arrighetti allowed his first hit to start the eighth in a 10-0 win over the NL East-leading Phillies on Wednesday.Valdez sailed through the first four innings but needed some help from his defense in the fifth. Freddy Fermin hit a sharp grounder to Peña, who fielded it and made a leaping throw that bounced to Victor Caratini at first just before Fermin’s foot hit the bag.Valdez smiled and pointed at Peña after the play. Nick Loftin grounded out to end the inning.Valdez hit Perez with a pitch with one out in the seventh before striking out DeJong. Fermin walked, prompting a visit from pitching coach Josh Miller. Valdez then struck out Loftin to end his night.Espada said it was a tough decision to remove Valdez but that he thought it was best because of how hard he had to work in the seventh inning.Ben Gamel led off Houston’s third with his first home run this season, a shot to center field.Yainer Diaz singled with one out in the eighth before a double by Caratini. The Astros made it 2-0 when Diaz scored on a sacrifice fly by Peña.Seth Lugo permitted six hits and a run with nine strikeouts in six innings.“He had it all working,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “Seven innings of one-run baseball against that team is a phenomenal effort.”TRAINER'S ROOMRoyals: 1B Vinnie Pasquantino will miss the rest of the regular season after breaking his right thumb while trying to make a play Thursday night. The injury will require surgery and the expected recovery time is 6-to-8 weeks, meaning Pasquantino could potentially return if the Royals make a playoff run. ... Reliever Lucas Erceg was injured on the same play when he tried to barehand a comebacker. His hand was bruised and swollen Friday but Quatraro said the injury wasn’t serious.Astros: 3B Alex Bregman was out of the lineup Friday with elbow soreness. ... RF Kyle Tucker (right shin bruise) took live batting practice Friday for the first time since fouling a ball off his leg June 3. Tucker said he’s feeling good and believes he can return soon. He added that he hopes not to go on a minor league rehabilitation assignment and instead prepare for his return by doing more live BP and possibly simulated games.UP NEXTHouston LHP Yusei Kikuchi (6-9, 4.39 ERA) opposes LHP Cole Ragans (10-8, 3.28) when the series continues Saturday night.

⚾Royals held hitless through 7, Altuve's hit in 9th lifts Astros to win

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Devin Neal ran for 112 yards and two touchdowns on eight first-half carries and No. 22 Kansas beat Lindenwood 48-3 on Thursday night in the opener for both teams.

Kansas outscored Lindenwood 27-0 in the second quarter at Children’s Mercy Park. Lindenwood, in its third year as an FCS program, played its first game against an FBS opponent.

Daniels, who played only in the first half for Kansas, was 9 of 15 for 148 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

“For the first game, it was about what I hoped for,” Kansas coach Lance Leipold said. “I thought Jalon (Daniels) played really well. I thought Devin and Daniel (Hishaw) ran the ball hard. I thought all our backs ran the ball hard.

"I thought the defense was solid. There are still some things with communication where we've got to be better. It was a good night, but there are some things as we step up and play a Big Ten opponent (Illinois) next, we've got to be better.”

The Jayhawks are playing home games in Kansas City — two at Children’s Mercy Park and four at Arrowhead Stadium — because of stadium renovations.

“I thought the atmosphere was great at the beginning of the game,” Leipold said. “There was energy. After a few of those big plays, in the second half it tapered down a little bit.”

Lindenwood averted a shutout with a 34-yard field goal by Logan Seibert with 6:12 left.

After forcing a three-and-out on Lindenwood's first series, Kansas marched 65 yards in nine plays for its first touchdown. Neal punched it in from the 5. Kansas had to convert a fourth-and-3 on the drive.

But that's all the offense Kansas could muster in the first quarter. Lindenwood ran 20 plays in the first quarter, compared to just 12 for Kansas, and the Lions held the ball for almost 10 minutes.

Turnovers hurt Kansas early in the first half. Quentin Skinner fumbled on Kansas' second drive. Daniels then threw an interception, ending the Jayhawks' third drive early in the second quarter.

Luke Grimm said he and Daniels read different coverages, but Daniels took the blame.

“Luke read the defense perfectly," Daniels said. "That play was on me. I have to give props to the DB for making that play.”

Neal gave the Jayhawks a 14-0 lead in the second quarter on a 1-yard scamper, capping a seven-play, 85-yard drive.

Mello Dotson put Kansas up 20-0 with an interception return. He stepped in front of a pass on the right sideline and raced 33 yards untouched. The extra point caromed off the upright.

“At the beginning of that play, the quarterback was staring down his receiver,” Dotson said. “He gave him a sign to run the out route. I saw the quarterback give him that sign and I knew the ball was coming my way.”

Daniels then hit Grimm with a 58-yard touchdown strike to extend the lead to 27-0, vindicating Daniels.

“I just had to forget the (bad) play and make sure my next throw was the right throw.”

Hishaw's 1-yard run with 4 seconds left in the half made it 34-0.

Lindenwood saw the difference between the two levels of Division I in the trenches. The Lions averaged just 3.5 yards per play, compared to 8.2 yards per play for Kansas. Kansas will need to address the turnovers on offense as the quality of opponent ramps up next week.

Lindenwood: Hosts Central Arkansas on Saturday, Sept. 7.

Kansas: At Illinois on Saturday, Sept. 7.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1725011060418.jpeg" alt="Kansas running back Devin Neal (4) runs for a first down during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Lindenwood Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024, at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas running back Devin Neal (4) runs for a first down during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Lindenwood Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024, at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Devin Neal ran for 112 yards and two touchdowns on eight first-half carries and No. 22 Kansas beat Lindenwood 48-3 on Thursday night in the opener for both teams.Kansas outscored Lindenwood 27-0 in the second quarter at Children’s Mercy Park. Lindenwood, in its third year as an FCS program, played its first game against an FBS opponent.Daniels, who played only in the first half for Kansas, was 9 of 15 for 148 yards with a touchdown and an interception.“For the first game, it was about what I hoped for,” Kansas coach Lance Leipold said. “I thought Jalon (Daniels) played really well. I thought Devin and Daniel (Hishaw) ran the ball hard. I thought all our backs ran the ball hard."I thought the defense was solid. There are still some things with communication where we've got to be better. It was a good night, but there are some things as we step up and play a Big Ten opponent (Illinois) next, we've got to be better.”The Jayhawks are playing home games in Kansas City — two at Children’s Mercy Park and four at Arrowhead Stadium — because of stadium renovations.“I thought the atmosphere was great at the beginning of the game,” Leipold said. “There was energy. After a few of those big plays, in the second half it tapered down a little bit.”Lindenwood averted a shutout with a 34-yard field goal by Logan Seibert with 6:12 left.After forcing a three-and-out on Lindenwood's first series, Kansas marched 65 yards in nine plays for its first touchdown. Neal punched it in from the 5. Kansas had to convert a fourth-and-3 on the drive.But that's all the offense Kansas could muster in the first quarter. Lindenwood ran 20 plays in the first quarter, compared to just 12 for Kansas, and the Lions held the ball for almost 10 minutes.Turnovers hurt Kansas early in the first half. Quentin Skinner fumbled on Kansas' second drive. Daniels then threw an interception, ending the Jayhawks' third drive early in the second quarter.Luke Grimm said he and Daniels read different coverages, but Daniels took the blame.“Luke read the defense perfectly," Daniels said. "That play was on me. I have to give props to the DB for making that play.”Neal gave the Jayhawks a 14-0 lead in the second quarter on a 1-yard scamper, capping a seven-play, 85-yard drive.Mello Dotson put Kansas up 20-0 with an interception return. He stepped in front of a pass on the right sideline and raced 33 yards untouched. The extra point caromed off the upright.“At the beginning of that play, the quarterback was staring down his receiver,” Dotson said. “He gave him a sign to run the out route. I saw the quarterback give him that sign and I knew the ball was coming my way.”Daniels then hit Grimm with a 58-yard touchdown strike to extend the lead to 27-0, vindicating Daniels.“I just had to forget the (bad) play and make sure my next throw was the right throw.”Hishaw's 1-yard run with 4 seconds left in the half made it 34-0.<h2>The takeaway</h2>Lindenwood saw the difference between the two levels of Division I in the trenches. The Lions averaged just 3.5 yards per play, compared to 8.2 yards per play for Kansas. Kansas will need to address the turnovers on offense as the quality of opponent ramps up next week.<h2>Up next</h2>Lindenwood: Hosts Central Arkansas on Saturday, Sept. 7.Kansas: At Illinois on Saturday, Sept. 7.

🏈 No. 22 Kansas uses big 2nd quarter to rout Lindenwood 

HOUSTON (AP) — Zach Dezenzo drew a go-ahead bases-loaded walk and the Houston Astros took advantage of two Kansas City errors in a four-run eighth inning to beat the Royals 6-3 on Thursday night.

With two runners on and Astros trailing 3-2, Yainer Diaz hit a grounder to pitcher Lucas Erceg (2-5), who tried to barehand the comebacker, bobbled it and rushed a throw that got away from first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino. José Altuve scored from second on the play to tie the score. Pasquantino’s glove hand appeared to collide with Diaz, and he exited the game with an apparent injury.

After reliever John Schreiber intentionally walked Ben Gamel to load the bases, Jeremy Peña grounded into a force out at home. Dezenzo then drew a walk to force in Diaz with the tiebreaking run. Mauricio Dubón followed with a single to left field to score Ben Gamel, and Peña also scored on a fielding error by left fielder MJ Melendez to make it 6-3.

“It’s been like that the whole year,” Dubón said. “We’ve been fighting. Dezenzo had an unreal at-bat and gave me a chance to make something happen.”

Ryan Pressly (1-3) pitched a scoreless eighth to earn the win after being activated from the 15-day injured list earlier in the day, and Josh Hader pitched a perfect ninth to earn his 29th save of the season.

“These guys like big moments like that,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “That’s a huge win for us, right there.”

The Royals had taken the lead in the seventh after two errors by the Astros. With one out, Salvador Perez reached first on a fielding error by Peña. Paul DeJong, nearly grounded into a double play, but the throw to first was late. Melendez walked, and Maikel Garcia reached base after third baseman Shay Whitcomb bobbled a groundball, loading the bases. Kyle Isbel then followed with a three-run double down the left-field line off Bryan Abreu for the 3-2 lead.

“We took advantage of an error,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “That’s what you have to do -- when a good team makes a mistake, you have to take advantage of it. We made a mistake, and they took advantage of it. Same thing on the other side.”

Astros starter Hunter Brown — pitching on his 26th birthday — allowed two hits and no earned runs while striking out four and walking one in 6 2/3 innings.

Brown last faced the Royals on April 11, when he gave up nine runs on 11 hits in just two-thirds of an inning. He turned his season around after that start, posting an 11-5 record and a 2.98 ERA in 23 appearances since.

“I could not wait to pitch against these guys,” Brown said. “I got bounced in the first inning, and that was definitely still on my mind even though it was however many months ago. So, once I got through the first inning, that was awesome. I was very thankful. That was a birthday gift, in itself.”

Veteran outfielder Jason Heyward made a splash in his Astros debut. After being released by the Dodgers and signing with Houston earlier this week, Heyward had a two-run double down the right-field line off Royals starter Brady Singer in the bottom of the fifth inning to give Houston a 2-0 lead.

Singer allowed five hits and two runs while striking out six and walking one in six innings.

Astros third baseman Alex Bregman was ejected in the fourth inning after appearing to complain about a strike-three call from home plate umpire Alex Tosi.

“When Alex argues balls and strikes, 99% of the time, he’s right,” Espada said.

Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., who leads the American League in hits, batting average and runs, went 0 for 4 after hitting safely in 16 of his previous 17 games.

Royals: RF Hunter Renfroe (right hamstring strain) is “feeling better” and started running and doing a full workout on Wednesday, manager Matt Quatraro said.

Astros: RF Kyle Tucker (shin contusion) has “looked really good” in drills and sprinting exercises, and “we’re getting there,” Espada said before the game.

Royals RHP Seth Lugo (14-8, 3.19 ERA) will start against Astros LHP Framber Valdez (13-6, 3.27) on Friday,

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1725010825004.jpeg" alt="Houston Astros' Zach Dezenzo celebrates after drawing a bases-loaded walk during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox)" />
 <figcaption>Houston Astros' Zach Dezenzo celebrates after drawing a bases-loaded walk during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox)</figcaption>
 </figure>HOUSTON (AP) — Zach Dezenzo drew a go-ahead bases-loaded walk and the Houston Astros took advantage of two Kansas City errors in a four-run eighth inning to beat the Royals 6-3 on Thursday night.With two runners on and Astros trailing 3-2, Yainer Diaz hit a grounder to pitcher Lucas Erceg (2-5), who tried to barehand the comebacker, bobbled it and rushed a throw that got away from first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino. José Altuve scored from second on the play to tie the score. Pasquantino’s glove hand appeared to collide with Diaz, and he exited the game with an apparent injury.After reliever John Schreiber intentionally walked Ben Gamel to load the bases, Jeremy Peña grounded into a force out at home. Dezenzo then drew a walk to force in Diaz with the tiebreaking run. Mauricio Dubón followed with a single to left field to score Ben Gamel, and Peña also scored on a fielding error by left fielder MJ Melendez to make it 6-3.“It’s been like that the whole year,” Dubón said. “We’ve been fighting. Dezenzo had an unreal at-bat and gave me a chance to make something happen.”Ryan Pressly (1-3) pitched a scoreless eighth to earn the win after being activated from the 15-day injured list earlier in the day, and Josh Hader pitched a perfect ninth to earn his 29th save of the season.“These guys like big moments like that,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “That’s a huge win for us, right there.”The Royals had taken the lead in the seventh after two errors by the Astros. With one out, Salvador Perez reached first on a fielding error by Peña. Paul DeJong, nearly grounded into a double play, but the throw to first was late. Melendez walked, and Maikel Garcia reached base after third baseman Shay Whitcomb bobbled a groundball, loading the bases. Kyle Isbel then followed with a three-run double down the left-field line off Bryan Abreu for the 3-2 lead.“We took advantage of an error,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “That’s what you have to do -- when a good team makes a mistake, you have to take advantage of it. We made a mistake, and they took advantage of it. Same thing on the other side.”Astros starter Hunter Brown — pitching on his 26th birthday — allowed two hits and no earned runs while striking out four and walking one in 6 2/3 innings.Brown last faced the Royals on April 11, when he gave up nine runs on 11 hits in just two-thirds of an inning. He turned his season around after that start, posting an 11-5 record and a 2.98 ERA in 23 appearances since.“I could not wait to pitch against these guys,” Brown said. “I got bounced in the first inning, and that was definitely still on my mind even though it was however many months ago. So, once I got through the first inning, that was awesome. I was very thankful. That was a birthday gift, in itself.”Veteran outfielder Jason Heyward made a splash in his Astros debut. After being released by the Dodgers and signing with Houston earlier this week, Heyward had a two-run double down the right-field line off Royals starter Brady Singer in the bottom of the fifth inning to give Houston a 2-0 lead.Singer allowed five hits and two runs while striking out six and walking one in six innings.Astros third baseman Alex Bregman was ejected in the fourth inning after appearing to complain about a strike-three call from home plate umpire Alex Tosi.“When Alex argues balls and strikes, 99% of the time, he’s right,” Espada said.Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., who leads the American League in hits, batting average and runs, went 0 for 4 after hitting safely in 16 of his previous 17 games.TRAINER’S ROOMRoyals: RF Hunter Renfroe (right hamstring strain) is “feeling better” and started running and doing a full workout on Wednesday, manager Matt Quatraro said.Astros: RF Kyle Tucker (shin contusion) has “looked really good” in drills and sprinting exercises, and “we’re getting there,” Espada said before the game.UP NEXTRoyals RHP Seth Lugo (14-8, 3.19 ERA) will start against Astros LHP Framber Valdez (13-6, 3.27) on Friday,

⚾ Astros take advantage of two errors in 4-run eighth to beat Royals 

<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–</a>&nbsp;With the 2024 NFL season kicking off one week from today, 19 former Kansas State players have been placed on active rosters, practice squads or injured reserve lists as the 32 organizations set their initial rosters for the season earlier this week.

The 19 former Wildcats on opening-weekend NFL rosters are the most since they also had 19 to open the 2009 season. Of the 19 players, 12 are on offense and seven are on defense. Four players off last year’s squad enter their rookie seasons, a list that includes second-round draft pick Ben Sinnott (Washington), third-round draft pick Cooper Beebe (Dallas), seventh-round selection KT Leveston (Los Angeles Rams) and rookie free agent Khalid Duke (Tennessee – practice squad).

Leveston, along with Minnesota offensive lineman Dalton Risner, were placed on injured reserve but were designated for return, which means they will miss at least four games but will be allowed to be added back to the active roster later in the season.

Aside from the four players from last year, Adrian Martinez, a K-State quarterback in 2022, is on a regular-season roster for the first time in his career as he is on the New York Jets’ practice squad. Martinez is coming off a UFL campaign in which he was named league MVP and helped the Birmingham Stallions win the UFL Championship.

The longest-tenured former K-State players on NFL rosters are Tyler Lockett and Cornelius Lucas, both entering their 10th&nbsp;seasons. Lockett has spent his entire career with the Seattle Seahawks, while Lucas is in his fifth year with the Washington Commanders after having spent time with the Detroit Lions (2014-16), Los Angeles Rams (2017), New Orleans Saints (2018) and Chicago Bears (2019). Additionally, Cody Whitehair is entering his ninth season in the NFL but his first with the Las Vegas Raiders after spending the first eight seasons of his career with the Chicago Bears.

No. 18 Kansas State opens the 2024 season on Saturday by hosting UT Martin at 6 p.m., inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Standing-room only tickets are available online at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.kstatesports.com/tickets">www.kstatesports.com/tickets</a>&nbsp;or by phone at 1-800-221-CATS. The game will be shown on ESPN+ and can be heard across the K-State Sports Network, SiriusXM channel 160 or 198, on the SiriusXM app, the Varsity Network app or Big 12 Radio on TuneIn.

<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–</a>&nbsp;With the 2024 NFL season kicking off one week from today, 19 former Kansas State players have been placed on active rosters, practice squads or injured reserve lists as the 32 organizations set their initial rosters for the season earlier this week.The 19 former Wildcats on opening-weekend NFL rosters are the most since they also had 19 to open the 2009 season. Of the 19 players, 12 are on offense and seven are on defense. Four players off last year’s squad enter their rookie seasons, a list that includes second-round draft pick Ben Sinnott (Washington), third-round draft pick Cooper Beebe (Dallas), seventh-round selection KT Leveston (Los Angeles Rams) and rookie free agent Khalid Duke (Tennessee – practice squad).Leveston, along with Minnesota offensive lineman Dalton Risner, were placed on injured reserve but were designated for return, which means they will miss at least four games but will be allowed to be added back to the active roster later in the season.Aside from the four players from last year, Adrian Martinez, a K-State quarterback in 2022, is on a regular-season roster for the first time in his career as he is on the New York Jets’ practice squad. Martinez is coming off a UFL campaign in which he was named league MVP and helped the Birmingham Stallions win the UFL Championship.The longest-tenured former K-State players on NFL rosters are Tyler Lockett and Cornelius Lucas, both entering their 10th&nbsp;seasons. Lockett has spent his entire career with the Seattle Seahawks, while Lucas is in his fifth year with the Washington Commanders after having spent time with the Detroit Lions (2014-16), Los Angeles Rams (2017), New Orleans Saints (2018) and Chicago Bears (2019). Additionally, Cody Whitehair is entering his ninth season in the NFL but his first with the Las Vegas Raiders after spending the first eight seasons of his career with the Chicago Bears.No. 18 Kansas State opens the 2024 season on Saturday by hosting UT Martin at 6 p.m., inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Standing-room only tickets are available online at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.kstatesports.com/tickets">www.kstatesports.com/tickets</a>&nbsp;or by phone at 1-800-221-CATS. The game will be shown on ESPN+ and can be heard across the K-State Sports Network, SiriusXM channel 160 or 198, on the SiriusXM app, the Varsity Network app or Big 12 Radio on TuneIn.

Nineteen Wildcats Set for 2024 NFL Season

CLEVELAND (AP) — Rookie Jhonkensy Noel singled home Josh Naylor with the go-ahead run in the seventh inning and the Cleveland Guardians rallied for a 7-5 win over the Kansas City Royals, reclaiming sole possession of first place in the AL Central on Wednesday.

The Guardians trailed 5-2 entering the seventh, but scored four times to take their first lead of the afternoon. Bo Naylor homered off starter Michael Wacha, while Josh Naylor, Will Brennan and Noel had RBI singles against Lucas Erceg (2-4).

Erceg was charged with one run allowed, his first in 12 appearances and 13 1/3 innings since joining the Royals in a July 30 trade with Oakland.

Andrés Giménez tacked on a sacrifice fly in the eighth as Cleveland avoided a four-game sweep in the series. The Guardians and rookie manager Stephen Vogt had been alone atop the Central for 154 days until Kansas City pulled into a tie Tuesday.

Eli Morgan (2-0) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings for the victory. Emmanuel Clase earned his AL-best 39th save — with his career-high 26th straight conversion — and matched Cody Allen’s franchise record with 149.

Kansas City had its seven-game road winning streak snapped and is 23-14 since the All-Star break. The Royals have clinched the season tiebreaker over the Guardians.

Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino and Michael Massey hit solo homers off Guardians ace Tanner Bibee, who gave up five runs in five innings.

Pasquantino had a career-high four hits and is fourth in the majors with 97 RBIs. Witt continues to lead baseball with a .346 batting average, 185 hits and 114 runs.

Kansas City starter Michael Wacha was denied his 100th career win. The right-hander pitched six innings and gave up five runs with seven strikeouts.

Royals: SS Bobby Witt Jr. (right middle finger bruise) has started all 134 games in the second spot in the batting order. The AL MVP candidate was hit by a pitch from Pedro Avila in the seventh inning Tuesday, but remained in the game.

Guardians: RHP Alex Cobb (right fingernail tear) played catch at Progressive Field, one day after throwing three innings of live batting practice. The 36-year-old starter is eligible to be activated from the 15-day injured list on Aug. 31.

Royals: RHP Brady Singer (9-9, 3.38 ERA) starts the opener of a four-game series at AL West-leading Houston on Thursday.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Rookie Jhonkensy Noel singled home Josh Naylor with the go-ahead run in the seventh inning and the Cleveland Guardians rallied for a 7-5 win over the Kansas City Royals, reclaiming sole possession of first place in the AL Central on Wednesday.The Guardians trailed 5-2 entering the seventh, but scored four times to take their first lead of the afternoon. Bo Naylor homered off starter Michael Wacha, while Josh Naylor, Will Brennan and Noel had RBI singles against Lucas Erceg (2-4).Erceg was charged with one run allowed, his first in 12 appearances and 13 1/3 innings since joining the Royals in a July 30 trade with Oakland.Andrés Giménez tacked on a sacrifice fly in the eighth as Cleveland avoided a four-game sweep in the series. The Guardians and rookie manager Stephen Vogt had been alone atop the Central for 154 days until Kansas City pulled into a tie Tuesday.Eli Morgan (2-0) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings for the victory. Emmanuel Clase earned his AL-best 39th save — with his career-high 26th straight conversion — and matched Cody Allen’s franchise record with 149.Kansas City had its seven-game road winning streak snapped and is 23-14 since the All-Star break. The Royals have clinched the season tiebreaker over the Guardians.Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino and Michael Massey hit solo homers off Guardians ace Tanner Bibee, who gave up five runs in five innings.Pasquantino had a career-high four hits and is fourth in the majors with 97 RBIs. Witt continues to lead baseball with a .346 batting average, 185 hits and 114 runs.Kansas City starter Michael Wacha was denied his 100th career win. The right-hander pitched six innings and gave up five runs with seven strikeouts.TRAINER’S ROOMRoyals: SS Bobby Witt Jr. (right middle finger bruise) has started all 134 games in the second spot in the batting order. The AL MVP candidate was hit by a pitch from Pedro Avila in the seventh inning Tuesday, but remained in the game.Guardians: RHP Alex Cobb (right fingernail tear) played catch at Progressive Field, one day after throwing three innings of live batting practice. The 36-year-old starter is eligible to be activated from the 15-day injured list on Aug. 31.UP NEXTRoyals: RHP Brady Singer (9-9, 3.38 ERA) starts the opener of a four-game series at AL West-leading Houston on Thursday.

⚾ Guardians rally for victory over Royals, reclaim top spot in AL Central

CLEVELAND (AP) — After four months and a lengthy rain delay, there's a second team sitting atop the AL Central.

Paul DeJong hit a two-run homer and Kansas City moved into a tie for first with Cleveland by beating the Guardians 6-1 on Tuesday night in a game delayed more than two hours by rain.

The Royals, who lost 106 games last season, improved to a league-best 23-13 since the All-Star break, when they trailed the Guardians by seven games.

“That’s our goal, to win the division," Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said. “Clearly nothing is decided. We got a month-plus to go, but we like the way we’re playing. Our guys are super competitive. They don’t back down from anything and this is what a pennant race should be.”

Cleveland had led the division since April 14 — 154 days — before dropping the first three games in this series, which concludes with a matinee Wednesday. The Guardians have lost nine of 12 and are just 17-21 since the break.

Cleveland had a nine-game lead on June 26. It's gone now.

“For me, it’s about the end of the season,” first-year manager Stephen Vogt said. "It doesn’t matter how you get there. What matters is that we do get there. Yeah, if you want to look back at the standings, you have a big lead that’s early in the season, that’s why you play 162 games.

“There’s nothing that says in this final stretch that we don’t go on a run. There’s nothing that says we don’t do it again. So you can’t look at the standings and worry about where you are on any given day. You’ve got to wait one day at a time, look where you are at the end of the season and then see where it lands.”

DeJong connected in the second inning off Gavin Williams (2-7), and the Royals tacked on three runs in the seventh off Scott Barlow on RBI singles by Maikel Garcia and Michael Massey, to go along with a wild pitch.

James McArthur (5-5) struck out four in two innings, and the Royals' solid bullpen closed with five perfect innings following the rain delay. The Guardians were held to just three hits.

Kansas City's win came with a minor scare.

All-Star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. got hit on the right hand by a pitch from Pedro Avila in the seventh inning. Witt grabbed his right hand in pain, but the majors' leader in average, hits and runs stayed in the game and ripped a double in the ninth.

Quatraro said Witt got hit on the right middle finger. In the clubhouse, Witt indicated to reporters he was OK.

Cleveland was coming to bat in the bottom of the fifth — and three outs from making the game official — when the ballpark's grounds crew rolled out the tarp at 8:06 p.m. to cover the infield before the rain hit.

When it finally came and lightning raced across the sky above Progressive Field, fans retreated for protection in the concourses. The game was delayed for 2 hours, 14 minutes before resuming at 10:20 p.m. with few thousand die-hards on hand.

DeJong, who came over in a trade with the last-place White Sox in July, said the Royals killed time during the delay by playing video games in the clubhouse. He said All-Star catcher Salvado Perez even tried to learn to play chess.

DeJong said he quickly recognized the Royals have a special group.

“Watching them from the outside in, you saw they got their core pieces," he said. "They got starting pitching. They got Salvador Perez and Bobby Witt, so it’s a great combo right there to build a team around.

“It’s nice to have those guys, but we have depth and guys who can play all over. A lot of guys are contributing from a lot of different angles and a lot of things are going our way.”

Royals starter Michael Lorenzen left in the second after straining his left hamstring while covering first base. Quatraro said Lorenzen will return to Kansas City on Wednesday to undergo imaging tests.

“We think it’s mild, but doubtful he’ll be able to pitch in five days,” Quatraro said. “We’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”

Royals: OF Hunter Renfroe (strained right hamstring) continues to undergo treatment and Quatraro said the hope is “to get him back out there as quickly as we can.” Renfroe was placed on the 10-day injured list on Sunday after his leg tightened against Philadelphia.

Guardians: RHP Alex Cobb (broken fingernail) threw three simulated innings in a live batting practice against minor leaguers before the game. Cobb is eligible to come off the injured list on Sunday. Vogt said the team is still determining whether to have him go on a minor league rehab assignment.

Guardians RHP Tanner Bibee (10-6, 3.46 ERA) starts the series finale against Royals RHP Michael Wacha (11-6, 3.23 ERA), who is 7-0 with a 2.40 ERA in 10 starts since June 22.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724838207128.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals' Paul DeJong watches his home run in the second inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals' Paul DeJong watches his home run in the second inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)</figcaption>
 </figure>CLEVELAND (AP) — After four months and a lengthy rain delay, there's a second team sitting atop the AL Central.The Royals have run down the Guardians.Paul DeJong hit a two-run homer and Kansas City moved into a tie for first with Cleveland by beating the Guardians 6-1 on Tuesday night in a game delayed more than two hours by rain.The Royals, who lost 106 games last season, improved to a league-best 23-13 since the All-Star break, when they trailed the Guardians by seven games.“That’s our goal, to win the division," Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said. “Clearly nothing is decided. We got a month-plus to go, but we like the way we’re playing. Our guys are super competitive. They don’t back down from anything and this is what a pennant race should be.”Cleveland had led the division since April 14 — 154 days — before dropping the first three games in this series, which concludes with a matinee Wednesday. The Guardians have lost nine of 12 and are just 17-21 since the break.Cleveland had a nine-game lead on June 26. It's gone now.“For me, it’s about the end of the season,” first-year manager Stephen Vogt said. "It doesn’t matter how you get there. What matters is that we do get there. Yeah, if you want to look back at the standings, you have a big lead that’s early in the season, that’s why you play 162 games.“There’s nothing that says in this final stretch that we don’t go on a run. There’s nothing that says we don’t do it again. So you can’t look at the standings and worry about where you are on any given day. You’ve got to wait one day at a time, look where you are at the end of the season and then see where it lands.”DeJong connected in the second inning off Gavin Williams (2-7), and the Royals tacked on three runs in the seventh off Scott Barlow on RBI singles by Maikel Garcia and Michael Massey, to go along with a wild pitch.James McArthur (5-5) struck out four in two innings, and the Royals' solid bullpen closed with five perfect innings following the rain delay. The Guardians were held to just three hits.Kansas City's win came with a minor scare.All-Star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. got hit on the right hand by a pitch from Pedro Avila in the seventh inning. Witt grabbed his right hand in pain, but the majors' leader in average, hits and runs stayed in the game and ripped a double in the ninth.Quatraro said Witt got hit on the right middle finger. In the clubhouse, Witt indicated to reporters he was OK.Cleveland was coming to bat in the bottom of the fifth — and three outs from making the game official — when the ballpark's grounds crew rolled out the tarp at 8:06 p.m. to cover the infield before the rain hit.When it finally came and lightning raced across the sky above Progressive Field, fans retreated for protection in the concourses. The game was delayed for 2 hours, 14 minutes before resuming at 10:20 p.m. with few thousand die-hards on hand.DeJong, who came over in a trade with the last-place White Sox in July, said the Royals killed time during the delay by playing video games in the clubhouse. He said All-Star catcher Salvado Perez even tried to learn to play chess.DeJong said he quickly recognized the Royals have a special group.“Watching them from the outside in, you saw they got their core pieces," he said. "They got starting pitching. They got Salvador Perez and Bobby Witt, so it’s a great combo right there to build a team around.“It’s nice to have those guys, but we have depth and guys who can play all over. A lot of guys are contributing from a lot of different angles and a lot of things are going our way.”Royals starter Michael Lorenzen left in the second after straining his left hamstring while covering first base. Quatraro said Lorenzen will return to Kansas City on Wednesday to undergo imaging tests.“We think it’s mild, but doubtful he’ll be able to pitch in five days,” Quatraro said. “We’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”TRAINER'S ROOMRoyals: OF Hunter Renfroe (strained right hamstring) continues to undergo treatment and Quatraro said the hope is “to get him back out there as quickly as we can.” Renfroe was placed on the 10-day injured list on Sunday after his leg tightened against Philadelphia.Guardians: RHP Alex Cobb (broken fingernail) threw three simulated innings in a live batting practice against minor leaguers before the game. Cobb is eligible to come off the injured list on Sunday. Vogt said the team is still determining whether to have him go on a minor league rehab assignment.UP NEXTGuardians RHP Tanner Bibee (10-6, 3.46 ERA) starts the series finale against Royals RHP Michael Wacha (11-6, 3.23 ERA), who is 7-0 with a 2.40 ERA in 10 starts since June 22.

⚾ Royals catch Guardians atop AL Central after win in rain delayed game

The Kansas Shrine Bowl has announced the selection of Dominick Dingle, Wichita Heights High School, and Garrett Michael, Sabetha High School, as the Head Coaches for the 52nd&nbsp;Kansas Shrine Bowl presented by Mammoth. The head coaches are selected from the group of assistant coaches from the previous year’s game. Their selection is determined by a vote from the previous year’s coaching staff, camp directors and support staff. The 52nd&nbsp;Kansas Shrine Bowl presented by Mammoth will be played on Saturday, June 21, 2025, at Memorial Stadium in Dodge City, Kansas.

The West team will be led by Wichita Heights Head Coach Dominick Dingle. Coach Dingle is entering his 7th season at Wichita Heights High School, where he has compiled an overall record of 26-27. Prior to being named the Head Coach at Wichita Heights in 2018, Dingle spent ten seasons as the Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator at Garden City High School and one season as an assistant coach at Leavenworth High School.

The 2025 East squad will be led by Garrett Michael of Sabetha High School. Coach Michael led the Sabetha program for 15 years as the Head Coach, compiling an overall record of 104-59. During his leadership, the Bluejays won back-to-back 3A state championships in 2017 and 2018, while also making back-to-back runs to the state semifinals in 2022 and 2023. Along with this past summer, Coach Michael previously coached in the Kansas Shrine Bowl in 2018 as an assistant coach.

The West holds the all-time series advantage with a 31-18-2 record after the East team ended a six-year drought with a 35-26 win during the 51st&nbsp;Kansas Shrine Bowl presented by Mammoth. The East will be looking to win consecutive games for the first time since 2015 and 2016.

The Kansas Shrine Bowl has announced the selection of Dominick Dingle, Wichita Heights High School, and Garrett Michael, Sabetha High School, as the Head Coaches for the 52nd&nbsp;Kansas Shrine Bowl presented by Mammoth. The head coaches are selected from the group of assistant coaches from the previous year’s game. Their selection is determined by a vote from the previous year’s coaching staff, camp directors and support staff. The 52nd&nbsp;Kansas Shrine Bowl presented by Mammoth will be played on Saturday, June 21, 2025, at Memorial Stadium in Dodge City, Kansas.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724773565422.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The West team will be led by Wichita Heights Head Coach Dominick Dingle. Coach Dingle is entering his 7th season at Wichita Heights High School, where he has compiled an overall record of 26-27. Prior to being named the Head Coach at Wichita Heights in 2018, Dingle spent ten seasons as the Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator at Garden City High School and one season as an assistant coach at Leavenworth High School.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724773598438.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The 2025 East squad will be led by Garrett Michael of Sabetha High School. Coach Michael led the Sabetha program for 15 years as the Head Coach, compiling an overall record of 104-59. During his leadership, the Bluejays won back-to-back 3A state championships in 2017 and 2018, while also making back-to-back runs to the state semifinals in 2022 and 2023. Along with this past summer, Coach Michael previously coached in the Kansas Shrine Bowl in 2018 as an assistant coach.The West holds the all-time series advantage with a 31-18-2 record after the East team ended a six-year drought with a 35-26 win during the 51st&nbsp;Kansas Shrine Bowl presented by Mammoth. The East will be looking to win consecutive games for the first time since 2015 and 2016.

Shrine Bowl head coaches are named

CLEVELAND (AP) — Salvador Perez hit a grand slam and drove in a career-high six runs as the Kansas City Royals completed a doubleheader sweep of Cleveland, beating the Guardians 9-4 on Monday night to pull within one game of first in the AL Central.

The Royals won the day game 4-3 as Bobby Witt Jr.’s 27th homer — and 11th since July 19 — snapped a tie in the eighth inning.

In Game 2, Perez hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning — after nearly striking out — and then connected for his sixth career slam in the sixth off Pedro Avila.

The nine-time All-Star catcher has 17 career multi-homer games, tying him with Hall of Famer George Brett for the most in Kansas City history.

Kansas City was nine games back in early July, but the Royals have chipped away at Cleveland's lead by posting an AL-best 22-13 record since the break.

The Guardians, who have led the division since April 14, dropped to 0-8 in doubleheaders this season.

Leading 5-4 in the sixth, the Royals loaded the bases and had a runner forced at the plate before Perez drove his 25th homer 457 feet into the bleachers. Perez's shot tied him with Frank White for the most slams in Royals history.

José Ramírez had three doubles, giving Cleveland's star third baseman two or more extra-base hits in 109 games to tie him with Tris Speaker for second in club history behind Earl Averill (135). Ramírez has also reached 30 homers, 30 doubles and 30 steals in a season for the second time.

Perez's homer in the fifth came one pitch after he caught a break.

He fouled back a 3-2 pitch that catcher Bo Naylor appeared to snare before it hit the ground. But plate umpire John Tumpane looked into Naylor's glove and noticed dirt on the ball, giving Perez new life.

With another chance, he pulled his 24th homer into the bleachers to give Kansas City a 5-4 lead.

Tumpane made the same call in the sixth, and this time Guardians pitching coach Carl Willis was ejected for arguing on behalf of reliever Pedro Avila.

Rookie Daniel Schneemann homered in the second game for Cleveland.

In the opener, Witt connected on a 0-1 pitch from rookie Hunter Gaddis (4-3), driving it 413 feet into the left-field bleachers.

The All-Star shortstop came in batting .417 since the break, the fourth-highest average (with at least 125 at-bats) in the second half since World War II. Only Ted Williams (.454 in 1957), Ichiro Suzuki (.429, 2004) and George Brett (.421, 1980) have hit higher.

It was just another noteworthy moment of many in 2024 for Witt.

“He's always present,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “He doesn't care what he's done prior or what he's going to do tomorrow. He's going to be in that box and trying to beat you right there. Bobby's a special player.”

MJ Melendez belted a three-run homer and made a sensational catch in left field for the Royals in Game 1.

John Schreiber (4-3) worked 1 2/3 innings and Lucas Erceg put the tying run on with a walk in the ninth before getting his fifth save since coming to Kansas City in a July 30 trade from Oakland.

Reliever Nick Sandlin made his first major league start for Cleveland in the opener. The right-hander hadn't started a game since his junior year at Southern Miss in 2018.

Royals: LHP Will Smith (back spasms) was placed on the 15-day injured list, one day after he allowed five runs in one inning against Philadelphia. Quatraro said Smith's back issue has “been lingering for a while.”

Guardians: RHP Alex Cobb (broken fingernail) didn't have any problems while throwing a bullpen session Sunday. He's scheduled to throw live batting practice Tuesday. Cobb was acquired at the trade deadline from San Francisco.

Guardians RHP Gavin Williams (2-6, 5.13 ERA) starts Tuesday against Royals RHP Michael Lorenzen (7-6, 3.47), who threw seven scoreless innings in his most recent outing.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724722422214.png" alt="Photo Kansas City Royals" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas City Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>CLEVELAND (AP) — Salvador Perez hit a grand slam and drove in a career-high six runs as the Kansas City Royals completed a doubleheader sweep of Cleveland, beating the Guardians 9-4 on Monday night to pull within one game of first in the AL Central.The Royals won the day game 4-3 as Bobby Witt Jr.’s 27th homer — and 11th since July 19 — snapped a tie in the eighth inning.In Game 2, Perez hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning — after nearly striking out — and then connected for his sixth career slam in the sixth off Pedro Avila.The nine-time All-Star catcher has 17 career multi-homer games, tying him with Hall of Famer George Brett for the most in Kansas City history.Kansas City was nine games back in early July, but the Royals have chipped away at Cleveland's lead by posting an AL-best 22-13 record since the break.The Guardians, who have led the division since April 14, dropped to 0-8 in doubleheaders this season.Leading 5-4 in the sixth, the Royals loaded the bases and had a runner forced at the plate before Perez drove his 25th homer 457 feet into the bleachers. Perez's shot tied him with Frank White for the most slams in Royals history.José Ramírez had three doubles, giving Cleveland's star third baseman two or more extra-base hits in 109 games to tie him with Tris Speaker for second in club history behind Earl Averill (135). Ramírez has also reached 30 homers, 30 doubles and 30 steals in a season for the second time.Perez's homer in the fifth came one pitch after he caught a break.He fouled back a 3-2 pitch that catcher Bo Naylor appeared to snare before it hit the ground. But plate umpire John Tumpane looked into Naylor's glove and noticed dirt on the ball, giving Perez new life.With another chance, he pulled his 24th homer into the bleachers to give Kansas City a 5-4 lead.Tumpane made the same call in the sixth, and this time Guardians pitching coach Carl Willis was ejected for arguing on behalf of reliever Pedro Avila.Rookie Daniel Schneemann homered in the second game for Cleveland.In the opener, Witt connected on a 0-1 pitch from rookie Hunter Gaddis (4-3), driving it 413 feet into the left-field bleachers.The All-Star shortstop came in batting .417 since the break, the fourth-highest average (with at least 125 at-bats) in the second half since World War II. Only Ted Williams (.454 in 1957), Ichiro Suzuki (.429, 2004) and George Brett (.421, 1980) have hit higher.It was just another noteworthy moment of many in 2024 for Witt.“He's always present,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “He doesn't care what he's done prior or what he's going to do tomorrow. He's going to be in that box and trying to beat you right there. Bobby's a special player.”MJ Melendez belted a three-run homer and made a sensational catch in left field for the Royals in Game 1.John Schreiber (4-3) worked 1 2/3 innings and Lucas Erceg put the tying run on with a walk in the ninth before getting his fifth save since coming to Kansas City in a July 30 trade from Oakland.Reliever Nick Sandlin made his first major league start for Cleveland in the opener. The right-hander hadn't started a game since his junior year at Southern Miss in 2018.TRAINER'S ROOMRoyals: LHP Will Smith (back spasms) was placed on the 15-day injured list, one day after he allowed five runs in one inning against Philadelphia. Quatraro said Smith's back issue has “been lingering for a while.”Guardians: RHP Alex Cobb (broken fingernail) didn't have any problems while throwing a bullpen session Sunday. He's scheduled to throw live batting practice Tuesday. Cobb was acquired at the trade deadline from San Francisco.UP NEXTGuardians RHP Gavin Williams (2-6, 5.13 ERA) starts Tuesday against Royals RHP Michael Lorenzen (7-6, 3.47), who threw seven scoreless innings in his most recent outing.

⚾ Salvador Perez hits grand slam as Royals sweep Guardians

CLEVELAND (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. homered leading off the eighth inning to break a tie as the Kansas City Royals pulled closer to Cleveland in the AL Central with a 4-3 victory over the Guardians in the opener of a day-night doubleheader Monday.

Witt connected on a 0-1 pitch from rookie Hunter Gaddis (4-3), driving it 413 feet into the left-field bleachers for his 27th homer of the season — and his 11th in 34 games since the All-Star break.

He came in batting .417 since the break, the fourth-highest average (with at least 125 at-bats) in the second half since World War II. Only Ted Williams (.454 in 1957), Ichiro Suzuki (.429, 2004) and George Brett (.421, 1980) have hit higher.

It was just another noteworthy moment of many in 2024 for Witt, who leads the majors in average (.347), hits (181) and runs (112).

Witt's homer was just the third run Gaddis has given up at home this season.

“He impacts the game as good as anybody in this game,” Cleveland catcher Austin Hedges said of Witt. “So you got to be real smart with him. You've got to make pitches. You've got to execute pitches. And if you make a mistake, he always takes his ‘A’ swing. There’s a reason he’s hitting (nearly) .350.”

MJ Melendez belted a three-run homer and made a sensational catch in left field for the Royals, who pulled within two games of the first-place Guardians. Cleveland has led the division since April 14.

It was the first of seven games over the next 10 days between the Guardians and Royals.

Logan Allen was recalled from Triple-A Columbus to start Game 2 for Cleveland against Royals right-hander Alec Marsh.

Erceg extended his scoreless streak to 15 1/3 innings.

“I'm glad we got him,” Quatraro said. “That's why we got him.”

Kansas City starter Cole Ragans was lifted while leading 3-2 in the fifth inning because of cramping in his left calf and hamstring.

Ragans issued a leadoff walk and then was replaced by closer James McArthur, who got two outs before intentionally walking Josh Naylor.

Rookie Jhonkensy Noel followed with a shot toward the corner in left. Melendez raced across the grass and was able to snag it with a headfirst catch before sliding across the warning track to save at least two runs.

“As an outfielder, you have to feel like you can get to anything,” Melendez said. “That's what goes through my head any time a ball is in the air towards me. I'm glad it was able to hang up in the air a little longer.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724708308796.png" alt="Photo Kansas City Royals" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas City Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>CLEVELAND (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. homered leading off the eighth inning to break a tie as the Kansas City Royals pulled closer to Cleveland in the AL Central with a 4-3 victory over the Guardians in the opener of a day-night doubleheader Monday.Witt connected on a 0-1 pitch from rookie Hunter Gaddis (4-3), driving it 413 feet into the left-field bleachers for his 27th homer of the season — and his 11th in 34 games since the All-Star break.He came in batting .417 since the break, the fourth-highest average (with at least 125 at-bats) in the second half since World War II. Only Ted Williams (.454 in 1957), Ichiro Suzuki (.429, 2004) and George Brett (.421, 1980) have hit higher.It was just another noteworthy moment of many in 2024 for Witt, who leads the majors in average (.347), hits (181) and runs (112).“He's always present,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “He doesn't care what he's done prior or what he's going to do tomorrow. He's going to be in that box and trying to beat you right there. Bobby's a special player.”Witt's homer was just the third run Gaddis has given up at home this season.“He impacts the game as good as anybody in this game,” Cleveland catcher Austin Hedges said of Witt. “So you got to be real smart with him. You've got to make pitches. You've got to execute pitches. And if you make a mistake, he always takes his ‘A’ swing. There’s a reason he’s hitting (nearly) .350.”MJ Melendez belted a three-run homer and made a sensational catch in left field for the Royals, who pulled within two games of the first-place Guardians. Cleveland has led the division since April 14.It was the first of seven games over the next 10 days between the Guardians and Royals.Logan Allen was recalled from Triple-A Columbus to start Game 2 for Cleveland against Royals right-hander Alec Marsh.John Schreiber (4-3) worked 1 2/3 innings and Lucas Erceg put the tying run on with a walk in the ninth before getting his fifth save since coming to Kansas City in a July 30 trade from Oakland.Erceg extended his scoreless streak to 15 1/3 innings.“I'm glad we got him,” Quatraro said. “That's why we got him.”Kansas City starter Cole Ragans was lifted while leading 3-2 in the fifth inning because of cramping in his left calf and hamstring.Ragans issued a leadoff walk and then was replaced by closer James McArthur, who got two outs before intentionally walking Josh Naylor.Rookie Jhonkensy Noel followed with a shot toward the corner in left. Melendez raced across the grass and was able to snag it with a headfirst catch before sliding across the warning track to save at least two runs.“As an outfielder, you have to feel like you can get to anything,” Melendez said. “That's what goes through my head any time a ball is in the air towards me. I'm glad it was able to hang up in the air a little longer.”Melendez's 17th homer gave the Royals a 3-2 lead in the fourth.Vinnie Pasquantino reached when Cleveland shortstop Tyler Freeman couldn't corral his pop to shallow left and Salvador Perez singled. Melendez then lined an 0-1 pitch off the railing just above the right-field wall.Reliever Nick Sandlin made his first major league start for Cleveland and pitched one inning. The right-hander hadn't started a game since his junior year at Southern Miss in 2018.TRAINER'S ROOMRoyals: LHP Will Smith (back spasms) was placed on the 15-day injured list, one day after he allowed five runs in one inning against Philadelphia. Quatraro said Smith's back issue has “been lingering for a while.”Guardians: RHP Alex Cobb (broken fingernail) didn't have any problems while throwing a bullpen session Sunday. He's scheduled to throw live batting practice Tuesday. Cobb was acquired at the trade deadline from San Francisco.UP NEXTGuardians RHP Gavin Williams (2-6, 5.13 ERA) starts Tuesday against Royals RHP Michael Lorenzen (7-6, 3.47), who threw seven scoreless innings in his most recent outing.